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220 fruit man for what work he had done, but hurried off with the two chums in the direction taken by Ned and the man who had led him away.

"We'll ask any policeman we meet," suggested Bart.

"I'm afraid we're on a sort of wild-goose chase," remarked William, "but it's the best we can do. If I had only been sure it was Ned I would have followed him, without waiting for you, but I wasn't."

"If it was Ned," said Bart, "I can't understand why he didn't admit his identity."

"He must have had a good reason for it," retorted Fenn.

Through the street they hurried, making inquiries from policemen, and others whom they met, as to whether Ned and the man had gone that way. They got some traces, but in New York few persons, even policemen, have time to take note of those whom they have no special reason for keeping in mind. As William had said, it was a sort of wild-goose chase, and, when they had gone a mile or more, they became convinced that it was useless to continue any farther.

"Baffled again," remarked Bart. "This beats me. I wonder what we are to do."

"Have to begin all over again," declared