CHAPTER XI
ON A HOT TRAIL
The first thought Dan Speedwell had was for Billy. Mr. Sudds’ residencewas the nearest house to the spot where Maxey’s automobile had beenoverthrown, and where he had left Billy to watch over the wrecked autofor the night.
If Colonel Sudds had been robbed within a short time, did Billy knowanything about it, and had he got into any trouble? Dan knew hisimpulsive brother so well, that he feared at once for his safety.
But Mr. Thomas Armitage, and Mr. Briggs burst into a shout of laughter.
“Oh, Josiah! you’re the only man who could possibly make the samemistake twice, hand-running. When _will_ you ever wake up?” demanded Mr.Armitage, when he could speak for laughter.
The constable’s face lengthened enormously and he put away the bigpistol with much haste and chagrin.
“I—I don’t s’pose you know anything about the robbery of Mr. Sudds,gents,” he muttered. “But see here! ’Twarn’t half an hour ago theytelephoned to me from Sudds’ house that they’d been robbed; then comeanother message saying to stop a maroon car; that the men in it hadrobbed Mr. Sudds, and was also suspected of being the bank robbers. Iremembered that them robbers had a car like this——”
“And _that_ fact ought to earn them a term in jail alone,” growled Mr.Briggs. “I have a good mind to send my car back to the factory and haveit repainted.”
“Tell me!” interrupted Dan Speedwell, eagerly, “who telephoned you, Mr.Somes?”
“Man at Rebo’s Garage,” said the constable, shortly.
“Rebo’s! That’s at the Falls,” observed Mr. Armitage.
“Sure enough!” agreed Mr. Briggs. “What did they say about it?”
“Why—I was some flustered,” admitted Somes, doggedly. “Ye see, I wassound asleep when I heard from the Sudds’ of the robbery there.”
“When did this happen?” asked Dan, quickly.
“Not half an hour ago, I tell ye!” snapped the constable. “Ha! you’reDan Speedwell, ain’t ye?”
“Yes.”
“Well, your brother’s mixed up in this thing, now I tell ye!”
“Oh, how?” cried Dan. “What do you mean?”
“Surely not in the robbery of Mr. Sudds’ house?” said Mr. Armitage.
“Wa’al, it’s mighty funny,” snapped Josiah. “As I tell ye, theytelephoned me that two men had entered through a lower window, openedthe library safe, and took jewelry and money—ten thousand dollars’ wuth.One of the men had been in the house early in the evening—so theythought. He was a stranger, and made out he had some business with thecolonel.”
Mr. Sudds was a “colonel” by courtesy, having at one time served on theGovernor’s staff.
“So I scrabbled on me clothes, meanin’ to start right down there to seeabout the robbers. My telephone rung agin, jest as I got to the door,and Mrs. Somes called me back. It was the man at Rebo’s.”
“In Upton Falls? Yes?” said Dan, eagerly.
“He says a maroon automobile had just stopped there for gasoline——”
“Yes?” urged Dan.
“And he says,” pursued the constable, “that when the car started away,somebody dropped a piece of paper out of it. He says he believedsomebody was hangin’ onto the back of the car, and throwed the paper sohe’d see it. He ran and picked it up, read it, and then telephoned me.Of course, he knew I’d ’tend to it,” said Josiah, pompously.
“Yes, yes!” agreed Dan. “What did the paper say?”
“Why, as near as I can remember, it said: ‘Telephone authorities atRiverdale to stop maroon car, headed that way. Men in her have robbedMr. Sudds and I think they are the ones who robbed Farmers’ Bank.’ Andyour brother’s name was signed to it. Now, Dan Speedwell, either it’s ahoax, or your brother is mixed up in these robberies,” declared theconstable, with a tone of satisfaction that made Dan angry.
“Well, well, Josiah!” said Mr. Armitage. “You’d better let us by. If youare going to try to catch the real robbers’ automobile, you’ll want somehelp, won’t you?”
“Wait!” cried Dan, again, as the constable dropped the rope. “Tell meone thing.”
“Wal, what is it?” returned Josiah, grudgingly.
“How long ago did the man at Rebo’s ’phone you?”
“Jest now.”
“What does _that_ mean?” cried Dan. “Ten minutes ago, or more?”
“I jest got word, and ran out of the house, heard you comin’ and stoppedye.”
“Ten minutes it would be, then, Speedwell,” said Mr. Armitage. “What’son your mind?”
“And did the man say the other car had just left the garage?”
“Yes he did,” drawled Josiah.
“I see!” cried Mr. Armitage. “If the maroon car is coming this way ithas not yet reached Riverdale.”
“But it must be near,” urged Dan, anxiously. “Oh! I believe my brotheris really with the robbers—perhaps as a prisoner. Can’t we head themoff?”
“Does it seem reasonable that they would come back this way, havingrobbed Mr. Sudds within the hour?” queried Mr. Briggs.
“It would be a shrewd move,” said his friend.
“It’s a hot trail, I believe,” cried Dan.
“Run through the town, and onto the pike,” advised Mr. Armitage,“Perhaps we may meet with them.”
Dan shot the car ahead without further word. Everything else wasforgotten by the lad but his anxiety to learn the truth about hisbrother’s connection with the other maroon automobile. Dan was deeplyworried.