"Oh, I don't believe they'd stoop to any such measures as this-
-sending spies around," replied Tom. "But I can't be too careful.
We'll investigate."

The first result of the investigation was to disclose the fact
that Bower was gone. He had taken his few possessions and left
the Swift plant while Tom was racing after the stranger. A hasty
examination of the safe did not reveal anything missing, as Tom's
plans and papers were intact. But they showed evidences of having
been looked over, for they were out of the regular order in which
the young inventor kept them.

"I begin to see it," said Tom, musingly. "Bower must have
managed to open the safe while I was gone, and he must have made
a hasty copy of some of the drawings of the silent motor, and
passed them out of the window to this gold-tooth man, who tried
to make off with them. Did you find anything on him?" he asked,
as one of the men who had been instructed to search the stranger
came into the office just then.

"Not a thing, Mr. Swift! Not a thing!" was the answer. "We took
off every bit of his clothes and wrapped him in a blanket. He's
in the engine room getting dry now. But there isn't a thing in
any of his pockets."

"But I saw him stuffing some papers in as he ran away from me,"
said Tom. "We must be sure about this. And don't let the fellow
get away until I question him."