"I'm not going back," declared Grant. "I'll send the bag back by
express and telegraph the hotel to send my bag in the same way to
Utica. If they get busy right away it ought to be there by the
time we are."

"No use, my dear friend," said John, shaking his head. "Your bag
by this time is on its way to Timbuctoo or San Francisco. Some
other fellow has it and if he has and isn't making remarks that
sound like echoes of yours, it is only because he hasn't yet
found out his mistake."

The perplexity in which Grant found himself was increasing. Many
of his necessary articles and much of his clothing that he would
require on the trip were contained in the missing bag. He was
unable to see the sly wink which John gave Fred when the latter
looked questioningly at him.

So insistent was Grant that the Black Growler was stopped at
Schenectady to enable him to send a telegram to the hotel at
which the Go Ahead boys had stopped the preceding night at
Albany.

No one had offered to assist him in his task and the boy alone
carried the bag which he believed had been given him in place of
his own to the express office. There, in accordance with the word
which he had already sent the hotel, he shipped the bag to
Albany.

When he returned to the motor-boat so engrossed was he with his
own troubles that he failed to discover the grin which appeared