But the auto thief had not been so careless. There was not even a footprint, for the boys had trampled the ground thoroughly after the roadster had been discovered.

“If I had only thought to look for footprints at the time!” groaned Joe, in disappointment.

“Or fingerprints. He must have left fingerprints somewhere about the car. If he was a professional crook we could have traced him easily.”

“Too late now. Chet has had the car washed since then⁠—we didn’t think of it in time.”

Their search was without success, and the Hardy boys were about to give up in disappointment when Frank left the clearing and began to hunt about in the bushes.

“I guess we might as well go home,” said Joe. “We’ve come hunting for clues too late. If we had any sense we would have looked for fingerprints and⁠—”

He was interrupted by a shout from his brother.