ll, what do you make of it, Tom?" asked Ned of his chum, as they
walked on toward the shed of the new, big aerial warship.

"I don't know just what to think, Ned. Of course things like this have
happened before--persons trying to worm secrets out of Eradicate, or
some of the other men."

"They never succeeded in getting much, I'm glad to say, but it always
keeps me worried for fear something will happen," Tom concluded.

"But about this Frenchman?"

"Well, he must be a new one. And, now I come to think of it, I did hear
some of the men speaking about a foreigner--a stranger--being around
town last week. It was just a casual reference, and I paid little
attention to it. Now it looks as though there might be something in it."

"Do you think he'll come to bargain with Eradicate about the mule?" Ned
asked.

"Hardly. That was only talk to make Eradicate unsuspicious. The
stranger, whoever he was, sized Rad up partly right. I surmised, when
Rad said he asked a lot of questions about the mule, that was only to
divert suspicion, and that he'd come back to the subject of the fire
every chance he got."

"And you were right."

"Yes, so it seems. But I don't believe the fellow will come around
here. It would be too risky. All the same, we'll be prepared for him.
I'll just rig up one of my photo-telephone machines, so that, if he
does come to have a talk with Rad, we can both see and hear him."

"That's great, Tom! But do you think this fellow had anything to do
with the fire?"

"I don't know. He knew about it, of course. This isn't the first fire
we've had in the works, and, though we always fight them ourselves,
still news of it will leak out to the town. So he could easily have
known about it. And he might be in with those who set it, for I firmly
believe the fire was set by someone who has an object in injuring me."

"It's too bad!" declared Ned. "Seems as though they might let you
alone, if they haven't gumption enough to invent things for themselves."

"Well, don't worry. Maybe it will come out all right," returned Tom.
"Now, let's go and have a look at my aerial warship. I haven't shown it
to you yet. Then we'll get ready for that mysterious Frenchman, if he
comes--but I don't believe he will."

The young inventor unlocked the door of the shed where he kept his
latest "pet," and at the sight which met his eyes Ned Newton uttered an
exclamation of surprise.

"Tom, what is it?" he cried in an awed voice.

"My