theirs--or what they said they had. The
next thing I remember was that the fire broke out and my formulae
disappeared. Then I was overcome, and I did not care what happened to
me, for, having lost the valuable dye formulae, I did not think life
worth living.

"Perhaps I was foolish," said Mr. Baxter, "but I had tried so many
things and failed, and I counted so much on these formulae that it
seemed as if the bottom dropped out of everything when I lost them."

"I know," said Tom sympathetically. "I've been in the same boat myself.
But are you sure they took the papers which meant so much to you?"

"I don't see who else could," answered the chemist. "The papers were in
a tin box on the table in the room where I was overcome by fire gases,
or where, perhaps, they drugged me. I am not clear on this point. And
afterward the tin box could not be found. There wasn't enough fire in
that room to have melted it."

"No," agreed Tom, "it was mostly smoke in there, and smoke won't melt
tin. Nor did I see any box on the table when we carried you out."

"Then the only other surmise is that Field and Melling got away with my
formulae during the excitement and when I was half unconscious," Went
on Mr. Baxter bitterly. "But you can see how foolish I would be to
accuse them in court. I haven't a bit of proof."

"Not much, for a fact," agreed Tom. "Well, with what I heard and what
you tell me, perhaps we can work up a case against them later. I'll go
over it with Ned. He has a better head for business than I."

"Yes, we inventors need some business brains; or at least the time to
give to business problems," agreed the chemist. "But enough of my
troubles. Let's get at this chemical compound of yours."

Tom and Mr. Baxter spent many days and nights perfecting the
fire-extinguisher chemical, and, after repeated tests, Tom felt that he
was nearer his goal.

One afternoon Ned called, and Tom invited him to go for a ride in a
small but speedy aeroplane.

"Anything special on?" asked the young manager.

"In a way, yes," Tom answered. "I'm having a firm in Newmarket make me
some different containers, and they have promised me samples today. I
thought I'd take a fly over and get them. I have the chemical compound
all but perfected now, and I want to give it another test."

"All right, I'm with you," assented Ned. "Newmarket," he added
musingly. "Isn't that where Field and Melling are now?"

"Yes. They have a factory on the outskirts