The Banner Boy Scouts Part 28

"Until I see you in the morning, yes," laughed Paul. "Don't be surprised if I pop in on you unexpectedly. Perhaps I may not want any one to see me go in your house, and so I might come by the back door."

Jack looked at him in a whimsical way and shook his head.

"You've got me guessing, all right, my boy," he declared.

Paul instantly changed the subject, after a way he had.

"The boys are getting on fine in that water boiling test, aren't they?

Four had it in nine minutes, and Wallace beat his own record by nearly half a minute. That is going to be one thing Stanhope must excel in," he said.

"Yes," remarked Jack, falling in readily enough with his companion's desire to "talk shop," "and those photographs couldn't well be beaten.

What a lot of new and interesting facts some of the trackers have dug out of the trails they followed. The papers read fine. Paul, I really begin to believe we're going to make a strong bid for that banner."

Paul did not reply, and on Jack turning his head to ascertain why, he found his chum staring at a red automobile that had just whizzed past!

It had a khaki-colored top!

CHAPTER XXIII

THE RED CAR

"What's the matter with you, Paul?"

Jack asked this question, for of course he could not understand why his chum should take such a deep interest in any automobile that pa.s.sed them on the road.

"Did you happen to see inside that red car as it went by?" asked Paul, turning eagerly on his friend.

"Why, er--yes, I did chance to be looking over your shoulders just then; I was a little afraid the wheels might graze you," admitted Jack.

"Do you know the machine, then?" asked the other, in some suspense.

"Don't believe I ever saw it before; but then, what of that? Don't dozens pa.s.s along here every day, that come up from the city? It's common to see a strange car, even if it has got a khaki-colored top, instead of a plain black one. Hey, Paul! what ails you?" demanded Jack.

"It wasn't Colonel Strange, was it?" asked the other; for the gentleman mentioned happened to possess a red auto.

"Of course it wasn't, because his car has a black top; and besides, neither of the two men was the fat colonel," replied Jack, immediately.

Paul had learned something already.

"Then there were two men in it, you say?" he went on, casually, as though much of his interest had abated.

"Yes, and one of them was staring at me to beat the band. Perhaps he has lost a boy, and thinks I look like him. Don't let him kidnap me, will you, Paul?" went on Jack with pretended anxiety, as he clung to his companion's arm.

"Say, look there, the car's stopped. I believe they're waiting for us!"

declared Paul, in some excitement.

"Well, that's what gave me such a scare, you see. That's why I'm shaking all over, Paul. But in union there is strength; and I'm going to hang on to you, if he tries to coax me to get aboard. I'm not in the long lost cla.s.s."

"Oh! come along, and let's see what they want. He's leaning over the top now, and keeps beckoning to us."

Paul started on a run. He could feel his heart beating very hard; indeed it was strange, he thought, that his companion did not hear it pounding away, and make some sort of remark.

The chance that he had been hoping for seemed to be within his grasp. Not only had he discovered a car that answered the description of the one mentioned by Mr. Pender; but the occupants were plainly desirous of obtaining information of some sort, and had selected him and Jack as the ones most likely to give it.

As he hurried on, he tried to control himself. It would never do to show more than natural curiosity in his actions. If these two men were the ones the gentleman stopping at Jack's house wanted to find, they must be smart enough to read his secret, unless he took warning.

No sooner had he come abreast of the car than looking up he found himself staring into the dark face of a man who had a cruel look about him. What thrilled Paul, however, was the fact that one of his eyes was undoubtedly artificial. He had guessed this fact when Jack stated that the party _stared_ so at him.

All doubt was gone now, and he understood that by the strangest of luck he had come upon the parties for whom Mr. Pender was searching. The official must have known that they were headed this way for some purpose or other.

"Live around here, bub?" asked the man with the gla.s.s eye, as he looked piercingly at Paul.

"Yes, sir; in Stanhope," replied the boy, surprised himself to find how steady his voice turned out to be under the trying circ.u.mstances.

"How far ahead is that place?" continued the man.

"About half a mile, sir. You can see the steeple of the Methodist church after you turn that bend ahead," and Paul pointed with a steady finger.

"Huh! I wonder now if either of you happen to know a Mr. Solus Smithers?"

and as he put the question the man shot a quick glance toward his companion; at which the shorter party nodded his big head, and grinned approvingly.

Paul turned to his chum.

"Say, Jack, isn't that the name of the man who took the old Grimes farm up at the milldam?" he asked, though he knew positively that it was so.

"Smithers--why, yes, I reckon it is. Is he a tall man, with a hooked nose; and does he dip snuff?" queried Jack, innocently enough.

"That's Solus to a dot. You see, boys, he's from North Caroliny, where even the wimmen use snuff, only they rub it on their teeth with a stick.

Now, mebbe one of you boys would be so obligin' as to direct us to the shortest way to where this old mill stands," continued the man with the bogus...o...b..

"I guess the quickest way to get there is to drive through Stanhope, and pick up the Deerfield road on the other side. It's only a few miles off; but the road turns lots of times to avoid the hills."

Paul noted that the taller man seemed to invariably look to his companion for support. It was as though they worked in common, and neither wished to become responsible for action without the other's a.s.sent.

After an interchange of low words, which the boys did not catch, the spokesman once more turned around. He held a silver half dollar in his hand.

"Here's something for your trouble, boys. But look here, ain't there another way to get to that old abandoned mill without going through the town? To tell you the truth we lost our number away back, and might get hauled up because we can't show a tag on the back of the car."

Paul had already noticed this significant fact. It is the business of a scout to take note of even trifles. One of the tests of memory is to look in at a store window for just one full minute; and then, going away, make out as complete a list of articles it contained as is possible.

And still, he did not believe that this was the true reason these men disliked pa.s.sing through Stanhope if it could be avoided. Perhaps they had some suspicion that Mr. Pender was visiting there; and did not want to take chances of his meeting them face to face.

"Sure there is," broke in Jack, who saw no reason why he should not believe the artful excuse given; for Jack did not know all his chum had learned about these parties; "after you pa.s.s the bend yonder, just turn to the left. You can't miss the road, for its got a big maple tree right at the junction. We call that the Grapevine Road, because it twists and turns so; but it will fetch you out right at the old dam, mister."

Many a time had Jack himself walked along that same winding path when coming home with a string of ba.s.s, taken in the mill pond. It was longer, to be sure, but there were some fine apple trees on the way; and the walk through the dense woods was so much more enjoyable on a hot summer day than the open stretch that marked the other route.