Dashaway and had imposed on Mr. Dale, so I thought he would proceed
to at once make himself very scarce. I felt sure that he would not
be able to play any more tricks on Mr. Dale, for I expected that you
and I would go the very next day and see this old friend of your
father. You know we were rushed from Dayton to the next meet, and
had no chance to get to Warrenton and explain matters to Mr. Dale. I
blame myself for not sending you at, once to him at the time. As I
told you, I wrote to a friend, a lawyer at Warrenton, to learn what I
could about Mr. Dale. He reported Mr. Dale was absent on a trip.
When I got to Warrenton yesterday and met the old Dale servant, I saw
at once that something was wrong."

"How do you mean, Mr. King?" asked Dave quite anxiously.

"Well, I learned that this young scamp, Gregg, had appeared at
Warrenton two days after I let him go."

"Still pretending to be Dave Dashaway?"

"So the old servant says. Gregg and Mr. Dale went away together.
There is no doubt in my mind that Gregg put up a plot to get Mr.
Dale away from Warrenton before we could expose him."

"But he could not keep Mr. Dale away from home forever?"

"No, but he and his accomplices might get the old man to some remote
place and make him a prisoner."

"And force him to give up a lot of money before they let him go."