Part 13 (2/2)
”If you don't know I shan't tell you.”
”Do you think we took the car?” demanded George hotly.
”I'm not saying anything about that part of it. I don't know. I'm going to take your directions and do my best to locate the car and the thief too, if I can. It won't make any difference to me where I hit or who it is. When we find the party that stole the car shall we report?”
George was too angry to continue the conversation and turning abruptly from the room he joined his companions, and together they hastily reentered the car.
”Never mind, George,” said Fred cheerfully; ”don't forget that we're the Go Ahead boys, and if the car is anywhere in Jersey we'll try to find it.”
”But we haven't any plan,” suggested Grant. ”What do you intend to do, George?”
”Find the car. That's as far as I have got now. I think I will stop at every garage along the road and find out if any one has seen or heard anything about our lost car.”
”You'll stand about as good a chance of finding it as you will of finding a needle in a haystack,” laughed Grant. ”However, if that's what you want, I'm perfectly willing to go along with you.”
”That's very kind and considerate on your part,” remarked George dryly, as the car started swiftly along the country road into which they now had turned.
”I don't see anything,” suggested Grant, who was the first to break in upon the silence. ”I don't see anything to prevent the thief taking the car into New York City or going to Philadelphia with it.”
”There isn't anything,” said George quietly.
”And even after he has gone into New York or Pennsylvania he can come back again and double on his tracks. I don't see much hope of your ever finding your car.”
”Perhaps we shan't find it,” admitted George, ”but I belong to a crowd that's known as the Go Ahead boys and we aren't beaten before we start, anyway. If we have to give up it will be after we have done our best.”
”That's the way to talk!” broke in Fred. ”We're going ahead anyway and we're going to get where we started for, too.”
”What will you do if you find your car?” inquired Grant.
”Take it, of course,” said George.
”But suppose somebody has bought it from the thief? He won't give the car back to you without your proving that it belongs to you.”
”Then we'll prove it,” said George quietly.
”What will you do with your thief if you find him?”
”I'll wait until I find him,” said George.
”You know,” broke in Fred, ”I sometimes think it wasn't any thief that stole that car anyway.”
”What do you mean, pygmy?” demanded both boys together as they looked keenly at their diminutive friend.
”You know just as well as I do,” said Fred st.u.r.dily.
”I haven't the remotest idea what you mean,” said Grant. ”You'll have to try to make the point plain.”
”You mean,” retorted Fred, ”that you have to be helped to see a point once in your life.”
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