"That's what I think," said Ned. "And when I heard just now for the first time that you are going to Chesterport, which is the nearest town of any size to the mountain, I thought it would be a good chance to visit the mysterious place."
"You're right!" exclaimed Tom. "I'm glad you mentioned this. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It's queer I never heard about the mountain of mystery before, and yet it isn't a hundred miles away."
"It is only recently that all these stories became public," stated Ned. "Besides, you were so busy working on your talking pictures and since then on this House on Wheels that I don't blame you for not having heard of this Dismal Mountain."
"It's going to be just the thing!" cried Tom, his face lighting with pleasure. "With Mary away, I needed something to stimulate me and keep me from going stale. This will do the trick! Let's see if we can't run down this mystery!"
"I'm with you!" echoed Ned.
He was putting away his clippings and other information and Tom was going to ask about the roads to Dismal Mountain and the possibility of taking the House on Wheels when they heard a noise at the outer door of the garage where the new machine stood. Then the handle was cautiously tried.
"Look!" whispered Ned, touching Tom on the arm and pointing to the latch that was slowly being raised.
CHAPTER X
JEALOUSY
Together Tom Swift and Ned Newton watched the door of the garage being cautiously opened. There was something peculiar in this. In the first place, no one who had a right to swing the door would have been thus cautious about it. In the second place, no one was supposed to be in that part of the shop just now except Tom and Ned. The young inventor had given orders that he was to be left undisturbed with his financial manager to make a final inspection of his new machine.