"Bless my hat-rack!" went on the eccentric man, "but Tom
isn't at all like himself of late. He's working on some
invention, I know that, but it's all I do know. He hasn't
given me a hint of it."
"Nor me, nor any of his friends," added Ned. "And he acts
so oddly about enlisting--doesn't want even to speak of it.
How he got exempted I don't know, but I do know one thing,
and that is Tom Swift is for Uncle Sam first, last and
always!"
"Oh, of course!" agreed Mr. Damon. "Well, we'll soon know,
I guess. We'd better start, Ned."
"It's useless to try to guess what it is Tom is up to. He
has kept his secret well. The nearest any one has come to it
was when Harry figured out that Tom had a band of giant
elephants which he was fitting with coats of steel armor to
go against the Germans," observed Ned, when be and Mr. Damon
were on their way.
"Well, that mightn't be so bad," agreed Mr. Damon.
"But--um--elephants--and wild giant ones, too! Bless my circus
ticket, Ned! do you think we'd better go in that case?"
"Oh, Tom hasn't anything like that!" laughed Ned.
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