sorry to have troubled you."

He was about to hurry away.

"Won't you come and see him?" urged Frank. "It is not far up to our
house. My mother would be glad to meet you. Perhaps, after all, this
lad may be the one you seek. His name may be Paul."

"No--no! I must go! I must go. I--I don't know any Paul," and before
the Racer boys could have stopped him, had they been so inclined, the
man wheeled about and walked rapidly down the beach.

CHAPTER VI

CHET SEDLEY'S STYLE

"Well, wouldn't that frazzle you!" exclaimed Andy.

"It certainly is queer," agreed his brother.

They stood looking down the beach after the figure of the strange man
who had seemed to know the lad whom they had rescued from the sea, but
who, on learning of his location, had shown a desire to get away
without calling on the unfortunate youth.

Andy set out on a run.

"Here, where you going?" his brother demanded quickly.

"I'm going after that man, and make him tell what he knows!" declared
the impulsive youth. "It's a shame to let him get away in this
fashion, just when we were on the verge of learning something," Andy
called back over his shoulder.

"You come right back here!" exclaimed the older lad, sprinting after
his brother and catching him by the arm.

"But he'll get away, and we'll never solve the mystery!"

"That may be, but we can't take this means of finding out. We don't
know who that man is. He may be a dangerous chap, who would make
trouble if you interfered with him. You stay here."

"But how are we ever going to find out, Frank?"

"If this boy is the one whom that man wants he'll show his hand sooner
or later. He was taken by surprise when he found that we had him, and
he didn't know what to say. But he won't disappear altogether--not
while the lad is with us. He'll come around again. Now you stay with
me."

"All right," assented Andy, but with no very good grace. "I'm going to
holler after him, anyhow."

Then, before Frank could stop him, had he been minded to do so, Andy
raised his voice in a shout:

"Hey, where are you going? Don't you want to send some word to that
boy we rescued?"

The man turned half around, and for a moment Andy and Frank hoped he
would come back. Instead he shouted something that sounded like:

"Important business--see--later--don't bother me."

"Humph!" exclaimed Andy, as the man resumed his rapid walk. "We're not
going to bother you. But we'll solve that