"Know anything about dirigible balloons?"
"Yes, I've worked on them, too, but the engineering part is my specialty. I'm a little out of my element on a trip-hammer."
"I see. Well, perhaps I'll give you a trial. Meanwhile you might break Koku in on operating this machine. If I transfer you I'll put him on this hammer."
"Thank you, Mr. Swift! I'll show him all I know about it. Oh, there goes the hammer again!" he exclaimed, for, as he started it up, as Tom turned away, the big piece of steel once more jammed on the channel-plates.
"Me fix!" exclaimed the giant eagerly, anxious for a chance to exhibit his great strength.
"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Tom. "I want to get a look at that machine."
He inspected it carefully before he signaled for Koku to force the hammer back into place. But, if Tom saw anything suspicious, he said nothing. There was, however, a queer look on his face as he turned aside, and he murmured to himself, as he walked away:
"So you want to be transferred to the airship department, do you? Well, we'll see about that. We'll see."
Tom had more problems to solve than those of making an aerial warship that would be acceptable to the United States Government.
Ned Newton called on his chum that evening. The two talked of many things, gradually veering around to the subject uppermost in Tom's mind—his new aircraft.