Part 9 (1/2)
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.