about the country doing odd jobs, got on the trail of the thieves in a
deserted mansion in the woods at the upper end of the lake. Our hero,
with the aid of Mr. Damon, and some friends of the latter, raided the
old house, but the men escaped.

In the second book of the series, called "Tom Swift and His Motor-
Boat," there was related the doings of the lad, his father and his
chum, Ned Newton, on Lake Carlopa. Tom bought at auction, a motor-boat
the thieves had stolen and damaged, and, fixing it up, made a speedy
craft of it so speedy, in fact that it beat the racing-boat Red
Streak-owned by Andy Foger. But Tom did more than race in his boat. He
took his father on a tour for his health, and, during Mr. Swift's
absence from home, the gang of bad men stole some of the inventor's
machinery. Tom set out after them in his motor boat, but the
scoundrels even managed to steal that, hoping to get possession of a
peculiar and mysterious treasure in it, and Tom had considerable
trouble.

Among other things he did when he had his craft, was to aid a Miss
Mary Nestor, who, in her cousin's small boat, the Dot, was having
trouble with the engine, and you shall hear more of Miss Nestor
presently, for she and Tom became quite friendly. Events so shaped
themselves that Andy Foger was glad to loan Tom the Red Streak in
which to search for the stolen Arrow, and it was in the later craft
that Tom, his father and Ned Newton had a most thrilling adventure.

They were on their way down the lake when, in the air overhead they
saw a balloon on fire, with a man clinging to the trapeze. They
managed to save the fellow's life, after a strenuous endeavor. The
balloonist, John Sharp, was destined to play quite a part in Tom's