"After that
we'll have to trust to luck, and to what inquiries we can
make."
The touring car carried a powerful lamp, and by its gleams
it was easy to trace for a time the progress of the
ponderous tank. There was no need to make inquiries of
persons living along the way, though once or twice Tom did
get out to ask, confirming the fact that the big machine had
rumbled past in a direction away from the Swift home.
"I had an idea they might have doubled on their tracks for
a time, and backed her up just to fool us," Tom said. "They
might do that, keeping her in the same tracks."
But this, evidently, had not been done, and the tank was
making good speed away from the Swift Louse. They kept up
the search until about midnight, and then a heavy rain began
just before they reached a point where several roads
branched.
"Luck's with them!" exclaimed Tom. "This will wash away
the marks, and we'll have to go it blind. Might as well put
up here for the night," he added, as they came to a village
hotel.
It was evident that little more could be done in the rain
and darkness, and there was danger of over-running the trail
of the tank if they kept on.
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