"Yes; do you number any among your acquaintance?" inquired Billy.
"Well, we do number one; don't we, Harry?" laughed Frank.
At that moment the telephone bell rang sharply in the booth erected in the workshop in order to keep out noise when anyone was conversing over the wire.
"Wait a second, I'll see what that call is," exclaimed Frank, bolting into the booth. He was in it several seconds and when he came out his face was flushed and he seemed excited.
"What's the matter—trouble?" inquired Billy, noting his apparent perturbation.
"Yes, it is trouble in a way," assented Frank, "I guess we'll take a run to court with you and look over this Jap of yours, Billy."
"Think you know him?"
"That's just what I want to see."
"You seem very anxious about it. Anything wrong?"
"Yes, very wrong. That was Captain Hazzard on the wire, and a mysterious theft has occurred on the Southern Cross."