“I’m going to telegraph to dad.”
“And say what?” Jerry queried.
“I’m going to wire him that Professor Snodgrass has most unexpectedly disappeared, and that we can’t leave him here in this predicament, especially as he came out West with us as our guest. That will get my mother, anyhow,” he added with a twinkle in his eyes. “Mother’s great on that hospitable stuff, and she’ll get dad to let us stay all right. She’ll argue that it would be wrong for us to come away and leave the professor in the hands of the rustlers—if that’s where he really is.”
“I think you’re right,” returned Jerry, after a moment of thought. “It’s only fair to him, and it will gain us a little delay in which we must work harder than ever before to solve the mystery.”
“Now you’re talking!” cried Bob.
This telegram was prepared and sent to Mr. Slade:
“Professor Snodgrass has disappeared. Probably captured by rustlers. Are on their trail. Impossible to leave now. Better wire us money for expenses. Letter follows.”
“Think that will do?” asked Ned.
“Pretty well gotten up,” Jerry assented. “You put it a bit strong, though, about being on their trail.”
“Well, it’s true enough. We are after them—on their trail—so to speak. I didn’t say we had caught them. But we will!”