“I really believe those fellows were following us,” he said, presently. “And I believe the photographs have something to do with it. Well, that may supply us with a little excitement. Have you been out in the town yet? Something doing all the morning, while you’ve been sleeping.”
“Got up a short time ago,” replied Alex. “Now, look here,” he went on, soberly, “if Gran didn’t take the films, who did? And, say, if he did, he’ll be likely to duck away from us at the first chance.”
“He has been trying to leave us now,” said Clay. “He was about to jump off the car when I stopped him. He says he has no intention of imposing on us longer! It does look bad! Still, we don’t know why he should have taken them. Let’s suspend judgment for a time. What?”
“Oh, I haven’t convicted him yet,” smiled Alex. “Only I want to get a line of the films. That’s all. I want ’em. No, Gran would have no object in taking them unless he was sent here to do that very thing. S-a-a-y, Clay, suppose he was sent to us for that very purpose?”
Clay laughed and moved toward the door, Alex at his heels.
“He couldn’t have been sent for that purpose, for he was at the boat before the pictures were taken,” he said.
“Yes, but, since then, he might have received orders from the men, I believe there is something up here. Those men back there may be train robbers, who don’t want any pictures taken. Understand? Gran might have come west with them. He might have been sent over to us to get a line on our intentions. Later, he might have been told to steal the films! It is up to him to explain, anyway, but don’t be too hard on him. Suppose it should turn out that the men in camp, or the men back of the camp, were really train robbers? That would be awkward for Gran, wouldn’t it?”
“It would be awkward for the robbers if a kodak located them on the scene of the robbery last night,” Clay replied.
“Last night?” repeated Alex. “What about a robbery last night?”
“The Pacific express was held up just the other side of the pass very early this morning,” answered Clay. “The express and mail cars were looted and the passengers robbed. The two men who boarded the train didn’t do it, of course, but there were others there in the canyons!”