The boys were almost afraid to penetrate further into the woods, for they found the ground growing wet and spongy under their feet. All halted and gathered around Mr. Laning.
"Do you think he has really been drowned?" asked Sam, with a slight shiver.
"It may be," was the farmer's reply. "I know of one man who was drowned here some years ago, and every year cattle are lost here. The bottom of the swamp is very sticky, and once a person gets in he sinks down and under."
"What shall we do?" questioned Tom.
"We can go ahead, but we want to be mighty careful. Don't take a step until you are sure of your footing. If you find yourself sinking, grab hold of some tree or bush."
Mr. Laning led the way and the boys followed, until they had covered a distance of fifty or sixty feet. Here the ground was so soft they had to leap from one tree root or clump of bushes to another. As they moved forward they listened intently for some further sound from Merrick, but none came.
"Hullo, what's this?" cried Dick, presently, and moved to one side, close to a pool of dark and treacherous-looking water. "A man's hat!"
He picked it up and turned it over. On the inside were the initials, S. A. M.
"It must be Merrick's," he went on. "Can he have gone down here?"
The others came at his call and all looked at the hat, which had been lying in the mud at the side of the pool. Then a match was struck, and all gazed around and into the pool while this faint illumination lasted. No other trace of the missing man was to be seen.
"Merrick, where are you?" called out Dick. "If you need help, say so, and we'll try to get you out."
"Do you think he'd answer that call?" asked Fred.
"I think he'd rather go to prison than die in this swamp," was the reply.
The students and Mr. Laning moved cautiously around the edge of the swamp for half an hour and then returned to the roadway. To mark the spot where the hat had been found Dick hung the head covering on a tree limb.
"We can come back in the daylight and make another search," said he. "And we can notify the authorities, too."
When they got back to the Stanhope cottage they found the others anxiously awaiting their return.
"Did you catch him?"
"Did he hurt you?"
"No, we didn't catch him, and nobody is hurt," answered Mr. Laning, "We lost him in the swamp, and there is no telling where he is now."
"I want to get hold of him for two reasons—that is, if he is alive," said Dick. "I want to get back those bonds and I want to know what brought him to this cottage."
"Maybe he came here to rob the Stanhopes," whispered Tom. "But I shouldn't tell them, for it will frighten them too much,"
"No, don't say a word, Tom. If you do, Mrs. Stanhope will be just as nervous as she ever was."
"I and my family are going to stay here to-night," announced Mr. Laning; "so we can go on a hunt for that man first thing in the morning."
"And I'll drive over, if Captain Putnam will let me," answered Dick.
The appearance of Merrick had put a damper on the breaking up of the party, and the Rovers were rather silent as they went back to the school. It was too late to speak to Captain Putnam that night, but Dick was up early and saw the master of the Hall before breakfast.
"I trust you had a good time last night," said Captain Putnam, smiling.
"We did have, sir," said Dick. "But our party broke up in a way we didn't anticipate," and then he told of what had occurred.
The captain had heard of the missing traction company bonds, and he readily allowed Dick to go back to the cottage, using a horse and buggy for that purpose. Sam and Tom wanted to go, too, but to this Captain Putnam demurred.
"I think one is enough, especially as Mr. Laning is there, too," he said.
With a good horse and a light buggy, it did not take long for the eldest Rover boy to reach the Stanhope cottage. The family had just had breakfast and were surprised to see him so early.
"Didn't you have anything to eat?" questioned Dora. "If you didn't, come right in, and I'll make you an omelet and some coffee."
"No, thank you, Dora," he whispered. "I'll have to wait for that until we're keeping house together. Then"
"Oh, Dick!" she cried and blushed like a rose.
"I had breakfast while driving over,—an orange and some sandwiches," went on the youth. "Mrs. Green got them ready for me. Is there anything new?"
"No. Uncle John is waiting for you. He is in the woodshed, trying on some old rubber boots. He says one ought to have rubber boots to go into the swamp with."
Dick hurried to the woodshed and there found that Mr. Laning had unearthed two pairs of boots, and he donned one pair while the farmer put on the other. A little later both got in the buggy and drove up the road they had traveled the night previous. Then they tied the horse to a tree, and followed the path leading to the edge of the swamp.
"Hullo, the hat is gone!" exclaimed Dick, as he came close to the black pool.
"Maybe it dropped to the ground," suggested John Laning.
Both looked around, but could see nothing of the missing head covering. Then Dick caught sight of a slip of paper pinned to the tree.
"Here is a message of some kind," he said, end read it. The message ran as follows:
"I reckon I fooled you this trip. I was up in the tree all the time. By the time you get this I shall be miles away. Ta ta until the next time."
"Humph!" muttered Dick. "What do you think of that?" And he passed the message to his companion.
"He certainly fooled us," answered Mr. Laning. "I suppose those yells were only to put us off our guard. It's a pity we didn't carry his hat off for a souvenir of the occasion—as you youngsters put it." And the farmer grinned.
"Perhaps he is still around," suggested Dick. "If he tried to fool us once he might try to fool us again."
"That's so, too. It won't do any harm to take a good look around while we are at it, Dick."
They spent the whole of the morning walking around the swamp and in trying to trace the movements of Merrick, but without success. Nothing concerning the rascal was to be found, and when they felt both tired out and hungry they returned to the Stanhope cottage. Here the girls and the ladies had a hot dinner awaiting them and served them liberally, finishing up with apple pie that Dora had made for Dick's especial benefit.
"It's fine!" he said to her, on the sly.
"Then you like it?" she answered, with a smile.
"Do I? Dora, when we're keeping house you shall make me a pie like this twice a week," he added, earnestly.
"Dick, if you don't stop your joking"
"Oh, I'm not joking, Dora. Of course, if you're not willing to make me a pie now and then"
"Oh, it isn't that—I'll make all the pies you want. But—but" And then Dora blushed so furiously that she had to run from the room. Dick looked after her longingly and heaved a mountainous sigh. He wished that all his academy days were over and that he was engaged in business and settled down in life. He knew just what kind of a home he wanted, and who he wanted in it besides himself—and perhaps Dora knew, too.
"But I can't think of those things yet," he mused, as he finished his dinner. "I've got to go out into the world first, get into business, and prove my worth."
The meal over, it was decided that Dick and Mr. Laning should drive to Cedarville and get into communication with the local authorities and also the authorities at Ithaca. This was done, and the following day another hunt was made for Merrick. But he could not be found; and there, for the time being, the affair rested.
"I think we'll hear from him again some day," said Dick, and he was right; they did hear from the swindler, and when they least expected it.