“Hackensack meadows, of course! Have you been over there?”
“No. But the man from whose shoe this came must have been. Look here Patsy! Chick has been taken away against his will——”
“What?” blurted out Patsy Garvan. “Chick? Say! Let me——”
“And one of the men who took him dropped this mud and grass from his shoe.”
“He did? Say, chief! We’re going after Chick right away, ain’t we?”
Patsy was on his feet, his fists clenched, and anger blazing all over his face.
He had a regard for Chick only second to that he felt for Nick Carter himself. The thought of his chum being held anywhere made him frantic.
“Keep cool, Patsy! We’ll go, of course! But we’ll have to be careful.”
“How do you mean careful?”
“This is the open season for duck hunting, and there are any number of ducks over there, in the meadows.”