“Say,” said he to the owner of the restaurant and beer parlor, “I’ll give you ten cents for that bottle.”
Puzzled at such a proposition, for ten cents was quite a price for an almost worthless bottle, the man frowned. Before he could say anything, however, John had tucked the bottle lightly under one arm and Stan had laid ten cents upon the table.
“Thanks!” said Stan.
“Sure, O.k.,” said the man, scratching his head and wondering.
Outside, the boys ducked into an alley, where powders were brought into play under expert, youthful fingers. Then magnifying glasses were brought to bear upon certain tell-tale smudges upon the dark brown bottle.
“Beauties, John, honeys!” cried Stan with delight.
They had fingerprints of every man of the three, including Hegarty!
CHAPTER IX
The G-Man Grocer Meets the Boys
THE Staghound sailed away from the wharf at Zenith Village a very few minutes after the boy detectives had secured the fingerprints and the beer bottle, wrapped lightly in cloth, had been stored away in the secret compartment of the sloop. They headed for the Lighthouse at once while Stan looked up, on the chart, the compass course for Porpoise Island.
Off the Lighthouse, as they trimmed the new sails and bowled merrily along, they talked of many things, chiefly of what lay ahead.