Part 21 (1/2)
”No, you must not think it was your fault, Toh I appreciate your desire to recover themodel”
”And I'll do it, too, dad I'll start to-morrow, and I'll make a complete circuit of the country for a hundred miles around I can easily do it on et on the trail of the three men who robbed me, maybe I can find Happy Harry”
”I doubt it, my son Still, you may try Now I must write to Mr
Crawford and tell hilary while I ay
It ive him a clue to work on I'm afraid you ran quite a risk, Tom”
”I didn't think about that, dad I only wish I had ed to keep that rascal a prisoner”
The next day Toht, as he intended to go first to Dunkirk, where Mr
Blackford lived, and begin his search from there
CHAPTER XX
ERADICATE SAWS WOOD
The far the son as a deputy sheriff, was glad to see Tom Jed said he had ”been on the job” ever since the h he had seen many red automobiles he had no trace of the three men
Fro frohborhood of the church shed, where he had taken shelter The locality was sparsely settled, however, and no one could give any clues to the robbers
The young inventor next made a trip over the lonely, sandy road, where he had met with the tramp, Happy Harry But there were even fewer houses near that stretch than around the church, so he got no satisfaction there Toht at a country inn, and resu, but with no results Theno traces behind theht To a pleasant country road ”Dadhas turned up in Shopton that will aid ain in a few days in another direction”
There was no news in Shopton, however Tom found his father scarcely able to work, so worried was he over the loss of histrips of several days'
duration to different points near his ho But he was unsuccessful, and, in theas received froton Mr Crawford wrote that no move had yet been made by the thieves to take out patent papers, and while this, in a sense, was some aid to Mr Swift, still he could not proceed on his own account to protect his new motor All that could be done was to await the first movement on the part of the scoundrels
”I think I'll try a new plan to-ht, when he and his father had talked over again, for perhaps the twentieth tis of the last feeeks
”What is it, Tom?” asked the inventor
”Well, I think I'll take a week's trip on my machine I'll visit all the s in houses for news of the trao to the police and constables I'll ask if they have arrested any tramps recently, and, if they have, I'll ask theood will that do?”
”I'll tell you I have an idea that though the burglar who got in here uises himself like one at tiet on the trail of Happy Harry, as he calls himself, I may locate the other men Tramps would be very likely to remember such a peculiar chap as Happy Harry, and they will tell me where they had last seen hi point”
”Well, that ood plan,” assented Mr Swift ”At any rate it will do no harm to try A tramp locked up in a country police station will very likely be willing to talk Go ahead with that sche will you be away?”