e house she
passed would forget her in a hurry."

"That's so," agreed Ned. "But if they took her across country--"

"A different story," agreed Tom. "Come to think of it, maybe we'd
better start to-night, Ned. We can make inquiries after dark as well as
by daylight and get ready for an early morning hunt."

"Let's do it, then!" suggested his chum. "I'm ready. I'll send word
that I'll not be home to-night."

"Good!" cried the young inventor. "We'll have an old-fashioned hunt
after our enemies, Ned!"

"And don't leave me out!" begged Mr. Damon. Hurried preparations were
made for the night trip. Tom ordered out one of his speediest, though
not largest, automobiles, and told his helper to get the Hawk ready, to
have her so she could start at a moment's notice if needed.

"You're not going in her, are you, Tom?" asked Ned.

"I may need her to-morrow for daylight hunting. If the tank's hidden
somewhere, I can spot her from above more easily than from the ground.
So if we get any trace of my machine, I can phone in and have the
aeroplane brought to me."

"That's a good idea!"

Inquiry at the shop where the tank had been built and kept disclosed
the fact that, in addition to Koku, three of Tom's men had gone in her
to help manage the machine under the direction of the man who bore the
forged note. That he was one of the plotters not hitherto observed by
either Ned or Tom seemed certain.

"And they took Koku and some of the men merely to make it look natural
and as if it were all right," Tom said. "Naturally that deceived my
father, who thought, of course, that I was waiting for the machine.
Well, it was a slick trick, Ned, but we may fool them yet."

"I hope so, Tom."

Night had fully fallen when Tom, Ned, and Mr. Damon started away in the
touring car.

Out onto the road rolled the automobile. During the little daylight
that had remained after his arrival at home and following the discovery
of the loss of the tank Tom and Ned had traced it, by the marks of the
big steel caterpillar belts, to the main road. It had gone along that
some distance, just how far could not be said.

"But by using the searchlight of the auto we can trace her as long as
they keep her on the road," said Tom. "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 mak