"Well," said Joe gloomily, "I guess _that_ plan is all shot to pieces. Come on, Frank. We'll think of something else." "Out after the reward, eh?" said Mr. Hardy shrewdly. "Yes; and we'll get it, too!" "I hope you do. But you can't ask me to help you any more than I've done. It's my case too, remember. So from now on, you are part of my opposition." "It's a go!" "More power to you, then," and Mr. Hardy returned to his desk. He had a sheaf of reports from shops and agencies in various parts of the State, through which he had been trying to trace the stolen jewels and securities, but in every case the report was the same. There had been no trace of the gems or bonds taken from Tower Mansion. When the boys left their father's study they went outside and sat on the back steps, silently regarding their motorcycles. "What shall we do now?" asked Joe. "I don't know. Dad sure took the wind out of our sails that time, didn't he?" "I'll say he did. But it was just as well. Saved us a lot of trouble." "We might have been going around to all the pawnshops in the city and not getting anywhere." "Looks as if dad has the inside track on the case, anyway. If any of the jewels are turned in he will be the first to hear of it. What chance have we?" "I'm hanged if I'll give up!" declared Frank, with determination. "We know that there was a strange man hanging around Tower Mansion and we know that there was a red-headed crook in town. Perhaps those two facts aren't connected, but I think they are. And we know he stole Chet's roadster." "And left it in the woods." "Yes--and say, Joe! We didn't take much time to look around when that roadster was found, did we?" "What was the use? The roadster was there and Chet got it back." "No, but the man who stole the car had been there too. Perhaps he left some clue." Joe slapped his knee with an open hand. "I never thought of that, Frank. Let's go right back there now." "Come on." Eagerly, the Hardy boys dashed over to their motorcycles. In a few minutes they were speeding through the streets of Bayport, out toward the woods where Chet Morton's roadster had been abandoned. They were fired with enthusiasm again, in spite of the momentary setback they had received when their father squelched Frank's plan of going around to the pawnshops. They felt now that they were on a new trail. They came to the abandoned road that led into the woods and they brought their motorcycles as far as possible, finally leaving them by the roadside and going ahead on foot. Frank located the place where the roadster had been driven off into the woods, for the trees were still bent and broken, and the two boys plunged into the depths of the thickets. At last the Hardy boys emerged into the little cleared space where the roadster had been found. Everything was just as they had left it. They examined the ground carefully.