n
short, snappy sentences, which, however, said all he meant. "The fumes
of that gas aren't good to breathe. Wait, until they have blown away.
It won't be long. It's safer."

He began to cough, choking from the pungent odor, and Tom felt an
unpleasant tickling sensation in his throat.

"Take a walk around," advised Mr. Sharp. "I'll be looking over the blue
prints. Let's have 'em."

Tom handed over the roll he had grabbed up when he ran from the shop,
just before the explosion took place, and, while his companion spread
them out on his knee, as he sat on an upturned barrel, the lad walked
toward the rear of the large yard. It was enclosed by a high board
fence, with a locked gate, but Tom, undoing the fastenings, stepped out
into a broad, green meadow at the rear of his father's property. As he
did so he saw three boys running toward him.

"Hello!" exclaimed our hero. "There are Andy Foger, Sam Snedecker and
Pete Bailey. I wonder what they're heading this way for?"

On the trio came, increasing their pace as they caught sight of Tom.
Andy Foger, a red-haired and squint-eyed lad, a sort of town bully,
with a rich and indulgent father, was the first to reach the young
inventor.

"How--how many are killed?" panted Andy.

"Shall we go for doctors?" asked Sam.

"Can we see the place?" blurted out Pete, and he had to sit down on the
grass, he was so winded.

"Killed? Doctors?" repeated Tom, clearly much puzzled. "What are you
fellows driving at, anyhow?"

"Wasn't there a lot of people killed in the explosion we heard?"
demanded Andy, in eager tones.

"Not a one," replied Tom.

"There was an explosion!" exclaimed Pete. "We heard it, and you can't
fool us!"

"And we saw the smoke," added Snedecker.

"Yes, there was a small explosion," admitted Tom, with a smile, "but no
one was killed; or even hurt. We don't have such things happen in our
shops."

"Nobody killed?" repeated Andy questioningly, and the disappointment
was evident in his tones.

"Nobody hurt?" added Sam, his crony, and he, too, showed his chagrin.

"All our run for nothing," continued Pete, another crony, in disgust.

"What happened?" demanded the red-haired lad, as if he had a right to
know. "We were walking along the lake road, and we heard an awful
racket. If the police come out here, you'll have to tell what it was,
Tom Swift." He spoke defiantly.

"I've no objection to telling you or the police," replied Tom. "There
was an explosion.