While plans were being made to help the Gordon family, Bill Cromley moved about, limping painfully, and, speaking to the Motor Boys, he said:
“Seems like it’s one accident after another with me. Guess I must have run into a streak of bad luck.”
“Why, what else happened?” asked Ned.
“Well, just before I came away from the West I was in a sort of premature explosion and got this game foot. Then I come to visit my sister and her house catches fire.”
“Are you from the West?” asked Jerry, thinking of Tinny’s letter.
“Yes, I’m a gold miner out there, or I was. Why? Are you fellows from the West?” Bill Cromley inquired as he saw looks of interest on the boys’ faces.
“We’ve been out there,” admitted Bob. “And we may go again. We’ve got an offer to help develop a mine at a place called Thunder Mountain——”
Before Ned or Jerry could offer any objection to the stout lad blurting out this rather personal information, Bill Cromley exclaimed:
“Thunder Mountain! Why, I know where that is!”