"There he is!" cried Bart, as he caught sight of the boy they had pulled from the snow drift. "Where's Ned?" he added.

"I'm not sure it was him," William replied, "but a man came and took him away half an hour ago."

Then he rapidly explained what had taken place, describing the boy he had seen.

"That's Ned sure enough," Fenn exclaimed. "Where in the world could he have gone to?"

"And who was the man who said Ned owed him money?" asked Frank. "I guess we're on the trail of the mystery."

"Hurry up, let's see if we can't find them," suggested Bart. "They can't have gone very far."

"One of us ought to stay here to meet Mr. Wilding if he comes," said Fenn. "The other two can go with William to look for Ned and the man."

"Say, did I hire you to chin or to carry in oranges?" asked the fruit man, suddenly appearing in the doorway, and noting William talking to the three boys.

"Guess I'll have to give up the job," replied William. "I've got to go with these boys."

"Say, there must be a hoodoo about this job," the fruit man exclaimed.

"You're the second boy to give it up in less than an hour. What's the matter?"

The boys did not think it necessary to explain. It was arranged that Frank would stay in the vicinity of the store to meet Mr. Wilding, if that gentleman should arrive, and tell what had happened, while William, with Bart and Fenn, tried to trace Ned and the red-moustached man.

"When Mr. Wilding comes I'll take him to our hotel," said Frank. "There will be no use in remaining here and we can wait for you there, as it's nearer than his."

"All right," replied Bart. "We may have some good news for you."

"I hope you do," Frank said. "This thing is getting on my nerves. I'm afraid we'll never see Ned again."

"Oh, yes we will," put in Fenn cheerfully.

William did not stop to ask any pay from the fruit man for what work he had done, but hurried off with the two chums in the direction taken by Ned and the man who had led him away.

"We'll ask any policeman we meet," suggested Bart.

"I'm afraid we're on a sort of wild-goose chase," remarked William, "but it's the best we can do. If I had only been sure it was Ned I would have followed him, without waiting for you, but I wasn't."

"If it was Ned," said Bart, "I can't understand why he didn't admit his ident.i.ty."

"He must have had a good reason for it," retorted Fenn.

Through the street they hurried, making inquiries from policemen, and others whom they met, as to whether Ned and the man had gone that way.

They got some traces, but in New York few persons, even policemen, have time to take note of those whom they have no special reason for keeping in mind. As William had said, it was a sort of wild-goose chase, and, when they had gone a mile or more, they became convinced that it was useless to continue any farther.

"Baffled again," remarked Bart. "This beats me. I wonder what we are to do."

"Have to begin all over again," declared William. "It was my fault. I should have followed Ned."

"No, you did what you thought was best," Fenn replied.

They returned to the hotel, to find Mr. Wilding and Frank awaiting them.

Mr. Wilding, who had expected some news of his son, was deeply disappointed when the three boys returned with none.

"What in the world are we to do?" asked Mr. Wilding. "We seem completely at a loss."

"There are a few more lodging houses to try," suggested William. "I'll start out again this evening. That's when the places are full, and I may get some trace of him."

No one could offer a better suggestion, and it was arranged that Mr.

Wilding should continue the search with a private detective he had hired, while William and Bart would make a tour of the lodging houses.

Fenn and Frank were to remain at the Imperial Hotel.

"There's no telling when a message may come from the baggage agent telling us that Ned has called for his trunk," Bart said, "and some one ought to be ready to hurry to the depot. We'll have to divide our forces."

With little hope in their hearts, but with dogged patience, and a determination to keep up the search, William and Bart started out.

CHAPTER XXVIII

NED A PRISONER

Ned followed Ca.s.sidy through the streets, the lodging-house keeper leading the way, and seemingly in no fear that the boy would give him the slip. As a matter of fact, Ned did not intend to try to escape. He was, in a sense, a voluntary prisoner now, as he knew, if he tried to run away again, Ca.s.sidy would probably take after him and raise such a disturbance that the police would interfere. And Ned had his own reasons for not wanting anything to do with the bluecoats.

Afterwards he thought how senseless, in a measure, his fears were, but at the time they loomed up large before him, and caused him to do things of which, otherwise, he would not have dreamed.

"Hurry up!" exclaimed Ca.s.sidy when he and Ned had been walking about half an hour. "I haven't got all day."

"What do you intend to do?" asked Ned.

"I intend to make you work out the value of the money you stole from me.

One of my porters has left and I have to have another. Instead of hiring one I'll make you do the work until you square things."

"I never took your money!" declared Ned.

"You've said that several times," Ca.s.sidy exclaimed. "I don't want to hear it again. I saw you, but I'm willing to give you a chance to reform.

No use calling in the police unless I have to, but I will, if you don't do as I tell you."

The man spoke earnestly, and not unkindly, and Ned began to believe that Ca.s.sidy really believed he stole the money, a thing the boy had not admitted at first.

"Some day you'll find you're wrong," Ned said.

"I guess not! Jim Ca.s.sidy doesn't make mistakes," was the answer. "If I do I'll pay you back with interest."

They reached the lodging house where Ned had stopped before, and whence he had escaped in the night.

"Go ahead up," commanded Ca.s.sidy. "Get a broom and a pail of water and scrub out the rooms. I'll allow you at the rate of a dollar and a half a day. I had fifteen dollars under my pillow that you took. I got four and a half of it back, counting the fifty cents from the fruit man, and that leaves ten dollars and a half you owe me. You work seven days and I'll call it square, and give you your bed free at night. That's more than you deserve, but you're young and I'll give you a chance."