Chapter 7
Andy Tries a Trick
Without loss of time the young inventor and the aeronaut began torepair the damage done to the Red Cloud by colliding with the tower.The most important part to reconstruct was the propeller, and Mr. Sharpdecided to make two, instead of one, in order to have an extra one incase of future accidents.
Tom's task was to arrange the mechanism so that, hereafter, the ruddercould not become jammed, and so prevent the airship from steeringproperly. This the lad accomplished by a simple but effective devicewhich, when the balloonist saw it, caused him to compliment Tom.
"That's worth patenting," he declared. "I advise you to take out paperson that."
"It seems such a simple thing," answered the youth. "And I don't seemuch use of spending the money for a patent. Airships aren't likely tobe so numerous that I could make anything off that patent."
"You take my advice," insisted Mr. Sharp. "Airships are going to beused more in the future than you have any idea of. You get that devicepatented."
Tom did so, and, not many years afterward he was glad that he had, asit brought him quite an income.
It required several days' work on the Red Cloud before it was in shapefor another trial. During the hours when he was engaged in the bigshed, helping Mr. Sharp, the young inventor spent many minutes callingto mind the memory of a certain fair face, and I think I need notmention any names to indicate whose face it was.
"She promised to go for a ride with me," mused the lad. "I hope shedoesn't back out. But I'll want to learn more about managing the shipbefore I venture with her in it. It won't do to have any accidentsthen. There's Ned Newton, too. I must take him for a skim in theclouds. Guess I'll invite him over some afternoon, and give him aprivate view of the machine, when we get it in shape again."
About a week after the accident at the school Mr. Sharp remarked to Tomone afternoon:
"If the weather is good to-morrow, we'll try another flight. Do yousuppose your father will come along?"
"I don't know," answered the lad. "He seems much engrossed insomething. It's unusual, too, for he most generally tells me what he isengaged upon. However, I guess he will say something about it when hegets ready."
"Well, if he doesn't feel just like coming, don't argue him. He mightbe nervous, and, while the ship is new, I don't want any nervouspassengers aboard. I can't give them my attention and look after therunning of the machinery."
"I was going to propose bringing a friend of mine over to see us makethe trip to-morrow," went on the young inventor. "Ned Newton, you knowhim. He'd like a ride."
"Oh, I guess Ned's all right. Let him come along. We won't go very highto-morrow. After a trial rise by means of the gas, I'm going to lowerthe ship to the ground, and try for an elevation by means of theplanes. Oh, yes, bring your friend along."
Ned Newton was delighted the next day to receive Tom's invitation, and,though a little dubious about trusting himself in an airship for thefirst time, finally consented to go with his chum. He got a halfholiday from the bank, and, shortly after dinner went to Tom's house.
"Come on out in the shed and take a look at the Red Cloud," proposedthe young inventor. "Mr. Sharp isn't quite ready to start yet, and I'llexplain some things to you."
The big shed was deserted when the lads entered, and went to the loftwhere they were on a level with the big, red aluminum tank. Tom beganwith a description of the machinery, and Ned followed him with interest.
"Now we'll go down into the car or cabin," continued the youngnavigator of the air, "and I'll show you what we do when we're touringamid the clouds."
As they started to descend the flight of steps from the loft platform,a noise on the ground below attracted their attention.
"Guess that's Mr. Sharp coming," said Ned.
Tom leaned over and looked down. An instant later he grasped the arm ofhis chum, and motioned to him to keep silent.
"Take a look," whispered the young inventor.
"Andy Foger!" exclaimed Ned, peering over the railing.
"Yes, and Sam Snedecker and Pete Bailey are with him. They sneaked inwhen I left the door open. Wonder what they want?"
"Up to some mischief, I'll wager," commented Ned. "Hark! They'retalking."
The two lads on the loft listened intently. Though the cronies on theground below them did not speak loudly, their voices came plainly tothe listeners.
"Let's poke a hole in their gas bag," proposed Sam. "That will makethem think they're not so smart as they pretend."
"Naw, we can't do that," answered Andy.
"Why not?" declared Pete.
"Because the bag's away up in the top part of the shed, and I'm notgoing to climb up there."
"You're afraid," sneered Sam.
"I am not! I'll punch your face if you say that again! Besides thething that holds the gas is made of aluminum, and we can't make a holein it unless we take an axe, and that makes too much noise."
"We ought to play some sort of a trick on Tom Swift," proposed Pete."He's too fresh!"
Tom shook his fist at the lads on the ground, but of course they didnot see him.
"I have it!" came from Andy.
"What?" demanded his two cronies.
"We'll cut some of the guy wires from the planes and rudders. That willmake the airship collapse. They'll think the wires broke from thestrain. Take out your knives and saw away at the wires. Hurry, too, orthey may catch us."
"You're caught now," whispered Ned to Tom. "Come on down, and give 'ema trouncing."
Tom hesitated. He looked quickly about the loft, and then a smilereplaced the frown of righteous anger on his face.
"I have a better way," he said.
"What is it?"
"See that pile of dirt?" and he pointed to some refuse that had beenswept up from the floor of the loft. Ned nodded. "It consists of a lotof shavings, sawdust and, what's more, a lot of soot and lampblack thatwe used in mixing some paint. We'll sweep the whole pile down on theirheads, and make them wish they'd stayed away from this place."
"Good!" exclaimed Ned, chuckling. "Give me a broom. There's another onefor you."
The two lads in the loft peered down. The red-headed, squint-eyed bullyand his chums had their knives out, and were about to cut some of theimportant guy wires, when, at a signal from Tom, Ned, with a sweep ofhis broom, sent a big pile of the dirt, sawdust and lampblack down uponthe heads of the conspirators. The young inventor did the same thing,and for an instant the lower part of the shed looked as if a dirtstormhad taken place there. The pile of refuse went straight down on theheads of the trio, and, as they were looking up, in order to see to cutthe wires, they received considerable of it in their faces.
In an instant the white countenances of the lads were changed toblack--as black as the burnt-cork performers in a minstrel show. Thencame a series of howls.
"Wow! Who did that!"
"I'm blinded! The shed is falling down!"
"Run fellows, run!" screamed Andy. "There's been an explosion. We'll bekilled!"
At that moment the big doors of the shed were thrown open, and Mr.Sharp came in. He started back in astonishment at the sight of thethree grotesque figures, their faces black with the soot, and theirclothes covered with sawdust and shavings, rushing wildly around.
"That will teach you to come meddling around here. Andy Foger!" criedTom.
"I--I--you--you--Oh, wait--I--you--" spluttered the bully, almostspeechless with rage. Sam and Pete were wildly trying to wipe the stufffrom their faces, but only made matters worse. They were so startledthat they did not know enough to run out of the opened doors.
"Wish we had some more stuff to put on 'em," remarked Ned, who washolding his sides that ached from laughter.
"I have it!" cried Tom, and he caught up a bucket of red paint, thathad been used to give the airship its brilliant hue. Running to the endof the loft Tom stood for an instant over the trio of lads who werethreatening and imploring by 'turns.
"Here's another souve
nir of your visit," shouted the young inventor, ashe dashed the bucket of red paint down on the conspirators. Thiscompleted the work of the dirt and soot, and a few seconds later, eachface looking like a stage Indian's ready for the war-path, the triodashed out. They shed shavings, sawdust and lampblack at every step,and from their clothes and hands and faces dripped the carmine paint.
"Better have your pictures taken!" cried Ned, peering from an upperwindow.
"Yes, and send us one," added Tom, joining his chum. Andy looked up atthem. He dug a mass of red paint from his left ear, removed a mass ofsoot from his right cheek, and, shaking his fist, which was alternatelystriped red and black, cried out in a rage:
"I'll get even with you yet, Tom Swift!"
"You only got what was coming to you," retorted the young inventor."The next time you come sneaking around this airship, trying to damageit, you'll get worse, and I'll have you arrested. You've had yourlesson, and don't forget it."
The red-haired bully, doubly red-haired now, had nothing more to say.There was nothing he could say, and, accompanied by his companions, hemade a bee-line for the rear gate in the fence, and darted across themeadow. They were all sorry enough looking specimens, but solelythrough their own fault.