The Go Ahead Boys and the Mysterious Old House Part 9

CHAPTER VIII-THE LOST CAR

"What's the trouble? What's the trouble?" demanded George excitedly when the boys had run out through the kitchen door.

"Uncle Sim says that my car is gone," replied George.

"Gone? Gone where?" demanded Grant.

"He doesn't know and that's what he wanted to find out from us."

"Yas, suh. Yas, suh," broke in the old colored man who now approached the place where the boys were standing. "Dat car sho' am gone. I jes'

came to fin' out if any ob yo' young gen'lemen disremembered who might hab tuk de car."

"Why, there hasn't anybody taken it," said John. "Have you looked in the garage, George?"

In spite of his perplexity George laughed slightly as he said, "I certainly have. You don't think I would solemnly state to you that the car was gone if I had seen it in the garage, do you?"

The boys by this time had advanced to the open door of the garage and a hasty examination confirmed the statement of the old colored man that the automobile was not there.

"What do you suppose it means?" inquired Fred.

"It means somebody has taken it," replied George.

"You mean stolen it?"

"That's what I don't know. I'm trying to explain to you fellows that the car isn't here and if it isn't here it must be somewhere else. Now, if it is somewhere else how did it get there and who took it there? Do you see? Can I make any impression on any of you?"

"Why don't you say in plain English just what you mean?" retorted John.

"Do you think your car has been stolen?"

"I know it's gone and that's all I know."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to take you fellows and Uncle Sim in the old car and find out what has happened to the new one, if I can."

"That's all right, we'll be with you in a minute," declared George.

Speedily the boys entered the house and securing their caps at once prepared to accompany George, who soon started down the lane toward the road beyond. There was no plan clearly defined in his mind nor had any one in the party any suggestions to make as to whom the thief might be or what had become of the missing automobile.

In response to George's queries Uncle Sim related his own experiences.

He had been coming in from the barn and noticed that the door of the garage was still open. As he had strict orders to see that this was closed every night, he turned aside to carry out the directions. To his surprise he found that the new automobile was not in its accustomed place. His first thought naturally was that the boys had taken it for another drive and yet at that very moment he heard the sound of their laughter issuing from the dining-room.

Puzzled by the fact he at once entered the house and soon made his presence and his errand known.

His statement, startling as it was, at first had not alarmed George, but as soon as he had made a hasty investigation he too was as troubled as his dusky friend. The car was gone and there was no accounting for its departure.

"Did any of you fellows hear the automobile when it went down the driveway?" George inquired of his friends as they sped along the dusty road.

"Not one of us," said John, positively.

"That's the trouble in having such a good car," said George dryly. "You see it makes so little noise that it couldn't be heard a few feet away."

"I don't think that was it," spoke up Grant. "I think it's because certain members of our party were making so much noise that an earthquake or thunder would have been drowned."

"That's all right, then," said George dryly. "You wait until we find that car and then we'll talk a little more about it."

"What was the number of your car?" asked Fred.

"27155."

"I think a man has got more nerve to steal an automobile than anything else. Of course he knows he will be taken," declared Fred.

"Not always," answered George. "Down on the sea sh.o.r.e there was a certain firm last summer that did a regular business in stolen automobiles. They painted them different colors and did a few little things that altered the appearance so that a man wouldn't recognize his own car."

"Is that so? Is that true?" demanded Grant.

"It certainly is. I know a man who lost a car down there. Those men work all through the towns and cities in the northern part of the state and run down to the seash.o.r.e with the stolen cars in the night when n.o.body is around and the next day the cars wouldn't be recognized by the very men who were looking for them."

"Well, I hope we shan't find your car down there," said Fred warmly.

"I hope we shan't," replied George, "though the main thing I want just now is to find the car anyway. Some of the good times I promised you fellows this summer will go begging, I'm afraid, if we have lost our automobile."

"We'll find it, George," said John, patting his friend on the shoulder.

Meanwhile Uncle Sim, who was still a member of the party, had taken no share in the conversation. At that moment, however, he uttered an exclamation of surprise and directed the attention of the Go Ahead boys to the old Meeker House which now was not far ahead of them.

"Yas, suh. Yas, suh," said Uncle Sim, his voice trembling in his excitement. "I sho' do see some lights in dat cellar ob de ol' house.

'Pears like dere's always somethin' wrong in de ole Meeker House."

"How it is, Fred? Do you agree with Uncle Sim?" laughed George.

"I never saw any lights in it," replied Fred glumly.

"No, but that's what you wanted to see, I guess, more than anything else," laughed Grant. "But there's a light there now," he added suddenly, "I saw it myself. It shines for a minute and then it is gone.

There it is again!" he exclaimed a moment later. "You can see it shining through the cellar windows. What do you suppose it is?"

"Spooks," said George solemnly. "They usually have a supper there once a year and I think to-night is the regular time for their meeting."

"Do you want to stop?" demanded Fred quickly.

"I don't mind," replied George. There was no enthusiasm, however, manifest among the boys, although every one jokingly declared that he was not afraid. The excuse was commonly given that the necessity of hasty investigation into the loss of the automobile demanded action in other directions. Consequently no stop was made and although every boy was frequently glancing behind him at the old Meeker House no light was seen nor did any additional or unusual sounds come from that direction.

When the boys had gone beyond the corner their thoughts once more returned to the problem which was confronting them. The mystery of the lost car must be solved. Although there were many suggestions offered there was not one of the boys that had any clearly outlined plan as to what must be done in order to find the lost car or obtain information concerning those who had taken it.

"I have a suggestion," broke in Grant at last.

"What's that?" demanded Fred.