Victor Appleton.......................................................................................................................................1

CHAPTER I. A MOTORBOAT AUCTION........................................................................................1

CHAPTER II. SOME LIVELY BIDDING.............................................................................................5

CHAPTER III. A TIMELY WARNING ...............................................................................................10

CHAPTER IV. TOM AND ANDY CLASH .........................................................................................13

CHAPTER V. A TEST OF SPEED .......................................................................................................15

CHAPTER VI. TOWING SOME GIRLS.............................................................................................20

CHAPTER VII. A BRUSH WITH ANDY ............................................................................................23

CHAPTER VIII. OFF ON A TRIP ........................................................................................................26

CHAPTER IX. MR. SWIFT IS ALARMED........................................................................................30

CHAPTER X. A CRY FOR HELP.......................................................................................................33

CHAPTER XI. A QUICK RUN............................................................................................................36

CHAPTER XII. SUSPICIOUS CHARACTERS..................................................................................39

CHAPTER XIII. TOM IN DANGER ....................................................................................................42

CHAPTER XIV. THE ARROW DISAPPEARS..................................................................................44

CHAPTER XV. A DISMAYING STATEMENT .................................................................................47

CHAPTER XVI. STILL ON THE SEARCH ........................................................................................50

CHAPTER XVII. "THERE SHE IS!"...................................................................................................52

CHAPTER XVIII. THE PURSUIT.......................................................................................................56

CHAPTER XIX. A QUIET CRUISE....................................................................................................59

CHAPTER XX. NEWS OF A ROBBERY...........................................................................................62

CHAPTER XXI. THE BALLOON ON FIRE .......................................................................................64

CHAPTER XXII. THE RESCUE ..........................................................................................................66

CHAPTER XXIII. PLANS FOR AN AIRSHIP ....................................................................................70

CHAPTER XXIV. THE MYSTERY SOLVED ....................................................................................73

CHAPTER XXV. WINNING A RACE................................................................................................76

"Where are you going, Tom?" asked Mr. Barton Swift of his son as the young man was slowly pushing his

motorcycle out of the yard toward the country road. "You look as though you had some object in view."

"Which boat is that, Tom? I don't recall your speaking about a boat over at Lanton. What do you want to look

"It's the motorboat those fellows had who tried to get away with your turbine model invention, dad. The one

they used at the old General Harkness mansion, in the woods near the lake, and the same boat that fellow

"That's where it belongs. It's the property of Mr. Bently Hastings. The thieves stole it from him, and when

they ran away from the old mansion, the time Mr. Damon and I raided the place, they left the boat on the

lake. I turned it over to the county authorities, and they found out it belonged to Mr. Hastings. He has it back

now, but I understand it's somewhat damaged, and he wants to get rid of it. He's going to sell it at auction

"Yes, I see, Tom," exclaimed Mr. Swift with a laugh. "I see what you're aiming at. You want a motorboat,

"Oh, I know you, Tom, my lad!" interrupted the inventor, shaking his finger at his son, who seemed

somewhat confused. "You have a nice rowing skiff and a sailboat, yet you are hankering for a motorboat.

"Well, dad, a motorboat certainly would go fine on Lake Carlopa. There's plenty of room to speed her, and I

wonder there aren't more of them. I was going to see what Mr. Hastings' boat would sell for, but I didn't

"It isn't much damaged," and in his eagerness the young inventor (for Tom Swift had taken out several

patents) stood his motor cycle up against the fence and came closer to his father. "It's only slightly

damaged," he went on. "I can easily fix it. I looked it all over before I gave it in charge of the authorities, and

it's certainly a fine boat. It's worth nine hundred dollars or it was when it was new."

"That's a good deal of money for a boat," and Mr. Swift looked serious, for though he was well off, he was

"Oh, I shouldn't think of paying that much. In fact, dad, I really had no idea of bidding at the auction. I only

thought I'd go over and get an idea of what the boat might sell for. Perhaps some day"

Tom paused. Since his father had begun to question him some new plans had come into the lad's head. He

looked at his parent and saw a smile beginning to work around the corners of Mr. Swift's lips. There was also

a humorous look in the eyes of the older inventor. He understood boys fairly well, even if he only had one,

"Would I, dad? Well" The youth did not finish, but his father knew what he meant.

"I suppose a motorboat would be a nice thing to have on Lake Carlopa," went on Mr. Swift musingly. "You

and I could take frequent trips in it. It isn't like a motorcycle, only useful for one. What do you suppose the

"I hardly know. Not a high price, I believe, for motorboats are so new on our lake that few persons will take

a chance on them. But if Mr. Hastings is getting another, he will not be so particular about insisting on a high

price for the old one. Then, too, the fact that it is damaged will help to keep the price down, though I know I

can easily put it in good shape. I would like to make a bid, if you think it's all right."

Well, I guess you may, Tom, if you really want it. You have money of your own and a motorboat is not a

Mr. Swift looked at Tom critically. He was plainly going over several matters in his mind, and not the least of

them was the pluck his son had shown in getting back some valuable papers and a model from a gang of

thieves. The lad certainly was entitled to some reward, and to allow him to get a boat might properly be part

"I think you could safely go as high as two hundred dollars, Tom," said Mr. Swift at length. "That would be

my limit on a damaged boat for it might be better to pay a little more and get a new one. However, use your

own judgment, but don't go over two hundred. So the thieves who made so much trouble for me stole that

"Yes, and they didn't take much care of it either. They damaged the engine, but the hull is in good shape. I'm

ever so glad you'll let me bid on it. I'll start right off. The auction is at ten o'clock and I haven't more than

"Now be careful how you bid. Don't raise your own figures, as I've sometimes seen women, and men too, do

in their excitement. Somebody may go over your head; and if he does, let them. If you get the boat I'll be very

glad on your account. But don't bring any of Anson Morse's gang back in it with you. I've seen enough of

"I'll not dad!" cried Tom as he trundled his motorcycle out of the gate and into the country road that led to

the village of Shopton, where he lived, and to Lanton, where the auction was to be held. The young inventor

had not gone far before he turned back, leaving his machine standing on the side path.

"What's the matter?" asked his father, who had started toward one of several machine shops on the

"Guess I'd better get a blank check and some money," replied Tom as he entered the house. "I'll need to pay a

"That's so. Well, good luck," and with his mind busy on a plan for a new kind of storage battery, the inventor

went on to his workroom. Tom got some cash and his checkbook from a small safe he owned and was soon

speeding over the road to Lanton, his motor cycle making quite a cloud of dust. While he is thus hurrying

Tom Swift, son of Barton Swift, lived with his father and a motherly housekeeper, Mrs. Baggert, in a large

house on the outskirts of the town of Shopton, in New York State. Mr. Swift had acquired considerable

wealth from his many inventions and patents, but he did not give up working out his ideas simply because he

had plenty of money. Tom followed in the footsteps of his parent and had already taken out several patents.

Shortly before this story opens the youth had become possessed of a motorcycle in a peculiar fashion. As

told in the first volume of this series, entitled "Tom Swift and His Motorcycle," Tom was riding to the town

of Mansburg on an errand for his father one day when he was nearly run down by a motorcyclist. A little later

the same motorcyclist, who was a Mr. Wakefield Damon, of Waterfield, collided with a tree near Tom's

home and was severely cut and bruised, the machine being broken. Tom and his father cared for the injured

rider, and Mr. Damon, who was an eccentric individual, was so disheartened by his attempts to ride the

motorcycle that he sold it to Tom for fifty dollars, though it had cost much more.

About the same time that Tom bought the motorcycle a firm of rascally lawyers, Smeak Katch by name,

had, in conjunction with several men, made an attempt to get control of an invention of a turbine motor

perfected by Mr. Swift. The men, who were Ferguson Appleson, Anson Morse, Wilson Featherton, alias

Simpson, and Jake Burke, alias Happy Harry, who sometimes disguised himself as a tramp, tried several

Their anxiety to get it was due to the fact that they had invested a large sum in a turbine motor invented by

another man, but their motor would not work and they sought to steal Mr. Swift's. Tom was sent to Albany on

his motorcycle to deliver the model and some valuable papers to Mr. Crawford, of the law firm of Reid

Crawford, of Washington, attorneys for Mr. Swift. Mr. Crawford had an errand in Albany and had agreed to

But, on the way, Tom was attacked by the gang of unscrupulous men and the model was stolen. He was

assaulted and carried far away in an automobile. In an attempt to capture the gang in a deserted mansion, in

the woods on the shore of Lake Carlopa, Tom was aided by Mr. Damon, of whom he had purchased the

Tom was thinking of the exciting scenes he had passed through about a month previous as he spun along the

"I hope I don't meet Happy Harry or any of his gang today," mused the lad as he turned on a little more power

to enable his machine to mount a hill. "I don't believe they'll attend the auction, though. It would be too risky

As Tom swung along at a rapid pace he heard, behind him, the puffing of an automobile, with the muffler cut

"I hope that ain't Andy Foger or any of his cronies," he said to himself. "He might try to run me down just for

spite. He generally rushes along with the muffler open so as to attract attention and make folks think he has a

It was not Andy, however, as Tom saw a little later, as a man passed him in a big touring car. Andy Foger, as

my readers will recollect, was a redhaired, squintyeyed lad with plenty of money and not much else. He

and his cronies, including Sam Snedecker, nearly ran Tom down one day, when the latter was on his bicycle,

as told in the first volume of this series. Andy had been off on a tour with his chums during the time when

"If I can only get that boat," mused Tom as he swung back into the middle of the road after the auto had

passed him, "I certainly will have lots of fun. I'll make a week's tour of Lake Carlopa and take dad and Ned

Newton with me." Ned was Tom's most particular chum, but as young Newton was employed in the Shopton

bank, the lad did not have much time for pleasure. Lake Carlopa was a large body of water, and it would take

a moderately powered boat several days to make a complete circuit of the shore, so cut up into bays and inlets

In about an hour Tom was at Lanton, and as he neared the home of Mr. Hastings, which was on the shore of

"There'll be some lively bidding," thought Tom as he got off his machine and pushed it ahead of him through

the drive and down toward the river. I hope they don't go above two hundred dollars, though."

"Get out the way there!" called a sudden voice, and looking back, Tom saw that an automobile had crept up

silently behind him. In it were Andy Foger and Sam Snedecker. "Why don't you get out the way?" petulantly

"Because I don't choose to," replied Tom calmly, knowing that Andy would never dare to speed up his

"You'd better try it, if you want to get the best trouncing you ever had!" cried Tom hotly.

"Hu! Well, you'll not get it. I'm going to take that boat," retorted the squinteyed bully. "Dad gave me the

He stood his motorcycle up against a tree and went toward a group of persons who were surrounding the

auctioneer. The time had arrived to start the sale. As Tom edged in closer he brushed against a man who

looked at him sharply. The lad was just wondering if he had ever seen the individual before, as there seemed

to be something strangely familiar about him, when the man turned quickly away, as if afraid of being

"That's odd," thought Tom, but he had no further time for speculation, as the auctioneer was mounting on a

"Attention, people!" cried the auctioneer. "Give me your attention for a few minutes, and we will proceed

with the business in hand. As you all know, I am about to dispose of a fine motor boat, the property of Mr.

Bently Hastings. The reason for disposing of it at auction is known to most of you, but for the benefit of those

who do not, I will briefly state them. The boat was stolen by a gang of thieves and recovered recently through

the efforts of a young man, Thomas Swift, son of Barton Swift, our fellowtownsman, of Shopton." At that

moment the auctioneer, Jacob Wood, caught sight of Tom in the press, and, looking directly at the lad,

"I understand that young Mr. Swift is here today, and I hope he intends to bid on this boat. If he does, the

bidding will be lively, for Tom Swift is a lively young man. I wish I could say that some of the men who

The auctioneer paused and there were some murmurs from those in the throng as to why such a wish should

be uttered. Tom felt some one moving near him, and, looking around, he saw the same man with whom he

had come in contact before. The person seemed desirous of getting out on the edge of the crowd, and Tom

felt a return of his vague suspicions. He looked closely at the fellow, but could trace no resemblance to any of

"The reason I wish they were here today," went on Mr. Wood, "is that the men did some slight damage to

the boat, and if they were here today we would make them pay for it. However, the damage is slight and can

easily be repaired. I mention that, as Mr. Hastings desired me to. Now we will proceed with the bidding, and I

will say that an opportunity will first be given all to examine the boat. Perhaps Tom Swift will give us his

opinion on the state it is in as we know he is well qualified to talk about machinery."

"Humph! I guess I know as much about boats and motors as he does," sneered Andy Foger. 'He isn't the only

"I don't care if they are," muttered the sandy haired youth. "Tom Swift needn't think he's everything."

"If you will come down to the dock," went on the auctioneer, "you can all see the boat, and I would be glad to

The throng trooped down to the lake, and, blushing somewhat, Tom told what was the matter with the motor

and how it could be fixed. It was noticed that there was less enthusiasm over the matter than there had been,

for certainly the engine, rusty and out of order as it was, did not present an attractive sight. Tom noted that

"Now then, if it's all the same to you folks, I'll proceed with the auction here," went on Mr. Wood. "You can

all see the boat from here. It is, as you see, a regular family launch and will carry twelve persons comfortably.

With a canopy fitted to it a person could cruise all about the lake and stay out over night, for you could sleep

on the seat cushions. It is twentyone feet in length and has a fiveandahalffoot beam, the design being

what is known as a compromise stern. The motor is a double cylinder twocycle one, of ten horsepower. It

has a floatfeed carburetor, mechanical oiler, and the ignition system is the jump sparkthe best for this

style of motor. The boat will make ten miles an hour, with twelve in, and, of course, more than that with a

"Now, as you know, Mr. Hastings wishes to dispose of the boat partly because he does not wish to repair it

and partly because he has a newer and larger one. The craft, which is named CARLOPA by the way, cost

originally nine hundred dollars. It could not be purchased new to day, in many places, for a thousand. Now

what am I offered in its present condition? Will any one make an offer? Will you give me five hundred

The auctioneer paused and looked critically at the throng. Several persons smiled. Tom looked worried. He

"Well, perhaps that is a bit stiff," went on Mr. Wood. "Shall we say four hundred dollars? Come now, I'm

No one would, and the auctioneer descended to three hundred, then to two and finally, as if impatient, he

"I thought you would," went on the auctioneer. "Now we will get down to work. I'm offered fifty dollars for

"Sixty!" called out Andy Foger in a shrill voice. Several turned to look at him.

"I didn't know he was going to bid," thought Tom. "He may go above me. He's got plenty of money, and,

"Sixty I'm bid, sixtysixty!" cried Mr. Wood in a singsong tone, "who'll make it seventy?"

"Sixtyfive!" spoke a quiet voice at Tom's elbow, and he turned to see the mysterious man who had joined

"Sixtyfive from the gentleman in the white straw hat!" called Mr. Wood with a smile at his wit, for there

"I guess you'll find a number going ahead of you, my young friend," remarked the auctioneer. "Will you have

"Well, I offered sixty," said the squinteyed bully, while his crony, Sam Snedecker, was vainly, pulling at his

"I know you did, and this gentleman went above you. If you want to bid more you can do so. I'm offered

sixtyfive, sixtyfive I'm offered for this boat. Will any one make it seventyfive?"

Mr. Wood looked at Tom, and our hero, thinking it was time for him to make a bid, offered seventy. "Seventy

from Tom Swift!" cried the auctioneer. "There is a lad who knows a motorboat from stem to stern, if those

are the right words. I don't know much about boats except what I'm told, but Tom Swift does. Now, if he

bids, you people ought to know that it's all right. I'm bid seventy seventy I'm bid. Will any one make it

"Eighty!" exclaimed Andy Foger after a whispered conference with Sam. "I know as much about boats as

"No side remarks. I'll do most of the talking. You just bid, young man," remarked Mr. Wood. "I have eighty

bid for this boat eighty dollars. Why, my friends, I can't understand this. I ought to have it up to three

hundred dollars, at least. But I thank you all the same. We are coming on. I'm bid eighty"

"Ninety!" exclaimed the quiet man at Tom's elbow. He was continually fingering his upper lip, as though he

had a mustache there, but his face was cleanshaven. He looked around nervously as he spoke.

"Ninetyfive!" returned Tom. Andy Foger scowled at him, but the young inventor only smiled. It was evident

that the bully did not relish being bid against. He and his crony whispered together again.

"I'm offered an even hundred," resumed Mr. Wood. "We are certainly coming on. A hundred I am bid, a

"And five," said the strange man hastily, and he seemed to choke as he uttered the words.

"Oh, come now; we ought to have at least tendollar bids from now on," suggested Mr. Wood. "Won't you

make it a hundred and ten?" The auctioneer looked directly at the man, who seemed to shrink back into the

crowd. He shook his head, cast a sort of despairing look at the boat and hurried away.

"That's queer," murmured Tom. "I guess that was his limit, yet if he wanted the boat badly that wasn't a high

"Yes, don't make so many remarks," counseled the auctioneer. "I'm bid a hundred and five. Will any one

Tom wondered why the man bad not remained to see if his bid was accepted, for no one raised it at once, but

"That's what I like to hear," exclaimed Mr. Wood. "Now we are doing business. A hundred and twentyfive

"I don't believe he can afford to," Andy came back with. "I'm going to call his bluffs. I believe he's only

Tom heard what was said, but did not reply. The auctioneer was calling monotonously: "I'm bid a hundred

"That will do!" exclaimed the auctioneer sternly. "I am offered a hundred and sixty. Now who will give me

an advance? I want to get the boat up to two hundred, and then the real bidding will begin."

Tom's heart sank. He hoped it would be some time before a two hundred dollar offer would be heard. As for

Andy Foger, he was almost speechless with rage. He shook off the restraining arm of Sam, and, worming his

"Good!" cried the auctioneer. "That's the way to talk. I'm offered a hundred and seventyfive."

"Haven't you got any money you can lend me?" inquired the squint eyed one, scowling in Tom's direction.

"Small amounts thankfully received," said Mr. Wood with a laugh. Then the bidding became lively, a number

The price got up to one hundred and ninetyfive dollars and there it hung for several minutes, despite the

eloquence of Mr. Wood, who tried by all his persuasive powers to get a substantial advance. But every one

seemed afraid to bid. As for the young inventor, he was in a quandary. He could only offer five dollars more,

and, if he bid it in a lump, some one might go to two hundred and five, and he would not get the boat. He

wished he had secured permission from his father to go higher, yet he knew that as a fair proposition two

hundred dollars was about all the motor boat in its present condition was worth, at least to him. Then he

"I'm offered two hundred!" repeated Mr. Wood. "That is something like it. Now who will raise that?"

There was a moment of silence. Then the auctioneer swung into an enthusiastic description of the boat. He

begged for an advance, but none was made, though Tom's heart seemed in his throat, so afraid was he that he

"Two hundredtwo hundred!" droned on Mr. Wood. "I am offered two hundred. Will any of you go any

higher?" He paused a moment, and Tom's heart beat harder than ever. "If not," resumed the speaker, "I will

declare the bidding closed. Are you all done? Oncetwicethree times. Two hundred dollars.

Goinggoing gone!" He clapped his hands. "The boat is sold to Thomas Swift for two hundred dollars.

There was a laugh as Tom, blushingly, advanced. He passed Andy Foger, who had worked his way over near

"You got the boat," sneered the bully, "and I s'pose you think you got ahead of me."

"I won't!" exclaimed Andy. "He outbid me just out of spite, and I'll get even with him. You see if I don't!"

Tom looked Andy Foger straight in the eyes, but did not answer, and the redhaired youth turned aside,

"I congratulate you on your bargain," said Mr. Wood as Tom proceeded to make out a check. He gave little

thought to the threat Andy Foger had made, but the time was coming when he was to remember it well.

"Well, are you satisfied with your bargain, Tom?" asked Mr. Wood when the formalities about transferring

"I'm glad you're satisfied, for Mr. Hastings told me to be sure the purchaser was satisfied. Here he comes

An elderly gentleman was approaching Mr. Wood and Tom. Most of the throng was dispersing, but the

young inventor noticed that Andy Foger and Sam Snedecker stood to one side, regarding him closely.

"So you got my boat," remarked the former owner of the craft. "I hope you will be able to fix it up."

"Oh, I think I shall," answered the new owner of the CARLOPA. "If I can't, father will help me."

"Yes, you have an advantage there. Are you going to keep the same name?" and Mr. Hastings seemed quite

"I think not," replied Tom. "It's a good name, but I want something that tells more what a fast boat it is, for

"Folks would say I was stuck up if I did that," retorted the youth quickly. "I think I shall call it the ARROW.

"It's certainly speedy," interrupted Mr. Hastings. "Well now, since you're not going to use the name

"Not in the least," said Tom. "Don't you want the letters from each side of the bow to put on your new craft?"

"It's very kind of you to offer them, and, since you will have no need for them, I'll be glad to take them off."

"Come down to my boat," invited Tom, using the word "my" with a proper pride, "and I'll take off the brass

As the former and present owners of the ARROW (which is the name by which I shall hereafter designate

Tom's motorboat) walked down toward the dock where it was moored the young inventor gave a startled

"That man! See him at my motorboat?" cried Tom. He pointed to the craft in the lake. A man was in the

cockpit and seemed to be doing something to the forward bulkhead, which closed off the compartment

"I don't know. Some man who bid on the boat at the auction, but who didn't go high enough," answered the

lad. As he neared the craft the man sprang out, ran along the lakeshore for a short distance and then

disappeared amid the bushes which bordered the estate of Mr. Hastings. Tom hurriedly entered the ARROW.

I guess he didn't have time," responded Tom. "But he was tampering with the lock on the door of the forward

"Nothing but the gasoline tank. I keep the bulkhead sliding door locked on general principles. I can't imagine

what the fellow would want to open it for. There's nothing of value in there. Perhaps he isn't right in his head.

"No, he was well dressed but he seemed very nervous during the auction, as if he was disappointed not to

have secured the boat. Yet what could he want in that compartment? Have you the key to the lock, Mr.

"Yes, it belongs to you now, Mr. Swift," and the former owner handed it to Tom, who quickly unlocked the

compartment. He slid back the door and peered within, but all he saw was the big galvanized tank.

"No," agreed Tom in a low voice. "I don't see what he wanted to open the door for." But the time was to

come, and not far off, when Tom was to discover quite a mystery connected with the forward compartment of

"It certainly is odd," went on Mr. Hastings when, after Tom had secured the screw driver from his

motorcycle tool bag, he aided the lad in removing the letters from the bow of the boat "Are you sure you

"No, I never saw him before. At first I thought his voice sounded like one of the members of the Happy Harry

gang, but when I looked squarely at him I could not see a bit of resemblance. Besides, that gang would not

"No, I imagine not. Perhaps he was only a curious, meddlesome person. I have frequently been bothered by

such individuals. They want to see all the working parts of an automobile or motor boat, and they don't care

Tom did not reply, but he was pretty certain that the man in question had more of an object than mere

curiosity in tampering with the boat. However, he could discover no solution just then, and he proceeded with

"What are you going to do with your boat, now that you have it?" asked Mr. Hastings. "Can you run it down

"No, I shall have to go back home, get some tools and fix up the motor. It will take half a day, at least. I will

come back this afternoon and, have the boat at my house by night. That is if I may leave it at your dock here."

The young inventor had many things to think about as he rode toward home, and though he was somewhat

puzzled over the actions of the stranger, he forgot about that in anticipating the pleasure he would have when

"I'll take dad off on a cruise about the lake," he decided. "He needs a rest, for he's been working hard and

worrying over the theft of the turbine motor model. I'll take Ned Newton for some rides, too, and he can bring

his camera along and get a lot of pictures. Oh, I'll have some jolly sport this summer!"

Tom was riding swiftly along a quiet country road and was approaching a steep hill, which he could not see

As he was about to swing around it and coast swiftly down the steep declivity he was startled by hearing a

"Hold on, dar I Hold on, Mistah Swift!" cried a colored man, suddenly popping into view. "Doan't go down

"Why, it's Eradicate Sampson!" exclaimed Tom, quickly shutting off the power and applying the brakes.

"Beca'se, Mistah Swift, dere's a pow'ful monstrous tree trunk right across de road at a place whar yo' cain't

see it till yo' gits right on top ob it. Ef yo' done hit dat ar tree on yo' lickitysplit machine, yo' suah would

Tom leaped off his machine and approached the colored man. Eradicate Sampson did odd jobs in the

neighborhood of Shopton, and more than once Tom had done him favors in repairing his lawn mower or his

woodsawing machine. In turn Eradicate had given Tom a valuable clue as to the hiding place of the model

"I dunno, Mistah Swift. "I see it when I come along wid mah mule, Boomerang, an' I tried t' git it outer de

way, but I couldn't. Den I left Boomerang an' mah wagon at de foot ob de hill an' I come up heah t' git a long

pole t' pry de log outer de way. I didn't t'ink nobody would come along, case dis road ain't much trabeled."

"I took it for a short cut," said the lad. "Come on, let's take a look at the log."

Leaving his machine at the top of the slope, the young inventor accompanied the colored man 'down the hill.

At the foot of it, well hidden from sight of any one who might come riding down, was a big log. It was all the

"That never fell there," exclaimed Tom in some excitement. "That never rolled off a load of logs, even if

"Oh, I heard yo' lickitysplit machine chugchuggin' along when I were in de bushes, lookin' for a pryin'

pole, an' I hurried out to warn yo. I knowed I could leave Boomerang safe, 'case he's asleep."

"I'm glad you did warn me," went on the youth solemnly. Then, as he went closer to the log, he uttered an

"That has been dragged here by an automobile!" he cried. "It's been done on purpose to injure some one.

Something on the ground caught Tom's eye. He stooped and picked up a nickleplated wrench.

Even a casual observer could have told that an auto had had some part in dragging the log to the place where

it blockaded the road. In the dust were many marks of the big rubber tires and even the imprint of a rope,

"What fo' yo' t'ink any one put dat log dere?" asked the colored man as he followed Tom. Boomerang, the

mule, so called because Eradicate said you never could tell what he was going to do, opened his eyes lazily

and closed them again. "I don't know why, Rad, unless they wanted to wreck an automobile or a wagon.

"No, I hardly think so. I don't know of any one who would want to make trouble for me, and how would they

Tom suddenly checked himself. The memory of the scene at the auction came back to him and he recalled

"It came from down the road," answered Tom, not completing the sentence he had left unfinished. "They

dragged the log up to the foot of the hill and left it. Then the auto went down this way." It was comparatively

easy, for a lad of such sharp observation as was Tom, to trace the movements of the vehicle.

The young inventor did not answer at once. He was hurrying along, his eyes on the telltale marks. He had

proceeded some distance from the place where the log was when he uttered a cry. At the same moment he

hurried from the road toward a thick clump of bushes that were in the ditch alongside of the highway.

The colored man ran up, his eyes wider open than ever. There, hidden amid the bushes, was a large touring

Tom did not answer. He penetrated the underbrush, noting where the broken branches had been bent upright

after the forced entrance of the car, the better to hide it. The young inventor was, seeking some clew to

discover the owner of the machine. To this end he climbed up in the tonneau and was looking about when

some one burst in through the screen of bushes and a voice cried: "Here, you get out of my car!"

."Oh, is it your car, Andy Foger?" asked Tom calmly as he recognized his squinteyed rival. "I was just

beginning to think it was. Allow me to return your wrench," and he held out the one he had picked up near

the log. "The next time you drag trees across the road," went on the lad in the tonneau, facing the angry and

dismayed Andy, "I'd advise you to post a notice at the top of the hill, so persons riding down will not be

injured." "Notice roadhilllogs!" stammered Andy, turning red under his freckles.

"II didn't have anything to do with putting a log across any road," mumbled the bully. "II've been off

"I thought you might have been looking for the wrench you dropped near the log. You should be more careful

and so should Sam Snedecker, who's hiding outside the bushes," went on our hero, for he had caught sight of

the form of Andy's crony. "II told him not to do it!" exclaimed Sam as he came from his hiding place.

"Oh, I think I know your secret," continued the young inventor. "You wanted to get even with me for

outbidding you on the motor boat. You watched which road I took, and then, in your auto, you came a

shorter way, ahead of me. You hauled the log across the foot of the hill, hoping, I suppose, that my machine

would be broken. But, let me tell you, it was a risky trick. Not only might I have been killed, but so would

whoever else who happened to drive down the slope over the log, whether in a wagon or automobile.

Fortunately Eradicate discovered it in time and warned me. I ought to have you arrested, but you're not worth

"You haven't got any evidence against us," sneered Andy confidently, his old bravado coming back.

"I have all I want," replied Tom. "You needn't worry. I'm not going to tell the police. But you've got to do one

thing or I'll make you sorry you ever tried this trick. Eradicate will help me, to don't think you're going to

"You get out of my automobile!" demanded Andy. "I'll have you arrested if you don't."

"I'll get out because I'm ready to, but not on account of your threats," retorted Mr. Swift's son. "Here's your

wrench. Now I want you and Sam to start up this machine and haul that log out of the way."

"Then I'll cause your arrest, besides thrashing you into the bargain! You can take your choice of removing the

log so travelers can pass or having a good hiding, you and Sam. Eradicate, you take Sam and I'll tackle

"You let me alone or I'll tell my father!" added Sam. "II didn't have nothin' to do with it, anyhow. I told

"Say, what's the matter with you?" demanded Andy indignantly of his crony. "Do you want to"

"I wish I'd never come with you," went on Sam, who was beginning to be frightened.

"Come now. Start up that machine and haul the log out of the way," demanded Tom again.

"Yes, you will," insisted our hero, and he took a step toward the bully. They were out of the clump of bushes

now and in the roadside ditch. "You let me alone," almost screamed Andy, and in his baffled rage he rushed

The young inventor quickly stepped to one side, and, as the bully passed him, Tom sent out a neat

Whether Tom or Andy was the most surprised at the happening would be hard to say. The former had not

meant to hit so hard and he certainly did not intend to knock the squinteyed youth down. The latter's fall

was due, as much as anything, to his senseless, rushing tactics and to the fact that he slipped on the green

grass. The bully was up in a moment, however, but he knew better than to try conclusions with Tom again.

"I'll get even with you," went on Andy. "You think you're smart because you got ahead of me, but I'll get

"Look here!" burst out the young inventor determinedly, taking a step toward his antagonist, at which Andy

quickly retreated, "I don't want any more of that talk from you, Andy Foger. That's twice you've made threats

against me today. You put that log across the road, and if you try anything like it for your second attempt I'll

make you wish you hadn't. That applies to you, too, Sam," he added, glancing at the other lad.

"Keep still, can't you!" shouted the bully. "Come on. We'll get even with him, that's all," he muttered as he

went back into the bushes where the auto was. Andy cranked up and he and his crony getting into the car

"Hold on!" cried Tom. "You'll take that log from across the road or I'll have you arrested for obstructing

He cast an ugly look at Tom, but the latter only smiled. It was no easy task for Sam and Andy to pull the log

out of the way, as they could hardly lift it to slip the rope under. But they finally managed it, and, by the

"I 'clar t' gracious, dem young fellers am most as mean an' contrary as mah mule Boomerang am sometimes,"

"I should hope not, Rad," observed Tom. "I'm ever so much obliged for your warning. I guess I'll be getting,

" 'Deed an' I will," replied the colored man. "I'll come around an' eradicate all de dirt on yo' place, Mistah

Swift. Yais, sah, I's Eradicate by name, and dat's my perfessioneradicatin' dirt. Much obleeged, I'll call

The mule lazily flicked his ears, but did not stir, and Tom, knowing the process of arousing the animal would

take some time, hurried up the hill to where he had left his motorcycle. Eradicate was still engaged on the

task of trying to arouse his steed to a sense of its duty when the young inventor fIashed by on his way home.

"So now you own a broken motorboat," observed Mr. Swift when Tom had related the circumstances of the

"Fix it, first of all," replied his son. "It needs considerable tinkering up, but nothing but what I can do, if

"Well, I'm not so anxious for speed. I wart a good, comfortable boat, and the ARROW will be that. I've

named it, you see. I'm going back to Lanton this afternoon, take some tools along, and repair it so I can run

the boat over to here. Then I'll get at it and fix it up. I've got a plan for you, dad."

"What is it?" asked the inventor, his rather tired face lighting up with interest.

"Yes, you need a rest. You've been working, too hard over that gyroscope invention."

"Yes, Tom, I think I have," admitted Mr. Swift. "But I am very much interested in it, and l think I can get it to

work. If I do it will make a great difference in the control of aeroplanes. It will make them more stable able to

fly in almost any wind. But I certainly have puzzled my brains over some features of it. However, I don't

"You need a rest, dad," said Mr. Swift's son kindly. "I want you to forget all about patents, invention,

machinery and even the gyroscope for a week or two. When I get my motorboat in shape I'm going to take

you and Ned Newton up the lake for a cruise. We can camp out, or, if we had to, we could sleep in the boat.

I'm going to put a canopy on it and arrange some bunks. It will do you good and perhaps new ideas for your

"Perhaps they will, Tom. I am certainly tired enough to need a vacation. It's very kind of you to think of me

in connection with your boat. But if you're going to get it this afternoon you'd better start if you expect to get

After the meal Tom selected a number of tools from his, own particular machine shop and carried them down

"Aren't you going back on your motorcycle" asked his father. "No, Dad, I'm going to row over to Lanton,

"Very well, then you won't be in any danger from Andy Foger. I must speak to his father about him."

"No, dad, don't," exclaimed the young inventor quickly. "I can fight my own battles with Andy. I don't fancy

Tom found it more of a task than he had anticipated to get the motor in shape to run the ARROW back under

her own power. The magneto was out of order and the batteries needed renewing, while the spark coil had

shortcircuited and took considerable time to adjust. But by using some new dry cells, which Mr. Hastings

gave him, and cutting out the magneto, or small dynamo which produces the spark that exploded the gasoline

in the cylinders, Tom soon had a fine, "fat" hot spark from the auxiliary ignition system. Then, adjusting the

timer and throttle on the engine and seeing that the gasoline tank was filled, the lad started up his motor. Mr.

Hastings helped him, but after a few turns of the flywheel there were no explosions. Finally, after the

carburetor (which is the device where gasoline is mixed with air to produce an explosive mixture) had been

adjusted, the motor started off as if it had intended to do so all the while and was only taking its time about it.

"The machine doesn't run as smooth as it ought to," commented Mr. Hastings. "No, it needs a thorough

overhauling," agreed the owner of the ARROW. "I'll get at it tomorrow," and with that he swung out into the

"A motorboat of my own!" exulted Tom as he twirled the steering wheel and noted how readily the craft

He steered down the lake and then, turning around, went up it a mile or more before heading for his own

"With some changes and adjustments I can make this a speedy boat," thought Tom. "I'll get right at it. I

shouldn't wonder if I could make a good showing against Mr. Hastings' new CARLOPA, though his boat's

The lad was proceeding leisurely along the lakeshore, near his home, with the motor throttled down to test it

at low speed, when he heard some one shout. Looking toward the bank, Tom saw a man waving his hands.

"I wonder what he wants?" thought our hero as he put the wheel over to send his craft to shore. He heard a

"I say, my young friend, do you know anything about automobiles? Of course you do or you wouldn't be

running a motorboat. Bless my very existence, but I'm in trouble! My machine has stopped on a lonely road

and I can't seem to get it started. I happened to hear your boat and I came here to hail you. Bless my

"Mr. Damon" exclaimed Tom, shutting off the power, for he was now near shore. "Of course I'll help you,

Mr. Damon," for the young inventor had recognized the eccentric man of whom he had purchased the

"Why, bless my shoelaces, if it isn't Tom Swift!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, who seemed very fond of calling

"And in a motorboat, too! Bless my pocketbook, but did that run away with some one who sold it to you

"No, not exactly," and the lad explained how he had come into possession of it. By this time he was ashore

and had tied the ARROW to an overhanging tree. Then Tom proceeded to where Mr. Damon had left his

stalled automobile. The eccentric man was wealthy and his physician had instructed him to ride about in the

car for his health. Tom soon located the trouble. The carburetor had become clogged, and it was soon in

"Well, now that you have a boat ', I don't suppose you will be riding about the country so much," commented

Mr. Damon as he got into his car. "Bless my sparkplug! But if you ever get over to Waterfield, where I live,

"Bless my hat band, but I hope so," went on the eccentric individual as he prepared to start his car.

Tom completed the remainder of the trip to his house without incident and his father came down to the dock

to see the motor boat. He agreed with his son that it was a bargain and that it could easily be put in fine

The youth spent all the next day and part of the following working on the craft. He overhauled the ignition

system, which was the jumpspark style, cleaned the magneto and adjusted the gasoline and compression

taps so that they fitted better. Then he readjusted the rudder lines, tightening them on the steering wheel, and

The tank was in the forward compartment, and, upon inspecting this, the lad concluded to change the plan by

which the big galvanized iron box was held in place. He took out the old wooden braces and set them closer

"The tank will not vibrate so when I'm going at full speed," he explained to his father.

"Is that where the strange man was tampering with the lock the day of the auction?" asked Mr. Swift.

The inventor got into the boat and looked carefully into the rather dark space where the tank fitted. He went

over every inch of it, and, pointing to one of the thick wooden blocks that supported the tank, asked:

No, it was there before I touched the braces. But it isn't a hole, or rather, someone bored it and stopped it up

No, I suppose not. I was just wondering weather that was one of the new blocks or an old one."

"Oh, an old one. I'm going to paint them, too, so in case the water leaks in or the gasoline leaks out the wood

won't be affected. A gasoline tank should vibrate as little as possible, if you don't want it to leak. I guess I'll

paint the whole interior of this compartment white, then I can see away into the far corners of it."

It was four days after his purchase of the boat before Tom was ready to make a long trip in it. Up to that time

he had gone on short spins not far from the dock, in order to test the engine adjustment. The lad found it was

working very well, but he decided with a new kind of spark plugs for the two cylinders that he could get more

speed out of it. Finally the forward compartment was painted and a general overhauling given the hull and

"Come on, Ned," he said to his chum early one evening after Mr. Swift had said he was too tired to go out on

From the time Tom started up the motor it was evident that the boat was going through the water at a rapid

rate. For a mile or more the two lads speeded along, enjoying it hugely. Then Ned exclaimed:

"Sure!" agreed Tom, and he shoved the timer ahead to produce quicker explosions.

The ARROW seemed to leap forward and for a moment was ahead of the CARLOPA, but with a motion of

his hand to the spark lever Mr. Hastings also increased his speed. For a moment the two boats were on even

terms and then the larger and newer one forged ahead. Tom had expected it', but he was a little disappointed.

"That's doing first rate," complimented Mr. Hastings as he passed them. "Better than I was ever able to make

This made the present owner of the ARROW feel somewhat consoled. He and Ned ran on for a few miles, the

CARLOPA in the meanwhile disappearing from view around a bend. Then Tom and his chum turned around

"Oh, I intend that you shall have plenty of rides in this." went on his friend. "When you get your vacation,

you and dad and I are going on a tour," and he explained his plan, which, it is needless to say, met with Ned's

Just before going to bed, some hours later, Tom decided to go down to the dock to make sure he had shut off

the gasoline cock leading from the tank of his boat to the motor. It was a calm, early summer night, with a

new moon giving a little light, and the lad went down to the lake in his slippers. As he neared the boathouse

As Tom entered the boathouse he started back in alarm, for a bright light flashed up, almost in his eyes.

"Who's here?" he cried, and at that moment someone sprang out of his motorboat, scrambled into a rowing

craft which the youth could dimly make out in front of the dock and began to pull away quickly.

"Hold on there!" cried the young inventor. "Who are you? What do you want? Come back here!"

The person in the 'coat returned no answer. With his heart doing beats overtime Tom lighted a lantern and

made a hasty examination of the ARROW. It did not appear to have been harmed, but a glance showed that

the door of the gasoline compartment had been unlocked and was open. Tom jumped down into his craft.

"Some one has been at that compartment again!" he murmured. "I wonder if it was the same man who acted

The next moment he uttered an exclamation of startled surprise and picked up something from the bottom of

the boat. It was a bunch of keys, with a tag attached, bearing the owner's name.

"Andy Foger!" murmured Tom. "So this is, how he was trying to get even! Maybe he started to put a hole in

With a sense of anger mingled with an apprehension lest some harm should have been done to his craft, the

owner of the ARROW went carefully over it. He could find nothing wrong. The engine was all right and all

that appeared to have been accomplished by the unbidden visitor was the opening of the locked forward

compartment. That this had been done by one of the many keys on Andy Foger's ring was evident.

"Now what could have been his object?" mused Tom. "I should think if he wanted to put a hole in the boat he

would have done it amidships, where the water would have a better chance to come in, or perhaps he wanted

The idea of fire was in Tom's mind, and he did not finish his halfcompleted thought.

"That may have been it," he resumed after a hasty examination of the gasoline tank, to make sure there were

no leaks in it. "To get even with me for outbidding him on the boat, Andy may have wanted to destroy the

ARROW. Well, of all the mean tricks, that's about the limit! But wait until I see him. I've got evidence

against him," and Tom looked at the key ring. "I could almost have him arrested for this."

Going outside the boathouse, Tom stood on the edge of the dock and peered into the darkness. He could hear

"He had one of those electric flash lanterns," decided Tom. "If I hadn't found his keys, I might have thought it

The young inventor went back into the house after carefully locking the boat compartment and detaching

from the engine an electrical device, without which the motor in the ARROW could not be started.

"That will prevent them from running away with my boat, anyhow," decided Tom. "And I'll tell Garret

Jackson to keep a sharp watch tonight." Jackson was the engineer at Mr. Swift's workshop.

Tom told his father of the happening and Mr. Swift was properly indignant. He wanted to go at once to see

"I'll attend to Andy myself," said the young inventor. "He's getting desperate, I guess, or he wouldn't try to set

Bright and early the next morning the owner of the motorboat was down to the dock inspecting it. The

engineer, who had been on watch part of the night, reported that there had been no disturbance, and Tom

found everything all right. "I wonder if I'd better go over and accuse Andy now or wait until I see him and

spring this evidence on him?" thought our hero. Then he decided it would be better to wait. He took the

"But I must go back now and work on my gyroscope invention," said Mr. Swift when about two hours had

"You need a vacation," decided Tom, "I'll be ready to take you and Ned in about two weeks. He will have

That afternoon Tom put some new style spark plugs in the cylinders of his motor and found that he had

considerably increased the revolutions of the engine, due to a better explosion being obtained. He also made

Heading up the lake, Tom was soon in sight of a popular excursion resort that was frequently visited by

church and Sundayschool organizations in the vicinity of Shopton. The lad saw a number of rowing craft

and a small motorboat circling around opposite the resort and remarked: "There must be a picnic at the

The lad was soon in the midst of quite a flotilla of rowboats, most of them manned by pretty girls or in charge

of boys who were giving sisters (their own or some other chap's) a trip on the water. Tom throttled his boat

down to slow speed and looked with pleasure on the pretty scene. His boat attracted considerable attention,

As our hero passed a boat, containing three very pretty young ladies, Tom heard one of them exclaim:

Something in the tones of the voice attracted his attention. He turned and saw a browneyed girl smiling at

"Runaway horseswhywhat? Oh, it's Miss Nestor!" exclaimed the lad, recognizing the young lady

whose steed he had frightened one day when he was on his bicycle. As told in the first volume of this series,

the horse had run away, being alarmed at the flashing of Tom's wheel, and Miss Mary Nestor, of Mansburg,

"Yes," replied Tom with a smile, shutting off the power, "and I haven't had a chance to save any girls since

The two boats had drifted close together, and Miss Nestor introduced her two companions to Tom.

"Of course it is, Jennie, or he wouldn't be out in it," said Miss Nestor hastily. "Come on, let's get in. I'm just

"Oh, I can tow that," replied the youth. "Get right in and I'll take you all around the lake."

"Not too far," stipulated the girl who had figured in the runaway. "We must be back for lunch, which will be

"Maybe Mr. Swift will come and have some lunch with us," suggested Miss Carson, blushing prettily.

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure," answered Tom, and then he laughed at his formal reply, the girls

"We'd be glad to have you," added Miss Haddon. "Oh!" she suddenly screamed, "the boat's tipping over!"

"Oh, no," Tom hastened to assure her, coming, to the side to help her in. "It just tilts a bit, with the weight of

In another moment the three were in the roomy cockpit and Tom had made the empty rowboat fast to the

stern. He was about to start up when from another boat, containing two little girls and two slightly larger

"Sure!" agreed Tom pleasantly. "Just fasten your boat to the other rowboat and I'll tow you."

One of the boys did this, and then, with three pretty girls as his companions in the ARROW and towing the

The girls were very much interested in the craft and asked all sorts of questions about how the engine

operated. Tom explained as clearly as he could how the gasoline exploded in the cylinders, about the electric

spark and about the propeller. Then, when he had finished, Miss Haddon remarked naively:

"Oh, Mr. Swift, you've explained it beautifully, and I'm sure if our teacher in school made things as clear as

you have that I could get along fine. I understand all about it, except I don't see what makes the engine go."

"Oh," said Tom faintly, and he wondering what would be the best remark to make under the circumstances,

"Oh, girls, it's lunch time! We must go ashore. Will you kindly put about, Mr. SwiftI hope that is the

"That's perfectly right," he admitted with a laugh and a glance into the girl's brown eyes. "I'll put you ashore

"I'm afraid I might be in the way," stammered Tom. "II have a pretty good appetite, and"

"I suppose you think that girls on a picnic don't take much lunch," finished Miss Nestor. "But I assure you

"Yes, and I'd like to have him explain over again how the engine works," went on Miss Haddon. "I am so

Tom helped the girls out, receiving their thanks as well as those of the children in the second boat. But as he

walked with the young ladies through the grove the young inventor registered a mental vow that he would

"Now come right over this way to our table," invited Miss Nestor. "I want you to meet papa and mamma."

Tom followed her. As he stepped from behind a clump of trees he saw, standing not far away, a figure that

seemed strangely familiar. A moment later the figure turned and Tom saw Andy Foger confronting him. At

the sight of our hero the bully turned red and walked quickly away, while Tom's fingers touched the ring of

So unexpected was his encounter with Andy that the young inventor hardly knew how to act, especially since

he was a guest of the young ladies. Tom did not want to do or say anything to embarrass them or make a

scene, yet he did want to have a talk, and a very serious talk, with Andy Foger.

Miss Nestor must have noticed Tom's sudden start at his glimpse of Andy, for she asked: "Did you see some

"Perhaps you'd likethat is preferto go with them instead of taking lunch with girls who don't know

"Oh, no indeed," Tom hastened to assure her. "Hethat isthe person I saw wouldn't care to have me

"Would you like to bring him over to our table?" inquired Miss Carson. "We have plenty for him."

"No, I think that would hardly do," continued the lad, who tried not to smile at the picture of the redhaired

and squinteyed Andy Foger making one of a party with the girls. The young ladies fortunately had not

Tom was presented to Mr. and Mrs. Nestor, who told him how glad they were to meet the young man who

had been instrumental in saving their daughter from injury, if not death. Tom was a bit embarrassed, but bore

the praise as well as he could, and he was very glad when a diversion, in the shape of lunch, occurred.

After a meal on tables under the trees in the grove Tom took the girls and some of their friends out in his

motorboat again. They covered several miles around the lake before returning to the picnic ground.

As Tom was starting toward home in his boat, wondering what had become of Andy and trying to think of a

reason why the bully should attend anything as "tame" as a church picnic, the object of his thoughts came

strolling through the trees down to the shore of the lake. The moment he saw Tom the redhaired lad started

"Hold on there, Andy Foger, I want to see you!" and there was menace in Tom's tone.

"But, I don't want to see you!" retorted the other sulkily. "I've got no use for you."

"No more have I for you," was Tom's quick reply. "But I want to return you these keys. You dropped them in

"My keys! Your boat! On fire!" gasped Andy, so plainly astonished that Tom knew his surprise was genuine.

"Yes, your keys. You were a little, too quick for me or I'd have caught you at it. The next time you pick a

"Of course they are," declared Tom. "I found them where you dropped themin my boat."

"No, I mean down in my boathouse, where you sneaked in the other night and tried to do some damage.

"The other night!" cried Andy. "I never was near your boathouse any night and I never lost my keys there! I

lost these the day of the auction, on Mr. Hastings' ground, and I've been looking for them ever since."

"Didn't you sneak in my boathouse the other night and try to do some mischief? Didn't you drop them then?"

"No, I didn't," retorted Andy earnestly. "I lost those keys at the auction, and I can prove it to you. Look, I

The redhaired lad pulled a crumpled paper from his pocket and showed Tom an advertisement offering a

reward of two dollars for a bunch of keys on a ring, supposed to have been lost at the auction on Mr.

"Does that look as if I lost the keys in your boathouse?" demanded the bully sneeringly. "I wouldn't have

advertised them that way if I' been trying to keep my visit quiet. Besides, I can prove that I was out of town

several nights. I' was over to an entertainment in Mansburg one night and I didn't get home until two o'clock

in the morning, because my machine broke down. Ask Ned Newton. He saw me at the entertainment.

Andy's manner was so earnest that Tom could not help believing him. Then there was the evidence of the

advertisement. Clearly the squinteyed youth had not been the mysterious visitor to the boathouse and had

not unlocked the forward compartment. But if it was not he, who could it have been and how did the keys get

"You can ask Ned Newton," repeated Andy. "He'll prove that I couldn't have been near your place, if you

"Oh, I believe you all right," answered Tom, for there could be no doubting Andy's manner, even though he

and the young inventor were not on good terms. "But how did your keys get in my boat?"

"I don't know, unless you found them, kept them and dropped them there," was the insolent answer.

"Well, I owe you a reward of two dollars for giving them back to me," continued the bully patronizingly.

"And I'd like to know who it was took my keys," and Andy stuffed the money back in his pocket. Tom did

not answer. He was puzzling over a queer matter and he wanted to be alone and think. He turned aside from

"I'll give you a surprise in a few days," Andy called after him, but Tom did not turn his head nor did he

Mr. Swift was somewhat puzzled when his son related the outcome of the key incident. He agreed with Tom

that some one might have found the ring and kept it, and that the same person might have been the one whom

"But it's idle to speculate on it," commented the inventor. "Andy might have induced some of his chums to

act for him in harming your boat, and the key advertisement might have been only a ruse."

"I hardly think so," answered his son, shaking his head. "It strikes me as being very curious, and I'm going to

But a week or more passed and Tom had no clew. In the meanwhile he was working away at his motorboat,

One of these was a better pump, which circulated the water around the cylinders, and another was a new

"This ought to give me a little more speed," reasoned Tom, who was not yet satisfied with his craft. "Guess

He was alone in the ARROW, taking a long course up the lake when, as he passed a wooded point that

"Maybe that's Mr. Hastings," thought Tom. "If I raced with him now, I think the ARROW could give a better

The young inventor looked at the boat as it came into view. It needed but a glance to show that it was not the

CARLOPA. Then, as it came nearer, Tom saw a familiar figure in ita redhaired, squinteyed chap.

"Andy Foger!" exclaimed Tom. "He's got a motorboat! This is the surprise he spoke of."

The boat was rapidly approaching him, and he saw that it was painted a vivid red. Then he could make out

the name on the bow, RED STREAK. Andy was sending the craft toward him at a fast rate.

"You needn't think you're the only one on this lake who has a gasoline boat!" called Andy boastfully. "This is

my new one and the fastest thing afloat around here. I can go all around you. Do you want to race?"

It was a "dare," and Tom never took such things when he could reasonably enter a contest. He swung his boat

"Down opposite Kolb's dock and back to this point," was the answer. "I'll give you a start, as my engine has

"I don't need any start," declared Tom. "I'll race you on even terms. Go ahead!"

Both lads adjusted their timers to get more speed. The water began to curl away from the sharp prows, the

motors exploded faster and faster. The race was on between the ARROW and the RED STREAK.

Glancing with critical eyes at the craft of his rival, Tom saw that Andy Foger had a very fine boat. The young

inventor also realized that if he was to come anywhere near winning the race he would have to get the utmost

speed out of his engine, for the new boat the bully had was designed primarily, for racing, while Tom's was

"I'll be giving you a tow in a few minutes, as soon as my engine gets warmed up!" sneered Andy.

"Maybe," said Tom, and then he crouched down to make as little resistance as possible to the wind. Andy, on

On rushed the two motor craft, their prows exactly even and the propellers tossing up a bulge in the water at

their sterns. Rapidly acquiring speed after the two lads had adjusted the timers on their motors, the boats were

The RED STREAK had a very sharp prow, designed to cut through the water. It was of the type known as an

automobile launch. That is, the engine was located forward, under a sort of hood, which had two hinged

covers like a bat's wings. The steeringwheel shaft went through the forward bulkhead, slantingly, like the

wheel of an auto, and was arranged with gasoline and sparking levers on the center post in a similar manner.

At the right of the wheel was a reversing lever, by which the propeller blades could be set at neutral, or

arranged so as to drive the boat backward. Altogether the RED STREAK was a very fine boat and had cost

considerably more than had Tom's, even when the latter was new. All these things the young owner of the

"I hardly think I can win," Tom remarked to himself in a whisper. "His boat is too speedy for this one. I have

a chance, though, for his engine is new, and I don't believe he understands it as well as I do mine. Then, too, I

But if Tom had any immediate hopes of defeating Andy, they were doomed to disappointment, for about two

"I do," answered the young inventor. "We're a long way from the dock yet, and we've got to come back."

Indeed it began to look so, for the auto boat was now a full length ahead of Tom's craft and there was open

water between them. But our hero knew a thing or two about racing, though he had not long been a

motorboat owner. He adjusted the automatic oiler on the cylinders to give more lubrication, as he intended

to get more speed out of his engine. Then he opened the gasoline cock a trifle more and set his timer forward

a few notches to get an earlier spark. He was not going to use the maximum speed just yet, but he first wanted

to see how the motor of the ARROW would behave under these conditions. To his delight he saw his boat

slowly creeping up on Andy's. The latter, with a glance over his shoulder, saw it too, and he advanced his

spark. His craft forged ahead, but the rate of increase was not equal to Tom's. "If I can keep up to him I

suppose I ought to be glad," thought the young inventor, "for his boat is away ahead of mine in rating."

Through the water the sharp bows cut. There were only a few witnesses to the race, but those who were out in

boats saw a pretty sight as the two speedy craft came on toward the dock, which was the turning point.

Andy's boat reached it first, and swung about in a wide circle for the return. Tom decided it was time to make

his boat do its best, so he set the timer at the limit, and the spark, coming more quickly, increased the

Up shot the ARROW and, straightening out after the turn, Tom's craft crept along until it lapped the stern of

the RED STREAK. Andy looked back in dismay. Then he tried to get more speed out of his engine. He did

cause the screw to revolve a little faster, and Tom noted that he was again being left behind. Then one of

those things, which may happen at any time to a gasoline motor, happened to Andy's. It began to miss

explosions. At first it was only occasionally, then the misses became more frequent.

The owner of the RED STREAK with one hand on the steering wheel, tried with the other to adjust the motor

to get rid of the trouble, but he only made it worse. Andy's boat began to fall back and Tom's to creep up.

Frantically Andy worked the gasoline and sparking levers, but without avail. At last one cylinder went

The two boats were now on even terms and were racing along side by side toward the wooded, point, which

But the young inventor was not to have it all his own way. With a freakishness equal to that with which it had

ceased to explode the dead cylinder came to life again, and the RED STREAK shot ahead. Once more Andy's

boat had the lead of a length and the finish of the race was close at hand. The squinteyed lad turned and

It began to look as though Tom would need it, but he still had something in reserve. One of the improvements

he had put in the ARROW was a new auxiliary ignition system. This he now decided to use.

With a quick motion Tom threw over the switch that put it into operation. A hotter, "fatter" spark was at once

produced, and adjusting his gasoline cock so that a little more of the fluid would be drawn in, making a

"richer" mixture, the owner of the ARROW saw the craft shoot forward as if, like some weary runner, new

In vain did Andy frantically try to get more speed out of his motor. He cut out the muffler, and the explosions

sounded loudly over the lake. But it was no use. A minute later the ARROW, which had slowly forged ahead,

crossed the bows of the RED STREAK opposite the finishing point, and Tom had won the race.

"Well, was that fair?" our hero called to Andy, who had quickly shut off some of his power as he saw his

"You wouldn't have beaten me if my engine hadn't gone back on me," grumbled Andy, chagrin showing on

his face. "Wait until my motor runs smoother and I'll give you a big handicap and beat you. My boat's faster

"I guess it doesn't like racing," commented Tom as he swung the prow of his craft down the lake toward his

home. But he knew there was some truth in what Andy had said. The RED STREAK was a more speedy

boat, and, with proper handling, could have beaten the ARROW. That was where Tom's superior knowledge

came in useful. "Just you wait, I'll beat you yet," called Andy, after the young inventor, but the latter made no

"Well, it wasn't originally," admitted Tom, "but the improvements I put on it made it so. But, dad, when are

we going on our tour? You look more worn out than I've seen you in some time, not excepting when the

"Somewhat, Tom. I can't seem to hit on just what I want. It's a difficult problem."

"Then I tell you what let's do, dad. Let's drop everything in the inventive line and go off on a vacation. I'll

take you up the lake in my boat and you can spend a week at the Lakeview Hotel at Sandport. It will do you

"Oh, Ned Newton and I will cruise about and we'll take you along any time you want to go. We're going to

camp out nights or sleep in the boat if it rains. I've ordered a canopy with side curtains. Ned and I don't care

Mr. Swift considered a moment. He did need a rest, for he had been working hard and his brain was weary

"I think I will accept," said the inventor with a smile. "When can you start, Tom?"

"In about four days. Ned Newton, will get his vacation then and I'll have the canopy on. I'll start to work at it

Sandport was a summer resort at the extreme southern end of Lake Carlopa, and Mr. Swift at once wrote to

the Lakeview Hotel there to engage a room for himself. In the meanwhile Tom began to put the canopy on his

boat and arrange for the trip, which would take nearly a whole day. Ned Newton was delighted with the

prospect of a camping tour and helped Tom to get ready. They took a small tent and plenty of supplies, with

some food. They did not need to carry many rations, as the shores of the lake were lined with towns and

Finally all was ready for the trip and the night before the start Ned Newton stayed at Tom's house so as to be

in readiness for going off early in the morning. The day was all that could be desired, Tom noted, as he and

his chum hurried down to the dock before breakfast to put their blankets in the boat. As the young inventor

"I was sure I locked the sliding door of that forward compartment," was the reply. "Now it's open." He looked

inside the space occupied by the gasoline tank and cried out: "One of the braces is gone! There's been some

"No, none at all, to speak of," replied Tom. "I can easily put a new block under the tank. In fact, I don't really

need all I have. But why should any one take one out, and who did it? That's what I want to1now."

The two lads looked carefully about the dock and boat for a sign of the missing block or any clews that might

"It couldn't," replied Tom. "It was one of the new ones I put in myself and it was nailed fast. You can see

where it's been pried loose. I can't, understand it," and Tom thought rapidly of several mysterious occurrences

of late in which the strange man at the auction and the person he had surprised one night in the boathouse had

"Well, it needn't delay our trip," resumed the young inventor. "Maybe there's a hoodoo around here, and it

will do us good to get away a few days. Come on, we'll have breakfast, get dad and start."

A little later the ARROW was puffing away up the lake in the direction of Sandport.

"Don't you feel better already, dad?" asked Tom that noon as they stopped under a leaning, overhanging tree

for lunch on the shore of the lake. "I'll leave it to Ned if you don't look more contented and less worried."

"I believe he does," agreed the other lad. "Well, I must say I certainly have enjoyed the outing so far,"

admitted the inventor with a smile. "And I haven't been bothering about my gyroscope. I think I'll take

"That's the way to talk!" cried the son. "Your appetite is improving, too. If Mrs. Baggert could see you she'd

"Oh, yes, Mrs. Baggert. I do hope she and Garret will look after the house and shops well," said Mr. Swift,

"Now don't be thinking of that, dad," advised Tom, "Of course everything will be all right. Do you think

some of those model thieves will return and try to get some of your other inventions?"

"I don't know, Tom. Those men were unscrupulous scoundrels, and you can never tell what they might do to

"Well, I guess Garret and Mrs. Baggert will look out for them," remarked his son. "Don't worry."

"Yes, it's bad for the digestion," added Ned. "If you don't mind, Tom, I'll have some more coffee and another

"Nothing the matter with your appetite, either," commented the young inventor as he passed the coffee pot

They were soon on their way again, the ARROW making good time up the lake. Tom was at the engine,

making several minor adjustments to it, while Ned steered. Mr. Swift reclined on one of the cushioned seats

under the shade of the canopy. The young owner of the ARROW looked over the stretch of water from time

to time for a possible sight of Andy Foger, but the RED STREAK was not to be seen. The Lakeview Hotel

was reached late that afternoon and the boat was tied up to the dock, while Tom and Ned accompanied Mr.

"Won't you stay to supper with me?" invited the inventor to his son and the latter's chum. "Or do you want to

"I guess we'll stay to supper and remain at the hotel tonight," decided Tom. "We got here a little later than I

expected, and Ned and I hardly have time to go very far and establish a temporary camp. We'll live a life of

luxurious ease tonight and begin to be 'wanderlusters' and get back to nature tomorrow."

In the morning Tom and his chum, full of enthusiasm for the pleasures before them, started off, promising to

come back to the hotel in a few days to see how Mr. Swift felt. The trip had already done the man good and

Tom and Ned, in the speedy ARROW, cruised along the lakeshores all that morning. At noon they, went

ashore, made a temporary camp and arranged to spend the night there in the tent. After this was erected they

got out their fishing tackle and passed the afternoon at that sport, having such good luck that they provided

They lived this life for three days, making a new camp each night, being favored with good weather, so that

they did not have to sleep in the boat to keep dry. ' On the afternoon of the third day Tom, with a critical

"Then what do you say to heading for the hotel? I fancy dad will be glad to see us." "That suits me. We can

They started for Sandport that afternoon. When within about two miles of the hotel dock Tom saw, just ahead

The other craft did not appear to be moving very rapidly and the ARROW was soon overhauling it. As the

two chums came nearer they could hear the puffing of the motor. Tom listened with critical ears.

At that moment there sounded a loud explosion from the other boat and at the same time there came over the

water a shrill cry of alarm. "That's a girl in that boat!" exclaimed Ned. "Maybe she's hurt."

"No, the motor only backfired," observed Tom. "But we'll go over and see if we can help her. Perhaps she

A little later the ARROW shot up alongside the other craft, which had come to a stop. The two lads could see

a girl bending over the motor, twirling the flywheel and trying to get it started. "Can I help you?" asked Tom,

The young lady glanced up. Her face was red and she seemed ill at ease. At the sight of the young inventor

"Why, Mr. Swift!" she cried. "Oh, I'm in such trouble. I can't make the machine work, and I'm afraid it's

"Miss Nestor!" blurted out Tom, more surprised evidently to see his acquaintance of the runaway again than

she was at beholding him. "I didn't know you ran a motorboat," he added. "I don't," said she simply and

"I am stopping with friends, who have a cottage near the Lakeview Hotel. They have a motorboat and I got

Dick Blythehe's the owner of thisto show me how to run it. I thought I knew, and I started out a little

while ago. At first it went beautifully, but a few minutes ago it blew up, oror something dreadful

"Nothing very dreadful, I guess," Tom assured her. "I think I can fix it." He got into the other boat and soon

saw what the trouble was. The carburetor had gotten out of adjustment and the gasoline was not feeding

properly. The young inventor soon had it in order, and, testing the motor, found that it worked perfectly.

"Oh, I can't thank you enough," cried Miss Nestor with a flash from her brown eyes that made Tom's heart

beat double time. "I was afraid I had damaged the boat, and I knew Dick, who is a sort of second cousin of

"There's no harm done," Tom assured her. "But you had better keep near us on your way back, that is, if you

"Oh, indeed I am. I was frightened when I found I'd come so far away from shore, and then, when that

explosion took placewell, you can imagine how I felt. Indeed I will keep near you. Are you stopping near

here? If you are, I wish you'd come and see me, you and Mr. Newton" she added, for Tom had introduced his

"I'll be very glad to," answered our hero, and he told how he happened to be in the neighborhood. "I'll give

"Oh, will you? That will be lovely! I won't tell Dick about it, and I'll surprise him some day by showing him

He started the motor for Miss Nestor, having stopped it after his first test, and then, with the DOT, which was

the name of the small boat Miss Nestor was in, following the larger ARROW, the run back to the hotel was

made. The young lady turned off near the Lakeview dock to go to the cottage where she was stopping and the

"Yes, we are in for a storm," remarked Tom as he and his chum walked up toward the hotel. "I wonder how

"There he comes now," observed Ned, and, looking up, Tom saw his father approaching. The young inventor

was at once struck by the expression on his parent's face. Mr. Swift looked worried and Tom anxiously

"What's the matter dad?" he asked as cheerfully as he could. "Have you been figuring over that gyroscope

"Those scoundrels are around again, Tom!" and Mr. Swift looked apprehensively about him.

"Yes. I was walking in the woods near the hotel yesterday and I saw Anson Morse. He did not see me, for I

turned aside as quickly as I had a glimpse of him. He was talking to another man."

"Well, an ordinary enough individual, but I noticed that he had tattooed on the little finger of his left hand a

"I don't know, Tom, but I'm worried. I wish I was back home. I'm afraid something may happen to some of

"Nonsense, dad. Don't worry just because you saw some of your former enemies. Everything is all right at

home. Mrs. Baggert and Garret Jackson will look after things. But, if you like, I, can find out for you how

"By taking a run down there in my motorboat. I can do it to morrow and get back by night, if I start early.

"All right, Tom; I wish you would. Come up to my room and we will talk it over. I'd rather leave you go than

telephone, as I don't like to talk of my business over the wire if I can avoid it."

"Now, dad, tell me all about it," requested Tom when he and Ned were in Mr. Swift's apartment at the hotel,

safe from the rain that was falling. "How did you happen to see Anson Morse and Happy Harry?" My old

readers will doubtless remember that the latter was the disguised tramp who was so vindictive toward Tom,

while Morse was the man who endeavored to sneak in Mr. Swift's shop and steal a valuable invention.

"Well, Tom," proceeded the inventor, "there isn't much to tell. I was out walking in the woods yesterday, and

when I was behind a clump of bushes I heard voices. I looked out and there I saw the two men."

"At first I thought they were trailing me, but I saw that they had not seen me, and I didn't see how they could

"Not all, but they seemed angry over something. The man with the blue ring on his finger asked the other

"I don't know, unless he is another member of the gang or unless that is an assumed name."

"The man we know as Morse replied that he hadn't heard from him, but that he suspected Murdock was

playing a double game. Then the trampHappy Harryasked this question: 'Have you any clew to the

sparkler?' And Morse answered: 'No, but I think Murdock has hid it somewhere and is trying to get away with

it without giving us our share.' Then the two men walked away, and I came back to the hotel," finished Mr.

"So it is. In that case, dad, I think we have nothing to worry about. Those fellows must be going to commit a

The inventor seemed relieved at this theory of his son. His face brightened and he said: "If they are going to

"But if they said that 'Murdock,' whoever he is, had the sparkler and was trying to get away with it without

giving them their share, wouldn't that indicate that the robbery had already taken place?" asked Ned.

"That's so," agreed Tom. "But it won't do any harm to tell the hotel detective that suspicious characters are

around, no matter if the has been committed. Then he can be on the lookout. But I don't think we have

anything to worry about, dad. Still, if you like, I'll take a run down to the house to see that everything is all

right, though I'm sure it will be found that we have nothing to be alarmed over."

"Well, I will be more relieved if you do," said the inventor, "However, suppose we have a good supper now

and you boys can stay at the hotel tonight. Then you and Ned can start off early in the morning."

"All right," agreed Tom, but there was a thoughtful look on his face and he appeared to be planning

After supper that night Tom took his chum to one side and asked: "Would you mind very much if you didn't

"I think it will be a good plan. I don't like to leave dad alone if those scoundrels are around. Of course he's

able to look after himself, but sometimes he gets absent minded from thinking too much about his

"Of course I'll stay here at the hotel. This is just as good a vacation as I could wish."

"Oh, I don't mean all the while. Just a day or sountil I come back. I may be here again by tomorrow

night and find that my father is needlessly alarmed. Then something may have happened at home and I would

"You'd better steer clear of them," advised Tom quickly. "They are dangerous customers."

"All right. Then I'll go over and give Miss Nestor lessons on how to run a motorboat," was the smiling

"Oh, I'll just say I'm your agent," promised Ned with a grin. "You can't object to that."

"Yes, but you do seem to turn up at most opportune times. Luck is certainly with you where she is concerned.

"Then you take her for a ride in your motorboat, and, lastly, you come to her relief when she is stalled in the

"Never mind, I'm giving you a show. Now let's get to bed early, as I want to get a good start."

Tom awoke to find a nasty, drizzling rainstorm in progress, and the lake was almost hidden from view by a

swirling fog. Still he was not to be daunted from his trip to Shopton by the weather, and, after a substantial

The canopy he had provided was an efficient protection against the rain, a celluloid window in the forward

Through the mist puffed the boat, the motor being throttled down to medium speed, for Tom was not as

familiar with the lake as he would like to have been, and he did not want to run aground or into another craft.

He was thinking over what his father had told him about the presence of the men and vainly wondering what

might be their reference to the "sparkler." His thoughts also dwelt on the curious removal of the bracing block

"I shouldn't be surprised but what Andy Foger did that," he mused. "Some day he and I will have a grand

fight, and then maybe he'll let me alone. Well, I've got other things to think about now. The hotel detective

can keep a lookout for the men around the hotel, after the, warning I gave him, and I'll see that all is right at

The fog lifted somewhat and Tom put on more speed. As he was steering the boat along near shore he heard,

off to the woods at his right, the report of a gun. It came so suddenly that he jumped involuntarily. A moment

He turned the boat in toward the bank. As he shut off the power from the motor he heard the cry again:

"I must go ashore!" he exclaimed. "Probably some one is badly wounded by a gun."

He paused for a moment as the fear came to him that it might be some of the patent thieves. Then, dismissing

that idea as the ARROW's prow touched the gravel, Tom sprang out, drew the boat up a little way, fastened

the rope to a tree and hurried off into the dripping woods in the direction of the voice that was calling for aid.

Uttering these words after he had hurried into the woods a short distance, the young inventor paused for an

answer. At first he could hear nothing but the drip of water from the branches of the trees; then, as he listened

He had lost what little fear he had had at first, that it might be one of the unscrupulous gang, and came to the

"Here I am, under the big oak tree. Oh, whoever you are, help me quickly! I'm bleeding to death!"

With the sound of the voice to guide him, Tom swung around. The appeal had come from the left and,

looking in that direction, he saw, through the mist, a large oak tree. Leaping over the underbrush toward it he

caught sight of the wounded man at its foot. Beside him lay a gun and there was a wound in the man's right

"Who shot you?" cried Tom, hurrying to the side of the man. "Was it some of those patent thieves?" Then,

realizing that a stranger would know nothing of the men who had stolen the model, Tom prepared to change

the form of his question. But, before he had an opportunity to do this, the man, whose eyes were closed,

"Why, it's Mr. Duncan!" exclaimed the lad. He had recognized the rich hunter, whom he had first met in the

woods that spring shortly after Happy Harry, the tramp, had disabled Tom's motor cycle. "Mr. Duncan," the

"Is that you, Tom Swift?" asked the gunner. "Help me, please. I must stop this bleeding in my arm. I'll tell

you about it afterward. Wind something around it tightyour handkerchief will do."

The man sighed weakly and his eyes closed again. The lad saw the blood spurting from an ugly wound.

"I must make a tourniquet," the youth exclaimed. "That will check the bleeding until I can get him to a

With Tom to think was to act. He took out his knife and cut off Mr. Duncan's sleeves below the injury,

slashing through coat and shirts. Then he saw that part of a charge of shot had torn away some of the large

muscular development of the upper arm. The hunter seemed to have fainted and the youth worked quickly.

Tying his handkerchief above the wound and inserting a small stone under the cloth, so that the pebble would

press on the main artery, Tom put a stick in the handkerchief and began to twist it. This had the effect of

tightening the linen around the arm, and in a few seconds the lad was glad to see that the blood had stopped

spurting out with every beat of the heart. Giving the tourniquet a few more twists to completely stop the flow

"That'sthat's better," murmured Mr. Duncan. "Now if you can go for a doctor" He had to pause for

"I'll not leave you here alone while I go for a doctor," declared Tom. "I have my motorboat on the lake. Do

"Perhapsmaybe. I'll be stronger in a moment, now that the bleeding has stopped. But notnot

homefrighten my wife. Take me to the sanitarium if you cansanitarium up the lake, a few miles from

The unfortunate man, who had tried to sit upright, had to lean back against the tree again. Tom understood

what he meant in spite of the broken sentences. Mr. Duncan did not want to be taken home in the condition

he was then in, for fear of alarming his wife. He wanted to be taken to the sanitarium, and Tom knew where

this was, a wellknown resort for the treatment of various diseases and surgical cases. It was about five miles

Seeing that his patient would be all right, for a few minutes at least, Tom hurried to his motorboat, got a cup

and, filling it with water from a jug he carried, he hastened with it to the hunter. The fluid revived the man

wonderfully and now that the bleeding had almost completely stopped, Mr. Duncan was much stronger.

"Yes, I believe so. To think of meeting you again, and under such circumstances! It is providential."

"Did someone shoot you?" inquired Tom, who could not get out of his head the notion of the men who had

"No, I shot myself," answered Mr. Duncan as he got to his feet with Tom's help. "I was out with my gun,

practicing just as I was that day when I met you in the woods. I stooped down to crawl under a bush and the

weapon went off, the muzzle being close against my arm. I can't understand how it happened. I fell down and

called for help. Then I guess I must have fainted, but I came to when I heard you talking to me. I shouldn't

have come out to day as it is so wet, but I had some new shot shells I wished to try in order to test them

before the hunting season. But if I can get to the sanitarium, I will be well taken care of. I know one of the

With Tom leading him and acting as a sort of support, the journey to the motorboat was slowly made.

Making as comfortable a bed as possible out of the seat cushions, Tom assisted Mr. Duncan to it, and then

starting the engine he sent his boat out from shore at half speed, as the fog was still thick and he did not want

"About," answered Tom a little doubtfully, "but I'm afraid it's going to be hard to locate it in this fog."

"There's a compass in my coat pocket," said Mr. Duncan. "Take it out and I'll tell you how to steer. You

Tom was beginning to think so himself and wondered that he had not thought of it before. He found the one

the hunter had, and placing it on the seat near him, he carefully listened to the wounded man's directions.

Tom easily comprehended and soon had the boat headed in the proper direction. After that it was

But there was another danger, however, and this was that he might run into another boat. True, there were not

many on Lake Carlopa, but there were some, and one of the few motorboats might be out in spite of the bad

"Guess I'll not run at full speed," decided Tom. "I wouldn't like to crash into the RED STREAK. We'd both

So he did not run his motor at the limit and sat at the steering wheel, peering ahead into the fog for the first

He turned to look at Mr. Duncan and was alarmed at the pallor of his face. The man's eyes were closed and he

There was no answer. Leaving the helm for a moment, Tom bent over the injured hunter. A glance showed

him what had happened. The tourniquet had slipped and the wound was bleeding again. Tom quickly shut off

the motor, so that he might give his whole attention to the work of tightening the handkerchief. But

something seemed to be wrong. No matter how tightly he twisted the stick the blood did not stop flowing.

"I've got to get him to the sanitarium in record time!" exclaimed Tom. "Fog or no fog, I've got to run at full

Making the bandage as tight as he could and fastening it in place, the young inventor sprang to the motor and

set it in motion. Then he went to the wheel. In a few minutes the ARROW was speeding through the water as

it had never done before, except when it had raced the RED STREAK. "If I hit anythinggoodby!"

thought Tom grimly. His hands were tense on the rim of the steeringwheel and he was ready in an instant to

reverse the motor as he sat there straining his eyes to see through the curtain of mist that hung over the lake.

Now and then he glanced at the compass, to keep on the right course, and from time to time he looked at Mr.

How Tom accomplished that trip he hardly remembered afterward. Through the fog he shot, expecting any

moment to crash into some other boat. He did pass a rowing craft in which sat a lone fisherman. The lad was

upon him in an instant, but a turn of the wheel sent the ARROW safely past, and the startled fisherman,

whose frail craft was set to rocking violently by the swell from the motorboat, sent an objecting cry through

the fog after Tom. But the youth did not reply. On and on he raced, getting the last atom of power from his

He feared Mr. Duncan would be dead when he arrived, but when he saw the dock of the sanitarium looming

up out of the mist and shut off the power to slowly run up to it, he placed his hand on the wounded man's

"He's alive, anyhow," thought the youth, and then his craft bumped up against the bulkhead and a man in the

Mr. Duncan was quickly taken up to the sanitarium on a stretcher and Tom followed.

"You must have made a record run," observed one of the physicians a little while afterward, when Tom was

telling of his trip while waiting in the office to hear the report on the hunter's condition.

"I guess I did," muttered the young inventor "only I didn't think so at the time. It seemed as if we were only

Under the skill of the physicians at the lake sanitarium Mr. Duncan's wound was quickly attended to and the

bleeding, which Tom had partly checked, was completely stopped. Some medicines having been

administered, the hunter regained a little of his strength, and, about an hour after be had been brought to the

resort, he was able to see Tom, who, at his request, was admitted to his room. The young inventor found Mr.

"Not as bad as I feared," replied the hunter, while a trained nurse placed a chair for the lad at the bedside. "If

it had not been for you, though, I'm afraid to think of what might have happened."

"Well, you can imagine how thankful I am," resumed Mr. Duncan. "I'll thank you more properly at another

"It's not of much consequence," responded the youth. "I was only going to see that everything was all right at

our house," and he explained about his father being at the hotel and mentioned his worriment. "I will go on

now unless I can do something more for you," resumed Tom. "I will probably stay at our house all night

"I'd like to send word to my wife about what has happened," said the hunter. "If it would not be too much out

of your way, I'd appreciate it if you could stop at my home in Waterford and tell her, so she will not be

"I'll do it," replied our hero. "There is no special need of my hurrying. I have brought your gun and compass

"Then please accept that gun and compass with my compliments. They are both of excellent make, and I

don't think I shall use that gun this season. My wife would be superstitious about it. As for the compass,

"Oh, I couldn't think of taking them," expostulated Tom, but his eyes sparkled in anticipation, for he had been

"If you don't take them I shall feel very much offended," the hunter said, "and the nurse here will tell you that

sick persons ought to be humored. Hadn't they?" and he appealed to the pretty young woman, who was

"That's perfectly true," she said, showing her white, even teeth. "I think, Mr. Swift, I shall have to order you

"It isn't half enough," remarked Mr. Duncan solemnly. "Just explain matters to my wife, if you will, and tell

her the doctor says I can be out in about a week. But I'm not going hunting or practicing shots again."

A little later Tom, with the compass before him to guide him on his course through the fog, was speeding his

boat toward Waterford. Now and then he glanced at the fine shotgun which he had so unexpectedly acquired.

"This will come in dandy this fall!" he exclaimed. "I'll go hunting quail and partridge as well as wild ducks.

Mrs. Duncan was at first very much alarmed when Tom started to tell her of the accident, but she soon

calmed down as the lad went more into details and stated how comparatively out of danger her husband now

was. The hunter's wife insisted that Tom remain to dinner, and as he had made up his mind he would have to

The fog lifted that afternoon, and Tom, rejoicing in the sunlight, which drove away the storm clouds, speeded

"This is something like," he exclaimed. "I'll soon be at home, find everything all right and telephone to dad.

When Tom was within a few miles of his own boathouse he heard behind him the "putput" of a motor craft.

"Andy certainly is getting the speed out of her now," he remarked. "He'd beat me if we were racing, but the

trouble with his boat and engine is that he can't always depend on it. I guess he doesn't understand how to run

But the redhaired owner of the auto boat evidently did not intend to offer Tom a race. The RED STREAK

went on down the lake, passing the ARROW about half a mile away. Then the young inventor saw that Andy

"Sam Snedecker and Pete Bailey, I guess," he murmured. "Well, they're a trio pretty much alike. The farther

Tom once more gave his attention to his own boat. He was going at a fair speed, but not the limit, and he

counted on reaching home in about a half hour. Suddenly, when he was just congratulating himself on the

smoothrunning qualities of his motor, which had not missed an explosion, the machinery stopped.

He quickly shut off the gasoline and went back to the motor. Now there are so many things that may happen

to a gasoline engine that it would be difficult to name them all offhand, and Tom, who had not had very much

experience, was at a loss to find what had stopped his machinery. He tried the spark and found that by

touching the wire to the top of the cylinder, when the proper connection was, made, that he had a hot, "fat

one." The compression seemed all right and the supply pipe from the gasoline tank was in perfect order. Still

the motor would not go. No explosion resulted when he turned the flywheel over, not even when he primed

the cylinder by putting a little gasoline in through the cocks on the cylinder heads.

"That's funny," he remarked to himself as he rested from his labors and contemplated the "dead" motor. "First

time it has gone back on me." The boat was drifting down the lake, and, at the sound of another motor craft

approaching, Tom looked up. He saw the RED STREAK, containing Andy Foger and his cronies. They had

"I'll make her go, if it takes all night!" declared Tom energetically. Once more he tried to start the motor. It

coughed and sighed, as if in protest, but would not explode. Then Tom cried: "The spark plug! That's where

It was the work of but a minute to unscrew the spark plugs from the tops of the cylinders. He found that both

had such accumulations of carbon on them that no spark could ever have reached the mixture of gasoline and

"I'll put new ones in," he decided, for he carried a few spare plugs for emergencies. Inside of five minutes,

But the RED STREAK was not in sight, and, a little later, Tom had run the ARROW into the boathouse,

"I suppose Mrs. Baggert and Garret will be surprised to see me," he remarked. "Maybe they'll think we don't

trust them, by coming back in this fashion to see that everything is safe. But then, I suppose, dad is naturally

nervous about some of his valuable machinery and inventions. I think I'll find everything all right, though."

As Tom went up the main path and swung off to a side one, which was a short cut to the house, he saw in the

dusk, for it was now early evening, a movement in the bushes that lined the walk.

"Hello, Garret!" exclaimed the lad, taking it for granted it was the engineer employed by Mr. Swift.

There was no reply, and Tom, with a sudden suspicion, sprang toward the bushes. The shrubbery was more

violently agitated and, as the lad reached the screen of foliage, he saw a man spring up from the ground and

Hardly had he spoken when from behind a big apple tree another man sprung. It was light enough so that the

"Garret! Garret Jackson!" cried Tom as he struggled through the hedge of bushes and ran after the men.

But there came no answer to Tom's hail. He could not hear the sound of the retreating footsteps of the men

now and concluded that they had made their escape. Still he would not give up, but dashed on, slipping and

"What can they be doing here?" thought Tom in great anxiety. "Are they after some more of dad's inventions

"Oh, Garret! Where have you been?" asked the young inventor, recognizing the tones of his father's keeper.

"Why if it isn't Tom!" ejaculated the engineer. "However in the world did you get here? I thought you were at

"Happy Harry and another one. I saw them hiding down by the orchard path. Come on, they're right ahead of

But though they hunted as well as they were able to in the fast gathering darkness, there was no trace of the

intruders. They had to give up, and Tom, after going to the boathouse to see that the ARROW was all right,

returned to the house, where he told the engineer and housekeeper what had brought him back and how he

"Is everything all right, Garret?" he concluded. "Dad is nervous and frightened. I must telephone him at the

hotel tonight and let him know, for I promised to come back. I can't, though, until tomorrow."

"Everything is all right as far as I know," answered Jackson. "I've kept a careful watch and the burglar alarm

has been in working order. Mrs. Baggert and I haven't been disturbed a single night since you went away. It's

curious that the men should be here the very night you come back. Maybe they followed you."

"You can't tell what those fellows know," commented the engineer. "But, anyhow, I don't suppose they could

"Oh, yes they could, in their automobile," declared Tom. "But I don't believe they knew I was coming. They

knew we were away, however, and thought it would be a good time to steal something, I guess. Are you sure

They made a hasty examination, but found nothing disturbed and no signs that anyone had tried to break in.

"I think I'll telephone dad that everything is all right," decided Tom. "It is as far as his inventions are

concerned, and if I tell about seeing the men it will only worry him. I can explain that part better when I see

him. But when I go back, Garret, you will have to be on your guard, since those men are in the

Mr. Swift was soon informed by his son over the telephone that nothing in the shops had been disturbed, and

the inventor received the news with evident satisfaction. He requested Tom to come back to the hotel in the

morning, in order that the three of them might go for a ride about the lake in the afternoon, and Tom decided

The night passed without incident, though Tom, who kept the gun Mr. Duncan had given him in readiness for

use, got up several times, thinking he heard suspicious noises. After an early breakfast, and having once more

cautioned the engineer and housekeeper to be on their guard, Tom started back in the ARROW. As it would

not be much out of his way, the young inventor decided to cut across the lake and stop at the sanitarium, that

he might inquire about Mr. Duncan. He thought he could speed the ARROW up sufficiently to make up for

any time he might lose, and, with this in mind, he headed out toward the middle of Lake Carlopa. The engine

was working splendidly with the new spark plugs, and Tom was wondering if there was any possible method

of getting more revolutions out of the motor. He had about come to the conclusion that a new propeller might

answer his purpose when he heard the noise of an approaching boat. He looked up quickly and exclaimed:

"Andy Foger again, and Pete and Sam are with him. It's a wonder he wouldn't go off on a trip instead of

Idly Tom watched the RED STREAK. It was cutting through the water at a fast rate, throwing up curling

foam on either side of the sharp bow. "He seems to be heading this way," mused Tom. "Well, I'm not going

Nearer and nearer came the speedy craft, straight for the ARROW. The young inventor shifted his helm in

order to get out of Andy's course, but to his surprise he saw that the red haired lad changed the direction of

"Guess he wants to see how close he can come to me," thought our hero. "Maybe he wants to show how fast

The RED STREAK was now so close that the features of the occupants could easily be distinguished. There

"Get out of the way or we'll run you down!" cried the bully. "We've got the right of way."

"Don't you try anything like that!" shouted Tom in some alarm, not that he was afraid of Andy, but the RED

STREAK was getting dangerously near, and he knew Andy was not a skillful helmsman. The autoboat was

now headed directly at the ARROW and coming on speedily. Andy was bending over the wheel and Tom had

begun to turn his, in order to get well out of the way of the insolent, squinteyed lad and his friends.

"Look out! Look out!" he yelled. "My steering gear has broken! I can't change my course. Look out!"

Andy seemed confused and did not know what to do. Sam Snedecker sprang to the side of his crony, but he

knew even less about a motorboat. It looked as if Tom would be run down, and he was in great danger.

But the young inventor did not lose his head. He put his wheel hard over and then, leaping to his motor, sent

it full speed forward. Not a moment too soon had he acted, for an instant later the other boat shot past the

stern of the ARROW, hitting it a severe but glancing blow. Tom's boat quivered from end to end and he

quickly shut off the power. By this time Andy had succeeded in slowing down his craft. The young inventor

hastily looked over the side of the ARROW. One of the rudder fastenings had been torn loose.

"II didn't do it on purpose," returned Andy contritely. "I was seeing how near I could come to you when

"My rudder's broken," went on Tom "and I've got to put back to repair it. I ought to have you arrested for

"I'll pay for the damage," replied Andy, and he was so frightened that he was white, in spite of his tan and

"That won't do me any good now," retorted Tom. "It will delay me a couple of hours. If you try any tricks

like that again, I'll complain to the authorities and you won't be allowed to run a boat on this lake."

Andy knew that his rival was in the right and did not reply. The bully and his cronies busied themselves over

the broken steering gear, and the young inventor, finding that he could make a shift to get back to his

boathouse, turned his craft around and headed for there, in order to repair the damage.

Paying no heed to the occupants of the bully's boat, who, by reason of their daring, had been responsible for

his accident that might have resulted seriously, Tom was soon at his dock. He had it conveniently arranged

for hoisting craft out of the water to repair them, and in a few minutes the stern of the ARROW was elevated

"Well, it's not as bad as I thought," he remarked when, with critical eye, he had noted the damage done. I can

Going up to the house to get some tools and to tell the engineer that he had returned, Tom looked out over the

"They've got her fixed up in some kind of shape," he murmured. "It's a shame for a chump like Andy to have

a good boat like that. He'll spoil it in one season. He's getting altogether too reckless. First thing he knows, he

Mr. Jackson was much surprised to see the young inventor home again so soon, as was also Mrs. Baggert.

Tom explained what had happened, and he and the engineer went to work repairing the damage done by the

RED STREAK. As the owner of the ARROW had anticipated, the work did not take long, and, shortly before

"Better stay and have lunch," urged Mrs. Baggert. "You can hardly get to the hotel by night, anyhow, and

"No, I must get back tonight or dad would be worried," declared Tom. "I've been gone longer now than I

calculated on. But I will have dinner here, and, if necessary, I can do the last half of the trip after dark. I know

The ARROW was let down into the water again and tied outside the boathouse ready for a quick start. The

dinner Mrs. Baggert provided was so good that Tom lingered over it longer than he meant to, and he asked

for a second apple dumpling with hard sauce on. So it was with a very comfortable feeling indeed and with an

almost forgiving spirit toward Andy Foger that our hero started down the path to the lake.

"Now for a quick run to Sandport," he said aloud. "I hope I shan't see any more of those men and that dad

hasn't been bothered by them. His suspicions about the house weren't altogether unfounded, for I did see the

tramp and some one else sneaking around, but I don't believe they'll come back now."

Tom swung around the path that led to the dock. As he came in sight of the water, he stared as if he could not

believe what he saw, or, rather, what he did not see. For there was no craft tied to the stringpiece, where he

had fastened his motorboat. He looked again, rubbed his eyes to make sure and then cried out:

There was no doubt of it. The craft was not at the dock. Breaking into a run, Tom hastened to the boathouse.

The ARROW was not in there, and a look across the lake showed only a few rowboats in sight.

"Maybe Garret took it out to try and see that it worked all right," he said hopefully. "He knows how to run a

boat. Maybe he wanted to see how the rudder behaved and is out in it now. He got through dinner before I

did. But I should have thought he'd have said something to me if he was going out in it."

"I'll see if Garret is in his shop," he went on as he turned back toward the house.

The first person he met as he headed for the group of small structures where Mr. Swift's inventive work was

"Your boat! Why would I be out in your boat?" and Mr. Jackson removed his pipe from his mouth and stared

"Gone!" repeated the engineer, and then Tom told him. The two hurried down to the dock, but the addition of

another pair of eyes was of no assistance in locating the ARROW. The trim little motor craft was nowhere to

"I can't understand it," said Tom helplessly. "I wasn't gone more than an hour at dinner, and yet"

"But I think I would have heard them start it," went on the lad. "Maybe it drifted off, though I'm sure I tied it

"No, there's not much likelihood of that. There's no wind today and no currents in the lake. But it could

easily have been towed off by some one in a rowboat and then you would not have heard the motor start."

"That's so," agreed the youth. "That's probably how they did it. They sneaked up here in a rowboat and towed

"Those men who were sneaking aroundHappy Harry and his gang. They stole the boat once and they'd do

"Well, because they wouldn't dare come back here when they knew we're on the lookout for them. It would

"Oh, those fellows don't care for risk," was the opinion of Mr. Jackson. "Take my word for it, they have your

boat. They have been keeping watch, and as soon as they saw the dock unprotected they sneaked up and stole

"Andy Foger!" was the quick response. "I believe he and his cronies did it to annoy me. They have been

trying to get even with meor at least Andy hasfor outbidding him on this boat. He's tried several times,

but he hasn't succeededuntil now. I'm sure Andy Foger has my boat," and Tom, with a grim tightening of

"To find Andy and his cronies. When I locate them I'll make them tell me where my boat is."

"Hadn't you better send some word to your father? You can hardly get to Sandport now, and he'll be worried

"That's so, I will. I'll telephone dad that the boatno, I'll not do that either, for he'd only worry and maybe

get sick. I'll just tell him I've had a little accident, that Andy ran into me and that I can't come back to the

hotel for a day or two. Maybe I'll be lucky to find my boat in that time. But dad won't worry then, and, when I

see him, I can explain. That's what I'll do," and Tom was soon talking to Mr. Swift by telephone.

The inventor was very sorry his son could not come back to rejoin him and Ned, but there was no help for it,

and, with as cheerful voice as he could assume, the lad promised to start for Sandport at the earliest

"Now to find Andy and my boat!" Tom exclaimed as he hung up the telephone receiver.

Trouble is sometimes good in a way; it makes a person resourceful. Tom Swift had had his share of

annoyances of late, but they had served a purpose. He had learned to think clearly and quickly. Now, when he

"What will you do first?" asked Mr. Jackson as he saw his employer's son hesitating.

"First I'm going to Andy Foger's house," declared the young inventor. "If he's home I'm going to tell him

"Why don't you take your sailboat and run down to his dock?" suggested the engineer. "It isn't as quick as

"So it is," exclaimed the lad. "I will use my catboat. I had forgotten all about it of late. I'm glad you spoke."

He was soon sailing down the lake in the direction of the boathouse on the waterfront of Mr. Foger's

property. It needed but a glance around the dock to show him that the RED STREAK was not there, but Tom

recollected the accident to the steering gear and thought perhaps Andy had taken his boat to some wharf

where there was a repair shop and there left it to return home himself. But inquiry of Mrs. Foger, who was as

nice a woman as her son was a mean lad, gave Tom the information that his enemy was not at home.

"He telephoned to me that his boat was damaged," said Mrs. Foger gently, "and that he had taken it to get

fixed. Then, he said, he and some friends were going on a little cruise and might not be back tonight."

"Did he say where he was going?" asked our hero, who did not tell Andy's mother why he wanted to see her

"No, and I'm worried about him. Sometimes I think Andy is too well, too impetuous, and I'm afraid he

Tom, in spite of his trouble, could hardly forbear smiling. Andy's mother was totally unaware of the mean

traits of her son and thought him a very fine chap. Tom was not going to undeceive her.

"I'm afraid something will happen to him," she went on. "Do you think there is any danger being out on the

"Yes, I have one," answered Tom. He was going to say he had once had one, but thought better of it. "No,

"I am very glad to hear you say so," went on Mrs. Foger with a sigh. "I shall feel more at ease when Andy is

away now. When he returns home, I shall tell him you called upon him and he will return your visit. I am

glad to see that the custom of paying calls has not died out among the present generation. It is a pleasant

habit, and I am glad to have my son conform to it. He shall return your kind visit."

"Oh, no, it's of no consequence," replied Tom quickly, thinking grimly that his visit was far from a friendly

one. "There is no need to tell your son I was here. I will probably see him in a day or two.

"Oh, but I shall tell him," insisted Mrs. Foger with a kind smile. "I'm sure he will appreciate your call."

There was much doubt concerning this in the mind of the young inventor, but he did not express it and soon

took his leave. Up and down the lake for the rest of the day he cruised, looking in vain for a sight of Andy

"If I only could find where they've taken mine," mused Tom. "Hang it all, this is rotten luck!" and for the first

"Maybe you'd better notify the police," suggested Mr. Jackson when Tom returned to the Swift house that

"I think I can do as well as the police," answered the youth. "If the boat is anywhere it's on the lake, and the

"That's so," agreed the engineer. "I wish I could help you, but I don't believe it would be wise for me to leave

"No, you must stay here," was Tom's opinion. "I'll take another day or two to search. By this time Andy and

"Well, then I'll make a tour of the lake in my sailboat and I'll run up to Sandport and tell dad, for he will

wonder what's keeping me. I'll know better next time than to leave my boat at the dock without taking out the

connection at the spark coil, so no one can start the motor. I should have done that at first, but you always

The lad began his search again the next morning and cruised about in little bays and gulfs looking for a sight

of the RED STREAK or the ARROW, but he saw neither, and a call at Andy's house showed that the

redhaired youth had not returned. Mrs. Foger was quite nervous over her son's continued absence, but Mr.

Another day passed without any results and the young inventor was getting so nervous, partly with worrying

over the loss of his boat and partly on his father's account, that he did not know what to do.

"I can't stand it any longer," he announced to Mrs. Baggert the night of the third day, after a telephone

message had been received from Mr. Swift. The inventor wanted to know why his son did not return to the

"If I don't find my boat tomorrow, I'll sail to Sandport, bring home dad and Ned and we three will go all

over the lake. My boat must be on it somewhere, but Lake Carlopa is so cut up that it could easily be hidden."

"It's queer that the Foger boy doesn't come home. That makes it look as if he was guilty."

"Oh, I'm sure he took it all right," returned Tom. "All I want is to see him. It certainly is queer that he stays

away as long as he does. Sam Snedecker and Pete Bailey are with him, too. But they'll have to return some

Tom dreamed that night of finding his boat and that it was a wreck. He awoke, glad to find that the latter part

was not true, but wishing that some of his night vision might come to pass during the day.

He started out right after breakfast, and, as usual, headed for the Foger home. He almost disliked to ask Mrs.

Foger if her son had yet returned, for Andy's mother was so polite and so anxious to know whether any

danger threatened that Tom hardly knew how to answer her. But he was saved that embarrassment on this

occasion, for as he was going up the walk from the lake to the residence he met the gardener and from him

"But his mother had a message from him, I did hear," went on the man. "He's on his way. It seems he had

"I don't rightly know, sir, but," and here the gardener winked his eye, "Master Andy isn't particular what kind

"That's right," agreed our hero, and as he went down again to where he had left his boat he thought: "Nor

what kind of trouble he gets other people into. I wish I had hold of him for about five minutes!"

The sailboat swung slowly from the dock and heeled over to the gentle breeze. Hardly knowing what to do,

Tom headed for the middle of the lake. He was discouraged and tired of making plans only to have them fail.

As he looked across the stretch of water he saw a boat coming toward him. He shaded his eyes with his hand

to see better, and then, with a pair of marine glasses, took an observation. He uttered an exclamation.

"That's the RED STREAK as sure as I'm alive!" he cried. "But what's the matter with her? They're rowing!"

The lad headed his boat toward the approaching one. There was no doubt about it. It was Andy Foger's craft,

but it was not speeding forward under the power of the motor. Slowly and laborious the occupants were

"They've had a breakdown," thought Tom. "Serves 'em right! Now wait till I tackle 'em and find out where

The sailing craft swiftly approached the motorboat. Tom could see the three occupants looking at him,

"Guess they didn't think I'd keep after 'em," mused the young inventor, and a little later he was beside the

"We've had a breakdown," remarked Andy, and he seemed quite humiliated. He was beginning to find out

"What for? As if you didn't know!" blurted out the owner of the ARROW. "I want my boat, Andy Foger, the

one you stole from me and hid! Tell me where it is at once or I'll have you arrested!"

"Your boat!" repeated the bully, and there was no mistaking the surprise in his tones.

"No, but you fellows must have been to think you could take my boat and me not know it," and Tom, filled

with wrath, grasped the gunwale of the RED STREAK as if he feared it would suddenly shoot away.

"Look here!" burst out Andy, and he spoke sincerely, "we didn't touch your boat. Did we, fellows?"

"We haven't taken your boat and we can prove it," continued the bully. "I know you and I have had quarrels,

There was no mistaking the sincerity of Andy. He was not a skilful deceiver, and Tom, looking into his

squinteyes, which were opened unusually wide, could not but help believing the fellow.

"We haven't seen it since the day we had the collision," added Andy, and his chums confirmed this statement.

"We went off on a little cruise," continued the redhaired bully, "and broke down several times. We had bad

luck. Just as we were nearing home something went wrong with the engine again. I never saw such a poor

Tom was in despair. He had been so sure that Andy was the thief, that to believe otherwise was difficult. Yet

he felt that he must. He looked at the disabled motor of the RED STREAK and viewed it with the interested

and expert eye of a machinist, no matter if the owner of it was his enemy. Then suddenly a brilliant idea came

"You seem to have lots of trouble with your boat, Andy," said Tom after a few moments of rather

"I do," admitted the owner of the RED STREAK. "I've had bad luck ever since I got it, but usually I've been

able to fix it by looking in the book. This time I can't find out what the trouble is, nor can any of the fellows.

It stopped when we were out in the middle of the lake and we had to row. I'm sick of motor boating."

"What do you mean then?" and Andy's face, that had lighted up, became glum again.

"No, I mean take it myself. Look here, Andy, my boat's been stolen, and I thought you took it to get even

"Well, you wouldn't know if I told you, but I suspect some men with whom I had trouble before," and Tom

referred to Happy Harry and his gang. "I think they have my boat on this lake, and I'd like to get another

speedy craft to cruise about it and make a further search. How about it, Andy? If I fix your boat, will you let

"Sure thing!" agreed the bully quickly, and his voice for once was friendly toward Tom. "Fix the engine so it

"Oh, I probably wouldn't want it very long. I could cover the lake in about three days, and I hope by that time

"Sure," agreed Andy again, and Tom got into the motorboat to look at the engine. He found that it would

require some time to adjust it properly and that it would be necessary to take the motor apart.

"I think I'd better tow you to my dock," the young inventor said to Andy. "I can use some tools from the shop

The breeze was in the right quarter, fortunately, and with the motorboat dragging behind, the ARROW's

When Tom reached his house he found that Mrs. Baggert had received another telephone message from Mr.

"He says if you don't come back by tomorrow," repeated the housekeeper, "that he'll come home by train.

"Shouldn't wonder," admitted Tom. "But I want him to stay there. The change will do him good. I'll soon

have my boat back, now that I can go about the lake swiftly, and then I'll join him. I'll tell him to be patient."

Tom talked with his father at some length, assuring him that everything was well at the Shopton house and

promising to soon be with him. Then the young inventor began work on the motor of the RED STREAK. He

found it quite a job and had to call on Mr. Jackson to help him, for one of the pistons had to be repaired and a

But that night the motor was fully mended and placed back in the boat. It was in better shape than it had been

"There," remarked Tom, "now I'm ready to hunt for those scoundrels. Will you leave your boat at my dock

"Welleryou see I've had enough of motoring for a while," explained Andy. "Besides, I don't believe

my mother would like me to go out on a chase after thieves. If we had to shoot I might hit one of them,

"Oh, I see," answered Tom. "But I don't like to take your boat alone. Besides, I don't fancy there will be much

shooting. I know I'm not going to take a gun. In fact, the one Mr. Duncan gave me is in the boat. All I want is

"That's all right," went on Andy. "You take my boat and use it as long as you like. I'll rest up a few days.

Tom understood. He was just as glad not to have Andy accompany him in the chase, as he and the redhaired

lad had never been good friends and probably never would be. So it would cause some embarrassment to be

together in a boat all day. Then again Tom knew he could manage the RED STREAK better alone, but, of

course, he did not want to mention this when he asked for the loan of the craft. Andy's own suggestion,

however, had solved the difficulty. Tom had an idea that Andy felt a little timid about going in pursuit of the

thieves, but naturally it would not do to mention this, for the squinteyed lad considered himself quite a

Early the next morning, alone in the RED STREAK, Tom continued the search for his stolen boat. He started

out from his home dock and mapped out a course that would take him well around the lake.

"I s'pose I could take a run to Sandport now," mused the youth as he shot in and out of the little bays, keeping

watch for the ARROW. "But if I do dad will have to be told all about it, and, he'll worry. Then, too, he might

want to accompany me, and I think I can manage this better alone, for the RED STREAK will run faster with

only one in. I ought to wind up this search in two days, if my boat is still on the lake. And if those scoundrels

On shot the speedy motorboat, in and out along the winding shoreline, with the lad in the bow at the

steeringwheel peering with eager eyes into every nook and corner where his craft might be hidden.

Anticipating that he would be some time on his search, the young inventor had gone prepared for it. He had a

supply of provisions and he had told Mrs. Baggert he might not be back that night. But he did not intend to

sleep aboard the RED STREAK, which, being a racing boat, was not large enough to afford much room for

passengers. Tom had planned, therefore, to put up at some hotel near the lake in case his hunt should last

That it would do this was almost certain, for all that morning he searched unavailingly for the ARROW. A

"Dinner time," he announced to himself. "Guess I'll run up along shore in the shade and eat."

Selecting a place where the trees overhung the water, forming a quiet, cool nook, Tom sent the boat in there,

and, tying it to a leaning tree, he began his simple meal. Various thoughts filled his mind, but chief among

them was the desire to overtake the thieves who had his boat. That it was Happy Harry's gang he was

The lad nearly finished eating and was considering what direction he might best search in next when he

"Wonder who that is?" mused Tom. "It won't do any harm to take a look, for it might be some of those

thieves again. They probably still have their auto or Happy Harry couldn't have gotten from Sandport to

The young inventor slipped ashore from the motorboat, taking care to make no noise. Stealing silently along

toward the road, he peered through the underbrush for a sight of the machine, which seemed to be going

slowly. But before the youth had a glimpse of it he was made aware who the occupant was by hearing

"Bless my shoe laces if this cantankerous contraption isn't going wrong again! I wonder if it's going to have a

fit here in this lonely place. It acts just as if it was. Bless my very existence! Hold on now. Be nice! Be nice!"

"Hold on there! Hold on! Who's calling me in this forsaken locality? Bless my shirt studs! But who is it?" and

the eccentric man who had sold Tom the motorcycle looked intently at the bushes.

"Here I am, Mr. Damon," answered the lad, stepping out into the road. "I knew it was you as soon as I saw

"Bless my liver, but that's very true! I suppose you heard my unfortunate automobile puffing along. I declare

I don't know what ails it. I got it on the advice of my physician, who said I must get out in the air, but, bless

my gears, it's the auto who needs a doctor more than I do! It's continually out of order. Something is going to

Mr. Damon had thrown out the clutch, but the engine was still running, though in a jerky, uncertain fashion,

which indicated to the trained ear of the young inventor that something was wrong.

"Bless my eyebrows! Perhaps you can," cried the eccentric man hopefully. "You always seem to turn up at

"I don't know. I remember the time you turned up just when I wanted you to help me capture Happy Harry

"You don't say so! My good gracious! Bless my hatband! But that's odd. There!" he ejaculated suddenly as

the automobile engine stopped with a choking sigh, "I knew something was going to happen."

"Let me take a look," proposed the lad, and he was soon busy peering into the interior of the machine. At first

he could not find the trouble, but being a persistent youth, Tom went at it systematically and located it in two

places. The clutch was not rightly adjusted and the carburetor float feed needed fixing. The young inventor

was not long in making the slight repairs and then he assured Mr. Damon that his automobile would run

"Bless my very existence, but what a thing it is to have a head for mechanics!" exclaimed the odd man

gratefully. "Now it would bother me to adjust a nutmeg grater if it got out of order, but I dare say you could

"Yes," answered Tom, "I could and so could you, for there's nothing about it to fix. But you can go ahead

"Thank you. It just shows how ignorant I am of machinery. I presume something will go wrong in another

mile or two. But may I ask what you are doing here? I presume you are in your motor boat, sailing about for

pleasure. And didn't I understand you to say you were after those chaps again? Bless my watch charm, but I

"In your motorboat, I presume. Well, I hope you catch them. What have they stolen now?"

"My motorboat. That's why I'm after them, but I had to borrow a craft to chase them with."

Thereupon the lad related as much of the story as was necessary to put Mr. Damon in possession of the facts

Mr. Damon seemed strangely excited. He had entered his auto, but as the lad's story progressed the odd

"Don't say a word nownot a word. I want to think, and that is a process, which, for me, requires a little

He frowned, stamped first one foot, then the other, looked up at the sky, as if seeking inspiration there, and

then down at the ground, as if that would help him to think. Then he clapped his hands smartly together and

"Was your boat one with a red arrow painted on the bow?" asked Mr. Damon in turn.

"Then I've seen it and, what's more, this morning! Bless my spark plug, I've seen it!"

"Tell me about it!" pleaded the young inventor, and Mr. Damon, calming himself after an effort, resumed:

"I was out for an early spin in my auto," he said, "and was traveling along a road that bordered the lake, about

fifteen miles above here. I heard a motorboat puffing along near shore, and, looking through the trees, I saw

one containing three men. It had a red arrow on the bow, and that's why I noticed it, because I recalled that

"The ARROW. Oh, yes, I knew it was something like that. Well of course at the time I didn't think that it was

Tom did and said so, wishing Mr. Damon would hurry and get to the point. But the eccentric character had to

"Exactly," he resumed. "Well, I didn't think that was your boat, but, at the same time, I watched the men out

of curiosity, and I was struck with their behavior. They seemed to be quarreling, and, from what I could hear,

two of them seemed to be remonstrating with the third one for having taken some sort of a piece of wood

"Yes!" Tom almost shouted. "But where did they go? What became of them? What was the man doing to the

"Exactly. I was trying to think what was kept there. That's it, the gasoline tank. Well, the boat kept on up the

lake, and I don't know what became of the men. But about that piece of wood. It seems that one of the men

removed a block, from under the tank and the others objected. That's why they were quarreling."

"That's very strange," exclaimed the lad. "There must be some mystery about my boat that I don't understand.

But that will keep until I get the boat itself. Goodby, Mr. Damon. I must be off."

"Up the lake after those thieves. I must lose no time," and Tom started to go back to where he had left the

"Hold on!" cried Mr. Damon. "I have something to propose, Tom. Two heads are better than one, even if one

doesn't know how to adjust a nutmeg grate. Suppose I come along with you? I can point out the direction the

"I'll be very glad to have you," answered the lad, who felt that he might need help if there were three of the

"I'll just run it down the road a way to where a friend of mine has a stable. I'll leave it in there and join you.

Will you let me come? Bless my eye glasses, but I'd like to help catch those scoundrels!"

"I'll be very glad to have you. Go ahead, put the auto in the barn and I'll wait for you."

"I have a better plan than that," replied Mr. Damon. "Run your boat down to that point," and he indicated one

about a mile up the lake. "I'll be there waiting for you, and we'll lose no time. I can cover the ground faster in

Tom saw the advantage of this and was soon under way, while he heard on shore the puffing of his friend's

car. On the trip to the point Tom puzzled over the strange actions of the man in taking one of the braces from

"I'll wager he did it before," thought the lad. "It must be the same person who was tampering with the lock of

the forward compartment the day I bought the boat. But whythat's the questionwhy?"

He could find no answer to this, puzzle over it as he did, and he gave it up. His whole desire now was to get

on the trail of the thieves, and he had strong hopes, after the clew Mr. Damon had given him. The latter was

waiting for him on the point, and so nimble was the owner of the auto, in spite of his size, that Tom was not

delayed more than the fraction of a minute ere he was under way again, speeding up the lake.

"Now keep well in toward shore," advised Mr. Damon. "Those fellows don't want to be observed any more

than they can help, and they'll sneak along the bank, They were headed in that direction," and he pointed it

out. "Now I hope you won't think I'm in the way. Besides, you know, if you get your boat back, you'll want

some one to help steer it, while you run this one. I can do that, at all events, bless my very existence!"

"I am very glad of your help," replied the lad, but he did not take his eyes from the water before him, and he

For three hours or more Tom and Mr. Damon cruised in and out along the shore of the lake, going farther and

farther up the body of water. Tom was beginning to think that he would reach Sandport without catching

sight of the thieves, and he was wondering if, after all, he might not better stop off and see his father when,

above the puffing of the motor in the RED STREAK, he heard the putput of another boat.

"Speed up and we'll soon see," suggested Mr., Damon, and Tom shoved the timer over. The RED STREAK

forged ahead. The sound of the other boat came more plainly now. It was beyond a little point of land. The

young inventor steered out to get around it and leaned eagerly forward to catch the first glimpse of the unseen

The putput became louder now. Mr. Damon was standing up, as if that would, in some mysterious way,

help. Then suddenly the other boat came into view. Tom saw it in an instant and knew it for the ARROW.

For an instant after Tom's exultant cry the men in the boat ahead were not aware that they were being

pursued. Then, as the explosions from the motor of the RED STREAK sounded over the water, they turned to

see who was coming up behind them. There was no mistaking the attitude of the young inventor and his

companion. They were leaning eagerly forward, as if they could reach out and grasp the criminals who were

"Put on all the speed you can, Tom!" begged Mr. Damon. "We'll catch the scoundrels now. Speed up the

motor! Oh, if I only had my automobile now. "Bless my crank shaft, but one can go so much faster on land

The lad did not reply, but thought, with grim humor, that running an automobile over Lake Carlopa would be

The youth was doing his best with the motor of the RED STREAK. He was not as well acquainted with it as

he was with the one in his boat, but he knew, even better than Andy Foger, how to make it do efficient work.

It was a foregone conclusion that the RED STREAK, if rightly handled, could beat the ARROW, but there

were several points in favor of the thieves. The motor of Tom's boat was in perfect order, and even an

amateur, with some knowledge of a boat, could make it do nearly its best. On the other hand, the RED

STREAK's machinery needed "nursing." Again, the thieves had a good start, and that counted for much. But

Tom counted on two other points. One was that Happy Harry and his gang would probably know little about

the fine points of a motor. They had shown this in letting the motor of the boat they had first stolen get out of

order, and Tom knew the ins and outs of a gasoline engine to perfection. So the chase was not so hopeless as

But whoever was steering the ARROW knew better than to send it on a course that would enable the pursuing

boat to cut across and shorten the distance to it. After sending the stolen craft far enough out from shore to

clear points of land that jutted out into the lake, the leading boat was sent straight ahead.

"A stern chase and a long chase!" murmured Mr. Damon. "Bless my rudder, but those fellows are not going

"Of course I will. If I could get out and pull the boat after me, to make it go faster, I would. But as I always

lose my breath when I run, perhaps it's just as well that I stay in here." Tom thought so too, but his attention

was soon given to the engine. He adjusted the timer to get if possible a little more speed out of the boat he

"We're going a bit faster!" called Mr. Damon' encouragingly, "or else they're slacking up."

Tom peered ahead to see if this was so. It was hard to judge whether he was overhauling the ARROW, as it

was a stern chase, and that is always difficult to judge. But a glimpse along shore showed him that they were

"They're up to something!" suddenly exclaimed Mr. Damon a moment later. "I believe they're going to fire on

The lad stood up and gazed earnestly at his boat, which seemed to be slipping away from him so fast. One of

the occupants was in the stern, aiming some glittering object at those in the RED STREAK. For a moment

"A pair of marine glasses," cried the lad. "They're trying to make out who we are."

"I guess they know well enough," rejoined Mr. Damon. "Can't you go any faster, Tom?"

"I'm afraid not. But we'll land them, sooner or later. They can't go very far in this direction without running

"They may escape us if it gets dark. Probably that's what they're working for. They want to keep ahead of us

The young inventor thought of this too, but there was little he could do. The motor was running at top speed.

It could be made to go faster, Tom knew, with another ignition system, but that was out of the question now.

The man with the glasses had resumed his seat, and the efforts of the trio seemed concentrated on the motor

of the ARROW. They, too, wished to go faster. But they had not skill enough to accomplish it, and in about

ten minutes, when Tom took another long and careful look to ascertain if possible whether or not he was

overhauling the thieves, he was delighted to see that the distance between the boats had lessened.

"We're catching them! We're creeping up on them!" cried Mr. Damon. "Keep it up, Tom." There was nothing

to do, however, save wait. The boat ahead had shifted her course somewhat and was now turning in toward

the shore, for the lake was narrow at this point, and abandoning their evident intention of keeping straight up

"If they do, it's just what I want," declared the lad. "I don't care for the men. I want my boat back!"

The occupants of the ARROW were looking to the rear again, and oneHappy Harry, Tom

"Ah, wait until I get hold of you!" cried Mr. Damon, following his example. "I'll make you wish you'd

behaved yourselves, you scoundrels! Bless my overcoat! Catch them if you can, Tom."

There was now no doubt of the intention of the fleeing ones. The shore was looming up ahead and straight for

it was headed the ARROW. Tom sent Andy's boat in the same direction. He was rapidly overhauling the

escaping ones now, for they had slowed down the motor. Three minutes later the foremost boat grated on the

beach of the lake. The men leaped out, one of them pausing an instant in the bow.

"Here, don't you damage my boat!" cried Tom involuntarily, for the man seemed to be hammering something.

"Let them go!" answered the lad as the men ran toward the wood. "I want my boat. I'm afraid they've

At the same instant the two companions of the fellow who had paused in the forward part of the ARROW

saw that he had something in his hand. With yells of rage they dashed at him, but he, shaking his fist at them,

plunged into the bushes and could be heard breaking his way through, while his companions were in pursuit.

"They've quarreled among themselves," commented Mr. Damon as high and angry voices could be heard

"I don't doubt it, but my first concern is for my boat. I want to see if they have damaged her."

Tom had run so closely in shore with the RED STREAK that he had to reverse to avoid damaging the craft

against the bank. In a mass of foam he stopped her in time, and then springing ashore, he hurried to his

"Have they done any damage?" asked Mr. Damon as he stood in the bow of the RED STREAK.

"They yanked out the high tension wire instead of stopping the motor with the switch," he answered at length,

and then, when he had taken a look into the compartment where the gasoline tank was, he added: "And

they've ripped out two more of the braces I put in. Why in the world they did that I can't imagine."

"That's evidently what one man had that the others wanted," was Mr. Damon's opinion.

"Perhaps they wanted to damage your boat and those two men were mad because the other got ahead of

"Taking out the braces wouldn't do much damage. I can easily put others in. All it would do would be to

cause the tank to sag down and maybe cause a leak in the pipe. But that would be a queer thing to do. No, I

think there's some mystery that I haven't gotten to the bottom of yet. But I'm going to."

"Good!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "I'll help you. But can you run your boat back home?"

"Not without fixing it a bit. I must brace up that tank and put in a new hightension wire from the spark coil.

I can do it here, but I'd rather take it to the shop. Besides, with two boats to run back, for I must return Andy's

to him, I don't see how I can do it very well unless you operate one, Mr. Damon."

"Excuse me, but I can't do it. Bless my slippers, but I would be sure to run on a rock! The best plan will be

for you to tow your boat and I'll ride in it and steer. I can do that much, anyhow. You can ride in the RED

Tom agreed that this would be a good plan. So, after temporarily bracing up the tank in the ARROW, it was

"But aren't you going to make a search for those men?" asked Mr. Damon when Tom was ready to start back.

"No, I think it would be useless. They are well away by this time, and I don't fancy chasing them through the

"No doubt you are right, but I would like to see them punished, and I am curious enough to wish to know

what object that scoundrel could have in ripping out the blocks that served as a brace for the tank."

"I feel the same way myself," commented the lad, "especially since this is the second time that's happened.

A little later the start back was made, Mr. Damon steering the ARROW skillfully enough so that it did not

drag on the leading boat, in which Tom rode. His course took him not far from the lake sanitarium, where Mr.

Duncan, the hunter, had been brought, and desiring to know how the wounded man was getting on, the youth

"Yes, and while you're about it you'd better telephone your father that you will join him tomorrow,"

suggested the other. "I know what it is to fret and worry. You can fix your boat up in time to go to Sandport

"Yes, I'm glad you reminded me of it. I'll telephone from the sanitarium, if they'll let me."

Mr. Duncan was not at the institution, Tom was told, his injury having healed sufficiently to allow of his

being removed to his home. The youth readily secured permission to use the telephone, and was soon in

communication with Mr. Swift. While not telling him all the occurrences that had delayed him, Tom gave his

father and Ned Newton enough information to explain his absence. Then the trip to Shopton was resumed in

"What are you going to do about your automobile?" asked Tom as they neared the point where the machine

"Never mind about that," replied Mr. Damon. "It will do it good to have a night's vacation. I will go on to

your house with you, and perhaps I can get a train back to my friend's home, so that I can claim my car."

"Won't you stay all night with me?" invited the young inventor. "I'd be glad to have you."

Mr. Damon agreed, and, Tom putting more speed on the RED STREAK, was soon opposite his own dock.

The ARROW was run in the boathouse and the owner hastily told Mrs. Baggert and the engineer what had

occurred. Then he took Andy's boat to Mr. Foger's dock and warmly thanked the redhaired lad for the use of

Mr. Damon enjoyed his visit at our hero's house, for Mrs. Baggert cooked one of her best suppers for him.

Tom and the engineer spent the evening repairing the motorboat, Mr. Damon looking on and exclaiming

"Bless my shoe leather" or some other part of his dress or anatomy at every stage of the work. The engineer

wanted to know all about the men and their doings, but he could supply no reason for their queer actions

In the morning Tom once more prepared for an early start for Sandport, and Mr. Damon, reconsidering his

plans, rode as far with him as the place where the automobile had been left. There he took leave of the young

"I hope you arrive at the hotel where your father is without any more accidents," remarked the automobilist.

"Bless my very existence, but you seem to have the most remarkable series of adventures I ever heard of!"

"They are rather odd," admitted Tom. "I don't know that I particularly care for them, either. But, now that I

But Tom could not look ahead. He was destined to have still more exciting times, as presently will be related.

Without further incident he arrived at the Lakeview Hotel in Sandport that evening and found his father and

Ned very glad to see him. Of course he had to explain everything then, and, with his son safely in his sight,

Mr. Swift was not so nervous over the recital as he would have been had Tom not been present.

"Now for some nice, quiet trips," remarked the lad when he had finished his account. "I feel as if I had

"Well, of course we missed you," answered his chum. "But your father and I had a good time."

"Yes, and I invented a new attachment for a kitchen boiler," added Mr. Swift. "I had a chance for it when I

passed through the hotel kitchen one day, for I wanted to see what kind of a range they used."

"I guess there's no stopping you from inventing," replied his son with a laugh and a hopeless shake of the

"Oh, I only just thought of it," said Mr. Swift. "I haven't worked the details out yet."

Then he wanted to know about everything at home and he seemed particularly anxious lest the Happy Harry

"I don't believe they will," Tom assured him. "Garret and Mrs. Baggert will be on guard."

The next few days were pleasant ones for Tom, his father and Ned Newton. They cruised about the lake, went

fishing and camped in the woods. Even Mr. Swift spent one night in the tent and said he liked it very much.

For a week the three led an ideal existence, going about as they pleased, Ned taking a number of photographs

with his new camera. The ARROW proved herself a fine boat, and Tom and Ned, when Mr. Swift did not

The three had been out one day and were discussing the necessity of returning home soon when Ned spoke.

"I shall hate to give up this life and go to slaving in the bank again," he complained. "I wish I was an

"Oh, we inventors don't have such an easy time," said Mr. Swift. "You never know when trouble is coming,"

A little later they were at the hotel dock. When Tom had tied up his boat the three walked up the path to the

"I think he said his name is Jackson, sir, Garret Jackson, and he says the message is very important."

"Tom, something has happened at home!" exclaimed the inventor as he hurried up the steps. "I'm afraid

With a hand that trembled so he could scarcely hold the receiver of the telephone, Mr. Swift placed it to his

"Hello! Hello!" he cried into the transmitter. "Yes, this is Mr. Swiftyes, Garret. What is it?"

Then came a series of clicks, which Tom and Ned listened to. The inventor spoke again.

"What's that? The same men? Broke in early this evening? Oh, that's too bad! Of course, I'll come at once."

There followed more meaningless clicks, which Tom wished he could translate. His father hung up the

"By that same rascally gang, Garret thinks. This evening, when he and Mrs. Baggert were in the house the

burglar alarm went off. The indicator showed that the electrical shop had been entered, and the engineer

hurried there. He saw a light inside and the shadows of persons on the windows. Before he could reach the

shop, however, the thieves heard him coming and escaped. Oh, Tom, I should never have come away!"

"But did they take anything, dad? Perhaps Garret frightened them away before they had a chance to steal any

"I didn't need to. He said he made a hasty exanimation before he called me up, and he is sure a number of my

electrical inventions are missing. Some of them are devices I never have had patented, and if I lose them I

"Garret couldn't tell that," answered Mr. Swift as be paced to and fro in the hotel office. "He doesn't know all

the tools and machinery I had in there. But it is certain that some of my most valuable things have been

"Never mind. Don't worry, dad," and Tom tried to speak soothingly, for he saw that his father was much

excited. "We may be able to get them back. How does Garret know the same men who stole the turbine

"He saw them. One was Happy Harry, he is positive. The others he did not know, but he recognized the tramp

"Yes, Tom, I wish you would telephone. I'll give you a description of the things. No, I can't do that either, for

I don't know what was stolen. I must go home at once to find out. It's a good thing the motorboat is here.

Come, let's start at once. What is my bill here?" and the inventor turned to the hotel proprietor, who had come

"Yes, dad, but I don't like to make it at night with three in. Of course it might be perfectly safe, but there's a

"Don't worry about the risk on my account, Tom. I'm not afraid. I must get home and see of what I have been

The young inventor was in a quandary. He wanted to do as his father requested and to aid him all he could,

yet he knew that an allnight trip in the boat down the lake would be dangerous, not only from the chance of

running on an unknown shore or into a hidden rock, but because Mr. Swift was not physically fitted to stand

"No, I must start now. I could not sleep worrying over what has happened. We will start"

At that instant there came a low, rumbling peal of thunder. Mr. Swift started and peered from a window.

There came a flash of lightning and another vibrant report from the stormcharged clouds.

"There is your bill, Mr. Swift," remarked the proprietor, coming up, "but I would not advise you to start

tonight. There is a bad storm in the west, and it will reach here in a few minutes. Storms on Lake Carlopa,

The lace curtain over the window blew almost straight out with a sudden breeze, and a flash of lightning so

bright that it reflected even in the room where the incandescent electrics were glowing made several others

jump. Then came a mighty crash, and with that the floodgates of the storm were opened, and the rain came

down in torrents. Tom actually breathed a sigh of relief. The problem was solved for him. It would be

impossible to start tonight, and he was glad of it, much as he wanted to get on the trail of the thieves.

There was a scurrying on the part of the hotel attendants to close the windows, and the guests who had been

enjoying the air out on the porches came running in. With a rush, a roar and a muttering, as peal after peal of

"I should say so," agreed Tom. "But we'll get off the first thing in the morning, dad."

Mr. Swift did not reply, but his nervous pacing to and fro in the hotel office showed how anxious he was to

be at home again. There was no help for it, however, and, after a time, finding that to think of reaching his

The storm continued nearly all night, as Tom could bear witness, for he did not sleep well, nor did his father.

And when he came down to breakfast in the morning Mr. Swift plainly showed the effects of the bad news.

His face was haggard and drawn and his eyes smarted and burned from lack of sleep.

"Well, Tom, we must start early," he said nervously. "I am glad it has cleared off. Is the boat all ready?"

"Yes, and it's a good thing it was under shelter last night or we'd have to bail it out now, and that would delay

An hour later they were under way, having telephoned to the engineer at the Swift home that they were

coming. Garret Jackson reported over the wire that he had notified the Shopton police of the robbery, but that

little could be done until the inventor arrived to give a description of the stolen articles.

"And that will do little good, I fear," remarked Tom. "Those fellows have evidently been planning this for

some time and will cover their tracks well. I'd like to catch them, not only to recover your things, dad, but to

Down Lake Carlopa speeded the ARROW, those on board watching the banks slip past as the motorboat

"Then we'll not stop," decided the inventor. "We'll eat what we have on board. I suppose you have some

"Oh, yes, Ned and I didn't eat everything on our camping trips," and Tom was glad to note that the fine

"We certainly had a good time," remarked Ned. "I don't know when I've enjoyed a vacation so."

"Oh, well, my time would be up in a few days more," went on the young bank employee. "It's just as well to

Tom took the shortest route he knew, keeping in as close to shore as he dared, for now he was as anxious to

get home as was his father. On and on speeded the ARROW, yet fast as it was, it seemed slow to Mr. Swift,

who, like all nervous persons, always wanted to go wherever he desired to go instantly.

Tom headed his boat around a little point of land, and was urging the engine to the top notch of speed, for

now he was on a clear course, with no danger from shoals or hidden rocks, when he saw, darting out from

shore, a tiny craft which somehow seemed familiar to him. He recognized a peculiar putputter of the motor.

"That's the DOT," he remarked in a low voice to Ned, "Miss Nestor's cousin's boat."

"You've got good eyesight," remarked Ned dryly, "to tell a girl at that distance. It looks to me like a boy."

"No, it's MaryI mean Miss Nestor," the youth quickly corrected himself, and a close observer would have

Ned laughed, Tom blushed still more, and Mr. Swift, who was in a stern seat, glanced up quickly.

Tom was thinking the same thing, for, though he had changed his course slightly since sighting the DOT, the

little craft was put over so as to meet him. Wondering what Miss Nestor could want, but being only too

willing to have a chat with her, the young inventor shifted his helm. In a short time the two craft were within

"How do you do?" called Miss Nestor, as she slowed down her motor. "Don't you think I'm improving, Mr.

"What's that? IerI beg your pardon, but I didn't catch that," exclaimed the aged inventor quickly,

coming out of a sort of daydream. "I beg your pardon." He thought she had addressed him.

"My father," he explained as he introduced his parent. Ned needed none, having met Miss Nestor before.

"Indeed you have improved very much," went on our hero. "You seem able to manage the boat all alone."

"Yes, I'm doing pretty well. Dick lets me take the DOT whenever I want to, and I thought I'd come out for a

little trial run this morning. I'm getting ready for the races. I suppose you are going to enter them?" and she

steered her boat alongside Tom's, who throttled down his powerful motor so as not to pass his friend.

"Oh, indeed there are to be fine ones under the auspices of the Lanton Motor Club. Mr. Hastings, of whom

you bought that boat, is going to enter his new CARLOPA, and Dick has entered the DOT, in the baby class

"I hope you win," remarked Tom. "I hadn't heard of the races, but I think I'll enter. I'm glad you told me. Do

you want to race now?" and he laughed as he looked into the brown eyes of Mary Nestor.

They kept together for some little time longer, and then, as Tom knew his father would be restless at the slow

speed, he told Miss Nestor the need of haste, and, advancing his timer, he soon left the DOT behind. The girl

called a laughing goodby and urged him not to forget the races, which were to take place in about two

"Naturally," agreed Tom. "It's a racer, and he'll probably think it can beat anything on the lake. But if he

The distance from Sandport to Shopton had been more than half covered at noon, when the travelers ate a

lunch in the boat. Mr. Swift was looking anxiously ahead to catch the first glimpse of his dock and Tom was

adjusting the machinery as finely as he dared to get out of it the maximum speed.

Ned Newton, who happened to be gazing aloft, wondering at the perfect beauty of the blue sky after the

storm, uttered a sudden exclamation. Then he arose and pointed at some object in the air.

Tom and his father looked upward. High in the air, almost over their heads, was an immense balloon. It was

of the hotair variety, such as performers use in which to make ascensions from fair grounds and circuses,

and below it dangled a trapeze, upon which could be observed a man, only he looked more like a doll than a

"I would," answered Tom as he slowed down the engine the better to watch the balloon. "I'd like to go up in

"I believe he's going to jump!" suddenly exclaimed Ned after a few minutes. "He's going to do something,

"No! No!" cried Ned. "He isn't going to jump. Something has happened! The balloon is on fire! He'll be

Horror stricken, they all gazed aloft. From the mouth of the balloon there shot a tongue of fire, and it was

followed by a cloud of black smoke. The big bag was getting smaller and seemed to be descending, while the

man on the trapeze was hanging downward by his hands to get as far as possible away from the terrible heat.

"Jump! Jump!" cried Mr. Swift, leaping to his feet and motioning to the man on the trapeze of the balloon.

But it is doubtful whether or not the performer heard him. Certainly he could not see the frantic motions of

the inventor. "Why doesn't he jump?" Mr. Swift went on piteously to the two lads. "He'll surely be burned to

"It's too far to leap!" exclaimed Tom. "He's a good way up in the air, though it looks like only a short

"He ought to have a parachute," added Ned. "Most of those men do when they go up in a balloon. Why

"Maybe he hasn't a parachute," suggested Tom, while he slowed down the motorboat still more so as to

"Yes, he has!" cried Ned. "See, it's hanging to one side of the big bag. He ought to cut loose. He could save

The balloon was slowly twisting about, gradually settling to the surface of the lake, but all the while the

The twisting of the bag had brought into view the parachute or big, umbrellashaped bag, which would have

enabled the man to safely drop to the surface of the lake. Without it he would have hit the water with such

force that he would have been killed as surely as if he had struck the solid earth. But the boys and Mr. Swift

also saw something else, and this was that the balloon was on fire on the same side where the parachute was

"Look! Look!" shouted Tom, bringing his boat to a stop. "That's why he can't jump! He can't reach the

By this time the balloon had settled so low that the actions of the man could be plainly seen. That he was in

great agony of fear, as well as in great pain from the terrific heat over his head was evident. He shifted about

on the trapeze bar, now hanging by one hand, so as to bring his body a little farther below the blazing end of

the bag, then, when one arm tired, he would hang by the other. If the balloon would only come down more

quickly it would get to within such a short distance of the water that the man could safely make the drop. But

the immense canvas bag was settling so slowly, for it was still very buoyant, that considerable time must

elapse before it would be near enough to the water to make it safe for the unfortunate man to let go the

"Oh, if we could only do something!" cried Tom. "We have to remain here helpless and watch him burn to

The three in the boat continued to gaze upward. They could see the man making frantic efforts to reach his

parachute from time to time. Once, as a little current of air blew the flames and smoke to one side, he thought

he had a chance. Up on the trapeze bar he pulled himself and then edged along it in an endeavor to grasp the

ring of the parachute. Once he almost had hold of that and also the cord, which ran to a knife blade. This

cord, being pulled, would sever the rope that bound it to the balloon, and he would be comparatively safe, so

he might drop to the lake. But, just as he was about to grasp the ring and cord the smoke came swirling down

on him and the hungry flames seemed to put out their fiery tongues to devour him. He had to slide back and

"I thought he was saved then," whispered Tom, and even the whisper sounded loud in the silence.

Several men came running along the shore of the lake now. They saw the occupants in the ARROW and cried

"What can we do?" asked Ned quietly of his two friends, but he did not trouble to answer the men on shore,

The motorboat had drifted from a spot under the unfortunate balloonist, and at a word from his father the

young inventor started the engine and steered the craft back directly under the blazing bag again.

A cry from Ned startled Tom and his father, and their eyes, that had momentarily been directed away from

Indeed it did seem so, for pieces of the burning canvas, blazing and smoking, were falling in a shower from

the part of the bag already consumed, and the fiery particles were fairly raining down on the man. But he still

had his wits about him, though his perilous position was enough to make any one lose his mind, and he

swung from side to side on the bar, shifting skillfully with his hands and dodging the larger particles of

blazing canvas. When some small sparks fell on his clothing he beat them out with one hand, while with the

There was scarcely any wind or the man's plight might have been more bearable, for the current of air would

have carried the smoke and fire to one side. As it was, most of the smoke and flames went straight up, save

now and then, when a draught created by the heat would swirl the black clouds down on the performer,

hiding him from sight for a second or two. A breeze would have carried the sparks away instead of letting

Nearer and nearer to the surface of the lake sank the balloon. By this time the crowd on the bank had

increased and there were excited opinions as to what was best to do. But the trouble was that little could be

done. If the man could hold out until be got near enough to the water to let go he might yet be saved, but this

would not be for some time at the present rate the balloon was falling. The performer realized this, and, as the

fire was getting hotter, he made another desperate attempt to reach the parachute. It was unavailing and he

Suddenly there came a puff of wind, fanning the faces of those in the motorboat, and they looked intently to

observe if there was any current as high as was the balloonist. They saw the big bag sway to one side and the

flames broke out more fiercely as they caught the draught. The balloon moved slowly down the lake.

The lad increased the speed of his engine and Ned, who was at the wheel, gave it a little twist. Then, with a

suddenness that was startling, the blazing canvas airship began to settle swiftly toward the water. It had lost

But a new danger arose. True, the balloon was rapidly approaching the surface of the lake and in a few

seconds more would be within such a short distance that a leap would not be fatal. But the burning bag was

coming straight down and scarcely would the man be in the water ere the fiery canvas mass would be on top

In such an event he would either be burned to death or so held down that drowning must quickly follow.

"If there was only wind enough to carry the balloon beyond him after he jumped he could do it safely!" cried

Tom said nothing. He was measuring, with, his eye, the distance the balloon had yet to go and also the

For answer Tom caught up a newspaper he had purchased at the hotel that morning. Rolling it quickly into a

cone, so that it formed a rough megaphone, he put the smaller end to his mouth, and, pointing the larger

"Drop into the lake! We'll pick you up before the bag falls on you! Jump! Let go now!"

The balloonist heard and understood. So did Ned and Mr. Swift. Tom's quick wit had found a way to save the

Faster and faster the blazing bag settled toward the surface of the water. It was now merely a

mushroomshaped piece of burning and smoking canvas, yet it was supporting the man almost as a parachute

With one look upward to the burning mass above him and a glance downward to the lake, the aeronaut let go

his hold. Like a shot he came down, holding his body rigid and straight as a stick, for he knew how to fall

Tom Swift was ready for him. No sooner had the lad called his directions through the megaphone than the

"Steer so as to pick him up!" Tom cried to Ned, who was at the wheel. "Pass by him on a curve, and, as soon

It was a risky thing to do, but our hero had it all planned out. He made a loop of the boat's painter, and,

hurrying to the bow, leaned over as far as he could, holding the rope in readiness. His idea was to have the

balloonist grab the strands and be pulled out of danger by the speedy motorboat, for the blazing canvas

would cover such an extent of water that the man could not have swum out of the danger zone in time.

Down shot the balloonist and down more slowly settled the collapsed bag, yet not so slowly that there was

any time to spare. It needed only a few seconds to drop over the performer, to burn and smother him.

Into the water splashed the man, disappearing from sight as when a stick is dropped in, point first. Ned was

alert and steered the boat to the side in which the man's face was, for he concluded that the aeronaut would

strike out in that direction when he came up. The ARROW was now directly under the blazing balloon and

cries of fear from the watchers on shore urged upon Tom and his companions the danger of their position.

"There he is!" cried Mr. Swift, who was on the watch, leaning over the side of the boat. Tom and Ned saw

him at the same instant. Ned shifted his wheel and the young inventor bent over, holding out the rope for the

man to grasp. He saw it and struck out toward the ARROW. But there was no need for him to go far. An

instant more and the speeding motorboat shot past him. He grabbed the rope and Tom, aided by Mr. Swift,

"Quick! To one side, Ned!" yelled Tom, for the heat of the descending mass of burning canvas struck him

Ned needed no urging. With a swirl of the screw the ARROW shot herself out of the way, carrying the

aeronaut with her. A moment later the burning balloon, or what there was left of it, settled down into the lake,

hissing angrily as the fire was quenched by the water and completely covering the spot where, but a few

seconds before, the man had been swimming. He had been saved in the nick of time.

"Slow her down, Ned!" cried Tom, for the ARROW was shooting so swiftly through the water that the young

inventor found it impossible to pull up the balloonist. Ned hurried back to the motor, and, when the boat's

way had been checked, it was an easy matter to pull the dripping and almost exhausted man into the craft.

"Are you much hurt?" asked Mr. Swift anxiously, for Tom was too much out of breath with his exertion to

ask any questions. For that matter the man was in almost as bad a plight. He was breathing heavily, as one

"II guess I'm all right," he panted. "Only burned a little on my hands. Thatthat was a close call!"

The boat swung around and headed for shore, on which was quite a throng of persons. Some of them had

"I'm afraid we can't save your balloon," gasped Tom as he looked at the place where the canvas was still

"No matter. It wasn't worth much. That's the last time I'll ever go up in a hotair balloon," said the man with

more energy than he had before exhibited. "I'm done with 'em. I've had my lesson. Hereafter an aeroplane or

a gas balloon for me. I only did this to oblige the fair committee. I'll not do it again."

The man spoke in short, crisp sentences, as though he was in too much of a hurry to waste his words.

Almost as he spoke, with a final hiss and a cloud of steam that mingled with the black smoke, the remains of

"We must get you ashore at once and to a doctor," said Mr. Swift. "You must be badly burned."

"Not much. Only my hands, where some burning pieces of canvas fell on' em. If I had a little oil to put on I'd

"Good! Just the thing. Pass it over," and the man, though he spoke shortly, seemed grateful for the offer. "My

name's Sharp," he went on, "John Sharp, of no place in particular, for I travel all over. I'm a professional

This last was in reference to a bottle of Vaseline, which Tom produced. Mr. Sharp spread some over the

"That's better. Much obliged. I can't begin to thank you for what you did for mesaved my life. I thought it

was all up with mewould have been but for you. Mustn't mind my mannerit's a way I havehave

to talk quick when you're balloonin'no time but I'm grateful all the same. Who might you people be?"

Tom told him their names and Mr. Swift asked the aeronaut if he was sure he didn't need the services of a

"No doctor for me," answered the balloonist. "I've been in lots of tight places, but this was the worst squeeze.

"But you're all wet," objected Tom. "Where will you go? You need some other clothes," for the man wore a

"Oh, I'm used to this," went on the performer. "I frequently have to fall in the water. I always carry a little

money with me so as to get back to the place where I started from. By the way, where am I?"

"Then you're about fifteen miles away," commented Mr. Swift. "You can hardly get back before night. Must

"Left my clothes there. Also a valuable gas balloon. No more hotair ones for me. Guess I'd better go back,"

"We'd be very glad to have you come with us, Mr. Sharp," went on the inventor. "We are not far from

Shopton, and if you would like to remain over night I'm sure we would make you comfortable. You can

"Thanks. Might not be a bad idea," said Mr. Sharp. "I'm obliged to you. I've got to go there to collect my

"Didn't drop from my parachute. Couldn't. Fire was one reason couldn't reach the parachute, and if I

could have, guess it wouldn't have been safe. Parachute probably was burned too. But I'm done with hotair

The boys were much interested in the somewhat odd performer, and, on his part, he seemed to take quite a

notion to Tom, who told him of several things that he had invented. "Well," remarked Mr. Swift after a while,

during which the boat had been moving slowly down the lake, "if we are not to go ashore for a doctor for

you, Mr. Sharp, suppose we put on more speed and get to my home? I'm anxious about a robbery that

"Speed her up!" exclaimed Mr. Sharp. "Wish I could help you catch the scoundrels, but afraid I

can'thands too sore," and he looked at his burns. Then he told how he had made the ascension from the

Pratonia fair grounds and how, when he was high in the air, he had discovered that the balloon was on fire.

He described his sensations and told how he thought his time had surely come. Sparks from the hot air used

"I've made a number of trips," he concluded, "hot air and gas bags, but this was the worst ever. It got on my

"I should think it would," agreed Tom as he speeded up the motor and sent the ARROW on her homeward

The boys and Mr. Swift were much interested in the experiences of the balloonist and asked him many

questions, which he answered modestly. Several hours passed and late that afternoon the party approached

"Here we are!" exclaimed Mr. Swift, relief in his tones. "Now to see of what I have been robbed and to get

When the boat was nearing the dock Mr. Sharp, who had been silent for some time, suddenly turned to Tom

"I have," went on the balloonist. "That is, I've invented part of it. I'm stuck over some details. Maybe you and

"Maybe," assented Tom, who was occupied just then in making a good landing. "I am interested in airships,

"Easiest thing in the world," went on Mr. Sharp, as if it was an everyday matter. "You and I will get busy as

soon as we clear up this robbery." He talked as though he had been a friend of the family for some time, for

A little later Mr. Swift was excitedly questioning Garret Jackson concerning the robbery and making an

"They've taken some parts of my gyroscope!" he exclaimed, "and some valuable tools and papers, as well as

"Well, not so large as regards money," answered the inventor, "but they took things I can never replace, and I

"Then we'll get them back!" snapped the balloonist, as if that was all there was to it.

The police were called up on the telephone and the facts given to them, as well as a description of the stolen

things. They promised to do what they could, but, in the light of past experiences, Tom and his father did not

think this would be much. There was little more that could be done that evening. Ned Newton went to his

home, and, after Mr. Swift had insisted in calling in his physician to look after Mr. Sharp's burns the

balloonist was given a room next to Tom's. Then the Swift household settled down.

"Well," remarked Tom to his father, as he got ready for bed, "this sure has been an exciting day."

"Don't worry, dad," begged his son. "I'll do my best to recover those things for you."

Several days passed, but there was no clew to the thieves. That they were the same ones who had stolen the

turbine model there was little doubt, but they seemed to have covered their tracks well. The police were at a

loss, and, though Tom and Mr. Sharp cruised about the lake, they could get no trace of the men. The

balloonist had sent to Pratonia for his clothing and other baggage and was now installed in the Swift home,

One night when he was looking over some papers he had taken from his trunk the balloonist came over to

"Like to see my idea for an airship? Different from some. It's a dirigible balloon with an aeroplane front and

rear to steer and balance it in big winds. It would be a winner, only for one thing. Maybe you can help me."

"We ought to be able to do something. Look at our namesSwift and Sharpquick and penetratinga

"I'm willing," agreed Tom, and the balloonist spread his plans out on the table, he and the young inventor

From then on, for several days, the young inventor and his new friend lived in an atmosphere of airships.

They talked them from morning until night, and even Mr. Swift, much as he was exercised over his loss, took

In the meanwhile efforts had not ceased to locate the robbers and recover the stolen goods, but so far without

One afternoon, about two weeks after the thrilling rescue of John Sharp, Tom said to the balloonist:

"Wouldn't you like to come for a ride in the motorboat? Maybe it will help us to solve the puzzle of the

"Good idea," commented Mr. Sharp. "Fine day for a sail. Come on. Blow the cobwebs from our brains."

Mr. Swift declined an invitation to accompany them, as he said he would stay home and try to straighten out

Out over the blue waters of Lake Carlopa shot the ARROW. It was making only moderate speed, as Tom was

in no hurry, and he knew his engine would last longer if not forced too frequently. They glided along, crossed

the lake and were proceeding up the opposite shore when, as they turned out from a little bay and rounded a

"Oh, I'll pass well to one side of that," answered the young inventor, looking at the craft. As he did so, noting

that there were four men in it, one of the occupants caught a glimpse of the ARROW. No sooner had he done

so than he spoke to his companions, and they all turned to stare at Tom. At first the lad could scarcely believe

Tom had spoken loudly, but even though the men in the rowboat did hear what he said, they would have

realized without that that they were about to be pursued, for there was no mistaking the attitude of our hero.

Two of the thieves were at the oars, and, with one accord, they at once increased their speed. The boat swung

about sharply and was headed for the shore, which they seemed to have come from only a short time

"No, you don't!" cried Tom. "I see your game! You want to get to the woods, where you'll have a better

It was the work of but a moment to speed up the engine and head the ARROW for the rowboat. The men

"Get between them and the shore!" cried Mr. Sharp. "You can head them off then." This was good advice and

Tom followed it. The men, among whom the lad could recognize Happy Harry and Anson Morse, were all

excited. Two of them stood up, as though to jump overboard, but their companions called to them to stop.

"If we only had a gun now, not to shoot at them but to intimidate them," murmured the balloonist, "maybe

"Here's one," answered Tom, pointing to the seat locker, where he kept the shotgun Mr. Duncan had given

"Don't shoot! Don't fire on us! We'll give up!" cried Happy Harry, and the two with the oars ceased pulling.

"Don't take any chances," urged Mr. Sharp in a low voice. "Keep between them and the shore. I'll cover

them." Tom was steering from an auxiliary side wheel near the motor, and soon the ARROW had cut off the

retreat of the men. They could not land and to row across the lake meant speedy capture.

"Well, what do you want of us?" growled Morse. "What right have you got to interfere with us in this

"The best of right," answered Tom. "You'll find out when you're landed in jail."

"You can't arrest us," sneered Happy Harry. "You're not an officer and you haven't any warrant."

Tom hadn't thought of that, and his chagrin showed in his face. Happy Harry was quick to see it.

"You'd better let us go," he threatened "We can have you arrested for bothering us. You haven't any right to

"You! Who are you?" demanded Featherton, alias Simpson, the man who had run the automobile that carried

"Me. I'm a special deputy sheriff for this county," answered the balloonist simply. "Here's my badge," and,

throwing back his coat, he displayed it. "You see I got the appointment in order to have some authority in the

crowds that gather to watch me go up," he explained to Tom, who plainly showed his astonishment. "I found

it very useful to be able to threaten arrest, but in this case I'll do more than threaten. You are my prisoners,"

he went on to the men in the boat, and he handled the shotgun as if he knew how to use it. "I'll take you into

custody on complaint of Mr. Swift for robbery. Now will you go quietly or are you going to make a fuss?"

"Well, seeing as how you have the drop on us, I guess we'll have to do as you say," admitted Happy Harry,

alias Jim Burke. "But you can't prove anything against us. We haven't any of Mr. Swift's property."

Under the restraining influence of the gun the men made no resistance. While Mr. Sharp covered them, Tom

towed their boat toward shore. Then, while the young inventor held the gun, the balloonist tied the hands and

feet of the thieves in a most scientific manner, for what he did not know about ropes and knots was not worth

"Now, I guess they'll stay quiet for a while," remarked Mr. Sharp as he surveyed the crestfallen criminals. "I'll

remain on guard here, Tom, while you go notify the nearest constable and we'll take them to jail. We bagged

"No, you didn't get all of us!" exclaimed Happy Harry, and there was a savage anger in his tones.

"No, I'll not keep quiet! It's a shame that we have to take our medicine while that trimmer, Tod Boreck, goes

free. He ought to have been with us, and he would be, only he's trying to get away with that sparkler!"

Tom was all attention. He had caught the word "sparkler," and he at once associated it with the occasion he

had heard the men use it before. He felt that he was on the track of solving the mystery connected with his

He looked at the men. They were the same four who had been involved in the former theftAppleson,

Featherton, Morse and Burke. Were there five of them? He recalled the man who had been caught tampering

with his boatthe man who had tried to bid on the ARROW at the auction. Where was he?

"Boreck didn't get what he was after," resumed Happy Harry, "and I'm going to spoil his game for him. Say,

kid," he went on to Tom, "look in the front part of your boatwhere the gasoline tank is."

Tom felt his heart beating fast. At last he felt that he would solve the puzzle. He opened the forward

compartment. To his disappointment it seemed as usual. Morse and the others were making a vain effort to

"No, because it's hidden in one of those blocks of wood you use for a brace," continued the man. "Which one

it is, Boreck didn't know, so he pulled out two or three, only to be fooled each time. You must have shifted

"I did," answered the young inventor, recollecting how he had taken out some of the braces and inserted new

ones, then painted the interior of the compartment. "What is in the braces, anyhow?"

"The sparklera big diamondin a hollow place in the wood, kid!" exclaimed Happy Harry, blurting out

the words. "I'm not going to let Tod Boreck get away with it while we stay in jail."

"Take out all the braces that haven't been moved and have a look," suggested Mr. Sharp. Tom only had to

remove two, those farthest back, for all the others had, at one time or another, been changed or taken away by

One of the blocks did not seem to have anything unusual about it, but at the sight of the other Tom could not

repress a cry. It was the one that seemed to have had a hole bored in it and then plugged up again. He

"The sparkler's in there," said the tramp as he saw the brace. "Boreck was after it several times, but he never

With his knife Tom dug out the putty that covered the round hole in the block. No sooner had he done so than

there rolled out into his hand a white object. It was something done up in tissue paper, and as he removed the

wrapper, there was a flash in the sunlight and a large, beautiful diamond was revealed. The mystery had been

"Where did this diamond come from?" demanded Mr. Sharp of the quartette of criminals.

"That's for us to know and you to find out," sneered Happy Harry. "I don't care as long as that trimmer

"Well, I guess the police will make you tell," went on the balloonist. "Go for the constable, Tom."

Leaving his friend to guard the ugly men, who for a time at least were beyond the possibility of doing harm,

Tom hurried off through the woods to the nearest village. There he found an officer and the gang was soon

lodged in jail. The diamond was turned over to the authorities, who said they would soon locate the owner.

Nor were they long in doing it, for it appeared the gem was part of a large jewel robbery that had taken place

some time before in a distant city. The Happy Harry gang, as the men came to be called, were implicated in

it, though they got only a small share of the plunder. Search was made for Tod Boreck and he was captured

about a week after his companions. Seeing that their game was up, the men made a partial confession, telling

where Mr. Swift's goods had been secreted, and the inventor's valuable tools, papers and machinery were

It developed that after the diamond theft, and when the gang still had possession of Mr. Hastings' boat,

Boreck, sometimes called Murdock by his cronies, unknown to them, had secreted the jewel in one of the

braces under the gasoline tank. He expected to get it out secretly, but the capture of the gang and the sale of

the boat prevented this. Then he tried to buy the craft to take out the diamond, but Tom overbid him. It was

Boreck who found Andy's bunch of keys and used one to open the compartment lock when Tom surprised

him. The man did manage to remove some of the blocks, thinking he had the one with the diamond in it, but

the fact of Tom changing them, and painting the compartment deceived him. The gang hoped to get some

valuables from Mr. Swift's shops, and, to a certain extent, succeeded after hanging around for several nights

and following him to Sandport, but Tom eventually proved too much for them. Even stealing the Arrow,

which was taken to aid the gang in robbing Mr. Swift, did not succeed, and Boreck's plan then to get

It was thought that the gang would get long terms in prison, but one night, during a violent storm, they

A few days after the capture as Tom was in the boathouse making some minor repairs to the motor he heard a

"Hello, Rad, is that you?" he inquired, recognizing the voice of the colored owner of the mule Boomerang.

"Yais, sa, dat's me. I got a lettah fo' yo'. I were passin' de postoffice an' de clerk asted me to brung it to yo'

"That's right. I've been so busy I haven't had time to go for the mail," and Tom took the letter, giving

"No, but it's almost as good. It's an invitation to take part in the motorboat races next week. I'd forgotten all

"Good land! Dat's all de risin' generation t'inks about now," observed Eradicate, "racin' an' goin' fast. Mah ole

mule Boomerang am good enough fo' me," and, shaking his head in a woeful manner, Eradicate went on his

Tom told Mr. Sharp and his father of the proposed races of the Lanton Motorboat Club, and, as it was

required that two persons be in a craft the size of the ARROW, the young inventor arranged for the balloonist

to accompany him. Our hero spent the next few days in tuning up his motor and in getting the ARROW ready

The races took place on that side of Lake Carlopa near where Mr. Hastings lived, and he was one of the

officials of the club. There were several classes, graded according to the horsepower of the motors, and Tom

"Here's where I beat you," boasted the redhaired youth exultantly, though his manner toward Tom was more

The first race was for highpowered craft, and in this Mr. Hastings' new CARLOPA won. Then came the

trial of the small boats, and Tom was pleased to note that Miss Nestor was on hand in the tiny DOT.

"Good luck!" he called to her as he was adjusting his timer, for his turn would come soon. "Remember what I

She did win, coming in ahead of several confident lads who had better boats. But Miss Nestor handled the

DOT to perfection and crossed the line a boat's length ahead of her nearest competitor.

"Fine!" cried Tom, and then came the warning gun that told him to get ready for his trial.

This was a fivemile race and had several entrants. The affair was a handicap one and Tom had no reason to

"Crack!" went the starting pistol and away went Tom and one or two others who had the same allowance as

did he. A little later the others started and finally the last class, including Andy Foger. The RED STREAK

shot ahead and was soon in the lead, for Andy and Sam had learned better how to handle their craft. Tom and

Mr. Sharp were worried, but they stuck grimly to the race and when the turning stake was reached Tom's

motor had so warmed up and was running so well that he crept up on Andy. A mile from the final mark Andy

and Tom were on even terms, and though the redhaired lad tried to shake off his rival he could not. Andy's

ignition system failed him several times and he changed from batteries to magneto and back again in the hope

But it was not to be. A halfmile away from the finish Tom, who had fallen behind a little, crept up on even

terms. Then he slowly forged ahead, and, a hundred rods from the stake, the young inventor knew that the

race was his. He clinched it a few minutes later, crossing the line amid a burst of cheers. The ARROW had

"My, but we certainly did scoot along some!" cried Mr. Sharp. "But that's nothing to how we'll go when we

"No, indeed," agreed the young inventor. "But I don't know that we'll take part in any races in it. We'll build

They did solve it, as will be told in the next book of this series, to be called "Tom Swift and His Airship; or,

The Stirring Cruise of the RED CLOUD." They had some remarkable adventures in the wonderful craft, and

This ended the contests of the motorboats and the little fleet crowded up to the floats and docks, where the

prizes were to be awarded. Tom received a handsome silver cup and Miss Nestor a gold bracelet.

"Now I want all the contestants, winners and losers, to come up to my house and have lunch," invited Mr.

As Tom and the balloonist strolled up the walk to the handsome house Andy Foger passed them.

"You wouldn't have beaten me if my spark coil hadn't gone back on me," he said, somewhat sneeringly.

"Maybe," admitted Tom, and just then he caught sight of Mary Nestor. "May I take you in to lunch?" he

"Yes," she said, "because you helped me to win," and she blushed prettily. And then they all sat down to the

tables set out on the lawn, while Tom looked so often at Mary Nestor that Mr. Sharp said afterward it was a