"Well, our movable canvas shelter is ready, and stowed in the car. We can use that, now that the shed is to be taken away from us."
"The canvas is not a safe shelter, by any means, Dick."
"It's the only one we can use on our fly from here to New York. You won't try to stay here any longer, will you?"
"I hate to leave without learning something about Helen Brady. That girl has done a lot for us, pard, and it looks kind of heartless for us to pull out without doing what we can to settle the mystery of her disappearance."
"But what can we do, mate, if the detectives are all aback and not able to find a trace of her? Miss Brady went to visit friends on Archer Avenue, Chicago; she was there three days while her father, Hector Brady, was being tried and railroaded to the penitentiary; then, the fourth day after Miss Brady goes to Archer Avenue, she suddenly vanishes, and not a trace of her can be found. No matter how you overhaul the situation, it's queer, and I'm inclined to think that the girl's brother, Hector Brady, Jr., has spirited her away. Either that, or else the girl went away with her brother of her own free will. If Brady, Jr., is mixed up in this, matey, what right have we got to interfere? Looks like a family affair."
Although Matt's brow wrinkled perplexedly, yet his eyes gleamed resolutely, as he replied:
"We know young Brady is a crook, just like his father, Dick, and if there wasn't something wrong, Helen would not have left her friends without giving some explanation. I don't care whether Brady, Jr., is mixed up in the affair or not, I intend to discover what's happened, and to give the girl help if she needs it. If it hadn't been for Helen, you and I would never have been able to chase Brady, Sr., over into Michigan, capture him, and get our air ship back. We mustn't forget what we owe Helen Brady, and that she's entitled to our aid if she needs it."
"Right-o, messmate!" returned Ferral heartily. "The girl helped us get back the Hawk, but that's the least of what she did. If it hadn't been for her, the pair of us would have gone to Davy Jones, right here in this old balloon house.[A] I'm for doing everything we can for her, but if the police can't do anything, I don't see where we come in."
[A] See Motor Matt Weekly No. 10, "Motor Matt's Hard Luck; or, The Balloon-house Plot."
Matt was gloomily silent for a little while, turning his helplessness over and over in his mind.