Tom Swift and His Great Searchlight; or, on the border for Uncle Sam

not reply. His thoughts were busy with many things. Somehow, it seemed of la

iendship, as well as a desire for adventures, had urged

hat's your answer, Tom? Don't you thin

repeated the

just the same. When there is a war the soldiers are called on to repel an enemy. Now the smuggler

to a discussion as to the right of the government to impose duties. People have their own opinion as to that. But, as long as the law says certain dut

think it is a duty you owe to your country to help catch these smugglers. I admit I'm at the end of my

see how I c

t. That will be just the thing. You can hover on the border, near the line dividing New York State from Canada, or near the St. Lawrence, which is the natural

do that," objected Tom, who reall

cantly. "I made you a temporary deputy to-night, but if you'll undertake this work, t

them?" interposed our hero. "They

chum's side as they walked along a quiet Shopton street in the da

get them," admitted the

Uncle Sam?" interrupted Mr. Whitford

the way. In the first place the smuggling may be done over such a wide area that it would need a whole fleet of

he trouble is, after we get our tips, we can't get to the place before they have flown away. But with your airship, you could catch them, after we s

part is a

have any more

nstance you say most of this

lly all o

. But I'll tell you what I'll do, Mr. Whitford, I feel as if I had sort of 'fallen down' on

I think you haven't done all y

hese smugglers, I'll undertake the work!" exclaimed Tom. "I'll do it as a duty to Uncle S

d that. Why, the government is losing thousands of dollars every week. I

, and let you know if I have formed any plan. Now

day after to-morrow, Tom, and I expect you t

ing to do, Tom?" asked his chum, a

ps me. I don't quite see my way to get around that. Of course I could use an ordinary searchlight, but that doesn

the Fogers; w

ink they were goi

ite of the fact that they were willing f

ny the way Mr. Foger acted about not wa

they got down there th

o keep my eyes open. I don't see what Andy wants with an airship platform on

did like to show off, and do things differen

Come over in the morning," and, with a good-night, our

side steps, he saw his giant servant sitting there on a bench he had made especially

significantly, "but maybe he come

asked Tom, with

ne sneaking around his chicken coop, and I thin

who were trying to get m

at!" excla

tic camera to take the moving pictures of any one who tries to get in my shop, or in the chicken c

pen him!" exclaimed the giant, bran

but I'll set the automatic camera, and fix it with fuse fla

ng pictures automatically, once Tom had set the mechanism to unreel the films back of the shutter and lens. The lights wo

e focused a searchlight, from one of his airships, on the

household, "when the burglar alarm goes off, if it does, it will also start the searc

ondering if he would succeed in his fight with the s

by the violent ringing of a bell at his ear. At first he thought

Baggert,

r he realized

he chicken coop!" for a glance at the automatic indicator, in connection with the al

ried Koku,

d cries bore eloque

the surrounding territory was lighted up with a radiance almost like daylight. The beams of illumination ca

erful beam before. There must be something that I have stumbled on by accident. Say, that is a lig

searchlight, to see what had caused the extraordinary glow, he could observe noth

, I made some new connection

Massa giant! I ain't done

ou!" cri

is time I guess," said Tom. "But t

en thought

s on the smugglers from my noiseless airship! That's what I need--a searchlight such as never before has been made--a terrific

st, Tom ran down the stairs to get to his