"Are you able to pursue it, Harry?" asked Old King Brady, in restless tones. "I think so," the boy replied. "Ride, if you can. It's a suspicious case, Old King Brady. They wouldn't attempt murder to prevent us from prying into this affair, unless they had a powerful reason for it. The policeman had better search that house while we are gone." "Come on then, my boy. I've got evidence that a dark crime was just committed in that empty house. We'd better verify my suspicions." And they hastened over to Broadway, boarded a car and were rapidly carried to Fourteenth street, where they alighted to make inquiries. CHAPTER II. THE BODY IN THE BOX. A cabman was standing beside his horse at Union Square, and the old detective approached him and asked, hastily: "Did you see an undertaker's wagon just go by here?" "Oi did, sor, tin minutes ago," promptly replied the driver. "In which direction did it go?" "Turned inter Broadway, an' wint downtown." "Drive us after it as fast as you can." "Yis, sor. Get in." They entered the cab and were driven to Courtlandt street, as different people they spoke to said they had seen the undertaker's wagon as far as that point. A policeman was seen on the corner, and Harry accosted him with: "Hello, Bob!" "Why--Harry--how are you? What are you chasing?" "After an undertaker's wagon." "One just left a box in the baggage room at the Pennsylvania depot." "Look like a coffin?" "Yes," replied the policeman. "I just came from there. Two men had it. I'll describe them." And he gave a good description of Sim and Solomon Gloom. "Thanks. That's the gang we're after," said Harry, when he finished. And away went the Bradys to the Pennsylvania depot at the foot of Courtlandt street. It was a suspicion of the Bradys that the mysterious box would be shipped out of the city by rail, that led them to see if the wagon had gone to the depot. They did not find the box in the baggage room. But they learned that a man answering Solomon Gloom's description had checked it through to Savannah, Georgia, and it had been sent over the river and was put in the baggage car. "How soon does that train leave?" asked Harry, quickly. "The connecting boat goes in three minutes, sir," replied the porter, glancing at his watch. "Old King Brady, we must go out on that train," said the boy, quickly. "It's our only chance to find out what's in that box." "Run for the ticket office, then," said the veteran, promptly. "Mr. Gloom is evidently going out on the train with it. If there's any crooked work going on here we may be able to arrest him." They rushed to the office, procured tickets, and just had time to jump aboard the boat as it pulled out of the slip. Reaching the Jersey side, they boarded the train. Seeing nothing of Mr. Gloom in that car, they sat down to map out a course of action, as everything had hitherto been done on the spur of the moment. Just then the train started.