Tom Swift and His Great Searchlight | Page 9

"This is the first chance I've had to talk to him. I'm
going to ask him what sort of repairs he's making inside the old
mansion." Ned was soon in conversation with him.
"Yes, I'm working at the Foger house," admitted the carpenter, who had
done some work for Ned's father. "Mighty queer repairs, too.
Something I never did before. If Andy wasn't there to tell me what he
wanted done I wouldn't know what to do."
"Is Andy there yet?" asked Tom quickly.
"Yes, he's staying in the old house. All alone too, except now and then,
he has a chum stay there nights with him. They get their own meals. I
bring the stuff in, as Andy says he's getting up a surprise and doesn't
want any of the boys to see him, or ask questions. But they are sure
queer repairs I'm doing," and the carpenter scratched his head

reflectively.
"What are you doing?" asked Ned boldly.
"Fixing up Andy's old airship that was once busted," was the
unexpected answer, "and after I get that done, if I ever do, he wants me
to make a platform for it on the roof of the house, where he can start it
swooping through the air. Mighty queer repairs, I call 'em. Well, good
evening, boys," and the carpenter passed on.
CHAPTER IV
SEARCHING FOR SMUGGLERS.
"Well, of all things!"
"Who in the world would think such a thing?"
"Andy going to start out with his airship again!"
"And going to sail it off the roof of his house!"
These were the alternate expressions that came from Tom and Ned, as
they stood gazing at each other after the startling information given
them by Mr. Dillon, the carpenter.
"Do you really think he means it?" asked Tom, after a pause, during
which they watched the retreating figure of the carpenter. "Maybe he
was fooling us."
"No, Mr. Dillon seldom jokes," replied Ned, "and when he does, you
can always tell. He goes to our church, and I know he wouldn't
deliberately tell an untruth. Oh. Andy's up to some game all right."
"I thought he must be hanging around here the way he has been, instead
of being home. But I admit I may have been wrong about the police
being after him. If he'd done something wrong, he would hardly hire a
man to work on the house while he was hiding in it. I guess he just

wants to keep out of the way of everybody but his own particular
cronies. But I wonder what he is up to, anyhow; getting his airship in
shape again?"
"Give it up, unless there's an aero meet on somewhere soon," replied
Ned. "Maybe he's going to try a race again."
Tom shook his head.
"I'd have heard about any aviation meets, if there were any scheduled,"
he replied. "I belong to the national association, and they send out
circulars whenever there are to be races. None are on for this season.
No, Andy has some other game."
"Well, I don't know that it concerns us," spoke Ned.
"Not as long as he doesn't bother me," answered the young inventor.
"Well, Ned, I suppose you'll be over in the morning and help me try out
the noiseless airship?"
"Sure thing. Say, it was queer, about that government agent, wasn't it?
suspecting you of supplying airships to the smugglers?"
"Rather odd," agreed Tom. "He might much better suspect Andy
Foger."
"That's so, and now that we know Andy is rebuilding his old airship,
maybe we'd better tell him."
"Tell who?"
"That government agent. Tell him he's wrong in thinking that Andy is
out of the game. We might send him word that we just learned that
Andy is getting active again. He has as much right to suspect and
question him, as he had you."
"Oh, I don't know," began Tom slowly. He was not a vindicative youth,
nor, for that matter, was Ned. And Tom would not go out of his way to
give information about an enemy, when it was not certain that the said

enemy meant anything wrong. "I don't believe there's anything in it,"
finished our hero. "Andy may have a lot of time on his hands, and, for
want of something better to do, he's fixing up his aeroplane."
"Look!" suddenly exclaimed Ned. "There's that agent now! He's going
to the depot to get a train, I guess," and he pointed to the government
man, who had so lately interviewed Tom. "I'm going to speak to him!"
impulsively declared Ned.
"I wouldn't," objected Tom, but his chum had already hastened on
ahead, and soon was seen talking excitedly to Mr. Whitford. Tom
sauntered up in time to hear the close of the conversation.
"I'm much obliged to you for your