第47章

But he and Tom finally reached the seldom-used road which ran along the field that contained the lonely shack, and, following this, they reached a farmhouse about a mile farther on.Greatly to their relief, there was a telephone in the place.True it was only a party line, set up by some neighboring farmers for their own private use, but one of the subscribers, to whose home the private line ran, had a long distance instrument, and after a talk with him, this man promised Tom to call up Mr.Swift and acquaint him with the fact that his son and Jackson were all right, and would be home later.

"And now," said Tom, after thanking their temporary host, a farmer named Bloise, "can you tell us anything about an old cabin that stands back there?" and he indicated the location of the mysterious shack.

"Well, yes, I can tell you a little about it, but not very much," said Mr.Bloise."It was built, some years ago, by a rich New Yorker, who bought up a lot of land around here for a game preserve.But it didn't pan out.This cabin was only the start of what he was going to call a 'hunting lodge,' I believe it was.There was to be a big building on the same order, but it never was built.

"Some say the fellow lost all his money in Wall Street, and others say the state wouldn't let him make a game preserve here.However it was, the thing petered out, and the old shack hasn't been used since.""Oh, yes, it has!" exclaimed Tom."We just came from there, and there are signs which show some one has been sleeping there and eating there.""There has!" exclaimed the farmer."Well, I didn't know that.""I did," said his son, a young man about Tom's age."I meant to speak of it the other day.I saw an automobile turn into the old road that the men used when they built the shack.I thought it was kind of queer to see a touring car turn in there, and I meant to speak of it, but I forgot.Yes, some one has been at the old cabin lately.""Do you know who they are?" asked Tom eagerly."We are looking for a Mr.Nestor, who disappeared mysteriously about two weeks ago, and I just found his wallet there in the shack!""You did!" exclaimed Mr.Bloise."That's queer! You relatives of this Mr.Nestor?" he asked.

"Not exactly," Tom answered."Just very close friends.""Well, it's too bad about his being missing in that way," went on the farmer."I read about it in the paper, but I never suspected he was around here.""Oh, we're not sure that he was," said Tom quickly."Finding his wallet doesn't prove that," and he told the story of his own and Jackson's appearance on the scene, to the no small wonder of the farmer and his family.Tom said nothing about the finding of the files, nor the evidence he deduced from them.That was another matter to be taken up later.

"Who were in the auto you saw?" asked Tom of the farmer's son."Was Mr.Nestor in the car?""I couldn't be sure of that.There were two men in the machine, and they were both strangers to me.They were talking together, pretty earnestly, it seemed to me.""One did not appear as if he was being taken away against his will, did he?" asked Tom.

"No, I can't say that he did," was the answers "They looked to me, and acted like, business men looking over land, or something like that.They just turned in on the road that leads to the old hunting cabin, as we call it around here, and didn't pay any attention to me.Then I forgot all about them.""Neither of them could have been Mr.Nestor," decided Tom."At least it doesn't seem as if he'd talk at all companionably to a man who had treated him as we think Mr.Nestor has been treated.I guess that clew isn'tgoing to amount to much."

"It may!" insisted Jackson."They may have had Mr.Nestor in the car all the while--concealed in the back you know.We've got to find out more about these men and their auto, Tom.""Well, yes, perhaps we have.But how?"

"Station some one at the shack, or at the beginning of the private road.The men may come back.""That's so--they may.We'll do that!" cried the young inventor."We must tell the police and Mr.Nestor's folks what we have learned.How can we get back to Shopton in a hurry?" he asked the farmer.

"Well, I can drive you to the railroad station" was the answer.

"Thank you," remarked Tom."We'll accept your offer.And as soon as we get back we must send some one from the shop to stand guard over the airship," he added in an aside to Jackson."Those file fellows may come back.""That's so, we can't take any chances."

The farmer soon had his team at the door, and, after they had had a hasty but satisfying supper at the farmhouse, the son drove Tom and Jackson several miles to a railroad station, where they could catch a train for Shopton.

In due season Tom's home was reached.He intended to stop but a minute, to assure his father that everything was all right, and then get out his speedy runabout to go to see Mary, to tell her the news.

But when Tom sought his father in the library, he was told that there was a visitor in the house.

"Tom," said his father, "this gentleman is from Washington.He wants to arrange for a government test of your silent airship.I told him I thought you were about ready for it.""A government test !" cried Tom."Why, I didn't think the government even knew I was working on such an idea!" Tom was greatly surprised.