"Will you ride back with me?" asked Mr. Whitford of the moving picture man.
"Will I? Well, I guess I will! You can't lose me! I'm not going to be captured by those smugglers. I'd be a valuable man for them to have as a hostage. They'd probably ask a million dollars ransom for me," and Mr. Period carefully straightened his brilliant red necktie.
Soon he and Mr. Whitford were riding back to town, taking a roundabout way, as the agent always did, to throw any possible spies off the track.
Everyone, even including the giant Koku was tired enough to take a sleep after dinner. It was about three o'clock when Ned awoke, and he found Tom already up, and at the wireless instrument, which was clicking and buzzing.
"Message coming?" asked the young bank clerk.
Tom nodded, and clasped the receiver over his ear. A moment later he began jotting down a message.
"Mr. Whitford says he has a tip that something is going to take place to-night," read the young inventor a few minutes later. "The smugglers have accumulated a big store of goods, and they are anxious to get them over the border. There are silks, laces, diamonds, and other things on which there is a high duty, or tax for bringing into the United States. He will be here early, and we must be ready for a start at once."
"All right. I guess we are ready now. Say, I'm going over to that little brook, and see if I can catch a few trout for supper."
"All right. Good idea. Don't be gone too long."
"I won't. Say, where is my coat, anyhow? I never can seem to keep track of that, or my cap either."