CHAPTER XI--THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING CAR
"What are you going to do?" inquired Mr. Sanders.
"We don't know what to do," explained Fred. "We thought when you cameout here you would tell us."
"I think I shall leave it for you boys to settle among yourselves."
"But don't you want to get your car back?" demanded Grant in surprise.
"Indeed I do," said Mr. Sanders.
"Then," exclaimed Grant, "I should think you would want to help us findit."
"It's possible that I may try some plans of my own," explained Mr.Sanders, "but meanwhile I am willing for the Go Ahead boys to see whatthey can do in the way of restoring the car."
"It's a strange thing," said George, "how that car ever could have beentaken out of our yard without some of us hearing it. I explained to theboys," he added laughingly, "that it was such a good car that theycouldn't hear the engine."
"That may be true," spoke up Fred, "but we had another explanation."
"What was that?" inquired Mr. Sanders.
"Why, we said some of the fellows were making so much noise that theymight have taken a threshing machine out of the garage and not one of uswould have heard it."
"I don't mind explaining to you," said Mr. Sanders, "that I have sent abrief description of the car to several of the nearby cities. Myimpression is that the automobile hasn't gone very far from home, butone cannot tell about that. Perhaps we shall get some word from Newarkor New York pretty soon."
"Do you think they would take that car to New York?" demanded Fred. "Ithought George said that they had had trouble a year or two ago when alot of automobiles were stolen and taken down to Lakewood or somewherealong the Jersey shore."
"That may be true," said Mr. Sanders. "I have taken a few steps in thematter, but I am going to leave the most of it to the Go Ahead boys. Ishall expect you to get some trace of the car before I come out for theweek-end. I am compelled to go back to the city to-morrow morning, so Imust leave you boys to your own devices."
"Well," said George just before the boys sought their rooms, "to-morrowmorning we'll start out and begin our search for that missingautomobile."
The following morning, after the departure of Mr. Sanders, the boys weresoon ready for their expedition. That is, all were ready except John,who, for reasons which he did not fully explain, said that he would waituntil the following day before he joined in the search for the missingcar.
Before the three boys and Uncle Sim took their seats in the automobileFred drew his elongated friend to one side and pulling his head downuntil it was on a level with his own whispered to him.
The conversation between the two friends was brief, but when Fredresponded to the hail of his comrades and ran to take his seat in theautomobile, there was an expression upon his face which indicated thatthe cause of the failure of John to accompany them was not altogetherunknown to him.
In a brief time the car with its inmates disappeared around the bend inthe road and John was no longer to be seen.
"I think I'll go first to Paterson," explained George, to the two boys,"and then I'll stop at every garage along the road between there andNewark."
When they arrived at Paterson they sought the quarters of the chief ofpolice and all three boys entered the room.
George was the spokesman for the party and he briefly explained the losswhich had befallen them.
The chief of police listened attentively, made notes of severalstatements which George made and then said, "We shall do our best foryou. The trouble is that stolen cars frequently are mutilated orrepainted or something is done to them which prevents an owner fromrecognizing his own property."
"My father too is sending out word about the car," suggested George.
"That's right, that's the only thing to do. It's one of the things younever can tell about. You may find the car in a country garage, or in abig city, or you may not find it at all."
"Don't you think we'll find it?" demanded George.
"I cannot say. Have you offered a reward for its recovery?"
"I don't know," admitted George. "My father has charge of that. If hehas offered a reward he hasn't told me about it."
"Yes, I see," said the chief slowly, looking sternly at George as hespoke. "There may be reasons why he doesn't want to tell you about it."
"What reasons?" demanded George.
"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 goingto take your directions and do my best to locate the car and the thieftoo, if I can. It won't make any difference to me where I hit or who itis. When we find the party that stole the car shall we report?"
George was too angry to continue the conversation and turning abruptlyfrom the room he joined his companions, and together they hastilyreentered the car.
"Never mind, George," said Fred cheerfully; "don't forget that we're theGo Ahead boys, and if the car is anywhere in Jersey we'll try to findit."
"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 atevery garage along the road and find out if any one has seen or heardanything about our lost car."
"You'll stand about as good a chance of finding it as you will offinding a needle in a haystack," laughed Grant. "However, if that's whatyou 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 nowhad turned.
"I don't see anything," suggested Grant, who was the first to break inupon the silence. "I don't see anything to prevent the thief taking thecar 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 comeback again and double on his tracks. I don't see much hope of your everfinding your car."
"Perhaps we shan't find it," admitted George, "but I belong to a crowdthat'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 andwe'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 thecar 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 thatstole that car anyway."
"What do you mean, pygmy?" demanded both boys together as they lookedkeenly at their diminutive friend.
"You know just as well as I do," said Fred sturdily.
"I haven't the remotest idea what you mean," said Grant. "You'll have totry to make the point plain."
"You mean," retorted Fred, "that you have to be helped to see a pointonce in your life."
"Go ahead, Fred," called George sharply. "What do you mean?"
"Why you heard the tooting of that horn in the old Meeker House the sameas I did," said Fred.
"You think the car is in that old house?" demanded Grant.
"I didn't say so," said Fred, "but I do say that the horn that belongsto George's car is in that old house, or else the horn that is there isso like it that you couldn't tell them apart."
George laughed quietly and said, "Next thing, Fred, you'll be telling usthat the spooks stole the car."
"I'm not so sure that they didn't," said Fred.
"If they did, then what we'll find in the old Meeker House will be onlythe ghost of the car, I'm afraid."
Conv
ersation ceased and at every garage along the road George stoppedand made inquiries concerning the missing automobile.
It was late in the afternoon when the Go Ahead boys turned homeward. Notan inkling had they received of the stolen car. Several times they hadbeen informed that "A good many cars of late have been stolen," but theknowledge brought neither comfort nor light.
"George," suggested Fred, "suppose we go home by the road where the oldMeeker House is."
George smiled dryly as he replied, "All right. The way is as short if Iturn in there as in any other way. What are you looking for, the ghostof the lost automobile?"
Fred shook his head and did not reply, but when at last in the dusk theydrew near the place where the mysterious old house was standing, allwere convinced that they heard a faint sound of an automobile horncoming from the place.