ge the big craft. By the vibration Tom could
tell that the motor was running evenly and well.

"But what happened to the others--to Mound, Ventor and Koku?" wondered
Tom.

A moment later several of the foreigners entered. Some of them did not
look at all like Frenchmen, and Tom was sure one was a German and
another a Russian.

"This will be your prison--for a while," said La Foy significantly, and
Tom wondered how long this would be the case. A sharp thought came to
him--how long would they be prisoners? Did not some other, and more
terrible, fate await them?

As La Foy spoke, he opened a storeroom door that led off from the main,
or amidship, cabin. This room was intended to contain the supplies and
stores that would be taken on a long voyage. It was one of two, being
the larger, and now contained only a few odds and ends of little
importance. It made a strong prison, as Tom well knew, having planned
it.

One by one, beginning with Tom, the prisoners were taken up and placed
in a recumbent position on the floor of the storeroom. Then were
brought in the engineer and assistant pilot, as well as Koku and a
machinist whom Tom had brought along to help him. Now the young
inventor and all his friends were together. It took four men to carry
Koku in, the giant being covered with a network of ropes.

"On second thought," said La Foy, as he saw Koku being placed with his
friends, "I think we will keep the big man with us. We had trouble
enough to subdue him. Carry him back to the engine-room."

So Koku, trussed up like some roped steer, was taken out again.

"Now then," said La Foy to his prisoners, as he stood in the door of
the room, "I will unbind one of you, and he may loose the bonds of the
others."

As he spoke, he took the rope from Tom's hands, and then, quickly
slipping out, locked and barred the door.

CHAPTER XXII

APPREHENSIONS

For a moment or two, after the ropes binding his hands were loosed, Tom
Swift did nothing. He was not only stunned mentally, but the bonds had
been pulled so tightly about his wrists that the circulation was
impeded, and his cramped muscles required a little time in which to
respond.

But presently he felt the tingle of the coursing blood, and he found he
could move his arms. He raised them to his head, and then his first
care was to remove the pad of cloth that formed a gag over his mouth.
Now he could talk.

"I--I'll loosen you all in just a second," he said