They were on their way to the express office when two newspaper correspondents stopped them to get their views as to who had started the preceding night's fire.
"Bully story as it is," said the one who represented a large New York daily, "but a hundred times better if the guilty party should be found."
"Yes," said the other, attached to a Boston paper, "and we'd like to get your own dope on the subject."
"Guess you know about as much as we do," Jack said easily, with a guarded glance of warning at his companions. He knew that to reveal the discovery of the deliberately damaged wire, coming directly after the incendiary fire, would be a sensational story in the hands of any first-class reporter; but he had no mind to warn the enemy of how far his activities were known.
"Hear there's to be a regular all-night watch from now on," suggested the New York man.
"Yes," Jack answered. "Just as a sort of precaution, you know. It wouldn't be fair to ourselves and what we represent in this contest—and I'm speaking of each crew now, and not merely this one—to permit anything to happen that might be prevented."
"Then you do expect something more to happen?" the Bostonian persisted, the instinct of his profession catching something in Jack's way of phrasing his last remark that instantly sharpened his news sense.
"Well—" Jack began, but Fred interrupted, with a sly wink at Andy and Don.
"We'll put it this way," he said, "if one thing happens probably two will. No," he hastened, as he saw the men getting ready to question him further, "no further explanations. And don't take what I said too seriously, either."