“I had begun to suspect that,” said Tom. “Well, what happened?”
“Oh, they were pretty much upset when they learned who I was,” chuckled Ned. “They asked me a lot of questions about your inventions, and wanted to know how the new talking-picture projector worked. But of course I was as mum as an oyster.”
“Did they ask specifically about my new patent?” asked Tom, somewhat excited by this news.
“That’s what they did.”
“How did they know about it? I supposed that was a dead secret from all but you, dad and me.”
“So did I,” responded Ned. “But there must be a leak somewhere around your shop. Perhaps a spy.”
“I believe there is!” exclaimed Tom.
“I tried to escape, but I couldn’t,” said Ned. “Even though they found out I was the wrong man, they still held me. I was kept in an upper room with barred windows. Then, when they brought me food in paper bags, I thought of the kite idea. I sent out half a dozen, but I guess they didn’t blow far. I wrote messages to you, hoping some one would pick them up and take them to you. But I began to think nothing would come of it until one day a kite that I’d made went high up in the air and I knew it would travel a long way.”
“It did,” said Tom. “All the way to Cherry Valley where a tramp picked it up and brought it to me. That was yesterday, and I came as soon as I could.”
“I thought you would,” Ned responded. “But when, a little while ago, they bundled me up again and took me away, I thought it was all up with me. They must have had some warning you were on their trail, they got off in such a hurry.”