er
Beggs very well.

"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 Basswood. 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' nobuddy 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