Dave Porter and the Runaways Part 40

"We'll go around to Dowling's place," said he to his chum.

They found the old man in a little shanty behind his house which he called his office. It had an old easy-chair and a desk, and on the wall was a telephone.

"How do you do, boys," he said, politely. "What can I do for you? Want some baggage shipped?"

"No, I came for some information, Mr. Dowling," said Dave. "Have you shipped any baggage for Buster Beggs lately?"

At the mention of the fat student's name the old expressman started.

"What do you want to know that for?" he demanded.

"I've a very good reason, Mr. Dowling. I want to do Beggs a favor."

"Reckon you want to find him, eh?"

"Yes."

"So do some other folks;" and the old man chuckled.

"Well, we are his friends, and we want to find him for his own good."

"Who be you, if I may ask?"

"I am Dave Porter, and this is Roger Morr. Buster Beggs is our friend, and so are Phil Lawrence and Ben Ba.s.swood. They ran away and it was foolish for them to do it. Now we want to find them and get them to come back here."

"It was foolish for 'em to run away--I said thet all along," murmured the old expressman.

"Then you know where they are?" put in Roger quickly.

"No, I don't."

"But you took their baggage away, didn't you?" questioned Dave, for he could see that the old man was holding something back.

"I allow as how I moved some things for 'em, yes," was the cautious reply.

"When they ran away?" pursued Dave.

The old expressman nodded.

"Who got those bags from Oak Hall?" asked Roger.

"Thet's a secret," and now the old man really chuckled, as if he thought it was a good joke.

"You did!" declared Dave, bound to get at the truth.

"No, I didn't. Buster did--carried 'em down on his back, one at a time, in the middle o' the night, an' n.o.buddy knew it! Say, they could walk off with yer hull school if they wanted to!" And the old expressman chuckled again.

"You were waiting for him?" continued Dave.

"Might be as I was."

"And you took the baggage to the depot?"

"Maybe I did."

"And had them checked on railroad tickets?"

"No, Buster went one way, and the bags went tudder--leas'wise so I was given to understand. Maybe he done it to put me off the track,"

continued Isaac Dowling.

"But where did the bags go to?" demanded Dave. "Come, out with it, Mr.

Dowling. I give you my word that I am acting for Buster's good. I wouldn't get him into trouble for the world. He is my chum, and so are those other boys my friends."

"Well, you look honest, boy, so I'll tell ye. The baggage was sent by express to a place called Camptown Falls, in Maine."

"Camptown Falls!" cried Roger. Then he looked at Dave, who nodded, to show that he understood.

"Did Buster say he was going elsewhere?" queried Dave.

"He didn't say so, exactly. But he mentioned Boston, an' I thought he was goin' there."

"He left on the train?"

"No, he didn't! He went off in the darkness, an' that's the last I see o' him," concluded Isaac Dowling, as a hail came for him to come into the house.

"Camptown Falls," said Dave, when he and Roger were alone. "Can they have gone to that out-of-the-way spot?"

"It would be the place Buster would pick out, Dave. He has often spoken of going camping up there."

"He must have mentioned Boston just to throw old Dowling off the track."

"More than likely. And to think he took those bags away while we slept!"

"I wonder where Phil and Ben were at the time?"

"I don't know. Maybe they were at that camp."

Much excited over what they had learned, Dave and the senator's son returned to Oak Hall. They had expected to interview Doctor Clay and were chagrined to learn that he had gone to New York on important business and would not return for two days. Mr. Dale had been left in charge of the school.

"Roger, do you know what I think of doing?" said our hero. "I've a good notion to get permission to leave the Hall and go after Phil and the others. I think I can get them to come back."

"Want me to go along?"

"That will hardly be necessary. Besides, I'd like somebody to stay here and watch Nat Poole, if he comes back. Do you know, I've a notion that Nat knows more about this affair than he would like to tell."

"He certainly acts that way."

"I am going to see Mr. Dale."