He was not to be found.
Nor was he in the living-room, which was looked over from top to
bottom, and every corner examined.
"If he's any place, it must be in the storeroom," declared Jack.
"Unless he's outside the projectile," suggested Mark.
"He couldn't live for a minute in a place without atmosphere,"
was Jack's opinion. "No, he's in here somewhere, and we must
find him."
But it was more easily said than done. The storeroom contained
many things, piled together, and it would have been easy for a
person to conceal himself among them. The boys and the old
hunter looked in every possible place, as they supposed, even
taking down many boxes and barrels to peer behind them, but they
did not find the man they sought.
"I don't believe he's here," said Jack as he paused in the hunt.
"Say, do you know, I have an idea," said Mark. "Maybe that motor
broke itself."
"How could it do that?"
"Well, it might have got to going too fast, and the power may
have broken the plates. Anyhow, we didn't hear any person in the
engine-room, and there doesn't seem to be any one here.
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