rove
that it is his, it will mean a long lawsuit and he may be defrauded
of his rights, after all. Possession is nine points of the law, and
part of the tenth, too, I guess."

So Tom remained at home and busied himself as well as he could over
some new machines he was constructing. He got a telegram from his
father that afternoon, stating that Mr. Swift had safely arrived in
Albany, and would return the following day.

"Did you have any luck, dad?" asked the young inventor, when his
father, tired and worn from the unaccustomed traveling, reached home
in the evening.

"Not much, Tom," was the reply. "Mr. Crawford has gone back to
Washington, and he is going to do what he can to prevent those men
taking advantage of me."

"Did you get any trace of the thieves? Does Mr. Crawford think he
can?"

"No to both questions. His idea is that the men will remain in
hiding for a while, and then, when the matter has quieted down, they
will proceed to get a patent on the motor that I invented."

"But, in the meanwhile, can't you make another model and get a
patent yourself?"

"No; there are certain legal difficulties in the way. Besides, those
men have the original papers I need. As for the model, it will take
me nearly a year to build a new one that will work properly, as it
is very complicated. I am afraid, Tom, that all my labor on the
turbine motor is thrown away. Those scoundrels will reap the benefit
of it."

"Oh, I hope not, dad! I'm sure those fellows will be caught. Now
that you are back home again, I'm going out on a hunt on my own
account. I don't put much faith in the police. It was through me,
dad, that you lost your model and the papers, and I'll get them
back!"

"No, you must not think it was your fault, Tom," said his father.
"You could not help it, though I appreciate your desire to recover
the missing model."

"And I'll do it, too, dad. I'll start to-morrow, and I'll make a
complete circuit of the country for a hundred miles around. I can
easily do it on my motor-cycle. If I can't get on the trail of the
three men who robbed me, maybe I can find Happy Harry."

"I doubt it, my son. Still, you may try. Now I must write to Mr.
Crawford and tell him about the attempted burglary while I was away.
It may give him a clue to work on. I'm afraid you ran quite a risk,
Tom."

"I didn't think about that, dad. I only wish I had managed to keep
that rascal a prisoner."

The next day Tom started off on a hunt.