CHAPTER IV.
AT THE TELEPHONE Tom and Sam spent the balance of the day in looking for the missing biplane, walking down to the river, and even visiting Humpback Falls, where the youngest Rover had once had such a thrilling adventure.
"Don't seem to be in sight," remarked Tom, after they had tramped through the woods and over the rocks until they were tired.
"Looks to me as if the _Dartaway_ had gone further than we supposed possible," replied Sam.

"Maybe she's a hundred miles from here." "Oh, she may have gone clean over to the ocean and dropped in," said Tom.

"But I don't see how she could--with nobody to steer.

How long would an auto keep to the road without somebody steering ?" "Do you know what I think we ought to do?
Go back home and telephone to the villages and towns in the direction the biplane took.

Somebody must have seen the craft,--if she kept in the air." "By Jove, Sam, that's the idea! Why didn't you think of that before?
It would have saved us quite a tramp." The two boys turned back, and reached home a little after the supper hour.