place," agreed Tom. "Well, now let's see if she'll work,"
and he nodded at the Scud.

It needed but a short test to demonstrate this and soon Tom went back
to the Inn for Mary.

"Are you sure we shall not have to make another forced landing?" she
asked with a smile, a she took her place in the cockpit.

"You can't guarantee anything about an aeroplane," said Tom. "But
everything is in our favor, and if we do have to come down I have a
better landing field than this." He glanced over the meadow near the
wayside inn.

"I suppose I'll have to take a chance," said Mary.

However, neither of them need have worried, for the Scud tried,
evidently, to redeem herself, and flew back to Shopton without a hitch.
After making sure that his engine was running smoothly, Tom found his
mind more at ease, and again he caught himself casting about to find
some basis for his suspicious thoughts regarding the two men who had
talked behind the screen.

"What is their game?" Tom found himself asking himself over and over
again. "What did they 'put over' on poor Baxter?"

Tom had a chance to find out more about this, or at least start on the
trail sooner than he expected. For when he landed he saw Koku, the
giant, coming toward him with an appearance of excitement.

"Is Rad worse? Is there more trouble with his eyes?" asked the young
inventor.

"No, him not much too bad," answered Koku. "I keep him good as I can.
He sleep now, so I come out to swallow some fresh air. But man come to
see you--much mad man."

"Mad?" queried Tom.

"Well, what you say--angry," went on Koku. "Man what was in Roman
Skycracker blaze."

"Oh, you mean Mr. Baxter, who was in the fireworks blaze," translated
Tom. "Where is he, and what's the matter?"

CHAPTER X

ANOTHER ATTEMPT

Koku managed to make Tom understand that the dye inventor was in the
main office of the Swift plant talking to Tom's father. The young
inventor sent Mary home in his electric runabout in company with Ned
Newton, who, fortunately, happened along just then, and hurried to his
office.

"Oh, Tom, I'm glad you have arrived," said his father. "You remember
Mr. Baxter, of course."

"I should hope so," Tom answered, extending his hand. He noticed that
the man whom he had helped save from the fireworks blaze was under the
stress of some excitement.

"I hope he hasn't been getting on dad's nerves," thought Tom, as he
took a seat. The elder Mr. Swift had been quite ill,