CHAPTER XVI
MORE DISCOVERIES
"You settled up with him in full?" gasped Rick.
"Yes--some time ago."
"Not for that stock in the Sunset Irrigation Company."
"I was not talking about the Irrigation Company. That is anotheraffair. Your father was to see us about that on the morning whenhe--er--when he failed to come here. I--er--I thought he had gone backhome to get certain documents which he stated he did not have withhim."
"And you haven't seen or heard of him since?"
"Not a word, Mr. Rover--I give you my word."
"Did he leave any of his papers with you when he was here last?"
"No." Jesse Pelter took up the telephone on his desk. "Give me 2345River!" he said to Central. He turned to Dick. "You will have toexcuse me, Mr. Rover, I have some important business to transact."
"It isn't as important as finding my father,". answered Dick, bluntly.
"I do not know how I can aid you."
"Perhaps you don't care to try," returned Dick, pointedly, as hearose.
"What do you mean?" demanded the broker, and hanging up the telephonereceiver, he, too, arose.
"Never mind what I mean, Mr. Pelter. If you will give me no aid, I'llfind my father alone," and having thus spoken, Dick marched from theoffices, leaving the broker staring after him curiously.
"Hum! Looks like a smart young man!" murmured Jesse Pelter, tohimself. "And I thought Anderson Rover's boys were all school kids!This lad has grown up fast. I wonder what he'll do next? I guess I hadbetter keep my eye on him."
When Dick reached the street he saw nothing of Sam. He looked up anddown, and then walked slowly in the direction of Broadway. On thecorner he came to a halt.
"He must be somewhere around," he mused. "Perhaps I'd better go backand wait for him."
"Dick!" The cry came from Sam, as he arrived on a run. "Did you learnanything?"
"Not much. But you look excited, Sam. What's up?"
"I think I saw Crabtree!"
"You did! Where? Why didn't you collar him?"
"I didn't get the chance," returned the youngest Rover, answering thelast question first. "It was on the corner below here. I was standingin a doorway, watching up and down, when I saw a tall man come alongslowly. He halted at the corner and presently another man came out ofthe side street and touched him on the arm. The second man wore aheavy beard and a slouch hat and colored eyeglasses, but I am almostsure it was Josiah Crabtree."
"Why didn't you go up and make sure? You could have pulled the beardfrom his face--if it was false."
"Just what I thought. But I decided that first I would listen to whatthe two men had to say. When I got closer to the pair I made anotherdiscovery.
"What was that."
"The first man had a pointed chin and the heaviest pair of eyebrows Iever saw."
"What!" ejaculated Dick, and his mind ran back to the jail atPlankville, and to what had been said about the man who had visitedJosiah Crabtree. And then he thought of the mysterious automobile andits driver.
"Yes, I know what you think, Dick--and I think the same--that thatman was the one who aided Crabtree to escape from jail," said Sam.
"What did the men say, Sam?"
"I didn't get a chance to listen. As I was coming up I saw the firstman give the second man some money. Then the second man looked up andsaw me, and shoving the money into his pocket, he dove across thestreet and into the crowd. That made me feel sure it was Crabtree, andI ran after him pell-mell. I followed him for about half a block. Butthe crowd was too much for me, and he got away. I was going to tell apoliceman, but then I thought he couldn't do any more than I could,and I made up my mind I'd wait for you."
"What became of the other fellow--the man with the pointed chin?"
"I don't know. He went off somewhere while I was after Crabtree--ifit was Crabtree," answered Sam.
"Show me which way Crabtree went," said Dick, and the brothers walkedin the direction the fugitive had taken. But, though they spent overan hour in looking for the man, not a trace of him could be found.
"Well, this proves one thing anyway," said Dick, as he and Sam startedon the return to the hotel. "Crabtree is in league with Pelter, Japson& Company. If he wasn't, he wouldn't show himself so close to theiroffices."
"Just what I think," returned his brother. "And another thing, Dick; Ithink that man with the pointed chin is in with the brokers, too."
"More than likely. For all we know he may be one of the firm!" went onDick suddenly. "Wait, I've got an idea. I think I'll go back to thoseoffices."
"And see if the man with the pointed chin is there?"
"Yes."
"All right. Want me to go back, too?"
"You might hang around as you did before. I don't know of anythingelse to do."
The boys walked back, and while Sam stationed himself in the streetDick walked into the office building which he had before visited. Hewas just in time to see a boy come from the elevator, some letters inhis hand.
"Their office boy," he thought. "Maybe I can get something out ofhim."
He walked up to the youth and nodded pleasantly.
"You're the boy from Pelter, Japson & Company, aren't you?" he asked.
"Yep," was the laconic reply.
"I want to find a man connected with your concern--I don't know hisname," continued Dick. "He has a pointed chin and very heavyeyebrows."
"Oh, you mean Mr. Japson," said the boy, quickly.
"Is that Mr. Japson?" repeated Dick, scarcely able to suppress hisastonishment.
"Sure it is. He's got a very long chin, and his eyebrows is so heavythey come right down over his eyes. I don't see why he don't cut 'emoff some--I would quick enough," went on the office boy.
"Is Mr. Japson in the offices now?"
"No."
"Are you sure of that? He was coming down."
"I know it. But he just telephoned to Mr. Pelter that he couldn'tcome--something important."
"How long ago was this?"
"Oh, just a couple of minutes ago."
"Is Mr. Pelter there yet?"
"No, he went out as soon as he got the message. Nobody there but aclerk."
"When will Mr. Pelter be back?"
"I dunno--maybe not till late--or maybe not till to-morrow,"answered the office boy, and hurried away.
In a thoughtful mood Dick rejoined Sam, and the pair this time hurriedto the subway, to get a train uptown.
"I've found out who the second man was," said the oldest Rover boy."It was Japson, of Pelter, Japson & Company. Sam, I begin to thinkthis is some deep game. This fellow Japson aided Crabtree to escapefrom the Plankville jail and in return Crabtree is aiding thesebrokers in their efforts to get the best of father!"
"If we can prove that, we ought to have the brokers arrested."
"But we can't prove it, absolutely. But I am convinced that I amright. The office boy told me that Japson telephoned to Pelter that hecould not come in. More than likely Japson was afraid you would be onguard and spot him. As soon as Japson telephoned in Pelter wentout--most likely to meet his partner."
"And maybe to hunt up Crabtree, Dick."
"Perhaps."
"But what of father?" went on the youngest Rover, anxiously.
"I can't answer that question, Sam. But it is going to be answeredsooner or later--if I have to have all those men arrested. I amcertain in my own mind that they are responsible for dad'sdisappearance. They got him out of the way so that they could get thebest of him in that Sunset Irrigation Company scheme."
"I think we ought to watch the men and see where they go."
"So do I. But, now they know we are on guard, they will be verycareful."
"Do you think they had father abducted?"
"That is just what I do think. If you'll remember, that is one ofCrabtree's favorite tricks. He would not dare to put father out of theway--take his life, I mean--and that would be the only other thinghe could do."
"Where could they take him to, in such a city as this?"
"Oh, there are a dozen places--empty stores and basements, vacantflats and apartments. And then they may have taken him away from NewYork, in an automobile, or on some vessel in one of the rivers."
"I'd give a good deal to know where he is now!" cried Sam, bitterly.
"So would I, Sam. Well, we'll do what we can," added Dick, withdetermination.
It did not take the boys long to return to the Outlook Hotel. Theylooked around for Tom, but he was not in sight. However, he arrived afew minutes later. His face showed that his quest had been anunsuccessful one.
"I talked to everybody around that end of Central Park," he said. "Oneman saw Crabtree, but he couldn't tell where the rascal went to. Didyou learn anything?"
"We did," answered Dick. "Come on to dinner and we'll tell you."
While the three ate a hasty midday meal, Dick and Sam told of theirdiscoveries. Tom listened with interest.
"I think you are right!" he cried. "Crabtree is in with the brokers,and the whole bunch is a bad one. I think they are holding dad aprisoner somewhere. The question is, Where? And how can we get to himand rescue him?"
"We might watch those offices," suggested Sam. "But those fellows willbe on guard, and we may not learn anything for days and days."
"We could have them arrested," suggested Tom. "But it won't do anygood without positive evidence."
"There is something about this whole affair that I can't understand,"said Dick. "That man Pelter claims that he settled up with father foreverything excepting this Irrigation Company project. Father nevertold me that he settled up--and I think he would have said somethingif it was so."
The three boys talked the affair over from every possible standpoint,but could arrive at no satisfactory conclusion. All were sorry thatthey had not captured Josiah Crabtree.
"Let me get my hands on him and I'll make him tell what has become ofdad," said Dick.
The meal concluded, they went up to their rooms, to talk the matterover further.
"I suppose Aunt Martha and Uncle Randolph are as anxious, almost, aswe are," said Sam. "Hang the luck! I wish old Crabtree was back injail, and Pelter, Japson & Company were with him!"
There was a knock on the door and a boy appeared with a telegram. Itwas addressed to Dick.
"Maybe it's from dad!" cried Sam and Tom, in a breath.
Dick tore open the envelope and read the message rapidly. His browdarkened and he shook his head slowly.
"What does it say?" asked Sam.
"Who it is from?" added Tom.
"It is from Uncle Randolph," answered Dick. "Listen!" And he read asfollows:
"Important news. Your father's signature demanded on important documents inside of three days, or great financial loss and dishonor to all of us.
"Randolph Rover."