“Jack Ness went down to the station an hour ago. I gave him a message to send and he was to wait for a reply.”
“Let’s go down to the station too,” put in Fred quickly. “There is no use of hanging around here if the telephone is out of order.”
“I think I’ll stay here. Maybe the telephone will come in before a great while,” said Andy. The soreness in his hip had not been improved by the rough ride in Bill Jandle’s flivver.
Gif and Spouter elected to remain with Andy and then Jack, Randy and Fred ran off to the garage and brought out one of the touring cars, and in another moment the three were on their way to the railroad station at Oak Run, across the river from Dexter’s Corners.
“Perhaps we’ll meet Jack Ness coming back,” said Fred. “If we do, stop him, by all means.”
However, they did not meet the hired man. But on the outskirts of Dexter’s Corners they passed an elegant sport car under the wheel of which rode Joe Sedley, smoking a cigarette and with his cap pulled well down over his eyes. Sedley simply glared at the Rovers, refusing to return their nods of recognition.
“Gee, he must still be sore over the way the horse race was decided,” was Fred’s comment.
“Well, Jack won that race, and that’s all there is to it,” put in Randy loyally.
“He’ll never admit it,” answered the oldest Rover. And then he became silent and for the first time since Pete Apgar had brought the news of the hold-up Jack’s thoughts reverted to Ruth and he wondered if the girl had sent him a letter or if she had corresponded in any way with Sedley. In the excitement of the occasion none of the Rovers who had dashed off to the railroad station had thought to ask at the farmhouse if any letters had come in.
They sped through the village and across the Swift River and then up to the railroad station at Oak Run. Here they saw another one of the farm turnouts and then ran across Jack Ness, who held up a telegram.