Part 6 (1/2)

”Well?”

”Oh, nothing, only I'm going to see Mr. Whitford.”

”What do you mean, Tom?”

”I mean that the something queer part about this business may be explained. They have traces of the smugglers sending their goods to Shopton to be re-s.h.i.+pped here, to avoid suspicion, probably. They have a suspicion that airs.h.i.+ps are used to get the goods over the Canadian border at night.”

”But,” broke in Ned, ”the government agent said that it was across the St. Lawrence River they brought them. Montford is quite a distance from the river. I suppose the smugglers take the goods from the river steamers, land them, pack them in airs.h.i.+ps, and fly across with them. But if you're trying to connect the Fogers, and Logansville, and Montford with the smugglers, I don't see where it comes in with the St. Lawrence, and the airs.h.i.+ps, Tom.”

”Forget that part of it for a while, Ned. Maybe they are all off on airs.h.i.+ps, anyhow. I don't take much stock in that theory, though it may be true.”

”Just think of the Fogers,” went on Tom. ”Mr. Foger has lost all his money, he lives in a town near the Canadian border, it is almost certain that smuggled goods have been s.h.i.+pped here. Mr. Foger has a deserted house here, and--see the connection?”

”By Jove, Tom, I believe you're right!” cried his chum. ”Maybe the airs.h.i.+ps aren't in it after all, and Andy is only making a bluff at having his repaired, to cover up some other operations in the house.”

”I believe so.”

”But that would mean that Mr. Dillon, the carpenter is not telling the truth, and I can't believe that of him.”

”Oh, I believe he's honest, but I think Andy is fooling him. Mr.

Dillon doesn't know much about airs.h.i.+ps, and Andy may have had him doing something in the house, telling him it was repair work on an airs.h.i.+p, when, as a matter of fact, the carpenter might be making boxes to s.h.i.+p the goods in, or constructing secret places in which to hide them.”

”I don't believe it, Tom. But I agree with you that there is something queer going on in Shopton. The Fogers may, or may not, be connected with it. What are you going to do?”

”I'm first going to have a talk with Mr. Whitford. Then I'm going to see if I can't prove, or disprove, that the Fogers are concerned in the matter. If they're not, then some one else in Shopton must be guilty. But I'm interested, because I have been brought into this thing in a way, and I want it sifted to the bottom.”

”Then you're going to see Mr. Whitford?”

”I am, and I'm going to tell him what I think. Come on, we'll look him up now.”

”But your noiseless airs.h.i.+p?”

”Oh, that's all right. It's nearly finished anyhow, I've just got a little more work on the carburetor. That will keep. Come on, we'll find the government agent.”

But Mr. Whitford was not at the hotel where he and the other custom inspectors had put up. They made no secret of their presence in Shopton, and all sorts of rumors were flying about regarding them.

Mr. Whitford, the hotel clerk said, had gone out of town for the day, and, as Ned and Tom did not feel like telling their suspicions to any of the other agents, they started back home.

”I understand they're going to search every house in Shopton, before they go away,” said the clerk to the boys. ”They are going to look for smuggled goods.”

”They are; eh?” exclaimed Colonel Henry Denterby, who had fought in the Civil War. ”Search my house; eh? Well I guess not! A man's house is his castle, sir! That's what it is. No one shall enter mine, no matter if he is a government official, unless I give him permission, sir! And I won't do that, sir! I'll be revolutionized if I do! No, sir!”

”Why, you haven't any smuggled goods concealed, have you, Colonel?”

slyly asked a hotel lounger.

”Smuggled goods? What do you mean, sir?” cried the veteran, who was something of a fire-eater. ”No, sir! Of course not, sir! I pay my taxes, sir; and all my debts. But no government spy is going to come into my house, and upset everything, sir, looking for smuggled goods, sir. No, sir!”

Some were of one opinion, and some another, and there was quite a discussion underway concerning the rights of the custom officers, as the boys came out of the hotel.

Likewise there was talk about who might be the guilty ones, but no names were mentioned, at least openly.