"Who did it? Anything missing? This is a pretty state of affairs, I must say!" were a few of the exclamations to which Tom and Bob gave utterance, as they crowded into the cabin and took a hurried survey of things.
Had it not been for Dan's encounter with the ghost on the previous day, Joe would have thought at once that his brother was the guilty party; but he did not suspect him now, because he knew that Dan would not dare to come up there alone to take revenge upon him for his refusal to admit him to a full partnership in his business. Silas was afraid to come up there, too; and even if he were not, it wasn't likely that he would do anything of this kind, because he wanted Joe to stay there and earn the hundred and twenty dollars, so that he could take it away from him.
"If the blame doesn't rest with Hobson or some of that clique, it rests with the men to whom that grip-sack belongs," said Joe, confidently. "I don't know whether they have stolen any of my things or not. I must look them over first."
Tom offering to assist him in his work, Bob volunteered to stand guard over them, adding:
"It begins to look to me as though this thing of playing game-warden has its drawbacks, as well as going to school. Tom and I thought we were going to have the finest kind of times up here this winter, growing fat on grouse and squirrels, and enjoying the freedom of camp-life; but I have my doubts. We came here only yesterday morning, and just look at the fuss we have had already. What is it, Joe?"
"Do you see my shotgun anywhere, either of you?" asked Joe in reply. "I am afraid it is gone. Yes, sir, it has been stolen," he added, after he had looked in every place where so large an article could find concealment. "I wish they might have left me that; but they didn't, and with it they took my game-bag, powder-flask and shot-pouch. I know that the whole outfit isn't worth any great sum; but I worked hard for it, and somehow I don't like to lose it."
"I should say not," exclaimed Tom, who would hardly have exhibited greater anger if his fine double-barrel had been carried off by the thieves. "Look here, fellows," he added, suddenly, "that grip-sack was found on Mr. Warren's grounds, and I suppose we ought to hand it over to him, hadn't we? Well, then, shall we tell him about the ghost, or shall we skip that?"
Bob and Joe didn't know how to answer this question. They hadn't thought of it before.