noon
They started off after an early breakfast . The roads were so muddy and wet that traveling was difficult and dangerous for the automobile , and they were disappointed in finding no one who had seen or heard the tank pass up to a point not far from the hotel where they had stayed overnight . From then on the big machine seemed to have disappeared . `` I know what they 've done , '' Tom said , when noon came and they had found no trace of the ponderous war machine . `` They 've left the road and taken her cross country , and we ca n't find the spot where they did this because the rain has washed out the marks . Well , there 's only one thing left to do . '' `` What 's that ? ''