Chapter IX The Recoil Check"Who is that?" asked Ned Newton, with a quick glance at his chum.
"I don't know," Tom answered. "I left orders we weren't to be disturbed unless it was something important."
"May be something has happened," suggested the navy officer, "another fire, perhaps, or a--"
"It isn't a fire," Tom answered. "The automatic alarm would be ringing before this in that case."
The knock was repeated. Tom went softly to the door and opened it quickly, to disclose, standing in the corridor, one of the messengers employed about the shops.
"Well, what is it?" asked Tom a bit sharply.
"Oh, if you please, Mr. Swift," said the boy, "a man has applied for work at the main office, and you know you left orders there that if any machinists came along, we were to--"
"Oh, so I did,"
