midday
The road was no great distance away , it will be remembered ; and in less than ten minutes they had reached it . Then turning toward distant Beverly , they commenced to cover the ground they had previously gone over . There was no mistake about the farmhouse , in due time it was reached . Their arrival quite excited the little household , for the men had come in from the fields to their midday meal . Paul did not want to stop to explain matters ; all that could be left to Mr. Anderson . The odor of dinner did make more than one of the scouts raise his eyebrows , and exchange a suggestive look with another ; but they realized that every minute was precious to them now , and that they just could not stay long enough to sit and partake , though the farmer cordially invited them . They did accept a few things to munch at as they walked along ; and promised to send word to a certain address which the aeronaut gave them ; and in fact Paul was to notify a committee by wire that disaster had overtaken the _ Great Republic _ , but that the aeronaut was safe , and wished the news to be communicated to his wife at a certain hotel in St. Louis .