"What's the matter dad?" he asked as cheerfully as he could.
"Have you been figuring over that gyroscope problem again, against
my express orders?" and he laughed a little.

"No, Tom, it's not the gyroscope that's worrying me."

"What is it then?"

"Those scoundrels are around again, Tom!" and Mr. Swift looked
apprehensively about him.

"You mean the men who stole the turbine model?"

"Yes. I was walking in the woods near the hotel yesterday and I
saw Anson Morse. He did not see me, for I turned aside as quickly
as I had a glimpse of him. He was talking to another man."

"What sort of a man?"

"Well, an ordinary enough individual, but I noticed that he had
tattooed on the little finger of his left hand a blue ring."

"Happy Harry, the tramp!" exclaimed Tom. "What can he and Morse
be doing here?"

"I don't know, Tom, but I'm worried. I wish I was back home. I'm
afraid something may happen to some of my inventions. I want to
go back to Shopton, Tom."