“It is remarkable,” smiled Toombs, “that Jack Bosworth’s son and you, a juvenile detective of pronounced ability, should just happen into this country at this particular time!”
“What do you think we came in for?” asked Ned.
“Young man,” Toombs answered, “a good many million dollars depend upon the finding of certain records. I, representing various claimants, am informed that Jack Bosworth, Senior, the scheming corporation lawyer, has definite information concerning the whereabouts of those papers. It is my belief that you came here to seize and destroy them.”
“Well,” Ned said with a smile, “if you believe that, you certainly have acted unwisely. It strikes me that the correct thing for you to have done was to have waited until I secured the papers before you declared yourself my enemy. Can’t you see that?”
“No, I can’t!” was the reply. “The papers would not last five minutes after coming into your hands.”
“I tell you,” Ned replied lightly, “I don’t know anything about the papers of which you speak. We came here on a vacation, and that is all there is to it. You have made a mistake, and my advice to you is to rectify it at the earliest possible moment.”
“Well,” Toombs said, “if you insist on sticking to a lie like that, I can’t help it. I’ll give you fair warning, however, that you must consider yourself my guest until I get an entirely different answer from you. I hope we’ll get along well together. You’ll be well treated.”
Ned turned his eyes away from the broad, fat, smooth face of Toombs to catch a glimpse of the boy messenger standing at a corner of the tent. It seemed to Ned for an instant that the boy was about to communicate with him by sign or word. Then his face changed into one of sullen defiance and he passed from view.
“Who is that boy?” asked Ned. “The messenger who brought the note, I mean? Did he write the note himself?”
“No,” answered Toombs, “I wrote the note. We were together—the boy and I—on the slope below your camp, and he caught sight of two of your chums. Then it occurred to me to send for you in the name of the boys. He only delivered the note—I wrote it.”