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Page 68
"When can you give me a test?" Mr. Terrill asked Tom.
"As soon as I can get my craft back to the shop and fit on a
new outer case. That won't take long, as I have some spare ones.
But I must help the Nestors," he went on, speaking to his father.
"I didn't mention it over the wire," he added, "but we've found
in the cabin a clew to the missing man. I must tell Mary and her
mother, and help them all I can."
"And allow me to help, too," begged Mr. Terrill. "Since this
affects you, Mr. Swift, and since you are, in a way, working for
Uncle Sam, you must let him help you. This is the first I have
heard of the missing gentleman, of whom your father just told me
something, but you must allow me to help search for him. I will
get the United States Secret Service at work."
"That will be fine!" cried Tom. "I wanted to get their aid, but
I didn't see how I could, as I knew they were too busy with army
matters and tracing seditious alien enemies, to bother with
private cases. I'm sure the Secret Service men can get trace of
the persons responsible for the detention of Mr. Nestor, wherever
he is."
"They'll do their best," said Mr. Terrill. "I'm a member of
that body," he went on, "and I'll give my personal attention to
the matter."
Then followed a busy time. Tom did not get to bed until nearly
morning. For he had to arrange to send some of his men to guard
the stranded airship, and then he went to see Mary and her
mother, taking them the good news that the search for Mr. Nestor
would be prosecuted with unprecedented vigor.
"If it isn't too late!" sadly said the missing man's wife.
"Oh, I'm sure it isn't !" declared Tom.
In addition to sending a guard to the airship, other men, some
of them hastily summoned from the nearest federal agency, were
sent to keep watch in the vicinity of the lonely cabin. They had
orders to arrest whoever approached, and a relay of the men was
provided, so that watch could be kept up night and day. Besides
this, other men from the Secret Service began scouring the
country around the locality of the cabin, seeking a trace of the
two persons the farmer's son had seen in the automobile.
"If Mr. Nestor is to be found, they'll find him!" declared Tom
Swift.
Mr. Damon, as might be expected, was very much excited and
wrought up over all these happenings.
"Bless my watch chain, Tom Swift!" cried the eccentric man,
"but something is always happening to you. And to think I wasn't
along when this latest happened!"
"Well, you can be in at the finish," promised Tom, and it was
strange how his promise was fulfilled.
Meanwhile there was much to do. During the time the Secret
Service men were busy looking up clews which might lead to the
finding of Mr. Nestor and keeping watch in the vicinity of the
hut, Tom had his airship brought back to the hangar, and a new
silencer was attached. While this work was going on the place was
guarded night and day by responsible men, so there was no chance
for an enemy spy to get in and do further damage.
An investigation was made of the Universal Flying Machine
Company, but nothing could be proved to link them with the
outrage. Gale and Ware were in Europe--ostensibly on government
business, but it was said that if anything could be proved
connecting them with the attempt made on Tom Swift's craft, they
would be deprived of all official contracts and punished.
All this took time, and the waits were wearisome, particularly
in the case of Mr. Nestor. No further trace of him was found,
though every effort was made. Tom began to feel that his boast of
his enemies having to get up early in the morning to get ahead of
him, had been premature, to say the least.
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