“I agree with you,” answered Tom. “But first we’ve got to find them. You told them to go to a place called Gansen Lake, didn’t you?”
“Yes. It’s one of the finest spots in this vicinity for camping out.”
“Then I think I’d better ride over there and try to find out what happened,” went on the twins’ father. “I’d like you to come along.”
“I sure will, Mr. Rover. And we’ll take guns along too—we may need ’em,” went on Cal Corning, an angry look in his eyes. “I hope we can round those rascals up. Things have been pretty peaceable like in this county, and we want ’em to continue that way. We don’t harbor no bandits nor kidnapers either.”
Tom waited until Cal Corning had swallowed a hasty breakfast. For himself, he managed to drink a cup of coffee at the earnest solicitation of Miss Jennie and Miss Lucy, both of whom were highly excited over what was taking place. Then the two men rode off toward Lake Gansen.
It was an easy matter for Corning to locate the spot where the four boys had camped. On the edge of the lake they found the remains of the campfire, and, searching the vicinity, came upon a handkerchief bearing Fred’s initials. But everything was gone, for Ocker and Digby had taken the things away the evening before.
Cal Corning was a thorough backwoodsman and after a careful search declared that all of the horses had passed up to Sunset Trail. They followed the hoofmarks for a short distance, but soon lost them where the trail became rocky.
It was long after dark before Tom Rover returned to the Corning homestead. Cal had preceded him, but Tom had been loath to give up the hunt for the missing ones. He had found absolutely no trace of the boys, and he was increasingly dispirited. For the time being all thoughts concerning Peter Garrish and his doings were forgotten.
“I’ve got to do something,” muttered Tom to himself. “I’ve simply got to do something!” But what to do he did not know. He started another hunt the next day, and then, being equally unsuccessful in getting a trace of the four boys, rode over to Maporah and sent a long telegram to his two brothers.
The telegram was delivered to Dick Rover at the home on Riverside Drive in New York just at a time when Dick and Sam were so excited they could scarcely contain themselves.