Sammy wondered at their hardihood in discussing the crime so openly. Probably they thought that the noise of the train would be their protection. Or they might have noticed that those seated right behind them were boys instead of men, and this might have made them careless.
"They never made a bigger mistake," Sammy said to himself. "I'll show them that boys are not to be trifled with."
Already Sammy saw his name in big headlines in the papers, accompanied by his picture. He thought of the sensation this would make, not only with his own immediate chums, but with the other boys of Fairview. They had often laughed at what they called his "fake mysteries," but now they would laugh no more. Instead, they would be filled with envy and admiration.
But now the men had either changed the subject of conversation or else what they did say was so disconnected that Sammy could not make head or tail of it. He did catch the word "stealing," however, and that gave him another thrill. Probably the men were not only murderers but hardened thieves as well. Perhaps their victim had been killed while they were attempting to rob him.
But while he was considering the case from this new angle, the porter passed through the car giving the first call for dinner.
"Dinnah's ready in de dinin' cah," he announced.
The words came like a trumpet call to three of the boys at least, and they were astir in a moment. There was no inclination on their part to wait for the second or third call. The first call was none too early for them.
"Come along, fellows!" cried Frank.
"Will we?" sang out Bob and George in chorus.
Sammy would usually have been as eager as the rest, but just at this minute, when he was hot on the trail, he would have been willing to wait a little while.