. I guess it's plain enough. Now, when can we start?"

Andy did not know what to say. Fate had, most unexpectedly, placed
in his hands a valuable paper. The miner had made a mistake. Andy's
house was on the same road as was Tom's and, seeing the airship
shed, had deceived the aged man. He had not expected to find two
airship manufactories in the same village.

"The map of the valley of gold," murmured Andy, as he put it in his
pocket.

"Yes, jest as I told Tom about when I met him out West. I said I'd
bring it with me, an' I did. When will Tom be back? He never spoke
of you, though I reckoned he'd have to have some help in makin' his
airships. Where is he?"

"He--he--" stammered Andy. He did not know what to say.

At that instant Tom Swift himself passed by in the road. He had been
over to Shopton on an errand. One look into the yard of Andy's house
showed to our hero the old miner sitting at the door of the airship
shed.

"Mr. Abercrombie--Abe!" cried Tom, almost, before he thought.

"Hello, Tom! I got here!" cried the miner, heartily. "I was jest
talking to your partner."

"My partner!" spoke Tom in amazement

"Yes--partner in th' airship business. I should think you'd need
about three partners to build these machines!"

"My partner! Andy Foger isn't my partner!" cried Tom, wondering what
would happen next. "I have no partner! If he said he was he deceived
you!"

"No partner? Ain't he your partner?" cried Mr. Abercrombie. "Why, I
thought he was. I told him about th' valley of gold--I--I--give him
the map--"

"The map?"

"Yes, the map t' tell how to get there. He's got it!"

There was a mocking smile on Andy's face.

"Give that map back at once!" cried Tom, sternly, now understanding
something of the situation. "Hand it over at once, Andy Foger!"

"I will--when I get ready! He gave it to me!" cried the bully, and
then, before either Tom or Abe could stop him, Andy darted into the
big shed, and slammed shut the door.

CHAPTER IV

TOM GETS THE MAP

For a few seconds Tom was so surprised at the sudden action of the
bully that he could neither move nor speak. Then, crying out a
command to halt, the young inventor took after his enemy.

"The scamp!" he cried. "The nerve he has! To deceive Abe Abercrombie
in that fashion! Wait until I get hold of him!"

"What's it all about?" asked the old miner, who, being a slow
thinker had not understood all that had happened. "What's up, Tom
Swift?"