"
CHAPTER X
THE PROFESSOR DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF
The boys uttered a cry of dismay.
"You don't mean--you can't mean they have been here again?"
"It looks that way," replied Tad. "Both Walter's and Ned's ponies are
gone. See, the ropes have been untied, not cut. The ponies surely
did not do that."
The Professor was much too excited to speak for the moment.
"I am glad they did not take your mount, Professor. That is one thing
to be thankful for, anyway," said Tad. "I don't understand this
business at all."
"Why, they must have been hanging about our camp all the time. They
followed us here," exploded Ned. "We are a lot of tenderfeet."
"Some of us," suggested Chunky.
"This is no joke," snapped Ned, turning on him almost savagely. "We
are in a fix."
"Yes, but we've got two mules left, haven't we," queried the boy
whimsically.
"It's an outrage!" shouted the Professor. "I'll have the law on them
whoever they are. They shall suffer for this!"
"Yes, but first we shall have to catch them, Professor," returned Tad.
"It seems we were not misinformed when they warned us to be on the
lookout for horse thieves."
"In Springfield, yes. I had no idea it was as bad as this. They
certainly can't get away without being caught."
"I don't know about that. But I do know that we have been easy game
for the thieves.
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