"What!" cried Paul, springing to his feet, and Chet was too astonished to speak.
"I do not wonder that you are astonished. Yes, he had disappeared, leaving his valise and overcoat behind him.
"I thought the matter so queer that I was on the point of notifying the police. But on calling at the post office for letters I received one from him stating that he was sorry, but he had come back to the place in question and found it not what he had anticipated, so he wouldn't bother me any more."
"I don't believe he came back!" ejaculated Chet. "If he had he would have stopped at the ranch."
"I agree with you."
"Have you that letter?" asked Paul, his voice trembling with excitement.
"I have."
"I would like to see it, please."
"Certainly." And Noel Urner brought forth a large flat pocketbook from which he extracted the communication in question.
Paul took it to the light and examined it closely.
"This is a forgery! Uncle Barnaby never wrote it."
