e startling reply. "Pitka or Sitka, or
some such place like that. It's all in these boxes, G'lang there!"
this to his horses.

"Andy sending his airship to Alaska!" murmured Tom in dismay. "Then
he surely is going to make a try for that valley of gold!"

He turned away, while the snarling voice of the bully rang out on
the night, urging the drivers to be very careful of the boxes and
crates on their trucks.

CHAPTER VIII

A THIEF IN THE NIGHT

Tom Swift hardly knew what to think. He had scarcely believed, in
spite of the fact that he was sure Andy had a copy of the map, that
the bully would actually make an effort to go to the valley of gold.

"And in that airship of his, too," mused Tom. "Well, there's one
consolation, I don't believe he'll go far in that, though it does
sail better than when he made his first attempt. Well, if he's going
to try to beat us, it's a good thing I know it We can be prepared
for him, now."

Tom, after watching the big vans for a few minutes, turned and kept
on toward his home.

There was more than surprise on the part of Mr. Damon and the others
when Tom told his news. There was alarm, for there was a feeling
that Mr. Foger and his son might adopt unscrupulous tricks.

"But what can we do?" asked Mr. Swift.

"Whitewash him!" exclaimed Eradicate Sampson, who had overheard part
of the conversation. "Dat's what I'd do t' him an' his father, too!
Dat's what I would! Fust I'd let mah mule Boomerang kick him a bit,
an' den, when he was all mussed up, I'd whitewash him!" That was the
colored man's favorite method of dealing with enemies, but, of
course, he could not always carry it out.

However, after considering the matter from all sides, it was decided
that nothing could be done for the present.

"Let them go," said Tom, "I don't believe they'll ever find the
valley of gold. I fancy I threw a scare into Andy, talking as I did
about the map."

"Well, even if the Fogers do get the gold," said Mr. Parker calmly,
"they cannot take away the caves of ice, and it is in them that I am
most interested. I want to prove some of my new theories."

"And we need the gold," said Tom, in a low voice; "don't we, Abe?"

"That's what we do, Tom," answered the old miner.

Preparations were now practically completed for their trip to
Seattle by rail. Tom made some inquiries in the next few days
regarding the Fogers, but only learned that the father and son had
left town, after superint