An automobile had been along it. The fresh tracks were plainly discernible.
“The yellow auto took the wood road,” he decided; “maybe we are wrong in suspecting a trick, after all. Tell you what we’ll do, Tom, we’ll explore the main road a bit, and if we find it torn up further along we’ll take the wood road.”
“That’s a good idea,” agreed Tom, “but we don’t want to leave the Flying Road Racer unguarded.”
“No, that’s right,” said Jack; “Ralph could remain on guard while we went ahead on foot a ways. If you hear or see anything suspicious just shout to us, Ralph,” he enjoined, as he and Tom struck off down the main road to investigate. Just beyond where the sign that had stopped them was nailed up the road took a sharp turn, and bushes grew right down to the sides of the track.
Thus, a few steps took them out of sight of the Flying Road Racer and Ralph, who was quite proud of the trust reposed in him. They trudged on for a few hundred yards, but there was no sign that anything was the matter with the road.
“It’s just as I thought,” said Jack, “it’s a trick. We ought never to have left the machine back there. We——”
“Help!”
A shrill boyish cry of fear and alarm was borne to their ears from behind.
“It’s Ralph! Come on, Tom! Run as you never ran before!” shouted Jack, dashing off in the direction of the cries.
The boys ran fast; but when they arrived panting at the side of the Flying Road Racer there was no one there. Ralph had vanished as utterly as if the earth had swallowed him up, and the boys quickly realized another disastrous fact.