y, were spies in the pay of
the Universal Flying Machine Company. As the men went under several
aliases there is no need of giving their names. It is to be doubted if
they ever used their real ones--or if they had any.

Of course, there was quite a sensation when Mr. Nestor was found, and a
greater one when it became known the part the Universal Flying Machine
people had in his disappearance in mistake for Tom. The officials of
the company were indicted, and several of the minor ones sent to jail
but Gale and Ware escaped by remaining abroad.

It came out that they both knew of the acts of Lydane and his companion
in crime, and that the two officials realized the mistake that had been
made by their clumsy operatives. It was believed that this knowledge
led to the visit of Gale to Tom, the time the latter's suspicions were
first aroused. Gale made a clumsy attempt to clear his own skirts of
the conspiracy, but in vain, though he did escape his just punishment.

What had happened, in brief, was this. Gale and Ware, unable to secure
Tom's services, even by the offer of a large sum of money, had stooped
to the sending of spies to his shop, to get possession of information
about his silent motor. This was after Gale had, by accident, heard Tom
speaking of it to Mr. Damon.

But, thanks to Tom's vigilance, Bower was discovered. The man tripped
into the mud hole lost in the muck the plans Bower passed to him. They
were never recovered. Then Lydane tried again. He managed, through
bribery, to gain access to the hangar where the new silent machine was
kept, and, unable to get the silencer apart, tried to file it. In doing
so he weakened it so that it burst.

The attempt to waylay Tom, and so get the plans from him, had been
tried before this, only a mistake had been made, and Mr. Nestor was
caught instead. Finding out their error, Lydane and his companions did
not tell the Universal people of their mistake, though Gale and Ware
knew the attempt was to be made against Tom Swift.

Later, hearing that the young inventor was still at work on his
invention, Gale was much surprised, and paid his queer visit, in an
attempt to repudiate the actions of Lydane. At this time it was assumed
that Gale and his partner did not know that it was Mr. Nestor who had
been kidnapped by mistake or they might have insisted on his release.
As it was, Lydane had Mary's father, and was afraid to let him go,
though really their prisoner became a whit