section of the car, Dick was nowhere to be
seen.

"Taking a snack in the buffet, perhaps," suggested Bert. "There's
something uncanny about that appetite of his. I'd hate to have him as a
steady boarder."

But here their search was equally unavailing. The attendant at the
buffet did not remember having seen any one of his description lately.

"Great Scott," ejaculated Tom. "Where is the old rascal anyway?"

Bert bent his brows in a puzzled frown. It certainly did seem a little
queer.

"He must be close by somewhere," he said slowly. "He can't have vanished
into the thin air. Perhaps the porters or the train men have seen
something of him."

With a growing sense of uneasiness they went from car to car, but the
mystery remained unsolved until they reached the engineer.

"Sure," replied that worthy, "I know who you mean. He was talking to me
alongside the engine here."

"How long ago?" asked Bert, anxiously.

"O, it must be all of two hours," was the reply. "I remember it was just
a little while after the train stopped. When he left me he started up
that road," pointing to the path beside the track. "Said he was going to
stretch his legs a little."

"Two hours ago!" exclaimed Bert.

"And not back yet!" cried Tom.

The boys looked at each other and in their eyes a great fear was dawning.

"O, I guess he's all right," said the engineer, "though he certainly was
taking chances if he went very far. Things are rather risky around here
just now, and it's good dope not to get too far away from the train
unless you're pretty well 'heeled' and have got some friends along."

But his last words fell upon unheeding ears.
With a bound, Bert was back in the car, closely followed by Tom. They
rummaged hastily in their bags until they found their Colt
revolvers--the good old .45s that had done them such good service in
their fight with the pirates off the Chinese coast. Not a word was
spoken. There was no time for talk and each knew what was passing in the
mind of the other. Dick was gone--dear old Dick--and at this very
moment was perhaps in deadly peril. There were only two things to be
done. If he were alive, they would find him. If he were dead, they
would avenge him.

That they were taking their own lives in their hands in the effort to aid
their comrade did not even occur to them. It seemed the simplest thing
in the world. It was not even a problem. Not for a moment did they
weigh the cost