"Well, Dad, I've got the money safely put away," he remarked to an
aged gentleman who sat in the library reading a book. "Now we won't
have to worry about thieves until we get some more cash in."

"Well, I'm glad it's coming in so plentifully," said Mr. Swift with
a smile. "Since my illness I haven't been able to do much, Tom, and
it all depends on you, now."

"Don't let that worry you, Dad. You'll soon be as busy as ever,"
for, following a serious operation for an ailment of the heart, Mr.
Swift, who was a veteran inventor, had not been able to do much. But
the devices of his son, especially a speedy monoplane, which Tom
invented, and sold to the United States Government, were now
bringing them in a large income. In fact with royalties from his
inventions and some gold and diamonds which he had secured on two
perilous trips, Tom Swift was quite wealthy.

"I'll never be as busy as I once was," went on Mr. Swift, a little
regretfully, "but I don't know that I care as long as you continue
to turn out new machines, Tom. By the way, how is the electric rifle
coming on? I haven't heard you speak of it lately."

"It's practically finished, Dad. It worked pretty well the time I
took it when we went on the trip to the caves of ice, but I've
improved it very much since then. In fact I'm going to give it a
severe test to-night. Ned Newton is coming over, and it may be that
then we'll find out something about it that could be bettered. But I
think not. It suits me as it is."