The Rover Boys Down East: or, The Struggle for the Stanhope Fortune

“I didn’t tech the lady! I wouldn’t tech nobuddy!” howled Tony Carew.

“Did you see her and the men?”

“Yes – but I didn’t tech nobuddy, I tell you. I stayed in the barn.”

“But you saw her!” cried Dick. “Where did she go? Or where did those men take her?”

“The hull crowd got in a carriage wot was waitin’ down the road.”

“Whose carriage?”

“I dunno. They had a white hoss an’ a black hoss, an’ the carriage had the top kinder torn.”

“Who was driving?”

“A man with a linen duster, an’ a cap pulled away down over his face.”

“Which way did they go?”

“That way,” answered Tony Carew, and pointed to a side road leading eastward.

CHAPTER XIX

ON THE WAY TO BOSTON

The Rover boys gazed down the road with interest. It ran between a number of tall trees, and looked to be lonely in the extreme.

“Where does it lead to?” asked Sam.

“It’s an old road, running to Shaville,” answered Tony Carew. “It ain’t hardly used any more.”

“And that is why those rascals took it,” answered Dick. “They wanted to keep in the dark as much as possible. How far to Shaville?”

“’Bout two miles.”

“Can you take us over in a carriage? We’ll pay you, of course.”

“To be sure! But, say, honestly, I didn’t have nuthin’ to do with carryin’ her off!” cried the old farmer.

“I believe you,” answered Dick. “But it’s a pity you didn’t report what you knew to the Cedarville police.”

“I didn’t want to git in no trouble.”

“Want me any more?” asked Caleb Belcher.

“We may want you,” answered Dick. “Stay here for a couple of hours, anyway.”

“My price is twenty-five cents an hour.”

“All right – and there’s a dollar on account,” and Dick passed the money over.

A fairly good horse and wagon were brought from the barn, and the boys and Tony Carew got in. Then the horse was urged forward, and over the uneven road they bumped, in the direction of the village of Shaville, a sleepy community, with one store, a blacksmith shop, a church, and about a dozen cottages.

When Shaville was reached the boys commenced a diligent search for some news concerning the carriage with the white and the black horse and the dilapidated top. At first they could find nobody who had seen such a turnout, but presently they met a tramp whom Sam stopped, and he gave them news that was surprising.

“I see ’em!” cried the tramp. “Say, boss, give me a dollar an’ I’ll tell you all I know.”

“You’ll tell all you know without the dollar!” cried Dick, and grabbed the knight of the road by the collar. “Come now, tell me, quick!”

“Don’t hurt me!” yelled the tramp. “I was only foolin’. Course I’ll tell you.”

He was subjected to close questioning, and from him it was learned that the carriage with the three men and the lady had passed through Shaville and turned towards Latown. The lady had tried to jump from the carriage just while it was passing the tramp, but the men had held her back. He had heard the men mention Latown, and also speak of an automobile.

“One feller was an old gent, who looked like a perfesser,” said the tramp.

“That must have been Crabtree,” said Tom.

“Can it be that they were going to leave the carriage and take to an auto at Latown?” came from Sam.

“Perhaps,” answered Dick. “If they did take to an auto it will be mighty hard to find them.”

Tossing the tramp a quarter, they went on their way, and presently reached Latown, and there hurried to the only garage the place possessed. There they learned that the garage owner had rented a touring car out several days before and it had not yet been returned.

“The fellow who rented it was to pay me ten dollars a day, but I didn’t think he’d keep it so long,” said the man. “He gave me his card.”

“Why, it is my card!” ejaculated Dick, on glancing at the pasteboard. “The nerve of him! Of course it was Sobber – or one of his cronies.”

It was not until nightfall that the boys learned what had become of the touring car. Then they found a boy who had seen the car, with three men and two women in it, speeding towards the Albany road. This lad took them to the very spot where he had seen the car.

“One of the ladies was terribly excited,” said the lad. “When she saw me, she shouted something and then threw one of her hair combs at me. Here is the comb now.”

“It must be Mrs. Stanhope’s,” was Dick’s comment. “She wanted it to be used to trace her by.”

“It is hers,” said Sam. “I remember, she had a pair of them.”

“What did she shout?” asked Dick.

“I couldn’t make out, exactly. It sounded like Boston – but I ain’t sure.”

“Boston?” repeated Dick. “Oh, it can’t be! That is too far away.”

“They might be headed for Boston. There is a fine road for autos from Albany to the Hub – the old post-road,” said Tom.

“I’ll telephone along the line and try to find out where they went,” answered Dick.

It was not until the next day that word came in from Albany that the automobile had been seen in that city. It had stopped at a garage to have a tire fixed. No one was in it at the time but a young man. He appeared to be in a great hurry, and had paid well for a rapid repair.

From Albany the auto was traced across the Hudson river and to North Adams. But that was the last heard of it.