The Mysterious Caravan Read Online Free PDF Page B

seconds, then Joe smiled. He took the gift and put the chain over his head. “William, you’re a great guy!”
    Carrying their bags, the boys trekked into town.
    â€œWe’ll drop the mask off at police headquarters,” Frank said.
    â€œTake this silver coin, too,” Biff said.
    â€œThere is a cab,” William spoke up. “Shall I hold it? It is already late and we need two.”
    â€œTell you what,” Frank said. “Why don’t you go ahead, while Joe and I take care of the mask. That’ll give you more time to check in. Take our bags, too, and we’ll meet you at the airport later.”
    â€œOkay,” Phil said, and the four piled into the taxi. Joe and Frank walked toward the municipal buildings. They were halfway down the block when they heard rapid footsteps behind them. Whirling around, they saw Sam Brown, George Aker, and another man.
    â€œWait a minute,” Aker called out. “What’s your hurry?”
    The men’s ploy was obvious. “Let’s split and run,” Frank said. “We’ll meet at the airport.”
    â€œRoger.”
    The boys dashed off, Frank running across the street, Joe straight ahead toward police headquarters.
    There shouldn’t be any problem, Joe thought, of reaching the police before the pursuers, one of whom had followed Frank.
    But he had taken no more than twenty steps when Stribling and an unkempt-looking fellow approached him from the opposite direction, trying to block his path!
    Joe raced into the street, just missing a car that screeched to a halt to avoid him. As he gained the other side, he tripped on the curb and fell, sprawled out on the sidewalk. Quickly he picked himself up, grabbed the camera case, and dashed away while onlookers stared at the chase. “Not a cop in sight!” Joe thought desperately. “What’ll I do?”
    As the men gained on him, he saw the restaurant where Phil had eavesdropped. He ducked into an alley, went around behind the place, and burst into the kitchen, nearly bowling over the big chef.
    â€œHelp me!” Joe gasped. “Please!”
    The Jamaican grabbed his shirt front. At the same time his eyes fell on the African trinket around Joe’s neck.
    â€œWhere did you get this?”
    â€œWilliam Ellis gave it to me.”
    Without another word the chef shoved him into the pantry and barred the back door with arms akimbo.
    Joe’s pursuers were now looking behind garbage cans, peering into every doorway.
    â€œDid you see a white kid hanging around here?” Stribling asked the cook.

    â€œWe’ll meet at the airport!” Frank said.
    He looked impassively at the questioner. “Listen, man, I mind my own business. But if you spill one of those cans, I’ll put it on your head like an Easter bonnet.”
    The men hurried off, cursing their bad luck. When they were safely out of sight, the chef opened the pantry door. “What they want with you, man?”
    â€œThey’re thieves. Tried to take my camera case.”
    â€œWell, they’re gone now.”
    â€œCould you call a taxi for me, please?” Joe said.
    The big man went to the telephone in the restaurant and a few minutes later a cab appeared in front of the place. Joe said good-by with a look of gratitude on his face.
    â€œIf you’re a friend of William’s, you’re a friend of mine,” the Jamaican said, with a big grin.
    The taxi sped toward the airport.
    In the meantime, Frank had already arrived and told the others what had happened.
    â€œI figured I could make them run after me instead of Joe,” he said. “But I guessed wrong.”
    â€œI hope nothing happened to him,” Phil said. “We shouldn’t have left you the way we did.”
    Their flight was called and passengers filed from the waiting room through the final gate.
    â€œPlease don’t leave till my brother Joe arrives,” Frank said to the agent