Mrs. Heard was quite as eager as Agnes and Neale to learn if trace of her nephew’s car could be found in this neighborhood. She had written one letter to Mr. Collinger regarding their suspicions of Joe Dawson and his appearance with a runabout in this part of the State.
They ran on beyond the end of the lake and thence into a much more scantily populated country than that through which they had previously traveled.
They struck into the road at last on which King David had said the site of the burned farmhouse was. Not another dwelling was on this cross highway, and the road map gave its length as twelve miles.
Save for the cleared acres of the Higgins farm, on both sides thick woods bordered the road. Of course, they could not mistake the farm itself when they came to it. The fire had left nothing of the great house but the cellar walls.
However, there were several good outbuildings, especially the hay barns. The Gypsy had told Neale clearly into which of the two barns he had seen the men running the automobile.
“I’m going to have a squint, anyway,” said Neale, stopping the car and promptly getting out.
“Be careful,” urged Mrs. Heard. “Don’t get into trouble,” though how he could do that in this forsaken place it was not easy to guess.
There was not a soul around the place as far as the touring party could see.
CHAPTER XVI—SEARCHING THE BARN
“I’m going too! I’m going too!” exclaimed Sammy Pinkney, scrambling out of the car after Neale O’Neil.