man. "Probably some of those
scoundrels were waiting at the farm for him, and they've got him no one
knows where by this time!"

"Oh, hardly as bad as that," suggested Ned. "Tom is able to look out
for himself. He'd put up a big fight before he'd permit himself to be
carried off."

"Well, what do you think did happen?" asked Mr. Damon.

"I think they wanted to get him out to the farm to see if they couldn't
squeeze some more money out of him," was the answer. "Tom was pretty
easy in that barn business, and I guess Kanker was sore because he
haven't asked a larger sum. They knew Tom wouldn't come out on their
own invitation, so they forged my name, so to speak."

"Can you get Tom back?" asked Mrs. Baggert anxiously.

"Of course!" declared Ned, though it must be admitted he spoke with
more confidence than he really felt. "We'll begin the search right
away."

"And if I can get my hands on any of those villains--" spluttered Mr.
Damon, dancing around, as Mrs. Baggert said, "like a hen on a hot
griddle," which seemed to describe him very well, "if I can get hold of
any of those scoundrels, I'll--I'll--Bless my collar button, I don't
know what I will do! Come on, Ned!"

"Yes, I guess we'd better get busy," agreed the young bank clerk. "Tom
has gone somewhere, that's certain, and under a misapprehension. It may
be that we are needlessly alarmed, or they may mean bad business. At
any rate, it's up to us to find Tom."

In Ned's runabout, which was a speedier car than that of the eccentric
man, the two set off for Kanker's farm. On the way they stopped at
various places in town, where Tom was in the habit of doing business,
to inquire if he had been seen.

But there was no trace of him. The next thing to do was to learn if he
had really started for the Kanker farm.

"For if he didn't go there," suggested Ned, "it will look funny for us
to go out there making inquiries about him. And it may be that after he
got that message Tom decided not to go."

Accordingly they made enough inquiries to establish the fact that Tom
had started for the farm of the rascally Kanker, who had been so
insistent in the matter of his almost worthless barn.

A number of people who knew Tom well had seen him pass in the direction
of Kanker's place, and some had spoken to him, for the young inventor
was well known in the vicinity of Shopton and the neighboring towns.

"Well, out to Kanker's we'll go!" decided Ned. "And if anything has
ha