d in the ensuing fight.

"Carl Schwen!" exclaimed Tom. "So it was you, was it?"

The German, for such he was, did not answer for a moment He appeared
downcast, and as if suffering. Then a change came over him. He
straightened up, saluted as a soldier might have done, and a sneering
look came into his face. It was succeeded by one of pride as the man
exclaimed:

"Yes, it is I! And I tried to do what I tried to do for the Fatherland!
I have failed. Now you will have me shot as a spy, I suppose!" he added
bitterly.

Tom did not answer directly. He looked keenly at the man, and at last
said:

"I am sorry to see this. I knew you were a German, Schwen, but I kept
you employed at work that could not, by any possibility, be considered
as used against your country. You are a good machinist, and I needed
you. But if what I hear about you is true, it is the end."

"It is the end," said the man simply. "I tried and failed. If it had
not been for Eradicate--Well, he's smarter than I gave him credit for,
that's all!"

The man spoke very good English, with hardly a trace of German accent,
but there was no doubt as to his character.

"What will you do with him, Tom?" asked Ned.

"I don't know. I'll have to do a little investigating first. But he
must be locked up. Schwen," went on the young inventor, "I'm sorry
about this, but I shall have to give you into the custody of a United
States marshal. You are not a naturalized citizen, are you?"

The man muttered something in German to the effect that he was not
naturalized and was glad of it.

"Then you come under the head of an enemy alien," decided Tom, who
understood what was said, "and will have to be interned. I had hoped to
avoid this, but it seems it cannot be. I am sorry to lose you, but
there are more important matters. Now let's get at the bottom of this."

Schwen was, after a little delay, taken in charge by the proper
officer, and then a search was made of his room, for, in common with
some of the other workmen, he lived in a boarding house not far from
the plant.

There, by a perusal of his papers, enough was revealed to show Tom the
danger he had escaped.

"And yet I don't know that I have altogether escaped it," he said to
Ned, as they talked it over. "There's no telling how long this spy work
may have been going on. If he has discovered all the secrets of Shop
Thirteen it may be a bad thing for the Allies and--"

"Look out!" warned Ned, with a laugh. "Yo