keep near you. Are you stopping
near here? If you are, I wish you'd come and see me, you and Mr.
Newton," she added, for Tom had introduced his chum.

"I'll be very glad to," answered our hero, and he told how he happened
to be in the neighborhood. "I'll give you a few lessons in managing a
boat, if you like," he added.

"Oh, will you? That will be lovely! I won't tell Dick about it, and
I'll surprise him some day by showing him how well I can run his boat."

"Good idea," commented Tom.

He started the motor for Miss Nestor, having stopped it after his first
test, and then, with the DOT, which was the name of the small boat Miss
Nestor was in, following the larger ARROW, the run back to the hotel
was made. The young lady turned off near the Lakeview dock to go to
the cottage where she was stopping and the lads tied up at the hotel
boathouse.

"Yes, we are in for a storm," remarked Tom as he and his chum walked up
toward the hotel. "I wonder how dad is? I hope the outing is doing
him good."

"There he comes now," observed Ned, and, looking up, Tom saw his father
approaching. The young inventor was at once struck by the expression
on his parent's face. Mr. Swift looked worried and Tom anxiously
hastened forward to meet him.

"What's the matter dad?" he asked as cheerfully as he could. "Have you
been figuring over that gyroscope problem again, against my express
orders?" and he laughed a little.

"No, Tom, it's not the gyroscope that's worrying me."

"What is it then?"

"Those scoundrels are around again, Tom!" and Mr. Swift looked
apprehensively about him.

"You mean the men who stole the turbine model?"

"Yes. I was walking in the woods near the hotel yesterday and I saw
Anson Morse. He did not see me, for I turned aside as quickly as I had
a glimpse of him. He was talking to another man."

"What sort of a man?"

"Well, an ordinary enough individual, but I noticed that he had
tattooed on the little finger of his left hand a blue ring."

"Happy Harry, the tramp!" exclaimed Tom. "What can he and Morse be
doing here?"

"I don't know, Tom, but I'm worried. I wish I was back home. I'm
afraid something may happen to some of my inventions. I want to go
back to Shopton, Tom."

"Nonsense, dad. Don't worry just because you saw some of your former
enemies. Everything is all right at home. Mrs. Baggert and Garret
Jackson will look after things. But, if you like, I, can find out for
you h