“Say, I guess we’ll have to give up,” remarked Bob in discouraged tones.
“Never!” cried Jerry. “We’ll wire to Denver.”
“That’s the way to talk,” exclaimed the lawyer. “We have several days yet, and we may locate him in time.”
They had to wait a whole day for a reply from Denver, and when it came it seemed as fruitless as any of the others had been. The message stated:
“Last heard of Masterly he was with an airship inventor named Axtell. Don’t know where Axtell is located.”
“Well, we do seem to be up against it,” remarked Jerry dubiously as he read the message a second time. “I wonder where in the world Axtell can be?”
“Did you ever know an airship man by that name?” the lawyer asked Mr. Glassford.
The inventor shook his head.
“There are so many in the business now,” he said, “that it is impossible to keep track of them. Axtell—Axtell—no, I never heard the name before.”
“Well,” remarked the lawyer, “I don’t see what can be done until you get hold of Masterly. Is there no one else who could give the evidence we need?”