Part 22 (2/2)

”What do you ood powder in the village I secreted soet back here in time, I can break down the barrier with one shot, and save Preston”

”But you never can make the trip there and back in time, with the powder, Tom It's impossible The dam may hold half an hour, or it !”

”I can't? Well, I' try, Ned You stay on the job here Have everything ready so that when I get back with the new explosive, which I hope hasn't been tampered with, I can shove it into the breech, and set it off Have the wires, primers and button all ready for oing?” gasped his chum ”You can never run to Preston and back in ti inthe rest of the powder fro to drive her to the liet that powder here on tiasped Mr Daht the airshi+p along!”

The young inventor, pausing only to get some cans for the explosive, and some straps hich to fasten them in the monoplane, leaped into the speedy craft

The motor was adjusted; Koku whirled the propeller blades There was a staccato succession of explosions, a rushi+ng, roaring sound, and then the craft rose like a bird, and Toht course for the distant tohile below hiher as the dam continued to crumble away

CHAPTER XIX

BLOWING DOWN THE BARRIER

”Can you see anything of hi, Mr Damon Wait--hold on--no! It's only a bird,” and the lad lowered the glasses hich he had been sweeping the sky

looking for his chu in his airshi+p with the powder

”He'd better hurry,” er The water is rising fast When it does go out it will go with a rush Then good-bye to the village of Preston”

”Bless s, my friend”

”But they're true!” insisted the man ”You can see for yourself that the cracks in the da flood when it does coether sure that we're safe up here,” he added, as he looked down the sides of the hill to where the creek was now rapidly becoasped Mr Da on my nerves!”

”I don't want to be a calaot to face this thing We'd better get ready to vamoose if Tom Swift doesn't reach here in tiht”

Once lasses The roar of the water below theet hold of that rascally Gerive him more than a piece of my mind It will be his fault if the town is destroyed, for Tom's plan would have saved it I wonder who he can be, anyhow?”

”So, you know, and this is part of the garee with me Certainly the fellohatever his object, has reed the foreman

”Look, Ned!” cried Mr Damon ”Is that a bird; or is it Tom?” and he pointed to a speck in the sky Ned quickly focused his glasses on it

”It's To Bird!”