“Now, what’s the big idea?” asked Zeph, softly, closing his room door after having pulled the electric light chain to illuminate the place.
Ralph looked at him grimly. “Yes,” he said, “Whitey had been on an errand for McCarrey, and probably to Jim Perrin’s house. He was bringing some message, or the like, from Jim.”
“You’re guessing,” said Zeph. “We ought to have searched Whitey, as I said.”
Ralph drew out the sealed envelope that he had taken from Whitey Malone’s pocket with his bandanna. He held it out to Zeph.
“I guess this is what Whitey carried,” he said quietly.
“Gee, you did search him!” exclaimed the other happily. “You smart kid!”
“The luck of fools,” rejoined Ralph, with some disdain. “If it is anything of importance I can’t accept praise any more than you can.”
But Zeph was already tearing open the envelope.
CHAPTER VII
SOMETHING BAD
Ralph Fairbanks sat down on the edge of the narrow bed and watched Zeph open the envelope. He had all the curiosity that his friend had about the contents of it, but he displayed more placidity. Zeph was always as eager as a bird dog on the scent.