irship. I expect Abe to come along at any time, now, and then I'll
hear more particulars."

"Will you go all the way in the airship?"

"Well, I hadn't thought of that. I could ship it to the nearest
place by rail, I suppose, and go on from there. That's a detail to
be considered later. I'll talk it over with Abe."

"Who are going?"

"I don't know that even. I suppose Mr. Damon would feel slighted if
I left him out. And perhaps Mr. Parker, that gloomy scientist, who
is always predicting terrible accidents, will be glad to go along.
Then Abe may have some friend he wants to take."

"By Jinks! But you certainly do have swell times, Tom Swift!"
exclaimed Ned Newton, enviously. "I wish I could go and have a try
at that valley of gold!"

"Why don't you come along, Ned?"

"Do you really mean it?"

"Of course."

"But I don't believe I could get away from the bank."

"Oh, dad and Mr. Damon could fix that. They're directors, you know.
Come along, I'd be delighted to have you. Will you?"

"I'll think about it. Jinks! But I sure would like to go. Do you
think you can find the valley?"

"Well, there's no telling. We generally do succeed in finding what
we go after, even if we didn't get the diamond secret. I'm anxious
to have Abe come, now, though until I got his letter I had almost
forgotten about my promise to him. But, say, what's this you told me
about Andy Foger making an airship?"

"It's true, though I haven't seen it. Jake Porter was telling me
about it. Andy's built a big shed in his yard, and he and some
cronies of his, including Pete Bailey and Sam Snedecker, are working
in there night and day. They've hired a couple of machinists, too.
Mr. Foger is putting up the cash, I guess. Say, that was quite a
scare you gave Andy on your monoplane, one day."

"Yes, the big bully! and I'd like to scare him worse. But say, do
you know I'd like to get a look at his airship. I wonder what sort
of a craft it is?"

"We can see it easily enough."

"How?"

"Why, the back part of the shed where he and the others are working
is close to our fence. There are some holes in our fence and if you
come there, maybe you can look in."

"I can't see through the side of the shed, though."

"Yes, you can."

"How?"

"Why, there's a big window, for light, in the back part of it. I
happened to notice it the other day. I didn't look in, because I
wasn't much interested, but I saw that one could peer over the top
of our fence r