Yesterday I
saw Bradley at work on his face with a brush!"
"And the lad played his part!" the grandmother declared. "I don't
know how Bradley led him along, but the boy was willing to do as he
was told. I never saw such a wild little chap so thoroughly subdued
before. He wouldn't even tell me the truth when I took him in my old
arms last night and talked to him."
"But he evidently told Bradley what you said to him," Ned continued,
"for he got the child away in the night. Then he came to camp this
morning to see if he could find out how much I knew. He's probably
tied up by this time!"
"You have had him arrested," asked the old lady. "Then he'll never
tell where the boy has been hidden, and he'll die of starvation--die
almost within sound of my voice."
"We'll find him," Ned answered, grimly. "We can make Bradley talk, I
imagine."
"And while this has been going on," Jack said, "the true prince, the
boy we came here to find, has doubtless been carried to some other
part of the country?"
"I don't believe it!" Ned replied. "The conspirators would naturally
expect us to shift our search for him back to Washington, or Chicago,
or New York, wouldn't they? As soon as we discovered that this boy
was not the person we sought, they would expect us to leave the hills
at once, wouldn't they? Well, if they anticipated such a move on our
part, what is more natural than that they should take advantage of
this alleged idea on our part and leave the prince right here?"
"That is just what they would do!" cried Jack.
Pages:
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163