ed man. "I neber could read dem
wireless letters anyhow. Jest gib a shout, an' me an' Boomerang will
come a-runnin'."

"All right, Rad, I will. Now, Ned, is everything in shape?"

"I think so, Tom."

"Koku, just put a little more wind in those tires. But don't pump as
hard as you did the other day," Tom cautioned.

"What happened then?" asked Ned.

"Oh, Koku forgot that he had so much muscle, and he kept on pumping
air into the bicycle wheel tires until he burst one. Go easy this
time, Koku."

"I will, Mr. Tom," and the giant took the air pump.

"Is he going along?" asked Ned, as he looked to see that all the guy
wires and stays were tight.

"I guess so," replied Tom. "He makes good ballast. I wish Mr. Damon
was here. If everything goes right we may take a run over, and
surprise him."

In a little while the noiseless airship was ready for the start.
Tom, Ned and Koku climbed in, and took their positions.

"Good luck!" Mr. Swift called after them. Tom waved his hand to his
father, and the next moment his craft shot into the air. Up and up
it went, the great propeller blades beating the air, but, save for a
soft whirr, such as would be made by the wings of a bird, there was
absolutely no sound.

"Hurrah!" cried Tom. "She works! I've got a noiseless airship at
last!"

"Say, don't yell at a fellow so," begged Ned, for Tom had been close
to his chum when he made his exulting remark.

"Yell! I wasn't yelling," replied Tom. "Oh, I see what happened. I'm
so used to speaking loud on the other airships, that make such a
racket, that I didn't realize how quiet it was aboard the new
Falcon. No wonder I nearly made you deaf, Ned. I'll be careful after
this," and Tom lowered his voice to ordinary tones. In fact it was
as quiet aboard his new craft, as if he and Ned had been walking in
some grass-grown country lane.

"She certainly is a success," agreed Ned. "You could creep up on
some other airship now, and those aboard would never know you were
coming."

"I've been planning this for a long time," went on our hero, as he
shifted the steering gear, and sent the craft around in a long,
sweeping curve. "Now for Waterford and Mr. Damon."

They were soon above the town where the odd man lived, and Tom,
picking out Mr. Damon's house, situated as it was in the midst of
extensive grounds, headed for it.

"There he is, walking through the garden," exclaimed Ned, pointing
to their friend down below. "He hasn't heard us