carrying five or six.

For several weeks the work on the air glider progressed rapidly, and it
was nearing completion. Meanwhile nothing more had been heard or seen
of the Russian spies.

"Well," announced Tom one night, after a day's hard work, "we'll be
ready for a trial now, just as soon as there comes a good wind."

"Is it all finished?" asked Ned.

"No, but enough for a trial spin. What I want is a big wind now."

CHAPTER VIII

IN A GREAT GALE

There was a humming in the air. The telegraph wires that ran along on
high poles past the house of Tom Swift sung a song like that of an
Aeolian harp. The very house seemed to tremble.

"Jove! This is a wind!" cried Tom as he awakened on a morning a few
days after his air glider was nearly completed. "I never saw it so
strong. This ought to be just what I want I must telephone to Mr.
Damon and to Ned."

He hustled into his clothes, pausing now and then to look out of his
window and note the effects of the gale. It was a tremendous wind, as
was evidenced by the limbs of several trees being broken off, while in
some cases frail trees themselves had been snapped in twain.

"Coffee ready, Mrs. Baggert?" asked our hero as he went downstairs. "I
haven't got time to eat much though."

In spite of his haste Tom ate a good breakfast and then, having
telephoned to his two friends, and receiving their promises to come
right over, our hero went out to make a few adjustments to his air
glider, to get it in shape for the trial.

He was a little worried lest the wind die out, but when he got outside
he noted with satisfaction that the gale was stronger than at first. In
fact it did considerable damage in Shopton, as Tom learned later.

It certainly was a strong wind. An ordinary aeroplane never could have
sailed in it, and Tom was doubtful of the ability of even his big
airship to navigate in it. But he was not going to try that.

"And maybe my air glider won't work," he remarked to himself as he was
on his way to the shed where it had been constructed. "The models went
up all right, but maybe the big one isn't proportioned right. However,
I'll soon see."

He was busy adjusting the balancing weights when Ned Newton came in.

"Great Scott!" exclaimed the lad, as he labored to close the shed door,
"this is a blow all right, Tom! Do you think it's safe to go up?"

"I can't go up without a gale, Ned."

"Well, I'd think twice about it myself."

"Why, I counted o