“There must have been four or five who attacked me from behind,” he said, “and they gave me no chance to cry out. I heard them talking about taking the horse and wagon and some other things, but I couldn’t do a thing to warn any of you. They must have gotten off very quietly, not to have attracted the attention of the other guards.”
“Were they the Ritter crowd?” asked Andy.
“I am not sure. I thought perhaps they might be those tramps Andy and Stuffer discovered in a hangout in this neighborhood.”
“The tramps!” ejaculated Andy. “That’s so! Why didn’t I think of them! If they rob the farmers around here, they wouldn’t hesitate to rob us.”
“Fred, who was on guard next to you?” asked the young major.
“Caller was on one side and Beck on the other.”
“Well, Caller is a little deaf, he wouldn’t be apt to hear them,” said Pepper. He looked around. “Where is Beck?”
Beck was not in sight, and then the various cadets stated they had not seen him since he had gone on guard duty.
“He must be tied up too,” said Jack. “Let us continue the hunt, fellows.”
This was done, and the search lasted fully an hour. But not a trace of the missing cadet could be discovered.