"But the papers," begged Laurel. "They mean so much to father. And what if those men should take them?"
"They will likely take everything they can lay their hands on," Jack answered, "and I suppose it will be best for us to go on."
"Certainly," Cora said, knowing well that it was on her account that
Jack hesitated. "They cannot do more than ask questions."
But scarcely had she uttered the words than they saw the two men walk out of the shack, and one of them had the can marked "red paint!"
CHAPTER XXVII
A BOLD RESOLVE
Seeing their precious papers, or the receptacle that was said to contain them, in the hands of the detective, Cora and Laurel both drew back. They could not now demand them, was the thought that flashed to the mind of each, and yet to leave them in possession of the officers, was the very worst thing that could have happened, for there was always the danger of the old story coming up and then the risk to Mr. Starr, after all his years of evading the law!
"They have no right to them," Jack said under his breath.
"Hush!" Cora whispered, "they are going the other way!"
The two men were talking. Suddenly one of them said loudly enough for the listeners to hear: