Everything looked as peaceful as usual at the little car barn when they could see it half a block away. But as they approached the big swinging doors, Speedy let out an exclamation of surprise. The padlock on the doors had been smashed! An intruder—or many of them—had visited the barn sometime between the exodus from the meeting the night before and dawn.
Without inspecting the broken lock closely, Speedy at once flung the doors open and hastened in, followed by Jane and King Tut. Here another bewildering surprise awaited them.
Pop Dillon's horse car was not there! It had disappeared utterly and mysteriously.
"Why—Harold—it's gone," gasped Jane, clutching at his arm.
Speedy's answer was to rush over to Nellie's stall and look in.
Nellie was gone too!
"Golly, they did do it—just as I feared," exclaimed Speedy. "That's what Carter meant by his 'big surprise within an hour.' They've stolen Nellie and the car. If they can keep them hidden for twenty-four hours, we're licked. I didn't think they had the nerve!"
King Tut, who always took a particular delight in barking a friendly good morning at Nellie's hoofs each day, trotted out of the stall with a crestfallen and disappointed air.
"Wha-at are we going to do now, Harold? Oh, I wish granddad were here," almost sobbed Jane.
"So do I. But he couldn't do anything," replied
