The Go Ahead Boys and the Mysterious Old House

  CHAPTER XIV--DISAPPOINTED

  "I tell you," exclaimed Fred in a low voice as soon as he had overtakenhis friend, "that tramp knows more about the lost automobile than hetold us."

  George turned abruptly and for a moment stared blankly at his friend andthen laughed aloud. "I think you surely have got it," he said. "A fellowwho can find spooks and ghosts of automobiles ought to be able to findout a man who will steal them. That tramp to me doesn't look as if hehad ever seen the inside of a car."

  "It doesn't make any difference," said Fred persistently. "I tell you heknows 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 havingbeen stolen."

  "Did he look guilty?"

  "I don't know whether he did or not. He looked up right away and theexpression on his face was different from what it was before. He knowssomething about it anyway, whether he took it or not."

  "Keep it up, Fred," laughed George. "Pretty soon you'll be able to rundown every man who has seen our car, to say nothing of those who tookit."

  "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 cantell you what ought to be done, but there are mighty few that can tellyou 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 knowsmore about it than you think he does. It seems to me it would be a goodthing 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 arresta man merely on suspicion."

  "All the same," said Fred, "I think you'll find that he knows more aboutthat lost car than any one else."

  "Well," said George, "he doesn't seem to be leaving the country veryrapidly and if we hear of him riding around in a brand new automobilewe'll begin to ask some questions. Now, the thing for us to do is tostart on our trip and see if there's anything in the report my fatherhas received about the lost car having been found in Newburgh."

  A few minutes later the four boys were on their way toward the beautifullittle city on the Hudson.

  A ride of between forty and fifty miles was before them and they had notgone far on their journey before they were more deeply interested in thesights and scenes they were passing than in the pursuit of the car whichhad been lost.

  While they were riding through the Ramapo Valley they tried to discoverthe place where young Montagnie had had his troubles with the cowboyswho had stopped him. Other stories of heroic deeds by the colonists inthe struggle for independence were told by George and Grant and the timepassed so rapidly that when the car stopped at Suffern, where the boyswere to have their luncheon, with one accord they declared that the ridehad been the most enjoyable in all their experience.

  Early in the afternoon the ride was resumed and such excellent time wasmade that by half past three o'clock they had arrived at the end oftheir journey.

  Their car was placed in a garage and then the boys at once went to ahotel where they were to remain that night, for it had been decided thatthey would not return until the following morning, whether their lostcar was found or not.

  "Come on, fellows," said George a half-hour afterward, "we'll go down tothe garage and see if our car is there."

  Down the hillside on the steep street that led to the bank of the Hudsonthe boys made their way, frequently commenting on the experiences peopleof Newburgh must have in winter-time, when ice and snow were to be foundon the streets.

  George explained that at that time ropes were stretched along thesidewalk to protect the people who tried to pass up or down the slipperyway.

  "Here we are," explained George a little later as they stopped in frontof a large garage. "Come on in. We'll know what out fate is in a fewminutes."

  Entering the garage George inquired for the manager and soon was inconversation with a young man, who at once became deeply interested inthe boys and in the story they were telling him. At last he said, "Thecar you are talking about is back here in the corner. Come with me andI'll show it to you."

  Eagerly following the manager the boys soon stopped in front of the carwhich he indicated. "You see," explained the young man, "this car hasrecently been painted. It has a Pennsylvania license, but that could bevery easily obtained for they could run over across the Pennsylvanialine and then come up into New York State. There are some other changesthat have been made, but I want you to look at it and tell me whether ornot 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 thesecars are created the way they used to tell me the gypsies did when I wasa boy. You know they used to scare us by telling us that the gypsiesstole children and then they fixed them up so that their own motherswouldn't recognize them."

  "How did they do that?" inquired John.

  "Oh, I don't know. I suppose they cut their hair, painted their facesand dressed them up in some outlandish clothes. Well, that's the waythese men that steal automobiles sometimes do. They fix them up so thattheir owners wouldn't recognize the cars as theirs."

  A further and careful investigation of the car was made but it was notlong 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 spokesin 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 hisfriends naturally shared in his feelings.

  "Was that car stolen?" inquired Fred.

  "We suspect that it was," replied the manager. "We have had half a dozeninquiries recently about stolen cars and though I cannot tell you morewe have reason to believe that this is one of them. My advice to you isto 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 automobileconcern which is run by Waite and Barrett."

  "Wait and Bear-it," laughed Fred. "That's a good name. That would do fora lot of other concerns besides garages, wouldn't it?"

  "It would be a better name for the men who leave their automobiles thereto be repaired," suggested Grant.

  The boys were now convinced that the car they had inspected was not theone they had lost. There was nothing more to be done unless they visitedevery 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 gosomewhere else."

  "Do you know where it is?" demanded John. "I've known you when youstarted 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 youfellows want to come with me it will do you good, but if you don't youcan do what you please. I have never been in Newburgh before and while Iam here I am going to take advantage of the opportunity."

  "All right, we'll go with you," said Fred glibly. "If you can findanything that is going to improve you we want to come along and see theshow."