"
"If you've seen that," said Farley, "it's all up."
"I haven't seen it. I've inferred it. But it's all up,
nevertheless."
"Serves us right," said the woman disgustedly. "I wish we'd never
heard of Tuxall and his line of bunk."
"Mystification upon mystification!" cried the clergyman. "Will some
one please give a clue to the maze?"
"In a word," said Average Jones. "The Harwick meteor."
"What connection--"
"Pardon me, one moment. The 'live thing' in the tree was a captive
balloon. The box on the ground was a battery. The wire from the
battery was connected with a firework bomb, which, when Tuxall
pressed the switch, exploded, releasing a flaming 'dropper.' About
the time the 'dropper' reached the earth Tuxall lighted up his
well-oiled barn. All Harwick, having had its attention attracted by
the explosion, and seen the portent with its own eyes, believed that
a huge meteor had fired the building. So Tuxall and Company had a
well attested wonder from the heavens. That's the little plan which
Bailey's presence threatened to wreck.
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