Part 39 (1/2)

”That is strange----” he began, and then tried the door, to find it unlocked Another key was on the inside

The roohted in the rear of the long hallway Jack stepped forward to get a match fro on the floor and pitched headlong

”Oh!” he gasped, and then gave a sudden shudder, for he had felt the body of soht, quick! Here is someone on the floor! I'm afraid it's dad!”

The others piled into the room, and Randy, who happened to have soht and lit the lamp

There, on the floor of the bedroom, lay dick Rover There was a s He was breathing heavily, and evidently trying to speak

”Dad! Dad! what happened to you?” cried Jack hoarsely, as he bent over and raised his parent up

”He's been hurt!” exclaiet some water”

He made a dash for the pitcher and also for a towel, and while Jack supported his father on his arm the others bathed dick Rover's face and washed away the trickling blood

”He's been hit,” declared Randy ”See the lump on the back of his head,”

and he pointed it out

Presently dick Rover opened his eyes and stared vacantly at the anxious lads

”What--what--what happened to asp

”Who--who knocked me down?”

”That we don't know, Dad,” answered Jack, and he was glad to realize that his parent was co to his senses ”Gee! I was afraid you had been killed”

The four boys raised dick Rover up and laid him on one of the cots They had a little first-aid kit with theot some plaster hich they bound up the small cut

It was some time before dick Rover felt able to tell his story In the meanwhile Fred dashed downstairs for some hot water, which was applied to the luet over it,” said Jack's father, with a wan save a sudden start ”What about my papers? Are they safe?”

The boys looked around, but saw no papers of any kind in the rooht the at the table”

”Well, there's no bag here now, or papers either,” announced Randy

”Then those rascals must have taken them! That was probably why they knocked me down They wanted to rob me”

”But who attacked you, Dad?” questioned Jack

”That I don't know, Son I was seated at the table with the open bag beside ht from the safe deposit vault in Wichita Falls when I heard a noise behind et up to see what it meant, when all of a sudden I received a terrible crack on the back of the head I turned around, and then sohtseeone down in a heap on the floor And that's all I knew until I found you supportingmy forehead”

”It must have been those oil-well fellows!” ejaculated Fred