something more about him. Those of my friends who have read
the previous books in this series need no introduction to my hero, but
those who may chance upon this as their first book in the Tom Swift
series, will like to be more formally introduced.

Tom, whose mother had been dead some years, lived with his father,
Barton Swift, in the town of Shopton. Mr. Swift was an inventor of
prominence, and his son was fast following in his footsteps. A Mrs.
Baggert kept house for the Swifts, and another member of the household
was Eradicate Sampson, an aged colored man, who said he used to
"eradicate" the dirt. He had been with Tom on many trips, but of late
was getting old and feeble. Then there was Garret Jackson, an engineer
employed by the Swifts. These were all the immediate members of the
household.

Tom had a chum, Ned Newton, who used to work in a bank, and there was a
girl, Mary Nestor, a daughter of Amos Nestor, in which young lady Tom
was much interested.

Eradicate Sampson had a mule, Boomerang, of whom he thought almost as
much as he did of Tom. Eradicate was a faithful friend and servant,
but, of late, Koku, or August, the giant, had rather supplanted him. I
must not forget Mr. Wakefield Damon, of Waterfield, a village near
Shopton. Mr. Damon was an odd man, always blessing everything. He and
Tom were good friends, and had been on many trips together.

The first book of the series was called "Tom Swift and His
Motor-Cycle," and related how Tom bought the cycle from Mr. Damon,
after the latter had met with an accident on it, and it was in this way
that our hero became acquainted with the odd man.

Tom had many adventures on his motor-cycle, and, later on he secured a
motor-boat, in which he beat his enemy, Andy Foger, in a race. Next Tom
built an airship, and in this he went on a wonderful trip. Returning
from this he and his father heard about a treasure sunken under the
ocean. In his submarine boat Tom secured the valuables, and made a
large sum for himself.

In his electric runabout, which was the swiftest car on the road, Tom
was able to save from ruin a bank in which his father was interested,
and, a short time after that, he went on a trip in an airship, with a
man who had invented a new kind. The airship was smashed, and fell to
Earthquake Island, where there were some refugees from a shipwreck,
among them being the parents of Mary Nestor. In the volume called "Tom
Swift and His Wireless Message," I t