Tom Swift and The Visitor from Planet X
spot where Bud had disappeared, there came a loud splash! The light
?" the trooper sn
the elderly man snapped
ushed to the spot. "And not even covere
t the lid's gone. Didn't expect to have a bu
e shone his flashlight into the well-shaft. Bud was spla
hand!" he
o touch Bud's finger tips. To make matters wors
he trooper orde
t got
d up to his full six-foot-two.
ng that the trooper's patience might have b
rope or something else to
later he returned with a length of clothesline. The trooper lowered it i
apologetically. "Guess
own fault for not watching where I was going. Besides, you can't bl
wary eye at the trooper. "I'll go get y
tate trooper. The owner, a paunchy unshaven bachelor named Pete Latty
ion of junk. Most of it was covered with dust, but Tom noticed a large packing crate that l
doing?" Latty
second later his eyes widened as he saw a
his discovery. "Where does this lead to?"
ug. "I didn't think it was worth mentioning. You'd better n
e'll take a look,
your own risk!"
ow dirt-walled room below was about six feet square. On the floor, at the
aulin to see what was inside. The contents made him gas
d Latty peering down at him-the trooper openm
ed. I keep 'em hidden for safety, but sometimes
ng the guns. He pulled it out. His heart gave a leap of exci
ame aloud and added casually, "What'
t's right," t
he bent down to drop the trap door, Tom flashed the
t to handcuff him, the man's face turned pasty white. He pulled free from the trooper's grasp
hopeless. Tom quickly brought
e you don't know it," the young inventory said coldly, "your fri
th the cops or I'd never have done it," he quavered. "Narko offered me some doug
ou known this Na
lieve me, I'd never laid eyes on him before.
fficer, let's take him in," Tom said. To the still
office at Shopton police headquarters. Captain R
d. "They examined his house, the garage, two sheds out back, and every inch of the grounds. But there's no
onfirmation. "So that c
oned their search of the Shopton area without turning up any in
hat his men would continue
," Slater added. "The country owes you a vote of thanks, Tom. A bunch of
in Rock agreed. "It was
. Bud borrowed clean clothes from Tom. Then they sat down to enj
on the radio, interspersed with eager qu
n. "We interrupt this broadcast to b