"This is the worst yet!" groaned Frank. "If we can't get those uniforms back, what are we to do? We can't go to Brookside in our regular clothes."
"Maybe the Excelsiors will lend us their uniforms?" came from one of the club members.
"Not much! They don't like us well enough, and, besides, they are going to play a game themselves," answered another.
"Let us take a look around the shop," suggested Harry. "They may be hidden close at hand."
The suggestion was followed out, and they looked high and low around the building and even under it, and also in the yard and in the woodshed. Joe glanced into the cistern, but the outfit had sunk out of sight and he saw nothing but muddy water.
"This beats the cars!" exclaimed Bart, sitting down on a saw-horse to rest. "What in the world are we to do, fellows?"
"Don't ask me," responded Matt. "We can't even hire other uniforms, so far as I know."
"They'll laugh at us if we go to Brookside in our plain clothes," put in Paul.
It soon became noised around the vicinity that the outfit of the club was missing, and several men and boys joined in the search, which was continued until dark. Then the club members locked up the shop once more and each went home to get supper.
"If this isn't a measly shame then I don't know what is," declared Joe. "I thought we'd be able to make a fine appearance when we went out of town for the first time."