“Well, what do you know about that!” cried Roger.

“No wonder Nick Jasniff wanted to leave the vicinity of the construction camp,” remarked Dave. “He must have reasoned that sooner or later we would learn that he hadn’t been pardoned and was wanted at the prison.”

“That must be it,” answered the senator’s son.

“If this Nick Jasniff is interested in the affair, we want to know it,” said Mr. Wadsworth. “I shall at once give the authorities the particulars of Jasniff’s doings, so that they can go on the hunt for him. They have his picture in the Rogues’ Gallery, and that can be copied and circulated, so that the authorities in different cities, and especially in this vicinity, can be on the lookout for him.”

“But why weren’t the authorities on the lookout for him before?” questioned our hero.

“They were at first. But then they got word that Jasniff had sailed for some port in South 203America, so they gave it up. Evidently the report was a false one.”

“Yes, and probably circulated by Nick Jasniff himself,” added Roger.

“Of course you have been over to Coburntown, where the gypsies went after they left here,” remarked Dave.

“We have been all around that territory,” answered his Uncle Dunston. “The gypsies have disappeared entirely, one report stating that they were bound south. I had them stopped at a town about fifty miles away, and those in the camp were closely questioned. They said that Mother Domoza had been left behind on account of sickness, and that two gypsies, one named Tony Bopeppo, and the other Carlos Vazala, had remained with her to take care of her. They said the three were to go to another gypsy camp some twenty or thirty miles away. But at that camp it was said that they knew nothing about the old hag and her followers.”

“Were the two gypsies, Bopeppo and Vazala, the two with whom you had trouble about the land?” questioned Roger.

“Yes, they were the leaders in the quarrel,” answered Dunston Porter. “Bopeppo was particularly furious, and one day threatened to strike Mr. Basswood. I stopped him, and told him if he didn’t behave himself I’d have him placed under 204arrest. Vazala was also very vindictive, he asserting, along with Mother Domoza, that they had the right to occupy the land as long as they pleased.”

“Then it is more than likely that Bopeppo and Vazala, assisted by Mother Domoza and perhaps by Nick Jasniff, are guilty of this kidnapping,” went on our hero.

“We had figured it out that way—of course leaving out Jasniff.”

“Have you any sample of the handwriting of Bopeppo or Vazala?” asked Roger. “If you have you might compare them with the note sent to Mr. Wadsworth.”

“We have managed to get one note written by Bopeppo, and we have two samples of Vazala’s signature. But neither of them seem to be in the handwriting used in the note,” answered Dave’s father.

“Then it would seem as if the note had been written by somebody else!” cried Dave. “How about Mother Domoza?”

“We don’t believe the old hag can read or write English.”

“I’d like to see the note,” said Roger. Thereupon the communication was brought forth and the two young civil engineers scanned it very closely.

“I wish I could remember Nick Jasniff’s handwriting, 205but I can’t,” said Roger. “How about it, Dave?”

“If my memory serves me, he wrote rather a heavy hand,” answered our hero. “But I am not willing to say whether this is in his style or not. This looks to me as if it was a disguised hand, for it is very irregular.”

“We all thought the handwriting was disguised,” answered Mr. Wadsworth. He heaved a deep sigh. “Too bad! All this talk doesn’t seem to get us anywhere.”

“Well, one thing is certain,” said Dave. “The girls got on board that train, and the train went to Boston, making all of its usual stops. In that case, they must have gotten off at one of the stop stations,—that is, unless the train made some other stops which were not scheduled.”

“We have found out that the train did make a number of other stops,” answered his father. “Shortly after it left Hemston they discovered a hot box, and they had to stop four times on the way to fix that—twice near some water tanks, and twice at some cross-road signal towers. As a consequence of the delay, the train was also held up at two little way stations to let two express trains pass, and did not get into Boston until nearly two hours behind its regular time.”

“Have you got a list of all those stopping places?” questioned Roger.

206“We have.”

“Then I know what I’m going to do,” cried Dave. “I’ll take the automobile and go along the line of the railroad and stop at every one of those places and make inquiries, and see if we can’t find out whether the girls left the train, or if they were met by the gypsies, or anybody else.”

“I’ve already been along the line, Dave,” answered his father. “Your uncle and I went over the route, not by automobile but by a way train, and we made inquiries at every station; but without the least success.”

“Yes, but the train couldn’t have stopped long enough for you to ask many questions,” put in Roger.

“That is true,” returned Dave’s parent slowly. “Probably you would have a better chance of getting some particulars if you went along the route in the automobile. Of course it would take considerable time—several days in fact—to follow the route in that manner all the way into Boston.”

“It’s the only thing I can think of to do,” answered Dave. “And it will be much better than sitting here and doing nothing.”

“Right you are!” cried Roger. “I’m willing to start this minute if you say so,” and he jumped to his feet.

“I don’t think you can do much to-day,—it is too late,” answered Mr. Wadsworth. “But you 207might get ready for a start early to-morrow morning,” and he looked rather............