Part 27 (1/2)

”And did you go near the factory to find out who called or who threw the paper out?” Ned queried.

”I didn't,” the boy answered. ”I was scared. I went home, and didn't even start to find the lost cow.

”No more he did,” chimed in the farmer. ”He come runnin' in like a whitehead, and as soon as I saw the paper and heard what Bub had to say, I thought maybe I'd better do somethin'.”

”Did you go to the factory?” asked Ned eagerly.

”No. I thought the best thing to do would be to find this Mr. Swift, or the other folks mentioned in this letter. I knowed, in a general way, where Shopton was, but I'd never been there, doing my tradin' in the other direction, and so I had to stop and ask the road. If you can tell me--”

”We're two of the persons spoken of in that note,” said Mr. Damon, as he mentioned his name and introduced Ned. ”We have been looking for our friend Tom Swift for two days now. We must find him at once, as there is no telling what he may be suffering.”

”Where is this old factory you speak of,” continued Mr. Damon, ”and how can we get there? It's too bad one of you didn't go back, after finding the note, to tell Tom he was soon to be rescued.”

”Waal, maybe it is,” said the farmer, a bit put out by the criticism.

”But I figgered it would be better to look up this young man's friends and let them do the rescuin', and not lose no time, 'specially as it's about as far from my place to the factory as it is to Shopton.”

”Well, I suppose that's so,” agreed Ned. ”But what is this factory?”

”It's an old one where they started to make beet sugar, but it didn't pan out,” the farmer said. ”The place is in ruins, and I did hear, not long ago, that somebody run a thres.h.i.+n' machine through it, an' busted it up worse than before.”

”Great horned toads!” cried Ned. ”That must be the very factory Tom ran his tank through. And to think he should be a prisoner there!”

”Held by whom, do you suppose?” asked Mr. Damon.

”By that Blakeson gang, I imagine,” Ned answered. ”There's no time to lose. We must go to his rescue!”

”Of course!” agreed Mr. Damon. ”We're much obliged to you for bringing this note,” he went on to the farmer. ”And here is something to repay you for your trouble,” and he took out his wallet.

”Shucks! I didn't do this for pay!” objected the farmer. ”It's a pity I wouldn't help anybody what's in trouble! If I'd a-knowed what it meant, me and Bub here would have gone to the factory ourselves, maybe, and done the work quicker. But I didn't know--what with war times and such-like--but that it would be better to deliver the note.”

”It turns out as well, perhaps,” agreed Ned. ”We'll look after Tom now.”

”And I'll come along and help,” said the farmer. ”If there's a gang of tramps in that factory, you may need some reinforcements. I've got a couple of new axe handles in my machine, and they'll come in mighty handy as clubs.”

”That's so,” said Mr. Damon. ”But I fancy Tom is simply locked in the deserted factory office, with no one on guard. We can get him out once we get there, and we'll be glad to have you come with us. So if you won't take any reward, maybe your boy will, as he found the note,” and Mr. Damon pressed some bills into the hands of the boy, who, it is needless to say, was glad to get them.

It was a run of several miles hack to the deserted factory, and though they pa.s.sed houses on the way, it was decided that no addition to their force was necessary, though they did stop at a blacksmith shop, where they borrowed a heavy sledge to batter down a door if such action should be needed.

The farmer's rattletrap of a car, in spite of its appearance, was not far behind Ned's runabout, and in a comparatively short time all were within sight of the ruined place--a ruin made more complete by the pa.s.sage through it of Tom Swift's war tank.

”And to think of his being there all this while!” exclaimed Mr. Damon, as he and Ned leaped from their machine.

”If he only is there!” murmured the young bank clerk.

”What do you mean? Didn't the note he threw out say he was there?”

”Yes, but something may have happened in the meanwhile. Those plotters, if they'd do a thing like this, are capable of anything. They may have kidnapped Tom again.”