Rover boys were
unable to solve it. Looking down on the ground, they saw a number of
footprints, but it was now too dark to follow any of these.

"Wish we had brought a pocket flashlight along," remarked Fred.

"It's getting as dark as a stack of black cats," said Andy.

"Yes, and we had better be getting back to town before it gets so dark
we lose our way," returned Jack.

As it was, they had some difficulty in finding the path down to the
road. Then they stumbled along in the darkness, occasionally heading
into some mud hole up to their ankles.

"Nappy and Slugger certainly have the laugh on us for this," said Fred,
as they plowed along. "Maybe they thought we would lose our way
completely in this darkness."

It was a good half-hour before the Rovers reached the outskirts of
Columbina. At a great distance they could see many twinkling electric
lights, one of which hung on the top of every oil derrick. But these
were so far off they did nothing towards illuminating the way.

"Almost ten o'clock," announced Jack, consulting his watch. "About all
we can do is to clean the mud from our shoes and go to bed."

There was a sleepy young clerk behind the counter of the hotel, and he
showed them where they could clean up.

"No bootblacks in Columbina," said Randy, with a grin. And then all set
to work with a whisk broom and brushes to clean up.

"I wonder if Uncle Dick will get in to-night," remarked Fred. The last
train to stop at Columbina was due in fifteen minutes.

"I think I'll stay up and find out," said Jack.

"You waiting for Mr. Rover?" demanded the boy behind the counter, as he
yawned and stretched himself. "If you are, he came in a couple of hours
ago."

"Is that so!" cried Jack, in surprise. "Where is he now?"

"I think he's up in his room, although I'm not sure. You see, I was out
to a dance last night, and I'm pretty tired, and I fell asleep a couple
of times sitting here doing nothing. Somehow or other, it seems to be an
off night around this hotel. Nothing doing at all," and the sleepy clerk
yawned again.

"Maybe he's up in his room looking over those papers he brought,"
suggested Randy. "Come on up and see."

All mounted the stairs to the third floor of the hotel. When they
reached the room occupied by Dick Rover they found the door locked, and
a rap upon it brought no response.

"He isn't here, that's sure," said Jack. "Maybe he went out on an
errand."

"Unless he's in our room," said