“Gone?” echoed Bruce, in a dazed way. “How can that be?”
“Some person must have taken it!”
Then Frank shook Hans, awakening him.
“Have you touched my rifle since I left it in that corner?” he asked, as the Dutch lad stared up at him stupidly.
“Vot?” mumbled Hans. “Haf der rifle touched me? Vale, I guess nod! Der ped haf peen righd here in me all der dime, so der rifle couldn’t touch me uf I tried. Vot vos der madder?”
“It is gone! Somebody has taken it away!”
“How could it haf daken somepody avay?” exclaimed the Dutch boy, sitting upright. “I has peen here vatching myselluf dot rifle mit all der dime!”
“Little watching you have done!” exclaimed Bruce. “You were fast asleep. Some person slipped in here and took the rifle while you were sleeping.”
“You don’d pelief me!” gasped Hans. “I don’d see how dot rifle could took anypody right from der room oudt dot vay.”
Merriwell lost no time in hastening down to the office and telling the landlord what had happened. Browning thought it barely possible that Archie Elmer might have repented of his trade and sought to recover his rifle, but this turned out untrue. And a thorough search of the hotel failed to bring about the discovery of the rifle.