noon
`` Now for a quick run to Shopton to tell dad the bad news , '' spoke Tom to himself as he turned on full speed and dashed away . `` My trip has been a failure so far . '' Tom was thinking of many things as his speedy machine carried him mile after mile nearer home . By noon he was over half way on his journey , and he stopped in a small village for his dinner . `` I think I 'll make inquiries of the police here , to see if they caught sight of those men , '' decided Tom as he left the restaurant . `` Though I am inclined to believe they kept on to Albany , or some large city , where they have their headquarters . They will want to make use of dad 's model as soon as possible , though what they will do with it I do n't know . ''