CHAPTER XIII
DAVE SEES SOMETHING
"You gave somebody my suit-case!" cried the senator's son, while anumber of tourists gathered around, to learn what was going on.
"Yes, sah!" returned the colored porter of the car. Plainly he was muchdistressed. "He had an order, sah," he added, and fumbled in one pocketafter another, at last bringing out a crumbled bit of writing paper."Here it is, sah!"
Roger took the slip and read it, with Dave and Phil looking over hisshoulders. The sheet read as follows:
_"Porter, Car Medora: Deliver to bearer my suit-case. Roger A. Morr."_
"This is a forgery--I never wrote it!" cried the senator's son. "It'ssome swindler's trick!"
"I--I didn't know you didn't write it," faltered the porter. "I axed theman where you was and he said you was visitin' his house and wanted toshow him something you had in the case."
"Do you know what I think?" exclaimed Dave. "I think this is the workof Link Merwell!"
"Yes, and Job Haskers," added Phil. "They are working together."
"But why did they steal my suit-case?" asked Roger. "Do yousuppose----?" He stopped short, for strangers were about. He was on thepoint of mentioning the map and instructions he carried for locating theLandslide Mine. Dave and Phil, as well as Ben and Shadow, understood.
"Did you have anything in the case outside of your clothing?" whisperedthe shipowner's son.
"Only a few things of no importance," answered Roger. He tapped hisbreast pocket. "Those papers are here, and my money is here, too."
"Good!" murmured Dave. "Then Merwell and Haskers will be sold--outsideof getting your clothing."
The porter was closely questioned, but could give no very gooddescription of the man who had presented the order for the suit-case.
"I was busy--waitin' on an old lady wot was sick," he explained. "I jessread that order and got the suit-case, and he went off in a hurry. I'mmighty sorry I let him have the bag. But he had the order, all signed,"and the porter rolled his eyes mournfully.
"I can't say that I blame you," answered Roger. "But after this----"
"I won't give away nuffin to nobody," cried the porter, quickly.
The matter was talked over for several minutes, and then it was time forthe train to leave Chicago. The paper looked as if it might be in LinkMerwell's handwriting and the boys concluded that he was the guiltyparty. Probably he had come to the train, knowing our friends were awayon the sight-seeing tour, and possibly he had been disguised, maybe witha false mustache, or wig, or both. The porter was almost certain the manhad worn a heavy black mustache.
"Well, all I lost was one suit of clothes, some shirts and collars, afew neckties and some underclothes, and a comb and brush, andtoothbrush," remarked Roger, when the train was once more on its way."It's a total loss of about sixty dollars."
"Maybe you can make the railroad pay it," suggested Shadow.
"Perhaps. But I am thankful that those rascals didn't get what they wereafter. They must have thought I carried those papers in the suit-case."Such was indeed the truth, and it was Merwell who had forged Roger'ssignature and gotten the traveling bag. It may be added here that, lateron, the railroad company offered to pay for the loss of the suit-caseand its contents, doing this very promptly when it was learned that theloser was the son of a United States senator.
On and on rolled the excursion train, and after the excitement attendingthe loss of the suit-case was over, the boys and girls settled down toenjoy themselves. Dave and the other lads loaned Roger such things as heneeded, until he could get at his trunk in the baggage-car.
The next morning found the train in St. Paul, and there the touristsspent a day, riding around the city and visiting Minneapolis, which isbut a short distance away. By nightfall they were on board once more andbound for Livingston, a small place, where a branch-line runs a distanceof about fifty miles southward to Gardiner, the northern entrance toYellowstone Park. At Livingston, Dave and his chums were to separatefrom the others and keep on westward to Butte, where they hoped to fallin with Abe Blower, the old miner and prospector.
"Oh, Dave, it won't be long now before we separate!" said Jessie with asigh. It was the second day of the trip after leaving St. Paul, and thetwo were by themselves on the observation end of the train.
"Well, I don't think it will be for long," he said, as cheerfully aspossible. "We'll soon join you in the Park."
"I--I wouldn't mind it so much if it was not for that Link Merwell--andthat old Haskers!" continued the girl. "Oh, Dave, you must be careful!"and she caught him by the arm.
"I'm going to keep my eyes open for them," Dave answered, and, as nobodywas looking, he caught her hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "Will youmiss me, Jessie, while I am gone?" he continued, in a low tone.
"Terribly!" she whispered.
"I'll miss you, too. But it sha'n't be for long that I'll be away--Ipromise you that."
"Oh, you must find the mine if you can, Dave. I rather think the Morrsare depending on it. Laura said Roger looked very much worried when hegot that letter in St. Paul."
"Yes, matters are not going well with the senator's affairs--I knowthat, Jessie. If he gets out of politics he'll have to do somethingelse. Finding this lost gold mine would be a big lift for the wholefamily."
Then Laura came out, in company with Roger, and soon the othersfollowed. It was a perfect day, as clear as could be, and off in thedistance could be seen the mountains.
"Going to shoot any bears out there in the Park?" asked Shadow, ofDunston Porter, with a grin.
"Hardly, Shadow, since outsiders are not allowed to carry firearms,"replied Dave's uncle. "Only the United States soldiers are armed in thePark."
"Somebody told me the bears were tame enough to eat out of your hand,"said Phil.
"Maybe they are, but I shouldn't advise anybody to feed them that way,"answered Mr. Porter. "A bear isn't naturally a sociable creature."
It had been decided that Dunston Porter should go into the Park with theladies and the girls, letting the boys shift for themselves in thesearch for Abe Blower and the lost Landslide Mine. An hour before thetime for parting came Dunston Porter called Dave, Roger, and Phil tohim, in a car that was practically vacated at the time.
"Now, I want to caution all of you to be careful," said the old hunterand traveler. "This isn't the East, remember. It's the West, and in someplaces it is as wild and woolly as can be. But I don't think you'll haveany trouble if you mind your own business and keep your eyes open. Don'trely too much on strangers, and I think it will be wise for all of youto keep together as much as possible. Don't show any more cash than youhave to. And remember, you can always reach us in the Park, by telegraphor long-distance telephone."
"We'll try to take care of ourselves," said Dave; and then his unclecontinued to give the youths advice, on one subject or another, until itwas time to get ready to leave the train.
"Livingston!" was the cry presently, and the excursion train rolled intothe long depot. It was to stop there for fifteen minutes and thenproceed to Gardiner.
"There is Belle!" cried Laura.
"I see her!" put in Phil, and was the first to reach the platform andshake the girl from Star Ranch by the hand. Belle Endicott looked thepicture of health, and was glad to greet them all.
"Sorry we can't visit awhile," said Roger.
"We'll do that after we come back," added Phil.
"Well, good-by everybody!" cried Dave, shaking hands with many, anexample followed by those who were to go with him.
"Wish I was going on that hunt for the mine with you," said Ben, who hadto remain with his folks.
"So do I," added Shadow, who was to stay with Ben.
"Never mind, we'll rely on you to look after the girls," answered Dave.
"Oh, we can do that," said Ben, with a grin.
"Say, that puts me in mind of a story," cried Shadow. "No reflection onthe girls here," he added, hastily. "Once on a time a young ministerpaid a visit to some rela
tives in the country. He got a letter statingthey'd be glad to have him come and would he attend a picnic in thewoods and help to take care of four girls. He wrote back that he wouldbe delighted. When he arrived and started for the picnic he found thefour girls waiting for him--four old maids from thirty to forty years ofage!" And at this joke a smile went around, in which the girls joined.
Soon the last of the good-bys had been said. The girls were on theobservation end of the last car, and as the train rolled onward towardsYellowstone Park they waved their handkerchiefs and the boys on theplatform swung their caps. Then the train slowly disappeared from view.
"Well, here we are," said Phil, with something like a sigh.
"We've got an hour to wait before that train comes along for Butte,"said Roger, consulting his watch.
"How far is Butte?" went on the shipowner's son.
"About a hundred miles, as the crow flies," answered Dave. "But I guessit is longer by the railroad, and we'll have some climbing to do--to getinto the Rockies."
"Say, supposing we ask the men around here if they saw anything ofMerwell and Haskers?" suggested the senator's son.
"It won't do any harm," answered Dave.
Inquiries were made of the baggage-master, a ticket-seller, and half adozen other men around the depot. But none of them remembered havingseen the pair mentioned.
"They probably kept out of sight," was Dave's comment. "They would beafraid we were on their trail, or that we had telegraphed ahead aboutthem."
From the station-master they learned that their train was two hoursbehind time, and would not reach Butte until late that night. This beingso, they left their baggage on check at the depot and took a strollaround, looking at the sights. Then they found a small restaurant andgot what they called supper, although it was not a very good meal.
When the train came along it proved to be crowded, for there had been asale of public and private lands not far away and many of thedisappointed would-be buyers were on board.
"We can't take any through passengers," said the conductor, and wavedthe boys back.
"We only want to go to Butte," answered Roger.
"Oh, all right then. Take the forward car, next to the baggage-car. ButI don't think you'll find any seats. We are swamped because of the landsale."
The boys ran forward, after making sure that their baggage was tumbledinto a baggage-car. As the conductor had said, the cars wereovercrowded, and they had to stand up in the aisle. A number of the menwere smoking and they continued to do so, even though it was against therules.
"Pretty rough-looking crowd," whispered Phil, after the train hadstarted.
"Not all bad," was Dave's comment. "But some of them are certainly thelimit," and he nodded towards one crowd that were talking loudly andusing language that was anything but choice. In this crowd one fellow inparticular, a tall, thin, leathery individual, called by the others SolBlugg, seemed to be a leading spirit.
About half an hour had passed, and the conductor had just gone throughcollecting tickets, when the man called Blugg pushed up alongsideanother man who sat on the arm of a rear seat.
"Say, do you know what Staver jest told me?" he exclaimed.
"No, what?" demanded the other man.
"He says as how he is almost sure Abe Blower put this crimp in our landdeal," responded the man called Blugg.
"Abe Blower!" exclaimed the other. "Say, maybe thet's right. Blowerain't got no use fer our crowd. Well, if he did it, he better lookout!"