Bob wheeled and faced him squarely.
“Let’s have an understanding right now. In the first place, my uncle didn’t muff anything. I’d like to have seen you do any better than he did when three gunmen were shooting at you in a dark street and the only escape was at an end where there was a brilliant street light. Now as far as getting things in a mess, it seems to me that you did a perfect job when you let that prisoner, the one man who could have supplied valuable information, take your gun away from you in the police station this afternoon. That makes you out to be quite a chump and I’ve always thought you were.”
Bob was surprised at his own words and his own boldness, but he saw a look something like apprehension in Condon Adams’ eyes.
“You don’t like my uncle; you never have. You’ve always been jealous of his brains and his ability. Your nephew doesn’t like me. Well, that goes for me, too. I don’t think you’ll make any effort to find my uncle. If you can recover that paper, well and good—that’s your first thought. But I’m serving notice on you right now that I’m going to find him and I’m going to recover that paper. And I’ll do it without any help from either one of you. So here’s a tip. I’m tired and I’m mad and I don’t like you. Right now I can think of nothing I’d like to do better than give each of you a biff on the nose and if you open your mouths again about my uncle, I’ll do just that thing. Good night.”
Bob’s words had so amazed both Adams and his nephew that they were speechless and the young federal agent turned and stepped through the main doorway.
Tully Ross, angry words crowding to his lips, started to follow Bob, but the firm hands of Condon Adams stopped him.
“Keep your head, Tully,” he warned. “The boy’s mad clear through and he’d do just what he said—clean up on both of us. Maybe we’ve got it coming, though. We baited him too much. But we’re going to find that missing radio document.”
The same resolution was in Bob’s heart as he stepped down the avenue, but in addition was the grim determination that he would find his uncle.
Chapter XXV
THE FIRST CLUE
★
The coolness of the fall night helped to clear the mad whirl of Bob’s fatigued mind and he mulled over the things that had happened as he walked down the avenue.