"Only the same old trouble," was the discouraged answer. "I can't get on the track of my lost secret formulae. If I had Field and Melling here now I—I'd—"
He did not finish his threat, but the look on his face was enough to show his righteous anger.
"I wish we could do something to those fellows!" exclaimed Tom energetically. "If we only had some direct evidence against them!"
"I've got evidence enough—in my own mind!" declared Mr. Baxter.
"Unfortunately that doesn't do in law," returned Tom. "But now that I have this airship firefighter craft so nearly finished, I can devote more time to your troubles, Mr. Baxter."
"Oh, I don't want you bothered over my troubles," said the chemist. "You have enough of your own. But I'm at my wit's end what to do next."
"If it is money matters," began Tom.
"It's partly that, yes," said the other, in a low voice. "If I had those dye formulae, I'd be a rich man."
"Well, let me help you temporarily," begged Tom. And the upshot of the talk was that he engaged Mr. Baxter to do certain research work in the Swift laboratories until such time as the chemist could perfect certain other inventions on which he was working.
In return for his kindness to a fellow laborer, Tom received from Mr. Baxter some valuable hints about fire-extinguishing chemicals, one hint, alone, serving to bring about a curious situation.