Part 17 (1/2)
CHAPTER XVI
BACK HOME
”We've got to organize a regular searchin' party,” declared Jed Blackford, after he and his father, together with Tom and the farht of lanterns ”We'll organize a posse an' have a regular hunt This is the worst crime that's been cooin' to run the scoundrels to earth”
”Don't be talkin' nonsense, Jed,” interrupted his father ”You won't catch them fellers in a hundred years They're miles an' miles away from here by this time in their autouess we'd better give this young man some attention Let's see, you said your name was Quick, didn't you?”
”No, but it's very similar,” answered To had to do with speed,” went on Mr
Blackford ”Wa'al, now, s'pose you come in the house an' have a hot cup of tea You look sort of draggled out”
Toh to avail himself of the kind invitation, and he was soon in the co his story, with more detail, to the farmer and his family Mrs Blackford applied some home-made remedies to the lump on the youth's head, and it felt much better
”I'd like to take a look at my motor-cycle,” he said, after his second cup of tea ”I want to see if those etting back home to tell my father of my bad luck Poor dad! He will be very much worried when I tell him the model and his patent papers have been stolen”
”It's too bad!” exclaimed Mrs Blackford ”I wish I had hold of theentle face bore a severe frown ”Of course you can have your thing-a-ma-bob in to see if it's hurt, but please don't start it in here They make a terrible racket”
”No, I'll look it over in the woodshed,” proht I think I'll start back home at once”
”No, you can't do that,” declared Mr Blackford ”You're in no condition to travel You it hurt It's nearly ten o'clock now You jest stay here all night, an' in the ht, you can start off I couldn't let you go to-night”
Indeed, To the journey, for the blow on his head hadMr Blackford wheeled the motor-cycle into the woodhouse, which opened from the kitchen, and there the youth went over the e In thenews to near-by far, with lanterns, went up and down the road, but all the evidence they could find were the marks of the automobile wheels, which clues were not very satisfactory
”But we'll catch them in the mornin',” declared the deputy sheriff
”I'll know that autoain if I see it It was painted red”
”That's the color of a number of automobiles,” said To it by that h, that they did not carry my motor-cycle aith them It is a valuable machine”
”They were afraid to,” declared Jed ”It would look queer to see aalong country roads in the evening it didn't much matter, but when they headed for the city, as they probably did, they kneould attract suspicion to 'em I know, for I've been a deputy sheriff 'reed Tom ”They didn't dare take theI would not find it
I'd rather have the h, than half a dozen motor-cycles”
”Maybe the police will help you find them,” said Mrs Blackford
”Jed, youIt's a shao on If honest people did those things, they'd be arrested in a minute, but it seems that scoundrels can do as they please”
”You wait; I'll catch 'eanize another posse in the , and that is that the place for this young man is in bed!” exclai He was soht of the loss of the model and the papers preyed on his mind Then, utterly exhausted, he sank into a heavy slu in histhe next ood breakfast made him feel somewhat better, and he was et his motor-cycle in shape for the ride back to Shopton
”Well, I hope you find those cri the ain, stop off and see us”