The little town of Paris stretches out for a considerable distance along Stoner Creek, and for this reason Shirley realized that the chances of picking the locality where Jimmy was held prisoner were slim. Nevertheless, there was always the chance that they might be fortunate enough to find the place.

The car rushed down Main Street, and turned to the right just off the bridge. It was Shirley’s plan to get to the extreme edge of the town and then come back along the creek slowly. They had made good time, and it was hardly probable that Jones could have reached the creek before them.

They reached the northern extremity of the town without a sight of Jones, and then turning the car about, Shirley drove south slowly. Several times the girl stopped to ask questions of pedestrians, but the result was always the same. No one seemed to know Jones, and none knew of any house containing a prisoner.

Finally Leonard called upon Shirley to stop.

“I’ll get out and do a little inquiring at some of the houses along here,” he said.

He alighted. At the first house he approached he gained no information, nor at the second nor at the third. At the fourth, however, he came upon a clue.

“Somebody told me,” said the woman who answered his knock, “that a closed carriage drove up to old Briggs’ house yesterday and that three men were in it. One went into the house with Briggs, and the others drove away.”

“Did you hear what he looked like?”

“Well, he was young. That’s all I know.”

“And where does this man Briggs live?”

“About eight blocks south, in a little shanty. I know his nephew from Cincinnati has been staying with him. Anybody down there can tell you where Briggs lives.”

Leonard thanked the woman and returned to the waiting automobile. He told the girls what he had learned, and Shirley drove the car in the direction of Briggs’ home.

“Better stop a block away,” said Leonard.

Shirley did so, and again Leonard climbed out. Through inquiry he learned which was Briggs’ house and hastened to it. An old man answered his knock.

“Are you Mr. Briggs?” asked Leonard.

“Yes,” was the reply. “What do you want?”

There was something in the man’s manner that convinced Leonard he was on the right track. He determined to try a bold shot.

“I want to see your prisoner,” he said sternly.

“Prisoner,” echoed the old man, taking a step backward. “What prisoner?”

“The boy you are holding for Jones.”

The old man recovered himself.

“I haven’t any prisoner,” he said.

“Oh, yes you have,” said Leonard, “and I want him right now. Understand?”

The old man looked at him with an evil leer.

“Get out of here,” he shouted, and gave Leonard an unexpected push.

Leonard, taken unaware, stumbled back, and at the same moment the old man stepped inside the house, and closed and locked the door.

Leonard sprang forward again and laid hold of the knob. Then he put his weight against the door, but it would not budge. He walked back to where the girls waited for him.

“He’s in there, all right,” he said grimly. “But I can’t get in.”

“Can’t you break down the door?” asked Shirley.

“I might,” said Leonard, “but if I did I probably would be shot for my pains. You can’t force your way into a man’s house, you know.”

“Then what are we to do?” exclaimed Mabel.

“Call the police,” said Leonard grimly. “They’ll go in, all right, whether they have a right to do so or not.”

“Let’s hurry then,” said Shirley anxiously. “There is no telling what may happen to Jimmy unless we make haste.”

Leonard climbed back into the machine.

“To the police station at once,” he said.

Just as the machine started off, Shirley’s attention was attracted by a man who darted suddenly across the street and into the rear of the house Leonard had just left.

“Jones!” she exclaimed.

Leonard and Mabel also had seen the hurrying figure.

“That’s who it is, all right,” said Mabel.

“There is no doubt about it,” declared Leonard. “We’ll round them all up together.”

At the police station Leonard explained the situation in a few words. Two men were detailed to go with them and investigate. All climbed into the machine, and in a few moments were back before Briggs’ home.

Leonard and the two girls approached the door with the two policemen. One of the officers rapped loudly upon the door with his club. There was no answer, and the policeman rapped again. Still there was no answer.

“Open up, Briggs, or we shall break the door down,” called one of the officers.

Again no answer.

“Kick her in, Bill,” said the first officer.

He suited the action to the word, and there was a resounding crash as his boot struck the door a hard blow. The second officer also delivered several heavy kicks.

There was the sound of splintering wood, and in a few moments the door gave way, shattered. The officers rushed in with poised clubs, and Leonard and the two girls followed them closely.

Straight through the house they went, but their quest was vain. There was no one there.

Leonard, glancing up, spied what appeared to be an attic.

“Give me a hand up,” he called to one of the two policemen.

The latter obeyed and Leonard scrambled up above.

“Be careful,” whispered Shirley.

Leonard struck a match and looked around. There was no one there.

“Nobody home,” he said, after he had dropped down again.

“Where did they go?” demanded Shirley anxiously.

“My gracious!” exclaimed Mabel. “Why didn’t we think of it before?”

“Think of what?” asked Shirley quickly.

“Why, the creek. They have probably escaped in a launch.”

Without pausing to reply, Shirley turned and darted from the house toward the creek, the others following closely. Several rowboats lay idly by, and in one of them, fishing, were two men.

“Did you see anything of Briggs?” demanded Shirley.

“Yes, Miss,” said one of the men. “He, and three others, just left in a launch. Is anything the matter?”

“Yes,” said one of the officers. “They are a bunch of crooks, and have kidnapped a boy.”

“You don’t say,” exclaimed one of the fishermen. “Do you want to catch ’em?”

“Yes,” said Shirley eagerly, “but how can we?”

“Well, I have a launch about a hundred yards from here,” said the man. “She is all ready to move, and can outrun anything on the creek.”

As he spoke, he came ashore and started along the bank at a run. Shirley, Mabel, Leonard and the two officers followed close at his heels.

Another moment, and they came upon a large, powerful launch moored to a landing.

“Climb in,” said the man.

The others needed no second invitation. Shirley, with the two officers, took their places in the bow of the little craft, while Mabel and Leonard were forced to remain further aft.

The fisherman pushed the launch off, and scrambled aboard. Then he turned quickly to the engine, and a faint sputtering a few moments later gave evidence that the launch was ready for the chase.

Gradually the little craft gathered headway, until she seemed to be flying through the water. Through scores of rowboats and other small boats, she wormed her way at terrific speed, and at last, far ahead, the pursuers could make out the form of a second launch, also chugging along at full speed.

“We’ll get ’em,” said the fisherman confidently. “The Sybil can outrun anything on the creek.”

“The Sybil, a pretty name for a launch,” Shirley thought, excited as she was.

She kept her eyes ahead, and soon it became evident that the pursuers were gaining. They were now far beyond the town, and one of the officers spoke.

“To tell the truth, we really have no authority out of the city, but we’ll take a hand just the same. Might makes right, you know.”

“We are likely to need you,” said Leonard.

Now the Sybil had gained sufficiently for those aboard to make out the faces of those in the pursued craft. It was as they had expected. The occupants of the first boat were Jones, Briggs, Jimmy and another young man, whom none recognized.

“Guess that is Briggs’ nephew from Cincinnati,” said Leonard, remembering the conversation he had had with the woman who told him of Briggs’ prisoner.

Shirley glanced at the young man in the other boat curiously.

“I seem to have seen him some place before,” she said. “I can’t place him, though.”

Suddenly Jones was seen to rise up in the other boat, and Leonard, divining his intention, cried out in a loud voice:

“Look out! Duck!”

In spite of their surprise, all obeyed.

From the first boat there came a puff of smoke, followed by a sharp crack. Something whined over the Sybil.

“They are shooting at us,” said Leonard calmly. “You girls keep down in the boat.”

“Two can play at that game,” said one of the officers.

He drew his own revolver, and brought it to bear. But before he could fire, Shirley sprang to her feet and seized his arm.

“Careful,” she said, “you are likely to hit Jimmy.”

The officer lowered his weapon.

At the same moment Jones fired again.

Leonard clapped his right hand to his left shoulder.

Shirley noticed this move.

“What’s the matter?” she asked anxiously. “Are you hit?”

“Just a scratch, I guess,” replied Leonard quietly. “We’ll make them pay for that.”

“We will,” agreed Shirley through clenched teeth.