“Well, I guess he’s the only one we caught last night,” said Tom, as the disappointed chicken thief ran away, and so out of focus But the next instant there came another series of flashlight explosions on the screen, and there, almost as plainly as if our friends were looking at them, they saw two men stealthily approaching the shop.  They, too, as the chicken thief had done, tried the door, and then, they also, startled by the flashes, turned around.

“Look!” cried Ned.

“Great Scott !” exclaimed Tom.  “Those are the two rivals of Mr. Period!  They are Mr. Turbot and Mr. Eckert!”

“Same men I pushed out!” cried Koku, much excited.

There was no doubt of it, and, as the images faded from the screen, caused by the men running away, Tom and Ned realized that their rivals had tried to put their threat into execution—­the threat of making Tom wish he had taken their offer.

“I guess they came to take my camera,—­but, instead the camera took them,” said the young inventor grimly.

CHAPTER VIII — PHOTOS FROM THE AIRSHIP

“Well, Tom, how is it going?” asked a voice at the door of the shop where the young inventor was working.  He looked up quickly to behold Mr. Nestor, father of Mary, in which young lady, as I have said, Tom was much interested.  “How is the moving picture camera coming on?”

“Pretty good, Mr. Nestor.  Come in.  I guess Koku knew you all right.  I told him to let in any of my friends, but I have to keep him there on guard.”

“So I understand.  They nearly got in the other night, but I hear that your camera caught them.”

“Yes, that proved that the machine is a success, even if we didn’t succeed in arresting the men.”

“Did you try?”

“Yes, I sent copies of the film, showing Turbot and Eckert trying to break into my shop, to Mr. Period, and he had enlarged photographs made, and went to the police.  They said it was rather flimsy evidence on which to arrest anybody, and so they didn’t act.  However, we sent copies of the pictures to Turbot and Eckert themselves, so they know that we know they were here, and I guess they’ll steer clear of me after this.”

“I guess so, Tom,” agreed Mr. Nestor with a laugh.  “But what about the chicken thief?”

“Oh, Eradicate attended to his second cousin.  He went to see him, showed him a print from the film, and gave him to understand that he’d be blown up with dynamite, or kicked by Boomerang, if he ever came around here again, and so Samuel ’Rastus Washington Jackson Johnson will be careful about visiting strange chicken coops, after this.”

“I believe you, Tom.  But how is the camera coming on?”

“Very well.  I am making a few changes in it, and I expect to get my biggest airship in readiness for the trip in about a week, and then I’ll try taking pictures from her.  But I understand that you are interested in Mr. Period’s business, Mr. Nestor?”