Speedily the boys entered the house and securing their caps at once prepared to accompany George, who soon started down the lane toward the road beyond. There was no plan clearly defined in his mind nor had any one in the party any suggestions to make as to whom the thief might be or what had become of the missing automobile.
In response to George’s queries Uncle Sim related his own experiences. He had been coming in from the barn and noticed that the door of the garage was still open. As he had strict orders to see that this was closed every night, he turned aside to carry out the directions. To his surprise he found that the new automobile was not in its accustomed place. His first thought naturally was that the boys had taken it for another drive and yet at that very moment he heard the sound of their laughter issuing from the dining-room.
Puzzled by the fact he at once entered the house and soon made his presence and his errand known.
His statement, startling as it was, at first had not alarmed George, but as soon as he had made a hasty investigation he too was as troubled as his dusky friend. The car was gone and there was no accounting for its departure.
“Did any of you fellows hear the automobile when it went down the driveway?” George inquired of his friends as they sped along the dusty road.
“Not one of us,” said John, positively.
“That’s the trouble in having such a good car,” said George dryly. “You see it makes so little noise that it couldn’t be heard a few feet away.”
“I don’t think that was it,” spoke up Grant. “I think it’s because certain members of our party were making so much noise that an earthquake or thunder would have been drowned.”
“That’s all right, then,” said George dryly. “You wait until we find that car and then we’ll talk a little more about it.”
“What was the number of your car?” asked Fred.