CHAPTER VI
THE APPEAL TO TOM
"Well, what does this mean?" asked Mr. Foger in indignant tones, ashe faced the custom officer and Tom and Ned. "What do you mean bycoming to my house at this hour, and disturbing me? I demand ananswer!"
"And you shall have it," replied Mr. Whitford calmly. He was used todealing with "indignant" persons, who got very much on their dignitywhen accused of smuggling. "We are here, Mr. Foger, because ofcertain information we have received, and we must ask you to submitto some questions, and allow your house to be searched."
"What! You question me? Search this house? That is an indignity towhich I will not submit!"
"You will have to, Mr. Foger. I have ample authority for what I amdoing, and I am backed by the most powerful government in the world.I also have plenty of help with me."
Mr. Whitford blew his whistle, and at once his several deputies camerunning up.
"You see I am well prepared to meet force with force, Mr. Foger,"said the chief agent, calmly.
"Force! What do you mean, sir?"
"I mean that I have certain information against you. There has beensmuggling going on from Canada into the United States."
"Canada? What have I to do with Canada?"
"You don't live far from there," said Mr. Whitford significantly."Airships have been used. Your son has one, but I don't believe thatfigured in the game. But two friends of mine saw something to-nightthat made me decide on this raid. Tom and Ned, tell Mr. Foger whatyou saw."
The agent stepped back, so that the two lads could be seen. Therewas another gasp of surprise, this time from Andy Foger, who hadremained in the background.
"Tom Swift!" gasped the bully.
"Tell them what you saw. Tom," went on the agent, and Tom and Ned byturns, relayed the incident of the wagon load of goods driving awayfrom the gardener's house.
"This, with what has gone before, made us suspicious," said Mr.Whitford. "So we decided on a raid. If you are not willing to let usin peaceably, we will come by force."
"By all means come in!" was the unexpected reply of Mr. Foger, as hestepped back, and opened wider the door. "Andy, these are somefriends of yours, are they not?"
"Friends? I guess not!" exclaimed Andy with a sneer. "I won't evenspeak to them."
"Not much lost," commented Tom with a laugh.
"Search the house!" ordered Mr. Whitford sharply.
"I'll show you around," offered Mr. Foger.
"We can find our way," was the curt rejoinder of the chief agent.
"The place is deserted," went on Mr. Foger. "My son and I are justliving here until certain repairs are made, when I am going to makeanother effort to sell it."
"Yes, we knew it was being repaired, and that your son was stayinghere," said Mr. Whitford, "But we did not expect to see you."
"I--er--that is--I came on unexpectedly," said Mr. Foger. "You maylook about all you wish. You will find nothing wrong here."
And they did not, strange to say. There was considerable litter inmany of the rooms, and in one was Andy's airship in parts. Clearlywork was being done on that, and Mr. Dillon's story was confirmed,for tools, with his initials burned in the handles, were lyingabout.
The custom men, with Tom and Ned, went all over the house. Andyscowled blackly at our hero, but said nothing. Mr. Foger seemedanxious to show everything, and let the men go where they would.Finally a tour of the house had been completed, and nothing of asuspicious nature was found.
"I guess we'll just take a look at the roof, and see that airshipplatform your son is going to use," said Mr. Whitford, in ratherdisappointed tones, when he had found nothing.
"It isn't started yet," said Andy.
But they all went up through a scuttle, nevertheless, and saw wheresome posts had been made fast to the roof, to provide a platformfoundation.
"I'll beat you all to pieces when I get flying," said the bully toTom, as they went down the scuttle again.
"I'm not in the racing game any more," replied Tom coldly. "BesidesI only race with my FRIENDS."
"Huh! Afraid of getting beat!" sneered Andy.
"Well. I guess there's nothing here," said Mr. Whitford to Mr.Foger, as they stood together in the front room.
"No, I knew you'd find nothing, and you have had your trouble foryour pains."
"Oh, Uncle Sam doesn't mind trouble."
"And you have caused me much annoyance!" said Mr. Foger sharply.
"I'm afraid we'll have to cause you more," was the agent's comment."I want to have a look in the gardener's house, from where Tom Swiftsaw the load going away."
"There is nothing there!" declared Mr. Foger quickly. "That is,nothing but some old furniture. I sold a lot of it, and I supposethe man who bought it came for it to-night."
"We'll take a look," repeated the agent, "I am very fond of oldfurniture."
"Very well," responded the bully's father, as he eyed Tom and Nedblackly.
He led the way out of the house, and soon they stood before thesmall cottage. It was dark, and when Mr. Foger unlocked the door heturned on the gas, and lighted it.
"I left the gas on until all the furniture should be taken out," heexplained. "But you will find nothing here."
It needed but a glance about the place to show that only some oddsand ends of furniture was all that it contained.
"Where does this door lead to," asked Mr. Whitford, when he had madea tour of the place.
"Nowhere. Oh, that is only down into the cellar." was the reply."There is nothing there."
"We can't take anything for granted," went on the agent with asmile. "I'll take a look down there."
He descended with some of his men. Tom and Ned remained in thekitchen of the cottage, while Andy and his father conversed in lowtones, occasionally casting glances at our heroes. Once Tom thoughtMr. Foger looked apprehensively toward the door, through which thecustom men had descended. He also appeared to be anxiouslylistening.
But when Mr. Whitford came back, with a disappointed look on hisface, and said there was nothing to be found, Mr. Foger smiled:
"What did I tell you?" he asked triumphantly.
"Never mind," was the retort of Uncle Sam's man. "We are not throughwith Shopton yet."
"I'm sorry we gave you so much trouble on a false clew," said Tom,as he and Ned left the Foger premises with Mr. Whitford, the otherdeputies following.
"That's all right, Tom. We have to follow many false clews. I'm muchobliged to you. Either we were on the wrong track, or the Fogers aremore clever than I gave them credit for. But I am not done yet. Ihave something to propose to you. It has come to me in the last fewminutes. I saw you in your airship once, and I know you know how tomanage such craft. Now there is no question in my mind but what thesmugglers are using airships. Tom, will you undertake a mission forUncle Sam?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean will you go to the border, in your airship, and try to catchthe smugglers? I can promise you a big reward, and much fame if wecatch them. An airship is just what is needed. You are the one to doit. Will you?"