"Of course."

"You have no trace of it?" asked Dave.

"None whatever. We can account for that, however. The night was
dark, they started out when everybody was asleep, and they could
have gone in one certain direction and struck a positive wilderness
in a few hours time."

"You mean north?"

"Among the pineries, yes."

"Or over the Canadian border?"

"Exactly."

Dave sat silent and thoughtful for some moments. The situation was
a novel one. He had never heard of any one stealing an airship
before. The Interstate manager aroused him from his reverie with
the words:

"We sent for you, Dashaway, because you are our most active man in
the field."

"That sounds pretty grand for a young fellow like me," returned Dave
with a smile, and flushing up, too.

"We gage out men by what they do," replied Mr. Randolph in a