Part 25 (1/2)

”Oh, hardly as bad as that,” suggested Ned. ”Tom is able to look out for himself. He'd put up a big fight before he'd permit himself to be carried off.”

”Well, what do you think did happen?” asked Mr. Damon.

”I think they wanted to get him out to the farm to see if they couldn't squeeze some more money out of him,” was the answer. ”Tom was pretty easy in that barn business, and I guess Kanker was sore because he haven't asked a larger sum. They knew Tom wouldn't come out on their own invitation, so they forged my name, so to speak.”

”Can you get Tom back?” asked Mrs. Baggert anxiously.

”Of course!” declared Ned, though it must be admitted he spoke with more confidence than he really felt. ”We'll begin the search right away.”

”And if I can get my hands on any of those villains--” spluttered Mr.

Damon, dancing around, as Mrs. Baggert said, ”like a hen on a hot griddle,” which seemed to describe him very well, ”if I can get hold of any of those scoundrels, I'll--I'll--Bless my collar b.u.t.ton, I don't know what I will do! Come on, Ned!”

”Yes, I guess we'd better get busy,” agreed the young bank clerk. ”Tom has gone somewhere, that's certain, and under a misapprehension. It may be that we are needlessly alarmed, or they may mean bad business. At any rate, it's up to us to find Tom.”

In Ned's runabout, which was a speedier car than that of the eccentric man, the two set off for Kanker's farm. On the way they stopped at various places in town, where Tom was in the habit of doing business, to inquire if he had been seen.

But there was no trace of him. The next thing to do was to learn if he had really started for the Kanker farm.

”For if he didn't go there,” suggested Ned, ”it will look funny for us to go out there making inquiries about him. And it may be that after he got that message Tom decided not to go.”

Accordingly they made enough inquiries to establish the fact that Tom had started for the farm of the rascally Kanker, who had been so insistent in the matter of his almost worthless barn.

A number of people who knew Tom well had seen him pa.s.s in the direction of Kanker's place, and some had spoken to him, for the young inventor was well known in the vicinity of Shopton and the neighboring towns.

”Well, out to Kanker's we'll go!” decided Ned. ”And if anything has happened to Tom there--well, we'll make whoever is responsible wish it hadn't!”

”Bless my fountain pen, but that's what we will!” chimed in Mr. Damon.

And so the two began the search for the missing youth.

Chapter XXI

A Prisoner

Amos Kanker came to the door of his farmhouse as Ned and Mr. Damon drove up in the runabout. There was an unpleasant grin on the not very prepossessing face of the farmer, and what Ned thought was a cunning look, as he slouched out and asked:

”Well, what do you want? Come to smash up any more of my barns at three thousand dollars a smash?”

”Hardly,” answered Ned shortly. ”Your prices are too high for such ramshackle barns as you have. Where's Tom Swift?” he asked sharply.

”Huh! Do you mean that young whipper-snapper with his big traction engine?” demanded Mr. Kanker.

”Look here!” bl.u.s.tered Mr. Damon, ”Tom Swift is neither a whipper-snapper nor is his machine a traction engine. It's a war tank.”

”That doesn't matter much to me,” said the farmer, with a grating laugh. ”It looks like a traction engine, though it smashes things up more'n any one I ever saw.”

”That isn't the point,” broke in Ned. ”Where is my friend, Tom Swift?

That's what we want to know.”