“You mean I’m not through with you!” replied Tom. “You’re an imposter! I have been suspecting you for some time, and my father has from the first. Now we’ll have a settlement!” “But first I’ll settle with you!” cried the fellow, whose rage was on the increase. His lips closed tightly and he clenched his hands. These should have been warning signs to Tom, but they were not. A moment later, kicking aside the wig and false beard, the fellow made a jump for the young inventor. Whether he held concealed in his hand some object like a black-jack, was never found out. But the fellow gave Tom such a blow on the head that the young inventor crumpled up and went down in a heap. Blackness closed over him and in his ears a multitude of bells seemed to ring. CHAPTER XVI BOUND IN DARKNESS NED NEWTON was rather puzzled over Tom’s long absence from the office. The day had passed and the young inventor had been at his usual desk for only a brief period in the morning. He had told Ned he was going into the little testing room and would soon be back. Ned knew that Tom did not like to be disturbed when conducting experiments and tests in this “cubby-hole,” as it was called, for it was made small purposely to avoid air drafts and vibrations. So when noon came and Tom did not appear for dinner, nothing much was thought of it, as he frequently missed a meal. “But this time I have chicken and dumplings,” complained Mrs. Baggert. “And Tom is so fond of them!” “He doesn’t know what he’s missing,” commented Ned, who always ate lunch with the Swifts, as time was saved by not going to his own home. “I’ll save him some,” remarked the kind-hearted housekeeper. Noon passed, and the afternoon was waning when a message came over the telephone that needed Tom’s personal attention. He had left orders that, no matter what he was doing, he should be summoned when this call came in. So Ned, believing his friend was in the little experiment room, hastened there, leaving Mr. Newton, who was back in Shopton, looking white and worried, to hold the wire. But Tom was not in the little room. Nor was he in the corridor where Barsky, in a fit of rage at being discovered, had knocked the young inventor senseless. “Hum, this is queer,” mused Ned. But no suspicion as yet entered his head. “He must have gone back to the office by the outside way,” for this was possible. Hurrying back to the main room Ned did not meet his chum. Then began a hurried search for the missing youth, still with no thought that anything was wrong. It was merely believed that he had left the experiment room to go to some other part of the works, as he often did. Accordingly, the intercommunication telephone system was worked to the limit. But from the foreman of each department came the reply: “Mr. Swift isn’t here, nor has he been here.” From the pattern room came the report: “Mr. Swift not here, but he ought to come here.” “Why?” asked Ned.