on, and as Tom reached the edge of
the woods and started across the narrow strip of sand and gravel
that was between the water and the trees, he saw the man steering
his craft toward the middle of the lake.

"Well--I'll--be--jiggered!" exclaimed the youth. "Who would have
thought he'd have a motor-boat waiting for him? He planned this
well."

There was nothing to do but turn back. Tom had a small rowboat and a
sailing skiff on the lake, but his boathouse was some distance away,
and even if he could get one of his craft out, the motor-boat would
soon distance it.

"He's gone!" thought the searcher regretfully.

The man in the motor-boat did not look back. He sat in the bow,
steering the little craft right across the broadest part of Lake
Carlopa.

"I wonder where he came from, and where he's going?" mused Tom.
"That's a boat I never saw on this lake before. It must be a new
one. Well, there's no help for it, I've got to go back and tell dad
I couldn't catch him." And with a last look at the fugitive, who,
with his boat, was becoming smaller and smaller every minute, Tom
turned and retraced his steps.

CHAPTER X.

OFF TO ALBANY

"Did you catch him, Tom?" asked Mr. Swift eagerly when his son
returned, but the inventor needed but a glance at the lad's
despondent face to have his question answered without words, "Never
mind," he added, "there's not much harm done, fortunately."

"Did he get anything? Any of your plans or models, dad?"

"No; not as far as I can discover. My papers in the shop were not
disturbed, but it looked as if the turbine model had been moved. The
only thing missing seems to be a sheet of unimportant calculations.
Luckily I had my most valuable drawings in the safe in the house."

"Yet that man seemed to be putting papers in his pocket, dad. Maybe
he made copies of some of your drawings."

"That's possible, Tom, and I admit it worries me. I can't imagine
who that man is, unless--"

"Why, he's one of the three men I saw in Mansburg in the
restaurant," said Tom eagerly. "Two of them tried to get information
here, and now the third one comes. He got away in a motor-boat," and
Tom told how the fugitive escaped.

Mr. Swift looked worried. It was not the first time attempts had
been made to steal his inventions, but on this occasion a desperate
and well-organized plan appeared to be on foot.

"What do you think they are up to, dad?" asked Tom.

"I think they are trying to get hol