“Over there, professor,” Frank answered, pointing toward the golf grounds. “We just left Mr. Bradlaugh. He and Colonel Hawtrey are out of sight, just now, behind that bit of a rise, but you can find them without much trouble.”
“I believe I will go on, then, and acquaint Mr. Bradlaugh with this most distressing occurrence.”
“Don’t you want to ride?” asked Clancy.
“I prefer to walk,” was the answer. “I will be under obligations to you, Merriwell, if you will see that Uncle Sam is returned to Pophagan.”
“Just a minute, professor,” struck in Burke. “Can’t you tell us something about this robbery? Just where did it happen, and how did the news reach Ophir?”
“The stage driver brought the news to town, and when I left, Hawkins, the deputy sheriff, was getting one or two men to ride with him and begin pursuit of the thieves.”
“Any passengers on the stage this morning?”
“No; there was only the driver and the mail pouches. The express company was supposed to have money aboard this morning’s stage for the Ophir bank, but, fortunately, the shipment failed to arrive. The robbers, presumably, had heard of the expected shipment of funds, and so were disappointed when they had to content themselves with only the mail pouches. I am a loser to the extent of——”
“Don’t worry over your lost check, professor,” interrupted Burke. “You’ll not lose a cent. Whether it was a check or a draft, payment will at once be stopped, and another check or draft will be sent to you.”
The professor was woefully ignorant of business matters.