"Yes, I can understand it from there on," said Mr. Merkel. "But you didn't get the ones you went after; did you?"
"Apparently not," admitted the foreman with a grim smile. "It was pretty dark and we must have missed 'em. But finally we did see two horses streaking it over the plains, and we took after 'em, only to find they were the professor here, and his friend."
"Then the other parties, whoever they were, got away," commented Mr. Merkel.
"Must have," said the foreman. "They'd 'a' had time while we was saddlin' up. But what their object was I can't guess."
"And then we come back here to find you've been robbed," commented Bud. "Say, doesn't it look as though those first parties came around just to draw us off, so someone else could sneak in and rifle the safe?" he asked quickly.
There was a moment of silence, to give the idea time to filter through the minds of all present, and then Mr. Merkel said:
"Son, I believe you've struck it! That was a game to draw our fire on the front, while they sneaked up in the rear to frisk my safe! And the professor——"
"I hope you don't think I had anything to do with your unfortunate loss!" exclaimed the scientist.
"Of course not!" said Mr. Merkel quickly. "I was about to remark that you being on the scene was purely a matter of accident, though it may have had the effect of drawing Slim and his bunch farther away from the real thieves than was desirable."
"Shouldn't be a bit surprised," admitted the foreman. "It was so dark, before the moon came out, that we couldn't tell much where we were going. But as soon as we picked up the professor and his friend we took after them. Probably this gave the real rascals the chance they wanted."