The Forest of Mystery

  CHAPTER VIII

  After the Specimens

  "There should be a certificate of title somewhere," said Joe Lewis, ashe peered inside the parked automobile. "Or if there isn't, maybethere's a letter or something else that has his name and address onit."

  "Here's a driver's license," announced Bob, who had reached into thepocket of the door. "Issued to Harry Walker, and the address is ruralroute. Let's see the description. Height, five feet-eight; weight, onehundred-forty; eyes, brown; hair, black; age, fifty-one."

  "That's the thief, all right," said Joe conclusively. "It fits him toa T."

  "But the name," argued Bob. "How do you figure _that_ out? The fellowwe think is the thief gave his name as Henry Overton, while thisdriver's license has the name Harry Walker."

  "Maybe that was only an alias, or false name," suggested Joe. "Hecould easily have changed that. But what do we do now, Bob?"

  "More than I know. What do you suggest?"

  "Suppose we go back in Jordan's house and see our dads. We'll have tohurry, though, or this thief will beat us to it."

  "To what?"

  "As I was saying," resumed Joe, "we'll go back and get our dads, andthe four of us can go out to this thief's house and be there when hegets there."

  "Then what?"

  "Easy enough. We'll arrest him and make him get the stolen specimens."

  "But can we do it?" demanded Bob. "Will we be allowed to?"

  "Sure. We've got the goods on him, haven't we? We know that thespecimens that Mr. Jordan read off are the stolen ones, don't we?"

  "All right. Lead the way."

  As quickly as they could, Bob and Joe went back in the house through arear entrance. Then quietly they found the room in which Mr. Holtonand Mr. Lewis were hiding.

  The boys found their fathers waiting anxiously. The frown on theirfaces gave way to a smile as they caught sight of their sons.

  "What did you find?" inquired Joe's father.

  Bob told of their desire to drive to the thief's residence before theman could himself do so.

  "I'm willing," said Mr. Lewis, who was more than anxious to recoverthe stolen specimens. "While on our way we'll stop at a police stationand pick up an officer. I'd sort of hate to carry out your planwithout doing that."

  Before leaving the house, Mr. Holton instructed the butler to informMr. Jordan of where they had gone. Then, with his son and friends, hehurried out to his car.

  Mr. Lewis knew exactly where to find the residence of the thief, or atleast the address that was on the driver's license.

  "It is several miles from here, but we'll probably have a good startahead of the thief," Joe's father said, as the automobile was drivenout into a main traffic artery.

  Before the four left the city limits, they stopped at a police stationand secured the services of an officer. Now, with the protection ofthe law, they felt safe to continue the venture.

  A half hour's ride over a narrow country road brought them to a largehouse set back in a wide lawn.

  "This must be the place," observed Mr. Holton, bringing the car to astandstill. "I wonder if anyone is at home?"

  "Better not leave the machine here," warned the policeman. "If the guywe're after should see it, he probably would not show up for us tocatch him. Drive it farther toward the house, out of sight of theroad."

  "Glad you reminded me," Mr. Holton said, and drove still farther on.

  All stepped out and made their way over the wide lawn. As a precautionagainst possible danger, the officer kept a ready hand on hisrevolver.

  "You can't tell who might be there to bump us off," he said, his eyeson the house. "There could be several more outlaws waiting there."

  They reached the dwelling safely, however, and then knocked on theheavy door.

  But either no one was there, or else they refused to admit thestrangers, for the door did not open.

  "No use keeping this up longer," said the policeman. "We'd better hidearound the side of the house and wait for the fellow we're after. Feelsure he'll come here?"

  "We don't know," returned Bob. "This may not even be where he lives.He might have stolen the car he had from someone who does live here."

  They took places beside the house, at a point where they could commanda good view of the road and driveway. How long it would be before thethief would show up, if at all, they had not the slightest idea. Theyhoped, however, it would not be long, for darkness was not far off.

  Hardly five minutes had passed when Bob caught the arm of thepoliceman, who was nearest him.

  "Listen!" the youth hissed. "There's a car coming. Hear it?"

  Sure enough, the faint sound of an approaching automobile was breakingthe evening silence. Whether the vehicle was that of the thief, thehiding forms did not know. Their hopes were high, though, as thepurring became louder.

  Those hopes were not shattered, for a minute later the same car thathad been parked in front of Mr. Jordan's estate turned in thedriveway.

  "Look!" breathed Joe. "It's the man we're after, all right. He'sstopping. Sees our car and wonders why it's here, I guess."

  At word from the policeman, the four stepped out and advanced towardthe man. As they went nearer, the officer displayed his revolver.

  "You're under arrest," he said. "Throw up your hands and tell uswhere you put those stolen goods."

  The man raised his arms and moved toward them. But he refused tofurther comply with the command.

  "You are wrong--entirely wrong in your thinking," he said in a craftyvoice, a faint smile coming over his face. "You have made a terriblemistake and picked out one who is innocent. I know nothing about anystolen goods."

  "None of your monkey business," snapped the policeman, advancingtoward the man. "We've proof of your guilt and want the stuff youstole. Now, get it and get it fast, or I'll be tempted to pass a .45through your ribs!"

  "But I say," persisted the alleged thief, raising his voice to ahigh-pitched drawl, "I know nothing about what you are talking."

  Bob advanced toward him.

  "What about those specimens you offered to sell to Mr. Jordan?" theyouth demanded, never taking his eyes from the fellow. "Just where didyou get them? It didn't happen that you stole them out of a museumtruck, did it?"

  "Why, you----I'll knock you over that fence!"

  He moved toward Bob, but soon decided not to carry out his threat.

  The policeman became even more impatient.

  "Did you hear what I said?" he snapped, prodding the man with hisrevolver. "We want that stuff you stole, and we want it right now.You'd better talk!"

  Much to the surprise of all, the man no longer denied his guilt.Instead, he motioned them to follow him up to the house. Whether hehad been frightened by the officer's terse command, or intended toresort to some means of escape, they did not know.

  He produced a large bunch of keys and opened the heavy door, at thesame time beckoning for his unwelcome visitors to follow.

  "I'll take those keys!" The policeman held out a hand.

  The accused man hesitated a moment, then handed them over.

  "What you want is in the basement," he said, as he led the way throughthe large room. "I will get it for you, never fear."

  When almost at the rear of the house, he stopped and opened a narrowdoor. Then, switching on a light, he went down a steep flight ofstairs, the others at his heels.

  They were in the basement, threading their way between rows of boxes,when something unexpected happened. The light suddenly went off,leaving them in total darkness. The eyes of the pursuers, unaccustomedto the blackness, could make out nothing around them. It had happenedso quickly that there was a short period of fumbling about.

  Bob Holton felt a form brush past him rapidly, as if in wild haste.

  The youth's fist shot out and caught the form squarely with such forcethat he fell at once with a groan.

  "I got him!" Bob cried. "Now to switch on the light."

  During the next few minutes there was a wild scr
amble in an attempt tofind the concealed switch. At last, when it became apparent that itcould not be found, Joe bent his efforts on finding the stairway, atthe head of which Joe knew there was a switch.

  A thrill of hope passed through him as he felt his foot touch the topstep. Now there would be light, the youth thought.

  Meanwhile, the others were still vainly searching for the concealedswitch.

  "I give it up," sighed Mr. Holton, straightening out hopelessly. "Ouronly chance now is to find the switch at the head of the stairs."

  The words were barely out of his mouth when suddenly the light cameon.

  Bob uttered a wild cry of surprise.

  "For the love of Pete!" he exclaimed. "I've knocked out thepoliceman!"