Part 8 (1/2)
He turned off at the wagon road and soon, with his companion, was started westward in the direction of the Ames farm.
”Zeph,” he said, ”did you hear anything of a train robbery here the other night?”
No, Zeph had not heard of it. Then Ralph questioned him closely as to the night Ames had loaned his wagon to strangers and gained a few more particulars relating to the silk robbers.
”There is the Ames farm,” reported Zeph at last.
Ralph had already planned out what he would do, and proceeded to instruct his a.s.sistant as to his share in the affair.
”Zeph,” he said, ”I do not wish to be seen by Ames, nor must he know that you came here with a stranger.”
”Am I to see him?”
”Yes,” answered Ralph, taking a package from under his coat.
”Why, that's the package I lost!” cried Zeph.
”The same.”
”And you had it all the time?”
”I did, Zeph, yes. No mystery about it--I simply don't care to explain to you anything about it till a little later on.”
”All right.”
”I want you to take it and go up to the farmhouse. I will keep out of sight. You go to Ames and tell him it was returned to you, and you want to give it back to the person it belongs to with a message.”
”Whose message?”
”n.o.body's,” answered Ralph, ”but you need not say that.”
”What shall I say, then?”
”Tell him you want to advise the person who sent the parcel that it isn't safe to send such goods to any one at the present time.”
”Very well,” said Zeph. ”Suppose Ames tells me where to find the fellow who sent the package?”
”Come back and report to me.”
Zeph started for the farmhouse. Ralph watched him enter it, the package in his hand. He came out in a very few minutes without the parcel.
He was rather glum-faced when he rejoined Ralph.
”Say,” he observed, ”I've found out nothing, and old Ames took the package away from me.”
”What did he say?” asked the young fireman.
”He told me he would see that it was returned to the person who sent it.”
”That delays matters,” thought Ralph, ”and I don't know whether Ames will take it back to the silk thieves, or wait for some of them to visit him.”