ial

bout in amazement, hardly able to believe that the shed could be empty. They had expected to see some form of aeropla

here?" went on Tom, after a long pau

toward the center of the big building and flashed

e, that's sure. You can't stick an aeroplane, even as small

look further," went o

the big main doors of

whisper. "Some one's coming! T

he and Tom stole to the door by which they had entered. As they swung it cautiously open they again heard the noise near the main portals by which Andy ha

coming in!" w

he sound. The illumination came from a big lantern of the ord

ing eagerly forward; too eagerly, for his foot str

ly demanded the perso

into all the distant corners. As he did so a ray of light fe

he ran forward just as Tom

me in the unmistakable ton

his friend sped off into the darkness. They were not followed, and a

d laugh. "Bless my watch chain! But it's a good thing we

nd it. Where has he been? What is he doing? Where is he

, I'm sure he wasn't around the house to-day, though, for I was working at weeding the flower beds, in my disguise as a tramp, and if he

m, "and I'm ever so much o

clues. Bless my shoelaces! but it's a

on himself and on his belongings, no less than on his friends, that T

r. Swift of the result of their trip. He agreed with them that the

on, and during the next two weeks he devoted all his time to finishing his own ma

another week," said Tom one day, as he stepped back

a passenger?"

an you are to be compared to that," added Tom quickly, "but I'd rather have a real per

e, making some slight changes, strengthening it here and there

et remained much to do on it. It was not painted or decorated, and looked rather crude. But what Tom wanted to know was how it would fly, what contro

pring balance tested the thrust of the propellers. It was satisfactory, though he knew th

leman took his place. Tom got up into his own seat, in front

spitting fire, while the big, fan-like blades were whirring around like win

er looked like a solid circle of wood, and the trim little monoplane moved slowly across the rising ground, increasing its speed e