"It would seem so," remarked Ned. "That man doped Tom's powder, hoping to make it so powerful that it would blow up everything. Then he sends word to the General to be present. If there had been a blow-up he would have gone with it."
"Bless my gaiters, yes!" exclaimed Mr. Damon.
"Well, we'll see if we can ferret him out!" spoke the officer as he took his leave.
Tom, Ned and the others talked the matter over at some length.
"I wonder if we could trace that man who rode away on the motor-cycle?" said Ned.
"We'll try," decided Tom, energetically, and in the electric runabout, that had once performed such a service to his father's bank, the young inventor and his chum were soon traversing the road taken by the spy. They got some traces of him—that is, several persons had seen him pass—but that was all. So they had to record one failure at least.
"I wonder if the General himself could have sent that letter?" mused Ned, as they returned home.
"What! To himself?" cried Tom, in amazement.
"He might have," went on Ned, coolly. "You
