The Go Ahead Boys and the Mysterious Old House Part 17

Approaching it was a man who bore every indication of being a tramp.

"Hold on, fellows," whispered Fred, excitedly, "that's the very same tramp I met over in the old Meeker House."

"Sure about that?" asked George quickly.

"Yes, it's the same man."

"Come on, then," said George, "We'll go up and interview him."

The tramp now was seated on the stone step and hungrily was devouring the breakfast which had been given him.

"How long since you have been in the old Meeker House?" inquired Fred as he approached the stranger.

As the man looked up he recognized his companion of the former night and a smile spread over his countenance. "I just came from there," he said.

"Were you in the house all night?" demanded Fred quickly.

"Yes. Why?"

"Did you hear any strange sounds?"

"Not one."

"Didn't you see anything that scared you?"

"No, sir, nothing scared me."

"And you say you were there all night?"

"That's what I say. I crawled in there right after sunset and went to sleep. I told you the other night that I sometimes sleep there in my travels."

"I don't understand why you didn't hear anything," said John, "if you really were in the house. I was there and I heard some things."

"What?" The tramp paused in his occupation and stared blankly at John as he spoke.

"The same things that happen there every night. There were some creatures flying all around the room-"

"Ostriches," said the tramp soberly.

"And there must have been a good many people there too because they called me by my name and at the same time from every part of the house."

"A part of Washington's army," said the tramp.

"I don't know who they were, but the thing that scared me most of all was the tooting of an automobile horn. First it sounded right close to my ear and then it seemed to come from all parts of the house at once."

"Nothing but the wind whistling around the eaves," said the tramp. "I don't mind telling you though that there have been times when I have heard sounds over there that made me think of the horn of an auto-"

"Didn't you hear it last night?" demanded John.

"No. Where are you boys going?" the tramp abruptly added.

"We're going to look for a lost automobile," said Fred. "You haven't seen one lately, have you?"

"Did you lose a car?" inquired the tramp, ignoring the question.

"We certainly have lost it," said George, "or rather somebody has taken it."

"And you know where it is now?"

"We've got word where it may be and we're going to find out."

Fred had been watching the tramp closely throughout the conversation and when George abruptly turned back to the garage he instantly followed him.

CHAPTER XIV-DISAPPOINTED

"I tell you," exclaimed Fred in a low voice as soon as he had overtaken his friend, "that tramp knows more about the lost automobile than he told us."

George turned abruptly and for a moment stared blankly at his friend and then laughed aloud. "I think you surely have got it," he said. "A fellow who can find spooks and ghosts of automobiles ought to be able to find out a man who will steal them. That tramp to me doesn't look as if he had ever seen the inside of a car."

"It doesn't make any difference," said Fred persistently. "I tell you he knows more about that car than you think."

"What makes you think so?"

"The way he looked and acted when we were talking about the auto having been stolen."

"Did he look guilty?"

"I don't know whether he did or not. He looked up right away and the expression on his face was different from what it was before. He knows something about it anyway, whether he took it or not."

"Keep it up, Fred," laughed George. "Pretty soon you'll be able to run down every man who has seen our car, to say nothing of those who took it."

"What do you advise me to do?" he continued.

"I don't know."

"That's just it," laughed George. "There are lots of people that can tell you what ought to be done, but there are mighty few that can tell you how to do it. Do you want me to have him arrested?"

"I didn't say that," said Fred. "All I said to you was that he knows more about it than you think he does. It seems to me it would be a good thing to have some one watch him or to leave word with the constable."

"What will the constable do? He can't invite him to his house."

"No, but he can tell him he mustn't leave town, can't he?"

"I don't think he could without a warrant or something. You can't arrest a man merely on suspicion."