"I don't believe I dropped it out of my pocket,"
said the scientist, for perhaps the twentieth time.
"Then it was taken," declared Tom.
"That's what I say!" chimed in Ned.
"And by some of Beecher's party!"
"Easy, my boy," cautioned Mr. Damon. "We
don't want to make accusations we can't prove."
"That is true," agreed Professor Bumper.
"But, though I am sorry to say it of a fellow
archaelogist, I can not help thinking Beecher
had something to do with the taking of my map."
"But how could any of them get it?" asked Mr. Damon.
"You say you had the map this morning, and certainly
none of them has been in our camp since dawn,
though of course it is possible that some of them
sneaked in during the night."
"It does seem a mystery how it could have
been taken in open daylight, while we were about
camp together," said Tom. "But is the loss
such a grave one, Professor Bumper?"
"Very grave. In fact I may say it is impossible
to proceed with the excavating without the map."
"Then what are we to do?" asked Ned.
"We must get it back!" declared Tom.
"Yes," agreed the scientist, "we can not work
without it. As soon as I make a little further
search, to make sure it could not have dropped
in some out-of-the-way place, I shall go over to
Professor Beecher's camp and demand that he
give me back my property."
"Suppose he says he hasn't taken it?" asked Tom.
"Well, I'm sure he either took it personally,
or one of his party did.
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