that gang would
not venture again into this neighborhood."

"No, I imagine not. Perhaps he was only a curious, meddlesome person.
I have frequently been bothered by such individuals. They want to see
all the working parts of an automobile or motor-boat, and they don't
care what damage they do by investigating."

Tom did not reply, but he was pretty certain that the man in question
had more of an object than mere curiosity in tampering with the boat.
However, he could discover no solution just then, and he proceeded with
the work of taking off the letters.

"What are you going to do with your boat, now that you have it?" asked
Mr. Hastings. "Can you run it down to your dock in the condition in
which it is now?"

"No, I shall have to go back home, get some tools and fix up the motor.
It will take half a day, at least. I will come back this afternoon
and, have the boat at my house by night. That is if I may leave it at
your dock here."

"Certainly, as long as you like."

The young inventor had many things to think about as he rode toward
home, and though he was somewhat puzzled over the actions of the
stranger, he forgot about that in anticipating the pleasure he would
have when the motor-boat was in running order.

"I'll take dad off on a cruise about the lake," he decided. "He needs
a rest, for he's been working hard and worrying over the theft of the
turbine motor model. I'll take Ned Newton for some rides, too, and he
can bring his camera along and get a lot of pictures. Oh, I'll have
some jolly sport this summer!"

Tom was riding swiftly along a quiet country road and was approaching a
steep hill, which he could not see until he was close to it, owing to a
sharp turn.

As he was about to swing around it and coast swiftly down the steep
declivity he was startled by hearing a voice calling to him from the
bushes at the side of the road.

"Hold on, dar I Hold on, Mistah Swift!" cried a colored man, suddenly
popping into view. "Doan't go down dat hill."

"Why, it's Eradicate Sampson!" exclaimed Tom, quickly shutting off the
power and applying the brakes. "What's the matter, Rad? Why shouldn't
I go down that hill?"

"Beca'se, Mistah Swift, dere's a pow'ful monstrous tree trunk right
across de road at a place whar yo' cain't see it till yo' gits right on
top ob it. Ef yo' done hit dat ar tree on yo' lickity-split machine,
yo' suah would land in kingdom come. Doan't go down dat hill!"

Tom leap