“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.”

“Nonsense, dad.  Don’t worry just because you saw some of your former enemies.  Everything is all right at home.  Mrs. Baggert and Garret Jackson will look after things.  But, if you like, I, can find out for you how matters are.”

“How, Tom?”

“By taking a run down there in my motor-boat.  I can do it to-morrow and get back by night, if I start early.  Then you will not worry.”

“All right, Tom; I wish you would.  Come up to my room and we will talk it over.  I’d rather leave you go than telephone, as I don’t like to talk of my business over the wire if I can avoid it.”

CHAPTER X

A CRY FOR HELP

“Now, dad, tell me all about it,” requested Tom when he and Ned were in Mr. Swift’s apartment at the hotel, safe from the rain that was falling.  “How did you happen to see Anson Morse and Happy Harry?” My old readers will doubtless remember that the latter was the disguised tramp who was so vindictive toward Tom, while Morse was the man who endeavored to sneak in Mr. Swift’s shop and steal a valuable invention.

“Well, Tom,” proceeded the inventor, “there isn’t much to tell.  I was out walking in the woods yesterday, and when I was behind a clump of bushes I heard voices.  I looked out and there I saw the two men.”

“At first I thought they were trailing me, but I saw that they had not seen me, and I didn’t see how they could know I was in the neighborhood.  So I quietly made my way back to the hotel.”

“Could you hear what they were saying?”

“Not all, but they seemed angry over something.  The man with the blue ring on his finger asked the other man whether Murdock had been heard from.”

“Who is Murdock?”

“I don’t know, unless he is another member of the gang or unless that is an assumed name.”

“It may be that.  What else did you hear?”

“The man we know as Morse replied that he hadn’t heard from him, but that he suspected Murdock was playing a double game.  Then the tramp—­Happy Harry—­asked this question:  ’Have you any clew to the sparkler?’ And Morse answered:  ’No, but I think Murdock has hid it somewhere and is trying to get away with it without giving us our share.’  Then the two men walked away, and I came back to the hotel,” finished Mr. Swift.