“Did you say Merriwell got a telegram, Billy?” he asked.
“No, I said so,” snapped Clancy. “He certainly got a telegram this morning, and if it didn’t come through you, it’s a mighty queer thing!”
“Yes, I reckon it is,” returned the agent calmly. This merely exasperated the red-headed chap.
“Well it’s a darned funny thing,” he exclaimed, “that telegrams can be received here without the telegraph operator knowing it!”
“Ain’t no message come this morning,” declared the agent again, and with a nod to Billy, he turned and went back into his place of business.
For a moment the two friends were at a loss what to do. It was quite evident that Chip Merriwell had been called away to Orton by some important affair, yet this agent declared that no message had arrived for him!
“I guess we’ll go back and grill those fellows over again,” said Clancy, starting the Hornet. “We want to make sure about this telegram business.”
“It’s easy enough to send a fake message,” suggested Billy Mac.
“We’ll soon see, then.”
Returning to the hotel, they questioned the clerk anew. By this time he was in enough anxiety to speak out fully, and stated emphatically that he had seen the telegram, and that Merriwell had mentioned it.