it is, better take good care of it. Now, let's talk business," and
the miner, having guilelessly handed Andy Foger a folded parchment,
sat down on a box at the door of the airship shed, and placed his
heavy valise on the ground beside him.

"What's this?" asked the bully, wondering whether he had heard
aright.

"It's the map of th' valley of gold--directions how t' git there,
an' all that. I guess it's plain enough. Now, when can we start?"

Andy did not know what to say. Fate had, most unexpectedly, placed
in his hands a valuable paper. The miner had made a mistake. Andy's
house was on the same road as was Tom's and, seeing the airship
shed, had deceived the aged man. He had not expected to find two
airship manufactories in the same village.

"The map of the valley of gold, "murmured Andy, as he put it in his
pocket.

"Yes, jest as I told Tom about when I met him out West. I said I'd
bring it with me, an' I did. When will Tom be back? He never spoke
of you, though I reckoned he'd have to have some help in makin' his
airships. Where is he?"

"He--he--" stammered Andy. He did not know what to say.

At that instant Tom Swift himself passed by in the road. He had been
over to Shopton on an errand. One look into the yard of Andy's house
showed to our hero the old miner sitting at the door of the airship