“Not exactly that,” said Mr. Peek, “but them plank was carried way down here for the purpose. No stranger would ’a’ known where to look for ’em.”
Instantly Billy remembered that Alfred Earnest and Alex Hipp were familiar with all this neighborhood. He started to speak but a quick second thought bade him refrain.
“Gosh! We’ve got the car and we’re mighty glad of the planks to help her up to the road again!” cried Paul. He did not grasp the significance of Mr. Peek’s words as Billy did. “We’re going to take her right to Griffin, ain’t we? We’ll telegraph Phil and Dave in a hurry if we can only find where they’re at.”
It was agreed that the Big Six should be gotten out of the old icehouse and in readiness to go to Griffin, even before Mr. Peek had been taken home. The old gentleman was eager to help, but his services were hardly needed. With the same heavy boards the thieves had used, a runway was made out from the sawdust to the outside incline. Carefully the machine was backed up. All went well and in three minutes the mud-stained but still handsome automobile stood in the sunshine again.
By a similar process the planks bridged the way up the steep embankment of the road, running directly over the low rail fence. The ascent was steep but with a quick start Billy made the upward run nicely. The machine’s long body swung prettily around at the top, once more on the open highway.
Finding his services were of no value in the moving of the car, Mr. Peek had been making further search inside and outside the icehouse. Now Billy and Paul joined him. But all their eager scrutiny was without reward. No sign was discovered which might show who had stolen the Big Six or what the purpose of the thieves may have been in concealing the car where it was found.
“This little trip has done me a world of good. I do believe I could be right spry again if I had some spry young fellows to help me get started, as you have done,” said Mr. Peek. The boys were just leaving him at his home. “It’s a pretty mysterious business about them planks,” he remarked a moment later. “Don’t you let that automobile out o’ your hands again.”
There was little danger that the boys would do so, it is needless to say. Paul had driven the large car right behind Billy and Mr. Peek in the Torpedo, and similarly, each driving a machine, they returned triumphantly to Griffin and to Willie Creek’s garage.
To say that Mr. Creek was surprised would be but a part of the truth. He was literally dumfounded. The story of where and how the stolen car was found seemed to surprise him still more.
“Better hike over to the American pretty quick,” said he a little later. “There’s a telegram for you.”