Part 48 (2/2)
The call at a detective's office was soon over, and it was not as satisfactory as our hero had antic.i.p.ated.
”You mustn't expect too much,” laughed the colonel. ”In spite of the thrilling detective stories published, detectives are only ordinary men, and cannot do the impossible. Mr. Gray will no doubt go to work in his own way and do the best he can.”
Their next movement was to cross to Brooklyn. Here the pair started on the hunt for the carriage that had carried Nellie Ardell off.
An hour was spent in a fruitless search. They were about to give it up, when they saw a carriage coming down to the ferry that was covered with dust and mud.
”That looks as if it had been out in the country a good distance,”
observed Colonel Dartwell. ”I'll stop the driver and see what he has to say. It can do no harm.”
Walking up in front of the team he motioned for the driver to halt.
”Want a carriage, boss?”
”No, I want to know where you have been?” demanded the westerner.
At this question the driver seemed plainly disconcerted. He looked around, and, seeing a clear s.p.a.ce to his left, whipped up his animals and sped off.
”He's our man!” cried the colonel. ”Come on, he must not escape us!”
He set off with all speed and Jerry followed. The driver drove as far as the first corner and then had to halt because of a blockade in the street.
”Come down here!” commanded Colonel Dartwell.
”I ain't done nothin',” growled the fellow. ”You let me alone.”
”I asked you where you had been.”
”Up to the park.”
”Who did you have for a fare?”
”An old man.”
”That's not true--you had two men and a girl.”
The carriage driver muttered something under his breath.
”I--I--who said I had the men and a girl?” he asked, surlily.
”I say so. Where did you take the young lady?”
At first the driver beat about the bush. But the colonel threatened him with arrest, and this brought him around.
”Don't arrest me, boss. I wasn't in the game. The men hired me to take 'em out--that was all. They said the girl was light-headed and the place was a private asylum.”
<script>