"Well, what's the next thing to do?" asked Ned, when another look about the shed had shown that not the slightest clew was available.
"I'm going to do some telephoning," Tom stated. "A big airship like mine can't go scooting around the country without being noticed. And those fellows can't go on forever. They've got to have gasolene and oil, and to get them they'll have to come down. I'll get it back, sooner or later; but the question is: Why did they take her?"
"To sell," suggested Ned.
"I think not," Tom said. "A big airship like mine isn't easy to sell. People who would buy it would ask questions that might not easily be answered. I'm inclined to think that some other reason made them take her, and it's up to us to find out what it was. Let's go into the house."
"Hark!" suddenly exclaimed Ned, holding up his hand for silence. They all heard footsteps outside the hangar.
Tom sprang to the door, flashing his electric light, and a voice exclaimed:
"Golly! Chicken thieves!"
"Oh, is it you, Eradicate?" asked the young inventor, with a laugh. "No, it isn't chicken thieves--they were after bigger game this time."
"Suffin happen?" asked the colored man. "Massa Swift he heah a noise, an' see a light, an' he sent me out yeah t' see what all am gwine on."
"Yes, something happened," admitted Tom. "They got the Eagle, Rad."