“I came to report a theft,” Chet spoke up. “My hot rod has been stolen.”
“Why, it was one of those crazy hot rods this fellow drove!” Ike Harrity cried out. “A yellow one!”
“Ha!” exclaimed Oscar Smuff. “A clue!” He immediately pulled a pencil and notebook from his pocket.
“My Queen!” shouted Chet.
Chief Collig rapped on his desk for quiet and asked, “What’s a queen got to do with all this?”
Chet explained, then the chief related Harrity’s story for him.
“A man drove up to the ferryboat office and tried to hold up Mr. Harrity. But a passenger came into the office and the fellow ran away.”
As the officer paused, Frank gave Chief Collig a brief account of the wrecked blue sedan near the Morton farm.
“I’ll send some men out there right now.” The chief pressed a buzzer and quickly relayed his orders.
“It certainly looks,” Joe commented, “as if the man who stole Chet’s car and the fellow who tried to hold up the ferryboat office are the same person!”