“What is your name?”
“Landis-Jerry Landis.” The man started to get up. “Well, I-I may as well be on my way.”
The doctor suggested that he rest for a while. “Since you blacked out once this afternoon, I certainly wouldn’t advise going up again so soon-especially when you have no copilot.”
But Landis refused to remain in the infirmary. “I’ll leave the copter here, if you don’t mind, and send for it tomorrow morning,” he said to Tom. Turning to the doctor, he added, “If you’ll have the nurse call a taxi for me, I won’t trouble you any further.” A few minutes later Landis rode oE.
Early the next morning Tom and Bud drove out to Pine Hill to look over the site of the proposed digging operations. A crew of surveyors already was busy, lining up the route that the tunnel would follow to Silver Lake.
“Looks as if you’ve got quite a job on your hands, chum!” Bud said.
A THREAT OF REVENGE 75
“It’ll probably mean plenty of headaches,” agreed Tom, “but think what an experience it’ll be! I can hardly wait to get started!”
Suddenly a loud, angry voice burst out:
“Which one of you two is Tom Swift?”
Startled, the boys turned to look at the speaker, who had come up behind them. He was a burly, red-faced individual in a rumpled tan suit and a Panama hat. A half-chewed cigar protruded from one corner of his mouth.
“Well, speak up! I asked which one of you cubs is Tom Swift?”
“I’m Tom Swift,” the inventor replied coolly. “What can I do for you?”
“Do for me?” roared the stranger. “You’ve done enough as it is, you meddling young fool! Is it true you’ve offered to drive that tunnel through Pine Hill for nothing?”