gentleman. "I believe you. And you've been already attacked twice
by some thug! You are positively in danger, Tom."

"I don't know about that. Save that the fellow who robbed me
was sore because I fooled him. Naturally he might like to get
square about those shorthand notes. He knows no more now about
Mr. Bartholomew's business with us than he did before he held me
up."

"That is a fact," agreed Mr. Damon.

"And that brings me to another warning, Mr. Damon," added Tom
earnestly, as his friend climbed into the motor car again. "Keep
all that has happened, and all that I told you and Ned about the
H. & P. A. railroad, to yourself."

"Surely! Surely!"

"If Mr. Bartholomew's rivals continue to keep their spies
hanging around the works here, we'll handle them properly. Trust
Koku for that," and Tom chuckled.

"And don't forget my barbed wire entanglements," put in Mr.
Damon, starting his engine. "I want to fix those chicken
thieves.''

"All right. I'll be over tomorrow," promised Tom Swift.

Then he stood a minute on the curb and looked after the
disappearing lights of Mr. Damon's car. The latter's problem