iptoed along the hallway to Ken's
room. He used the beam of a precious flashlight for a moment to scan the
undisturbed bed. Panic started inside him and was fought down.

Probably Ken had found something interesting to keep him from noticing
the alarm clock on a shelf in the laboratory. Perhaps someone had even
forgotten to wind the clock and it had run down.

Perhaps, even, the bearings of its balance wheel had finally become
frozen and had brought it to a stop!

Mrs. Maddox was behind him as he turned from the door. "What's wrong?"
she asked.

He flashed the light on the bed again. "I'd better go up to the
laboratory and have a look," he said.

Ken's mother nodded. She sensed her husband's worry, and wanted not to
add to it. "Take Ken's bicycle," she said. "It will be quicker, even if
you have to walk it uphill. I'll have some hot chocolate for you when
you come back."

Professor Maddox dressed hurriedly and took the bicycle from the garage.
He did have to wheel it most of the way up the hill, but it would be
easier coming down anyway, he thought. He wondered how much longer the
bearings in it would hold up without freezing.

As he came within view of the laboratory building he saw that the
windows were utterly dark. He knew that even with the shades down he
would have been able to see some glow of the oil lamps which they used,
provided Ken were still there.

He waited a full 10 minutes against the chance that Ken had put out the
lamps and was on his way out. Then he knew Ken had gone long ago. He
ought to call the Sheriff and have the police cars search for him, but
there were no phones and no cars.

He mounted the bicycle in fresh panic and rode recklessly down the hill
to town. At Sheriff Johnson's house he pounded frantically on the door
until the Sheriff shouted angrily through an open window, "Who is it?"

"It's Dr. Maddox. You've got to help me, Johnson. Ken's disappeared." He
went into details, and the Sheriff grunted, holding back his irritation
at being disturbed, because of his long friendship with Henry Maddox.

"I guess I should have gone down to the station," said Professor Maddox,
realizing what he had done. "I had forgotten there would be men on
duty."

"It's all right. I'll come with you."

The Sheriff's car had broken down days before. He kept a horse for his
own official use. "You can ride behind me," he said. "Sally's a pretty
decent gal. You get up there on the porch railing and c