What
happened, anyhow?"
"Bless my memorandum pad, but I hardly know!" answered the
eccentric man. "I arrived here a little while ago, stopping
in merely to pay Tom a visit, as I often do, and he wasn't
here. His father was anxiously waiting for him, too, wishing
to consult him about some shop matters. Mr. Swift said Tom
had gone out with you, or over to your house--I wasn't quite
sure which at first--and was expected back any minute.
"Then I called you up," went on Mr. Damon, "and I was
surprised to learn you hadn't seen Tom. There must be
something wrong, I think."
"I'm sure of it!" exclaimed Ned. "Let's find Mr. Swift.
And what's this about his going to meet me over at the place
of that farmer, Mr. Kanker, where we had the trouble about
the barn Tom demolished?"
"I hardly know, myself. Perhaps Mr. Swift can tell us."
But Mr. Swift was able to throw but little light on Tom's
disappearance--whether a natural or forced disappearance
remained to be seen.
"No matter where he is, we'll get him," declared Ned. "He
hasn't been away a great while, and it may turn out that his
absence is perfectly natural.
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