CHAPTER IX
SUSPICIONS
"What's that?" exclaimed Mary Nestor, giving such a start as she satopposite Tom at the restaurant table that she dropped the bill of fareshe had been looking over.
A crash had resounded through the room, but it spoke well for the stateof Tom's nerves that he gave no indication that he had heard the noise.It was caused by a waiter when he dropped a plate, which was smashedinto pieces on the floor. The noise was startling enough to excuse Maryfor jumping in her chair, and it seemed to put an end to the strangetalk of "Mr. High" and "Mr. Low" back of the screen, for after thecrash of china only indistinct murmurs came from there. But Tom Swiftdid not cease to wonder at the import of the talk about chemicals,fire, and the mention of the name of Josephus Baxter.
"I think I'll try some of those Murolloas, as they call them, Tom,"announced Mary, having made her selection of the pastry. "And may Ihave another cup of tea?"
"Two if you like," answered the young inventor. "They say tea is goodfor the nerves, and you seem to need something, judging by the way youjumped when that plate fell."
"Oh, Tom, that isn't fair! After the way we had to come down in your'plane!" objected Mary.
"That's right!" he conceded. "I forgot about that. My fault, entirely!"
Mary smiled, and seemed to have regained her composure. Tom glanced ather anxiously, not because of what he thought might be the state of hernerves, but to see if she had sensed anything the two men behind thescreen had said. But the girl gave no indication that her mind had beenoccupied with anything more than the selection of her dessert.
"I wonder who they are, and what they meant by that talk," mused Tom,as the waiter served the Murolloas to him and Mary. "Poor Baxter! Itlooks as if he might have more enemies than the fireworks men heaccuses of having taken his valuable formulae. I must see him soon, andhave a talk with him. Yes, I must make a special point to see JosephusBaxter. But first I'd like to have a glimpse of these men."
Tom's wish in this respect was soon gratified, for before he and Maryhad finished their pastry and tea there was a scraping of chairs backof the sheltering screen, and the two men, "Mr. Low" and "Mr. High,"who had finished their meal, came forth.
Tom's judgment as to the statures of the men, based on the quality oftheir voices, was not exactly borne out. For it was the big man who hadthe high pitched, squeaky voice, and the little man who had the deep,rumbling tones.
They passed out, without more than a glance at Tom and his companion,but the young inventor peered at them sharply. As far as he could tellhe had seen neither of them before, though he had an idea of theiridentity.
Tom took the chance to make certain this conjecture when Mary left herseat, announcing that she was going to the ladies' parlor to arrangeher hair, which the run to escape from the rain had disarranged.
"Some storm," Tom observed to the waiter, who came up when the younginventor indicated that he wanted his check.
"Yes, sir, it came suddenly. Hope you didn't have to change a tire init, sir."
"No, my machine isn't that kind," replied Tom, as he handed out agenerous tip. "If I need a new tire I generally need a whole newoutfit."
"Oh, then--" Obviously the man was puzzled.
"We came in an aeroplane," Tom explained. "But we had to make a forcedlanding. Is there a garage near here? I may need some help gettingstarted."
"We accommodate a few cars in what was once the barn, and we have agood mechanic, sir. If you'd like to see him--"
"I would," interrupted Tom. "Tell the young lady to wait here for me.I'll see if I can get the Scud to work. If not, I'll have to telephoneto town for a taxi. Did those men who just left come in a car?" and henodded in the direction taken by the two who had dined behind thescreen.
"Yes, sir. And they had engine trouble, I believe. Our man fixed uptheir machine."
"Then he's the chap I want to see," thought Tom. "I'll have a talk withhim." He reasoned that he could get more about the identity of the twomysterious men from the mechanic than from the waiter. Nor was he wrongin this surmise.
"Oh, them two fellers!" exclaimed the mechanician, after he had agreedto go with Tom to where the airship Scud was stalled. "They come fromover Shopton way. They own a fireworks factory--or they did, before itburned."
"Are they Field and Melling?" asked Tom, trying not to let anyexcitement betray itself in his voice.
"That's the names they gave me," said the man. "Little man's Field. Hegave me his card. I'm going to get a job overhauling his car. Thereisn't enough work here to keep a man busy, and I told 'em I could do alittle on the outside. This place just started, and not many folks knowabout it yet."
"So I judge," Tom said. "Well, I'll be glad to have you give me a hand.I fancy the carburetor is out of order."
And this, when the young inventor and the mechanician from Meadow Innreached the stranded Scud, was found to be the case. The storm hadpassed, and Mary told Tom she would not mind waiting at the Inn untilhe found whether or not he could get his air craft in working order.
"There you are! That's the trouble!" exclaimed the mechanician, as hetook something out of the carburetor. "A bit of rubber washer chokedthe needle valve."
"Glad you found it," said Tom heartily. "Now I guess we can ride back."
While preparations were being made to test the Scud after thecarburetor had been reassembled, Tom's mind was busy with manythoughts, and chief among them were suspicions concerning Field andMelling.
"If their talk meant anything at all," reasoned the young inventor, "itmeant that there was some deal in which Josephus Baxter got the worstof it. 'Putting it over on him in the fire,' could only mean that. Ofcourse it isn't any of my business, in a way, but I don't think it isright to stand by and see a fellow inventor defrauded.
"Of course," mused Tom, while his helper put the finishing touches tothe carburetor, "it may have been a business deal in which one took asmany chances as the other. There are always two sides to every story.Baxter says they took his formulae, but he may have taken somethingfrom them to make it even. The only thing is that I'd trust Baxtersooner than I would those two fellows, and he certainly had a narrowsqueak at the fire.
"But I have my own troubles, I guess, trying to perfect thatfire-fighting chemical, and I haven't much time to bother with Fieldand Melling, unless they come my way."
"There, I reckon she'll work," said the mechanician, as he fastened thelast valve in the carburetor. "It was an easier job than I expected.Wasn't as much trouble as I had over their car those two fellers youwere speaking of--Field and Melling. They're rich guys!"
"Yes?" replied Tom, questioningly.
"Sure! They've started a big dye company."
"A dye company?" repeated the young inventor, all his suspicions comingback as he recalled that Baxter had said his formulae were morevaluable for dyes than for fireworks.
"Yes, they're trying to get the business that used to go to the Germansbefore the war," went on the man.
"Yes, the Germans used to have a monopoly of the dye industry," saidTom, hoping the man would talk on. He need not have worried. He was ofthe talkative type.
"Well, if these fellers have their way they'll make a million in dyes,"proceeded the mechanician, as he stepped down out of the airship."They've built a big plant, and they have offices in the LandmarkBuilding."
"Where's that?" asked Tom.
"Over in Newmarket," the man went on, naming the nearest large city toShopton. "The Landmark Building is a regular New York skyscraper.Haven't you seen it?"
"No," Tom answered, "I haven't. Been too busy, I guess. So Field andMelling have their offices there?"
"Yes, and a big plant on the outskirts for making dyes. They halfoffered me a job at the factory, but I thought I'd try this out first;I like it here."
"It is a nice place," agreed Tom. "Well, now let's see if she'll work,"and he nodded at the Scud.
It needed but a short test to demonstrate this and soon Tom went backto t
he Inn for Mary.
"Are you sure we shall not have to make another forced landing?" sheasked with a smile, a she took her place in the cockpit.
"You can't guarantee anything about an aeroplane," said Tom. "Buteverything is in our favor, and if we do have to come down I have abetter landing field than this." He glanced over the meadow near thewayside inn.
"I suppose I'll have to take a chance," said Mary.
However, neither of them need have worried, for the Scud tried,evidently, to redeem herself, and flew back to Shopton without a hitch.After making sure that his engine was running smoothly, Tom found hismind more at ease, and again he caught himself casting about to findsome basis for his suspicious thoughts regarding the two men who hadtalked behind the screen.
"What is their game?" Tom found himself asking himself over and overagain. "What did they 'put over' on poor Baxter?"
Tom had a chance to find out more about this, or at least start on thetrail sooner than he expected. For when he landed he saw Koku, thegiant, coming toward him with an appearance of excitement.
"Is Rad worse? Is there more trouble with his eyes?" asked the younginventor.
"No, him not much too bad," answered Koku. "I keep him good as I can.He sleep now, so I come out to swallow some fresh air. But man come tosee you--much mad man."
"Mad?" queried Tom.
"Well, what you say--angry," went on Koku. "Man what was in RomanSkycracker blaze."
"Oh, you mean Mr. Baxter, who was in the fireworks blaze," translatedTom. "Where is he, and what's the matter?"