"I tell you," exclaimed Fred in a low voice as soon as he had overtaken
his friend, "that tramp knows more about the lost automobile than he
told us."
George turned abruptly and for a moment stared blankly at his friend and
then laughed aloud. "I think you surely have got it," he said. "A fellow
who can find spooks and ghosts of automobiles ought to be able to find
out a man who will steal them. That tramp to me doesn't look as if he
had ever seen the inside of a car."
"It doesn't make any difference," said Fred persistently. "I tell you he
knows more about that car than you think."
"What makes you think so?"
"The way he looked and acted when we were talking about the auto having
been stolen."
"Did he look guilty?"
"I don't know whether he did or not. He looked up right away and the
expression on his face was different from what it was before. He knows
something about it anyway, whether he took it or not."
"Keep it up, Fred," laughed George. "Pretty soon you'll be able to run
down every man who has seen our car, to say nothing of those who took
it."
"What do you advise me to do?" he continued.
"I don't know."
"That's just it," laughed George. "There are lots of people that can
tell you what ought to be done, but there are mighty few that can tell
you how to do it. Do you want me to have him arrested?"
"I didn't say that," said Fred. "All I said to you was that he knows
more about it than you think he does. It seems to me it would be a good
thing to have some one watch him or to leave word with the constable."
"What will the constable do? He can't invite him to his house."
"No, but he can tell him he mustn't leave town, can't he?"
"I don't think he could without a warrant or something. You can't arrest
a man merely on suspicion."
"All the same," said Fred, "I think you'll find that he knows more about
that lost car than any one else."
"Well," said George, "he doesn't seem to be leaving the country very
rapidly and if we hear of him riding around in a brand new automobile
we'll begin to ask some questions. Now, the thing for us to do is to
start on our trip and see if there's anything in the report my father
has received about the lost car having been found in Newburgh."
A few minutes later the four boys were on their way toward the beautiful
little city on the Hudson.
A ride of between forty and fifty miles was before them and they had not
gone far on their journey before they were more deeply interested in the
sights and scenes they were passing than in the pursuit of the car which
had been lost.
While they were riding through the Ramapo Valley they tried to discover
the place where young Montagnie had had his troubles with the cowboys
who had stopped him. Other stories of heroic deeds by the colonists in
the struggle for independence were told by George and Grant and the time
passed so rapidly that when the car stopped at Suffern, where the boys
were to have their luncheon, with one accord they declared that the ride
had been the most enjoyable in all their experience.
Early in the afternoon the ride was resumed and such excellent time was
made that by half past three o'clock they had arrived at the end of
their journey.
Their car was placed in a garage and then the boys at once went to a
hotel where they were to remain that night, for it had been decided that
they would not return until the following morning, whether their lost
car was found or not.
"Come on, fellows," said George a half-hour afterward, "we'll go down to
the garage and see if our car is there."
Down the hillside on the steep street that led to the bank of the Hudson
the boys made their way, frequently commenting on the experiences people
of Newburgh must have in winter-time, when ice and snow were to be found
on the streets.
George explained that at that time ropes were stretched along the
sidewalk to protect the people who tried to pass up or down the slippery
way.
"Here we are," explained George a little later as they stopped in front
of a large garage. "Come on in. We'll know what out fate is in a few
minutes."
Entering the garage George inquired for the manager and soon was in
conversation with a young man, who at once became deeply interested in
the boys and in the story they were telling him. At last he said, "The
car you are talking about is back here in the corner. Come with me and
I'll show it to you."
Eagerly following the manager the boys soon stopped in front of the car
which he indicated. "You see," explained the young man, "this car has
recently been painted. It has a Pennsylvania license, but that could be
very easily obtained for they could run over across the Pennsylvania
line and then come up into New York State. There are some other changes
that have been made, but I want you to look at it and tell me whether or
not you think it is the car you have lost."
"I don't think it is," said George promptly.
"Better look at it more closely," said the manager. "Sometimes these
cars are created the way they used to tell me the gypsies did when I was
a boy. You know they used to scare us by telling us that the gypsies
stole children and then they fixed them up so that their own mothers
wouldn't recognize them."
"How did they do that?" inquired John.
"Oh, I don't know. I suppose they cut their hair, painted their faces
and dressed them up in some outlandish clothes. Well, that's the way
these men that steal automobiles sometimes do. They fix them up so that
their owners wouldn't recognize the cars as theirs."
A further and careful investigation of the car was made but it was not
long before George said positively, "That isn't our car."
"You're sure, are you?" again inquired the manager.
"Yes, sir. I'm sure. The engine isn't like ours. There are more spokes
in the wheels and the hood is different. No, I'm sure it's not our car."
George's disappointment was manifest in the tones of his voice and his
friends naturally shared in his feelings.
"Was that car stolen?" inquired Fred.
"We suspect that it was," replied the manager. "We have had half a dozen
inquiries recently about stolen cars and though I cannot tell you more
we have reason to believe that this is one of them. My advice to you is
to stop on your way back home at a garage managed by Egge and Hatch."
"What are their names?" demanded Grant blankly.
"Egge and Hatch," repeated the manager. "I know another automobile
concern which is run by Waite and Barrett."
"Wait and Bear-it," laughed Fred. "That's a good name. That would do for
a lot of other concerns besides garages, wouldn't it?"
"It would be a better name for the men who leave their automobiles there
to be repaired," suggested Grant.
The boys were now convinced that the car they had inspected was not the
one they had lost. There was nothing more to be done unless they visited
every garage in the city.
"And I don't think there will be much use even in that, just now,"
suggested the manager.
"Come on then, fellows, we'll go back to the hotel," said George.
"But I don't want to go back to the hotel," said Grant. "I want to go
somewhere else."
"Do you know where it is?" demanded John. "I've known you when you
started for some place that you didn't know, nor did any one else."
"I know exactly where I want to go," said Grant pompously. "If you
fellows want to come with me it will do you good, but if you don't you
can do what you please. I have never been in Newburgh before and while I
am here I am going to take advantage of the opportunity."
"All right, we'll go with you," said Fred glibly. "If you can find
anything that is going to improve you we want to come along and see the
show."