clew, and now it's knocked into a
cocked hat. There's no use bothering that Foger fellow," he went on,
"for he has but one airship, I understand."

"And that's not much good." put in Ned. "I guess it's partly
wrecked, and Andy has kept it out in the barn since he moved away."

"Well, I guess I'll be leaving town then," went on the agent. "I
can't get any more clews here, and there may be some new ones found
on the Canadian border where my colleagues are trying to catch the
rascals. I'm sorry I bothered you, Tom Swift. You certainly have a
fine lot of airships," he added, for he had been taken through the
shop, and shown the latest, noiseless model. "A fine lot. I don't
believe the smugglers, if they use them, have any better."

"Nor as good!" exclaimed Ned. "Tom's can't be beat."

"It's too late for our noiseless trial now," remarked Tom, after the
agent had gone. "Let's put her back in the shed, and then I'll take
you down street, and treat you to some ice cream, Ned. It's getting
quite summery now."

As the boys were coming out of the drug store, where they had eaten
their ice cream in the form of sundaes, Ned uttered a cry of
surprise at the sight of a man approaching them.

"It's Mr. Dillon, the carpenter whom we saw in the Foger house,
Tom!" exclaimed his chum. "This is the first chance I've had to talk
to him. I'm going to ask him what sort of repairs he's making inside
the old mansion." Ned was soon in conversation with him.

"Yes, I'm working at the Foger house," admitted the carpenter, who
had done some work for Ned's father. "Mighty queer repairs, too.
Something I never did before. If Andy wasn't there to tell me what
he wanted done I wouldn't know what to do."

"Is Andy there yet?" asked Tom quickly.

"Yes, he's staying in the old house. All alone too, except now and
then, he has a chum stay there nights with him. They get their own
meals. I bring the stuff in, as Andy says he's getting up a surprise
and doesn't want any of the boys to see him, or ask questions. But
they are sure queer repairs I'm doing," and the carpenter scratched
his head reflectively.

"What are you doing?" asked Ned boldly.

"Fixing up Andy's old airship that was once busted," was the
unexpected answer, "and after I get that done, if I ever do, he
wants me to make a platform for it on the roof of the house, where
he can start it swooping through the air. Mighty queer repairs, I
call 'em. Well, good evening, boys," and the c