"Why, yes, there is, fellows," replied George, brightening up, as though he had just thought of something.
"Then tell us what it is. Has Hiram Juggles got a new shingle on his barn; or did the Mosely twins get mixed up again, so that nobody knows which is Jim and which Jack?" asked Ty.
"Oh, it's something more serious than that, let me tell you," George went on, with a vein of mystery in his voice that instantly aroused the curiosity of Landy.
"Then why don't you tell us what it is, George, you old ice wagon!" he exclaimed. "Somebody give him a push, please, and get him to roll his hoop."
"They tried to wreck the midnight express—guess you fellows started off too early in the mornin' to hear about it," George said.
"We never heard a word, so hurry up and tell us, George," said Elmer.
"Yes, whatever in the wide world would they want to wreck that train for? Was it some crazy man; or do they think it could have been an attempt to rob the express safe?" demanded Ty, anxiously; for he had an uncle who held the throttle of the engine pulling that particular train, and was therefore deeply interested.
"Nobody's dead sure what they wanted to do," George went on, "but the messenger admits that he was carrying a bigger amount of money than usual. Perhaps the hoboes got wind of it, and thought they might have a chance to capture the stuff. They didn't have nerve enough to hold the train up in western fashion, so they tried the coward play."
"I notice that you say hoboes did it, as if nobody doubted that part of the affair," Elmer remarked, significantly.
"They were seen by a track walker, and had quite a fight with him," George continued. "The poor chap is in the hospital now, though he's going to pull through. He managed to crawl to a station and give the alarm, so no damage was done. And now they're hunting high and low for two hoboes, one short with red hair, and t'other a long-legged fellow who limps when he walks, like he'd once had his leg hurt. They are called Shorty and Lanky Jim!"