s.

"Dat's who it am, Did yo' t'ink it were some un else?"

"I did," replied Tom. "Andy Foger has been sneaking around. Keep your
eyes open the rest of the night, Rad."

"I will, Massa Tom."

The youth went into the house, having left word with the engineer, Mr.
Jackson, to be on the alert for anything suspicious.

"And now I guess I'll go to bed, and make an early start to-morrow
morning, planning my new aeroplane," mused Tom. "I'm going to make the
speediest craft of the air ever seen!"

As he started toward his room Tom Swift heard the voice of the
housekeeper calling to him:

"Tom! Oh, Tom! Come here, quickly!"

"What's the matter?" he asked, in vague alarm.

"Something has happened to your father!" was the startling reply. "He's
fallen down, and is Unconscious! Come quickly! Send for the doctor!"

Tom fairly ran toward his father's room.

Chapter Three

The Plans Disappear

Mr. Swift was lying on the floor, where he had fallen, in front of his
bed, as he was preparing to retire. There was no mark of injury upon
him, and at first, as he knelt down at his father's side, Tom was at a
loss to account for what had taken place.

"How did it happen? When was it?" he asked of Mrs. Baggert, as he held
up his father's head, and noted that the aged man was breathing
slightly.

"I don't know what happened, Tom," answered the housekeeper, "but I
heard him fall, and ran upstairs, only to find him lying there, just
like that. Then I called you. Hadn't you better have a doctor?"

"Yes; we'll need one at once. Send Eradicate Tell him to run--not to
wait for his mule--Boomerang is too slow. Oh, no! The telephone, of
course! Why didn't I think of that at first? Please telephone for Dr.
Gladby, Mrs. Baggert. Ask him to come as soon as possible, and then
tell Garret Jackson to step here. I'll have him help me get father into
bed."

The housekeeper hastened to the instrument, and was soon in
communication with the physician, who promised to call at once. The
engineer was summoned from another part of the house, and then
Eradicate was aroused.

Mrs. Baggert had the colored man help her get some kettles of hot water
in readiness for possible use by the doctor. Mr. Jackson aided Tom to
lift Mr. Swift up on the bed, and they got off some of his clothes.

"I'll try to see if I can revive him with a little aromatic spirits of
ammonia," decided Tom, as he noticed that his father was still
unconscious. He haste