d. And Tom would not go out of
his way to give information about an enemy, when it was not certain
that the said enemy meant anything wrong. "I don't believe there's
anything in it," finished our hero. "Andy may have a lot of time on
his hands, and, for want of something better to do, he's fixing up
his aeroplane."

"Look!" suddenly exclaimed Ned. "There's that agent now! He's going
to the depot to get a train, I guess," and he pointed to the
government man, who had so lately interviewed Tom. "I'm going to
speak to him!" impulsively declared Ned.

"I wouldn't," objected Tom, but his chum had already hastened on
ahead, and soon was seen talking excitedly to Mr. Whitford. Tom
sauntered up in time to hear the close of the conversation.

"I'm much obliged to you for your information," said the custom
officer, "but I'm afraid, just as you say your chum felt about it,
that there's nothing in it. This Foger chap may have been bad in the
past, but I hardly think he's in with the smugglers. What I'm
looking for is not a lad who has one airship, but someone who is
making a lot of them, and supplying the men who are running goods
over the border. That's the sort of game I'm after, and if this Andy
Foger only has one aeroplane I hardly think he can be very
dangerous."

"Well, perhaps not," admitted Ned. "But I thought I'd tell you."

"And I'm glad you did. If you hear anything more. I'll be glad to
have you let me know. Here's my card," and thanking the boys for
their interest Mr. Whitford passed on.

Tom and Ned gave the noiseless airship a test the next day. The
craft, which was the stanch Falcon, remodeled, was run out of the
shed, Koku the giant helping, while Mr. Swift stood looking on, an
interested spectator of what his son was about to do. Eradicate, the
old colored man, who was driving his mule Boomerang, hitched to a
wagon in which he was carting away some refuse that had been raked
up in the garden, halted his outfit nearby.

"I say, Massa Tom!" he called, as the young inventor passed near
him, in making a tour of the ship.

"Well, Rad, what is it?"

"Doan't yo'-all want fo' ma an' Boomerang t' gib yo'-all a tow?
Mebby dat new-fangled contraption yo'-all has done put on yo' ship
won't wuk, an' mebby I'd better stick around t' pull yo'-all home."

"No, Rad, I guess it will work all right. If it doesn't, and we get
stuck out a mile or two, I'll send you a wireless message."

"Doan't do dat!" begged the color