“Well, what in thunder can we do?” Dan demanded, yielding the point without argument.
“We can’t do anything,” said Alf bitterly, “except wait in the hope that whoever took the cup will bring it back before the game to-morrow.”
“But that’s poppycock,” said Dan. “If he had been going to return it he would have done it to-day before dinner and got off without trouble. Now he knows that Collins will make it hot for him. I wouldn’t be surprised if we never saw that cup again!”
“Nonsense!” said Tom.
“Of course,” said Gerald, “if it didn’t come back dad could have another made; he’d be glad to, I know. But——”
“Meanwhile we’ve got to tell Broadwood that we’ve lost it!” interrupted Alf.
“We haven’t lost it; it’s been stolen,” Tom corrected.
“It amounts to the same thing. We haven’t got it, have we? They’ll think it’s a fine joke and have the laugh on us.”
“Let them,” said Tom. “If we beat them to-morrow I guess they can laugh all they want to.”
“Maybe we won’t beat them,” muttered Alf discouragedly.