d tank the men
came, smiles of gratification on their faces.

"We certainly busted her wide open, Mr. Swift!" called the chief
mechanician.

"Yes," assented the young inventor; but there was not as much
gratification in his voice as there should have been. "There isn't
much of a barn left, but Ned thinks he saw some one run out, and if
there was one man there may have been more. We'd better have a look
around, I guess."

The engineering force exchanged glances. Then Hank Baldwin, who was in
charge of the motors, said:

"Well, if there was anybody in that barn when we chewed her up I
wouldn't give much for his hide, German or not."

"Let us hope no one was in there," murmured Tom.

They turned to go back to the demolished structure, fear and worry in
their hearts. No more complete ruin could be imagined. If a cyclone had
swept over the barn it could not have more certainly leveled it. And,
not only was it leveled, crushed down in the center by the great weight
of the tank, but the boards and beams were broken into small pieces.
Parts of them clung in long, grotesque splinters to the endless steel
belts.

"I don't see how we're going to find anybody if he's in there,"
remarked Hank.

"We'll have to," insisted Tom. "We can look about and call. If any one
is there he may have been off to one side or to one end, and be
protected under the debris. I wish I had heard you call, Ned."

"I wish you had, Tom. I yelled for all I was worth."

"I know you did. I was too eager to go on, and, at the same time, I
really couldn't stop well on that hill. I had to keep on going. Well,
now to learn the worst!"

They walked back toward the demolished barn. But they had not reached
it when from around the corner swung a big automobile. In it were
several men, but chief, in vision at least, among them, was a burly
farmer who had a long, old-fashioned gun in his hands. On his bearded
face was a grim look as he leaped out before the machine had fairly
stopped, and called:

"Hold on, there! I guess you've done damage enough! Now you can pay for
it or take the consequences!" And he motioned to Tom, Ned, and the
others to halt.

Chapter XVIII

Ready for France

Such was the reaction following the crashing through of the barn,
coupled with the sudden appearance of the men in the automobile and the
threat of the farmer, that, for the moment, Tom, Ned, or their
companions from the tank could say nothing. They just stood