“You’re a wonder as a little cheerer-up,” commented Mouser.
“That’s looking at the doughnut instead of seeing only the hole in the doughnut,” laughed Bobby.
After all they were alive and unharmed. The thieves might have beaten them up or tied them in the cabin while they made their escape.
“Things might have been a great deal worse,” said Bobby cheerfully, putting their thoughts into words. “The money didn’t amount to so much after all, and our folks will send us more. And we may be able to have the tramps arrested and get back our other things. We’ll telegraph just as soon as we get to—”
But here he stopped short in dismay.
“We haven’t even money enough to pay for the message!” he exclaimed.
“Perhaps the station man will trust us,” suggested Fred.
“I think there’s a way of sending messages so that the folks who get them pay on the other end,” said Pee Wee hopefully.
None of the boys were very clear on this point, but it offered a ray of cheer.
“We won’t need to send more than one message anyway,” said practical Bobby as they trudged along. “Some of our folks might be away and there might be some delay in getting to them. But I know that my father is at home and I’ll just ask him to send on enough money for the bunch of us. Then you fellows can square it up with me afterwards.”