The
Secret Service men sent you the warning in code, so it would not
be found out by the plotters, and, to make sure you could
understand it, a method of translating the cipher was sent in a
separate envelope. It is too bad you missed it."
"Yes, for I might have been on my guard," agreed Tom. "The red
shed might not have burned, but, as it was, only slight damage
was done."
"Owing to the fact that Tom put the fire out with sand ballast
from his dirigible!" cried Ned. "You should have seen it!"
"I should have liked to be here," the lieutenant spoke. "But,
if I were you, Tom Swift, I would take means to prevent a
repetition of such things."
"I shall," Tom decided. "But, if we want to talk, we had better
go to my office, where we can be more private. I don't want the
workmen to hear too much."
Now that the firing was over, a number of Tom's men from the
shops had assembled around the cannon. Most of them, the young
inventor felt, could be trusted, but in so large a gathering one
could never be sure.
"Did you come on from Washington yesterday?" asked Tom, as he,
Ned and the officer strolled toward the shed where was housed the
aerial warship.
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