“To find out if those fellows had any idea of bothering you folks any more.”
“Say, you’re clever!” burst out Pep. “That was a fine move. Are they?”
“I’m afraid they are,” answered Vic. “Mr. Durham, I want to tell you something. It’s only suspicion; but I believe it. I managed to overhear that man Slavin talking with his partner. I pricked up my ears when they said ‘Standard.’ Then Slavin sort of chuckled, and I caught the word ‘fire.’ I honestly believe that some of that crowd started the fire in the garage shed back of the Standard.”
“Oh, you mustn’t say that, Vic,” protested Frank.
“Well, I have said it, and it may give you an idea of what a hard crowd they are. They’re up to more mischief, too. Slavin was storming because he said they could get only stock films. He said there were very few that could be called educational, and called down his partner for not hurrying some special films they seemed to be after. He said, too, that if the Standard cut into business too much, there would be some wings clipped.”
“This looks as if we should be on the alert, Durham,” remarked Mr. Strapp, seriously.
“You certainly do,” observed Vic in his blunt way. “Slavin’s partner made a remark about waiting to see what the Standard was up to before they burned their fingers, as he put it. Then Slavin himself made a significant remark.”
“What was that, Vic?” inquired Frank.
“He said roughly: ‘This is no time for a pillow fight; turn on the hot stuff!’”