y longer, but call up the hospitals at once. If
he isn't in either of those he must be in some house, and in such
condition that his identity cannot be established. In that event it is
a case for the police. We haven't found him, and I think we had better
give the alarm."

Tom Swift thought it over for a moment. Then he came to a sudden
decision.

"You're right!" he told Mr. Damon. "We mustn't waste any more time. He
isn't along the road he ought to have traveled in coming from my house
to his home--that's sure. But before I call up the hospitals I want to
try out one more idea."

"What's that, Tom?"

"I want to go to the place where we heard that cry for help."

"Do you think that could have been Mr. Nestor?"

"It may have been. We'll go and take another look around there. Some
man was evidently hurt there, and was taken away. We may get a clew.
The lights on the runabout will give us a better chance to look around
than we had by the little pocket lamp. We'll try there, and, if we
don't find anything, then I'll call up the hospitals."

CHAPTER XVI

THE LONG NIGHT

With the speedy runabout it did not take Tom Swift and Mr. Damon long
to reach the place where the Air Scout had been grounded a few hours
before, and where they had heard the cry for help. All was as dark and
as silent as when they had been there before.

But, as Tom had said, the lights from his electric runabout would give
a brilliant illumination, and these he now directed toward the clump of
trees whence the cry for help had seemed to come.

"Doesn't appear to have been visited by any one since we were here,"
remarked Torn, as he observed the marks of the new automobile tire in
the dust. "Now we'll look about more carefully."

This they did, but they were about to give up in despair and start for
the nearest telephone to call up the hospitals, when Mr. Damon gave an
exclamation.

"What is it?" asked Tom.

"Something bright and shining!" said his companion. "I saw it gleam in
the light of the lamps. You nearly put your foot on it, Tom. Just step
back a moment."

Tom did so, and the eccentric man, with another exclamation, this time
of satisfaction, reached down and picked something up from the dusty
road.

"It's a watch!" he exclaimed. "A gold watch! And it's been stepped on,
evidently, or run over by an auto. Not much damaged, but the case is a
bit bent and scratched. It's stopped, too!" he added as he held it to
his ear.