they did not want to go down to
Portland, whither it was bound. They asked at the telegraph office for
a message and one was handed over to them.

"This is something like it!" cried Dick, as he read it aloud. It ran
as follows:

"My sincere sympathy. I remember Tom well and will be on the watch for
him. Will meet you on your arrival.

"JAMES V. HENDRICKS."

"Well, that's one word of encouragement," said Sam. "Good for Jim! I
thought he'd help us."

"If he only got the message in time to catch Tom," returned his
brother. "We were rather late in getting it to him, remember."

"We'll have to hope for the best."

While the boys were waiting around Spokane, for the train to take them
to Seattle, they fell in with a commercial drummer who said he was
waiting for a companion with some sample cases. He was a
kindly-looking man and during the course of his conversation let slip
the news that he had been on the train Tom had taken.

"Perhaps you can give us some information," cried Dick. "We are trying
to catch a young man who was on that train," and he gave a few of the
particulars.

"Well! well!" cried the commercial drummer. "To be sure I met that
fellow. The way I noticed him was because he acted so queer. He
didn't want to sit still, but kept walking up and down the aisle and
from one car to another. I saw the conductor talk to him once or
twice, too."

"Where did he go?" questioned Sam.

"Well, you know the train ahead of ours broke down and we hooked fast
to some of the cars. When this was done a lot of new passengers got in
our cars, and there was something of a mix-up. I saw the fellow go
into one of the cars from the other train, and that's the last I did
see of him."

"And that train went right through to Seattle?" asked Dick.

"Yes. That is, unless they had more trouble on the line. And by the
way, did you hear of what happened on the trip from St. Paul? A lady
lost her handbag containing jewelry to the value of ten thousand
dollars."

CHAPTER XVI

THE ROVER BOYS IN SEATTLE

Sam and Dick looked at each other in new alarm. They remembered only
too well what had occurred at Hiram Duff's cottage. Was it possible
that Tom had seen the lady's jewels and taken them? In his unbalanced
state of mind he was liable to do anything.

"She had the jewels in her handbag?" questioned Dick.

"Yes, a little black affair--so she told the conductor. When she
discovered that it wa