“What!” the cry came from all three of his companions simultaneously.
“It’s gone!” cried the boy. “Look here, it’s been unbolted from the sector. Boys, the trial trip is off if we can’t find it.”
As it was the landing lever that controlled the descending impetus of the craft, it can readily be seen that it would have been foolhardy—suicidal, in fact—to have attempted to start without it.
“It was here the last thing last night,” cried Ned. “I know because I looked the whole craft over before I turned in.”
“Just the same, it is gone,” declared Tom.
“Somebody has taken it,” struck in Joyce.
“Yes, somebody with a spite against us,” added Ned, and in his mind the thought of Sam Hinkley flashed up.
“Has anybody seen Sam about this morning?” he asked.
No, nobody had. The boy had not put in his usual appearance, which seemed odd, for recently he had appeared to take more interest than usual in the Electric Monarch.
“You surely don’t suspect——” began Tom.