ng for the lad had
established the connection, in spite of his shock and his father and
Mr. Sharp had decided to let the machinery run until he came back.

"And look at the record it's made!" cried Tom delightedly as he glanced
at the gauge "Better than I figured on. That battery is a wonder. I'll
have the fastest electric runabout you ever saw."

"If the wires don't get crossed again," put in Mr. Sharp. "You'd
better make an examination, Tom," and, for the first time, the young
inventor learned how he had been shocked.

"Crossed wires! I should say they were crossed!" he exclaimed as he
looked at the switches and copper conductors. "Somebody has been
tampering with them. No wonder I was shocked!"

"Who did it?" asked Mr. Sharp.

Tom considered for a moment, before answering. Then he said:

"I believe it was Addison Berg. He must have wanted to do some damage,
to get even with us for getting that treasure away from him."

"Berg?" questioned the balloonist, and Tom told of the night he had
been tripped into the brook, and exhibited the watch charm he had
secured. Mr. Sharp recognized it at once. A further examination
confirmed the belief that the submarine agent had sneaked into Tom's
workshop, and had altered the wires.

"They were all right when I came out of the shop that night," declared
Tom. "I left the old connections just as I thought I had arranged them,
and only added the new ones, when I went to try my battery. The old
connections were crossed, but I didn't notice it. Then when I turned on
the current I got the shock. I don't s'pose Berg thought I'd be so
nearly killed. Probably he wanted to burn out my motor, and spoil it.
If it was Andy Foger I could understand it, but a man like Berg--"

"He's probably wild with anger because his submarine got the worst of
it in the race for the gold," interrupted the balloonist. "Well, we'll
have to be on our guard, that's all. What was the matter with
Eradicate, that he didn't see him enter the shop?"

"Rad went to a colored dance that night," said Tom. "I let him off. But
after this I'll have the shop guarded night and day. My motor might
have been ruined, if that first charge hadn't gone through my body
instead of into the machinery." The improper connections were soon
removed and others substituted.

It was agreed between Tom and Mr. Sharp that they would say nothing
regarding Mr. Berg to Mr. Swift. The aeronaut caused cautious inquiries
to be made, and