at night. This searchlight has solved the problem--that is if I can
make a permanent invention of this accident, and I think I can."

"Oh, Tom, I hate to think of you going away from home again," said
his father a bit sadly.

"Don't worry, father. I'm not going far this time. Only to the
Canadian border, and that's only a few hundred miles. But I want to
see if I can cut the current off, and turn it on again. When a thing
happens by accident you never know whether you can get just exactly
the same conditions again."

Tom shut off the current from the dynamo, and the powerful beam of
light died out. Then he turned it on once more, and it glowed as
brightly as before. He did this several times, and each time it was
a success.

"Hurrah!" cried Tom. "To-morrow I'll start on my latest invention, a
great searchlight!"




CHAPTER IX

"BEWARE OF THE COMET!"


"Well, Tom, what are you up to now?"