ut, Tom?"

"No, a little more, and then head her up into the wind. I say, Ned,
if this is a success, and--"

Tom stopped suddenly and looked out into the road. Then, in a low
voice, he said, to Ned:

"Don't move suddenly, or he'll suspect that we're onto his game, but
turn around slowly, and look behind that big sycamore tree in front
of our house Ned. Tell me what you see."

"There's a man hiding there, Tom," reported his chum, a little
later, after a cautious observation.

"I thought so. What's he doing?"

"Why he--by Jove! Tom, he's looking at us through opera glasses,
like that other--"

"It isn't ANOTHER, it's the same fellow!" whispered Tom. "It's the
spy who was watching Andy! I'm going to see what's up," and he
strode rapidly toward the street, at the curb of which was the tree
that partly screened the man behind it.

CHAPTER III

QUEER REPAIRS

Quickly Tom Swift crossed the space between the airship, that was
ready for a flight, and the tree. The man behind it had apparently
not seen Tom coming, being so interested in looking at the airship,
which was a wonderful craft. He was taken completely by surprise as
Tom, stepping up to him, asked sharply:

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The man started so that he nearly dropped the opera glasses, which
he had held focused on the aeroplane. Then he stepped back, and eyed
Tom sharply.

"What do you want?" repeated our hero. "What right have you to be
spying on that airship--on these premises?" The man hesitated a
moment, and then coolly returned the glasses to his pocket. He did
not seem at all put out, after his first start of surprise.

"What are you doing?" Tom again asked. He looked around to see where
Koku, the giant, was, and beheld the big man walking slowly toward
him, for Ned had mentioned what had taken place.

"What right have you to question my actions?" asked the man, and
there was in his tones a certain authority that made Tom wonder.

"Every right," retorted our hero. "That is my airship, at which you
have been spying, and this is where I live."

"Oh, it is; eh?" asked the man calmly. "And that's your airship,
too?"

"I invented it, and built the most of it myself. If you are
interested in such things, and can assure me that you have no spying
methods in view, I can show you--"

"Have you other airships?" interrupted the man quickly.

"Yes, several," answered Tom. "But I can't understand why you should
be s