“Do you think it possible that Billings took a train to Chicago to head you off?” questioned Jack. “He might have gained some new information that he wanted to get to you as soon as possible.”
“I don’t think he took no train,” interposed Hank Butts. “Leastwise, not from this station. I’ve asked the station master, and he named over everybody who got a ticket and went aboard, both ways. If he took a train at all, it would have been from some other place.”
“Can’t you figure it out at all, Butts?” questioned the twins’ father.
“No, I can’t. I don’t think Garrish is the man to shoot another fellow. He’s too much of a coward. But he might play Lew some underhand trick. I think Lew made a big mistake to mention you and that Mr. Renton.”
“Maybe that gave this Peter Garrish an idea that Billings knew too much and ought to be gotten out of the way,” suggested Jack.
“It almost looks like that,” answered his uncle. “But the question just now is: What did they do with the man?”
The matter was talked over for some time longer, but no one could suggest a solution of the mystery. Lew Billings, the individual Tom Rover had depended on in his fight to maintain his rights in the Rolling Thunder mine, had disappeared, and Tom was almost at a standstill concerning what to do next.
“Aren’t you going over to Sunset Trail?” demanded Randy anxiously. “You aren’t going to back out, are you, Dad?”
“No, I’m not going to back out,” was the firm reply. “But I suppose I’ll have to change my plans somewhat, awaiting the reappearance of Lew Billings or some word from him. He wrote that he had important information, but he didn’t give sufficient details for me to go ahead alone. If Billings doesn’t show up, I suppose all I can do is to wait until Mr. Renton comes.”