"I don't know how far he may want to go," Bart answered. "We'll probably be gone all day."
"Wish I could go," Frank said, but, as he spoke, his thoughts seemed to be elsewhere.
"Frank's getting stranger than ever," remarked Ned, as the former left Ned's house where the four chums were talking that evening. "I wonder if he doesn't want to go?"
"I guess he'd like to, if he could," Bart replied.
"Do you know anything about this Mr. Hardman?" asked Fenn.
"Only what I've heard," Bart answered. "He came to the hotel about a week ago. Seems to have plenty of money. Treated me very nicely, but, somehow I don't like him, and I can't give any reason for it."
"Did you get the grub with the money he gave you?" asked Ned.
"Yes."
The next morning the three chums went to the hotel. They found Mr. Hardman waiting for them.
"On time I see," he remarked, as Bart introduced Ned and Fenn. "It's just the morning for a nice long tramp. I hope you boys are good walkers."