d
his machine. "Come around next week, Rad. We have some dirt eradicating
for you to attend to."

"Deed an' I will, Mistah Swift. Eradicate is mah name, an' I eradicates
de dirt. But dat man such did look odd, wif dat pail ob whitewash all
ober him. He suah did look most extraordinarily. Gidap, Boomerang. See
if yo' can break some mo' speed records now."

But the mule appeared to be satisfied with what he had done, and, as he
rode off, Tom looked back to see the colored man laboring to get the
sleepy, animal started.

The lad did not tell his father of the adventure with Morse, but he
related the occurrence to Mr. Sharp.

"I'd like to get hold of that scoundrel, and the others in the gang!"
exclaimed the balloonist. "I'd take him up in the airship, and drop him
down into the lake. He's a bad man. So are the others. Wonder what they
want around here?"

"That's what's puzzling me," admitted Tom. "I hope dad doesn't hear
about them or he will be sure to worry; and maybe it will interfere
with his new ideas."

"He hasn't told you yet what he's engaged in inventing; has he?"

"No, and I don't like to ask him. He said the other day, though, that
it would rival our airship, but in a different way."

"I wonder what he meant?"

"It's hard to say. But I don't believe he can invent anything that will
go ahead of our craft, even if he is my own father, and the best one in
the world," said Tom, half jokingly. "Well, I got the bolts, now let's
get to work. I'm anxious for a trial trip."

"No more than I am. I want to see if my ideas will work out in practice
as well as they do in theory."

For a week or more Tom and Mr. Sharp labored on the airship, with Mr.
Jackson to help them. The motor, with its twenty cylinders, was
installed, and the big aluminum holder fastened to the frame of the
planes. The rudders, one to control the elevation and depression of the
craft, and the other to direct its flight to the right or left, were
attached, and the steering wheel, as well as the levers regulating the
motor were put in place.

"About all that remains to be done now," said the aeronaut one night,
as he and Tom stood in the big shed, looking at their creation, "is to
fit up the car, and paint the machine."

"Can't we make a trial trip before we fit up the car ready for a long
flight?" asked the young inventor.

"Yes, but I wouldn't like to go out without painting the ship. Some
parts of it might rust if we get into the moi