Part 22 (1/2)
By this time the badly-injured members of the party had received first attention froon that had been brought to the scene In this vehicle they were taken to the nearest house, where they were placed on beds for better attention
”I'eto the chief of police, and I'll also see to it that a big auto ambulance is sent out to take your friends andit, I hate to keep the truth in this matter quiet, even for a moment, and I wouldn't do it, only to see justice worked out You see, Mr Benson, such a fearful accident, from one of my cars, will hurt my business until the whole truth is known
But I'll stick to my word, and keep quiet”
In three quarters of an hour's time the ambulance had arrived, and also a car that Graves had sent to bring back Farnum and the three sub like speed, please,” begged Mr Farnum, with a wan smile It had cut the shi+pbuilder to the marrow to find his friend, Pollard, so badly hurt
”Nothing faster than ten miles an hour,” promised the chauffeur
Once in the city the auto followed the ambulance to the hospital, where Farnuiven his friend
But Mr Graves had already ements for the care of both injured men
Then down to the Somerset went the able bodied survivors of the sub of the strange chauffeur, they were no more than inside Jacob's Farnunation
It was not many minutes, however, ere the chief of police arrived
”I've been talking with Graves, gentlemen,” announced the chief, ”and I'es, is the first one ant to find When we get him we'll try toout of the four fellows you caught night before last?” asked Jack Benson
”Not a word to a, so far,” replied the chief ”But their case was continued a week by the court, and I'll find a way to ht is centered on finding Hodges”
”He isn't stopping at this hotel?” asked Jack
”Not ather hi the town, and I also have athe water front”
”I can't understand how the felloho called hiot Judson to write him a letter of introduction to ?” asked the police chief, suspiciously
”No-o-o,” admitted Mr Farnum ”But the letter ritten on the letter-head of Judson's hotel”
”Anyone can get a hotel letter-head,” retorted the police official, sagely ”You'd better let me have that letter, and I'll write Judson to wire ned it”
Farnuustedly:
”Good heavens, have I reached my present only to be taken in with a faked letter of introduction?”
”If you have,” responded the chief of police, grimly, ”you won't be the only traveled, wide awake business ht by a trick like that In this country, where letters of introduction are passed around as freely as cigars, it's very seldom that a enuine”
An hour later the chief was back, to report that a es'