undrel! I'm glad you foiled him in time; but it's too bad about
Tom. However, we'll soon have him all right again."

"I knows who done it!" broke in Eradicate, who was a sort of privileged
character about the Swift home.

"Who?" asked Mr. Jackson.

"It were dat Andy Foger. Leastways, he send dat man heah t' make
mincemeat oh de Hummin'-Bird. I's positib 'bout dat, so I am!" And
Eradicate grinned triumphantly.

"Well, perhaps Andy did have a hand in it," admitted Mr. Swift, "but we
have no proof of it, I can't see what his object would be in wanting to
destroy Tom's new craft."

"Pure meanness. Afraid that Tom will beat him in the race," suggested
Mr. Jackson.

"It's too big a risk to take," went on the aged inventor. "I'm inclined
to think it might be one of the gang of men who made the diamonds in
the cave in the mountains. They might have sent a spy on East, and he
might try to damage the aeroplane to be revenged for what Tom and Mr.
Jenks did to them."

"It's possible," agreed the engineer. "Well, we'll wait until Tom can
talk, and we'll go over it with him."

"Not until he is stronger, though," stipulated the physician as he went
away. "Don't excite Tom for a few days."

The young inventor was much better the following day, and when Dr.
Gladby called he said Tom could sit up for a little while. Two days
later Tom was well enough to be talked to, and his father and Mr.
Jackson went over all the details of the matter. Mr. Damon, who had
returned home, came to see his friend as soon as he heard of his
plight, and was also a member of the consulting party.

"Bless my dictionary!" exclaimed the eccentric man. "I wish I had been
here to take a hand in it. But, Tom, do you believe it was one of the
diamond-making gang?"

"I hardly think so," was the reply. "They would take some other means
of revenge than by destroying my new aeroplane. I'm inclined to think
it was some one who is in with Andy Foger."

"Then we'll hire detectives, and locate him and them," declared Mr.
Damon, blessing several things in succession.

Tom, however, did not like that plan, and it was decided to do nothing
right away. In another few days Tom was able to be up, though he was
still a semi-invalid, not venturing out of the house.

It was one afternoon, when, rather tired of his confinement, he was
wishing he could resume work on his air craft, that Mrs. Baggert came
in, and said:

"Some one to see you, Tom."

"Is it Mr. Damon