“That’s so—I almost forgot about it,” said the young inventor, with a laugh. “But it’s too late to answer it—we’re quite a way from the starting point.”
This was true. It had taken only a few minutes for them to soar over New York City, with its forest of tall buildings, then over the Hudson, across Jersey City, and so out on the long straight air line that led to Chicago.
Tom pulled out the crumpled missive and ripped open the envelope. As he read the few lines a look of anger came over his face.
“What is it?” asked Ned.
“Read it yourself,” Tom answered.
And Ned scanned these lines:
“Look out for yourself. You have started but you haven’t finished. Our time is coming.
“The Masked Two.”
“Well, of all the nerve!” cried Ned.
“Haven’t they!” said Tom. “But it will take more than threats to make me give up this project. I haven’t got my final patent papers, but I will when I finish these trial trips. I need to make only five more after this, and then Jacks will put in a lot of money. It was lack of ready money that was holding me back—once I have plenty of cash I can snap my fingers at those fellows!”