“I imagine Sam is right,” said Dick.  “If it wasn’t Dan Baxter it was his double.”

Upon hearing this the hotel clerk and the detectives insisted upon knowing who Dan Baxter was, and the boys told as much of the bully as they deemed necessary.

“Of course, if he is guilty the chances are that he will leave San Francisco as soon as possible,” said one of the detectives.  “The best we can do is to try to head him off.”

“And we’ll do our best to find him, too,” added Tom.

“I think the hotel ought to be responsible for this robbery,” said Dick.

“You didn’t leave your key at the desk when you went out,” cried the hotel clerk, struck by a sudden idea.

“What of that?” asked Tom.

“That makes the guest responsible.”

“What!” cried Tom, aghast.

“We are responsible only when the key is left at the desk.  And jewels must be left for keeping in one of our safes,” went on the clerk.  “There are our rules,” and he pointed to the printed form tacked on the inside of the door.

“Don’t let us talk about that just now,” said one of the detectives.  “I think we can get hold of this thief, and if we are quick about it we’ll get everything he took, too.”

The matter was talked over for a quarter of an hour longer and then the detectives went off to make their report and to follow on the trail of Dan Baxter, if such a thing was possible.

It must be confessed that the three Rover boys slept but little that night.  The loss of the cash was something of a serious matter to them, even though they still possessed a hundred odd dollars in cash between them, and could easily telegraph home for more.  More than this, the diamonds and cuff buttons had been gifts of which they were very proud.

“And to think that Dan Baxter should get them,” said Tom.  “I wouldn’t feel half so bitter if it had been just some ordinary sneak thief.”  And the others said the same.

Two days went by and nothing was learned concerning Dan Baxter further than that he had put up at the Montgomery Hotel for one night and had left early in the morning.

“He is hundreds of miles away from here by this time,” said Dick sadly.

“He said he would get square, and I guess he has done it,” returned Tom.

But Dan Baxter had not gotten as far as they supposed.  He was in hiding in Oakland, across the bay, having pawned the diamonds at a pawn-broker’s of shady reputation for seventy-five dollars.  This gave him three hundred and fifty dollars in cash, which made him, for the time being, feel quite rich.

But he was afraid to take a train to some other town, and so remained in the boarding house for nearly a week, under the assumed name of Robert Brown.

At the end of the fifth day Dan Baxter became acquainted with a seafaring man named Jack Lesher.  Lesher was a rough fellow, who had sailed to many ports on the Pacific Ocean.  He had now obtained the position of first mate on a large schooner which was to sail in a few days from San Francisco to several ports in Australia.