ending to business," was the agent's reply. "My
clerk can hardly take my place. Would you two be willing to go on
alone?"

"Certainly," returned Andy.

The next place, a village of perhaps twenty or thirty houses and half
a dozen stores, was soon reached. There was a small tavern, and they
drove up to this. Alighting, Matt ran inside and questioned the half
a score of loungers concerning the auction wagon.

Every man in the place shook his head. The wagon had not been seen in
the village. Nearly all of the men had just come in from work, and
every one said that had the wagon been on the main road at all he
would have seen it.

Matt listened with a sinking heart, and as Andy came in he grasped his
partner by the shoulder.

"We have made a mistake," he said faintly.

"A mistake, Matt?"

"Yes. The wagon did not come here at all. We are on the wrong track!"

CHAPTER XXVI.

SOMETHING OF A SURPRISE.

Andy was certainly as much dismayed as Matt at the discovery which had
been made. Just at the time when they supposed that they were drawing
closer to the object of their chase, they found that they were most
likely further away than ever. The older member of the firm gave
another groan, and this was supplemented by another from the freight
agent.

"I knew he couldn't cross that river," growled the latter. "Now, just
see what a wild goose chase you have led us!"

"Oh, he crossed the river, there is no doubt of that!" returned Matt
quickly. "But where we got off the track was somewhere among the
mountains. We dropped the right track and took something that
resembled it."

"Yes, that must be the truth of the matter," put in Andy. "It's too
bad!"

"What's it all about, anyway?" questioned the tavern-keeper
curiously.

In a few brief words Andy explained matters, while not only the
tavern-keeper, but also the others in the place, listened with deep
interest.

"Any reward offered for catching the rascal?" questioned one of the
men present, a brawny individual--evidently a mountaineer.

"Yes," returned Matt quickly. "How much shall we offer, Andy?" he
asked in a whisper.

"Twenty-five dollars would not be too much," returned his partner. "It
is quite a sum to us, I know, but I guess we would rather have our
turn-out back a dozen times over."

"We will give twenty-five dollars in cash for the return of our horse,
wagon and goods," said Matt, in a voice loud enough for all to hear.

"Twenty-five doll