THE WESTERN EXPRESS
The old miser was very much excited and began to pace the floor of his
cottage.
"Yes, I better tell the police, that's what I better do," he muttered.
"There won't be any necessity to tell the police--if it was really my
brother who did it," said Sam.
"Why not, I'd like to know?" challenged Hiram Duff. "He ain't no
better'n other folks."
"If he took the box, I and my family will see to it that you are repaid
for your loss, Mr. Duff," answered the youngest Rover.
"Humph! Do you guarantee that?" demanded the old miser, suspiciously.
"Yes."
"And you can take his word for it, sir," added Songbird. "The Rovers
are well-known and wealthy, and they will do exactly as they promise.
"I've heard that name before. Didn't you have some trouble with the
railroad company?" asked Hiram Duff. "About a busted-up flying
machine?"
"Yes," replied Sam.
"And got the best of that skinflint lawyer, Belright Fogg?"
"We made Mr. Fogg pay for the biplane, yes."
"I know all about it," chuckled Hiram Duff. "Served Fogg right. And
he lost his job with the railroad company, too." The old man pursed up
his lips. "Well, if you'll give me your word that you will settle with
me I won't go to the police. But I want every cent that is coming to
me, understand that."
"You'll get it--if my brother took the box," answered Sam. "But listen
to me. First of all I want to find my brother. I think he ought to be
under a doctor's care."
"He ought to be in an asylum," responded Hiram Duff, bluntly. "It's
dangerous to allow sech a feller at large."
"Maybe. We are going on a hunt for him right now," answered Sam.
"I'll come back here, or you can come to see me at Brill. And don't
worry, Mr. Duff,--you'll not lose a cent," added the youth, earnestly.
Luckily Hiram Duff had heard all about the trouble the Rovers had had
with the railroad lawyer, and had at the time also heard that Sam's
family were wealthy and of high standing. This being so, he took
matters far more calmly than would otherwise have been the case. But
he wanted something in writing and Sam quickly wrote out a statement
and signed it.
"Now we must get after my brother," said the youth. "Although you say
you have no idea where he went?"
"No, I ain't got the least idee."
"Let us drive on towards Hoopville," suggested Songbird. "We can make
inquiries along the way."
In a few minutes more the pair were on the way, Hiram Duff gazing after
them anxiously.
"Don't forget to let me hear from you!" he called out.
"Songbird, this is terrible!" murmured Sam, as they drove on. "I wish
Dick was here to advise me."
"He'll come as quickly as he can, don't worry about that, Sam. I only
hope we catch Tom before he gets too far away."
About a mile was covered along the road leading to Hoopville, a small
village, the single industry of which was the making of barrel hoops.
Then they came to another farmhouse, where they saw a boy of fifteen
sitting on a horse-block, whittling a stick.
"Hello, there!" called out Sam. "Say, I'm looking for a young fellow
that passed here yesterday. Did you see anything of him? Here is his
picture."
"Sure I saw him," answered the boy, after a glance at the photograph.
"I drove him over to Morton's Junction."
"Drove him over to Morton's Junction?" repeated Sam. "When?"
"Yesterday afternoon. But we didn't git to the Junction till seven
o'clock."
"Where did you go to?"
"What do you want to know for?" asked the boy, curiously.
"He is my brother and I want to find him, just as quickly as I can."
"Oh! Well, he wanted to catch a train. He just got it, too."
"What train?"
"The Western Express. He wouldn't have got it only it was about ten
minutes late. He got aboard just as she started out from the depot."
Sam's heart sank at this news. Tom on the Western Express! For what
place had he been bound?
"Did he say where he was going?" put in Songbird.
"To Chicago, I think. He talked to himself a good deal. Said
something about Chicago and St. Paul and Seattle. I asked him if he
was on business and he said he was going to pick up nuggets of gold. I
guess he was poking fun at me," went on the boy, sheepishly. "But he
paid me two dollars for driving him over," he added, with satisfaction.
"Did he have much money?" asked Sam. "Tell me all you know. I might
as well tell tell you, that was my brother, and he is sick in his head,
so that he doesn't know just what he is doing."
"Say, I thought he was queer--he had such a look out of his eyes, and
talked so much to himself. He only had about ten dollars in bills.
But he said he had some gold in his pocket, in a box. He didn't show
it, though. He said he was on Bill Stiger's trail."
"Bill Stiger's trail," murmured Sam, and his mind went back to the
night Tom had gone to see the moving picture drama entitled "Lost in
the Ice Fields of Alaska." Bill Stiger had been the name of the
villain in the play--the rascal who had robbed the hero of his golden
nuggets.
"He didn't have no ticket," went on the boy. "So he could get off the
train anywhere."
"We must hurry to Morton's Junction and see if we can find out anything
more," said Sam to his college chum. His face showed plainly how
greatly he was worried.
The boy told them how to go and they made the best time possible,
arriving at the Junction some time after noon. They found the depot
master on the platform.
"I remember the fellow you mean," he said. "He got on the last car.
Dunkirt, the conductor, helped him up. But I don't know where he went
to. Maybe Dunkirt could tell you, when he gets back here."
"When will he be back?"
"He's off to-day and he'll be here on the one-thirty train. You can
talk to him when he comes in, if you want to."
"I'll do it," answered Sam.
He and Songbird had an even hour to wait, and the latter suggested that
they go to the Junction Hotel for dinner.
"Might as well eat, Sam," he said, kindly "It won't help matters any to
go hungry."
"I don't care much about eating, Songbird," was the answer. "But I'll
go along and take a bite. I wish I knew just where Tom had gone. I
might telegraph ahead for him."
"Well, let us hope that conductor can tell you something."
With nothing to do but to wait, the boys took their time over the
midday meal, and while doing this they had the team fed. Then they
sauntered down to the depot to await the arrival of the man they wanted
to interview. Presently the train came in and the depot master pointed
out the conductor.
"Excuse me, but are you Mr. Dunkirt?" asked Sam.
"That's my handle," was the prompt reply.
"I am looking for the young man who jumped on your train just as it was
leaving here yesterday."
"Ha! I thought somebody might be after that fellow!" exclaimed the
conductor, quickly.
In a few words Sam explained as much of the situation as seemed
necessary, the conductor listening with interest. He nodded his head
several times.
"I thought he was a little bit off in his upper story," he said. "He
talked rather wildly of going far away to get gold nuggets. He paid
his fare to Chicago and that's as far as I carried him."
"What did he pay with?" asked Sam.
"He gave me a ten-dollar gold piece. He had quite a lot of gold with
him."
"Did he say where he was going from Chicago?"
"Oh, yes, he had it all mapped out. He was going to St. Paul first and
then straight west to Seattle. From there he was going to Alaska."
"Alaska!" cried Sam and Songbird, in a breath.
"That is what he said."
"What part of Alaska?" asked Sam, faintly.
"He didn't tell me and I didn't ask him. I rather thought he was
kidding me, he acted so queer-like when he talked."
After this the conductor told all he could remember about Tom. He said
that the youth had left the train at Chicago in a large crowd and that
was the last he had seen of the youth.
"I'll send another telegram to Dick," said Sam to his chum.
"Why not telephone to Ashton first?" suggested the other. "There may
be a telegram for you there."
"I'll do it," said Sam, and got the station master at Ashton on the
wire as soon as possible.
"Yes, a telegram came in for you an hour ago," was the answer, over the
telephone wire. "I sent it up to Brill."
"Will you have the operator read it to me?" asked the youth.
"Sure. Hold the wire a minute."
Another connection was apparently made and Sam heard a different voice.
"Is this Samuel Rover?"
"Yes."
"Want that message from Richard Rover?"
"If you please."
"He says he is coming up to Ashton on the train that gets here at
eleven-fifteen tonight."
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Very well. Thank you," and Sam hung up the receiver.
"What's the news, Sam?" questioned Songbird, and when told he looked
relieved. "Dick will know what to do."
"I know what I am going to do, Songbird. I am going right back to
Brill and get ready to follow Tom."
"I supposed you'd do that. I'd like to go with you."
"I know it. But that won't be necessary--if Dick goes with me." Sam
drew a deep breath. "I--I guess I'd better stop at Hope on the way
back and let the girls know how matters stand," he added, soberly.
"I can go up to-morrow and tell them, Sam."
"No. I'd rather tell them myself," answered the youngest Rover. He
knew exactly how Nellie and Grace would feel when he broke the news to
them.
It was a very sober and thoughtful pair of boys that got in the
carriage and started back to Brill by the way of Hope Seminary. Sam
was laying his plans how to follow Tom in his wild trip West and
Songbird was wondering how he could be of assistance to the Rovers.
Several times the would-be poet started to quote some original verse,
but each time cut himself short.
Presently they came in sight of Hope, just as the girls were coming
from their afternoon classes. They espied Nellie and Grace, and
beckoned to them. Both came forward on a run.
"What is the news, Sam?" asked Nellie, quickly.
"It's not very good, Nellie," he said, kindly. "Tom has run away."
"Run away!" gasped the girl, and turned pale. "Oh, you don't mean it!"
"Where did he go to?" questioned Grace.
"To Chicago."
"And from there, so he told a train conductor, he was going to Seattle
and then to Alaska," said Songbird. "Sam and Dick are going after him,
just as soon as they can."
"To Alaska! Tom has gone to Alaska!" murmured Nellie, and then she
turned and swayed, and the next moment fainted in Sam's arms.