shop, and shown the latest, noiseless model. "A fine lot. I don't
believe the smugglers, if they use them, have any better."

"Nor as good!" exclaimed Ned. "Tom's can't be beat."

"It's too late for our noiseless trial now," remarked Tom, after the
agent had gone. "Let's put her back in the shed, and then I'll take
you down street, and treat you to some ice cream, Ned. It's getting
quite summery now."

As the boys were coming out of the drug store, where they had eaten
their ice cream in the form of sundaes, Ned uttered a cry of
surprise at the sight of a man approaching them.

"It's Mr. Dillon, the carpenter whom we saw in the Foger house,
Tom!" exclaimed his chum. "This is the first chance I've had to talk
to him. I'm going to ask him what sort of repairs he's making inside
the old mansion." Ned was soon in conversation with him.

"Yes, I'm working at the Foger house," admitted the carpenter, who
had done some work for Ned's father. "Mighty queer repairs, too.
Something I never did before. If Andy wasn't there to tell me what
he wanted done I wouldn't know what to do."

"Is Andy there yet?" asked Tom quickly.

"Yes, he's staying in the old house. All alone too, except now and
then, he has a chum stay there nights with him. They get their own
meals. I bring the stuff in, as Andy says he's getting up a surprise
and doesn't want any of the boys to see him, or ask questions. But