"No luck; but Sam has an idea," answered Tom, and mentioned what it was.
"You must have supper first," said Mrs. Rover. "Then you can do all the telephoning you please." And so it was agreed.
During the past few months the telephone service in the neighborhood of Dexter's Corners had been greatly improved and the lines could be connected with nearly all of the villages and towns roundabout.
"I'll try Carwood first," said Sam. "I'll call up Tom Bender. He's a wideawake fellow and would know if an airship had been seen."
Carwood was soon had on the wire and Sam presently was talking to the boy he had mentioned—a lad who worked in the general store with his father.
"See an airship?" cried Tom Bender. "We sure did—scooting over this burgh like a streak, too! Was it your machine? Who was running it? I tried to make out but couldn't."
"Nobody was running it," answered Sam. "It ran away on its own account, from back of our barn. Where did it go to?"
"Ran away! Suffering toadstools, Sam, you don't mean it! I don't know where it went, it went so fast."
"Which way was it headed? Try to tell me as nearly as you can."
"It was headed over Bear Hill, near the Spring. That would about take it over Rayville."