e gave a start. "Gee! what would
you say if they were gone?"

"Gone!" echoed the others.

"Maybe they're not in that room at all!" added Jack.

"I'll soon find out!" answered Gif, and, leaving the breakfast table, he
went over and tried the bedroom door. It was unlocked, and he opened it
and went inside.

"They're gone, all right enough," he called out, and immediately the
others followed him into the room. Here they found the beds mussed up
and empty. All of the things belonging to Glutts and Werner were gone
and the single window of the room was wide open.

"That's a fine way to leave, I must say," grumbled Gif.

"Yes, and to leave this window wide open so the room can get as cold as
a barn!" added Spouter, as he pulled down the sash. "Some mean fellows,
believe me!"

"Let's see if the horse and sleigh are gone too!" cried Randy.

In a few minutes he and Fred were ready to go out, and they lost no time
in hurrying down to the barn and the shed. Sure enough, the horse and
sleigh were gone, and the barn door had been left wide open.

"I wonder when they went," remarked Fred.

"Most likely as soon as it was daylight. They probably had this all
fixed last night. That's why they went to bed early."

"Well, it doesn't hurt my feelings to have them missing."

"I'd like to know if they took any of our things with them."

The two Rovers returned to the Lodge, and there told of what they had
discovered. A search around the Lodge was immediately instituted, the
boys looking over their clothing and firearms and then their stores and
the regular belongings of the bungalow.

"As far as I can make out, there is only one flannel blanket from the
bed missing," said Gif. "I suppose they took that along to keep warm on
the ride. They didn't have but one small robe in the sleigh."

"I don't know about these stores," announced Spouter, who had been going
over them carefully. "It seems to me we had more canned stuff than
this--some green corn and asparagus, and also some canned salmon and
sardines."

"I wouldn't put it past 'em to take anything they thought they needed,"
declared Fred. "They are just that sort, and everybody here knows it."

"All I can say is, 'Good riddance to bad rubbish,'" said Randy.

"And may we fail to see 'em again while we're in this vicinity," added
his twin.

"My! but it's a real relief to have them gone," announced Jack. "Now we
can do as we please and have the best times ever," and his fa