"There's the answer!" cried Tom.
"It's as plain as day!" added Sam.
"You are right," came from Dick. "I see it all now." He signed for the telegram and dismissed the boy, closing the door after him. "They are keeping father a prisoner somewhere, so that he cannot sign those documents."
"And it means a big financial loss and dishonor to all of us," went on Tom. "That must mean Uncle Randolph as well as dad."
"I wish Uncle Randolph had sent some particulars," sighed Sam.
"They may come in by mail—most likely they will," answered Dick. "It would be just like him to send a letter and then telegraph afterwards."
"Well, one thing is clear," remarked Tom. "We have got to find dad, and do it pretty quickly, too. We know—or, at least, we are pretty sure of it—that he is in the power of Crabtree and Pelter, Japson & Company. Now the question is, What are we going to do about it?"
"I said this morning I had an idea, Tom," answered his big brother. "I don't know whether it will work out or not, or if you'll care to try it. You know I told you to go to Central Park while Sam and I went down to those offices. I did that so that those brokers wouldn't see you. They don't know you, and you can go down and interview them as a stranger. Do you catch the idea?"
"I do!" cried Tom, eagerly. "And I'll do it! But what shall I say?" he asked, suddenly sobering.
"You might state that you had heard of the Sunset Irrigation Company and thought of investing, or something like that. Maybe they might give you some information that would be valuable for us. And, while there, you may hear something about Crabtree, or something about where father may be."
"I'll go this afternoon," cried Tom. The idea of playing the spy pleased him greatly.
"But you want to be careful," warned his older brother. "If cornered, those brokers may prove to be desperate men."
"I'll be on my guard, Dick."
"Sam and I can go down part of the way with you, and when you go in, we can hang around outside, one at the upper and one at the lower street corner. Perhaps by doing that, we'll catch another sight of Crabtree, although I think, for the present, he'll keep away from Wall street and meet those brokers somewhere else, or telephone to them."
It was not long after this when the three Rover boys set out for the lower part of the great metropolis. They took the subway, that being the quickest way to get there. Dick gave Tom directions how to find the brokers' offices, and then the brothers separated as agreed.
Tom had fixed himself up for the occasion, wearing a slouch hat and a flowing tie, in the manner of a young man from the West or South. He carried a pocket full of timetables and another pocket full of legal-looking documents. He also carried half a dozen visiting cards, with the name and address:
Roy A. PutnamDenver, Colo.
With eyes on the alert for the possible appearance of somebody who might know him, Tom walked into the office building where Pelter, Japson & Company did business and entered the elevator. He was the only passenger, and arriving at the fourth floor, he found himself alone in the corridor leading to the brokers' offices.
"Guess I'll listen a bit and see if I can hear anything," he told himself, and tiptoed his way to one of the doors.
He listened intently, but the only sound that broke the stillness was the click of a typewriter and the occasional shifting of some papers. Then he tiptoed his way to the next door, that markedPrivate.
Straining his ears, Tom caught the scratching of a pen and then a deep sigh, as if somebody had just completed an important bit of work. Then he heard the footsteps of a man, walking from the inner to the outer office.
"If he comes out, I'll have to show myself," thought the youth. But the man did not appear, instead Tom presently heard him return to the inner office. Then the telephone rang and the man answered it.
"Yes," Tom heard him say. "All right. Wait a second," And then the man kicked shut a door between the offices, to assure himself of privacy.
There followed a long wait, during which time the man in the office was probably receiving some message.
"To-morrow morning?" Tom heard him ask "What time? Ten o'clock. That is rather early, but I can go there directly from my home." There came another pause. "Leave that to me," cried the man. "I'll make him do it!" He paused again. "I am not afraid of those boys," he added. "I'll be there, sure." Another pause. "Yes, the boat is the best place. Nobody can disturb us there. Good-bye." And then the man hung up the telephone receiver.
Tom had taken in every word that the man said. If it was Pelter he must be talking to Japson, or Crabtree, or somebody else in the affair. And Tom did not doubt but what by "those boys" the man had meant himself and his brothers.
"And when he said, 'I'll make him do it,' he must have been speaking of father," he reasoned. "And he mentioned a boat. Maybe they have dad on a boat."
Tom waited for some time longer in the corridor, but nothing of importance occurred. Then he stepped loudly to the main door of the offices and entered.
The same boy Dick had met was there and asked him what he wanted.
"I want to see about some shares in the Sunset Irrigation Company," answered Tom. "Anybody in I can talk to?" And he handed out one of the cards he had fixed up.
"I'll see," answered the office boy, and disappeared into the inner office with the card.
A moment later Jesse Pelter appeared, holding the card in his hand. He smiled pleasantly.
"Glad to meet you, Mr. Putnam," he said, bowing. "I am Mr. Pelter. I'll be glad to let you know all about our Irrigation Company and its prospects."
He ushered Tom into his private office and offered him a chair.
"Want to make an investment for yourself?" he said, suggestively.
"If it's a good one," returned Tom, with an assumed grin. "A fellow who comes into a fat legacy has got to do something, hasn't he?"
"Surest thing you know," responded Jesse Pelter. "And this Irrigation Company of ours is the best thing in the world for rapid money making," he continued. "Just come on from Denver, Mr. Putnam?"
"I've been in New York a couple of days," answered Tom. "I want to look around a bit before I invest anything. I heard something of this company before I reached here."
"No doubt! No doubt! It is a big thing, and our rivals are all watching and envying us. Did you get our printed prospectus?"
"No, but I saw one somewhere, some time ago."
"Here you have it, with a map of the property. The shares are now selling at sixty-five, but next week I think we'll have to advance them to seventy or seventy-five, owing to the demand."
"Could a fellow buy five thousand dollars' worth at sixty-five?" asked Tom, trying to show an interest.
"You could, if you were quick about it."
"Well, I want to know something more about this property first," continued Tom. "I don't want to throw any money away."
"Quite right. I see you are a level-headed young man and that is the kind I like to deal with. We'll go over this matter carefully." And then Jesse Pelter plunged into the details of the irrigation scheme, showing up its many good points, and how, in the near future, it was bound to make a lot of money for all who invested in it.
"And you have the shares to sell?" asked Tom.
"Oh, yes."
"Do you own the property, Mr. Pelter?"
"Our company owns it—that is, we have a controlling interest in it."
"There are no other big stockholders?"
"None at all. We have invested heavily,—buying out the old company and reorganizing it. All of the other stockholders are small ones. You see, we have such faith in this scheme that we don't want to let too much stock get away from us."
Tom did not see, but he did not say so. Not a word had been said about Mr. Rover and his interest—Mr. Pelter ignored Tom's father entirely. And yet the youth knew that his parent had fifty thousand dollars or more tied up in that very company!
"I'd like to know some of the people who have invested in this stock," said Tom, after the matter had been talked over for nearly an hour.
"I will give you some names," was the broker's reply, and he wrote them down. "They are the principal stockholders outside of ourselves."
Tom took the list and glanced at it. His father's name did not appear, nor did the names of two other men he knew were interested in the concern.
"Thank you," said the youth, rising. "I will look into this. It might be a good investment for me."
"Finest in the world," returned Jesse Pelter. "Better let me put you down for five thousand dollars' worth of shares to-day."
"No, I want to think it over first."
"Supposing I hold the shares for you until to-morrow?" went on the broker, persuasively.
"You can do that, if you wish," answered Tom.
"Do you want to leave a deposit on them?"
"I didn't bring any money with me—that is, not enough."
"You might write out a check, Mr. Putnam."
"No, I'll think it over first."
"Then I'll hold the shares and look for you to-morrow," returned Jesse Pelter, somewhat disappointedly. He loved to get his hands on another's money at the first interview. "Please come in after lunch," he added. "I have an important engagement for the morning."
With the map and prospectus and list of names in his pocket, Tom left the offices. He saw that the man with the pointed chin and heavy eyebrows was not present. The force consisted of Mr. Pelter, the office boy, a girl at a typewriter, and a very old man who was at the books.
"Japson must be keeping out of the way," mused Tom, as he descended to the street. "I wonder if it was he or old Crabtree who talked to Pelter over the 'phone?"
Tom soon rejoined his brothers and all three walked away from the vicinity of Wall street. The youth told of his interview with the broker, and of the talk he had overheard while Jesse Pelter was at the telephone.
"They must have been talking about father!" cried Dick, eagerly.
"Maybe they have him a prisoner on a boat!" added Sam.
"It looks that way to me," said Tom. "And I know what I think we ought to do," he continued.
"So do I," answered Dick, quickly. "Watch this Pelter to-morrow, when he leaves his home, and see where he goes to."
"Right you are."
"Where does he live?" questioned Sam.
"I don't know, but we can easily find out."
The boys presently passed an office building in which there was a large telephone station, and there they hunted up Jesse Pelter's home address.
"He lives up in the Bronx," said Dick, taking down the street and number. "We can find out up at the hotel how to reach the place. Let us go back to the Outlook and see if there is any letter from home. Maybe we'll get more news about that financial loss mentioned in that telegram."
When the boys returned to the Outlook Hotel they found several letters awaiting them. There was one each from the girls and also a communication from Songbird, written partly in verse, and telling of matters at Brill.
But the letter that interested them most just then was one from their Uncle Randolph, in which he explained something of the financial matters mentioned in the telegram. Their uncle was not a good business man, and often got his statements mixed, but from the communication the boys learned the truth.
There were two matters of importance—the irrigation scheme and the purchase of a large tract of land which would be benefited by the flow of water, when the irrigation plant was put into operation. In both of the schemes the Rovers held large interests—that is, they held what were called options, for which Anderson Rover had put up large sums of money, and he had likewise induced some friends to let him put up money for them. In order to clinch their hold on the two business propositions Anderson Rover must sign certain papers and have them delivered to the right parties inside of the next three days. Should he fail to do this, then his options on the property would terminate, and Pelter, Japson & Company would be able to step in and gain control. The brokers had at first tried to gain control by getting Anderson Rover to assign his interest in the options, but this the boys' father had refused to do.
"And now that father wouldn't turn the control over to them, they have had him kidnapped, so that he can't sign those papers and serve them," said Dick. "The case is as plain as day."
"And they got old Crabtree to manage the kidnapping," put in Tom.
"But how did they know about Crabtree?" asked Sam.
"Most likely he has been mixed up in some of their shady transactions of the past," replied Dick. "When he got in jail, he sent for Japson and made him fix it up so he could escape. That fire helped the rascals. Then both came down to New York, and all hands hatched the plot to put dad out of the way."
"Poor dad! If only we knew he was safe!" murmured Tom.
"That's just it—he may be suffering terribly!" added Sam.
"I think we'll find out something definite to-morrow—when we follow Pelter," said Dick. He, too, was greatly worried.
The evening proved a long one to the boys, even though they spent some time in penning letters to the girls and to the folks at home. Dick had received a most sympathetic letter from Dora, in which the girl stated that she wished she was with him to help him.
"Dear Dora!" he murmured, as he placed the letter in his pocket. "I wish all this trouble was over, and we could be married and go off on our honeymoon!"
The boys had found out from the hotel clerk how to reach the address in the Bronx, as the upper portion of New York city is locally called. They could take a subway train to within two blocks of Pelter's home.
They were up bright and early, and after a hasty breakfast went out to a nearby store, where all purchased variously-colored caps of the automobile variety, and also some automobile goggles.
"We'll pass for chauffeurs in a crowd," said Dick. "The goggles will change our appearance, even if we only wear 'em on our foreheads."
They were soon on a subway train and being whirled northward. The train was an express, making but few stops, and almost before they knew it, the guard called out their station.
Dick had consulted a street map at the hotel, so he knew exactly how to turn. They easily located the apartment house in which Jesse Pelter resided, and then stopped at a nearby corner to await his appearance.
"We have got to be very careful how we follow him," said Dick. "If he spots us, it will be all up with us. I think Sam had better go first. I will follow, and Tom, you can bring up the rear. And let us all act as if we were perfect strangers to each other."
Then came a wait of nearly half an hour. At last they saw the front door of the apartment open and several men came out. Two of the men turned in one direction and the other man hurried off alone.
"There he is—there's Pelter!" cried Dick, in a low voice. "Now, Sam, see to it that he doesn't get out of your sight."
"I'll do my best," answered the youngest Rover, and walked off after the broker.
As Jesse Pelter hurried along he consulted his watch. Then he hastened his steps, making his way to the nearest railroad station. He boarded a train, and the boys followed, Sam getting in the same car with the broker and Dick and Tom entering the next car, but keeping in sight of their brother.
A number of stations were passed and then the broker left the train and the boys did likewise. On the street Jesse Pelter called a cab that was handy and entered it.
"Say, this looks as if we might lose him!" cried Dick, in alarm. Then he chanced to see another cab, and hurried to it, waving for Tom and Sam to do the same. He ordered the driver to keep the first turnout in sight, but not to get too close.
"I can do that with ease," said the driver, with a broad grin. "It's Jerry Dillon's cab, and Jerry's horse is no good at all."
The two cabs rolled on for several blocks, and then the first turned in the direction of the Hudson River. It halted near the railroad, and Jesse Pelter sprang to the ground. He paid the driver of the cab and dismissed him. Then he hurried along the railroad on foot.
"I guess he is going up to the dock yonder," Said Tom, while the boys got out.
"Looks like it," answered Dick.
All left the cab and hurried after Jesse Pelter, who was now all but out of sight. He passed between two buildings and the boys followed him slowly.
"Wait!" cried Dick presently. "Look!"
"Why, it's Crabtree!" exclaimed Sam, as another figure came into view—that of a heavily-bearded man with a slouch hat.
"Exactly," returned Dick. "Now keep back, or we may spoil everything," he continued, cautiously.
The three boys saw Pelter and Josiah Crabtree converse earnestly for several minutes. The man who had escaped from jail pointed to a big bundle he carried and Pelter nodded. Then both walked slowly across the railroad tracks to a dock jutting out into the Hudson.
At the dock lay a rowboat, with a man who looked like a sailor at the oars. Pelter and Crabtree climbed down into the boat, which was quickly shoved away. Then the sailor took up the oars and commenced to row out into the broad river.
"Now we are stumped!" murmured Tom, as he and his brothers watched the departure of the rowboat from behind a shed at the inner end of the dock.
"Let us watch that rowboat as far as we can," returned Dick. "I don't believe they intend to row very far."
"Maybe they are going to one of the vessels anchored out yonder," remarked Sam.
"More than likely."
The sailor was pulling up the stream, close to the shore, and the brothers could watch him with ease. The tide was running out and the oarsman had all he could do to make any headway.
"If he is going to keep to the shore, we might follow him on foot," suggested Tom, after several minutes had passed, and while the rowboat was still clearly in view.
"He is turning out now!" cried Dick. "See, I think he is making for yonder two-masted schooner."
The rowboat had turned out and in a few minutes more the boys felt certain it was headed for the schooner.
"Oh, if we only had a rowboat!" groaned Tom.
Dick did not reply. He was watching a steam tug that had come up the river. A line had been thrown from the tug to the schooner and made fast.
"The steam tug is going to tow her down the river!" exclaimed Sam. "Oh, Dick, what shall we do?"
"Dad may be on that schooner!" supplemented Tom.
Dick gazed up and down the stream. A rowboat was coming along, manned by two boys. Dick gave the lads a hail.
"Hi! want to earn a dollar quick?" he asked.
"How?" questioned both lads, in a breath.
"See that schooner? We want to get on board of her as quickly as possible."
"All right—but let us see the dollar first," answered one of the lads, shrewdly.
The rowboat came to the dock and the three Rovers leaped on board. Dick produced a dollar bill, and the boys commenced to row with all the power at their command.
In the meantime the first rowboat had reached the schooner's side and the men and the sailor had gone on hoard. The boat was tied fast to the stern and orders were given to the captain of the tug to go ahead.
"Stop! stop! You rascals!" cried Tom, as the schooner commenced to move down the Hudson. And in his anger he shook his fist at those on the vessel.
At first the actions of the boys attracted no attention. Then there was a stir on the rear deck of the craft.
"Somebody in a rowboat, calling to you," remarked the captain of the schooner, to Josiah Crabtree.
"To me?" exclaimed the former teacher, in surprise. "I will see about this."
He hurried to the stern of the schooner. The rowboat with the Rovers had now come quite close. Josiah Crabtree gave a start.
"Can it be possible?" he gasped.
"What is it?" asked Jesse Pelter, who had stepped up.
"Those young men in yonder boat! Unless I am mistaken they are Anderson Rover's sons!"
"Is it possible!" ejaculated the broker. "Oh, there must be some mistake."
"No, no! I know them well! And see, they are motioning to us! They want us to stop!"
"They must have seen and followed us!" said the broker, and his manner showed his sudden fear.
"Want to take those fellows on board?" questioned the captain of the schooner.
"No! no!" cried Josiah Crabtree. "Tell the captain of the tug to hurry up! That we er—that we must make better time!"
"I will, sir," said the captain of the schooner, and hurried forward to give the necessary order.
A big steamboat was passing up the river and the wash from this sent the rowboat containing the Rover boys dancing up and down. The lads at the oars headed the craft to meet the rollers, and the schooner passed further and further away.
"They are leaving us!" groaned Sam. "Oh, what luck!"
"Mr. Rover!" yelled Dick, at the top of his lungs. "Are you on board? Rover! Anderson Rover! It's Dick! Dick!"
For fully a minute no answer came back. Then there was a commotion on the deck of the schooner and a man appeared, clad in a torn suit of clothing and hatless.
"Dick! Where are you?" was the exclamation, and the man rushed to the stern of the craft. "Dick! And Tom and Sam! Help me!"
"It's father!" yelled Dick. "Stop that schooner! Stop her, I say!"
"Get back there!" exclaimed Josiah Crabtree, catching Mr. Rover by the arm. "Get back, I say! Help me, somebody! This man is crazy!"
He and Jesse Pelter hustled Anderson Rover back, and then the boys saw their father disappear from view. Swiftly the tug and the schooner gathered headway. The boys shouted in vain. They looked around for some other boat to come to their aid, but none was in sight. Then the schooner passed down the Hudson River and the Rover boys were left in the rowboat, gazing at each other in dismay.
"Anyway, we have got the name of the schooner," remarked Sam, after a moment of silence. "She's theEllen Rodney."
"And we ought to be able to follow her somehow," added Tom.
"We must!" cried Dick. "Let us get to shore and see what we can do."
"Don't we get that dollar?" queried one of the boys who rowed the boat.
"Yes," answered Dick, and handed the money over. "Now get us to shore as quickly as possible."
"If you want to catch that schooner, why don't you go downtown after her?" asked the second boy of the rowboat.
"Just what I was thinking of doing," answered Dick. "I think we can get down there ahead of them. The only question is, Can we get anybody down there to go out after the schooner?"
"You can get a boat at the Battery, if you're willing to pay for it. Plenty of tug captains down there looking for jobs."
"Then we'll get to the Battery as fast as possible," said Tom.
The boys who had been rowing the boat were tired, so Tom and Dick took the oars, and thus the little craft was speedily brought back to the dock from which it had started.
"You can get an elevated train over there," said one of the boys, pointing with his hand. "It will take you right to the Battery."
The Rover boys lost no time in leaving the dock and crossing the railroad tracks. Then they fairly ran to the nearest station of the elevated railroad. Dick purchased the tickets and dropped them in the box. Then came a wait of several minutes on the platform.
"Train for South Ferry!" called out the guard, as a rumble was heard.
"Does that go to the Battery?" questioned Dick.
"Sure."
The boys piled on board and away swept the line of cars, on the way downtown. But it was a local train, making all the stops, so their progress was not as fast as they wished.
Here and there, through the cross streets, they caught sight of the glistening river, with its numerous craft. Once Tom thought he saw theEllen Rodney,but at that distance he could not be sure.
At last the train swept around a curve into the Battery, as the little park at the extreme lower point of the great metropolis is called. Here were located several ferries and also some shipping offices, as well as the Aquarium. Dick almost ran to the nearest shipping office.
"I want to stop a schooner that is coming down the Hudson River," he said, to the clerk in charge. "Can I hire a boat around here to take me out?"
"Anything wrong?" asked the clerk, curiously.
"Yes, very much wrong."
"In that case, why don't you put the harbor police on the job?"
"Can I get them handy?"
"Yes, the office is up there," and the man pointed it out.
"Thanks," returned Dick, and headed for the place in question, with Tom and Sam at his heels.
An officer was in charge of the office of the harbor police and he listened with interest to what the boys had to tell.
"This is certainly a serious matter," he said, when they had finished. "Those men are actually kidnapping your father—in fact, they have already kidnapped him. We'll have to get after them."
"You have a boat handy?"
"Yes, several of 'em."
The officer touched a bell and another man in uniform appeared. He was given some instructions, and then the second man told the Rover boys to follow him. He led the way to a dock where a steam tug lay, the smoke pouring from the funnel.
"Quick work here, Andy!" he cried, to an officer on board. "We've got to catch a schooner coming down the river—the Ellen Rodney. Do you know her?"
"I've seen her," was the answer, from the tug officer.
"The fellows on board the schooner are kidnapping the father of these boys. I reckon it's a serious case—a money affair," he added, in a lower tone.
"Who is the man?"
"Anderson Rover is his name. If you find him, and the boys make a charge, place all hands under arrest."
"I will."
The steam tug was fully manned, carrying a crew and several police officers. The Rover boys were told to get aboard, and the tug was headed out into the Hudson, or, as here called, the North, River.
"You don't suppose they have passed here, do you?" questioned the captain of the tug.
"I don't think so—unless that towing tug was an extra fast one," answered Dick.
"They wouldn't dare to run too fast, with so many ferryboats crossing the river. It would be too dangerous."
The police tug swept out into the bay and then started slowly up the river, moving from one shore to the other. The police officer in charge had a pair of glasses and he used these on the various craft that came into view, and also allowed the boys to use them.
"Ought to be along soon," said Tom, after a quarter of an hour had passed. "It took us quite some time to get down here, you know."
"Maybe they didn't come down the river," suggested the officer.
"Didn't come down?" cried Sam. "What do you mean?"
"Maybe they thought you would come down here and wait for them and so changed their plans and went up the river instead."
"That's so!" exclaimed Tom. "They might do that."
"Well, if they went up the river, we ought to be able to catch them sooner or later," put in Dick.
"Let us hope so," returned the officer.
Soon they had passed up the river to a point opposite the Twenty-third Street ferries. Here a number of boats were moving up and down the stream, and from the Hoboken shore a big trans-Atlantic steamer was coming out, to start on its trip across the ocean.
"That looks like her!" cried Sam, pointing to a craft behind the trans-Atlantic steamer.
"So it does!" returned Tom.
They made a semi-circle, other boats giving way to the police tug. But when they got closer to the schooner in question, all the Rover boys uttered a cry of dismay. It was a craft similar to theEllen Rodney,but that was all.
"Either we missed her or else the schooner went up the river," said Dick, at last.
"Looks that way," returned Tom, with a sigh.
They continued to move up the stream, scanning each shore closely. They passed numerous boats, but not one that looked like the craft they were after.
"Well, here we are, at the spot where Crabtree and Pelter got aboard," said Dick, a while later. "So, either we have missed them, or else theEllen Rodneywent up the river instead of down."
The boys were much disheartened, for they had thought that the police tug would surely locate the craft and that they would thus be able to come to their father's rescue. They scarcely knew what to do next.
"I'll go up the river a bit further, if you say so," said the police officer in charge of the tug.
"Perhaps we had better run down first and make another search on our second trip," suggested Dick. "I shouldn't like them to get out into the Bay and give us the slip."
The tug was turned back, and a little later they reached the vicinity of the Battery once more. Then began another search up the river, from shore to shore, as before. But not a trace of the schooner could be found.
"Must have gone up the river," said the police official. "We'll try it for a way and see."
This they did, the police tug moving from side to side as before.
"This is the end of it, so far as we are concerned," said the officer in charge of the tug, at last. "We don't go up the river any further than this."
"All right then," answered Dick, much disheartened. "I guess the only thing for you to do is to put us ashore."
"Sorry we couldn't find that schooner. Of course, if you'll make a regular charge against these men we'll send word up the river to be on the lookout for them."
"We'll make the charge," answered Dick.
The steam tug turned in on the New York City side and the Rover boys went ashore.
"I'll make the regular charge a little later," said Dick. "It may be that I'll have some men in the city arrested first." And then he and his brothers moved off, after receiving instructions from the police official as to what might be best to do.
"Are you going to have Japson arrested?" asked Sam.
"If I can find him. But I guess he'll keep out of sight for the present, Sam. You must remember one thing—these rascals only want to keep dad a prisoner for three days. After that they will let him go—and then it will be too late to save that property."
"Would that be so if we could prove that dad had been kept a prisoner?" asked Tom, with much anxiety.
"I don't know. Another thing, they may make dad sign certain papers. Don't you remember Pelter said over the telephone that he would 'make him do it'? They'll force father into something—if they can."
"Well, what's our next move?" asked Sam, impatiently.
"As it is after noon, we had better visit a quick lunch room and get a bit to eat. Then I think we had better hire some private tug to take us up the river. I am almost certain now that theEllen Rodneywent that way."
"If she went up the river she might go all the way to Albany," said Tom.
"Possibly, but I think those rascals would be too afraid to do that. They'll leave the schooner at the first chance they get, and take father with them."
The boys did not have to walk far before they came to a small shedlike building displaying the sign, "Quick Lunch." They entered and ordered some sandwiches, pie, and coffee. While they were eating they questioned the proprietor about some craft to take them up the river.
"We are hunting for a schooner," explained Dick. "We don't know just where she is. We'll pay somebody well for finding her for us."
"I know a young fellow who owns a motor-boat," said the quick lunch man. "He could take you anywhere you'd want to go."
"Just the thing!" cried Dick, quickly. "Where is that fellow?"
"He ought to be here now—he generally comes in about noon for sandwiches and coffee."
"I wish he would come now," murmured Sam.
After that they did not hurry their lunch, hoping the owner of the motor-boat would appear. He came in ten minutes later—a bright, cheery individual, not much older than Dick.
"Sure I can take you anywhere along the river, if you are willing to pay for it," said he, in answer to a question from the oldest Rover boy. "Just give me time to get a mouthful and I will be with you."
"Let us take some lunch along," suggested Tom. "There is no telling how long this search will last."
"We might take a little," answered Dick. "But I don't think we'll be on the river long."
Ten minutes later the crowd was on the way to the river, to a dock where lay the motor-boat. It was not a very elegant craft, but it had a good engine and could travel well—and that, just then, meant everything to the Rover boys. A bargain was struck for the run, and the boys and the owner got aboard. And then the search for the schooner was begun anew.
"Well, this looks like a wild goose chase, Dick."
It was Sam who spoke, from the bow of the motor-boat. For over two hours they had been moving up the Hudson River, slowly, scanning one shore and the other with care. They had noted many boats, but nothing that looked like the schooner for which they were so eagerly searching.
"They had a pretty good start of you," said John Slater, the owner of the motor-boat. "Maybe they are up to Nyack or Haverstraw by this time."
"Well, all we can do is to keep on and watch out," said Tom, with a sigh. His disposition, for fun seemed to have entirely left him.
Another half hour went by, and they came in sight of a number of lumber barges, all heavily loaded. The barges were being towed by a big tug.
"I know the captain of that tug," said John Slater. "We might ask him about the schooner."
"A good idea," answered Dick.
They were soon close to the steam tug and the motor-boat owner waved his hand to the captain of the larger craft, who waved in return.
"I want to find a schooner named theEllen Rodney!"shouted John Slater. "Did you pass her, Captain Voss?"
"I did," was the answer. "She was opposite Nyack, heading in to shore."
"Opposite Nyack!" exclaimed Dick, "How far is that from here?"
"Not more than two miles," answered John Slater, as he turned his motor-boat up the river again.
"We ought to be able to catch them now!" cried Sam, his face brightening a bit.
"Wish we had the police along," remarked Tom. "Bringing those rascals to terms may not be as easy as you imagine."
"I've got a gun on board," said John Slater. "A double-barreled shotgun I keep on hand to guard against river thieves. I use it to go gunning with, too."
"Good! Better bring it out and let us look at it," returned Dick.
The weapon was produced and found to be in good condition and loaded. It was placed on one of the seats, an oilskin raincoat being thrown over it to hide it from view.
"We won't use force unless it is necessary," said Dick, grimly.
They soon came in sight of Nyack, but nothing that looked like the schooner came into view.
"Maybe they went further," suggested Sam. "Their turning in might have been a bluff—to throw us off the trail."
"Or they may have sent a message ashore—maybe a message to Japson!" cried Dick.
"Of course they would want to put him on guard—and put those at the offices on guard, too," murmured Tom.
They continued on up the river, with their eyes ever on the alert. It was now growing late in the afternoon and the sky was clouded, as if a storm was coming.
"Look!" cried Dick, suddenly, and he pointed ahead and to the right.
"The schooner, sure enough!" said Tom. "And see, a rowboat is alongside!"
"Maybe we are just in time," added Sam. "I hope so."
Without delay, the motor-boat was headed in the direction of theEllen Rodney.As they drew closer they saw but one man on the deck of the schooner,—a burly fellow who looked like a sailor.
"Schooner ahoy!" shouted Dick, as they ran alongside.
"Ahoy, the motor-boat!" cried the burly man, coming towards them.
"Are you the captain?"
"No, the captain is ashore," was the short answer.
"I'll come aboard," said Dick, and without waiting for another word from the man he made his way to the deck, followed by Tom. He had already directed Sam to remain in the motor-boat with John Slater, to summon assistance if necessary.
"What do you want here?" demanded the burly man, surlily.
"I guess you know well enough," answered Dick, shortly. "Where is that man who is a prisoner?"
"You mean the crazy man?"
"He isn't crazy, and you know it."
"Those men who had him in charge said he was crazy," grumbled the burly individual.
"Where is he?"
"What is that to you?"
"Everything. That man is my father, and they have kidnapped him. Maybe you know that kidnapping is a State's prison offense," added the oldest Rover boy, sharply.
"Humph! I ain't had nothing to do with any kidnapping, young fellow," growled the man. "I'm the mate o' this schooner, that's all. If anything is wrong, you'll have to see the captain about it."
"You say he went ashore?"
"Yes."
"Did those men and my father go with him?"
"All of 'em went, yes."
"Who was left here besides you?"
"Those two dago sailors, that's all," and the mate pointed to two men who lay on the forward deck, asleep.
"Are you willing to have me take a look around?" went on Dick, after a pause.
"You'll have to wait till the captain gets back," answered the man, doggedly. "If there is anything wrong I don't want to be mixed up in it."
"If you want to keep out of trouble you'll help us all you can," put in Tom. "This is a serious business."
"I don't know a thing about it," and the man shrugged his shoulders.
Without another word Dick walked across the deck and descended into the cabin. The burly man's face clouded and he made a move as if to follow him.
"You stay here," said Tom, and put his hand in his hip pocket, as if about to draw some weapon.
The man changed color and shifted uneasily.
"All right, have your own way," he said. He was a coward at heart, and as he had not been in the plot against Anderson Rover he did not wish to get any deeper into the trouble.
It did not take Dick long to convince himself that his father was not on board the schooner. He called his parent's name, and then passed swiftly through the cabin and several staterooms and also a cook's galley. He saw where somebody had been locked in one of the staterooms, for the compartment was in disorder and the door was marred and cracked.
"Dad must have struggled to get away," he murmured. "I hope they didn't hurt him."
When Dick came on deck he found Tom guarding the burly man. The two sailors were still asleep—or pretended to be.
"Nothing doing below," he announced. "I guess they took him ashore."
"We might as well go ashore, too, then," said his brother. "We are wasting valuable time here." He turned to the mate. "Will you tell us where they went? It will be to your interest to open your mouth."
"They mentioned the old Blue Horseshoe Tavern," growled the burly mate. "But I don't know if they went there."
Dick said no more, but hurried over the side, followed by Tom. As he left the schooner the fun-loving Rover could not help but bring from his hip pocket an extra handkerchief and flourish it at the mate.
"There's my gun, how do you like it?" he cried, with a grin.
"Go to grass!" grunted the burly fellow, and scowled deeply.
In a few words the pair told Sam what they had learned. The motor-boat was headed for a nearby dock, and a few minutes later the Rovers leaped ashore.
"I don't know if I will need you again or not," said Dick to John Slater.
"If it wasn't for watching my boat I'd go along," said the motor-boat youth. "I am interested in this case."
"Here is your money. But I wish you would hang around a while," went on Dick, paying him.
"I sure will hang around, and I'll watch that schooner."
"Good! Our address in New York is the Outlook Hotel," said Dick.
The boys saw nobody around the dock, which was in the rear of a small lumber yard. They walked through the yard to an office in front. A road ran out of the side of the yard and the boys wondered if the men they were after had taken that.
Nobody but a boy of fifteen was in the office, clicking out a letter on an old typewriter.
"The boss ain't around—he had to go to New York on business," he announced, as soon as the boys appeared. "Want to leave an order for anything?"
"We are looking for some men who came ashore a while ago," said Dick. "Did you see 'em?"
The boy shook his head.
"Ain't nobody been here all afternoon," he said.
"Do you know anything of a place called the Blue Horseshoe Tavern?"
"Sure I do. It's up on the post road—the place where all the auto parties stop," was the knowing reply.
"How far from here?"
"Not over a quarter of a mile."
"Which way?"
"I'll show you," and the boy reached for his cap. Going outside, he led them from the yard to a road running up a hill.
"Keep right on that till you get to the Blue Horseshoe," he said. "You can't miss it, because it's the only place around here."
They thanked the lad and hurried on. By this time it was quite dark and a few drops of rain had begun to fall.
"The Blue Horseshoe Tavern must be one of the old-time roadhouses that has had a revival of business since auto parties became popular," said Dick, as he and his brothers trudged along. "I wonder what those rascals will tell the proprietor?"
"Most likely the same old story—that dad is crazy," answered Tom. "That's Crabtree's favorite game."
They had just turned a curve in the road and come in sight of a low, rambling tavern, when they saw a big touring car of the enclosed pattern coming towards them. To avoid the machine, which was being driven rapidly, they leaped to the side of the road.
As the touring car came closer, they saw that two men sat on the front seat,—the driver and a man who had his hat pulled far down over his face and his coat collar turned up.
"Look!" yelled Tom, pointing to the man beside the driver.
"Look into the car!" yelled Sam.
The automobile rolled on, lost to sight in less than a minute, around the bend of the road. It was headed in the direction of New York City.
"The man on the front seat with the driver was Pelter!" exclaimed Tom.
"And dad was inside the car!" gasped Sam.
"You are right," returned Dick. "And Crabtree and another man was with him. Dad looked as if he had his hands bound behind him."
"What shall we do now?"
"How can we follow that car?"
"How did they get that auto so quick?"
"I think I know how they got the auto," said the oldest Rover boy, after a pause. "There must be a garage at the tavern. Come on and see. Maybe we can get another auto and follow that car!"
It was raining steadily when the three Rover boys reached the Blue Horseshoe Tavern, an ancient hostelry standing at the junction of two main roads. In the rear was a barn, and a big carriage shed which had been converted into a garage. The youths headed for the latter place and entered quickly, to get out of the downpour.
A colored man came forward to see what they wanted.
"Can we hire a car here, and at once?" questioned Dick.
"Sorry, boss, but we ain't got no car in jest now," answered the colored man. "I expect one back in about an hour."
"The car that just went out?" demanded Tom.
"Yes, sah."
"Can't you get us any sort of a car?" pleaded Sam.
"Ain't got nuffin' in 'ceptin' a roadster, an' that won't run—sumthin' the matter with the carburetor."
"Are you sure that other car will be back in an hour?" demanded Dick.
"I think so. The gents as took it said they didn't want to go more than ten miles."
"All right, we'll wait till the car gets back," answered Dick, struck with a sudden idea.
"But, Dick, we'll lose valuable time," whispered Sam.
"Perhaps not, Sam. If we got a car now we wouldn't know where to go. If that driver comes back and takes us——"
"Oh, I see."
"Fine!" murmured Tom.
"You call us as soon as that car shows itself," said Dick, to the colored man. "We'll be in the tavern."
"Yes, sah," was the reply, and the man readily pocketed the quarter that the oldest Rover tossed to him.
The boys ran to the tavern by a side entrance which was not far from the shed. They walked along a porch until they came to some windows opening from a dining room.
"Look in there!" cried Tom, coming to a halt.
The others did as directed and saw, at one of the tables, the man they had seen on the deck of theEllen Rodney."It's Captain Rodney," went on Tom, who had learned the name from the schooner's mate.
"And he is alone, which proves that the others were in that auto with dad," returned Sam.
"I'm going to interview him!" cried Dick. "And maybe I'll have him arrested."
All three boys walked into the dining room of the tavern and took seats at the same table with the master of the schooner. He started, and was about to spring to his feet, when Dick stopped him.
"Sit where you are," said the oldest Rover boy, sternly. "If you attempt to leave I'll call the police."
"What do you—er—mean?" stammered the man, and he looked decidedly uncomfortable.
"I reckon you know who we are, Captain Rodney," said Tom.
"I don't."
"We are Anderson Rover's sons," said Sam.
"Never heard of that man," faltered the captain.
"You had him a prisoner only a short while ago."
"Oh, you mean that crazy man who was aboard my schooner? I thought his name was Brown."
"See here, Captain Rodney, you can't fool us, so you had better not try," said Dick, sternly. "You know the game those men are trying to play. They are going to prison for it,—and you'll go, too, if you are not careful."
"What! you threaten me!" roared the man, growing red in the face.
"I do."
"I can have the law on you for it."
"Go ahead, the sooner the better," responded Dick, coolly. "Those men are rascals and you know it. Now, I am going to give you one chance—just one," went on Dick, looking the master of theEllen Rodneysquarely in the eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"As I said before, those men are rascals. They abducted my father, and you aided them. I can prove it. As soon as we rescue my father we are going to prosecute those rascals. If you want to save your own skin you had better help us all you can."
At these plain words the face of Captain Rodney became a study.
"They told me he was a crazy man—a brother to one of the others—and they wanted to get him to some sanitarium."
"If that was so, why did they run away?"
"I didn't know they ran away—until just now."
"You started to go down the river," said Tom.
"Why did you change your mind and come here?"
"They chartered the schooner for a week—I was under their orders."
"Where were they going at first?"
"Down the Jersey coast and back. They said they thought a little ocean air would do the crazy man good before they put him in the sanitarium. I own up that I was suspicious, but they claimed everything was straight."
"They were going to take my father down the coast for several days so that he could not sign important papers," returned Dick. "It is a well-laid plot to do our family out of a great deal of money and dishonor my father."
"Well, I ain't in it, I give you my word. I chartered my vessel to 'em, that's all."
"We will take you at your word, then. But you must tell all you know about them and their plans," said Dick, after a pause.
"And if I do that, will you—er—drop the charge against me?" questioned the master of theEllen Rodney,eagerly.
"If you don't, we are going to have you placed under arrest as soon as we can get an officer."
"Don't do that! I never had any trouble before and I don't want it now. I'll help you all I can—if what you say its true, and that man is your father."
After that the captain was quite willing to talk, and he told how Crabtree and Japson had come to him and questioned him about the schooner, and finally chartered the craft for a week. They had at first wanted to pay him at the end of the time, but he had insisted upon receiving his money in advance and it was then paid over. He had been told that the strange man was Crabtree's brother, who had gone crazy because of the loss of his money in a Western irrigation scheme.
"They said they would take him down the coast for three or four days, to brace him up a bit. Then we were to run in at Absecon, near Atlantic City, and land all hands. They said they would go from Atlantic City to Lakewood, where the sanitarium was located."
"Probably they intended to let him go at Absecon and then deny that they had ever touched him," said Dick.
"Maybe—I don't know anything about that," replied the captain.
"But how did you come to change your plans?" asked Tom.
"When you came out in that rowboat and the crazy man—excuse me, I mean your father—cut up so, they hustled him back to one of the state-rooms," went on Captain Rodney. "Then they had a long talk. I think they were afraid you would go down the river by train and try to head them off."
"Which we did," murmured Sam.
"After a while Pelter and Japson came to me and said they must come up the river—that a sister of the crazy man lived up here, and they must visit her before they went down the coast. I was suspicious, but what could I do? I had chartered my vessel and I had my money, so I obeyed orders. Then we came up here as fast as we could. The steam tug was dismissed, and we came ashore to this place. Then they hired an auto and went off—and that's all I know about it."
"You don't know where they went?" cried Dick.
"No more than what they said—that they were going to the crazy man's sister."
"Which was false," muttered Tom.
"What were you to do?" asked Dick.
"They told me I might sail up the river to Newburgh and wait there for a telegram."
After that the captain talked freely. But what he had to say shed but little more light on the subject. The boys came to the conclusion that he had been dragged into the plot without knowing what it was, but that he had been willing to lend his help, provided he was well paid for it.
"When the proper time comes I shall want your testimony," said Dick, at the conclusion of the interview. "In the meantime I advise you to have no more to do with those fellows."
"They shan't come near the schooner, even if they did charter her," growled Captain Rodney.
The boys had no appetite, but as they were in the dining room they ordered a light lunch and paid for it. Then they saw an automobile come splashing through the mud of the road.
"There is that car!" cried Sam, as he recognized the driver.
The boys ran out and made their way through the rain to the garage. The enclosed touring car had just entered and the driver had shut off the power. The wind shield had been up, but the man had gotten quite wet and stood shaking the water from his coat.
"Here's the car!" cried the colored man, coming forward.
"So I see," returned Dick. He turned to the driver. "Pretty bad traveling, I imagine."
"You bet! The road is a mass of slippery mud. I came near skidding half a dozen times."
"Where did you go?" and Dick stepped closer to the chauffeur.
The man started and looked at the oldest Rover boy sharply.
"What's that to you?" he asked, shortly.
"Everything. We want to go to the same place."
"And as quickly as you can get us there," added Tom.
The chauffeur surveyed the three Rovers in amazement. Then he took off his coat and shook it briskly.
"Sorry, but I can't take you," he said, slowly. "I've got another job in—er—in half an hour."
"You are going to take us," said Dick, firmly. "And right away. What did those men pay you?"
"What is that——"
"How much—out with it? I haven't any time to spare."
"Ten dollars."
"All right. You'd like another ten, wouldn't you?"
"Sure. But——"
"Ten dollars to get us to the same place inside of twenty minutes," went on Dick, and showed a roll of bankbills.
"Can't do it—in this slippery weather," answered the man, his eyes glistening at the sight of the money. "Make it in half an hour."
"All tight then."
"I'll put on the chains," cried the chauffeur, and brought out the anti-skidding chains for the rear wheels. The boys got the colored man to assist him, and the chains were soon adjusted. Then the car was backed out of the garage and the three Rovers leaped inside.
"Now, don't lose a minute," said Dick.
"I won't. But we are taking chances on this road, sir, I can tell you that."
It was still raining steadily, and the highway was a mass of oily mud,—a splendid compound upon which to skid. On and on rushed the touring car at a rate of speed varying from twenty to thirty-five miles an hour.
"I could eat this road up if it was dry," shouted the chauffeur. "The machine is good for fifty miles an hour."
"Well, don't climb a tree, or a stone wall," cautioned Dick, grimly.
Ordinarily the Rover boys might have been anxious because of such wild riding, but now every thought was centered on their father. How he was faring, and would they be able to rescue him?
Twice the touring car made dangerous lurches to one side, once fairly brushing some trees which lined the roadway. But the driver stuck to his post, and gained the middle of the roadway again, and rushed on as rapidly as ever.
"I'll wager he doesn't own the machine," muttered Sam. "If he did, he'd be more careful of it."
"Well, he owns his own neck," returned Tom, grimly. "So maybe he'll be careful of that."
They passed through several small villages, the inhabitants gazing out curiously at the rushing and swaying car. Then they took to a side road, where the traveling was worse than ever.
Suddenly the car made a turn. They had struck a rut in the road and even the chains did not save them. Around swung the automobile. There was a grinding of the brakes and the power was shut off. Then came a jar that sent the Rover boys in a heap.
"Something has happened sure!" cried Tom, who was the first to get up.
They looked out of the door of the enclosed car. They had come up to a mass of bushes beside the road, and the left front wheel had struck a rock and was twisted around. The mud guard on that side had crumpled up.
"I guess the journey is over—so far as this car is concerned," muttered Dick, as he leaped out, followed by his brothers.
The chauffeur was trying his steering wheel. The right wheel responded, but that which had hit the rock did not.
"Out of commission!" he said, with a frown. "I was afraid something would happen."
"If it's only the steering gear it won't cost much," said Dick. "How much further to that place?"
"Not over half a mile."
"Then we'll walk it!" cried Tom.
"Of course," added Sam.
"Ain't you going to pay me!" exclaimed the chauffeur, in dismay. "I did my best."
"Yes, I'll pay you," responded Dick. "And give you an extra five for the repairs. Now tell us just where that place is, and what sort."
"It's a country home,—a white place, set in a lot of trees,—with a wind mill back of the barn. Got a green hedge in front—the right side of the road—you can't miss it."
"Did you hear the name of the owner?"
"Belongs to one of the crowd—man named Japson. It's an old country home that was in his family for years. He don't live there, but it's furnished, I understand."
The boys said no more, but as soon as the chauffeur was paid, they set off through the rain. It was a disagreeable journey, and but little was said. All wondered what would be best to do when they reached the place for which they were bound.
"I wish we had the sheriff and his posse with us, as we had when we rounded up those rascals at Plankville," said Tom.
"Or if we only had John Slater's shotgun," added Sam.
"Never mind. As I understand it, we are three to three," said Dick. "And we can arm ourselves with heavy sticks," which they presently proceeded to do, tearing up some bushes for that purpose.
It was not long before they came in sight of a long, high hedge. Back of it was a white house, surrounded by numerous old trees. Over the trees showed the top of an old wind mill, used for pumping water from a driven well.
"Think we had better go right up to the door and knock?" asked Sam, as they halted at the edge of the hedge.
"No, I think we had better spy around a little at first," answered his big brother.
All crawled through a gap in the hedge and, skulking from tree to tree, gradually neared the house. Near one of the windows grew some bushes, and they crept along to these. Then Dick looked through the window.
He saw Pelter and Japson seated at a table, going over some legal papers. Nobody else was visible.
"Perhaps Crabtree took father to some other place, after the chauffeur left!" thought the youth, in dismay.
The window was closed, so the boys could not hear what was being said. They consulted among themselves, and walked around the house, being careful to keep well under the windows, which were rather high.
"Here is a cellar door, let us try that," said Tom, and he raised it up, and almost before they knew it, they were in the cellar under the building.
Above them they could hear footsteps and a murmur of voices. Evidently Josiah Crabtree had joined the brokers.
"You stay here and I'll investigate further," said Dick, after a pause, during which he had espied a stairs leading upward to the rear of the house.
He mounted the stairs and came out into a wide kitchen. No one was present, nor did any fire burn in the big stove. From the kitchen a door led to a dining room, which, in turn, led to a sitting room. In the last-named room were the three men.
"Do you think he'll raise a row?" Pelter was asking.
"He can't raise much of a row, with that towel bound over his mouth," replied Josiah Crabtree.
"It's lucky we had this place to come to," put in Japson. "I only hope they don't get on our trail and follow us."
"I don't think they will follow us here," said Pelter. Then followed a murmur, as he and the other broker went over the legal papers on the table.
Dick wondered what he had best do next. He gazed around the kitchen and saw a small side door, opening on an enclosed stairs leading to the second floor. He went up the stairs noiselessly.