“Gone!”
“Gone?”
“Stolen, I reckon,” said the owner grimly, “and I think I can guess who took it.”
“You mean the three men who were here?” asked Rick.
“I’m afraid so—yes. That’s why they sneaked off so quietly. They wanted to get away in my car. All our stuff gone, too! The car’s insured but there’s my baggage, and yours, and a lot of valuable documents and a patent model I was taking to San Francisco.”
“Whew!” whistled Rick, and Ruddy came running up wondering what his young master wanted, for the whistle sounded like a signal.
“What are you going to do?” asked Chot.
“We’ll have to take after them,” said Mr. Campbell. “I can’t let them get away with my things like this! And I must get back your baggage, also. That’s the time we slept too soundly, lads! Those scoundrels just sneaked out when we were in dreamland and took our car. Well, there’s no use staying here. We’ll have to walk to the nearest town and let the police know about the robbery. They must have some telephones and telegraph lines out here, and maybe we can head off the thieves.”
“How could they get the car out without starting it up?” asked Rick. “Your motor makes quite a noise when it starts, Mr. Campbell, and I should think we’d have heard it.”
“That’s just it—they didn’t start the motor,” was the reply.