ourse
he'll want to make an investigation before he goes ahead."

"Is that man who is with you your uncle?"

"Yes."

"Is the tract of land he is interested in near here?" questioned the
second man.

"I don't know how close it is to this town."

"What's the tract called? If you don't know exactly where it is, perhaps
we can help you locate it."

"It's the Lorimer Spell tract," answered Fred innocently. He thought the
men were just asking out of idle curiosity.

"Oh, I see." The man frowned and looked at his companion.

"Do you know anything about that tract?"

"Oh, I've heard of it. It's up on the north side of the town. I
understand Spell was shot during the war," the man continued, looking at
the boys.

"He was," answered Andy. "And he left all his property to my Uncle Dick,
who once saved his life."

"Oh, that's it, is it!" cried one of the men. "Seems to me I heard
something about that. Your uncle played the regular hero act."

"As I said before, he saved Lorimer Spell's life, and did it at the risk
of his own. It was in the midst of one of the fiercest fights."

At this moment Jack and Randy came rushing down the stairs and out on
the porch of the hotel in great excitement.

"We just saw somebody up the street!" exclaimed Jack. "And who do you
think it was? Gabe Werner!"

CHAPTER XX

PLOTTING AGAINST DICK ROVER

"Gabe Werner!"

"Where is he?"

"Up the street," answered Randy. "Come on after him."

"Who's the man you are after?" questioned one of the men who had been
interviewing Andy and Fred.

"He's a young fellow who once went to a military academy with us. He's a
regular bully and did something for which he ought to be locked up," was
Fred's reply, and then he rushed down into the street, following his
three cousins.

"How can Gabe Werner be down here?" questioned Andy. "Why, we left him
in New York City!"

"I can't help that, Andy. It was Werner just as sure as I am standing
here. I just happened to glance out of the window and saw him crossing
the roadway. He turned his face straight toward me, and I couldn't help
but recognize him."

"Where did he go?"

"I'll point out the place when we get there."

By this time the four Rovers had left the boardwalk and were plowing
along on the side of the road through mud that varied from an inch to
six inches in depth. They had started to run, but were soon compelled to
slow up.

"Gee, this is something fierce!" panted Andy.