Soon the pair were behind
some rose bushes and then they gained the shelter of the heavy hedge.
"There he is!" said Dave, in a low voice. "It's Nat Poole, sure enough!"
"What's he doing?" asked Phil.
"Nothing just now. But I guess he is up to something."
Keeping well out of sight behind the hedge, the two boys watched the son
of the money-lender. Nat was sneaking past the automobile house and
making for a washing-shed adjoining the kitchen of the mansion.
"I think I know what he is up to," murmured Dave. "Come on after him,
Phil."
As silently as shadows Dave and Phil followed the money-lender's son to
the shed. Once Nat looked around to see if the coast was clear, and the
followers promptly dropped down behind a lilac bush. Reassured, Nat
entered the shed, and Dave and Phil tiptoed their way up and got behind
the open door.
The hired help were in the kitchen, so the shed was empty. On the floor
stood an ice-cream freezer full of home-made ice-cream, and on a shelf
rested several freshly baked cakes, all covered with chocolate icing,
set out to harden.
"Now I'll fix things," Dave and Phil heard the money-lender's son
mutter. "Salt in the cream and salt in the layer cakes will do the
trick! Some of the boys and girls will think they are poisoned!"
Nat took up a bag of salt that was handy,--used for making the
cream,--and proceeded to open the can in the freezer.
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