"Sufferin' brain twisters!" cried McGlory. "Why didn't she let Hackberry bring the deputy sheriff from Sykestown? But, no. She had to send Hackberry over here, using up two valuable days, just to get you."
"Murgatroyd might have spies in Sykestown watching the deputy sheriff," replied Matt. "It would be easy for the spy to carry a warning to the Traquair homestead and have the man in charge of the shack remove Mrs. Traquair to some other place."
"Gammon!" snorted McGlory. "Somebody's playin' lame duck, you hear me."
Cameron brightened suddenly.
"You got a letter from Mrs. Traquair the other day, didn't you, Matt?" he asked.
"That was a week ago," answered Matt.
"How does the handwriting compare? Is it the same in the letter as it is in these two scraps brought in by Hackberry?"
Matt rummaged through his satchel and brought out Mrs. Traquair's letter. Then they all, even Ping, began comparing the writing.
"I give up," said Cameron. "The writing's the same. Suppose we take the train for Sykestown to-morrow, Matt, and go to the rescue of Mrs. Traquair?"
"There's no train out of Carrington until day after to-morrow," said Matt.