Tom’s eyes sparked with interest. “In that case,” he declared, “our enemy must have a powerful device that drew Dad and Ted off to a great distance and then took them into a spaceship!”
Bud clenched his hands. “Just like that animal rocket was drawn off so mysteriously during our race to the moon. I’ll bet this proves your space friends are the ones your dad is with!”
Because a strange disease was attacking the animal life on fheir planet, the space people had recently sent a rocket containing infected animals, hoping the Swifts might find a cure. Later,
MESSAGE FROM NOWHERE 107
after the infection was conquered, the ship was propelled away by some mysterious and invisible force.
“You may be right at that, Bud.” Tom frowned thoughtfully.
“Sure, I’m right,” said Bud cheerfully. “And I wouldn’t call them kidnapers either. Remember, your dad had a radio in his space suit, so he could have called for help. I have a hunch that when a chance came to go off with the space people, he just couldn’t resist the temptation. You’ll hear from him, skipper, and probably soon.”
“I sure hope so,” Tom said.
He was not altogether convinced and took the Challenger out on trip after trip, hoping to find a clue to the missing pair. He was in constant touch with Harlan Ames. But two days went by without any report from Mr. Swift or Ted.
Tom’s fears mounted. Even if his father had had no chance to signal by radio at the time he left, Tom thought, surely he would have sent news by now, if he were with friendly beings.
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