Tom Swift and His War Tank; Or, Doing His Bit for Uncle Sam

ctiv

e demand from the unse

sharp retort, as he nursed his skinned and b

down. In another moment a man leaped to the ground lightly and stood beside Ned. The lad observed t

all edition of the Kaiser's,

very quality that made Ned bristle up and "get on his ear," as he said later. The young clerk did not ob

as you, I fancy, and I can climb trees, too, but I don't care to have my fi

d of course this is a public place, in a way, and you have a righ

from a gnarled and stunted pine struck him as being altogether novel and absurd. Y

ad from up where you were,

med the other. "I don

" Ned went on. "Perhaps it's just

nd I am here on a visit I just happened to walk out this way, and, seeing a small stream, thought I should like to

hort laugh. He told his own name, but t

tive shops around her

queried Ned. "None t

used down there;" and he waved his ha

y don't make locomotives, though they could if they wanted to, for they

he Allies?" asked Mr. Simpson, and

enough of the place to be in a position to give you any information a

this, as he did not

the man, with a bow that had in it something of insolence, as well

his attention to the tree which seemed to have suddenly as

I'll have a look up th

mong the branches he found he could look down directly into the yard with the high fence about it. He Coul

d Harry's excitement. "Still it's just as well for Tom to kno

t a glimpse, off to one side among

end, playing I spy?" mused Ned.

movement. Proceeding then with more caution, watching each step and

had stepped on Ned's fingers, applying a small telescope

d Ned, and seemed oblivious to his surroundings. He moved the gla

ried it myself, and I know; you have to be on an elevation to look down. Still it

and that his presence was not suspected w

are you d

, as Ned said afterward, jumped fully two feet in the air, dr

ou, is it?"

nned. "Looking for a good

er dropped from him as if it had been a mask.

ur own b

othly. "You can't see anything from there," he went on

y toward Tom's home. He paid no further attention to the man, save to determine, by

d set out for him, the while he poured over some blueprint drawings that,

yourself, old man?" asked Tom Swi

o find you to give you some important information, and I made up my mind, afte

sked Tom, and there was a

, that part of your works enclosed

ied Tom. "This accounts

of what?"

, asking too many questions about things that I'm trying to keep secret-even from my b

ret, Tom," said Ned, determined "to t

s to be," went on Tom

now things!" broke in Ned. "I was thinking of

u mean

no

xplanations," went on the young bank cl

poke firmly. "But you haven't told me all th

ated what had take

he yard could be overlooked. But I evidently skipped that tree. Fortunately it's on land owned by a concern with which I have some connecti

cate Sampson. The old man was smiling in pleased anticipation, eviden

assa Tom!" he c

inventor. "I hope you and K

f dat ornery, low-down white trash! Bu

me on, tell us! Don't

id I'd do, an' I's cotched him! By golly, Massa

"Do you suppose he means he's caught the man you saw

m only a little while ago

?" cried Tom. "Come on, I'll gi

ter, dat's who I's cotched, Mass

, Rad? W

s why I calls him dat. I's cotched him, an' he's locked up in de stable wif mah mule Boomerang. An' ef he tri