arpenter passed on.

CHAPTER IV

SEARCHING FOR SMUGGLERS.

"Well, of all things!"

"Who in the world would think such a thing?"

"Andy going to start out with his airship again!"

"And going to sail it off the roof of his house!"

These were the alternate expressions that came from Tom and Ned, as
they stood gazing at each other after the startling information
given them by Mr. Dillon, the carpenter.

"Do you really think he means it?" asked Tom, after a pause, during
which they watched the retreating figure of the carpenter. "Maybe he
was fooling us."

"No, Mr. Dillon seldom jokes," replied Ned, "and when he does, you
can always tell. He goes to our church, and I know he wouldn't
deliberately tell an untruth. Oh. Andy's up to some game all right."

"I thought he must be hanging around here the way he has been,
instead of being home. But I admit I may have been wrong about the
police being after him. If he'd done something wrong, he would
hardly hire a man to work on the house while he was hiding in it. I
guess he just wants to keep out of the way of everybody but his own
particular cronies. But I wonder what he is up to, anyhow; getting
his airship in shape again?"

"Give it up, unless there's an aero meet on somewhere soon," replied
Ned. "Maybe he's going to try a race again."

Tom shook his head.

"I'd have heard about any aviation meets, if there were any
scheduled," he replied. "I belong to the national association, and
they send out circulars whenever there are to be races. None are on
for this season. No, Andy has some other game."

"Well, I don't know that it concerns us," spoke Ned.

"Not as long as he doesn't bother me," answered the young inventor.
"Well, Ned, I suppose you'll be over in the morning and help me try
out the noiseless airship?"

"Sure thing. Say, it was queer, about that government agent, wasn't
it? suspecting you of supplying airships to the smugglers?"

"Rather odd," agreed Tom. "He might much better suspect Andy Foger."

"That's so, and now that we know Andy is rebuilding his old airship,
maybe we'd better tell him."

"Tell who?"

"That government agent. Tell him he's wrong in thinking that Andy is
out of the game. We might send him word that we just learned that
Andy is getting active again. He has as much right to suspect and
question him, as he had you."

"Oh, I don't know," began Tom slowly. He was not a vindicative
youth, nor, for that matter, was Ne