Part 16 (1/2)
In the meantime, Jack, Fred and Randy hurried in the direction of the railroad station to get the six suitcases and the guns which had been left there. They found the crowd had thinned out somewhat, although quite a few people were still present.
It did not take the three lads long to find the six suitcases, and, armed with two each and with all the guns, they trudged back to where they had left the boxsled. Then the suitcases were piled up and tied fast to the upright boards and to the boxsled itself, so that they might not be jounced off. The guns were placed in the bottom alongside the boxes.
”Now then, pile in, and we'll be getting to the Lodge,” cried Gif. ”I can tell you fellows I am mighty anxious to see the old place, to see if it looks like it did when I was here last.”
The youths were just stowing themselves away on the sled when there came a cry from out of the darkness, and three fellows came hurrying through the snow from the direction of the railroad station.
”Hi, there! Stop!” called out the foremost of the trio. ”Stop, I tell you!”
”Why, it's Gabe Werner!” exclaimed Randy. ”What can he want of us?”
In a moment more the big bully was beside the sled, and Glutts and Codfish followed him.
”Thought you were mighty smart, eh?” cried Gabe Werner angrily. ”Another minute, and I suppose you would have been gone!”
”What do you want, Werner?” demanded Jack.
”What are you fellows doing in this neighborhood?” questioned Fred.
”What we are doing here is our business,” answered Werner sourly. ”What I want of you is my suitcase.”
”Your suitcase?” queried several of the others.
”Yes, my suitcase! Oh, you needn't play the innocent! I know you've got my suitcase somewhere on this boxsled. But you're not going to get away with it. Hand it over, or I'll call a policeman.”
Gabe Werner was very much in earnest, and his face was red with anger and resentment. He reached up and caught hold of the lines which Gif held in his hands.
”Drop those lines, Werner!” cried Gif quickly. ”Drop them, I say!”
”I want my suitcase! You had no business to touch it!”
”I don't know anything about your suitcase,” declared Gif. He turned to the others. ”We haven't anything but our own bags, have we?”
”I don't think we have,” declared Jack.
”I know better!” grumbled Werner.
”I'll bet they've got it and are hiding it away,” declared Bill Glutts.
”They took a whole lot of bags away just as we were coming up. The baggage master saw 'em.”
”I'm glad they didn't get my bag!” cried Codfish, who was lugging a good-sized Gladstone.
”If we took your bag it must have been by mistake,” said Randy. ”I looked at the markings pretty carefully though.”
”So did I,” said Fred.
”Well, we'll make sure,” remarked Jack, and brought out a flashlight which he had taken from his own suitcase for possible use on the road.
He flashed the light in the direction of the six suitcases, and he and his chums looked over all of the markings with care.
”How is your bag marked?” questioned Gif.