The lights of Shopton were in view. Mr. Knowlton drove his car down the slope that led to the Swift plant, the electric gleams of which could be made out now.
“I guess everything’s all right,” Tom said, with a note of relief in his voice.
But he had hardly spoken than there came the sound of a loud explosion.
“There goes something!” cried the farmer.
“I’m afraid so!” exclaimed Tom. “I wonder if that was at my plant? Oh, I do hope Ned and my father took all precautions!”
As the echoes of the explosion died away the little car carrying Tom and the farmer lurched forward.
CHAPTER XII
A DANGEROUS SEARCH
Immediately after receiving the mysterious message from Tom, a message that seemed to come out of the air, Ned Newton made a frantic effort to get the operator at central to trace the call. But if one has ever tried to do this he knows how difficult it is. Unless one can give the telephone number of the party to whom he has been talking, and who made the call, if one is cut off there is little chance of the communication being re-established. Ned found this out to his sorrow.
“What is his number?” asked the telephone girl in a matter-of-fact way.
“His number? Great Scott, didn’t I tell you——”