CHAPTER IX
THE RECOIL CHECK
"Who is that?" asked Ned Newton, with a quick glance at his chum.
"I don't know," Tom answered. "I left orders we weren't to be
disturbed unless it was something important."
"May be something has happened," suggested the navy officer,
"another fire, perhaps, or a--"
"It isn't a fire," Tom answered. "The automatic alarm would be
ringing before this in that case."
The knock was repeated. Tom went softly to the door and opened
it quickly, to disclose, standing in the corridor, one of the
messengers employed about the shops.
"Well, what is it?" asked Tom a bit sharply.
"Oh, if you please, Mr. Swift," said the boy, "a man has applied
for work at the main office, and you know you left orders there
that if any machinists came along, we were to--"
"Oh, so I did," Tom exclaimed. "I had forgotten about that,"
he went on to Lieutenant Marbury and Ned. "I am in need of
helpers to rush through the finishing touches on my aerial
warship, and I left word, if any applied, as they often do,
coming here from other cities, that I wanted to see them. How
many are there?" Tom asked of the messenger.
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