CHAPTER VII
A SWIFT RIDE THROUGH THE DARKNESS
With what glorious good feeling Paul and Billy sat down to their latedinner at the American House! Paul was a little ashamed of the slightingremarks he had lately made about the hotel fare. He said as much.
"Gee! I should think you would be, to see you diving into it all rightnow!" Billy laughed. Ah, what a difference in _his_ spirits, also, therecovery of the car had made!
It seems strange to me that, considering the imperative nature of thetelegram from Phil and Dave, Worth and Jones were not more deeplyimpressed by it. No doubt the finding of their own car had made themquite indifferent to all else. At any rate, they hardly more thanmentioned the message from Syracuse, when they met Mr. Creek at hisgarage in the afternoon. Thither they had gone, eager to give the Sixsuch a gentle but thorough washing and oiling, and the brass such acomplete polishing, as they felt no one else to be capable of doing.
The work progressed most favorably. By supper time the beloved machinestood dry, clean and shining. A truly beautiful car, it never lookedmore lovely to Paul and to Billy than at this moment, with the sinkingsun lighting up its radiance through the big front window of Creek'sgarage. The Torpedo, though a first-class car, appeared dingy andcommonplace beside it.
After bathing and dressing in clean, dry clothes, following theirlabors, the two boys were passing through the hotel office toward thedining-room. Mr. Wagg stopped them.
"'Nother telegram," said he, peering over his glasses, as usual. "Youtwo are getting to be about the most important citizens of thisvillage."
Eagerly the yellow envelope was opened. "Yours received. Hurrah. Meet uswith car eleven o'clock train. Phil."
"Hully gee! I'll bet _they're_ glad!" chirped Paul. But had he known allthat Dave and Phil now knew, he would have been even more elated andexcited than he was.
After supper the boys stepped around to the garage. Willie Creek hadjust left in his own car for Port Greeley, said his boy of all work,half asleep on the cot in the office. "Somebody telephoned him he couldsell a car, if he could get over there and give a demonstration rightoff," the lad explained. "He won't be home till toward mornin', maybe."
"We were only going for a ride, anyway," said Billy.
The facts were that he and Paul had decided to drive out to see AlfredEarnest and his friend Hipp. They believed they could tell from themanner of these young gentlemen whether they had not known all alongwhere the Six was hidden.
"For an entire stranger would never have found those planks _away overbeyond that hill_," declared Worth with confident emphasis.
If Earnest or Hipp had had any knowledge of the stealing of the AutoBoys' car, however, they concealed the fact amazingly well. Theyappeared most hearty in their congratulations upon the machine'srecovery, as Billy and Paul told the story to them and to Rev. and Mrs.Earnest at the latter's home. Later the cordial young minister and hiswife were taken for a ten-mile spin. Then Mrs. Earnest insisted that allthe boys come in for a little lunch. Worth and Jones had abundant timeat their disposal as they must remain up to meet Phil and Dave, andcordially accepted the invitation. It was just after ten o'clock whenthey at last drove back to Griffin and to the American House, there towait until train time.
"Hello, here! Fobes has been looking for you boys high and low!" saidMr. Wagg, severely, hastening out to meet them. "That man he has had inthe lockup has escaped. Sawed the bars of a cell and went out through acorridor window. It is bad luck, I'm afraid. Fobes says the man made anoffer to tell you where your car was if you'd pass some saws in to him."
"But I never _did_ it!" cried Billy Worth, indignantly. Quickly he hadseen the likelihood that suspicion might point toward him in theremarkable coincidence that, directly the stolen car was found, Costerhad been enabled to break jail.
The hotel telephone rang long and loudly. The very tone of haste andimpatience was in its harsh clang and clamor.
"Well!" shouted Mr. Wagg, answering, and his voice was neither soft norpleasant. Then in milder tones, "You're wanted, Worth."
Billy stepped to the phone. "No, certainly not," Paul heard him say. Andthen, "It can't be!" A pause, then further, "Oh, that's awful! We'll beover there right off!"
With frightened, staring eyes Worth turned to Paul. "The Torpedo isgone," he said.
Grievous anxiety and alarm filled the hearts of the two boys. Quicklythey drove the Six to Creek's garage. Chief Fobes and the youth whoassisted in the establishment both ran out as the car stopped at thedoor.
It had been long since anyone had seen Mr. Fobes so wide awake, and sokeen to do his duty as he was now. He was frightened, too, lest hisprisoner's escape might cost him his position. And he was so perplexedand so confused by his excitement that, as he mentioned suspiciously thecircumstance that Coster "got his saws and you fellows got your car,"Worth really feared the officer would be for clapping him into jailimmediately.
The Torpedo was as completely missing as if it had never been. Creek'sboy had not the shadow of an idea concerning the machine. He knew onlythat he fell asleep in the office and was awakened by someone who wantedgasoline. Not until this customer was gone did he discover the absenceof the Torpedo. He at once telephoned to the hotel, thinking Worth orJones had taken the car out, perhaps.
"Don't let Torpedo leave Creek's garage for any purpose." This sentencein Phil's telegram rang in Billy's ears. What did it all mean? He lookedat his watch. Ten-forty. Way and MacLester would arrive at eleven, hethought. Then, "Have you telephoned Port Greeley and other places to beon the lookout for Coster and the car?" The question was addressed toFobes, pacing excitedly about, accomplishing nothing.
No, he had had no time, the policeman answered. Coster's escape was notdiscovered until long after nine. There had been scarcely a chance toturn around before the theft of the Torpedo was also reported.
"You better be telephoning, perhaps," Worth suggested. "We will meetthat eleven o'clock train and, with the car to go in, maybe we can allhelp you some."
* * * * *
Phil Way's eyes glistened and he smiled with a delight so inexpressiblehe made no effort to put his thoughts into words. He had just read thetelegram from Billy and Paul, handed him at the Syracuse Automobileclub's downtown quarters.
"Can it be true?" asked Dave in wonder. "Why don't they--where was thecar and--"
"Course it's true!" cried Phil joyously. "But I do think they might havespent four or six cents more to tell us something about it. They keptright down to ten words all right!"
MacLester was for starting to Griffin at once. "But we can't," Wayremonstrated. "We've got to stay by Mr. Rack and don't youremember--half that reward?"
However, the two boys did hurry away immediately to Mr. Bob Rack'soffice. He was out. The stenographer said he would return soon and thelads waited.
Detective Rack appeared greatly pleased with the telegram from Billy andPaul. "A little more information might have helped us; still, perhaps,we do not need it," said he. "We will all go to Griffin this evening.Would you wire your friends there to meet us at--" he paused and glancedinto a book of time-tables--"to meet us at the train due there at eleveno'clock?"
With so much to occupy their thoughts and tongues, Dave and Phil foundtrain time and their meeting with the detective at the station at handwithout one dull minute having passed. And though they had discussed theevident ability and the possible plans of Robert Rack from all angles,they were no nearer a conclusion as to what he meant to do than theywere to guessing how Jones and Worth had recovered the Big Six--aquestion they were pleasantly impatient to have answered.
Not by word or look did Bob Rack reveal one whit of what he had foundduring the day to the pair of his youthful admirers, who had a seatopposite him, while the train bore rapidly on toward Griffin. When hetalked about the case at all it was only to ask a few questions--some ofthem far removed from the problem in hand, the boys thought. Forinstance when he desired to know whethe
r there was plenty of lightinggas in the tank of the Torpedo, both were puzzled, though they answeredthat there was.
"We were extremely fortunate in getting away to-night. Every hour countsnow," said Mr. Rack, "but as I have some papers to look over I'll get atthem."
Swiftly through the summer night the train sped on. The detective seemedto be occupied with nothing more important than some road maps, but hiscompanions did not venture to interrupt him and in their ownconversation spoke in low tones. The distance seemed very great,somehow, to the impatient boys. But at last----
"Here we are!" said Robert Rack, even before Phil or Dave were aware ofit, and a moment later the lights of Griffin came into view.
I shall not undertake to tell in detail of the conflicting emotions withwhich Billy and Paul greeted their friends and with which they all, Mr.Rack included, gathered beside the Big Six while Worth quickly told ofthe escape of Coster and the Torpedo's disappearance.
"A little faster than I expected," mused the detective, in that sameeasy, gentle tone. Apparently _he_ was no more disturbed than if Billyhad said it looked like rain, which, in fact, was the case.
"But this man in jail--_we_ didn't tell you anything about him, Mr.Rack. We didn't know it ourselves," Phil spoke up anxiously. For it willbe remembered that Chief Fobes' prisoner had not appeared in thesituation at all at the time Way and MacLester left Griffin. "Or did youknow without our _telling_ you?" Phil added, his own mind in a whirl ofconfused thoughts.
"Oh, I have not been idle to-day," smiled Detective Bob. Then moreseriously, but still in his affable, pleasing way, quite as though hewere planning a little outing, he continued, "Now I'll need some help.The best driver take the wheel. I'll sit beside him. The rest of youride behind and if I may ask so much, no one will leave the car exceptas I may request it."
Immediately Phil nodded to Dave to take the driver's place. In aninstant Bob Rack was in the seat beside him, the others in the tonneau.
"Just as fast as is consistent with a reasonable degree of safety now,"Mr. Rack said, placidly. "First, to Creek's garage."
The Big Six moved swiftly away, throwing always a flood of light ahead,its gleaming oil lamps seeming to be but a streak of white to those whowatched it pass.
In a minute's time the detective apparently had seen all he wished tosee at the small garage. While he looked the place over Way, at hisrequest, was locating Chief Fobes by phone. The policeman came from thehotel on the run when told that Mr. Bob Rack wanted him. For perhapsfive minutes he and the detective talked in Willie Creek's office.
"That fellow Coster got out about nine o'clock. He must have got offwith the Torpedo about half-past nine. About a two hours' start of us,"said Billy Worth to his friends in the tonneau. There was no doubt inhis mind, whatever, that the jail-bird had flown in the stolen machine.
"Funny that the only thing Mr. Rack 'specially noticed in all we couldtell him, Bill, was about the planks that had been carried from over thehill to run the Six down the bank on," observed Paul Jones,thoughtfully.
"Looks a lot like Hipp and Earnest, so far as the hiding of our cargoes, Mack," Billy added to Paul's idea, for Dave was an interestedlistener.
"In with you! Speed now, David, if there's such a thing!" This fromDetective Bob, the first words to Phil standing beside the car, thesecond order to MacLester at the wheel. And as the Six instantlyresponded,--"Out to the right-hand fork, and not a minute to lose!" hesaid.
There was unmistakable authority and command in his manner. One couldhave thought of nothing but instant obedience. Yet from his smile andgentle tone it seemed that he might have said, "I declare, it's a verypleasant evening."
Their hearts beating hard with the excitement of adventure and the rapidride, the Auto Boys vainly speculated, each in his own thoughts, uponthe unknown plans and intentions of the detective.
"Turn right! We're doing famously, but--" Without a sign of question, orany movement save a quick, short nod to say that he heard, MacLesterobeyed Bob Rack's order. Like a flying specter, the Big Six shot downthe little grade where the lonely Right Fork branched off, and on andon.
Not a word was spoken. Scurrying masses of cloud swept the sky above andonly at intervals did rifts appear where the moon shone through,relieving for the moment the heavy darkness. Over to the south and backto the west the inky clouds were rolling up like wind-tossed mountains.Flashes of lightning came more and more often, and after each thethunder crashed or rumbled in the distance. The lonely woodlands, andthe wildness of the unused, brush-grown fields were almost terrifying aseach sharp and sudden glare fell for an instant on them.
All within a second the flying car drew near and passed the darkershadows that marked the miller's grim old house, the mill, the pond, theicehouse. Over the bridge and up the grade--a stretch of level road,then down the slope to the swampy spot where the Six was ditched thatother time, then up again and on!
"Stop here, David." Always that same easy, gentle tone, but Mack obeyedthe order instantly.
"You know this road. Could you go forward without lights?" And withoutwaiting for an answer, "Will you put them out, Way?"
Every light was extinguished. The car stood in total darkness, but stoodfor a second only. "Just as quietly as you can," requested Mr. Rack, asMacLester slipped the clutch to place again.
"Now," said the detective, "I am going to tell you that this may be awild goose chase, though I think not. I don't believe any of you willneed leave the car, but, Phil, you take this revolver. If you hear meshout, 'close in,' come to me instantly. The rest of you stand ready forany instructions that may be necessary."
Almost noiselessly the big machine purred forward, more slowly now butstill at good speed. In wonder and excitement the Auto Boys sat silentas the darkness round them. And while _they_ were at tension thatstrained every nerve, the calm tranquillity of Mr. Bob Rack was, bycontrast, the more amazing.
"I suppose," said he, softly, quite as if he might have been gentlymusing before a pleasant fireplace in the quiet of home, "I suppose thetruest words ever put in verse are those which say----
"'Truth crushed to earth will rise again. "But error, wounded, writhes in pain "And dies amidst her worshipers.'
"And there," he said as if he were but speaking to himself, "there isthe whole ground work, the unfailing foundation that we must work upon,whether we are detectives or doctors or anything else. There is no suchthing as successful deception. This case is an excellent illustration,and I must tell you about it later. It is an old, old error, a monstrouslie that has reached its end to-night, I firmly believe."