Chapter 3
Whitewashed
"Let's tell your father, Tom," suggested Ned, after a pause. "He'llknow what to do."
"No, I'd rather not," answered the young inventor quickly. "Dad has hadtrouble enough with these fellows, and I don't want him to worry anymore. Besides, he is working on a new invention, and if I tell himabout the Happy Harry gang it will take his attention from it."
"What invention is he planning now?"
"I don't know, but it's something important by the way he keeps at it.He hardly spares time to help Mr. Sharp and me on the airship. No,we'll keep this news from dad."
"Then I'll inform the bank officials, as you suggest. If the place wasrobbed they might blame me; if they found out I had seen the men andfailed to tell them."
"Well, that gang would only be too glad to have the blame fall on someone else."
Tom little knew how near the truth he had come in his chanceexpression, or how soon he himself was to fall under suspicion inconnection with this same band of bad men.
"I'll telephone to the president on my way home," decided Ned, "and hecan notify the watchman at the bank. But do you really expect to haveyour airship in shape to fly soon?"
"Oh, yes. Now that we have found out our mistake about the gas, therest will be easy."
"I think I'd like to take a trip in one myself, if it didn't go toohigh," ventured Ned.
"I'll remember that, when we have ours completed," promised his chum,"and I'll take you for a spin."
The boys talked for perhaps an hour longer, mostly about the airship,for it was the latest mechanical affair in which Tom was interested,and, naturally, foremost in his thoughts. Then Ned went home first,however, telephoning from Tom's house to the bank president abouthaving seen the suspicious men. That official thanked his youngemployee, and said he would take all necessary precautions. Thetelephone message was not sent until Mr. Swift was out of hearing, asTom was determined that his father should have no unnecessary worryabout the unscrupulous men. As it was, the news that the gang was outof jail had caused the aged inventor some alarm.
It was not without some anxiety that Tom arose the next morning,fearing he would hear news that the bank had been broken into, but nosuch alarming report circulated in Shopton. In fact having made someinquiries that day of Ned, he learned that no trace had been seen ofthe mysterious men. The police had been on the lookout, but they hadseen nothing of them.
"Maybe, after all, they weren't the same ones," suggested Ned, when hepaid Tom another visit the next night.
"Well, of course it's possible that they weren't," admitted the younginventor. "I'd be very glad to think so. Even if they were, yourencounter with them may have scared them off; and that would be a goodthing."
The next two weeks were busy ones for Tom and Mr. Sharp. Aidedoccasionally by Mr. Swift, and with Garret Jackson, the engineer, tolend a hand whenever needed, the aeronaut and the owner of the speedyArrow made considerable progress on their airship.
"What is your father so busy over?" asked Mr. Sharp one day, when thenew aluminum gas holder was about completed.
"I don't know," answered Tom, with a somewhat puzzled air. "He doesn'tseem to want to talk about it, even to me. He says it willrevolutionize travel along a certain line, but whether he is working onan airship that will rival ours, or a new automobile, I can't make out.He'll tell us in good time. But when do you think we will finishthe--well, I don't know what to call it--I mean our aeroplane?"
"Oh, in about a month now. That's so, though, we haven't a name for it.But we'll christen it after it's completed. Now if you'll tighten upsome of those bolts I'll get the gas generating apparatus in readinessfor another test."
A short description of the new airship may not be out of place now. Itwas built after plans Mr. Sharp had shown to Tom and his father soonafter the thrilling rescue of the aeronaut from the blazing balloonover Lake Carlopa. The general idea of the airship was that of thefamiliar aeroplane, but in addition to the sustaining surfaces of theplanes, there was an aluminum, cigar-shaped tank, holding a new andvery powerful gas, which would serve to keep the ship afloat even whennot in motion.
Two sets of planes, one above the other, were used, bringing theairship into the biplane class. There were also two large propellers,one in front and the other at the rear. These were carefully made, ofdifferent layers of wood "built up" as they are called, to make themstronger. They were eight feet in diameter, and driven by atwenty-cylinder, air-cooled, motor, whirled around at the rate offifteen hundred revolutions a minute. When operated at full speed theairship was capable of making eighty miles an hour, against a moderatewind.
But if the use of the peculiarly-shaped planes and the gas container,with the secret but powerful vapor in it were something new in airshipconstruction, so was the car in which the operator and travelers wereto live during a voyage. It was a complete living room, with the engineand other apparatus, including that for generating the gas, in aseparate compartment, and the whole was the combined work of Tom andMr. Sharp. There were accommodations for five persons, with sleepingberths, a small galley or kitchen, where food could be prepared, andseveral easy chairs where the travelers could rest in comfort whileskimming along high in the air, as fast as the fastest railroad train.
There was room enough to carry stores for a voyage of a week or more,and enough gas could be manufactured aboard the ship, in addition tothat taken in the aluminum case before starting, to sustain the shipfor two weeks. The engine, steering apparatus, and the gas machine werewithin easy reach and control of the pilot, who was to be stationed ina small room in the "bow" of the ship. An electric stove served to warmthe interior of the car, and also provided means for cooking the food.
The airship could be launched either by starting it along the ground,on rubber-tired wheels, as is done in the case of the ordinaryaeroplane, or it could be lifted by the gas, just as is done with aballoon. In short there were many novel features about the ship.
The gas test, which took place a few days later, showed that the younginventor and Mr. Sharp had made no mistake this time. No explosionfollowed, the needle valve controlling the powerful vapor perfectly.
"Well," remarked Mr. Sharp, one afternoon, "I think we shall put theship together next week, Tom, and have a trial flight. We shall need afew more aluminum bolts, though, and if you don't mind you might jumpon your motor-cycle and run to Mansburg for them. Merton's machine shopought to have some."
Mansburg was the nearest large city to Shopton, and Merton was amachinist who frequently did work for Mr. Swift.
"All right," agreed Tom. "I'll start now. How many will you need?"
"Oh, a couple of dozen."
Tom started off, wheeling his cycle from the shed where it was kept.As he passed the building where the big frame of the airship, with theplanes and aluminum bag had been assembled, he looked in.
"We'll soon be flying through the clouds on your back," he remarked,speaking to the apparatus as if it could understand. "I guess we'llsmash some records, too, if that engine works as well when it'sinstalled as it does now."
Tom had purchased the bolts, and was on his way back with them, when,as he passed through one of the outlying streets of Mansburg, somethingwent wrong with his motor-cycle. He got off to adjust it, finding thatit was only a trifling matter, which he soon put right, when he wasaware of a man standing, observing him. Without looking up at the man'sface, the young inventor was unpleasantly aware of a sharp scrutiny. Hecould hardly explain it, but it seemed as if the man had evilintentions toward him, and it was not altogether unexpected on Tom'spart, when, looking up, he saw staring at him, Anson Morse, the leaderof the gang of men who had caused such trouble for him.
"Oh, it's you; is it?" asked Morse, an ugly scowl on his face. "Ithought I recognized you." He moved nearer to Tom, who straightened up,and stood leaning on his wheel.
"Yes; it's me," admitted the lad.
"I've been looking for you," went on Morse. "I'm not done with y
ou yet,nor your father, either."
"Aren't you?" asked Tom, trying to speak coolly, though his heart wasbeating rather faster than usual. Morse had spoken in a threateningmanner, and, as the youth looked up and down the street he saw that itwas deserted; nor were there any houses near.
"No, I'm not," snapped the man. "You got me and my friends in a lot oftrouble, and--"
"You didn't get half what you deserved!" burst out Tom, indignant atthe thought of what he and his father had suffered at the hands of thegang. "You ought to be in jail now, instead of out; and if I could seea policeman, I'd have you arrested for threatening me! That's againstthe law!"
"Huh! I s'pose you think you know lots about the law," sneered Morse."Well, I tell you one thing, if you make any further trouble for me,I'll--"
"I'll make all the trouble I can!" cried Tom, and he boldly faced theangry man. "I'm not afraid of you!"
"You'd better be!" and Morse spoke in a vindictive manner. "We'll geteven with you yet, Tom Swift. In fact I've a good notion now to giveyou a good thrashing for what you've done."
Before Tom was aware of the man's intention, Morse had stepped quicklyinto the street, where the lad stood beside his wheel, and grasped himby the shoulder. He gave Tom a vicious shake.
"Take your hand off me!" cried Tom, who was hampered by having to holdup his heavy machine.
"I will when I've given you what I owe you!" retorted the scoundrel."I'm going to have satisfaction now if I never--"
At that instant there came from down the street the sound of a rattlingand bumping. Tom looked up quickly, and saw approaching a rattletrap ofa wagon, drawn by a big, loose-jointed mule, the large ears of whichwere flapping to and fro. The animal was advancing rapidly, in responseto blows and words from the colored driver, and, before the upliftedfist of Morse could fall on Tom's head, the outfit was opposite them.
"Hold on dar, mistah! Hold on!" cried the colored man in the wagon."What are yo' doin' to mah friend, Mistah Swift?"
"None of your business!" snapped Morse. "You drive on and let me managethis affair if you don't want trouble! Who are you anyhow?"
"Why doan't yo' know me?" asked the colored man, at whom Tom lookedgratefully. "I's Eradicate Sampson, an' dish yeah am mah mule,Boomerang. Whoa, Boomerang! I reckon yo' an' I better take a hand indish yeah argument."
"Not unless you want trouble!" cried Morse.
"I doan't mind trouble, not in de leastest," answered Eradicatecheerfully. "Me an' Boomerang has had lots of trouble. We's used to it.No, Mistah Man, you'd better let go ob mah friend, Mistah Swift, if yo'doan't want trouble yo' ownse'f."
"Drive on, and mind your business!" cried Morse, now unreasoninglyangry. "This is my affair," and he gave Tom a shake.
Our hero was not going to submit tamely, however. He had one hand free,and raised to strike Morse, but the latter, letting go his hold on thelad's shoulder, grasped with that hand, the fist which the younginventor had raised. Then, with his other hand, the scoundrel was aboutto hit Tom.
"Break away four him, Mistah Swift!" directed the colored man. "Yo' canfight him, den!"
"I guess he'll have his own troubles doing that," sneered Morse.
"Not ef I help him," answered Eradicate promptly, as he climbed backoff the seat, into the body of his ramshackle vehicle.
"Don't you interfere with me!" stormed the man.
An instant later Tom broke away from his tormentor, and laid hismotor-cycle on the ground, in order to have both hands free for theattack he felt would follow.
"Ha! You think you're going to escape, do you?" cried Morse, as hestarted toward Tom, his eyes blazing. "I'll show you who you're dealingwith!"
"Yes, an' I reckon I'll show yo' suffin yo' ain't lookin' fer!"suddenly cried Eradicate.
With a quick motion he picked up a pail of white-wash from his wagon,and, with sure aim, emptied the contents of the bucket over Morse, whowas rushing at Tom. The white fluid spread over the man from head tofoot, enveloping him as in a white shroud, and his advance wasinstantly checked.
"Dar! I reckon dat's de quickest white-washin' job I done in sometime!" chuckled Eradicate, as he grasped his long handled brush, andclambered down from the wagon, ready for a renewal of the hostilitieson the part of Morse. "De bestest white-washin' job I done in sometime; yais, sah!"