CHAPTER XI
“WE’VE BEEN TRICKED!”
Sending the motor boat along slowly, for they were in no especialhurry, the boys discussed the experience through which they had justpassed.
“Imagine finding Noddy Nixon there!” exclaimed Bob. “Next thing we knowBill Berry will be showing up.”
“I didn’t see him there,” observed Ned. “He’d probably be among thelaborers, if he were there at all. But you wouldn’t catch Noddy soilinghis hands in the clay. The job of assistant foreman is about his limit.”
“I’m not so much surprised at seeing him, for the company bought partof his father’s land,” spoke Jerry. “But what gets me is that clay!It’s queer they should find a use for it.”
“Are you sure they have?” asked Ned.
“Well, they’re taking it out carefully enough,” responded the tall lad,“and they wouldn’t do that if it didn’t have some value. We’ve got toget busy on this. But don’t say anything to my mother, or she mightfeel as though she had done wrong in selling the land.”
“Is there any chance of her getting it back, in case it develops thatthere is a valuable deposit of mineral, or something else on it?” Bobwanted to know.
“I’m afraid not,” Jerry answered. “But I’m going to have ProfessorSnodgrass make another examination of the yellow clay.”
“How you going to get any of it?” asked Ned.
“Oh, I’ve got some of the first lump left yet. I’ll have him experimenton that. He didn’t make a very exhaustive test before. I’ll take someto Bellport when we go over this afternoon.”
But the boys were disappointed in their search for Professor Snodgrassat Bellport. As we know, he had already left the hotel there, beinghastened on his way by the conspirators, for reasons of their own.
“No, the professor ain’t here, boys,” drawled Ike Rossiter, proprietorof the Mansion House, where the scientist had written that he wasmaking his headquarters.
“Where did he go?” asked Jerry, eagerly.
“I don’t know,” replied Mr. Rossiter. “But I wish I did.”
“Why--does he owe you money?” Ned wanted to know, for the professor wassometimes in the habit of absent-mindedly going off without paying hisbills, and the boys, several times, had made up the deficiency, forwhich he reimbursed them later.
“No, he don’t owe me a cent,” said Mr. Rossiter. “Oh, he’s honestenough, as far as that’s concerned.”
“Then why do you want him?” Bob asked.
“’Cause he left behind a box of funny bugs,” answered the hotelproprietor, “and every woman servant in the place is so nervous, forfear they’ll get loose and bite ’em, that they can’t do their work halfproperly. Great big black bugs they are, in a wire box. The professorleft ’em behind in his room, and I had ’em brought down to the office.I don’t want to turn ’em loose, for fear he might want ’em and bringsuit against me for losin’ ’em. I don’t know what to do.”
“We’ll take charge of them for you,” volunteered Jerry. “We expect tosee the professor soon. But can’t you give us any idea of where he hasgone?”
“Not in the least, boys. He left here suddenly, with a couple of men,and all I heard ’em talkin’ about was a two-headed lizard, as if therewas any such critter.”
“Wasn’t it a two-tailed lizard?” asked Ned.
“Well, maybe it was,” admitted the hotel man. “I didn’t pay noattention. But if you’ll take them bugs away I’ll be much obliged.They’re big, fuzzy things, and they look dangerous.”
The boys readily assumed charge of the specimens the professor hadforgotten in his haste, but further questioning failed to bring out anyinformation as to his whereabouts.
“He must have gotten some clue, or what he thought was a clue, to thelocation of the lizards,” observed Jerry, “and he started after them inhis usual hurry. He’ll be back again soon. But I don’t like the idea ofwaiting for him. It will upset all our vacation plans.”
“Then why wait for him?” asked Bob.
“Oh, we don’t want to leave without him, after we half promised to takehim with us.”
“No, I don’t mean that,” went on Ned. “But let’s trail him.”
“Trail him? How can we?” asked Ned. “We haven’t the least idea where hewent.”
“No, but we might find out,” resumed the stout youth. “He wouldprobably leave word at his home, near Boston, where he could bereached. He’d want his mail forwarded, too. You can be pretty sure thathis housekeeper knows his address.
“Now what’s the matter with us starting our trip, and calling at hisresidence? We’re almost sure to get some information about him there.And you can bring along that specimen of yellow clay, Jerry.”
“Good idea, Bob! We’ll do it!” cried the tall lad.
Further questioning of the hotel man brought out little that wasof value. Professor Snodgrass had been seen with two strangers inBellport, but only a meager description of them could be obtained.No one had paid much attention to them. And beyond the fact that theprofessor had been seen taking a northern-bound train, nothing furtherwas known of his destination. The ticket agent could not remember towhat destination the scientist had purchased a ticket.
“Well, we’ll go to his home, and start the search there,” decidedJerry, as he put in the auto the lump of yellow clay, and the box ofbugs.
Preparations for the boys’ trip were quickly made, and a few dayslater they were ready to start. And then came a disclosure that had astartling effect.
Bob and Ned were at Jerry’s house, the evening before the start.They were going over the final details, to see that they had omittednothing, when Ned, who was looking over a New York paper, uttered asudden exclamation.
“What’s up?” demanded Jerry.
“Lots!” cried Ned. “If this isn’t your yellow clay stuff, Jerry, I’mmistaken!”
He pointed to a large advertisement of the Universal Plaster Company,in which was announced the discovery of a new medicinal agent. It wasa plaster, or poultice, which it was claimed would work wonders withsores, swellings, aches, pains and other maladies. And, amid a massof other information, were set down the facts that the preparationwas harmless, being composed of medicated clay from “the vicinity ofCresville, Mass., where are located the largest and only beds of thisvaluable earth in the world.”
The advertisement went on to tell how the clay had accidentally beendiscovered, and how, after many experiments, it was found that it couldbe mixed with medicinal agents that rendered it very valuable. Thesuccessful efforts of the company to get control of the whole availablesupply were noted, and there were appended to the advertisementtestimonials from many well-known physicians.
“And look there!” cried Ned, pointing to the extract from a scientist’sletter. “Professor Snodgrass says he has analyzed the clay, and foundit exceedingly valuable for the purpose intended. See, there’s afac-simile of his signature boys!”
“That’s so,” spoke Bob, slowly.
Jerry looked at the professor’s printed letter. Then, as he took inthe import of the advertisement, and realized how his mother had soldthe valuable clay land for a tenth of its present value, the tall ladexclaimed:
“Boys, we’ve been tricked! Professor Snodgrass has double-crossed us!”And he banged the table with his fist.