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The reply came automatically. "He was able to furnish us with much information regarding the man we are chasing up." "Yes, sir." "Yes," ruminated Mr. Crowninshield with evident satisfaction, "we have the thief sketched in quite clearly." "Yes, sir." "With the details your brother gave us Dacie and Lyman have a most encouraging foundation on which to work." "Have they found out anything yet, sir?"
"You will hardly " but the sentence was never finished for a maid approached Mr. Crowninshield at the moment and whispered: "The telephone, sir; New York is speaking." "New York, Dad!" exclaimed Dick excitedly. "It may be Lyman or Dacie." "More likely it is the office," replied his mother. "Some business matter, I fancy," said Mr. Crowninshield as he rose. "I'm sorry to interrupt the lesson."
Strange to say, however, the moment for such disclosures never appeared to come right. There was always so much else to talk of. Mr. Dacie wanted most terribly to catch some flounders and wondered if there were any to be found; and of course as Walter knew of three secret places where flounders were sure to lurk he eagerly told his new friend about them.
He had expected to be quite awed by their presence but on the contrary he found, when he started out to show them the kennels and the place where he had seen the automobile tracks, that he was chattering away to both of them quite as if he had known them all his life. Mr. Dacie was particularly friendly, and as they walked along he talked much of sports, dogs, and fishing.
Dacie and his associate, Mr. Lyman, were not cleverer than they looked to be. It seemed incredible to recall, now that they were gone, that he had not once asked them what they thought about Lola and whether they had any idea where the man who had taken her had gone. How much better it would have been had he made that inquiry instead of chattering about his own affairs.
"But we have not been idle all that time, man, Dacie and Lyman have been working; O'Connel has been using his eyes and ears I hope; and we have this wireless set up." "Yes, we have certainly accomplished something," admitted Bob. "Accomplished something! I should say we had! Besides, this is not the sort of case one need hurry on. Nothing is going to be done suddenly," explained the financier.
The New York magnate rubbed his hands together softly. "Gee! Well, Mr. Lyman and Mr. Dacie have sure been busy!" was Walter's comment. "You do not mention that I, too, have been busy," chuckled Mr. Crowninshield. "While you have been chasing the dogs over the fields and playing baseball," he winked at Bob, "I have been telephoning to the city for a radio set a corking fine one for Dick's birthday.
"Well, as I wired you, Dacie and Lyman have landed your men. I recognized the fellow who came to Seaver Bay for water the instant I set eyes on him. He recognized me, too, and knew the game was up. It seems, though, that he and his pal are wanted in California on a prior charge. A big burglary, I think it is. Anyway, they have got to be taken out there and tried first.
And then he had to talk swimming and school and how he hated it! Why, there were endless things to tell Mr. Dacie. The visit of the two men was, moreover, surprisingly short. They remained at Surfside only one night and the next morning, together with Mr.
Dacie, the younger of the men, was a pleasant, blond-haired fellow who instantly ingratiated himself in the boy's affections by asking him if he collected stamps and bestowing on him two rare ones from China. In fact he seemed to like everything a boy liked and appeared to be almost a boy himself. Mr. Lyman was older but he, too, when he was not being stern and business-like, was very jolly.
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