talk with my father, the housekeeper, and others who can testify
that since my return from taking moving pictures, I have not been
out of town, and the smuggling has been going on only a little
while."

"That is true," assented the custom officer. "I shall be glad to
listen to any evidence you may offer. This is a very baffling case.
The government is losing thousands of dollars every month, and we
can't seem to stop the smugglers, or get much of a clew to them.
This one is the best we have had so far."

It did not take Tom many hours to prove to the satisfaction of Mr.
Whitford that none of our hero's airships had taken any part in
cheating Uncle Sam out of custom duties.

"Well, I don't know what to make of it," said the government agent,
with a disappointed air, as he left the office of the Shopton chief
of police, who, with others, at Tom's request, had testified in his
favor. "This looked like a good clew, and now it's knocked into a
cocked hat. There's no use bothering that Foger fellow," he went on,
"for he has but one airship, I understand."

"And that's not much good." put in Ned. "I guess it's partly
wrecked, and Andy has kept it out in the barn since he moved away."

"Well, I guess I'll be leaving town then," went on the agent. "I
can't get any more clews here, and there may be some new ones found
on the Canadian border where my colleagues are trying to catch the
rascals. I'm sorry I bothered you, Tom Swift. You certainly have a
fine lot of airships," he added, for he had been taken through the