CHAPTER IV.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MR. DALTON.
"See here, my friend," said Old King Brady to the darky, "do you knowanything about that little hut standing out there in the swamp?"
"Dat hut? Sho'. Nobuddy nebber go in no mo'. Useter be fo' Massa Daltonwhen he go out shootin' reed birds."
"Then it isn't in use any more?"
"No, sah."
"Does Mr. Dalton live here all the year round?"
"Golly, no. Only in de winter. Comes heah wif Missy Lizzy an' hisnephew, Ronald. Me an' my ole gal keep de house fo' dem de rest ob detime."
"I see. Then you don't expect them here for a long time, do you?"
"Dey only jes' lef' heah las' month, an' went back to York. But Lawdy,whut should Massa Ronald do but come back all ob a sudden las' nightwif dat ornary niggah cuss, Sim Johnson, an' git bilin' drunk, an' deygwine out an' didn' come back till de roosters crowed dis mawnin'."
"Who is Sim Johnson?"
"Massa Dalton's valet."
"And does the broker know his nephew drinks?"
"Mah goo'ness, no. If he did, dey would be a fight sho's yo' bo'n,sah."
"Is Ronald Mason in the habit of going on sprees with his uncle's negrovalet?"
"Nebber done seed dem so thick befo'."
"Does he intend to remain here long?"
"Spec's not, kase dey didn't bring no luggage."
"Did they explain why they came back so unexpectedly?"
"Not to me."
"I'd like to see Mr. Mason."
"Better come back later, sah. He am too full now."
"Very well. What's your name?"
"George Scott."
"Can you tell me where we can get our breakfast?"
"Right heah, if yo' like, sah."
"Thanks. We'll accept and pay you for your trouble. Is there a townnear?"
"De railroad station ob Swamp Angel, two miles down dis road."
"I suppose we could find board there?"
"Yassah. Dar am a little hotel neah de depot. Come in, sah--come in."
He led the detectives up a path to the house and when they were seatedin the kitchen, his big, fat wife, Dinah, bustled around and soon had asavory breakfast set before them.
The detectives praised her cooking and paid the old servants so wellfor their attention that the faithful pair voted them as finegentlemen.
Soon afterward the detectives started for Swamp Angel.
"The action of Ronald Mason in coming here so oddly with his uncle'svalet strikes me very strangely," remarked Old King Brady, as theytrudged along the road toward the station. "In fact, it is a mostsingular proceeding. He evidently poses before his rich uncle as aparagon of virtue. Behind the old man's back he is evidently a highroller."
"Then he must be a deceitful man," said Harry.
"Of course, for he's deceiving his trusting uncle."
"You are suspicious of him, ain't you?"
"Well, yes. It takes plenty money for a young man to lead a riotouslife. If Mason draws a big salary in his uncle's office, where he isemployed as a clerk, he may be able to afford it. If he is poorly paid,he may be at the bottom of the mail robberies we were called upon toinvestigate. See the point?"
Harry nodded and smiled; then he thought for a moment.
"You're pretty keen," he remarked. "It's a fair presumption, though."
"I think we had better keep an eye on that frisky young gentleman whenwe return to New York," continued the old detective, wisely. "It maylead to a solution of the problem we are so anxious to solve for thebroker."
"Are you going back to Dalton's to see him?"
"Yes, this afternoon. I merely wish to size him up."
"How long do you intend to remain here?"
"I'd like to unravel the great swamp mystery before we go."
"Perhaps we may in a few days."
"Well, we'll give the matter a fair trial, anyhow."
Upon reaching Swamp Angel, they soon located the little hotel and thereturned into bed for a few hours' sleep.
It was late in the afternoon when they returned to Dalton's.
Here they met the old negro again and he said:
"Yo's come back too late, gemmen."
"How so?" asked Old King Brady, in puzzled tones.
"Massa Mason an' Sim done gone an hour ago."
"Where to?"
"York."
The detectives were keenly disappointed.
However, they did not complain, and went away to search the swamp againfor some trace of the missing body.
No success crowned their efforts.
In fact, after a useless search, covering a period of three days, theyat length gave up the hunt in despair and returned to New York.
It was useless to remain prowling around that bleak swamp trying to digup a mystery that baffled all their ingenuity.
"We went beyond our depth," said Harry, when they reached New York."The game was too hard to solve. The mystery of the murdered man in thebox must remain unsolved. It can go on record as one of the manystrange cases that have baffled the detectives before. It's our dutynow to report the matter to our chief, drop it, and resume our attemptto locate the broker's mail thief."
"Then come to headquarters at once," said Old King Brady, as they leftthe cars.
They met the chief in his office and he smiled pleasantly, and asked:
"Well, where have you two been keeping yourselves hidden during thepast week? I haven't seen or heard from you lately."
The Bradys told him what they had been doing.
He listened attentively, with a grave look upon his face, while theywere giving him the facts, and said when they finished:
"Then that murder mystery was too much for you, and you went beyondyour depth trying to solve it, eh? Well, it's just as well you let itdrop."
"Anything new going on?"
"Yes. Something relating to your mail robbery case."
"Indeed! What was it?"
"Oliver Dalton has disappeared."
"Where to?"
"Nobody seems to know."
"That is very strange."
"You had better go up to his house and get the particulars from hisdaughter. She is frantic to find her father. Some points might begained in the broker's Broad street office."
"We'll follow your advice, sir," said Old King Brady.
The chief did not seem to have many facts in relation to the case, sothe detectives finally left him.
Going to the broker's office, they found it occupied by half a dozenclerks.
Having asked for Mr. Dalton, the office boy said to them:
"You'd better see Mr. Mason about that matter, sir."
"Is the broker's nephew in?" asked Harry.
"Yes. He's the boss here now. Got your card?"
Harry handed him a business card and he carried it into a privateoffice in the rear. A few minutes later he came out, with a smile onhis face, and said to the detectives:
"Mr. Mason says for you to come in."
He ushered the Bradys into the private office and they there beheldRonald Mason, the broker's nephew, sitting at his desk.
About thirty years of age, his tall, thin figure clad in stylishclothing, Ronald Mason was a clean-shaven individual, with hardfeatures.
He had cold, gray eyes, and a haughty, overbearing appearance.
When the detectives came in, they saw him bending a queer, searchinglook at them, and he then asked in low tones:
"Well, gentlemen, what can I do for you to-day?"
Neither of the detectives were favorably impressed with his appearance.
They had seen the odd look he gave them, and set him down for a trickyand dangerous man to deal with.
Old King Brady took him in hand by saying:
"You are Mr. Mason, I believe?"
"That is my name, Mr. Brady."
"We have heard that your uncle has mysteriously disappeared."
"That's correct. We've reported the matter to t
he police. I presume youare here to get information about him, ain't you?"
"Yes. What do you know about the case?"
"Simply this: Last Monday he left this office at five o'clock andproceeded to the Union Club. At about eight o'clock, after his dinner,a telegram was brought in to him. He showed some agitation, put on hishat, took his umbrella and hastily departed. No one seems to know wherehe went. That was the last we've seen or heard of him since. Weinformed the police and nothing has yet come of it."
"Did he have any domestic or business trouble?"
"None that I'm aware of."
"Ever speak of suicide?"
Mason assumed a very mysterious air, bent near the detectives andreplied:
"Yes! Several times. And I fear he has kept his threat at last."
The Bradys were startled at this unexpected reply.
The Bradys Beyond Their Depth; Or, The Great Swamp Mystery Page 4
