CHAPTER XVIII
SUSPICIONS
"Who's there?" suddenly called Tom, and in such a sharp voice that Mr.Damon started, ready as he was for something unusual.
There was no answer and Tom suddenly switched on all the lights in theshed. Up to then there had been only a few glowing--just enough for himto show the new Air Scout to his friend.
"Who's there?" asked Tom again, sharply.
"Bless my opera glasses, Tom!" cried Mr. Damon, "but are you seeingthings?"
"No; but I'm hearing them," answered Tom with a short laugh. "Did youthink you heard some one moving around near the rudders of Silent Sam,Mr. Damon?"
"No, I can't say that I did. Everything seems to me to be all right."
"Well, it doesn't to me," went on Tom grimly. "I think there is anintruder in this shed, though how any one could get in when the doorshave been locked all day, is more than I can figure out. But I'm goingto have a look."
"I'll help you," offered Mr. Damon, and, in the bright glare from manyelectric lights, the two began a search of the big hangar where the newcraft was kept.
But though the young inventor and his friend went around to the rear ofthe aeroplane, walking in opposite directions, they saw no one, nor didany one try to escape past them.
"And yet I was sure I heard some one in here," declared Tom, when asearch had revealed nothing. "It sounded as if some one were scufflingsoftly about in rubber-soled shoes, trying to hide."
"Bless my suspenders!" cried Mr. Damon, "who do you think it could havebeen, Tom?"
"Who else but some spy trying to get possession of my secrets?" was theanswer. "But I guess I was too quick for them. They couldn't learn muchfrom looking at the outside of my muffler, and it hasn't beendisturbed, as far as I can see."
"Who would want to gain a knowledge of it in that unlawful way?" askedMr. Damon.
"Perhaps some of the Universal crowd. They may have been disappointedin perfecting a silent motor themselves, and think stealing my ideawould be the easiest way out of it."
"Do they know you are working on such a model as this Silent Sam ofyours, Tom?"
"Yes, I imagine they do. One of the firm members, as you recall,overheard something, I think, that gave them a hint as to what my planswere, though, thanks to the time I fooled the spy, they haven't anyreal data to go by, I believe."
"Let us hope not," said Mr. Damon.
Tom and he made a thorough search of the big shed, but found no one,nor was there any trace of an intruder. Tom notified Jackson, who, inturn, told the guards and watchmen to be on the lookout for anysuspicious strangers, but none was seen in the vicinity of the Swiftworks.
"Well, everything seems to be all right, so we'll have the test,"remarked Tom, after a further search of the premises. "Now, Mr.Damon, if all goes as I hope you will see what my new machine can do.Strain your ears for a sound, and let me know how much you hear."
His men helping him, Tom started the new motor which was tried for thefirst time attached to the new craft. No flight was to be made yet, themotor being tested as though on the block, though, in reality, thecraft was ready for instant flight if need be.
Slowly the great propellers began to revolve, and then Tom, taking hisplace in the cockpit, turned on more power. The new craft--SilentSam--was made fast so it could not progress even though the propellersrevolved at high speed.
"I'm not sending her to the limit," said Tom to his friend, as theyoung inventor throttled down the motor. "If I did I'd tear her loosefrom the holding blocks."
"Her!" cried Mr. Damon. "Bless my typewriter, Tom! but I thought SilentSam was a gentleman aeroplane.
"So he is!" laughed the young man, frankly. "I forgot about 'SilentSam.' Guess I'll have to say 'him' instead of 'her,' though the lattersounds more natural. Anyhow what do you think?"
"I think it's wonderful!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "There the motor is,going at almost full speed, and I can hardly hear a thing. You can theeasier believe that when I say that I can hear you talk perfectly well.And I guess you hear me, don't you?"
"Yes," replied Tom. "And we don't have to shout, either. This is thebest test ever! I think everything is a success."
"Are you going to take her aloft, Tom?" the eccentric man went on.
"Yes, now that I'm sure the engine is all right. Will you go for aflight with me?"
"I certainly will! I only wish we could find him, though. I'd go with abetter heart."
"Oh! Mr. Nestor?"
"Yes, I can't imagine what has become of him. It is almost as if theearth had opened and swallowed him. His disappearance is a greatmystery."
"It surely is," agreed Tom. "Can't seem to get any trace of him. But ifwe hear another cry for help, when we have to land, you can make upyour mind I'll investigate more quickly than I did at first."
"I agree with you," said Mr. Damon.
It was nearly evening then, and until it was dark enough for his flightTom spent the time tuning up the engine and seeing that all was inreadiness for the latest test. He had decided not to go aloft while itwas light enough for curiosity seekers to note the flight.
Tom rather wished Mary Nestor might have a sail with him in his latestimproved silent Air Scout, but the girl was too much occupied at homeand in trying to find some trace of her father.
Tom, his father, and Mr. Damon had helped all they could, but therewere no results. A private detective had been engaged, but he had nomore of a clew than the regular police.
At last it was dark enough for the flight, and Tom and Mr. Damon tooktheir places in the machine. Once more the propellers were turnedaround, and when the compression had been made, and the spark switchedon, around spun the big wooden blades, and the great craft moved overthe grass.
On and on and up and up sailed Tom and Mr. Damon, and as they leftbehind them the shops and the Swift homestead, the two passengers wereaware of their almost silent flight. The big aeroplane, the exhaust ofwhich, ordinarily, would have nearly deafened them, was now as silentas a bird.
"Silent Sam for Uncle Sam!" cried Tom in delight, as he went on faster."I'm sure the government ought to be glad to get this plane for airscout work. It's a success! A great success!"
"Yes, so it is!" agreed Mr. Damon. "You do well to speak of it so, Tom."
For, modest as the young inventor was, he felt, in justice to himself,that he must acknowledge the fact that his craft was a success. For itrose and sailed almost as silently as a bat, and a few hundred feetaway no one, not seeing it, would have believed a big aeroplane was inmotion.
Tom and Mr. Damon flew about twenty miles at a swift pace, and all thefault Tom had to find was that the machine was not as steady in flightas she should have been.
"But I can remedy that with the use of some of dad's gyroscopestabilizers," he told Mr. Damon.
They returned to the hangar safely, and the first trip of the newSilent Sam was an assured success.
It was the following day, when Tom was busy in the machine shopinstalling the gyroscopes spoken of, that Jackson came to tell himthere was a visitor to see him.
"Who is it?" asked the young inventor.
"Mr. Gale of the Universal Company," was the answer.
"I don't want to see him!" declared Tom quickly. "I have nothing to sayto him after his clumsy threats."
"He seems very much in earnest," said Jackson. "Better see him, if onlyfor a minute or so."
"All right, I will," assented Tom. "Show him in."
Mr. Gale, as blusteringly bluff as ever, entered the shop. Tom hadcarefully put away all papers and models, as well as the finishedmachines, so he had no fear that his visitor might discover some secret.
"Oh, Mr. Swift!" began the president of the Universal Company, when hemet the young inventor, "I wish to assure you that what has been donewas entirely without our knowledge. And, though this man may have actedas our agent at one time, we repudiate any acts of his that might--"
"What are you talking about?" asked Tom in surprise. "Have I been soi
mpolite as to sleep during part of your talk? I don't understand whatyou are driving at."
"Oh, I thought you did," said Gale, and he showed surprise. "Iunderstood that the man who--"
"Do you mean there was some one here in the shed last night?" cried theyoung inventor suddenly, all his suspicions aroused.
"Some one here last night?" repeated Mr. Gale. "No, I don't refer tolast night. But perhaps I am making a mistake. I--er--I--"
"Some one is making a mistake!" said Tom significantly.