's a SORT of a lantern, and I hope it's going to do some MAGIC
work," explained Tom with a smile. "But it isn't the kind of magic
lantern you mean. It won't throw pictures on a screen, but it may
show some surprising pictures to us--that is if you come along, and
I think you will."

"Talking riddles; eh?" laughed Ned. "What's the answer?"

"Smugglers."

"I thought you were talking about a lantern."

"So I am, and it's the lantern that's going to show up the
smugglers, so you can call it a smuggler's magic lantern if you
like."

"Then you're going after them?"

This conversation took place several days after the raid on the
Foger house, and after Tom's accidental discovery of how to make a
new kind of searchlight. In the meantime he had not seen Ned, who
had been away on a visit.

"Yes, I've made up my mind to help Uncle Sam," spoke Tom, "and this
is one of the things I'll need in my work. It's going to be the most
powerful searchlight ever made--that is, I never heard of any
portable electric lights that will beat it."

"What do you mean, Tom?"

"I mean that I'm inventing a new kind of searchlight, Ned. One that
I can carry with me on my new noiseless airship, and one that will
give a beam of light that will be visible for several miles, and
which will make objects in its focus as plain as if viewed by
daylight."

"And it's to show up the smugglers?"

"That's what. That is it will if we can get on the track of them."

"But what did you mean when you said it would be the most powerful
portable light ever made."

"Just what I said. I've got to carry this searchlight on an airship
with me, and, in consequence, it can't be very heavy. Of course
there are stationary searchlights, such lights as are in
lighthouses, that could beat mine all to pieces for candle power,
and for long distance visibility. But they are the only ones."

"That's the way to do things, Tom! Say, I'm going with you all right
after those smugglers. But where are some of those powerful
stationary searchlights you speak of?"

"Oh, there are lots of them. One was in the Eiffel Tower, during the
Paris Exposition. I didn't see that, but I have read about it.
Another is in one of the twin lighthouses at the Highlands, on the
Atlantic coast of New Jersey, just above Asbury Park. That light is
of ninety-five million candle power, and the lighthouse keeper there
told me it was visible, on a clear night, as far as the New Haven,
Connecticut,