I guess we'll be
a long time waiting," agreed Tom. They were about to land in a very
lonely spot. It was one he had never before visited, though he knew it
could not be much more than twenty miles from his own home, as they had
not flown much farther than that distance.

But, somehow or other, Tom had not visited this particular section, and
knew nothing of it. He saw below him, as Jackson had seen, a lonely
stretch of country--a big field, once a wood-lot, evidently, as
scattered about were some stumps and some second growth trees. There
were also a number of evergreens--Christmas trees Jackson called them.
And this was the only open place for miles, the surrounding country
being a densely wooded one. There did not appear to be a house or other
building in sight where they might seek help.

"But maybe we can make the repairs ourselves and keep on," the lad
thought.

With practiced eye he picked out a smooth, grassy, level spot, in the
midst of scattered evergreen trees, and there Tom Swift skillfully
brought his Air Scout to rest. With a gentle thud the rubber-tired
wheels struck the Earth, rolled along a little distance, and then
called to a stop.

Hardly had the aeroplane ceased moving when Tom and his companion
jumped out and began eagerly to examine the machinery to see the extent
of damage.

"I thought so!" Tom exclaimed. "The silencer cracked under the strain.
Those exhaust gases have more pressure that I believed possible. I
increased the margin of safety on this muffler, too. But she's
cracked, and I can't use the machine until I put on a new one. Good
thing I didn't ask for a government inspection until after this trial
flight."

"That's so," agreed Jackson. "But can't you patch it up, or go on
without a muffler, so we can get back home?"

"I'm afraid not," Tom answered. "You see I removed all the old exhaust
pipe fittings when I put on my new silencer. Now if I took off my
attachment there wouldn't be anything to carry off the discharged
gases, and they'd form a regular cloud about us. We couldn't stand it
without gas masks, such as they use in the trenches, and we haven't any
of those with us."

"That's right," agreed Jackson. "Well, what do you want to do? Have me
stay here and guard the machine while you go for help? Or shall I go?"

"I don't know why we both can't go," said Tom. "There is no use trying
to patch up this machine here. I'll have to send a truck after it, and
dismantle it bef