Still there was no sign of life about the place.
His voice echoed weirdly through the one room of the cabin, but brought no response.
The match flickered and dropped from Matt's fingers. Groping his way to a bench, he sat down, alarmed and bewildered.
What had become of McGlory and George? This was the question he asked himself, and his mind framed a dozen different answers, none of them satisfactory.
George was full of whims and unreasonable resolves. Had he suddenly made up his mind that he could not trust Matt to make peace with his father? Had he broken away from McGlory, and had McGlory gone in pursuit of him?
Or was the absence of the boys due to some move against them on the part of Big John?
Or had they gone to some farmhouse after milk and eggs, or to get a hot supper?
That George had not "bolted," Matt was almost sure. Matt's plan for patching up a truce with the elder Lorry had appealed to George too strongly for that.
As for Big John making George and McGlory any trouble, that was possible, although not very probable. Matt did not see how Big John could have any information about the cabin.
And as for the boys visiting a neighboring farmhouse to secure food, it was not in line with their plan for either George or McGlory to show himself until their schemes were further advanced.
Rations had been secured in Waunakee--cold rations, but enough to last all three of the boys for two or three days.
Giving over his bootless reflections, Matt lighted another match, hunted up a candle, and soon had a more dependable glow in the room.
A brief search showed him that George's suit case, McGlory's carpetbag, and his own satchel were missing. This was a staggering discovery. It meant, if it meant anything, that the two boys had left and did not intend to return.
They would hardly go away, it seemed to Matt, without leaving some clue as to their whereabouts, and the cause that had led them to make such a decided change in the general plans. George and McGlory understood that Matt was to return as soon as he had talked with Mr. Lorry.
Matt had expected to get back to the cabin early in the afternoon. Had his failure to return alarmed the two boys?
Matt hunted high and low for some scrap of writing which would let in a little light on the situation, but he could find none.