*^s 
 
 <3fie 
 
 JOHN SKALLY TERRY 
 
 MEMORIAL COLLECTION 
 
 ESTABLISHED BY 
 
 THE FAMILY IN HONOR OF 
 
 JOHN S. TERRY 
 
 CLASS OF 1918 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF 
 NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY 
 
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
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THERE WAS A MOMENT OF WAITING, AND THEN CAMS 
 
 A THUNDERING ROAR.— Page 163. 
 Tom Swift and His Aerial Warthip. 
 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS 
 AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 OR 
 
 The Naval Terror of the Seas 
 
 BY 
 
 VICTOR APPLETON 
 
 -WTHOR OF "TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE," "TOM SWIFT AND HIS 
 
 PHOTO TELEPHONE," "THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS SERIES,'.* 
 
 "THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS SERIES," ETC 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP 
 
 PUBLISHERS 
 
 Made in the United States of Americc 
 
Books by victor appletcn 
 
 THE TOM SWIFT SERIES 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE 
 
 TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS 
 
 TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE 
 
 TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS SERIES 
 
 THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS 
 THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN THE WEST 
 THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS ON THE COAST 
 THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE 
 THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN EARTHQUAKE 
 
 LAND 
 THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS AND THE FLOOD 
 THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS AT PANAMA 
 
 THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS SERIES 
 
 THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS' FIRST VENTURE 
 THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS AT SEASIDE PARK 
 THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS ON BROADWAY 
 THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS' OUTDOOR EXHI- 
 BITION 
 THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS' NEW IDEA 
 THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS AT THE FAIR 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP 
 
 PTJBMSHERS NEW YORK 
 
 Copyright, 1915, by 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP 
 
 Tom Swift and His Aerial WarsM? 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I Tom Is Puzzled I 
 
 II A Fire Alarm 10 
 
 III A Desperate Battle ig 
 
 IV Suspicions .„.,., 28 
 
 V A Queer Stranger » 3? 
 
 VI The Aerial Warship 48 
 
 VII Warnings 58 
 
 VIII A Suspected Plot 69 
 
 IX The Recoil Check 75 
 
 X The New Men 84 
 
 XI A Day Off 93 
 
 XII A Night Alarm 104 
 
 XIII The Capture 113 
 
 XIV The First Flight 120 
 
 XV In Danger 129 
 
 XVI Tom Is Worried 138 
 
 ICVII An Ocean Flight 147 
 
 
iv CONTENTS 
 
 SHAPTER PAGS 
 
 XVIII In a Storm 158 
 
 XIX Queer Happenings 167 
 
 XX The Stowaways 175 
 
 XXI Prisoners 183; 
 
 XXII Apprehensions 190 
 
 XXIII Across the Sea 197 
 
 XXIV The Lightning Bolt 203 
 
 XXV Freedom .« 211 
 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS 
 AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 TOM IS PUZZLED 
 
 "What's the matter, Tom? You look rather 
 blue!" 
 
 "Blue! Say, Ned, I'd turn red, green, yellow, 
 or any other color of the rainbow, if I thought 
 it would help matters any." 
 
 "Whew!" 
 
 Ned Newton, the chum and companion of Tom 
 Swift, gave vent to a whistle of surprise, as he 
 gazed at the young fellow sitting opposite him, 
 near a bench covered with strange-looking tools 
 and machinery, while blueprints and drawings 
 were scattered about. 
 
 Ranged on the sides of the room were models 
 of many queer craft, most of them flying ma- 
 chines of one sort or another, while through the 
 
 I 
 
2 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 open door that led into a large shed could be seen 
 the outlines of a speedy monoplane. 
 
 "As bad as that, eh, Tom?" went on Ned. "I 
 thought something was up when I first came in, 
 but, if you'll excuse a second mention of the color 
 scheme, I should say it was blue — decidedly blue. 
 You look as though you had lost your last friend, 
 and I want to assure you that if you do feel that 
 way, it's dead wrong. There's myself, for one, 
 and I'm sure Mr. Damon " 
 
 "Bless my gasoline tank!" exclaimed Tom, 
 with a laugh, in imitation of the gentleman Ned 
 Newton had mentioned, "I know that! I'm not 
 worrying over the loss of any friends." 
 
 "And there are Eradicate, and Koku, the giant, 
 just to mention a couple of others," went on Ned, 
 with a smile. 
 
 "That's enough!" exclaimed Tom. "It isn't 
 that, I tell you." 
 
 "Well, what is it then? Here I go and get a 
 half-holiday off from the bank, and just at the 
 busiest time, too, to come and see you, and I find 
 you in a brown study, looking as blue as indigo, 
 and maybe you're all yellow inside from a bilious 
 attack, for all I know." 
 
 "Quite a combination of colors," admitted 
 Tom. "But it isn't what you think. It's just that 
 I'm puzzled, Ned." 
 
TOM IS PUZZLED 3 
 
 "Puzzled ?" and Ned raised his eyebrows to in« 
 clicate how surprised he was that anything should 
 puzzle his friend. 
 
 "Yes, genuinely puzzled." 
 
 "Has anything gone wrong ?" Ned asked. "No 
 one is trying to take any of your pet inventions 
 away from you, is there?" 
 
 "No, not exactly that, though it is about one of 
 my inventions I am puzzled. I guess I haven't 
 shown you my very latest; have I, Ned?" 
 
 "Well, I don't know, Tom. Time was when I 
 could keep track of you and your inventions, but 
 that was in your early days, when you started with 
 a motorcycle and were glad enough to have a 
 motorboat. But, since you've taken to aerial 
 navigation and submarine work, not to mention 
 one or two other lines of activity, I give up. I 
 don't know where to look next, Tom, for some- 
 thing new." 
 
 "Well, this isn't so very new," went on the 
 young inventor, for Tom Swift had designed and 
 patented many new machines of the air, earth 
 and water. "I'm just trying to work out some 
 new problems in aerial navigation, Ned," he went 
 on. 
 
 "I thought there weren't any more," spoke Ned, 
 soberly enough. 
 
 "Come, now, none of that!" exclaimed Tom, 
 
4 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 with a laugh. "Why, the surface of aerial navi- 
 gation has only been scratched. The science is 
 far from being understood, or even made safe, not 
 to say perfected, as water and land travel have 
 been. There's lots of chance yet." 
 
 "And you're working on something new?" 
 asked Ned, as he looked around the shop where 
 he and Tom were sitting. As the young bank 
 employee had said, he had come away from the 
 institution that afternoon to have a little holiday 
 with his chum, but Tom, seated in the midst of 
 his inventions, seemed little inclined to jollity. 
 
 Through the open windows came the hum of 
 distant machinery, for Tom Swift and his father 
 were the heads of a company formed to manu- 
 facture and market their many inventions, and 
 about their home were grouped several buildings. 
 From a small plant the business had grown to be 
 a great tree, under the direction of Tom and his 
 father. 
 
 "Yes, I'm working on something new," admit* 
 ted Tom, after a moment of silence. 
 
 "And, Ned," he went on, "there's no reason 
 why you shouldn't see it. I've been keeping it a 
 bit secret, until I had it a little further advanced, 
 but I've got to a point now where I'm stuck, and 
 perhaps it will do me good to talk to someonf 
 about it." 
 
TOM IS PUZZLED 5 
 
 "Not to talk to me, though, I'm afraid. What 
 I don't know about machinery, Tom, would fill 
 a great many books. I don't see how I can help 
 you," and Ned laughed. 
 
 "Well, perhaps you can, just the same, though 
 you may not know a lot of technical things about 
 machines. It sometimes helps me just to tell my 
 troubles to a disinterested person, and hear him 
 ask questions. I've got dad half distracted trying 
 to solve the problem, so I've had to let up on him 
 for a while. Come on out and see what you make 
 of it." 
 
 "Sure, Tom, anything to oblige. If you want 
 me to sit in front of your photo-telephone, and 
 have my picture taken, I'm agreeable, even if you 
 shoot off a flashlight at my ear. Or, if you want 
 me to see how long I can stay under water with- 
 out breathing I'll try that, too, provided you don't 
 leave me under too long. Lead the way — I'm 
 agreeable as far as I'm able, old man." 
 
 "Oh, it isn't anything like that," Tom answered 
 with a laugh. "I might as well give you a few 
 hints, so you'll know what I'm driving at. Then 
 I'll take you out and show it to you." 
 
 "What is it — air, earth or water?" asked Ned 
 Newton, for he knew his chum's activities led 
 along all three lines. 
 
 "This happens to be air." 
 
6 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "A new balloon?" 
 
 "Something like that. I call it my aerial war- 
 ship, though." 
 
 "Aerial warship, Tom! That sounds rather 
 dangerous !" 
 
 "It will be dangerous, too, if I can get it to 
 work. That's what it's intended for." 
 
 "But a warship of the air !" cried Ned. "You 
 can't mean it. A warship carries guns, mortars, 
 bombs, and " 
 
 "Yes, I know," interrupted Tom, "and I ap- 
 preciate all that when I called my newest craft an 
 aerial warship." 
 
 "But," objected Ned, "an aircraft that will 
 carry big guns will be so large that " 
 
 "Oh, mine is large enough," Tom broke in. 
 
 "Then it's finished !" cried Ned eagerly, for he 
 was much interested in his chum's inventions. 
 
 "Well, not exactly," Tom said. "But what I 
 was going to tell you was that all guns are not 
 necessarily large. You can get big results with 
 small guns and projectiles now, for high-powered 
 explosives come in small packages. So it isn't 
 altogether a question of carrying a certain amount 
 of weight. Of course, an aerial warship will 
 have to be big, for it will have to carry extra 
 machinery to give it extra speed, and it will have 
 to carry a certain armament, and a large crew 
 
TOM IS PUZZLED ; 
 
 will be needed. So, as I said, it will need to be 
 large. But that problem isn't worrying me." 
 
 "Well, what is it, then?" asked Ned. 
 
 "It's the recoil," said Tom, with a gesture of 
 despair. 
 
 "The recoil ?" questioned Ned, wonderingly. 
 
 "Yes, from the guns, you know. I haven't 
 been able to overcome that, and, until I do, I'm 
 afraid my latest invention will be a failure." 
 
 Ned shook his head. 
 
 "I'm afraid I can't help you any," he said. 
 ""The only thing I know about recoils is connected 
 With an old shotgun my father used to own. 
 
 "I took that once, when he didn't know it," 
 Ned proceeded. "It was pretty heavily loaded, 
 for the crows had been having fun in our corn- 
 field, and dad had been shooting at them. This 
 time I thought I'd take a chance. 
 
 "Well, I fired the gun. But it must have had a 
 double charge in it and been rusted at that. All 
 I know is that after I pulled the trigger I thought 
 the end of the world had come. I heard a clap 
 of thunder, and then I went flying over backward 
 into a blackberry patch." 
 
 "That was the recoil," said Tom. 
 
 "The what?" asked Ned. 
 
 "The recoil. The recoil of the gun knocked 
 you over." 
 
8 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 "Oh, yes," observed Ned, rubbing his shoulder 
 in a reflective sort of way. "I always thought 
 it was something like that. But, at the time I 
 put it down to an explosion, and let it go at 
 that." 
 
 "No, it wasn't an explosion, properly speak- 
 ing," said Tom. "You see, when powder ex- 
 plodes, in a gun, or otherwise, its force is exerted 
 in all directions, up, down and every way." 
 
 "This went mostly backward — in my direc* 
 tion," said Ned ruefully. 
 
 "You only thought so," returned Tom. "Most 
 of the power went out in front, to force out the 
 shot. Part of it, of course, was exerted on the 
 barrel of the gun — that was sideways — but the 
 strength of the steel held it in. And part of the 
 force went backward against your shoulder, 
 That part was the recoil, and it is the recoil of 
 the guns I figure on putting aboard my aerial war- 
 ship that is giving me such trouble." 
 
 "Is that what makes you look so blue?" asked 
 Ned. 
 
 "That's it. I can't seem to find a way by which 
 to take up the recoil, and the force of it, from all 
 the guns I want to carry, will just about tear my 
 ship to pieces, I figure." 
 
 "Then you haven't actually tried it out yet?'" 
 asked Ned. 
 
TOM IS PUZZLED 9 
 
 "Not the guns, no. I have the warship of the 
 air nearly done, but I've worked out on paper the 
 problem of the guns far enough so that I know 
 I'm up against it. It can't be done, and an aerial 
 warship without guns wouldn't be worth much, 
 I'm afraid." 
 
 "I suppose not," agreed Ned. "And is it only 
 the recoil that is bothering you?" 
 
 "Mostly. But come, take a look at my latest 
 pet," and Tom arose to lead the way to another 
 shed, a large one in the distance, toward which he 
 waved his hand to indicate to his chum that there 
 was housed the wonderful invention. 
 
 The two chums crossed the yard, threading 
 their way through the various buildings, until 
 they stood in front of the structure to which Tom 
 had called attention. 
 
 "It's in here," he said. "I don't mind admit- 
 ting that I'm quite proud of it, Ned; that is, 
 proud as far as I've gone. But the gun business 
 sure has me worried. I'm going to talk it off on 
 you. Hello!" cried Tom suddenly, as he put a 
 key in the complicated lock on the door, "some- 
 one has been in here. I wonder who it is ?" 
 
 Ned was a little startled at the look on Tom's 
 face and the sound of alarm in his chum's voice. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 A FIRE ALARM 
 
 Tom Swift quickly opened the door of the big 
 shed. It was built to house a dirigible balloon, 
 or airship of some sort. Ned could easily teU 
 that from his knowledge of Tom's previous in- 
 ventions. 
 
 "Something wrong?" asked the young bank 
 clerk. 
 
 "I don't know," returned Tom, and then, as 
 he looked inside the place, he breathed a sigh of 
 relief. 
 
 "Oh, it's you, is it, Koku?" he asked, as a ver- 
 itable giant of a man came forward. 
 
 "Yes, master, it is only Koku and your father," 
 spoke the big chap, with rather a strange accent. 
 
 "Oh, is my father here?" asked Tom. "I was 
 wondering who had opened the door of this 
 shed." 
 
 "Yes, Tom," responded the elder Swift, com- 
 ing up to them, "I had a new idea in regard to 
 some of those side guy wires, and I wanted to try: 
 
 10 
 
A FIRE ALARM II 
 
 it out. I brought Koku with me to use his 
 strength on some of them." 
 
 "That's all right, Dad. Ned and I came out to 
 wrestle with that recoil problem again. I want 
 to try some guns on the craft soon, but " 
 
 "You'd better not, Tom," warned his father. 
 "It will never work, I tell you. You can't expect 
 to take up quick-firing guns and bombs in an air- 
 ship, and have them work properly. Better give 
 it up." 
 
 "I never will. I'll make it work, Dad !" 
 
 "I don't believe you will, Tom. This time you 
 have bitten off more than you can chew, to use 
 a homely but expressive statement." 
 
 "Well, Dad, we'll see," began Tom easily. 
 "There she is, Ned," he went on. "Now, if you'll 
 come around here " 
 
 But Tom never finished that sentence, for at 
 that moment there came running into the airship 
 shed an elderly, short, stout, fussy gentleman, 
 followed by an aged colored man. Both of them 
 seemed very much excited. 
 
 "Bless my socks, Tom!" cried the short, stout 
 man. "There sure is trouble !" 
 
 "I should say so, Massa Tom !" added the col- 
 ored man. "I done did prognosticate dat some 
 day de combustible material of which dat shed 
 am composed would conflaggrate " 
 
12 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "What's the matter?" interrupted Tom, jump- 
 ing forward. "Speak out! Eradicate! Mr. 
 Damon, what is it?" 
 
 "The red shed!" cried the short little man. 
 "The red shed, Tom " 
 
 "It's on fire !" yelled the colored man. 
 
 "Great thunderclaps!" cried Tom. "Come on 
 — everybody on the job !" he yelled. "Koku, pull 
 the alarm ! If that red shed goes " 
 
 Instantly the place was in confusion. Tom and 
 Ned, looking from a window of the hangar, saw 
 a billow of black smoke roll across the yard. But 
 already the private fire bell was clanging out its 
 warning. And, while the work of fighting the 
 flames is under way, I will halt the progress of 
 this story long enough to give my new readers a 
 little idea of who Tom Swift is, so they may 
 read this book more intelligently. Those of you 
 who have perused the previous volumes may skip 
 
 this part. 
 
 Tom Swift, though rather young in years, was 
 an inventor of note. His tastes and talents were 
 developed along the line of machinery and loco- 
 motion. Motorcycles, automobiles, motorboats, 
 submarine craft, and, latest of all, craft of the 
 air, had occupied the attention of Tom Swift and 
 his father for some years. 
 
 Mr. Swift was a widower, and lived with Tom, 
 
A FIRE ALARM 13 
 
 his only son, in the village of Shopton, New York 
 State. Mrs. Baggert kept house for them, and 
 an aged colored man, Eradicate Sampson, with 
 his mule, Boomerang, did "odd jobs" about the 
 Shopton home and factories. 
 
 Among Tom's friends was a Mr. Wakefield 
 Damon, from a nearby village. Mr. Damon was 
 always blessing something, from his hat to his 
 shoes, a harmless sort of habit that seemed to 
 afford him much comfort. Then there was Ned 
 Newton, a boyhood chum of Tom's, who worked 
 in the Shopton bank. I will just mention Mary 
 Nestor, a young lady of Shopton, in whom Tom 
 was more than ordinarily interested. I have 
 spoken of Koku, the giant. He really was a giant 
 of a man, of enormous strength, and was one of 
 two whom Tom had brought with him from a 
 strange land where Tom was held captive for a 
 time. You may read about it in a book devoted 
 to those adventures. 
 
 Tom took Koku into his service, somewhat to 
 the dismay of Eradicate, who was desperately 
 jealous. But poor Eradicate was getting old, and 
 could not do as much as he thought he could. So, 
 in a great measure, Koku replaced him, and Tom 
 found much use for the giant's strength. 
 
 Tom had begun his inventive work when, some 
 years before this story opens, he had bargained 
 
14 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 for Mr. Damon's motorcycle, after that machine 
 had shot its owner into a tree. Mr. Damon was, 
 naturally, perhaps, much disgusted, and sold the 
 affair cheap. Tom repaired it, made some im- 
 provements, and, in the first volume of this series, 
 entitled "Tom Swift and His Motorcycles," you 
 may read of his rather thrilling adventures on 
 his speedy road-steed. 
 
 From then on Tom had passed a busy life, 
 making many machines and having some thrilling 
 times with them. Just previous to the opening 
 of this story Tom had made a peculiar instru- 
 ment, described in the volume entitled "Tom 
 Swift and His Photo-Telephone." With that a 
 person talking could not only see the features of 
 the person with whom he was conversing, but, by 
 means of a selenium plate and a sort of camera, 
 a permanent picture could be taken of the person 
 at either end of the wire. 
 
 By means of this invention Tom had been able 
 to make a picture that had saved a fortune. But 
 Tom did not stop there. With him to invent was 
 as natural and necessary as breathing. He sim- 
 ply could not stop it. And so we find him now 
 about to show to his chum, Ned Newton, his 
 latest patent, an aerial warship, which, however, 
 was not the success Tom had hoped for. 
 
 But just at present other matters than the war* 
 
A FIRE ALARM 1 5 
 
 ship were in Tom's mind. The red shed was on 
 fire. 
 
 That mere statement might not mean anything 
 special to the ordinary person, but to Tom, his 
 father, and those who knew about his shops, it 
 meant much. 
 
 "The red shed!" Tom cried. "We mustn't let 
 that get the best of us! Everybody at work! 
 Father, not you, though. You mustn't excite 
 yourself!" 
 
 Even in the midst of the alarm Tom thought 
 of his father, for the aged man had a weak heart, 
 and had on one occasion nearly expired, being 
 saved just in time by the arrival of a doctor, 
 whom Tom brought to the scene after a wonder- 
 ful race through the air. 
 
 "But, Tom, I can help," objected the aged in- 
 ventor. 
 
 "Now, you just take care of yourself, Father !" 
 Tom cried. "There are enough of us to look after 
 this fire, I think." 
 
 "But, Tom, it — it's the red shed !" gasped Mr. 
 Swift. 
 
 "I realize that, Dad. But i-t can't have much 
 of a start yet. Is the alarm ringing, Koku?" 
 
 "Yes, Master," replied the giant, in correct 
 but stilted English. "I have set the indicator to 
 signal the alarm in every shop on the premises." 
 
16 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "That's right." Tom sprang toward the door. 
 "Eradicate!" he called. 
 
 "Yais, sah ! Heah I is !" answered the colored 
 man. "I'll go git mah mule, Boomerang, right 
 away, an' he " 
 
 "Don't you bring Boomerang on the scene!" 
 Tom yelled. "When I want that shed kicked 
 apart I can do it better than by using a mule's 
 heels. And you know you can't do a thing with 
 Boomerang when he sees fire." 
 
 "Now dat's so, Massa Tom. But I could put 
 blinkers on him, an' " 
 
 "No, you let Boomerang stay where he is. 
 Come on, Ned. We'll see what we can do. Mr. 
 Damon " 
 
 "Yes, Tom, I'm right here," answered the pe- 
 culiar man, for he had come over from his home 
 in Water ford to pay a visit to his friends, Tom 
 and Mr. Swift. "I'll do anything I can to help 
 you, Tom, bless my necktie !" he went on. "Only 
 say the word !" 
 
 "We've got to get some of the stuff out of the 
 place!" Tom cried. "We may be able to save it, 
 but I can't take a chance on putting out the fire 
 and letting some of the things in there go up .in 
 smoke. Come on!" 
 
 Those in the shed where was housed what Tom 
 hoped would prove to be a successful aerial war- 
 
A FIRE ALARM 17 
 
 ship rushed to the open. From the other shops 
 and buildings nearby were pouring men and boys, 
 for the Swift plant employed a number of hands 
 now. 
 
 Above the shouts and yells, above the crackle 
 of flames, could be heard the clanging of the 
 alarm bell, set ringing by Koku, who had pulled 
 the signal in the airship shed. From there it 
 had gone to every building in the plant, being 
 relayed by the telephone operator, whose duty it 
 was to look after that. 
 
 "My, you've got a big enough fire-fighting 
 force, Tom !" cried Ned in his chum's ear. 
 
 "Yes, I guess we can master it, if it hasn't 
 gotten the best of us. Say, it's going some, 
 though!" 
 
 Tom pointed to where a shed, painted red — a 
 sign of danger — could be seen partly enveloped 
 in smoke, amid the black clouds of which shot 
 out red tongues of flame. 
 
 "What have you got it painted red for?" Ned 
 asked pantingly, as they ran on. 
 
 "Because " Tom began, but the rest of the 
 
 sentence was lost in a yell. 
 
 Tom had caught sight of Eradicate and the 
 giant, Koku, unreeling from a central standpipe 
 a long line of hos,.. 
 
18 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "Don't take that !" Tom cried. "Don't use that 
 hose ! Drop it !" 
 
 "What's the matter? Is it rotten?" Ned 
 wanted to know. 
 
 "No, but if they pull it out the water will be 
 turned on automatically." 
 
 "Well, isn't that what you want at a fire — > 
 Water?" Ned demanded. 
 
 "Not at this fire," was Tom's answer. "There's 
 a lot of calcium carbide in that red shed — that's 
 why it's red — to warn the men of danger. You 
 know what happens when water gets on carbide 
 — there's an explosion, and there's enough car- 
 bide in that shed to send the whole works sky 
 high. 
 
 "Drop that hose !" yelled Tom in louder tones. 
 "Drop it, Rad — Koku! Do you want to kill us 
 all!" 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 A DESPERATE BATTLE 
 
 Tom's tones and voice were so insistent that 
 the giant and the colored man had no choice but 
 to obey. They dropped the hose which, half un- 
 reeled, lay like some twisted snake in the grass. 
 Had it been pulled out all the way the water 
 would have spurted from the nozzle, for it was 
 of the automatic variety, with which Tom had 
 equipped all his plant. 
 
 "But what are you going to do, Tom, if you 
 don't use water?" asked Ned, wonderingly. 
 
 "I don't know — yet, but I know water is the 
 worst thing you can put on carbide," returned 
 Tom. For all he spoke slowly his brain was 
 working fast. Already, even now, he was plan- 
 ning how best to give battle to the flames. 
 
 It needed but an instant's thought on the part 
 of Ned to make him understand that Tom was 
 right. It would be well-nigh fatal to use water 
 on carbide. Those of you who have bicycle lan- 
 terns, in which that not very pleasant-smelling 
 
20 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 chemical is used, know that if a few drops of 
 water are allowed to drip slowly on the gray 
 crystals acetylene gas is generated, which makes 
 a brilliant light. But, if the water drips too fast, 
 the gas is generated too quickly, and an explosion 
 results. In lamps, of course, and in lighting 
 plants where carbide is used, there are automatic 
 arrangements to prevent the water flowing too 
 freely to the chemical. But Tom knew if the hose 
 were turned on the fire in the red shed a great ex- 
 plosion would result, for some of the tins of car- 
 bide would be melted by the heat. 
 
 Yet the fire needed to be coped with. Already 
 the flames were coming through the roof, and the 
 windows and door were spouting red fire and 
 volumes of smoke. 
 
 Several other employees of Tom's plant had 
 made ready to unreel more hose, but the warning 
 of the young inventor, shouted to Eradicate and 
 Koku, had had its effect. Every man dropped the 
 line he had begun to unreel. 
 
 "Ha! Massa Tom say drop de hose, but how 
 yo' gwine t' squirt watah on a fire wifout a hose; 
 answer me dat?" and Eradicate looked at Koku. 
 
 "Me no know," was the slow answer. "I guess 
 Koku go pull shed down and stamp out fire." 
 
 "Huh! Maybe yo' could do dat in cannibal 
 land, where yo' all come from," spoke Eradicate, 
 
A DESPERATE BATTLE 21 
 
 "but yo' can't do dat heah! 'Sides, de red shed 
 will blow up soon. Dere's suffin' else in dere ex- 
 cept carbide, an' dat's gwine t' go up soon, dat's 
 suah!" 
 
 "Maybe you get your strong man-mule, Boom- 
 erang," suggested Koku. "Nothing ever hurt 
 him — explosion or nothing. He can kick shed 
 all to pieces, and put out fire." 
 
 "Dat's what I wanted t' do, but Massa Tom 
 say I cain't," explained the colored man. "Golly ! 
 Look at dat fire !" 
 
 Indeed the blaze was now assuming alarming 
 proportions. The red shed, which was not a small 
 structure, was blazing on all sides. About it 
 stood the men from the various shops. 
 
 "Tom, you must do something," said Mr. 
 Swift. "If the flames once reach that helma- 
 nite " 
 
 "I know, Father. But that explosive is in 
 double vacuum containers, and it will be safe for 
 some time yet. Besides, it's in the cellar. It's the 
 carbide I'm most worried about. We daren't 
 use water." 
 
 "But something will have to be done!" ex- 
 claimed Mr. Damon. "Bless my red necktie, if 
 we don't " 
 
 "Better get back a way," suggested Tom. 
 "Something may go off!" 
 
22 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 His words of warning had their effect, and tha 
 whole circle moved back several paces. 
 
 "Is there anything of value in the shed ?" asked 
 Ned. 
 
 "I should say there was !" Tom answered. "I 
 hoped we could get some of them out, but we can't 
 now — until the fire dies down a bit, at any rate." 
 
 "Look, Tom ! The pattern shop roof is catch- 
 ing!" shouted Mr. Swift, pointing to where a 
 little spurt of flame showed on the roof of a dis- 
 tant building. 
 
 "It's from sparks !" Tom said. 
 
 "Any danger of using water there?" Ned 
 wanted to know. 
 
 "No, use all you like! That's the only thing 
 to do. Come on, you with the hose!" Tom 
 yelled. "Save the other buildings !" 
 
 "But are you going to let the red shed burn?" 
 asked Mr. Swift. "You know what it means, 
 Tom." 
 
 "Yes, Father, I know. And I'm going to fight 
 that fire in a new way. But we must save the 
 other buildings, too. Play water on all the other 
 sheds and structures !" ordered the young inven- 
 tor. "I'll tackle this one myself. Oh, Ned !" he 
 called. 
 
 "Yes," answered his chum. "What is it ?" 
 
 "You take charge of protecting the place where 
 
A DESPERATE BATTLE 23 
 
 the new aerial warship is stored. Will you? I 
 can't afford to lose that." 
 
 "I'll look after it, Tom. No harm in using 
 water there, though ; is there ?" 
 
 "Not if you don't use too much. Some of the 
 woodwork isn't varnished yet, and I wouldn't 
 want it to be wet. But do the best you can. Take 
 Koku and Eradicate with you. They can't do 
 any good here." 
 
 "Do you mean to say you're going to give up 
 and let this burn?" 
 
 "Not a bit of it, Ned. But I have another plan 
 I want to try. Lively now ! The wind's chang- 
 ing, and it's blowing over toward my aerial war- 
 ship shed. If that catches " 
 
 Tom shook his head protestingly, and Ned set 
 off on the run, calling to the colored man and 
 the giant to get out another line of hose. 
 
 "I wonder what Tom is going to do?" mused 
 Ned, as he neared the big shed he and the others 
 had left on the alarm of fire. 
 
 Tom, himself, seemed in no doubt as to his 
 procedure. With one look at the blazing red 
 shed, as if to form an opinion as to how much 
 longer it could burn without getting entirely be- 
 yond control, Tom set off on a run toward an- 
 other large structure. Ned, glancing toward his 
 chum, observed : 
 
24 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "The dirigible shed ! I wonder what his game 
 is? Surely that can't be in danger — it's too far 
 off!" 
 
 Ned was right as to the last statement. The 
 shed, where was housed a great dirigible balloon 
 Tom had made, but which he seldom used of late, 
 was sufficiently removed from the zone of fire 
 to be out of danger. 
 
 Meanwhile several members of the fire-fighting 
 force that had been summoned from the various 
 shops by the alarm, had made an effort to save 
 from the red shed some of the more valuable of 
 the contents. There were some machines in there, 
 as well as explosives and chemicals, in addition 
 to the store of carbide. 
 
 But the fire was now too hot to enable much 
 to be done in the way of salvage. One or two 
 small things were carried out from a little addi- 
 tion to the main structure, and then the rescuers 
 were driven back by the heat of the flames, as 
 well as by the rolling clouds of black smoke. 
 
 "Keep away!" warned Mr. Swift. "It will ex- 
 plode soon. Keep back!" 
 
 "That's right !" added Mr. Damon. "Bless my 
 powder-horn! We may all be going sky-high 
 soon, and without aid from any of Tom Swift's 
 aeroplanes, either." 
 
 Warned by the aged inventor, the throng of 
 
A DESTERATE BATTLE 25 
 
 men began slowly moving away from the immedi- 
 ate neighborhood of the blazing shed. Though 
 it may seem to the reader that some time had 
 elapsed since the first sounding of the alarm, all 
 that I have set down took place in a very short 
 period — hardly three minutes elapsing since Tom 
 and the others came rushing out of the aerial war- 
 ship building. 
 
 Suddenly a cry arose from the crowd of men 
 near the red shed. Ned, who stood ready with 
 several lines of hose, in charge of Koku, Eradi- 
 cate and others, to turn them on the airship shed, 
 in case of need, looked in the direction of the 
 "Excited throng. 
 
 The young bank clerk saw a strange sight. 
 From the top of the dirigible balloon shed a long, 
 black, cigar-shaped body arose, floating gradually 
 upward. The very roof of the shed slid back 
 out of the way, as Tom pressed the operating 
 lever, and the dirigible was free to rise — as free 
 as though it had been in an open field. 
 
 "He's going up!" cried Ned in surprise. 
 "Making an ascent at a time like this, when he 
 ought to stay here to fight the fire ! What's got- 
 ten into Tom, I'd like to know? I wonder if he 
 can be " 
 
 Ned did not finish his half-formed sentence. A 
 dreadful thought came into his mind. What if 
 
B6 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 the sudden fire, and the threatened danger, as 
 well as the prospective loss that confronted Tom, 
 had affected his mind ? 
 
 "It certainly looks so," mused Ned, as he saw 
 the big balloon float free from the shed. There 
 was no doubt but that Tom was in it. He could 
 be seen standing within the pilot-house, operating 
 the various wheels and levers that controlled the 
 ship of the air. 
 
 "What can he be up to?" marveled Tom. "1$ 
 he going to run away from the fire?" 
 
 Koku, Eradicate and several others were at- 
 tracted by the sight of the great dirigible, now a 
 considerable distance up in the air. Certainly 
 it looked as though Tom Swift were running 
 away. Yet Ned knew his chum better than that. 
 
 Then, as they watched, Ned and the others saw 
 the direction of the balloon change. She turned 
 around in response to the influence of the rudders 
 and propellers, and was headed straight for tha 
 blazing shed, but some distance above it. 
 
 "What can he be planning?" wondered Ned. 
 
 He' did not have long to wait to find out. 
 
 An instant later Tom' s plan was made clear" 
 to his chum. He saw Tom circling over the 
 burning red shed, and then the bank clerk saw 
 what looked like fine rain dropping from the 
 lower part of the balloon straight into the flames. 
 
A DESPERATE BATTLE 2? 
 
 "He can't be dousing water on from up above 
 there," reasoned Ned. "Pouring water on car- 
 bide from a height is just as bad as spurting it on 
 from a hose, though perhaps not so dangerous to 
 the persons doing it. But it can't be 
 
 "By Jove !" suddenly exclaimed Ned, as he had 
 a better view of what was going on. "It's sand, 
 that's what it is! Tom is giving battle to the 
 flames with sand from the ballast bags of the dir- 
 igible ! Hurray : That's the ticket ! Sand ! The 
 only thing safe to use in case of an explosive 
 chemical fire. 
 
 v Fine for you, Tom Swift! Fine!" 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 SUSPICIONS 
 
 High up aloft, over the blazing red shed, with 
 its dangerous contents that any moment might 
 explode, Tom Swift continued to hold his big 
 dirigible balloon as near the flames as possible. 
 And as he stood outside on the small deck in 
 front of the pilot-house, where were located the 
 various controls, the young inventor pulled the 
 levers that emptied bag after bag of fine sand 
 on the spouting flames that, already, were begin- 
 ning to die down as a result of this effectual 
 quenching. 
 
 "Tom's done the trick !" yelled Ned, paying lit- 
 tle attention now to the big airship shed, since he 
 saw that the danger was about over. 
 
 "Dhat's what he suah hab done !" agreed Eradi- 
 cate. "Mah ole mule Boomerang couldn't 'a' 
 done any better." 
 
 "Huh! Your mule afraid of fire," remarked 
 Koku. 
 
 "What's dat ? Mah mule afraid ob fire ?" cried 
 28 
 
SUSPICIONS 29 
 
 the colored man. "Look heah, yo' great, big, 
 overgrowed specimen ob an equilateral quadru- 
 ped, I'll hab yo' all understand dat when yo' all 
 speaks dat way about a friend ob mine dat 
 yo' •" 
 
 "That'll do, Rad !" broke in Ned, with a laugh. 
 He knew that when Tom's helper grew excited 
 on the subject of his mule there was no stopping 
 him, and Boomerang was a point on which Eradi- 
 cate and Koku were always arguing. "The fire is 
 under control now." 
 
 "Yes, it seems to have gone visiting," observed 
 Koku. 
 
 "Visiting?" queried Ned, in„some surprise. 
 
 "Yes, that is, it is going out," went on Koku. 
 
 "Oh, I understand !" laughed Ned. "Yes, and 
 I hope it doesn't pay us another visit soon. Oh, 
 look at Tom, would you !" he cried, for the young 
 aviator had r.wung his ship about over the flames, 
 to bring another row of sand bags directly above 
 a place where the fire was hottest. 
 
 Down showered more sand from the bags 
 which Tom opened. No fire could long continue 
 to blaze under that treatment. The supply of air 
 was cut off, and without that no fire can exist. 
 Water would have been worse than useless, be- 
 cause of the carbide, but the sand covered it up 
 so that it was made perfectly harmless. 
 
30 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 Moving slowly, the airship hovered over every 
 part of the now slowly expiring flames, the 
 burned opening in the roof of the shed making it 
 possible for the sand to reach the spots where it 
 was most needed. The flames died out in section 
 after section, until no more could be seen — only 
 clouds of black smoke. 
 
 "How is it now?" came Tom's voice, as he 
 spoke from the deck of the balloon through a 
 megaphone. 
 
 "Almost out," answered Mr. Damon. "A little 
 more sand, Tom." 
 
 The eccentric man had caught up a piece of 
 paper and, rolling it into a cone, made an impro- 
 vised megaphone of that. 
 
 "Haven't much more sand left," was Tom's 
 comment, as he sent down a last shower. "That 
 will have to do. Hustle that carbide and other 
 explosive stuff out of there now, while you have 
 a chance." 
 
 "That's it !" cried Ned, who caught his chum's 
 meaning. "Come on, Koku. There's work for 
 you." 
 
 "Me like work," answered the giant, stretching 
 out his great arms. 
 
 The last of the sand had completely smothered 
 the fire, and Tom, observing from aloft that his 
 work was well done, moved away in the dirigible, 
 
SUSPICIONS 31 
 
 sending it to a landing space some little distance 
 away from the shed whence it had arisen. It was 
 impossible to drop it back again through the roof 
 of the hangar, as the balloon was of such bulk 
 that even a little breeze would deflect it so that ; 
 it could not be accurately anchored. But Tom 
 had it under very good control, and soon it was 
 being held down on the ground by some of his 
 helpers. 
 
 As all the sand ballast had been allowed to rum 
 out Tom was obliged to open the gas-valves and 
 let some of the lifting vapor escape, or he could 
 not have descended. 
 
 "Come on, now!" cried the inventor, as he 
 leaped from the deck of his sky craft. "Let's 
 clean out the red shed. That fire is only smoth- 
 ered, and there may be sparks smoldering under 
 that sand, which will burst into flame, if we're 
 not careful. Let's get the explosives out of the 
 way." 
 
 "Bless my insurance policy, yes," exclaimed 
 Mr. Damon. "That was a fine move of yours." 
 
 "It was the only way I could think of to put 
 out the fire," Tom replied. "I knew water was 
 out of the question, and sand was the next thing. 
 
 "But I didn't know where to get any until I 
 happened to think of the ballast bags of my dirigi- 
 We. Then I knew, if I could get above the fire. 
 
32 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 I could do the trick. I had to fly pretty high, 
 though, as the fire was hot, and I was afraid it 
 might explode the gas bag and wreck me." 
 
 "You were taking a chance," remarked Ned. 
 
 "Oh, well, you have to take chances in this 
 business," observed Tom, with a smile. "Now, 
 then, let's finish this work." 
 
 The sand, falling from the ballast bags of the 
 dirigible, had so effectually quenched the fire that 
 it was soon cool enough to permit close approach. 
 Koku, Tom and some of the men who best knew 
 how to handle the explosives, were soon engaged 
 in the work of salvage. 
 
 "I wish I could help you, Tom," said his aged 
 father. "I don't seem able to do anything but 
 stand here and look on," and he gazed about him 
 rather sadly. 
 
 "Never you mind, Dad!" Tom exclaimed. 
 "We'll get along all right now. You'd better go 
 up to the house. Mr. Damon will go with you." 
 
 "Yes, of course!" exclaimed the odd man, 
 catching a wink from Tom, who wanted his 
 father not to get too excited on account of his 
 weak heart. "Come along, Professor Swift. The 
 danger is all over." 
 
 "All right," assented the aged inventor, with 
 a look at the still smoking shed. 
 
 "And, Dad, when you haven't anything else to 
 
SUSPICIONS 33 
 
 do," went on Tom, rather whimsically, "you 
 might be thinking up some plan to take up the 
 recoil of those guns on my aerial warship. I con- 
 fess I'm clean stumped on that point." 
 
 "Your aerial warship will never be a success," 
 declared Mr. Swift. "You might as well give 
 that up, Tom." 
 
 "Don't you believe it, Dad!" cried Tom, with 
 more of a jolly air of one chum toward another 
 than as though the talk was between father and 
 son. "You solve the recoil problem for me, and 
 I'll take care of the rest, and make the air war- 
 ship sail. But we've got something else to da 
 just now. Lively, boys." 
 
 While Mr. Swift, taking Mr. Damon's arm, 
 walked toward the house, Tom, Ned, Koku, and 
 some of the workmen began carrying out the ex- 
 plosives which had so narrowly escaped the fire. 
 With long hooks the men pulled the shed apart, 
 where the side walls had partly been burned 
 through. Tom maintained an efficient fire-fight- 
 ing force at his works, and the men had the 
 proper tools with which to work. 
 
 Soon large openings were made on three sides 
 of the red shed, or rather, what was left of it, 
 and through these the dangerous chemicals and 
 carbide, in sheet-iron cans, were carried out to a 
 place of safety. In a little while nothing re- 
 
34 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 mained but a heap of hot sand, some charred em- 
 bers and certain material that had been burned. 
 
 "Much loss, Tom?" asked Ned, as they sur- 
 veyed the ruins. They were both black and 
 grimy, tired and dirty, but there was a great sense 
 of satisfaction. 
 
 "Well, yes, there's more lost than I like to think 
 of," answered Tom slowly, "but it would have 
 been a heap sight worse if the stuff had gone up. 
 Still, I can replace what I've lost, except a few 
 models I kept in this place. I really oughtn't to 
 have stored them here, but since I've been work- 
 ing on my new aerial warship I have sort of let 
 other matters slide. I intended to make the red 
 shed nothing but a storehouse for explosive 
 chemicals, but I still had some of my plans and 
 models in it when it caught." 
 
 "Only for the sand the whole place might have 
 gone," said Ned in a low voice. 
 
 "Yes. It's lucky I had plenty of ballast aboard 
 the dirigible. You see, I've been running it alone 
 lately, and I had to take on plenty of sand to 
 make up for the weight of the several passengers 
 I usually carry. So I had plenty of stuff to 
 shower down on the fire. I wonder how it started, 
 anyhow? I must investigate this." 
 
 "Mr. Damon and Eradicate seem to have seen 
 it first," remarked Ned. 
 
SUSPICIONS 35 
 
 "Yes. At least they gave the alarm. Guess 
 I'll ask Eradicate how he happened to notice. 
 Oh, I say, Rad !" Tom called to the colored man. 
 
 "Yais, sah, Massa Tom! I'se comin' !" the 
 darky cried, as he finished piling up, at a safe dis- 
 tance from the fire, a number of cans of car- 
 bide. 
 
 "How'd you happen to see the red shed 
 ablaze ?" Tom asked. 
 
 ''Why, it was jest dish yeah way, Massa Tom," 
 began the colored man. "I had jest been feedin' 
 mah mule, Boomerang. He were pow'ful hun- 
 gry, Boomerang were, an', when I give him some 
 oats, wif a carrot sliced up in 'em — no, hole on — 
 did I gib him a carrot t'day, or was it yist'day ?— * 
 I done fo'got. No, it were yist'day I done gib 
 him de carrot, I 'member now, 'case " 
 
 "Oh, never mind the carrot, or Boomerang, 
 either, Rad !" broke in Tom, "I'm asking you 
 about the fire." 
 
 "An' I'se tellin' yo', Massa Tom," declared 
 Eradicate, with a rather reproachful look at his 
 master. "But I wanted t' do it right an' proper. 
 I were comin' from Boomerang's stable, an' I see 
 surfin' red spoutin' up at one corner ob de red 
 shed. I knowed it were fire right away, an' I 
 yelled." 
 
 "Yes, I heard you yell," Tom said. "But what 
 
36 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 I wanted to know is, did you see anyone near the 
 red shed at the time?" 
 
 "No, Massa Tom, I done didn't." 
 
 "I wonder if Mr. Damon did? I must ask 
 him," went on the young inventor. "Come, on, 
 Ned, we'll go up to the house. Everything is all 
 right here, I think. Whew ! But that was some 
 excitement. And I didn't show you my aerial 
 warship after all ! Nor have you settled that re- 
 coil problem for me." 
 
 "Time enough, I guess," responded Ned. 
 "You sure did have a lucky escape, Tom." 
 
 "That's right. Well, Koku, what is it?" for 
 the giant had approached, holding out something 
 in his hand. 
 
 "Koku found this in red shed," went on the 
 giant, holding out a round, blackened object. 
 "Maybe him powder; go bang-bang!" 
 
 "Oh, you think it's something explosive, eh?" 
 asked Tom, as he took the object from the giant. 
 
 "Koku no think much," was the answer. "Him 
 look funny." 
 
 Tom did not speak for a moment. Then he 
 cried : 
 
 "Look funny! I should say it did! See here, 
 Ned, if this isn't suspicious I'll eat my hat!" and 
 Tom beckoned excitedly to his chum, who had 
 walked on a little in advance. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 A QUEER STRANGER 
 
 What Tom Swift held in his hand looked like 
 «i small cannon ball, but it could not have been 
 solid or the young aviator would not so easily 
 have held it out at arm's length for his friend 
 Ned Newton to look at. 
 
 "This puts a different face on it, Ned," Tom 
 Went on, as he turned the object over. 
 
 "Is that likely to go off?" the bank clerk asked, 
 as he came to a halt a little distance from his 
 friend. 
 
 "Go off? No, it's done all the damage it could, 
 I guess." 
 
 "Damage? It looks to me as though it had 
 suffered the most damage itself. What is it, one 
 of your models ? Looks like a bomb to me." 
 
 "And that's what it is, Ned." 
 
 "Not one of those you're going to use on your 
 aerial warship, is it, Tom?" 
 
 "Not exactly. I never saw this before, but it's 
 what started the fire in the red shed all right ; I'm 
 sure of that." 
 
 37 
 
38 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIR 
 
 "Do you really mean it?" cried Ned. 
 
 "I sure do." 
 
 "Well, if that's the case, I wouldn't leave such 
 dangerous things around where there are explo- 
 sives, Tom." 
 
 "I didn't, Ned. I wouldn't have had this with' 
 in a hundred miles of my shed, if I could have 
 had my way. It's a fire bomb, and it was set to 
 go off at a certain time. Only I think something 
 went wrong, and the bomb started a fire ahead 
 of time. 
 
 "If it had worked at night, when we were all 
 asleep, we might not have put the fire out so 
 easily. This sure is suspicious! I'm glad you 
 found this, Koku." 
 
 Tom was carefully examining the bomb, as 
 Ned had correctly named it. The bank clerk, 
 now that he was assured by his chum that the 
 object had done all the harm it could, approached 
 closer. 
 
 What he saw was merely a hollow shell of 
 iron, with a small opening in it, as though in- 
 tended for a place through which to put a charge 
 of explosives and a fuse. 
 
 "But there was no explosion, Tom," explained 
 Ned. 
 
 "I know it," said Tom quietly. "It wasn't a» 
 explosive bomb. Smell that!" 
 
A QUEER STRANGER 39 
 
 He held the object under Ned's nose so sud- 
 denly that the young bank clerk jumped back. 
 
 "Oh, don't get nervous," laughed Tom. "It 
 can't hurt you now. But what does that smell 
 like?" 
 
 Ned sniffed, sniffed again, thought for a mo- 
 ment, and then sniffed a third time. 
 
 "Why," he said slowly, "I don't just know the 
 name of it, but it's that funny stuff you mix up 
 sometimes to put in the oxygen tanks when we 
 go up in the rarefied atmosphere in the balloon 
 or airship." 
 
 "Manganese and potash," spoke Tom. "That 
 and two or three other things that form a chemi- 
 cal combination which goes off by itself of spon- 
 taneous combustion after a certain time. Only 
 the person who put this bomb together didn't get 
 the chemical mixture just right, and it went off 
 ahead of time; for which we have to be duly 
 thankful." 
 
 "Do you really think that, Tom?" cried Ned. 
 
 "I'm positive of it," was the quiet answer. 
 
 "Why — why — that would mean some one tried 
 to set fire to the red shed, Tom!" 
 
 "They not only tried it, but did it," responded 
 Tom, more coolly than seemed natural under the 
 circumstances. "Only for the fact that the mix- 
 ture went off before it was intended to, and 
 
40 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 found us all alert and ready — well, I don't like 
 to think what might have happened," and Tom 
 cast a look about at his group of buildings with 
 their valuable contents. 
 
 "You mean some one purposely put that bomb 
 in the red shed, Tom?" 
 
 "That's exactly what I mean. Some enemy, 
 who wanted to do me an injury, planned this 
 thing deliberately. He filled this steel shell with 
 chemicals which, of themselves, after a certain 
 time, would send out a hot tongue of flame 
 through this hole," and Tom pointed to the open- 
 ing in the round steel shell. 
 
 "He knew the fire would be practically un- 
 quenchable by ordinary means, and he counted 
 on its soon eating its way into the carbide and 
 other explosives. Only it didn't." 
 
 "Why, Tom!" cried Ned. "It was just like 
 one of those alarm-clock dynamite bombs — set 
 to go off at a certain time." 
 
 "Exactly," Tom said, "only this was more deli- 
 cate, and, if it had worked properly, there 
 wouldn't have been a vestige left to give us a 
 clue. But the fire, thanks to the ballast sand in 
 the dirigible, was put out in time. The fuse 
 burned itself out, but I can tell by the smell 
 what chemicals were in it. That's all, Koku," 
 be went on to the giant who had stood waiting, 
 
A QUEER STRANGER 41 
 
 not understanding all the talk between Tom and 
 Ned. "I'll take care of this now." 
 
 "Bad man put it there?" asked the giant, who 
 at least comprehended that something was wrong. 
 
 "Well, yes, I guess you could say it was a bad 
 man," replied Tom. 
 
 "Ha! If Koku find bad man — bad for that 
 man!" muttered the giant, as he clasped his two 
 enormous hands together, as though they were 
 already on the fellow who had tried to do Tom 
 Swift such an injury. 
 
 "I wouldn't like to be that man, if Koku catches 
 him," observed Ned. "Have you any idea who 
 it could be, Tom?" 
 
 "Not the least. Of course I know I have ene- 
 mies, Ned. Every successful inventor has — per- 
 sons who imagine he has stolen their ideas, 
 whether he has ever seen them or not. It may 
 have been one of those persons, or some half- 
 mad crank, who was jealous. It would be impos- 
 sible to say, Ned." 
 
 "It wouldn't be Andy Foger, would it?" 
 
 "No; I don't believe Andy has been in this 
 neighborhood for some time. The last lesson we 
 gave him sickened him, I guess." 
 
 "How about those diamond-makers, whose se- 
 cret you discovered ? They wouldn't be trying to 
 get back at you, would they?" 
 
42 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 Well, it's possible, Ned. But I don't imagine 
 so. They seem to have been pretty well broken 
 up. No, I don't believe it was the diamond-mak- 
 ers who put this fire bomb in the red shed. Their 
 line of activities didn't include this branch. It 
 takes a chemist to know just how to blend the 
 things contained in the bomb, and even a good 
 chemist is likely to fail — as this one did, as far 
 as time went." 
 
 "What are you going to do about it?" Ned 
 asked. 
 
 "I don't know," and Tom spoke slowly, "I 
 hoped I was done with all that sort of thing," he 
 went on; "fighting enemies whom I have never 
 knowingly injured. But it seems they are still 
 after me. Well, Ned, this gives us something to 
 do, at all events." 
 
 "You mean trying to find out who these fel- 
 lows are?" 
 
 "Yes; that is, if you are willing to help." 
 
 "Well, I guess I am !" cried the bank clerk with 
 sparkling eyes. "I wouldn't ask anything better. 
 We've been in things like this before, Tom, and 
 we'll go in again — and win! I'll help you all I 
 can. Now, let's see if we can pick up any other* 
 clues. This is like old times !" and Ned laughed, 
 for he, like Tom, enjoyed a good "fight," and 
 one in which the odds were against them. 
 
A QUEER STRANGER 43 
 
 "We sure will have our hands full," declared 
 the young inventor. "Trying to solve the prob- 
 lem of carrying guns on an aerial warship, and 
 finding out who set this fire." 
 
 "Then you're not going to give up your aerial 
 warship idea?" 
 
 "No, indeed!" Tom cried. "What made you 
 think that?" 
 
 "Well, the way your father spoke " 
 
 "Oh, dear old dad !" exclaimed Tom affection- 
 ately. "I don't want to argue with him, but he's 
 dead wrong!" 
 
 "Then you are going to make a go of it ?" 
 
 "I sure am, Ned! All I have to solve is the 
 recoil proposition, and, as soon as we get straight- 
 ened out from this fire, we'll tackle that problem 
 again — you and I. But I sure would like to know 
 who put this in my red shed," and Tom looked 
 in a puzzled manner at the empty fire bomb he 
 still held. 
 
 Tom paused, on his way to the house, to put 
 the bomb in one of his offices. 
 
 "No use letting dad know about this," he went 
 on. "It would only be something else for him 
 to worry about." 
 
 "That's right," agreed Ned. 
 
 By this time nearly all evidences of the fire, 
 except for the blackened ruins of the shed, had 
 
44 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 been cleared away. High in the air hung a cloud 
 of black smoke, caused by some chemicals that 
 had burned harmlessly save for that pall. Tom 
 Swift had indeed had a lucky escape. 
 
 The young inventor, finding his father quieted 
 down and conversing easily with Mr. Damon, 
 who was blessing everything he could think of, 
 motioned to Ned to follow him out of the house 
 again. 
 
 "We'll leave dad here," said Tom, "and do a 
 little investigating on our own account. We'll 
 look for clues while they're fresh." 
 
 But, it must be confessed, after Tom and Ned 
 had spent the rest of that day in and about the 
 burned shed, they were little wiser than when 
 they started. They found the place where the 
 fire bomb had evidently been placed, right inside 
 the main entrance to the shed. Tom knew it had 
 been there because there were peculiar marks on 
 the charred wood, and a certain queer smell of 
 chemicals that confirmed his belief. 
 
 "They put the bomb there to prevent anyone 
 going in at the first alarm and saving anything," 
 Tom said. "They didn't count on the roof burn- 
 ing through first, giving me a chance to use the 
 sand. I made the roof of the red shed flimsy 
 just on that account, so the force of the explo- 
 sion, if one ever came, would be mostly upward. 
 
A QUEER STRANGER 45 
 
 You know the expanding gases, caused by an ex- 
 plosion or by rapid combustion, always do just 
 as electricity does, seek the shortest and easiest 
 route. In this case I made the roof the easiest 
 route." 
 
 "A lucky provision," observed Ned. 
 
 That night Tom had to confess himself beaten, 
 as far as finding clues was concerned. The 
 empty fire bomb was the only one, and that 
 seemed valueless. 
 
 Close questioning of the workmen failed to 
 disclose anything. Tom was particularly anxious 
 to discover if any mysterious strangers had been 
 seen about the works. There was a strict rule 
 about admitting them to the plant, however, and 
 it could not be learned that this had been vio- 
 lated. 
 
 "Well, we'll just have to lay that aside for a 
 while," Tom said the next day, when Ned again 
 came to pay a visit. "Now, what do you say to 
 tackling, with me, that recoil problem on the 
 aerial warship?" 
 
 "I'm ready, if you are," Ned agreed, "though 
 I know about as much of those things as a snake 
 does about dancing. But I'm game." 
 
 The two friends walked out toward the shed 
 where Tom's new craft was housed. As yet Ned 
 had not seen it. On the way they saw Eradicate 
 
46 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 walking along, talking to himself, as he often 
 did. 
 
 "I wonder what he has on his mind," remarked 
 Ned musingly. 
 
 "Something does seem to be worrying him," 
 agreed Tom. 
 
 As they neared the colored man, they could 
 hear him saying: 
 
 "He suah did hab nerve, dat's what he did! 
 De idea ob askin' me all dem questions, an' den 
 wantin' t' know if I'd sell him!" 
 
 "What's that, Eradicate?" asked Tom. 
 
 "Oh, it's a man I met when I were comin' back 
 from de ash dump," Eradicate explained. One 
 of the colored man's duties was to cart ashes 
 away from Tom's various shops, and dump them 
 in a certain swampy lot. With an old ram- 
 shackle cart, and his mule, Boomerang, Eradicate 
 did this task to perfection. 
 
 "A man — what sort of a man?" asked Tom, 
 always ready to be suspicious of anything un- 
 usual. 
 
 "He were a queer man," went on the aged col- 
 ored helper. "First he stopped me an' asted me 
 fo' a ride. He was a dressed-up gen'man, too, 
 an' I were suah s'prised at him wantin' t' set in 
 mah ole ash cart," said Eradicate. "But I done 
 was polite t' him, an' fixed a blanket so's he 
 
A QUEER STRANGER 4% 
 
 wouldn't git too dirty. Den he asted me ef I 
 didn't wuk fo' yo', Massa Tom, an' of course I 
 says as how I did. Den he asted me about de 
 fire, an' how much damage it done, an' how we 
 put it out. An' he end up by sayin' he'd laik t' 
 buy mah mule, Boomerang, an' he wants t' come 
 heah dis arternoon an' talk t' me about it." 
 
 "He does, eh?" cried Tom. "What sort of a 
 man was he, Rad ?" 
 
 "Well, a gen'man sort ob man, Massa Tom. 
 Stranger t' me. I nebber seed him afo\ He 
 suah was monstrous polite t' ole black Eradicate, 
 an' he gib me a half-dollar, too, jest fo 5 a little 
 ride. But I aint' gwine t' sell Boomerang, no 
 indeedy, I ain't!" and Eradicate shook his gray, 
 kinky head decidedly. 
 
 "Ned, there may be something in this!" said 
 Tom, in an excited whisper to his chum. "I 
 don't like the idea of a mysterious stranger ques- 
 tioning Eradicate 1" 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 THE AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 Ned Newton looked at Tom questioningly. 
 Then he glanced at the unsuspicious colored man, 
 who was industriously polishing the half-dollar 
 the mysterious stranger had given him. 
 
 "Rad, just exactly what sort of a man was this 
 one you speak of ?" asked Tom. 
 
 "Why, he were a gen'man " 
 
 "Yes, I know that much. You've said it be- 
 fore. But was he an Englishman, an American — 
 or " 
 
 Tom paused and waited for an answer. 
 
 "I think he were a Frenchman," spoke Eradi- 
 cate. "I done didn't see him eat no frogs' laigs, 
 but he smoked a cigarette dat had a funny smell, 
 and he suah was monstrous polite. He suah was 
 a Frenchman, I think." 
 
 Tom and Ned laughed at Eradicate's descrip- 
 tion of the man, but Tom's face was soon grave 
 again. 
 
 "Tell us more about him, Rad," he suggested. 
 £ Did he seem especially interested in the fire ?" 
 
 4& 
 
THE AERIAL WARSHIP 49 
 
 "No, sah, Massa Tom, he seemed laik he was 
 more special interested in mah mule, Boomerang. 
 He done asted how long I had him, an' how much 
 I wanted fo' him, an' how old he was." 
 
 "But every once in a while he put in some 
 question about the fire, or about our shops, didn't 
 he, Rad?" Tom wanted to know. 
 
 The colored man scratched his kinky head, and 
 glanced with a queer look at Tom. 
 
 "How yo' all done guess dat?" he asked. 
 
 "Answer my question," insisted Tom. 
 
 "Yes, sah, he done did ask about yo', and de 
 wuks, ebery now and den," Rad confessed. "But 
 how yo' all knowed dat, Massa Tom, when I were 
 a-tellin' yo' all about him astin' fo' mah mule, 
 done gets me — dat's what it suah does." 
 
 "Never mind, Rad. He asked questions about 
 the plant, that's all I want to know. But you 
 didn't tell him much, did you?" 
 
 Eradicate looked reproachfully at his master. 
 
 "Yo' all done knows me bettah dan dat, Massa 
 Tom," the old colored man said. "Yo' all know 
 yo' done gib orders fo' nobody t' talk about yo' 
 projections." 
 
 "Yes, I know I gave those orders," Tom said, 
 with a smile, "but I want to make sure that they 
 have been followed." 
 
 "Well, I done follered 'em, Massa. Tom." 
 
50 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 "Then you didn't tell this queer stranger, 
 Frenchman, or whatever he is, much about my 
 place?" 
 
 "I didn't tell him nuffin', sah. I done frowed 
 dust in his eyes." 
 
 Ned uttered an exclamation of surprise. 
 
 "Eradicate is speaking figuratively," Tom said, 
 with a laugh. 
 
 "Dat's what I means," the colored man went 
 on. "I done fooled him. When he asted me 
 about de fire I said it didn't do no damage at all 
 — in fack dat we'd rather hab de fire dan not hab 
 it, 'case it done gib us a chance t' practice our 
 hose drill." 
 
 "That's good," laughed Tom. "What else?" 
 
 "Well, he done sort ob hinted t' me ef we all 
 knowed how de fire done start. I says as how we 
 did, dat we done start it ourse'ves f o' practice, an' 
 dat we done expected it all along, an' were ready 
 fo' it. Course I knows dat were a sort of fairy 
 story, Massa Tom, but den dat cigarette-smokin* 
 Frenchman didn't hab no right t' asted me so 
 many questions, did he?" 
 
 "No, indeed, Rad. And I'm glad you didn't 
 give him straight answers. So he's coming here 
 later on, is he ?" 
 
 *T' see ef I wants t* sell mah mule, Boomerang, 
 yais, sah. I sort ob thought maybe you'd want 
 
THE AERIAL WARSHIP $1 
 
 t' hab a look at dat man, so I tole him t' come on. 
 Course I doan't want t' sell Boomerang, but ef 
 he was t' offer me a big lot ob money fo' him I'd 
 take it." 
 
 "Of course," Tom answered. "Very well, Rad. 
 [You may go on now, and don't say anything to 
 anyone about what you have told me." 
 
 "I won't, Massa Tom," promised the colored 
 man, as he went off muttering to himself. 
 
 "Well, what do you make of it, Tom?" asked 
 Ned of his chum, as they walked on toward the 
 shed of the new, big aerial warship. 
 
 "I don't know just what to think, Ned. Of 
 course things like this have happened before — 
 persons trying to worm secrets out of Eradicate, 
 or some of the other men. 
 
 "They never succeeded in getting much, I'm 
 glad to say, but it always keeps me worried for 
 fear something will happen," Tom concluded. 
 
 "But about this Frenchman?" 
 
 "Well, he must be a new one. And, now I 
 come to think of it, I did hear some of the men 
 speaking about a foreigner — a stranger — being 
 around town last week. It was just a casual ref- 
 erence, and I paid little attention to it. Now 
 it looks as though there might be something in it." 
 
 "Do you think he'll come to bargain with 
 Eradicate about the mule?" Ned asked. 
 
52 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "Hardly. That was only talk to make Eradi- 
 cate unsuspicious. The stranger, whoever he was, 
 sized Rad up partly right. I surmised, when Rad 
 said he asked a lot of questions about the mule, 
 that was only to divert suspicion, and that he'd 
 come back to the subject of the fire every chance 
 he got." 
 
 "And you were right." 
 
 "Yes, so it seems. But I don't believe the fel- 
 low will come around here. It would be too risky. 
 All the same, we'll be prepared for him. I'll just 
 rig up one of my photo-telephone machines, so 
 that, if he does come to have a talk with Rad, 
 we can both see and hear him." 
 
 "That's great, Tom! But do you think this 
 fellow had anything to do with the fire?" 
 
 "I don't know. He knew about it, of course. 
 This isn't the first fire we've had in the works, 
 and, though we always fight them ourselves, still 
 news of it will leak out to the town. So he could 
 easily have known about it. And he might be in 
 with those who set it, for I firmly believe the fire 
 was set by someone who has an object in injuring 
 me." 
 
 "It's too bad!" declared Ned. "Seems as 
 though they might let you alone, if they haven't 
 gumption enough to invent things for them- 
 selves." 
 
THE AERIAL WARSHIP 53 
 
 "Well, don't worry. Maybe it will come out 
 all right," returned Tom. "Now, let's go and 
 have a look at my aerial warship. I haven't 
 shown it to you yet. Then we'll get ready for 
 that mysterious Frenchman, if he comes — but I 
 don't believe he will." 
 
 The young inventor unlocked the door of the 
 shed where he kept his latest "pet," and at the 
 sight which met his eyes Ned Newton uttered an 
 exclamation of surprise. 
 
 "Tom, what is it?" he cried in an awed voice. 
 
 "My aerial warship !" was the quiet answer. 
 
 Ned Newton gave vent to a long whistle, and 
 then began a detailed examination of the won- 
 derful craft he saw before him. That is, he 
 made as detailed an examination as was possible 
 under the circumstances, for it was a long time 
 before the young bank clerk fully appreciated all 
 Tom Swift had accomplished in building the 
 Mars, which was the warlike name painted in 
 red letters on the big gas container that tugged 
 and swayed overhead. 
 
 "Tom, however did you do it?" gasped Ned at 
 length. 
 
 "By hard work," was the modest reply. "I've 
 been at this for a longer time than you'd sup- 
 pose, working on it at odd moments. I had a 
 lot of help, too, or I never could have done it. 
 
'54 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 And now it is nearly all finished, as far as the ship 
 itself is concerned. The only thing that bothers 
 me is to provide for the recoil of the guns I 
 want to carry. Maybe you can help me with that 
 Come on, now, I'll explain how the affair works, 
 and what I hope to accomplish with it." 
 
 In brief Tom's aerial warship was a sort of 
 German Zeppelin type of dirigible balloon, rising 
 in the air by means of a gas container, or, rather, 
 several of them, for the section for holding the 
 lifting gas element was divided by bulkheads. 
 
 The chief difference between dirigible balloons 
 and ordinary aeroplanes, as you all know, is that 
 the former are lifted from the earth by a gas, such 
 as hydrogen, which is lighter than air, while the 
 aeroplane lifts itself by getting into motion, when 
 broad, flat planes, or surfaces, hold it up, just as 
 a flat stone is held up when you sail it through the 
 air. The moment the stone, or aeroplane, loses 
 its forward motion, it begins to fall. 
 
 This is not so with a dirigible balloon. It is 
 held in the air by means of the lifting gas, and 
 once so in the air can be sent in any direction 
 by means of propellers and rudders. 
 
 Tom's aerial warship contained many new fea- 
 tures. While it was as large as some of the war- 
 type Zeppelins, it differed from them materially. 
 But the details would be of more interest to a 
 
THE AERIAL WARSHIP. 55 
 
 Scientific builder of such things than to the ordi- 
 nary reader, so I will not weary you with them. 
 
 Sufficient to say that Tom's craft consisted first 
 of a great semi-rigid bag, or envelope, made of 
 specially prepared oiled silk and aluminum, to 
 hold the gas, which was manufactured on board. 
 There were a number of gas-tight compartments, 
 so that if one, or even if a number of them burst, 
 or were shot by an enemy, the craft would still 
 remain afloat. 
 
 Below the big gas bag was the ship proper, a 
 light but strong and rigid framework about 
 which were built enclosed cabins. These cabins, 
 or compartments, housed the driving machinery, 
 the gas-generating plant, living, sleeping and din- 
 ing quarters, and a pilot-house, whence the ship 
 could be controlled. 
 
 But this was not all. 
 
 Ned, making a tour of the Mars, as she swayed 
 gently in the big shed, saw where several alumi- 
 num pedestals were mounted, fore and aft and on 
 either beam of the ship. 
 
 "They look just like places where you intend 
 to mount guns," said Ned to Tom. 
 
 "And that's exactly what they are," the young 
 inventor replied. "I have the guns nearly ready 
 for mounting, but I can't seem to think of a 
 way of providing for the recoil. And if I don'* 
 
56 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 take care of that, I'm likely to find my ship com- 
 ing apart under me, after we bombard the enemy 
 with a broadside or two." 
 
 "Then you intend to fight with this ship?" 
 asked Ned. 
 
 "Well, no; not exactly personally. I was 
 thinking of offering it to the United States Gov- 
 ernment. Foreign nations are getting ready 
 large fleets of aerial warships, so why shouldn't 
 we? Matters in Europe are mighty uncertain. 
 There may be a great war there in which aerial 
 craft will play a big part. I am conceited enough 
 to think I can build one that will measure up to 
 the foreign ones, and I'll soon be in a position to 
 know." 
 
 "What do you mean?" 
 
 "I mean I have already communicated witK 
 our government experts, and they are soon to 
 come and inspect this craft. I have sent them 
 word that it is about finished. There is only the 
 matter of the guns, and some of the ordnance offi- 
 cers may be able to help me out with a suggestion, 
 for I admit I am stuck!" exclaimed Tom. 
 
 "Then you're going to do the same with this 
 aerial warship as you did with your big lantern 
 and that immense gun you perfected ?" asked Ned. 
 
 "That's right," confirmed Tom. My former 
 readers will know to what Ned Newton referred, 
 
THE AERIAL WARSHIP 57 
 
 and those of you who do not may learn the de- 
 tails of how Tom helped Uncle Sam, by reading 
 the previous volumes, "Tom Swift and His Great 
 Searchlight," and "Tom Swift and His Giant 
 Cannon." 
 
 "When do you expect the government ex- 
 perts?" Ned asked. 
 
 "Within a few days, now. But I'll have to 
 hustle to get ready for them, as this fire has put 
 me back. There are quite a number of details I 
 need to change. Well, now, let me explain about 
 that gun recoil business. Maybe you can help me." 
 
 "Fire away," laughed Ned. "I'll do the best I 
 can." 
 
 Tom led the way from the main shed, where 
 the aerial warship was housed, to a small pri- 
 vate office. As Ned entered, the door, pulled by 
 a strong spring, swung after him. He held back 
 his hand to prevent it from slamming, but there 
 was no need, for a patent arrangement took up all 
 the force, and the door closed gently. Ned 
 looked around, not much surprised, for the same 
 sort of door-check was in use at his bank. But a 
 sudden idea came to him. 
 
 "There you are, Tom!" he cried. "Why not 
 take up the recoil of the guns on your aerial war- 
 ship by some such device as that?" and Ned 
 pointed to the door-check. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 Warnings 
 
 For a moment or two Tom Swift did not seem 
 to comprehend what Ned had said. He remained 
 staring, first at his chum, who stood pointing, and 
 from him Tom's gaze wandered to the top of 
 the door. It may have been, and probably was, 
 that Tom was thinking of other matters at that 
 instant. But Ned said again : 
 
 "Wouldn't that do, Tom? Check the recoil of 
 the gun with whatever stuff is in that arrange- 
 ment !" 
 
 A sudden change came over Tom's face. It 
 was lighted up with a gleam of understanding. 
 
 "By Jove, Ned, old man!" he cried. "I be- 
 lieve you've struck it! And to think that has 
 been under my nose, or, rather, over my head, 
 all this while, and I never thought of it. Hur- 
 ray ! That will solve the problem !" 
 
 "Do you think it will?" asked Ned, glad that he 
 had contributed something, if only an idea, to 
 Tom's aerial warship. 
 
 58 
 
WARNINGS 59/ 
 
 "I'm almost sure it will. I'll give it a trial 
 right away." 
 
 "What's in that door-check?" Ned asked. "I 
 never stopped before to think what useful things 
 they are, though at the bank, with the big, heavy 
 doors, they are mighty useful." 
 
 "They are a combination of springs and hydro- 
 static valves," began Tom. 
 
 "Good-night!" laughed Ned. "Excuse the 
 slang, Tom, but what in the world is a hydro- 
 static valve ?" 
 
 "A valve through which liquids pass. In thb 
 door-check there may be a mixture of water, alco- 
 hoi and glycerine, the alcohol to prevent freezing 
 in cold weather, and the glycerine to give body to 
 the mixture so it will not flow through the valves 
 too freely." 
 
 "And do you think you can put something like 
 that on your guns, so the recoil will be taken up ?** 
 Ned wanted to know. 
 
 "I think so," spoke Tom. "I'm going to work 
 on it right away, and we'll soon see how it will 
 turn out. It's mighty lucky you thought of that, 
 for I sure was up against it, as the boys say." 
 
 "It just seemed to come to me," spoke Ned, 
 "seeing how easily the door closed." 
 
 "If the thing works I'll give you due credit 
 lor it," promised Tom. "Now, I've got to figure 
 
60 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 out how much force a modified hydrostatic valve 
 check like that will take up, and how much recoil 
 my biggest gun will have." 
 
 "Then you're going to put several guns on the 
 Mars?" asked Ned. 
 
 "Yes, four quick-firers, at least, two on each 
 side, and heavier guns at the bow and stern, to 
 throw explosive shells in a horizontal or upward 
 direction. For a downward direction we won't 
 need any guns, we can simply drop the bombs, or 
 shells, from a release clutch." 
 
 "Drop them on other air craft?" Ned wanted 
 to know. 
 
 "Well, if it's necessary, yes. Though I guess 
 there won't be much chance of doing that to a 
 rival aeroplane or dirigible. But in flying over 
 cities or forts, explosive bombs can be dropped 
 very nicely. For use in attacking other air craft 
 I am going to depend on my lateral fire, from 
 the guns mounted on either beam, and in the bow 
 and stern." 
 
 "You speak as though you, yourself, were go- 
 ing into a battle of the air," said Ned. 
 
 "No, I don't believe I'll go that far," Tom re- 
 plied. "Though, if the government wants my 
 craft, I may have to go aloft and fire shots at tar- 
 gets for them to show them how things work. 
 
 "Please don't think that I am in favor of war, 
 
WARNINGS 6l 
 
 Ned," went on Tom earnestly. "I hate it, and I 
 wish the time would come when all nations would 
 disarm. But if the other countries are laying 
 themselves out to have aerial battleships, it is 
 time the United States did also. We must not 
 be left behind, especially in view of what is taking 
 place in Europe." 
 
 "I suppose that's right," agreed Ned. "Have 
 you any of your guns ready?" 
 
 "Yes, all but the mounting of them on the sup- 
 ports aboard the Mars. I haven't dared do that 
 yet, and fire them, until I provided some means 
 of taking up the recoil. Now I'm going to get 
 right to work on that problem." 
 
 There was considerable detailed figuring and 
 computation work ahead of Tom Swift, and I 
 will not weary you by going into the details of 
 higher mathematics. Even Ned lost interest after 
 the start of the problem, though he was interested 
 when Tom took down the door-check and began 
 measuring the amount of force it would take up, 
 computing it on scales and spring balances. 
 
 Once this had been done, and Tom had figured 
 just how much force could be expected to be 
 taken up by a larger check, with stronger hydro- 
 static valves, the young inventor explained: 
 
 "And now to see how much recoil force ray 
 guns develop !" 
 
62 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 "Are you really going to fire the guns ?" asked 
 Ned. 
 
 "Surely," answered Tom. "That's the only 
 way to get at real results. I'll have the guns 
 taken out and mounted in a big field. Then we'll 
 fire them, and measure the recoil." 
 
 "Well, that may be some fun," spoke Ned, with 
 a grin. "More fun than all these figures," and 
 he looked at the mass of details on Tom's desk. 
 
 This was the second or third day after the fire 
 in the red shed, and in the interim Tom had been 
 busy making computations. These were about 
 finished. Meanwhile further investigation bad 
 been made of clues leading to the origin of the 
 blaze in the shed, but nothing had been learned. 
 
 A photo-telephone had been installed near 
 Eradicate's quarters, in the hope that the mys- 
 terious stranger might keep his promise, and come 
 to see about the mule. In that case something 
 would have been learned about him. But, as Tom 
 feared, the man did not appear. 
 
 Ned was much interested in the guns, and, a 
 little later, he helped Tom and Koku mount them 
 in a vacant lot. The giant's strength came in 
 handy in handling the big parts. 
 
 Mr. Swift strolled past, as the guns were being 
 mounted for the preliminary test, and inquired 
 what his son was doing. 
 
WARNINGS 63 
 
 "It will never work, Tom, never !" declared the 
 aged inventor, when informed. "You can't take 
 up those guns in your air craft, and fire them 
 with any degree of safety." 
 
 "You wait, Dad," laughed Tom. "You haven't 
 yet seen how the Newton hydrostatic recoil oper- 
 ates." 
 
 Ned smiled with pleasure at this. 
 
 It took nearly a week to get all the guns 
 mounted, for some of them required considerable 
 work, and it was also necessary to attach gauges 
 to them to register the recoil and pressure. In 
 the meanwhile Tom had been- in further com- 
 munication with government experts who were 
 soon to call on him to inspect the aerial warship, 
 with a view to purchase. 
 
 "When are they coming?" asked Ned, as he 
 and Tom went out one morning to make the first 
 test of the guns. 
 
 "They will be here any day, now. They didn't 
 set any definite date. I suppose they want to 
 take us unawares, to see that I don't 'frame-up' 
 any game on them. Well, I'll be ready any time 
 they come. Now, Koku, bring along those shells, 
 and don't drop any of them, for that new powder 
 is freakish stuff." 
 
 "Me no drop any, Master," spoke the giant, as 
 
64 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 he lifted the boxes of explosives in his strong 
 arms. 
 
 The largest gun was loaded and aimed at a dis- 
 tant hill, for Tom knew that if the recoil appa- 
 ratus would take care of the excess force of his 
 largest gun, the problem of the smaller ones 
 would be easy to solve. 
 
 "Here, Rad, where are you going?" Tom asked, 
 as he noticed the colored man walking away, after 
 having completed a task assigned to him. 
 
 "Where's I gwine, Massa Tom?" 
 
 "Yes, Rad, that's what I asked you." 
 
 "I — I'se gwine t' feed mah mule, Boomerang," 
 said the colored man slowly. "It's his eatin' time, 
 jest now, Massa Tom." 
 
 "Nonsense ! It isn't anywhere near noon yet." 
 
 "Yais, sah, Massa Tom, I knows dat," said 
 Eradicate, as he carefully edged away from the 
 big gun, "but I'se done changed de eatin' hours 
 ob dat mule. He had a little touch ob indiges- 
 tion de udder day, an' I'se feedin' him diff'rent 
 now. So I guess as how yo'll hab t' 'scuse me 
 now, Massa Tom." 
 
 "Oh, well, trot along," laughed the young in- 
 ventor. "I guess we won't need you. Is every- 
 thing all right there, Koku ?" 
 
 "All right, Master." 
 
 "Now, Ned, if you'll stand here," went on 
 
WARNINGS 6$ 
 
 Tom, "and note the extreme point to which the 
 hand on the pressure gauge goes, I'll be obliged 
 to you. Just jot it down on this pad." 
 
 "Here comes someone," remarked the bank, 
 clerk, as he saw that his pencil was sharpened. 
 He pointed to the field back of them. 
 
 "It's Mr. Damon," observed Tom. "We'll 
 wait until he arrives. He'll be interested in this." 
 
 "Bless my collar button, Tom ! What's going 
 on?" asked the eccentric man, as he came up. 
 "Has war been declared?" 
 
 "Just practicing," replied the young inventor. 
 "Getting ready to put the armament on my aerial 
 warship." 
 
 "Well, as long as I'm behind the guns I'm all 
 right, I suppose?" 
 
 "Perfectly," Tom replied. "Now then, Ned, I 
 think we'll fire." 
 
 There was a moment of inspection, to see that 
 nothing had been forgotten, and then the big 
 gun was discharged. There was a loud report, 
 not as heavy, though, as Ned had expected, but 
 there was no puff of smoke, for Tom was using 
 smokeless powder. Only a little flash of flame 
 was observed. 
 
 "Catch the figure, Ned !" Tom cried. 
 
 "I have it!" was the answer. "Eighty thou- 
 sand!" 
 
66 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "Good! And I can build a recoil check that 
 will take up to one hundred and twenty thousand 
 pounds' pressure. That ought to be margin of 
 safety enough. Now we'll try another shot." 
 
 The echoes of the first had hardly died away 
 before the second gun was ready for the test. 
 That, too, was satisfactory, and then the smaller 
 ones were operated. These were not quite so 
 satisfactory, as the recoil developed was larger, 
 in proportion to their size, than Tom had fig- 
 ured. 
 
 "But I can easily put a larger hydrostatic 
 check on them," he said. "Now, we'll fire by bat- 
 teries, and see what the total is." 
 
 Then began a perfect bombardment of the dis- 
 tant hillside, service charges being used, and ex- 
 plosive shells sent out so that dirt, stones and 
 gravel flew in all directions. Danger signs and 
 flags had been posted, and a cordon of Tom's men 
 kept spectators away from the hill, so no one 
 would be in the danger zone. 
 
 The young inventor was busy making some cal- 
 culations after the last of the firing had been com- 
 pleted. Koku was packing up the unfired shells, 
 and Mr. Damon was blessing his ear-drums, and 
 the pieces of cotton he had stuffed in to protect 
 them, when a tall, erect man was observed stroll- 
 ing over the fields in the direction of the guns. 
 
WARNINGS 67 
 
 "Somebody's coming, Tom," warned Ned. 
 
 "Yes, and a stranger, too," observed Tom. "I 
 wonder if that can be Eradicate's Frenchman?" 
 
 But a look at the stranger's face disproved that 
 surmise. He had a frank and pleasant counte- 
 nance, obviously American. 
 
 "I beg your pardon," he began, addressing 
 everyone in general, "but I am looking for Tom 
 Swift. I was told he was here." 
 
 "I am Tom Swift," replied our hero. 
 
 "Ah! Well, I am Lieutenant Marbury, with 
 whom you had some correspondence recently 
 about " 
 
 "Oh, yes, Lieutenant Marbury, of the United 
 States Navy," interrupted Tom. "I'm glad to 
 see you," he went on, holding out his hand. "We 
 are just completing some tests with the guns. 
 You called, I presume, in reference to my aerial 
 warship?" 
 
 "That is it — yes. Have you it ready for a trial 
 flight?" 
 
 "Well, almost. It can be made ready in a few 
 hours. You see, I have been delayed. There was 
 a fire in the plant " 
 
 "A fire!" exclaimed the officer in surprise. 
 "How was that? We heard nothing of it in 
 Washington." 
 
 "No, I kept it rather quiet," Tom explained. 
 
68 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "We had reason to suspect that it was a fire pur- 
 posely set, in a shed where I kept a quantity of 
 explosives." 
 
 "Ha!" exclaimed Lieutenant Marbury. "This 
 fits in with what I have heard. And did you not 
 receive warning?" he asked Tom. 
 
 "Warning? No. Of what?" 
 
 "Of foreign spies!" was the unexpected an- 
 swer. "I am sorry. Some of our Secret Service 
 men unearthed something of a plot against you, 
 and I presumed you had been told to watch out. 
 If you had, the fire might not have occurred. 
 There must have been some error in Washings- 
 ton. But let me tell you now, Tom Swift — be 
 on your guard !" 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 A SUSPECTED PLOT 
 
 The officer's words were so rilled with mean- 
 ing' that Tom started. Ned Newton, too, showed 
 the effect he felt. 
 
 "Do you really mean that?" asked the young 
 inventor, looking around to make sure his father 
 was not present. On account of Professor 
 Swift's weak heart, Tom wished to spare him all 
 possible worry. 
 
 "I certainly do mean it," insisted Lieutenant 
 Marbury. "And, while I am rather amazed at 
 the views of the fire, for I did not think the plot- 
 ters would be so bold as that, it is in line with 
 what I expected, and what we suspected in Wash- 
 ington." 
 
 "And that was — what?" asked Tom. 
 
 "The existence of a well-laid plot, not only 
 against our government, but against you !" 
 
 "And why have they singled me out ?" Tom de- 
 manded. 
 
 "I might as well tell it from the beginning," 
 69 
 
JO TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 the officer went on. "As long as you have not 
 received any official warning from Washington 
 you had better hear the whole story. But are you 
 sure you had no word?" 
 
 "Well, now, I won't be so sure," Tom con- 
 fessed. "I have been working very hard, the last 
 two days, making some intricate calculations. I 
 have rather neglected my mail, to tell you the 
 truth. 
 
 "And, come to think of it, there were several 
 letters received with the Washington postmark. 
 But, I supposed they had to do with some of 
 my patents, and I only casually glanced over 
 them. There was one letter, though, that I 
 couldn't make head or tail of." 
 
 "Ha ! That was it !" cried the lieutenant. "It 
 was the warning in cipher or code. I didn't think 
 they would neglect to send it to you." 
 
 "But what good would it do me if I couldn't 
 read it?" asked Tom. 
 
 "You must also have received a method of de- 
 ciphering the message," the officer said. "Prob- 
 ably you overlooked that. The Secret Service 
 men sent you the warning in code, so it would 
 not be found out by the plotters, and, to make 
 sure you could understand it, a method of trans- 
 lating the cipher was sent in a separate envelope. 
 It is too bad you missed it." 
 
A SUSPECTED PLOT 71 
 
 "Yes, for I might have been on my guard," 
 agreed Tom. "The red shed might not have 
 burned, but, as it was, only slight damage was 
 done." 
 
 "Owing to the fact that Tom put the fire out 
 with sand ballast from his dirigible!" cried Ned. 
 "You should have seen it!" 
 
 "I should have liked to be here," the lieutenant 
 spoke. "But, if I were you, Tom Swift, I would 
 take means to prevent a repetition of such things." 
 
 "I shall," Tom decided. "But, if we want to 
 talk, we had better go to my office, where we can 
 be more private. I don't want the workmen to 
 hear too much." 
 
 Now that the firing was over, a number of 
 Tom's men from the shops had assembled around 
 the cannon. Most of them, the young inventor 
 felt, could be trusted, but in so large a gathering 
 one could never be sure. 
 
 "Did you come on from Washington yester- 
 day?" asked Tom, as he, Ned and the officer 
 strolled toward the shed where was housed the 
 aerial warship. 
 
 "Yes, and I spent the night in New York. I 
 arrived in town a short time ago, and came right 
 on out here. At your house I was told you were 
 over in the fields conducting experiments, so 1 
 came on here." 
 
72 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "Glad you did," Tom said. "I'll soon have 
 something to show you, I hope. But I am inter- 
 ested in hearing the details of this suspected plot. 
 Are you sure one exists?" 
 
 "Perfectly sure," was the answer. "We don't 
 know all the details yet, nor who are concerned in 
 it, but we are working on the case. The Secret 
 Service has several agents in the field. 
 
 "We are convinced in Washington," went on 
 Lieutenant Marbury, when he, Tom and Ned 
 were seated in the private office, "that foreign 
 spies are at work against you and against our 
 government." 
 
 "Why against me?" asked Tom, in wonder. 
 
 "Because of the inventions you have perfected 
 and turned over to Uncle Sam — notably the giant' 
 cannon, which rivals anything foreign European 
 powers have, and the great searchlight, which 
 proved so effective against the border smugglers. 
 The success of those two alone, to say nothing 
 of your submarine, has not only made foreign 
 nations jealous, but they fear you — and us," the 
 officer went on. 
 
 "Well, if they only take it out in fear " 
 
 "But they won't!" interrupted the officer. 
 "They are seeking to destroy those inventions. 
 More than once, of late, we have nipped a plot 
 just in time." 
 
A SUSPECTED PLOT 73 
 
 "Have they really tried to damage the big 
 gun?" asked Tom, referring to one he had built 
 and set up at Panama. 
 
 "They have. And now this fire proves that 
 they are taking other measures — they are work- 
 ing directly against you." 
 
 "Why, I wonder?" 
 
 "Either to prevent you from making further 
 inventions, or to stop you from completing your 
 latest — the aerial warship." 
 
 "But I didn't know the foreign governments 
 knew about that," Tom exclaimed. "It was a 
 secret." 
 
 "Few secrets are safe from foreign spies," de- 
 slared Lieutenant Marbury. "They have a great 
 ferreting-out system on the other side. We are 
 just beginning to appreciate it. But our own men 
 have not been idle." 
 
 "Have they really learned anything?" Tom 
 asked. 
 
 "Nothing definite enough to warrant us in 
 acting," was the answer of the government man. 
 "But we know enough to let us see that the plot 
 is far-reaching." 
 
 "Are the French in it?" asked Ned impulsively. 
 
 "The French! Why do you ask that?" 
 
 "Tell him about Eradicate, and the man who 
 wanted to buy the mule, Tom," suggested Ned 
 
74 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 Thereupon the young inventor mentioned the 
 story told by Eradicate. He also brought out 
 the fire-bomb, and explained his theory as to how 
 it had operated to set the red shed ablaze. 
 
 "I think you are right," said Lieutenant Mar- 
 bury. "And, as regards the French, I might say 
 they are not the only nation banded to obtain 
 our secrets — yours and the government's!" 
 
 "But I thought the French and the English 
 were friendly toward us !" Ned exclaimed. 
 
 "So they are, in a certain measure," the officer 
 went on. "And Russia is, too. But, in all for- 
 eign countries there are two parties, the war 
 party, as it might be called, and the peace element 
 "But I might add that it is neither France, 
 England, nor Russia that we must fear. It is a 
 certain other great nation, which at present I 
 will not name." 
 
 "And you think spies set this fire?" 
 "I certainly do." 
 
 "But what measures shall I adopt against thig 
 plot?" Tom asked. 
 
 "We will talk that over," said Lieutenant Mar- 
 bury. "But, before I go into details, I want to 
 give you another warning. You must be very 
 
 careful about " 
 
 A sudden knock on the door interrupted the 
 speaker. 
 
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 some- 
 thing important." 
 
 "May be something has happened," suggested 
 the navy officer, "another fire, perhaps, or a " 
 
 "It isn't a fire," Tom answered. "The auto- 
 matic 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, stand- 
 ing in the corridor, one of the messengers em- 
 ployed 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," Tom exclaimed. "I had for- 
 75 
 
76 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 gotten about that," he went on to Lieutenant 
 Marbury and Ned. "I am in need of helpers to 
 rush through the finishing touches on my aerial 
 warship, and I left word, if any applied, as they 
 often do, coming here from other cities, that I 
 wanted to see them. How many are there?" 
 Tom asked of the messenger. 
 
 "Two, this time. They both say they're good 
 mechanics." 
 
 "That's what they all say," interposed Tom, 
 with a smile. "But, though they may be good 
 mechanics in their own line, they need to have 
 special qualifications to work on airships. Tell 
 them to wait, Rodney," Tom went on to the lad, 
 "and I'll see them presently." 
 
 As the boy went away, and Tom closed the 
 door, he turned to Lieutenant Marbury. 
 
 "You were about to give me another warning 
 when that interruption came. You might com- 
 plete it now." 
 
 "Yes, it was another warning," spoke the offi- 
 cer, "and one I hope you will heed. It concerns 
 yourself, personally." 
 
 "Do you mean he is in danger?" asked Ned 
 quickly. 
 
 "That's exactly what I do mean," was the 
 prompt reply. "In danger of personal injury, if 
 not something worse." 
 
THE RECOIL CHECK 77 
 
 Tom did not seem as alarmed as he might rea- 
 sonably have been under the circumstances. 
 
 "Danger, eh?" he repeated coolly. "On the 
 part of whom?" 
 
 "That's just where I can't warn you," the offi- 
 cer replied. "I can only give you that hint, and 
 beg of you to be careful." 
 
 "Do you mean you are not allowed to tell?" 
 asked Ned. 
 
 "No, indeed; it isn't that!" the lieutenant 
 hastened to assure the young man. "I would 
 gladly tell, if I knew. But this plot, like the 
 other one, directed against the inventions them- 
 selves, is so shrouded in mystery that I cannot 
 get to the bottom of it. 
 
 "Our Secret Service men have been working 
 on it for some time, not only in order to protect 
 you, because of what you have done for the gov- 
 ernment, but because Uncle Sam wishes to pro- 
 tect his own property, especially the searchlight 
 and the big cannon. But, though our agents have 
 worked hard, they have not been able to get any 
 clues that would put them on the right trail. 
 
 "So we can only warn you to be careful, and 
 this I do in all earnestness. That was part of my 
 errand in coming here, though, of course, I am 
 anxious to inspect the new aerial warship you 
 have constructed. So watch out for two things — » 
 
78 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 your inventions, and, more than all, your lifef 
 
 "Do you really think they would do me bodily 
 harm?" Tom asked, a trifle skeptical. 
 
 "I certainly do. These foreign spies are des- 
 perate. If they cannot secure the use of these 
 inventions to their own country, they are deter- 
 mined not to let this country have the benefit of 
 them." 
 
 "Well, I'll be careful," Tom promised. "I'm 
 no more anxious than anyone else to run my 
 head into danger, and I certainly don't want any 
 of my shops or inventions destroyed. The fire 
 in the red shed was as close as I want anything 
 to come." 
 
 "That's right !" agreed Ned. "And, if there's 
 anything I can do, Tom, don't hesitate to call on 
 me. 
 
 "All right, old man. I won't forget. And 
 now, perhaps, you would like to see the Mars/' 
 he said to the lieutenant. 
 
 "I certainly would," was the ready answer* 
 "But hadn't you better see those men who are 
 waiting to find out about positions here?" 
 
 "There's no hurry about them," Tom said. 
 "We have applicants every day, and it's earlier 
 than the hour when I usually see them. They 
 can wait. Now I want your opinion on my new 
 craft. But, you must remember that it is not 
 
THE RECOIL CHECK 79 
 
 yet completed, and only recently did I begin to 
 solve the problem of mounting the guns. So be 
 a little easy with your criticisms." 
 
 Followed by Ned and Lieutenant Marbury, 
 Tom led the way into the big airship shed. There, 
 swaying about at its moorings, was the immense 
 aerial warship. To Ned's eyes it looked complete 
 enough, but, when Tom pointed out the various 
 parts, and explained to the government officer 
 how it was going to work, Ned understood that 
 considerable yet remained to be done on it. 
 
 Tom showed his official guest how a new sys- 
 tem of elevation and depressing rudders had been 
 adopted, how a new type of propeller was to be 
 used and indicated several other improvements. 
 The lower, or cabin, part of the aircraft could be ' 
 entered by mounting a short ladder from the 
 ground, and Tom took Ned and Lieutenant Mar- 
 bury through the engine-room and other com- 
 partments of the Mars. 
 
 "It certainly is most complete," the officer ob- 
 served. "And when you get the guns mounted I 
 shall be glad to make an official test. You un- 
 derstand," he went on, to Tom, "that we are vi- 
 tally interested in the guns, since we now have 
 many aircraft that can be used purely for scout- 
 ing purposes. What we want is something for 
 offense, a veritable naval terror of the seas." 
 
80 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "I understand," Tom answered. "And I am 
 going to begin work on mounting the guns at 
 once. I am going to use the Newton recoil 
 check/' he added. "Ned, here, is responsible for 
 that." 
 
 "Is that so?" asked the lieutenant, as Tom 
 clapped his chum on the back. 
 
 "Yes, that's his invention." 
 
 "Oh, it isn't anything of the sort," Ned ob- 
 jected. "I just " 
 
 "Yes, he just happened to solve the problem 
 for me!" interrupted Tom, as he told the story 
 of the door-spring. 
 
 "A good idea!" commented Lieutenant Mar- 
 bury. 
 
 Tom then briefly described the principle on 
 which his aerial warship would work, explaining 
 how the lifting gas would raise it, with its load 
 of crew, guns and explosives, high into the air; 
 how it could then be sent ahead, backward, to 
 either side, or around in a circle, by means of the 
 propellers and the rudders, and how it could be 
 raised or lowered, either by rudders or by forcing 
 more gas into the lifting bags, or by letting some 
 of the vapor out. 
 
 And, while this was being done by the pilot 
 or captain in charge, the crew could be manning 
 the guns with which hostile airships would be 
 
THE RECOIL CHECK 8 I 
 
 attacked, and bombs dropped on the forts or bat- 
 tleships of the enemy. 
 
 "It seems very complete," observed the lieu- 
 tenant. "I shall be glad when I can give it an 
 official test." 
 
 "Which ought to be in about a week," Tom 
 said. "Meanwhile I shall be glad if you will be 
 my guest here." 
 
 And so that was arranged. 
 
 Leaving Ned and the lieutenant to entertain 
 each other, Tom went to see the mechanics who 
 had applied for places. He found them satisfac- 
 tory and engaged them. One of them had 
 worked for him before. The other was a 
 stranger, but he had been employed in a large 
 aeroplane factory, and brought good recommen- 
 dations. 
 
 There followed busy days at the Swift plant, 
 and work was pushed on the aerial warship. The 
 hardest task was the mounting of the guns, and 
 equipping them with the recoil check, without 
 which it would be impossible to fire them with 
 the craft sailing through the air. 
 
 But finally one of the big guns, and two of 
 the smaller ones were in place, with the apparatus 
 designed to reduce the recoil shock, and then Tom 
 decided to have a test of the Mars. 
 
 "Up in the air, do you mean?" asked Ned, 
 
82 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 who was spending all his spare time with his 
 chum. 
 
 "Well, a little way up in the air, at least," Tom 
 answered. "I'll make a sort of captive balloon 
 of my craft, and see how she behaves. I don't 
 want to take too many chances with that new 
 recoil check, though it seems to work perfectly in 
 theory." 
 
 The day came when, for the first time, the 
 'Mars was to come out of the big shed where she 
 had been constructed. The craft was not com- 
 pleted for a flight as yet, but could be made so 
 in a few days, with rush work. The roof of the 
 great shed slid back, and the big envelope con- 
 taining the buoyant gas rose slowly upward. 
 There was a cry of surprise from the many work- 
 men in the yard, as they saw, most of them for 
 the first time, che wonderful new craft. It did 
 not go up very high, being held in place with an- 
 chor ropes. 
 
 The sun glistened on the bright brass and 
 nickel parts, and glinted from the gleaming bar- 
 rels of the quick-firing guns. 
 
 "That's enough!" Tom called to the men be- 
 low, who were paying out the ropes from the 
 windlasses. "Hold her there." 
 
 Tom, Ned, Lieutenant Marbury and Mr. Da- 
 mon were aboard the captive Mars. 
 
THE RECOIL CHECK 83 
 
 Looking about, to see that all was in readiness, 
 Tom gave orders to load the guns, blank charges 
 being used, of course. 
 
 The recoil apparatus was in place, and it now 
 remained to see if it would do the work for 
 which it was designed. 
 
 "All ready?" asked the young inventor. 
 
 "Bless my accident insurance policy!" ex- 
 claimed Mr. Damon. "I'm as ready as ever I 
 shall be, Tom. Let 'em go!" 
 
 "Hold fast!" cried Tom, as he prepared to 
 press the electrical switch which would set off 
 the guns. Ned and Lieutenant Marbury stood 
 near the indicators to notice how much of the 
 recoil would be neutralized by the check appa- 
 ratus. 
 
 "Here we go !" cried the young inventor, and, 
 at the same moment, from down below on the 
 ground, came a warning cry: 
 
 "Don't shoot, Massa Tom. Don't shoot! Mah 
 mule, Boomerang " 
 
 But Eradicate had spoken too late. Tom 
 pressed the switch; there was a deafening crash, 
 a spurt of flame, and then followed wild cries and 
 confused shouts, while the echoes of the reports 
 rolled about the hills surrounding Shopton. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 THE NEW MEN 
 
 'What was the matter down there ?" 
 
 "Was anyone hurt?" 
 
 "Don't forget to look at those pressure 
 gauges !" 
 
 "Bless my ham sandwich!" 
 
 Thus came the cries from those aboard the 
 captive Mars. Ned, Lieutenant Marbury and 
 Tom had called out in the order named. And, 
 of course, I do not need to tell you what remark 
 Mr. Damon made. Tom glanced toward where 
 Ned and the government man stood, and saw 
 that they had made notes of the pressure recorded 
 on the recoil checks directly after the guns were 
 fired. Mr. Damon, blessing innumerable objects 
 under his breath, was looking over the side of the 
 rail to discover the cause of the commotion and 
 cries of warning from below. 
 
 "I don't believe it was anything serious, Tom," 
 said the odd man. "No one seems to be hurt." 
 
 "Look at Eradicate!" suddenly exclaimed Ned. 
 84 
 
THE NEW MEN 85 
 
 "And his mule ! I guess that's what the trouble 
 was, Tom!" 
 
 They looked to where the young bank em- 
 ployee pointed, and saw the old colored man, 
 seated on the seat of his ramshackle wagon, do- 
 ing his best to pull down to a walk the big gallop- 
 ing mule, which was dragging the vehicle around 
 in a circle. 
 
 "Whoa, dere!" Eradicate was shouting, as he 
 pulled on the lines. "Whoa, dere ! Dat's jest laik 
 yo', Boomerang, t' run when dere ain't no call 
 fo' it, nohow! Ef I done wanted yo' t' git a 
 move on, yo'd lay down 'side de road an' go to 
 sleep. Whoa, now!" 
 
 But the noise of the shots had evidently fright- 
 ened the long-eared animal, and he was in no 
 mood for stopping, now that he had once started. 
 It was not until some of the workmen ran out 
 from the group where they had gathered to watch 
 Tom's test, and got in front of Boomerang, that 
 they succeeded in bringing him to a halt. 
 
 Eradicate climbed slowly down from the seat, 
 and limped around until he stood in front of his 
 pet. 
 
 "Yo' — yo're a nice one, ain't yo'?" he de- 
 manded in sarcastic tones. "Yo' done enough 
 runnin' in a few minutes fo' a week ob Sundays, 
 an' now I won't be able t' git a move out ob ye! 
 
86 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 I'se ashamed ob yo', dat's what I is! Puffickly 
 ashamed ob yo'. Go 'long, now, an' yo' won't 
 git no oats dish yeah day ! No sah !" and, highly 
 indignant, Eradicate led the now slowly-ambling 
 mule off to the stable. 
 
 "I won't shoot again until you have him shut 
 up, Rad!" laughed Tom. "I didn't know you 
 were so close when I set off those guns." 
 
 "Dat's all right, Massa Tom," was the reply. 
 "I done called t' you t' wait, but yo' didn't heah 
 me, I 'spects. But it doan't mattah, now. Shoot 
 all yo' laik, Boomerang won't run any mo' dis 
 week. He done runned his laigs off now. Shoot 
 away!" 
 
 But Tom was not quite ready to do this. He 
 wanted to see what effect the first shots had had 
 on his aerial warship, and to learn whether or 
 not the newly devised recoil check had done what 
 was expected of it. 
 
 "No more shooting right away," called the 
 young inventor. "I want to see how we made 
 out with the first round. How did she check up, 
 Ned?" 
 
 "Fine, as far as I can tell." 
 
 "Yes, indeed," added Lieutenant Marbury.i 
 "The recoil was hardly noticeable, though, of 
 course, with the full battery of guns in use, it 
 might be more so." 
 
THE NEW MEN 8/ 
 
 "I hope not," answered Tom. "I haven't used 
 the full strength of the recoil check yet. I can 
 tune it up more, and when I do, and when I have 
 it attached to all the guns, big and little, I think 
 we'll do the trick. But now for a harder test." 
 
 The rest of that day was spent in trying out 
 the guns, firing them with practice and service 
 charges, though none of the shells used contained 
 projectiles. It would not have been possible to 
 shoot these, with the Mars held in place in the 
 midst of Tom's factory buildings. 
 
 "Well, is she a success, Tom?" asked Ned, 
 When the experimenting was over for the time 
 being. 
 
 "I think I can say so — yes," was the answer, 
 with a questioning look at the officer. 
 
 "Indeed it is — a great success ! We must give 
 the Newton shock absorber due credit." 
 
 Ned blushed with pleasure. 
 
 "It was only my suggestion," he said. "Tom 
 worked it all out." 
 
 "But I needed the suggestion to start with," 
 the young inventor replied. 
 
 "Of course something may develop when you 
 take your craft high in the air, and discharge the 
 guns there," said the lieutenant. "In a rarefied 
 atmosphere the recoil check may not be as effec- 
 tive as at the earth's surface. But, in such case. 
 
88 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 doubtless, you can increase the strength of the 
 springs and the hydrostatic valves." 
 
 "Yes, I counted on that," Tom explained. "I 
 shall have to work out that formula, though, and 
 be ready for it. But, on the whole, I am pretty 
 well satisfied." 
 
 "And indeed you may well feel that way," com- 
 mented the government official. 
 
 The Mars was hauled back into the shed, and 
 the roof slid shut over the craft. Much yet re- 
 mained to do on it, but now that Tom was sure 
 the important item of armament was taken care 
 of, he could devote his entire time to the finishing 
 touches. 
 
 As his plant was working on several other 
 pieces of machinery, some of it for the United 
 States Government, and some designed for his 
 own use, Tom found himself obliged to hire sev- 
 eral new hands. An advertisement in a New 
 York newspaper brought a large number of re- 
 plies, and for a day or two Tom was kept busy 
 sifting out the least desirable, and arranging to 
 see those whose answers showed they knew some- 
 thing of the business requirements. 
 
 Meanwhile Lieutenant Marbury remained as 
 Tom's guest, and was helpful in making sugges- 
 tions that would enable the young inventor to 
 meet the government's requirements. 
 
THE NEW MEN 89 
 
 *I'd like, also, to get on the track of those 
 Spies who, I am sure, wish to do you harm," said 
 the lieutenant, "but clues seem to be scarce 
 around here." 
 
 "They are, indeed," agreed Tom. "I guess the 
 way in which we handled that fire in the red shed 
 sort of discouraged them." 
 
 Lieutenant Marbury shook his head. 
 
 "They're not so easily discouraged as that,'* 
 he remarked. "And, with the situation in Europe 
 growing more acute every day, I am afraid some 
 of those foreigners will take desperate measures 
 to gain their ends." 
 
 "What particular ends do you mean?" 
 
 "Well, I think they will either try to so injure 
 you that you will not be able to finish this aerial 
 warship, or they will damage the craft itself, steal 
 your plans, or damage some of your other in 
 ventions." 
 
 "But what object would they have in doing 
 such a thing?" Tom wanted to know. "How 
 would that help France, Germany or Russia, to 
 do me an injury ?" 
 
 "They are seeking to strike at the United States 
 through you," was the answer. "They don't want 
 Uncle Sam to have such formidable weapons as 
 your great searchlight, the giant cannon, or this 
 new warship of the clouds." 
 
90 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "But why not, as long as the United States 
 does not intend to go to war with any of the for- 
 eign nations?" Tom inquired. 
 
 "No, it is true we do not intend to go to war 
 with any of the conflicting European nations," 
 admitted Lieutenant Marbury, "but you have no 
 idea how jealous each of those foreign nations is 
 of all the others. Each one fears that the United 
 States will cease to be neutral, and will aid one 
 or the other." 
 
 "Oh, so that's it?" exclaimed Tom. 
 
 "Yes, each nation, which may, at a moment's 
 notice, be drawn into a war with one or more 
 rival nations, fears that we may throw in our 
 lot with its enemies." 
 
 "And, to prevent that, they want to destroy 
 some of my inventions?" asked Tom. 
 
 "That's the way I believe it will work out. 
 So you must be careful, especially since you have 
 taken on so many new men." 
 
 "That's so," agreed the young inventor. "I 
 have had to engage more strangers than ever be- 
 fore, for I am anxious to get the Mars finished 
 and give it a good test. And, now that you have 
 mentioned it, there are some of those men of 
 whom I am a bit suspicious." 
 
 "Have they done anything to make you feel 
 that way?" asked the lieutenant. 
 
THE NEW MEN gi 
 
 "Well, not exactly ; it is more their bearing, and 
 the manner in which they go about the works. I 
 must keep my eye on them, for it takes only a 
 few discontented men to spoil a whole shop full. 
 I will be on my guard." 
 
 "And not only about your new airship and 
 other inventions," said the officer, "but about 
 yourself, personally. Will you do that?" 
 
 "Yes, though I don't imagine anything like 
 that will happen." 
 
 "Well, be on your guard, at all events," warned 
 Lieutenant Marbury. 
 
 As Tom had said, he had been obliged to hire 
 a number of new men. Some of these were ma- 
 chinists who had worked for him, or his father, 
 on previous occasions, and, when tasks were few, 
 had been dismissed, to go to other shops. These 
 men, Tom felt sure, could be relied upon. 
 
 But there were a number of others, from New 
 York, and other large cities, of whom Tom was 
 not so sure. 
 
 "You have more foreigners than I ever knew 
 you to hire before, Tom," his father said to him 
 one day, coming back from a tour of the shops. 
 
 "Yes, I have quite a number,** Tom admitted* 
 "But they are all good workmen They stood 
 the test." 
 
 "Yes, some of them are too good/* observed 
 
92 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 the older inventor. "I saw one of them making 
 up a small motor the other day, and he was wind- 
 ing the armature a new way. I spoke to him 
 about it, and he tried to prove that his way was 
 an improvement on yours. Why, he'd have had 
 it short-circuited in no time if I hadn't stopped 
 him." 
 
 "Is that so?" asked Tom. "That is news to 
 me. I must look into this." 
 
 "Are any of the new men employed on the 
 Mars?" Mr. Swift asked. 
 
 "No, not yet, but I shall have to shift some 
 there from other work I think, in order to get 
 finished on time." 
 
 "Well, they will bear watching I think," his 
 father said. 
 
 "Why, have you seen anything — do you '* 
 
 began the young man, for Mr. Swift had not been 
 told of the suspicions of the lieutenant. 
 
 "Oh, it isn't anything special," the older inven- 
 tor went on, "Only I wouldn't let a man I 
 didn't know much about get too much knowledge 
 of my latest invention." 
 
 "I won't, Dad. Thanks for telling me. This 
 latest craft is sure going to be a beauty/' 
 
 "Then you think it will work, Tom?** 
 
 "I'm sure of it, Dad!" 
 
 Mr. Swift shook his head in doubt. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 A DAY OFF 
 
 Tom Swift pondered long and intently over 
 what his father had said to him. He sat for 
 several minutes in his private office, after the 
 aged inventor had passed out, reviewing in his 
 mind the talk just finished. 
 
 "I wonder," said Tom slowly, "if any of the 
 new men could have obtained work here for the 
 purpose of furthering that plot the lieutenant 
 suspects? I wonder if that could be true?" 
 
 And the more Tom thought of it, the more 
 he was convinced that such a thing was at least 
 possible. 
 
 "I must make a close inspection, and weed out 
 any suspicious characters," he decided, "though 
 I need every man I have working now, to get 
 the Mars finished in time. Yes, I must look into 
 this." 
 
 Tom had reached a point in his work where he 
 could leave much to his helpers. He had several 
 good foremen, and, with his father to take gen- 
 93 
 
94 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIB 
 
 eral supervision over more important details, the 
 young inventor had more time to himselfc Of 
 course he did not lay too many burdens on his 
 father's shoulders since Mr. Swift's health was 
 not of the best. 
 
 But Tom's latest idea, the aerial warship, wa3 
 so well on toward completion that his presence 
 was not needed in that shop more than two or 
 three times a day. 
 
 "When I'm not there I'll go about in the other 
 shops, and sort of size up the situation," he de- 
 cided* "I may be able to get a line on some of 
 those plotters, if there are any here/* 
 
 Lieutenant Marbury had departed for a time, 
 to look after some personal matters, but he was 
 to return inside of a week, when it was hoped to 
 give the aerial warship its first real test in flighty 
 and under some of the conditions that it would 
 meet with in actual warfare. 
 
 As Tom was about to leave his office, to put 
 into effect his new Resolution to make a casual 
 inspection of the other shops, he met Koku, the 
 giant, coming in. Koku's hands and face were 
 black with oil and machine filings. 
 
 "Well, what have you been doing? 9 * Tom 
 wanted to know. "Did you have an accident ^ 
 For Koku had no knowledge of machinery, and 
 could not even be trusted to tighten up a simple 
 
A DAY OFF 95 
 
 nut by himself o But if some one stood near him* 
 and directed him how to apply his enormous 
 strength, Koku could do more than several ma« 
 chines. 
 
 "No accident, Master," he replied. "I help 
 man lift that hammer-hammer thing that pounds 
 so. It get stuck!" 
 
 "What, the hammer of the drop forger?" cried 
 Tom. "Was that out of order again?'* 
 
 "Him stuck," explained Koku simply, 
 
 There was an automatic trip-hammer in one 
 of the shops, used for pounding out drop forg« 
 IngH, and this hammer seemed to take especial 
 delight in getting out of order. Very often it 
 jammed, or "stuck," as Koku described it, and 
 if the hammer could not be forced back on the 
 channel or upright guide-plates, it meant that it 
 must be taken apart, and valuable time lost Once 
 Koku had been near when the hammer got out 
 of order, and while the workmen were preparing 
 to dismantle it, the giant seized the big block of 
 steel, and with a heave of his mighty shoulders 
 forced it back on the guides. 
 
 "And is that what you did this time?" asked 
 Tom. 
 
 "Yes, Master c Me fix hammer," Koku an- 
 swered. "I get dirty, I no care» Man say I m> 
 can fix. I show him I can I" 
 
96 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP: 
 
 "What man said that?" 
 
 "Man who run hammer. Ha! I lift him by 
 one finger! He say he no like to work on ham- 
 mer. He want to work on airship. I tell him I 
 tell you, maybe you give him job — he baby! 
 Koku can work hammer. Me fix it when it get 
 stuck." 
 
 "Well, maybe you know what you're talking 
 about, but I don't," said Tom, with a pleasant 
 smile at his big helper. "Come on, Koku, we'll 
 go see what it all means/ 5 
 
 "Koku work hammer, maybe ?" asked the giant 
 hopefully. 
 
 "Well, I'll see," half promised Tom. "If it's 
 going to get out of gear all the while it might 
 pay me to keep you at it so you could get it back 
 in place whenever it kicked up a fuss, and so save 
 time. I'll see about it." 
 
 Koku led the way to the shop where the trip- 
 hammer was installed.. It was working perfectly 
 now, as Tom could tell by the thundering blows 
 it struck. The man operating it looked up as 
 Tom approached, and, at a gesture from the 
 young inventor, shut off the power. 
 
 "Been having trouble here?" asked Tom, not- 
 ing that the workman was one of the new hands 
 lie had hired. 
 
 "Yes, sir, a little/* was the respectful answer,, 
 
A DAY OFF 97 
 
 "This hammer goes on a strike every now and 
 then, and gets jammed. Your giant there forced 
 it back into place, which is more than I could do 
 with a big bar for a lever. He sure has some 
 muscle." 
 
 "Yes," agreed Tom, "he's pretty strong. But 
 what's this you said about wanting to give up 
 this job, and go on the airship construction." 
 
 The man turned red under his coat of grime. 
 
 "I didn't intend him to repeat that to you, Mr. 
 Swift," he said. "I was a little put out at the 
 way this hammer worked. I lose so much time 
 at it that I said I'd like to be transferred to the 
 airship department. I've worked in one before. 
 But I'm not making a kick," he added quickly. 
 "Work is too scarce for that." 
 
 "I understand," said Tom. "I have been think- 
 ing of making a change. Koku seems to like this 
 hammer, and knows how to get it in order once 
 it gets off the guides. You say you have had 
 experience in airship construction?" 
 
 "Yes, sir. I've worked on the engines, and 
 on the planes." 
 
 "Know anything about dirigible balloons?" 
 
 "Yes, I've worked on them, too, but the engi- 
 neering part is my specialty. I'm a little out of 
 my element on a trip-hammer." 
 
 "I see. Well, perhaps I'll give you a trial. 
 
98 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 Meanwhile you might break Koku in on operat- 
 ing this machine. If I transfer you I'll put him 
 on this hammer.'* 
 
 "Thank you, Mr. Swift! I'll show him all I 
 know about it. Oh, there goes the hammer 
 again!" he exclaimed, for, as he started it up, as 
 Tom turned away, the big piece of steel once 
 more jammed on the channel-plates. 
 
 "Me fix!" exclaimed the giant eagerly, anxious 
 for a chance to exhibit his great strength. 
 
 "Wait a minute!" exclaimed Tom. "I want 
 to get a look at that machine." 
 
 He inspected it carefully before he signaled for 
 Koku to force the hammer back into place. But, 
 if Tom saw anything suspicious, he said nothing. 
 There was, however, a queer look on his face as 
 he turned aside, and he murmered to himself, as 
 he walked away : 
 
 "So you want to be transferred to the airship 
 department, do you? Well, we'll see about that. 
 We'll see." 
 
 Tom had more problems to solve than those 
 t>f making an aerial warship that would be accept- 
 able to the United States Govermnent. 
 
 Ned Newton called on his chum that evening. 
 The two talked of many things, gradually veer- 
 ing around to the subject uppermost in Tom'§ 
 mind — his new aircraft. 
 
A DAY OFF 99 
 
 "You're thinking too much of that," Ned 
 warned him. "You're as bad as the time you went 
 for your first flight." 
 
 "I suppose I am," admitted Tom. "But the 
 success of the Mars means a whole lot to me. 
 And that's something I nearly forgot. I've got 
 to go out to the shop now. Want to come 
 along, Ned?" 
 
 "Sure, though I tell you that you're working 
 too hard — burning the electric light at both ends." 
 
 "This is just something simple," Tom said. 
 "It won't take long." 
 
 He went out, followed by his chum. 
 
 "But this isn't the way to the airship shed," 
 objected the young bank clerk, as he noted in 
 which direction Tom was leading him. 
 
 "I know it isn't," Tom replied. "But I want 
 to look at one of the trip-hammers in the forge 
 shop when none of the men is around. I've been, 
 having a little trouble there." 
 
 "Trouble!" exclaimed his chum. "Has that 
 plot Lieutenant Marbury spoke of developed?" 
 
 "Not exactly. This is something else," and 
 Tom told of the trouble with the big hammer. 
 
 "I had an idea," the young inventor said, "that 
 the man at the machine let it get out of order 
 purposely, so I'd change him. I want to see if 
 my suspicions are correct." 
 
IOO TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 Tom carefully inspected the hammer by the 
 light of a powerful portable electric lamp Ned 
 held. 
 
 "Ha! There it is!" Tom suddenly exclaimed. 
 
 "Something wrong?" Ned inquired. 
 
 "Yes. This is what's been throwing the ham- 
 mer off the guides all the while," and Tom pulled 
 out a small steel bolt that had been slipped into an 
 oil hole. A certain amount of vibration, he ex- 
 plained to Ned, would rattle the bolt out so that 
 it would force the hammer to one side, throwing 
 it off the channel-plates, and rendering it useless 
 for the time being. 
 
 "A foxy trick," commented Tom. "No won- 
 der the machine got out of kilter so easily." 
 
 "Do you think it was done purposely ?" 
 
 "Well, I'm not going to say. But I'm going 
 to watch that man. He wants to be transferred 
 to the airship department. He put this in the 
 hammer, perhaps, to have an excuse for a change. 
 Well, I'll give it to him." 
 
 "You don't mean that you'd take a fellow like 
 that and put him to work on your new aerial war- 
 ship, do you, Tom?" 
 
 "Yes, I think I will, Ned. You see, I look at 
 it this way: I haven't any real proof against him 
 now. He could only laugh at me if I accused 
 him. But you've heard the proverb about giving 
 
A DAY OFF IOI 
 
 a calf rope enough and he'll hang himself, haven't 
 you?" 
 
 "I think I have." 
 
 "Well, I'm going to give this fellow a little 
 rope. I'll transfer him, as he asks, and I'll keep 
 a close watch on him." 
 
 "But won't it be risky?" 
 
 "Perhaps, but no more so than leaving him in 
 here to work mischief. If he is hatching a plot, 
 the sooner it's over with the better I shall like it. 
 I don't like a shot to hang fire. I'm warned now, 
 and I'll be ready for him. I have a line on whom 
 to suspect. This is the first clue," and Tom held 
 up the incriminating bolt. 
 
 "I think you're taking too big a risk, Tom," 
 his chum said. "Why not discharge the man?" 
 
 "Because that might only smooth things over 
 for a time. If this plot is being laid the sooner it 
 -Comes to a head, and breaks, the better. Have it 
 done, short, sharp and quick, is my motto. Yes, 
 I'll shift him in the morning. Oh, but I wish it 
 was all over, and the Mars was accepted by Uncle 
 Sam !" and Tom put his hand to his head with a 
 tired gesture. 
 
 "Say, old man!" exclaimed Ned, "what you 
 want is a day off, and I'm going to see that you 
 get it. You need a little vacation." 
 
 " Perhaps I do," assented Tom wearily. 
 
102 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 "Then you'll have it!" cried Ned. "There's 
 going to be a little picnic to-morrow. Why can't 
 you go with Mary Nestor? She'd like you to take 
 her, I'm sure. Her cousin, Helen Randall, is on 
 |rom New York, and she wants to go, also." 
 
 "How do you know?" asked Tom quickly. 
 
 "Because she said so," laughed Ned. "I was 
 over to the house to call. I have met Helen be- 
 fore, and I suggested that you and I would take 
 the two girls, and have a day off. You'll come, 
 won't you?" 
 
 "Well, I don't know," spoke Tom slowly. "I 
 ought to " 
 
 "Nonsense ! Give up work for one day !" urged 
 Ned. "Come along. It'll do you good — get the 
 cobwebs out of your head." 
 
 "All right, I'll go," assented Tom, after a mo- 
 ment's thought. 
 
 The next day, having instructed his father and 
 the foremen to look well to the various shops, 
 and having seen that the work on the new aerial 
 warship was progressing favorably, Tom left for 
 a. day's outing with his chum and the two girls. 
 
 The picnic was held in a grove that surrounded 
 a small lake, and after luncheon the four friends 
 went for a ride in a launch Tom hired. They 
 went to the upper end of the lake, in rather a 
 pretty but lonesome locality. 
 
A DAY OFF 103 
 
 "Tom, you look tired," said Mary. "I'm sure 
 you've been working too hard !" 
 
 "Why, I'm not working any harder than 
 usual," Tom insisted. 
 
 "Yes, he is, too !" declared Ned, "and he's run- 
 ning more chances, too." 
 
 "Chances?" repeated Mary. 
 
 "Oh, that's all bosh !" laughed Tom. "Come 
 ion, let's go ashore and walk." 
 
 "That suits me," spoke Ned. Helen and Mary 
 assented, and soon the four young persons were 
 strolling through the shady wood. 
 
 After a bit the couples became separated, and 
 Tom found himself walking beside Mary in a 
 woodland path. The girl glanced at her com- 
 panion's face, and ventured : 
 
 "A penny for your thoughts, Tom." 
 
 "They're worth more than that," he replied 
 gallantly. "I was thinking of — you." 
 
 "Oh, how nicely you say it !" she laughed. "But 
 I know better ! You're puzzling over some prob- 
 lem. Tell me, what did Ned mean when he hinted 
 at danger? Is there any, Tom?" 
 
 "None at all," he assured her. "It's just a sort 
 ■of notion — 1 — " 
 
 Mary made a sudden gesture of silence. 
 
 "Hark !" she whispered to Tom, "I heard some- 
 one mention your name then. Listen!" 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 A NIGHT ALARM 
 
 Mary Nestor spoke with such earnestness, 
 and her action in catching hold of Tom's arm 
 to enjoin silence was so pronounced that, though 
 he had at first regarded the matter in the light 
 of a joke, he soon thought otherwise. He 
 glanced from the girl's face to the dense under- 
 brush on either side of the woodland path. 
 
 "What is it, Mary?" he asked in a whisper. 
 
 "I don't just know. I heard whispering, and 
 thought it was the rustling of the leaves of the 
 trees. Then someone spoke your name quite 
 loudly. Didn't you hear it? " 
 
 Tom shook his head in negation. 
 
 " It may be Ned and his friend," he whispered, 
 his lips close to Mary's ear. 
 
 " I think not," was her answer. "Listen; there 
 it is again." 
 
 Distinctly then, Tom heard, from some open- 
 ing in the screen of bushes, his own name spoken. 
 
 "Did you hear it? " asked Mary, barely form- 
 104 
 
A NIGHT ALARM 105 
 
 mg tne words with her lips. But Tom could read 
 their motion. 
 
 "Yes," he nodded. Then, motioning to Mary 
 to remain where she was, he stepped forward, 
 taking care to tread only on grassy places where 
 there were no little twigs or branches to break 
 and betray his presence. He was working his 
 way toward the sound of the unseen voice. 
 
 There was a sudden movement in the bushes, 
 just beyond the spot Tom was making for. He 
 halted quickly and peered ahead. Mary, too, 
 was looking on anxiously. 
 
 Tom saw the forms of two men, partially con- 
 cealed by bushes, walking away from him. The 
 men took no pains to conceal their movements, 
 so Tom was emboldened to advance with less cau- 
 tion. He hurried to where he could get a good 
 view, and, at the sight of one of the men, he ut- 
 tered an exclamation. 
 
 "What is it?" asked Mary, who was now at his 
 side. She had seen that Tom had thrown aside 
 caution, and she had come up to join him. 
 
 "That man — I know him !" the young inventor 
 exclaimed. "It is Feldman — the one who wanted 
 to be changed from the trip-hammer to the air- 
 ship department. But who is that with him?" 
 
 As Tom spoke the other turned, and at the 
 sight of his face Mary Nestor said : 
 
I06 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIR 
 
 "He looks like a Frenchman, with that little 
 mustache and imperial." 
 
 "So he is !" exclaimed Tom, in a hoarse whis- 
 per. "He must be the Frenchman that Eradicate 
 spoke about. I wonder what this can mean? I 
 didn't know Feldman had left the shop." 
 
 "You may know what you're talking about, 
 but I don't, Tom," said Mary, with a smile at her 
 companion. "Are they friends of yours?" 
 
 "Hardly," spoke the young inventor dryly. 
 "That one, Feldman, is one of my workmen. He 
 had charge of a drop-forge press and trip-ham- 
 mer that " 
 
 "Spare me the details, Tom!" interrupted 
 Mary. "You know I don't understand a thing 
 about machinery. The wireless you erected on 
 Earthquake Island was as much as I could com- 
 prehend." 
 
 "Well, a trip-hammer isn't as complicated as 
 that," spoke Tom, with a laugh, as he noticed 
 that the two men were far enough away so they 
 could not hear him. "What I was going to say 
 was, that one of those men works in our shops. 
 The other I don't know, but I agree with you that, 
 he does look like a Frenchman, and old Eradi- 
 cate had a meeting with a man whom he described 
 as being of that nationality." 
 
 "And you say they are not friends of yours P" 
 
A NIGHT ALARM I0£ 
 
 "I have no reason to believe they are." 
 
 'Then they must be enemies !" exclaimed Mary 
 with quick intuition. "Oh, Tom, you will be 
 careful, won't you?" 
 
 "Of course I will, little girl," he said, a note 
 of fondness creeping into his voice, as he covered 
 the small hand with his own large one. "But 
 there is no danger." 
 
 "Then why were these men discussing you?" 
 
 "I don't know that they were, Mary." 
 
 "They mentioned your name." 
 
 "Well, that may be. Probably one of them, 
 Feldman, who works for me, was speaking to his 
 companion about the chance for a position. My 
 father and I employ a number of men, you know." 
 
 "Well, I suppose it is all right, Tom, and I 
 surely hope it is. But you will be careful, won't 
 you? And you look more worried than you 
 used to. Has anything gone wrong?" 
 
 "Not a thing, little girl. Everything is going 
 fine. My new aerial warship will soon make a 
 trial flight, and I'd be pleased to have you as a 
 passenger." 
 
 "Would you really, Tom?" 
 
 "Of course. Consider that you have the first 
 invitation." 
 
 "That's awfully nice of you. But you do look 
 Worried, Tom. Has anything troubled you ?" 
 
108 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "No, not much. Everything is going all right 
 now. We did have a little trouble at a fire in one 
 of my buildings " 
 
 "A fire! Oh, Tom! You never told me!" 
 
 "Well, it didn't amount to much — the only 
 suspicious fact about it was that it seemed to have 
 been of incendiary origin." 
 
 Mary seemed much alarmed, and again begged 
 Tom to be on his guard, which he promised to do. 
 Had Mary known the warnings uttered by Lieu- 
 tenant Marbury she might have had more occa- 
 sion for worry. 
 
 "Do you suppose that hammer man of yours 
 came to these woods to meet that Frenchman 
 and talk about you, Tom?" asked his companion, 
 when the two men had strolled out of sight, and 
 the young people were on their way back to the 
 launch. 
 
 "Well, it's possible. I have been warned that 
 foreign spies are trying to get hold of some of 
 my patents, and also to hamper the government 
 in the use of some others I have sold. But they'll 
 have their own troubles to get away with any- 
 thing. The works are pretty well guarded, and 
 you forget I have the giant, Koku, who is almost 
 a personal bodyguard." 
 
 "Yes, but he can't be everywhere at once. Oh, 
 you will be careful, won't you, Tom?" 
 
A NIGHT ALARM 109 
 
 "Yes, Mary, I will," promised the young in- 
 ventor. "But don't say anything to Ned about 
 what we just saw and heard." 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 "Because he's been at me to hire a couple of 
 detectives to watch over me, and this would give 
 him another excuse. Just don't say anything, and 
 I'll adopt all the precautions I think are need- 
 ful." 
 
 "I will on condition that you do that." 
 
 "And I promise I will." 
 
 With that Mary had to be content. A little 
 later they joined Ned and his friend, and soon 
 they were moving swiftly down the lake in the 
 launch. 
 
 "Well, hasn't it done you good to take a day 
 off?" Ned demanded of his chum, when they were 
 on their homeward way. 
 
 "Yes, I think it has," agreed Tom. 
 
 "You swung your thoughts into a new channel, 
 didn't you?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, I found something new to think 
 about," admitted the young inventor, with a quick 
 look at Mary. 
 
 But, though Tom thus passed off lightly the lit- 
 tle incident of the day, he gave it serious thought 
 when he was alone. 
 
 "Those fellows were certainly talking about 
 
110 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIB 
 
 me," he reasoned. "I wonder what for? And 
 Feldman left the shop without my knowledge. 
 I'll have to look into that. I wonder if that 
 Frenchy looking chap I saw was the one who 
 tried to pump Eradicate? Another point to set- 
 tle." 
 
 The last was easily disposed of, for, on reach- 
 ing his shops that afternoon, Tom cross-ques- 
 tioned the colored man, and obtained a most accu- 
 rate description of the odd foreigner. It tallied 
 in every detail with the man Tom had seen in the 
 woods. 
 
 "And now about Feldman," mused Tom, as he 
 went to the foreman of the shop where the sus* 
 pected man had beer employed. 
 
 "Yes, Feldman asked for a day off," the fore- 
 man said in response to Tom's question. "He 
 claimed his mother was sick, and he wanted to 
 go to see her. I knew you wouldn't object, as we 
 were not rushed in his department." 
 
 "Oh, that's all right," said Tom quickly. "Did 
 he say where his mother lived ?" 
 
 "Over Lafayette way." 
 
 "Humph!" murmured Tom. To himself he 
 added : "Queer that he should be near Lake Lo- 
 raine, • in an opposite direction from Lafayette. 
 This will bear an investigation." 
 
 The next day Tom made it his business to pa#* 
 
A NIGHT ALARM m 
 
 near the hammer that was so frequently out of 
 ©rder. He found Feldman busy instructing 
 Koku in its operation. Tom resolved on a little 
 Strategy. 
 
 "How is it working, Feldman ?" he asked. 
 
 "Very well, Mr. Swift. There doesn't seem to 
 be any trouble at all, but it may happen any min- 
 ute. Koku seems to take to it like a duck to 
 water." 
 
 "Well, when he is ready to assume charge let 
 me know." 
 
 "And then am I to go into the aeroplane shop?" 
 
 "I'll see. By the way, how is your mother?'* 
 he asked quickly, looking Feldman full in the 
 face. 
 
 "She is much better. I took a day off yester- 
 day to go to see her," the man replied quietly 
 enough, and without sign of embarrassment. 
 
 "That's good. Let me see, she lives over near 
 Lake Loraine, doesn't she ?" 
 
 This time Feldman could not repress a start. 
 But he covered it admirably by stooping over 
 to pick up a tool that fell to the floor. 
 
 "No, my mother is in Lafayette," he said. "I 
 don't know where Lake Loraine is." 
 
 "Oh," said Tom, as he turned aside to hide a 
 smile. He was sure now he knew at least one o£ 
 the plotters. 
 
112 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 But Tom was not yet ready to show his hand. 
 He wanted better evidence than any he yet pos- 
 sessed. It would take a little more time. 
 
 Work on the aerial warship was rushed, and it 
 seemed likely that a trial flight could be made 
 before the date set. Lieutenant Marbury sent 
 word that he would be on hand when needed, and 
 in some of the shops, where fittings for the Mars 
 were being made, night and day shifts were work- 
 ing. 
 
 "Well, if everything goes well, we'll take her 
 for a trial flight to-morrow," said Tom, coming 
 in from the shops one evening. 
 
 "Guns and all?" asked Ned, who had come 
 over to pay his chum a visit. Mr. Damon was 
 also on hand, invoking occasional blessings. 
 
 "Guns and all," replied Tom. 
 
 Ned had a little vacation from the bank, and 
 was to stay all night, as was Mr. Damon. 
 
 What time it was, save that it must be near 
 midnight, Tom could not tell, but he was sud- 
 denly awakened by hearing yells from Eradicate : 
 
 "Massa Tom! Massa Tom!" yelled the ex- 
 cited colored man. "Git up! Git up! Suffin' 
 turrible am happenin' in de balloon shop. Hurry ! 
 An' yo' stan' still, Boomerang, or I'll twist yo* 
 tail, dat's what I will! Hurry, Massa Tom!" 
 
 Tom leaped out of bed. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 THE CAPTURE 
 
 Tom Swift was something like a fireman. He 
 had lived so long in an atmosphere of constant 
 alarms and danger, that he was always ready for 
 almost any emergency. His room was equipped 
 with the end in view that he could act promptly 
 and effectively. 
 
 So, when he heard Eradicate's alarm, though 
 he wondered what the old colored man was do- 
 ing out of bed at that hour, Tom did not stop 
 to reason out that puzzle. He acted quickly. 
 
 His first care was to throw on the main switch, 
 connected with a big storage battery, and to which 
 were attached the wires of the lighting system. 
 This at once illuminated every shop in the plant, 
 and also the grounds themselves. Tom wanted 
 to see what was going on. The use of a storage 
 battery eliminated the running of the dynamo all 
 night. 
 
 And once he had done this, Tom began pulling 
 on some clothes and a pair of shoes. At the same 
 
 "3 
 
114 T0M SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 time he reached out with one hand and pressed 
 a button that sounded an alarm in the sleeping 
 quarters of Koku, the giant, and in the rooms of 
 some of the older and most trusted men. 
 
 All this while Eradicate was shouting away, 
 down in the yard. 
 
 "MassaTom! Massa Tom !" he called. "Hur- 
 ry ! Hurry ! Dey is killin' Koku 1" 
 
 "Killing Koku !" exclaimed Tom, as he finished 
 his hasty dressing. "Then my giant must already 
 be in the fracas. I wonder what it's all about, 
 anyhow." 
 
 "What's up, Tom?" came Ned's voice from 
 the adjoining room. "I thought I heard a noise." 
 
 "Your thoughts do you credit, Ned!" Tom 
 answered. "If you listen right close, you'll hear 
 several noises." 
 
 "By Jove ! You're right, old man !" 
 
 Tom could hear his chum bound out of bed 
 to the floor, and, at the same time, from the big 
 shed where Tom was building his aerial warship 
 came a series of yells and shouts. 
 
 "That's Koku's voice !" Tom exclaimed, as he 
 recognized the tones of the giant. 
 
 "I'm coming, Tom!" Ned informed his chum. 
 "Wait a minute." 
 
 "No time to wait," Tom replied, buttoning his 
 coat as he sped down the hall. 
 
THE CAPTURE 115 
 
 "Oh, Tom, what is it?" asked Mrs. Baggert, 
 the housekeeper, looking from her room. 
 
 "I don't know. But don't let dad get excited, 
 no matter what happens. Just put him off until 
 I come back. I think it isn't anything serious." 
 
 Mr. Damon, who roomed next to Ned, came 
 out of his own apartment partially dressed. 
 
 "Bless my suspenders!" he cried to Tom, those 
 articles just then dangling over his hips. "What 
 is it? What has happened? Bless my steam 
 gauge, don't tell me it's a fire !" 
 
 "I think it isn't that," Tom answered. "No 
 alarm has rung. Koku seems to be in trouble." 
 
 "Well, he's big enough to look after himself, 
 that's one consolation," chuckled Mr. Damon. 
 "I'll be right with you." 
 
 By this time Ned had run out into the hall, and, 
 together, he and Tom sped down the corridor. 
 They could not hear the shouts of Eradicate so 
 plainly now, as he was on the other side of the 
 house. 
 
 But when the two young men reached the 
 front porch, they could hear the yells given with 
 redoubled vigor. And, in the glare of the elec- 
 tric lights, Tom saw Eradicate leading along 
 Boomerang, the old mule. 
 
 "What is it, Rad? What is it?" demanded the 
 young inventor breathlessly. 
 
Il6 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "Trouble, Massa Tom! Dat's what it ami 
 Trouble!" 
 
 "I know that— but what kind?" 
 
 "De worstest kind, I 'spects, Massa Tom. Lis- 
 ten to it!" 
 
 From the interior of the big shed, not far from 
 the house, Tom and Ned heard a confused jumble 
 of shouts, cries and pleadings, mingled with the 
 rattle of pieces of metal, and the banging of bits 
 of wood. And, above all that, like the bellowing 
 of a bull, was noted the rumbling voice of 
 Koku, the giant. 
 
 "Come on, Ned !" Tom cried. 
 
 "It's suah trouble, all right," went on Eradicate. 
 "Mah mule, Boomerang, had a touch ob de colic, 
 an' I got up t' gib him some hot drops an' walk 
 him around, when I heard de mostest terrific 
 racket-sound, and den I 'spected trouble was 
 comin'." 
 
 "It isn't coming — it's here!" called Tom, as he 
 sped toward the big shop. Ned was but a step 
 behind him. The big workshop where the aerial 
 warship was being built was, like the other build- 
 ings, brilliantly illuminated by the lights Tom had 
 switched on. The young inventor also saw sev- 
 eral of his employees speeding toward the same 
 point. 
 
 Tom was the first to reach the small door of the 
 
THE CAPTURE 117 
 
 shed. This was built in one of the two large main 
 doors, which could be swung open when it was 
 desired to slide the Mars in from the ground, and 
 not admit it through the roof. 
 
 "Look!" cried Tom, pointing. 
 
 Ned looked over his chum's shoulder and saw 
 the giant, Koku, struggling with four men — pow- 
 erful men they were, too, and they seemed bent 
 on mischief. 
 
 For they came at Koku from four sides, seek- 
 ing to hold his hands and feet so that he could 
 not fight them back. On the floor near where 
 the struggle was taking place was a coil of rope, 
 and it was evident that it had been the intention 
 of the men to overcome Koku and truss him up, 
 so that he would not interfere with what they 
 intended to do. But Koku was a match for even 
 the four men, powerful as they were. 
 
 "We're here, Koku!" cried Tom. "Watch for 
 an opening, Ned!" he called to his chum. 
 
 The sound of Tom's voice disconcerted at least 
 two of the attackers, for they looked around 
 quickly, and this was fatal to their chances. 
 
 Though such a big man, Koku was exception- 
 ally quick, and no sooner did he see his advan- 
 tage, as two of the men turned their gaze away 
 from him, than he seized it. 
 
 Suddenly tearing loose his hands from the grip 
 
"ll8 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 of the two men who had looked around, Koku 
 shot out his right and left fists, and secured good 
 hold on the necks of two of his enemies. The 
 other two, at his back, were endeavoring to pull 
 him over, but the giant's sturdy legs still held. 
 
 So big was Koku's hands that they almost en- 
 circled the necks of his antagonists. Then hap- 
 pened a curious thing. 
 
 With a shout that might have done credit to 
 some ancient cave-dweller of the stone age, Koku 
 spread out his mighty arms, and held apart the 
 two men he had grasped. In vain they struggled 
 to free themselves from that terrible grip. Their 
 faces turned purple, and their eyes bulged out. 
 
 "He's choking them to death!" shouted Ned. 
 
 But Koku was not needlessly cruel. 
 
 A moment later, with a quick and sudden mo- 
 tion he bent his arms, bringing toward each other 
 the two men he held as captives. Their 
 heads came together with a dull thud, and a sec- 
 ond later Koku allowed two limp bodies to slip 
 from his grip to the floor. 
 
 "He's done for them !" Tom cried. "Knocked 
 them unconscious. Good for you, Koku!" 
 
 The giant grunted, and then, with a quick mo- 
 tion, slung himself around, hoping to bring the 
 enemies at his back within reach of his powerful 
 arms. But there was no need of this. 
 
THE CAPTURE 119 
 
 As soon as the other two ruffians had seen their 
 companions fall to the floor of the shop they 
 turned and fled, leaping - from an open window. 
 
 "There they go !" cried Ned. 
 
 "Some of the other men can chase them," said 
 the young inventor. "We'll tie up the two Koku 
 has captured." 
 
 As he approached nearer to the unconscious 
 captives Tom uttered a cry of surprise, for he 
 recognized them as two of the new men he had 
 employed. 
 
 "What can this mean ?" he asked wonderingly. 
 
 He glanced toward the window through which 
 the two men had jumped to escape, and he was 
 just in time to see one of them run past the open 
 door. The face of this one was under a powerful 
 electric light, and Tom at once recognized the 
 man as Feldman, the worker who had had so 
 much trouble with the trip-hammer. 
 
 "This sure is a puzzle," marveled Tom. "My 
 own men in the plot! But why did they attack 
 Koku?" 
 
 The giant, bending over the men he had 
 knocked unconscious by beating their heads to- 
 gether, seemed little worse for the attack. 
 
 "We tie 'em up," he said grimly, as he brought 
 over the rope that had been intended for him- 
 self. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 THE FIRST FLIGHT 
 
 Little time was lost in securing the two men 
 who had been so effectively rendered helpless by 
 Koku's ready, if rough, measures. One of them 
 was showing signs of returning consciousness 
 now, and Tom, not willing to inflict needless pain, 
 even on an enemy, told one of his men, summoned 
 by the alarm, to bring water. Soon the two men 
 opened their eyes, and looked about them in dazed 
 fashion. 
 
 "Did — did anything hit me?" asked one 
 meekly. 
 
 "It must have been a thunderbolt," spoke the 
 other dreamily. "But it didn't look like a storm." 
 
 "Oh, dere was a storm, all right," chuckled 
 Eradicate, who, having left his mule, Boomerang, 
 outside, came into the shed. "It was a giant- 
 storm all right." 
 
 The men put their hands to their heads, and 
 seemed to comprehend. They looked at the rope 
 that bound their feet. Their forearms had been 
 loosened to allow them to take a drink of water. 
 
 120 
 
THE FIRST FLIGHT 121 
 
 "What does this mean — Ransom — Kurdy?" 
 asked Tom sternly, when the men seemed able 
 to talk. "Did you attack Koku?" 
 
 "It looks as though he had the best of us, 
 whether we did or not," said the man Tom knew 
 as Kurdy. "Whew, how my head aches!" 
 
 "Me sorry," said Koku simply. 
 
 "Not half as sorry as we are," returned Ran- 
 som ruefully. 
 
 "What does it mean?" asked Tom sternly. 
 "There were four of you. Feldman and one 
 other got away." 
 
 "Oh, trust Feldman for getting away," sneered 
 Kurdy. "He always leaves his friends in the 
 lurch." 
 
 "Was this a conspiracy?" demanded Tom. 
 
 The two captives looked at one another, sitting 
 bound on the floor of the shop, their backs against 
 some boxes. 
 
 "I guess it's all up, and we might as well make 
 a clean breast of it," admitted Kurdy. 
 
 "Perhaps it would be better," said Tom 
 quietly. "Eradicate," he went on, to the colored 
 man, "go to the house and tell Mrs. Baggert that 
 everything is all right and no one hurt." 
 
 "No one hurt, Massa Tom? What about dem 
 dere fellers?" and the colored man pointed to the 
 captives. 
 
122 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIR 
 
 "Well, they're not hurt much," and Tom per- 
 mitted himself a little smile. "I don't want my 
 father to worry. Tell him everything is all right." 
 
 "All right, Massa Tom. I'se gwine right off. 
 I'se got t' look after mah mule, Boomerang, too. 
 I'se gwine," and he shuffled away. 
 
 "Who else besides Feldman got away?" asked 
 Tom, looking alternately at the prisoners. 
 
 They hesitated a moment about answering. 
 
 "We might as well give up, I tell you," spoke 
 Kurdy to Ransom. 
 
 "All right, go ahead, we'll have to take our 
 medicine. I might have known it would turn out 
 this way — going in for this sort of thing. It's 
 the first bit of crooked business I ever tried," the 
 man said earnestly, "and it will be the last — be- 
 lieve me!" 
 
 "Who was the fourth man?" Tom repeated. 
 
 "Harrison," answered Kurdy, naming one of 
 the most efficient of the new machinists Tom had 
 hired during the rush. 
 
 "Harrison, who has been working on the mo- 
 tor?" cried the young inventor. 
 
 "Yes," said Ransom. 
 
 "I'm sorry to learn that," Tom went on in a low 
 yoice. "He was an expert in his line. But what 
 was your object, anyhow, in attacking Koku?" 
 
 "We didn't intend to attack him," explained 
 
THE FIRST FLIGHT 12 $ 
 
 Ransom, "but he came in when we were at work, 
 and as he went for us we tried to stand him off. 
 Then your colored man heard the racket, and — 
 well, I guess you know the rest." 
 
 "But I don't understand why you came into 
 this shed at night," went on Tom. "No one is 
 allowed in here. You had no right, and Koku 
 inew that. What did you want ?" 
 
 "Look here!" exclaimed Kurdy, "I said we'd 
 make a clean breast of it, and we will. We're 
 only a couple of tools, and we were foolish ever 
 to go in with those fellows; or rather, in with 
 that Frenchman, who promised us big money if 
 We succeeded." 
 
 "Succeeded in what ?" demanded the young in- 
 ventor. 
 
 "In damaging your new aerial warship, or in 
 getting certain parts of it so he could take them 
 away with him." 
 
 Tom gave a surprised whistle. 
 
 "A Frenchman !" he exclaimed. "Is he one of 
 
 the " 
 
 "Yes, he's one of the foreign spies," inter- 
 rupted Ransom. "You'd find it out, anyhow, if 
 we didn't tell you. They are after you, Tom 
 Swift, and after your machines. They had 
 Vowed to get them by fair means or foul, for some 
 Of the European governments are desperate. 
 
I2 4 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 "But we were only tools in their hands. So 
 were Feldman and Harrison, but they knew more 
 about the details. We were only helping them." 
 
 "Then we must try to capture them," decided 
 Tom. "Ned, see if the chase had any results. 
 I'll look after these chaps — Koku and I." 
 
 "Oh, we give in," admitted Kurdy. "We know 
 when we've had enough," and he rubbed his head 
 gently where the giant had banged it against that 
 of his fellow-conspirator. 
 
 "Do you mean that you four came into this 
 shop, at midnight, to damage the Mars?" asked 
 Tom. 
 
 "That's about it, Mr. Swift," replied Kurdy 
 rather shamefacedly. "We were to damage it be- 
 yond repair, set fire to the whole place, if need be, 
 and, at the same time, take away certain vital parts. 
 
 "Harrison, Feldman, Ransom and I came in, 
 thinking the coast was clear. But Koku must 
 have seen us enter, or he suspected we were here, 
 for he came in after us, and the fight began. We 
 couldn't stop him, and he did for us. I'm rather 
 glad of it, too, for I never liked the work. It 
 was only that they tempted me with a promise 
 of big money." 
 
 "Who tempted you?" demanded Tom. 
 "That Frenchman— La Foy, he calls himself,, 
 and some other foreigners in your shops." 
 
THE FIRST FLIGHT 125 
 
 "Are there foreigners here?" cried Tom. 
 
 "Bless my chest protector !" cried Mr. Damon, 
 ;who had come in and had been a silent listener to 
 this. "Can it be possible?" 
 
 "That's the case," went on Kurdy. "A lot of 
 the new men you took on are foreign spies from 
 different European nations. They are trying to 
 learn all they can about your plans, Mr. Swift!" 
 
 "Are they friendly among themselves?" asked 
 Tom. 
 
 "No; each one is trying to get ahead of the 
 other. So far the Frenchman seems to have had 
 the best of it. But to-night his plan failed." 
 
 "Tell me more about it," urged Tom. 
 
 "That's about all we know," spoke Ransom. 
 v< We were only hired to do the rough work. 
 Those higher up didn't appear. Feldman was 
 only a step above us." 
 
 "Then my suspicions of him were justified," 
 thought Tom. "He evidently met La Foy in the 
 woods to make plans. But Koku and Eradicate 
 spoiled them." 
 
 The two captives seemed willing enough to 
 make a confession, but they did not know much. 
 As they said, they were merely tools, acting for 
 others. And events had happened just as they 
 had said. 
 
 The four conspirators had managed, by means 
 
126 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 of a false key, and by disconnecting the burglar 
 alarm, to enter the airship shed. They were 
 about to proceed with their work of destruc- 
 tion when Koku came on the scene. 
 
 The giant's appearance was due to accident. 
 He acted as a sort of night watchman, making a 
 tour of the buildings, but he entered the shed 
 where the Mars was because, that day, he had 
 left his knife in there, and wanted to get it. Only 
 for that he would not have gone in. When he 
 entered he surprised the four men. 
 
 Of course he attacked them at once, and they 
 sprang at him. Then ensued a terrific fight. 
 Eradicate, arising to doctor his mule, as he had 
 oaid, heard the noise, and saw what was going 
 on. He gave the alarm. 
 
 "Well, Ned, any luck?" asked Tom, as his 
 chum came in. 
 
 "No, they got away, Tom. I had a lot of your 
 men out helping me search the grounds, but it 
 wasn't of much use." 
 
 "Particularly if you depended on some of my 
 men," said Tom bitterly. 
 
 "What do you mean?" 
 
 "I mean that the place is filled with spies, Ned ! 
 But we will sift them out in the morning. This 
 has been a lucky night for me. It was touch 
 and go. Now, then, Koku, take these fellows 
 
THE FIRST FLIGHT 127 
 
 and lock them up somewhere until morning. Ned, 
 you and I will remain on guard here the rest of 
 the night." 
 
 "I'm with you, Tom." 
 
 "Will you be a bit easy on us, considering what 
 we told you ?" asked Kurdy. 
 
 "I'll do the best I can," said Tom, gently, mak- 
 ing no promises. 
 
 The two captives were put in secure quarters, 
 and the rest of the night passed quietly. During 
 the fight in the airship shed some machinery and 
 tools had been broken, but no great amount of 
 damage was done. Tom and Ned passed the re- 
 maining hours of darkness there. 
 
 A further search was made in the morning for 
 the two conspirators who had escaped, but no 
 trace of them was found. Tom then realized why 
 Feldman was so anxious to be placed in the aero- 
 plane department — it was in order that he might 
 have easier access to the Mars. 
 
 A technical charge was made against the two 
 prisoners, sufficient to hold them for some time. 
 Then Tom devoted a day to weeding out the 
 suspected foreigners in his place. All the new 
 men were discharged, though some protested 
 against this action. 
 
 "Probably I am hitting some of the innocent 
 in punishing those who, if they had the chance, 
 
128 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP- 
 
 would become guilty," Tom said to his chum, "but 
 it cannot be helped — I can't afford to take any 
 chances." 
 
 The Mars was being put in shape for her 
 first flight. The guns, fitted with the recoil shock 
 absorbers, were mounted, and Lieutenant Mar- 
 bury had returned to go aloft in the big aerial 
 warship. He congratulated Tom on discovering 
 at least one plot in time. 
 
 "But there may be more," he warned the young 
 inventor. "You are not done with them yet." 
 
 The Mars was floated out of her hangar, and 
 made ready for an ascent. Tom, Ned, Lieutenant 
 Marbury, Mr. Damon, and several workmen were 
 to be the first passengers. Tom was busy going 
 over the various parts to see that nothing had 
 been forgotten. 
 
 "Well, I guess we're ready," he finally an- 
 nounced. "All aboard!" 
 
 "Bless my insurance policy!" exclaimed Mr. 
 Damon. "Now that the time comes I almost wish 
 £ wasn't going." 
 
 "Nonsense!" exclaimed Tom. "You're not 
 going to back out at the last minute. All aboard ! 
 Cast off the ropes !" he cried to the assistants. 
 
 A moment later the Mars, the biggest airship 
 Tom Swift had ever constructed, arose from the 
 earth like some great bird, and soared aloft. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 IN DANGER 
 
 "Well, Tom, we're moving !" cried Ned New. 
 ton, clapping his chum on the back, as he stood 
 near him in the pilot-house. "We're going up, 
 old sport!" 
 
 "Of course we are," replied Tom. "You 
 didn't think it wouldn't go up, did you?" 
 
 "Well, I wasn't quite sure," Ned confessed. 
 "You know you were so worried about " 
 
 "Not about the ship sailing," interrupted Tom. 
 "It was only the effect the firing of the guns might, 
 have. But I think we have that taken care of." 
 
 "Bless my pin cushion!" cried Mr. Damon, as 
 he looked over the rail at the earth below. "We're 
 moving fast, Tom." 
 
 "Yes, we can make a quicker ascent in this 
 than in most aeroplanes," Tom said, "for they 
 have to go up in a slanting direction. But we 
 can't quite equal their lateral speed." 
 
 "Just how fast do you think you can travel 
 when you are in first-class shape?" asked Lieu- 
 
 129 
 
130 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 tenant Marbury, as he noted how the Mars was 
 behaving on this, the first trip. 
 
 "Well, I set a limit of seventy-five miles an 
 hour," the young inventor replied, as he shifted 
 various levers and handles, to change the speed 
 of the mechanism. "But I'm afraid we won't 
 quite equal that with all our guns on board. But 
 I'm safe in saying sixty, I think." 
 
 "That will more than satisfy the government 
 requirements," the officer said. "But, of course, 
 your craft will have to come up to expectations 
 and requirements in the matter of armament." 
 
 "I'll give you every test you want," declared 
 Tom, with a smile. "And now we'll see what the 
 Mars can do when put to it." 
 
 Up and up went the big dirigible aerial war- 
 ship. Had you been fortunate enough to have 
 seen her you would have observed a craft not 
 unlike, in shape, the German Zeppelins. But it 
 differed from those war balloons in several im- 
 portant particulars. 
 
 Tom's craft was about six hundred feet long, 
 and the diameter of the gas bag, amidships, was 
 sixty feet, slightly larger than the largest Zeppe- 
 lin. Below the bag, which, as I have explained, 
 was made up of a number of gas-tight compart- 
 ments, hung from wire cables three cabins. The 
 forward one was a sort of pilot-house, containing 
 
IN DANGER 131 
 
 various instruments for navigating the ship of 
 the air, observation rooms, gauges for calculating 
 firing ranges, and the steering apparatus. 
 
 Amidships, suspended below the great bag, 
 were the living and sleeping quarters, where food 
 was cooked and served and where those who op- 
 erated the craft could spend their leisure time. 
 Extra supplies were also stored there. 
 
 At the stern of the big bag was the motor- 
 room, where gas was generated to fill the balloon 
 compartments when necessary, where the gasoline 
 and electrical apparatus were installed, and where 
 the real motive power of the craft was located. 
 Here, also, was carried the large quantity of 
 gasoline and oil needed for a long voyage. The 
 Mars could carry sufficient fuel to last for over 
 a week, provided no accidents occurred. 
 
 There was also an arrangement in the motor 
 compartment, so that the ship could be steered 
 and operated from there. This was in case the 
 forward pilot-house should be shot away by an 
 enemy. And, also, in the motor compartment 
 were the sleeping quarters for the crew. 
 
 All three suspended cabins were connected by 
 a long covered runway, so that one could pass 
 from the pilot-house to the motor-room and back 
 again through the amidship cabin 
 
 At the extreme end of the big bag were the 
 
132 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 various rudders and planes, designed to keep the 
 craft on a level keel, automatically, and to enable 
 it to make headway against a strong wind. The 
 motive power consisted of three double-bladed 
 wooden propellers, which could be operated to- 
 gether or independently. A powerful gasoline 
 engine was the chief motive power, though there 
 was an auxiliary storage battery, which would 
 operate an electrical motor and send the ship 
 along for more than twenty-four hours in case of 
 accident to the gasoline engine. 
 
 There were many other pieces of apparatus 
 aboard, some not completely installed, the uses 
 of which I shall mention from time to time, as 
 the story progresses. The gas-generating ma- 
 chine was of importance, for there would be a 
 leakage and shrinking of the vapor from the big 
 bag, and some means must be provided for re- 
 plenishing it. 
 
 "You don't seem to have forgotten anything, 
 Tom," said Ned admiringly, as they soared up- 
 ward. 
 
 "We can tell better after we've flown about a 
 bit," observed the young inventor, with a smile. 
 "I expect we shall have to make quite a number 
 of changes." 
 
 "Are you going far?" asked Mr. Damon. 
 
 "Why, you're not frightened, are you?" in- 
 
IN DANGER 133 
 
 quired Tom. "You have been up in airships with 
 me before." 
 
 "Oh, no, I'm not frightened!" exclaimed the 
 odd man. "Bless my suspenders, no! But I 
 promised my wife I'd be back this evening, 
 and " 
 
 "We'll sail over toward Waterford," broke in 
 torn, "and I'll drop you down in your front 
 yard." 
 
 "No, don't do that! Don't! I beg of you!" 
 cried Mr. Damon. "You see — er — Tom, my wife 
 doesn't like me to make these trips. Of course, I 
 understand there is no danger, and I like them. 
 But it's just as well not to make her worry — you 
 understand !" 
 
 "Oh, all right," replied Tom, with a laugh. 
 "Well, we're not going far on this trip. What 
 I want to do, most of all, is to test the guns, and 
 see if the recoil check will work as well when we 
 are aloft as it did down on the ground. You 
 know a balloon isn't a very stable base for a gun, 
 even one of light caliber." 
 
 "No, it certainly is not," agreed Lieutenant 
 Marbury, "and I am interested in seeing how you 
 will overcome the recoil." 
 
 "We'll have a test soon," announced Tom. 
 
 Meanwhile the Mars, having reached a con- 
 siderable height, being up so far, in fact, that the 
 
134 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 village of Shopton could scarcely be distinguished, 
 Tom set the signal that told the engine-room 
 force to start the propellers. This would send 
 them ahead. 
 
 Some of Tom's most trusted workmen formed 
 the operating crew, the young inventor taking 
 charge of the pilot-house himself. 
 
 "Well she seems to run all right," observed 
 Lieutenant Marbury, as the big craft surged 
 ahead just below a stratum of white, fleecy 
 clouds. 
 
 "Yes, but not as fast as I'd like to see her go,'* 
 Tom replied. "Of course the machinery is new, 
 and it will take some little time for it to wear 
 down smooth. I'll speed her up a little now." 
 
 They had been running for perhaps ten minutes 
 when Tom shoved over the hand of an indicator 
 that communicated with the engine-room from 
 the pilot-house. At once the Mars increased her 
 speed. 
 
 "She can do it !" cried Ned. 
 
 "Bless my — hat! I should say so!" cried Mr. 
 Damon, for he was standing outside the pilot- 
 house just then, on the "bridge," and the sudden 
 increase of speed lifted his hat from his head. 
 
 "There you are — caught on the fly !" cried Ned, 
 as he put up his hand just in time to catch the 
 article in question. 
 
IN DANGER 135 
 
 "Thanks! Guess I'd better tie it fast," re- 
 marked the odd man, putting his hat on tightly. 
 
 The aerial warship was put through several 
 evolutions to test her stability, and to each one 
 she responded well, earning the praise of the 
 government officer. Up and down, to one side 
 and the other, around in big circles, and even re- 
 versing, Tom sent his craft with a true hand and 
 eye. In a speed test fifty-five miles was registered 
 against a slight wind, and the young inventor 
 said he knew he could do better than that as 
 soon as some of the machinery was running more 
 smoothly. 
 
 "And now suppose we get ready for the gun 
 tests," suggested Tom, when they had been run- 
 ning for about an hour. 
 
 "That's what I'm mostly interested in," said 
 Lieutenant Marbury. "It's easy enough to get 
 several good types of dirigible balloons, but few 
 of them will stand having a gun fired from them, 
 to say nothing of several guns." 
 
 "Well, I'm not making any rash promises," 
 Tom went on, "but I think we can turn the trick.'* 
 
 The armament of the Mars was located around 
 the center cabin. There were two large guns, 
 fore and aft, throwing a four-inch projectile, and 
 two smaller calibered quick-firers on either beam. 
 The guns were mounted on pedestals that en- 
 
(I36 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 abled the weapons to fire in almost any direction, 
 save straight up, and of course the balloon bag 
 being above them prevented this. However, 
 there was an arrangement whereby a small auto- 
 matic quick-firer could be sent up to a platform 
 built on top of the gas envelope itself, and a man 
 stationed there could shoot at a rival airship di- 
 rectly overhead. 
 
 But the main deck guns could be elevated to an 
 angle of nearly forty-five degrees, so they could 
 take care of nearly any hostile aircraft that ap- 
 proached. 
 
 "But where are the bombs I heard you speaking 
 of?" asked Ned, as they finished looking at the 
 guns. 
 
 "Here they are," spoke Tom, as he pointed to 
 a space in the middle of the main cabin floor. 
 He lifted a brass plate, and disclosed three holes, 
 covered with a strong wire netting that could be 
 removed. "The bombs will be dropped through 
 those holes," explained the young inventor, "be- 
 ing released by a magnetic control when the 
 operator thinks he has reached a spot over the 
 enemy's city or fortification where the most dam- 
 age will be done. I'll show you how they work 
 a little later. Now we'll have a test of some of 
 the guns." 
 
 Tom called for some of his men to take charge 
 
IN DANGER 137 
 
 of the steering and running of the Mars, while 
 he and Lieutenant Marbury prepared to fire the 
 two larger weapons. This was to be one of the 
 most important tests. 
 
 Service charges had been put in, though, of 
 course, no projectiles would be used, since they 
 were then flying over a large city not far from 
 Shopton. 
 
 "We'll have to wait until we get out over the 
 ocean to give a complete test, with a bursting 
 shell," Tom said. 
 
 He and Lieutenant Marbury were beside a gun, 
 and were about to fire it, when suddenly, from 
 the stern of the ship, came a ripping, tearing 
 sound, and, at the same time, confused shouts 
 came from the crew's quarters. 
 
 "What is it?" cried Tom. 
 
 "One of the propellers !" was the answer. "It's 
 split, and has torn a big hole in the gas bag !" 
 
 "Bless my overshoes!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 "We're going down!" 
 
 All on board the Mars became aware of a 
 sudden sinking sensation. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 TOM IS WORRIED 
 
 "Steady, all!" came in even tones from Tom 
 Swift. Not for an instant had he lost his com- 
 posure. For it was an accident, that much was 
 certain, and one that might endanger the lives of 
 all on board. 
 
 Above the noise of the machinery in the motor* 
 room could be heard the thrashing and banging 
 of the broken or loose propeller-blade. Just what 
 its condition was, could not be told, as a bulge of 
 the gas bag hid it from the view of those gathered 
 about the gun, which was about to be fired when 
 the alarm was given. 
 
 "We're sinking!" cried Mr. Damon. "We're 
 going down, Tom!" 
 
 "That's nothing," was the cool answer. "It is 
 only for a moment. Only a few of the gas com- 
 partments can be torn. There will soon be 
 enough additional gas in the others to lift us 
 again." 
 
 And so it proved. The moment the pressure 
 138 
 
TOM IS WORRIED 139 
 
 of the lifting gas in the big oiled silk and alumi- 
 num container was lowered, it started the gener- 
 ating machine, and enough extra gas was pumped 
 into the uninjured compartments to compensate 
 for the loss. 
 
 "We're not falling so fast now," observed Ned. 
 
 "No, and we'll soon stop falling altogether," 
 calmly declared Tom. "Too bad this accident 
 had to happen, though." 
 
 "It might have been much worse, my boy!" 
 exclaimed the lieutenant. "That's a great ar- 
 rangement of yours — the automatic gas machine." 
 
 "It's on the same principle as the air brakes of 
 a trolley car," explained Tom, when a look at the 
 indicators showed that the Mars had ceased fall- 
 ing and remained stationary in the air. Tom had 
 also sent a signal to the engine-room to shut off 
 the power, so that the two undamaged propellers, 
 as well as the broken one, ceased revolving. 
 
 "In a trolley car, you see," Tom went on, when 
 the excitement had calmed down, "as soon as the 
 air pressure in the tanks gets below a certain 
 point, caused by using the air for a number of 
 applications of the brakes, it lets a magnetized 
 bar fall, and this establishes an electrical connec- 
 tion, starting the air pump. The pump forces 
 more air into the tanks until the pressure is 
 Enough to throw the pump switch out of connect 
 
I 4 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 tion, when the pump stops. I use the same thing 
 here." 
 
 "And very clever it is," said Mr. Damon. "Do 
 you suppose the danger is all over, Tom?" 
 
 "For the time being, yes. But we must unship 
 that damaged propeller, and go on with the two." 
 
 The necessary orders were given, and several 
 men from the engine-room at once began the 
 removal of the damaged blades. 
 
 As several spare ones were carried aboard one 
 could be put on in place of the broken one, had 
 this been desired. But Tom thought the accident 
 a good chance to see how his craft would act with 
 only two-thirds of her motive force available, so 
 he did not order the damaged propeller replaced. 
 When it was lowered to the deck it was carefully 
 examined. 
 
 "What made it break?" Ned wanted to know. 
 
 "That's a question I can't answer," Tom re- 
 plied. "There may have been a defect in the 
 wood, but I had it all carefully examined before 
 I used it." 
 
 The propeller was one of the "built-up" type, 
 with alternate layers of ash and mahogany, but 
 some powerful force had torn and twisted the 
 blades. The wood was splintered and split, and 
 some jagged pieces, flying off at a tangent, so 
 
TOM IS WORRIED 141 
 
 great was the centrifugal force, had torn holes 
 in the strong gas bag. 
 
 "Did something hit it ; or did it hit something?" 
 asked Ned as he saw Tom carefully examining 
 the broken blades. 
 
 "Hard to say. I'll have a good look at this 
 when we get back. Just now I want to finish 
 that gun test we didn't get a chance to start." 
 
 "You don't mean to say you're going to keep 
 on, and with the balloon damaged; are you?" 
 cried Mr. Damon, in surprise. 
 
 "Certainly — why not ?" Tom replied. "In war- 
 fare accidents may happen, and if the Mars can't 
 go on, after a little damage like this, what is go- 
 ing to happen when she's fired on by a hostile 
 ship? Of course I'm going on!" 
 
 "Bless my necktie!" ejaculated the odd man. 
 
 "That's the way to talk !" exclaimed Lieutenant 
 Marbury. "I'm with you." 
 
 There really was very little danger in proceed- 
 ing. The Mars was just as buoyant as before, 
 for more gas had been automatically made, and 
 forced into the uninjured compartments of the 
 bag. At the same time enough sand ballast had 
 been allowed to run out to make the weight to 
 be lifted less in proportion to the power remain- 
 ing. 
 
 True, the speed would be less, with two pro- 
 
142 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 pellers instead of three, and the craft would not 
 steer as well, with the torn ends of the gas bag 
 floating out behind. But this made a nearer ap- 
 proach to war conditions, and Tom was always 
 glad to give his inventions the most severe tests 
 possible. 
 
 So, after a little while, during which it was 
 seen that the Mars was proceeding almost nor- 
 mally, the matter of discharging the guns was 
 taken up again. 
 
 The weapons were all ready to fire, and when 
 Tom had attached the pressure gauges to note 
 how much energy was expended in the recoil, he 
 gave the word to fire. 
 
 The two big weapons were discharged to- 
 gether, and for a moment after the report echoed 
 out among the cloud masses every soul on the 
 ship feared another accident had happened. 
 
 For the big craft rolled and twisted, and 
 seemed about to turn turtle. Her forward prog- 
 ress was halted, momentarily, and a cry of fear 
 came from several of the members of the crew, 
 who had had only a little experience in aircraft. 
 
 "What's the matter?" cried Ned. "Something 
 go wrong?" 
 
 "A little," admitted Tom, with a rueful look 
 on his face. "Those recoil checks didn't work 
 as well in practice as they did in theory." 
 
TOM TS WORRIED 143 
 
 "Are you sure they are strong enough ?* asked 
 Lieutenant Marbury. 
 
 "I thought so," spoke Tom. "I'll put more 
 tension on the spring next time." 
 
 "Bless my watch chain!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 "You aren't going to fire those guns again; are 
 you, Tom?" 
 
 "Why not? We can't tell what's the matter, 
 nor get things right without experimenting. 
 There's no danger." 
 
 "No danger! Don't you call nearly upsetting 
 the ship danger?" 
 
 "Oh, well, if she turns over she'll right her- 
 self again," Tom said. "The center 0/ gravity 
 is low, you see. She can't floa> in any position 
 but right side up, though she may turn over once 
 or twice." 
 
 "Excuse me!" said Mr. Damon firmly. "I'd 
 rather go down, if it's all the same to you. If 
 my wife ever knew I was here I'd never hear 
 the last of it!" 
 
 "We'll go down soon," Tom promised. - "But 
 I must fire a couple of shots more. You wouldn't 
 call the recoil checks a success, would you?" and 
 the young inventor appealed to the government 
 inspector. 
 
 "No, I certainly would not," was the prompt 
 answer. "I am sorry, too, for they seemed to 
 
144 T0M SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIR 
 
 be just what was needed. Of course I under- 
 stand this is not an official test, and I am not 
 obliged to make a report of this trial. But had 
 it been, I should have had to score against you."' 
 
 "I realize that, and I'm not asking any favors. 
 But I'll try it again with the recoil checks tight- 
 ened up. I think the hydrostatic valves were 
 open too much, also." 
 
 Preparations were now made for firing the 
 four-inch guns once more. All this while the 
 Mars had been speeding around in space, being 
 about two miles up in the air. Tom's craft was 
 not designed to reach as great an elevation as 
 would be possible in an aeroplane, since to work 
 havoc to an enemy's fortifications by means of 
 aerial bombs they do not need to be dropped 
 from a great height. 
 
 In fact, experiments in Germany have showit 
 that bombs falling from a great height are less 
 effective than those falling from an airship 
 nearer the earth. For a bomb, falling from a 
 height of two miles, acquires enough momentum 
 to penetrate far into the earth, so that much of 
 the resultant explosive force is expended in a 
 downward direction, and little damage is done to 
 the fortifications. A bomb dropped from a lower 
 altitude, expending its force on all sides, does 
 much more damage. 
 
TOM IS WORRIED 145 
 
 On the other hand, in destroying buildings, 
 it has been found desirable to drop a bomb from 
 a good height so that it may penetrate even a 
 protected roof, and explode inside. 
 
 Once more Tom made ready to fire, this time 
 having given the recoil checks greater resistance. 
 But though there was less motion imparted to 
 the airship when the guns were discharged, there 
 was still too much for comfort, or even safety. 
 
 "Well, something's wrong, that's sure," re- 
 marked Tom, in rather disappointed tones as he 
 noted the effect of the second shots. "If we get 
 as much recoil from the two guns, what would 
 happen if we fired them all at once?" 
 
 "Don't do it! Don't do it, I beg of you!" en- 
 treated Mr. Damon. "Bless my toothbrush — 
 don't do it !" 
 
 "I won't — just at present," Tom said, ruefully. 
 "I'm afraid I'll have to begin all over again, and 
 proceed along new lines." 
 
 "Well, perhaps you will," said the lieutenant. 
 "But you may invent something much better 
 than anything you have now. There is no great 
 rush. Take your time, and do something good." 
 
 "Oh, I'll get busy on it right away,' ? Tom de- 
 clared. "We'll go down now, and start right to 
 work. I'm afraid, Ned, that our idea of a door- 
 spring check isn't going to work." 
 
I46 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "I might have known my idea wouldn't amount 
 to anything," said the young bank clerk. 
 
 "Oh, the idea is all right," declared Tom, "but 
 it wants modifying. There is more power to 
 those recoils than I figured, though our first ex- 
 periments seemed to warrant us in believing that 
 we had solved the problem." 
 
 "Are you going to try the bomb-dropping de- 
 vice?" asked the lieutenant. 
 
 "Yes, there can't be any recoil from that," Tom 
 said. "I'll drop a few blank ones, and see how 
 accurate the range finders are." 
 
 While his men were getting ready for this test 
 Tom bent over the broken propeller, looking from 
 that to the recoil checks, which had not come up 
 to expectations. Then he shook his head in a 
 worried and puzzled manner. 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 AN OCEAN FLIGHT 
 
 Dropping bombs from an aeroplane, or a 
 dirigible balloon, is a comparatively simple mat- 
 ter. Of course there are complications that may 
 ensue, from the danger of carrying high explo- 
 sives in the limited quarters of an airship, with 
 its inflammable gasoline fuel, and ever-present 
 electric spark, to the possible premature explo- 
 sion of the bomb itself. But they seem to be 
 considered minor details now. 
 
 On the other hand, while it is comparatively 
 easy to drop a bomb from a moving aeroplane, or 
 dirigible balloon, it is another matter to make the 
 bomb fall just where it will do the most damage 
 to the enemy. It is not easy to gauge distances, 
 high up in the air, and then, too, allowance must 
 be made for the speed of the aircraft, the ever- 
 increasing velocity of a falling body, and the 
 deflection caused by air currents. 
 
 The law of velocity governing falling bodies 
 is well known. It varies, of course, according 
 
 147 
 
148 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 to the height, but in general a body falling freely 
 toward the earth, as all high-school boys know, is 
 accelerated at the rate of thirty-two feet per 
 second. This law has been taken advantage of 
 by the French in the present European war. The 
 French drop from balloons, or aeroplanes, a 
 steel dart about the size of a lead pencil, and 
 sharpened in about the same manner. Dropping 
 from a height of a mile or so, that dart will ac- 
 quire enough velocity to penetrate a man from 
 his head all the way through his body to his feet. 
 
 But in dropping bombs from an airship the 
 damage intended does not so much depend on ve- 
 locity. It is necessary to know how fast the bomb 
 falls in order to know when to set the time fuse 
 that will explode it ; though some bombs will ex- 
 plode on concussion. 
 
 At aeroplane meets there are often bomb-drop- 
 ping contests, and balls rilled with a white powder 
 (that will make a dust-cloud on falling, and so 
 show where they strike) are used to demonstrate 
 the birdman's accuracy. 
 
 "We'll see how our bomb-release works," Tom 
 went on. "But we'll have to descend a bit in 
 order to watch the effect." 
 
 "You're not going to use real bombs, are you, 
 Tom?" asked Ned. 
 
 "Indeed not. Just chalk-dust ones for prac- 
 
AN OCEAN FLIGHT 149 
 
 tice. Now here is where the bombs will be 
 placed," and he pointed to the three openings in 
 the floor of the amidship cabin. The wire net- 
 tings were taken out and one could look down 
 through the holes to the earth below, the ground 
 being nearer now, as Tom had let out some of 
 the lifting gas. 
 
 "Here is the range-finder and the speed cal- 
 culator," the young inventor went on as he in- 
 dicated the various instruments. "The opera- 
 tor sits here, where he can tell when is the most 
 favorable moment for releasing the bomb." 
 
 Tom took his place before a complicated set 
 of instruments, and began manipulating them. 
 One of his assistants, under the direction of Lieu- 
 tenant Marbury, placed in the three openings 
 bombs, made of light cardboard, just the size of 
 a regular bomb, but filled with a white powder 
 that would, on breaking, make a dust-cloud which 
 could be observed from the airship. 
 
 "I have first to determine where I want to 
 drop the bomb," Tom explained, "and then I have 
 to get my distance from it on the range-finder. 
 Next I have to know how fast I am traveling, 
 and how far up in the air I am, to tell what the 
 velocity of the falling bomb will attain at a cer- 
 tain time. This I can do by means of these in- 
 struments, some of which I have adapted from 
 
150 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 those used by the government," he said, with a 
 nod to the officer. 
 
 "That's right — take all the information yon 
 can get," was the smiling response. 
 
 "We will now assume that the bombs are in 
 place in the holes in the floor of the cabin," Tom 
 went on. "As I sit here I have before me three 
 buttons. They control the magnets that hold the 
 bombs in place. If I press one of the buttons it 
 breaks the electrical current, the magnet no 
 longer has any attraction, and it releases the ex- 
 plosive. Now look down. I am going to try 
 and drop a chalk bomb near that stone fence." 
 
 The Mars was then flying over a large field, 
 and a stone fence was in plain view. 
 
 "Here she goes !" cried Tom, as he made some 
 rapid calculations from his gauge instruments. 
 There was a little click and the chalk bomb 
 dropped. There was a plate glass floor in part 
 of the cabin, and through this the progress of 
 the pasteboard bomb could be observed. 
 
 "She'll never go anywhere near the fence!" 
 declared Ned. "You let it drop too soon, Tom !" 
 
 "Did I? You just watch. I had to allow for 
 the momentum that would be given the bomb by 
 the forward motion of the balloon." 
 
 Hardly had Tom spoken than a puff of white 
 was seen on the very top of the fence. 
 
AN OCEAN FLIGHT 151 
 
 "There it goes!" cried the lieutenant. "You 
 did the trick, Swift !" 
 
 "Yes, I thought I would. Well, that shows 
 my gauges are correct, anyhow. Now we'll try 
 the other two bombs." 
 
 In succession they were released from the bot- 
 tom of the cabin, at other designated objects. 
 The second one was near a tree. It struck within 
 five feet, which was considered good. 
 
 "And I'll let the last one down near that scare- 
 crow in the field," said Tom, pointing to a ragged 
 figure in the middle of a patch of corn. 
 
 Down went the cardboard bomb, and so good 
 Was the aim of the young inventor that the white 
 dust arose in a cloud directly back of the scare- 
 crow. 
 
 And then a queer thing happened. For the 
 figure seemed to come to life, and Ned, who was 
 watching through a telescope, saw a very much 
 excited farmer looking up with an expression of 
 the greatest wonder on his face. He saw the 
 balloon over his head, and shook his fist at it, 
 evidently thinking he had had a narrow escape. 
 But the pasteboard bomb was so light that, had 
 it hit him, he would not have been injured, 
 though he might have been well dusted. 
 
 "Why, that was a man! Bless my pocketbook !" 
 cried Mr. Damon. 
 
152 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 "I guess it was," agreed Tom. "I took it for 
 a scarecrow." 
 
 "Well, it proved the accuracy of your aim, at 
 any rate," observed Lieutenant Marbury. "The 
 bomb dropping device of your aerial warship is 
 perfect — I can testify to that." 
 
 "And I'll have the guns fixed soon, so there will 
 be no danger of a recoil, too," added Tom Swift, 
 with a determined look on his face. 
 
 "What's next?" asked Mr. Damon, looking at 
 his watch. "I really ought to be home, Tom." 
 
 "We're going back now, and down. Are you 
 sure you don't want me to drop you in your 
 own front yard, or even on your roof? I think 
 I could manage that." 
 
 "Bless my stovepipe, no, Tom! My wife would 
 have hysterics. Just land me at Shopton and 
 I'll take a car home." 
 
 The damaged airship seemed little the worse 
 for the test to which she had been subjected, 
 and made her way at good speed in the direction 
 of Tom's home. Several little experiments were 
 tried on the way back. They all worked well, and 
 the only two problems Tom had to solve were 
 the taking care of the recoil from the guns and 
 finding out why the propeller had broken. 
 
 A safe landing was made, and the Mars once 
 more put away in her hangar. Mr. Damon de* 
 
AN OCEAN FLIGHT, 153 
 
 parted for his home, and Lieutenant Marbury 
 again took up his residence in the Swift house- 
 hold. 
 
 "Well, Tom, how did it go?" asked his father. 
 
 "Not so very well. Too much recoil from the 
 guns." 
 
 "I was afraid so. You had better drop this line 
 of work, and go at something else." 
 
 "No, Dad!" Tom cried. "I'm going to make 
 this work. I never had anything stump me yet, 
 and I'm not going to begin now!" 
 
 "Well, that's a good spirit to show," said the 
 aged inventor, with a shake of his head, "but I 
 don't believe you'll succeed, Tom." 
 
 "Yes I will, Dad ! You just wait." 
 
 Tom decided to begin on the problem of the 
 propeller first, as that seemed more simple. He 
 knew that the gun question would take longer. 
 
 "Just what are you trying to find out, Tom?" 
 asked Ned, a few nights later, when he found his 
 chum looking at the broken parts of the propeller. 
 
 "Trying to discover what made this blade 
 break up and splinter that way. It couldn't have 
 been centrifugal force, for it wasn't strong 
 enough." 
 
 Tom was "poking" away amid splinters, and 
 bits of broken wood, when he suddenly uttered 
 an exclamation, and held up something. 
 
154 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 "Look!" he cried. "I believe I've found it." 
 
 "What?" asked Ned. 
 
 "The thing that weakened the propeller. Look 
 at this, and smell !" He held out a piece of wood 
 toward Ned. The bank employee saw where a 
 half-round hole had been bored in what remained 
 of the blade, and from that hole came a peculiar 
 odor. 
 
 "It's some kind of acid," ventured Ned. 
 
 "That's it!" cried Tom. "Someone bored a 
 hole in the propeller, and put in some sort of 
 receptacle, or capsule, containing a corrosive acid. 
 In due time, which happened to be when we took 
 our first flight, the acid ate through whatever it 
 was contained in, and then attacked the wood of 
 the propeller blade. It weakened the wood so 
 that the force used in whirling it around broke 
 it." 
 
 "Are you sure of that ?" asked Ned. 
 
 "As sure as I am that I'm here ! Now I know 
 what caused the accident!" 
 
 "But who would play such a trick?" asked 
 Ned. "We might all have been killed." 
 
 "Yes, I know we might," said Tom. "It must 
 be the work of some of those foreign spies whose 
 first plot we nipped in the bud* I must tell Mar-) 
 bury of this, but don't mention it to dad." 
 
 "I won't," promised Ned. 
 
AN OCEAN FLIGHT 155 
 
 Lieutenant Marbury agreed with Tom that 
 someone had surreptitiously bored a small hole 
 in the propeller blade, and had inserted a cor- 
 rosive acid that would take many hours to op- 
 erate. The hole had been varnished over, prob- 
 ably, so it would not show. 
 
 "And that means I've got to examine the other 
 two blades," Tom said. "They may be doctored 
 too." 
 
 But they did not prove to be. A careful ex- 
 amination showed nothing wrong. An effort 
 was made to find out who had tried to destroy 
 the Mars in midair, but it came to nothing. The 
 two men in custody declared they knew nothing 
 of it, and there was no way of proving that they 
 did. 
 
 Meanwhile, the torn gas bag was repaired, and 
 Tom began working on the problem of doing 
 away with the gun recoil. He tried several 
 schemes, and almost was on the point of giving 
 up when suddenly he received a hint by reading 
 an account of how the recoil was taken care of 
 on some of the German Zeppelins. 
 
 The guns there were made double, with the ex- 
 tra barrel filled with water or sand, that could 
 be shot out as was the regular charge. As both 
 barrels were fired at the same time, and in op- 
 posite directions, with the same amount of pow- 
 
156 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 der, one neutralized the other, and the recoil was 
 canceled, the ship remaining steady after fire. 
 
 "By Jove! I believe that will do the trick!" 
 cried Tom. "I'm going to try it." 
 
 "Good luck to you!" cried Ned. 
 
 It was no easy matter to change all the guns 
 on the Mars, and fit them with double barrels, 
 But by working day and night shifts Tom man- 
 aged it. Meanwhile, a careful watch was kept 
 over the shops. Several new men applied for 
 work, and some of them were suspicious enough 
 in looks, but Tom took on no new hands. 
 
 Finally the new guns were made, and tried 
 with the Mars held on the ground. They be- 
 haved perfectly, the shooting of sand or water 
 from the dummy barrel neutralizing the shot 
 from the service barrel. 
 
 "And now to see how it works in practice!'* 
 cried Tom one day. "Are you with me for 9 
 long flight, Ned?" 
 
 "I sure am!" 
 
 The next evening the Mars, with a larger 
 crew than before, and with Tom, Ned, Mr. Da- 
 mon and Lieutenant Marbury aboard, set sail. 
 
 "But why start at night?" asked Ned. 
 
 "You'll see in the morning," Tom answered. 
 
 The Mars flew slowly all night, life aboard 
 her^ at about the level of the clouds, going on 
 
AN OCEAN FLIGHT 157 
 
 almost as naturally as though the occupants of 
 the cabins were on the earth. Excellent meals 
 were served. 
 
 "But when are you going to try the guns?" 
 asked Ned, as he got ready to turn in. 
 
 "Tell you in the morning," replied Tom, with 
 a smile. 
 
 And, in the morning, when Ned looked down 
 through the plate glass in the cabin floor, he ut- 
 tered a cry. 
 
 "Why, Tom! We're over the ocean !" he cried, 
 
 "I rather thought we'd be," was the calm re- 
 ply. "I told George to head straight for the At- 
 lantic. Now we'll have a test with service 
 charges and projectiles I" 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 IN A STORM 
 
 Surprise, for the moment, held Mr. Damon, 
 Ned and Lieutenant Marbury speechless. They 
 looked from the heaving waters of the ocean 
 below them to the young pilot of the Mars. He 
 smiled at their astonishment. 
 
 "What — what does it mean, Tom ?" asked Ned. 
 "You never said you were going to take a trip 
 as far as this." 
 
 "That's right," chimed in Mr. Damon. "Bless 
 my nightcap! If I had known I was going to 
 be brought so far away from home I'd nevef 
 have come." 
 
 "You're not so very far from Waterford," put 
 in Tom. "We didn't make any kind of speed 
 coming from Shopton, and we could be back 
 again inside of four hours if we had to." 
 
 "Then you didn't travel fast during the night?" 
 asked the government man. 
 
 "No, we just drifted along," Tom answered. 
 "I gave orders to run the machinery slowly, as I 
 wanted to get it in good shape for the other tests 
 153 
 
IN A STORM 159 
 
 that will come soon. But I told George, whom 
 I left in charge when I turned in, to head for 
 New York. I wanted to get out over the ocean 
 to try the guns with the new recoil arrangement." 
 
 "Well, we're over the ocean all right," spoke 
 Ned, as he looked down at the heaving waters. 
 
 "It isn't the first time," replied Tom cheerfully. 
 "Koku, you may serve breakfast now," for the 
 giant had been taken along as a sort of cook and 
 waiter. Koku manifested no surprise or alarm 
 when he found the airship floating over the sea. 
 Whatever Tom did was right to him. He had 
 great confidence in his master. 
 
 "No, it isn't the first time we've taken a water 
 flight," spoke Ned. "I was only surprised at the 
 suddenness of it, that's all." 
 
 "It's my first experience so far out above the 
 water," observed Lieutenant Marbury, "though 
 of course I've sailed on many seas. Why, we're 
 out of sight of land." 
 
 "About ten miles out, yes," admitted Tom. 
 "Far enough to make it safe to test the guns with 
 real projectiles. That is what I want to do." 
 
 "And we've been running all night?" asked Mr. 
 Damon. 
 
 "Yes, but at slow speed. The engines are in 
 better shape now than ever before," Tom said. 
 "Well, if you're ready we'll have breakfast." 
 
l6o TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIR 
 
 The meal was served by Koku with as mucH 
 unconcern as though they were in the Swift 
 homestead back in Shopton, instead of floating 
 near the clouds. And while it was being eaten 
 in the main cabin, and while the crew was hav- 
 ing breakfast in their quarters, the aerial war- 
 ship was moving along over the ocean in charge 
 of George Watson, one of Tom's engineers, who 
 Was stationed in the forward pilot-house. 
 
 "So you're going to give the guns a real test 
 this time, is that it, Tom?" asked Ned, as he 
 pushed back his plate, a signal that he had eaten 
 enough. 
 
 "That's about it" 
 
 "But don't you think it's a bit risky — out over 
 the water this way. Supposing something should 
 — should happen?" Ned hesitated. 
 
 "You mean we might fall ?" asked Tom, with 
 a smile. 
 
 "Yes; or turn upside down." 
 
 "Nothing like that could happen. I'm so sure 
 that I have solved the problem of the recoil of 
 the guns that I'm willing to take chances. But 
 if any of you want to get off the Mars while 
 the test is being made, I have a small boat I can 
 lower, and let you row about in that until " 
 
 "No, thank you!" interrupted Mr. Damon, as 
 he looked below. There was quite a heavy swell 
 
IN A STORM 1611 
 
 on, and the ocean did not appear very attractive. 
 They would be much more comfortable in the 
 big Mars. 
 
 "I think you won't have any trouble," asserted 
 Lieutenant Marbury. "I believe Tom Swift has 
 the right idea about the guns, and there will be 
 so small a shock from the recoil that it will not 
 be noticeable." 
 
 "We'll soon know," spoke Tom. "I'm going to 
 get ready for the test now." 
 
 They were now well out from shore, over the 
 Atlantic, but to make certain no ships would be 
 endangered by the projectiles, Tom and the others 
 searched the waters to the horizon with power- 
 ful glasses. Nothing was seen and the work of 
 loading the guns was begun. The bomb tubes, 
 in the main cabin, were also to be given a test. 
 
 As service charges were to be used, and as the 
 projectiles were filled with explosives, great care 
 was needed in handling them. 
 
 "We'll try dropping bombs first," Tom sug- 
 gested. "We know they will work, and that will 
 be so much out of the way." 
 
 To make the test a severe one, small floating 
 targets were first dropped overboard from the 
 Mars. Then the aerial warship, circling about, 
 came on toward them. Tom, seated at the range- 
 finders, pressed the button that released the shells 
 
162 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 containing the explosives. One after another 
 they dropped into the sea, exploding as they fell, 
 and sending up a great column of salt water. 
 
 "Every one a hit!" reported Lieutenant Mar- 
 bury, who was keeping "score." 
 
 "That's good," responded Tom. "But the 
 others won't be so easy. We have nothing to 
 shoot at." 
 
 They had to fire the other guns without tar- 
 gets at which to aim. But, after all, it was the 
 absence of recoil they wanted to establish, and 
 this could be done without shooting at any par- 
 ticular object. 
 
 One after another the guns were loaded. As 
 has been explained, they were now made double, 
 one barrel carrying the projectile, and the other a 
 charge of water. 
 
 "Are you ready?" asked Tom, when it was 
 time to fire. Lieutenant Marbury, Ned and Mr. 
 Damon were helping, by being stationed at the 
 pressure gauges to note the results. 
 
 "All ready," answered Ned. 
 
 "Do you think we'd better put on life pre- 
 servers, Tom?" asked Mr. Damon. 
 
 "Nonsense! What for?" 
 
 "In case — in case anything happens." 
 
 "Nothing will happen. Look out now, I'm 
 going to fire." 
 
IN A STORM 163 
 
 The guns were to be fired simultaneously by 
 means of an electric current, when Tom pressed 
 a button. 
 
 "Here they go!" exclaimed the young inven- 
 tor. 
 
 There was a moment of waiting, and then came 
 a thundering roar. The Mars trembled, but she 
 did not shift to either side from an even keel. 
 From one barrel of the guns shot out the ex- 
 plosive projectiles, and from the other spurted 
 a jet of water, sent out by a charge of powder, 
 equal in weight to that which forced out the 
 shot. 
 
 As the projectile was fired in one direction, 
 and the water in one directly opposite, the two 
 discharges neutralized one another. 
 
 Out flew the pointed steel shells, to fall harm- 
 lessly into the sea, where they exploded, sending 
 up columns of water. 
 
 "Well!" cried Tom as the echoes died away. 
 "How was it?" 
 
 "Couldn't have been better," declared Lieu- 
 tenant Marbury. "There wasn't the least shock 
 of recoil. Tom Swift, you have solved the prob- 
 lem, I do believe ! Your aerial warship is a suc- 
 cess !" 
 
 "I'm glad to hear you say so. There are one 
 or two little things that need changing, but I 
 
164 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 really think I have about what the United States 
 Government wants." 
 
 "I am, also, of that belief, Tom. If onl y ^ " 
 The officer stopped suddenly. 
 
 "Well?" asked Tom suggestively. 
 
 "I was going to say if only those foreign spies 
 don't make trouble." 
 
 "I think we've seen the last of them," Tom 
 declared. "Now we'll go on with the tests." 
 
 More guns were fired, singly and in batteries, 
 and in each case the Mars stood the test perfect- 
 ly. The double barrel had solved the recoil prob- 
 lem. 
 
 For some little time longer they remained out 
 over the sea, going through some evolutions to 
 test the rudder control, and then as their present 
 object had been accomplished Tom gave orders 
 to head back to Shopton, which place was reached 
 in due time. 
 
 "Well, Tom, how was it?" asked Mr. Swift, 
 for though his son had said nothing to his friends 
 about the prospective test, the aged inventor 
 knew about it. 
 
 "Successful, Dad, in every particular." 
 
 "That's good. I didn't think you could do it. 
 But you did. I tell you it isn't much that can 
 get the best of a Swift!" exclaimed the aged man 
 proudly. "Oh, by the way, Tom, here's a tele- 
 
IN A STORM 165 
 
 gram that came while you were gone," and he 
 handed his son the yellow envelope. 
 
 Tom ripped it open with a single gesture, and 
 in a flash his eyes took in the words. He read : 
 
 "Look out for spies during trial flights." 
 
 The message was signed with a name Tom 
 did not recognize. 
 
 "Any bad news?" asked Mr. Swift. 
 
 "No — oh, no," replied Tom, as he crumpled 
 up the paper and thrust it into his pocket. "No 
 bad news, Dad." 
 
 "Well, I'm glad to hear that," went on Mr. 
 Swift. "I don't like telegrams." 
 
 When Tom showed the message to Lieutenant 
 Marbury, that official, after one glance at the 
 signature, said: 
 
 "Pierson, eh? Well, when he sends out a 
 warning it generally means something." 
 
 "Who's Pierson?" asked Tom. 
 
 "Head of the Secret Service department that 
 has charge of this airship matter. There must 
 be something in the wind, Tom." 
 
 Extra precautions were taken about the shops. 
 Strangers were not permitted to enter, and all 
 future work on the Mars was kept secret. Never- 
 theless, Tom was worried. He did not want his 
 
166 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 work to be spoiled just when it was about to be 
 a success. For that it was a success, Lieutenant 
 Marbury assured him. The government man 
 said he would have no hesitation in recommend- 
 ing the purchase of Tom's aerial warship. 
 
 "There's just one other test I want to see 
 made," he said. 
 
 "What is that?" Tom inquired. 
 
 "In a storm. You know we can't always count 
 on having good weather, and I'd like to see how 
 she behaves in a gale." 
 
 "You shall!" declared the young inventor. 
 
 For the next week, during which finishing 
 touches were put on the big craft, Tom anxiously 
 waited for signs of a storm. At last they came. 
 Danger signals were put up all along the coast, 
 and warnings were sent out broadcast by the 
 Weather Bureau at Washington. 
 
 One dull gray morning Tom roused his friends 
 early and announced that the Mars was going up. 
 
 "A big storm is headed this way," Tom said, 
 "and we'll have a chance to see how she behaves 
 in it." 
 
 And even as the flight began, the forerunning 
 wind and rain came in a gust of fury. Into the 
 midst of it shot the big aerial warship, with her 
 powerful propellers beating the moisture-laden 
 air. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 QUEER HAPPENINGS 
 
 "Say, Tom, are you sure you're all right?" 
 
 "Of course I am! What do you mean?" 
 
 It was Ned Newton who asked the question, 
 
 and Tom Swift who answered it. The chums 
 
 were in the pilot-house of the dipping, swaying 
 
 Mars, which was nosing her way into ihe storm, 
 
 fighting on an upward slant, trying, if possible, to 
 
 get above the area of atmospheric disturbance. 
 
 "Well, I mean are you sure your craft will 
 
 stand all this straining, pulling and hauling?" 
 
 went on Ned, as he clung to a brass hand rail, 
 
 built in the side of the pilot-house wall for the 
 
 very purpose to which it was now being put. 
 
 "If she doesn't stand it she's no good!" cried 
 Tom, as he clung to the steering wheel, which was 
 nearly torn from his hands by the deflections of 
 the rudders. 
 
 "Well, it's taking a big chance, it seems to 
 me," went on Ned, as he peered through the 
 rain-spotted bull's-eyes of the pilot-house. 
 167 
 
168 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 "There's no danger," declared Tom. "I want- 
 ed to give the ship the hardest test possible before 
 I formally offered her to the government. If 
 she can't stand a blow like this she isn't what 
 I thought her, and I'll have to build another. But 
 I'm sure she will stand the racket, Ned. She's 
 built strongly, and even if part of the gas bag 
 is carried away, as it was when our propeller 
 shattered, we can still sail. If you think this 
 is anything, wait until we turn about and begin 
 to fight our way against the wind." 
 
 "Are you going to do that, Tom?" 
 
 "I certainly am. We're going with the gala 
 now, to see what is the highest rate of speed we 
 can attain. Pretty soon I'm going to turn her 
 around, and see if she can make any headway 
 in the other direction. Of course I know she 
 won't make much, if any., speed, against the gale; 
 but I must give her that test." 
 
 "Well, Tom, you know best, of course," ad- 
 mitted Ned. "But to me it seems like taking 3 
 big risk." 
 
 And indeed it did seem, not only to Ned, but to 
 some of the experienced men of Tom's crew, that 
 the young inventor was taking more chances 
 than ever before, and Tom, as my old readers 
 well know, had, in his career, taken some b\% 
 ones. 
 
QUEER HAPPENINGS i$g 
 
 The storm grew worse as the day progressed, 
 until it was a veritable hurricane of wind and 
 rain. The warnings of the Weather Bureau had 
 not been exaggerated. But through the fierce 
 blow the Mars fought her way. As Tom had 
 said, she was going with the wind. This was 
 comparatively easy. But what would happen 
 ;when she headed into the storm? 
 
 Mr. Damon, in the main cabin, sat and looked 
 at Lieutenant Marbury, the eccentric man now 
 and then blessing something as he happened to 
 think of it. 
 
 "Do you — do you think we are in any danger?" 
 he finally asked. 
 
 "Not at present," replied the government ex- 
 pert. 
 
 "You mean we will be — later?" 
 
 "It's hard to say. I guess Tom Swift knows 
 his business, though." 
 
 "Bless my accident insurance policy!" mur- 
 mured Mr. Damon. "I wish I had stayed home. 
 
 If my wife ever hears of this " He did 
 
 not seem able to finish the sentence. 
 
 In the engine-room the crew were busy over 
 the various machines. Some of the apparatus 
 was being strained to keep the ship on her course 
 in the powerful wind, and would be under a 
 worse stress when Tom turned his craft about. 
 
170 TOM SWIFT AND HTS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 But, so far, nothing had given way, and every- 
 thing was working smoothly. 
 
 As hour succeeded hour and nothing hap- 
 pened, the timid ones aboard began to take more 
 courage. Tom never for a moment lost heart. 
 He knew what his craft could do, and he had 
 taken her up in a terrific storm with a definite 
 purpose in view. He was the calmest person 
 aboard, with the exception, perhaps, of Koku. 
 The giant did not seem to know what fear was. 
 He depended entirely on Tom, and as long as 
 his young master had charge of matters the 
 giant was content to obey orders. 
 
 There was to be no test of the guns this time. 
 They had worked sufficiently well, and, if need 
 be, could have been fired in the gale. But Tom 
 did not want his men to take unnecessary risks, 
 nor was he foolhardy himself. 
 
 "We'll have our hands full when we turn 
 around and head into the wind," he said to his 
 chum. "That will be enough." 
 
 "Then you're really going to give the Mars 
 that test?" 
 
 "I surely am. I don't want any comebacks 
 from Uncle Sam after he accepts my aerial war- 
 ship. I've guaranteed that she'll stand up and 
 make headway against a gale, and I'm going to 
 prove it." 
 
QVEER HAPPENINGS 171 
 
 Lieutenant Marbury was told of the coming 
 trial, and he prepared to take official note of it. 
 While matters were being gotten in readiness 
 Tom turned the wheel over to his assistant pilot 
 and went to the engine-room to see that every- 
 thing was in good shape to cope with any emer- 
 gency. The rudders had been carefully ex- 
 amined before the flight was made, to make sure 
 they would not fail, for on them depended the 
 progress of the ship against the powerful wind. 
 
 "I rather guess those foreign spies have given 
 up trying to do Tom an injury," remarked Ned 
 to the lieutenant as they sat in the main cabin, 
 listening to the howl of the wind, and the dash 
 of the rain. 
 
 "Well, I certainly hope so," was the answer. 
 "But I wouldn't be too sure. The folks in Wash- 
 ington evidently think something is likely to 
 happen, or they wouldn't have sent that warning 
 telegram." 
 
 "But we haven't seen anything of the spies," 
 Ned remarked. 
 
 "No, but that isn't any sign they are not get- 
 ting ready to make trouble. This may be the 
 calm before the storm. Tom must still be on the 
 lookout. It isn't as though his inventions alone 
 were in danger, for they would not hesitate to 
 
172 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 inflict serious personal injury if their plans wera 
 thwarted." 
 
 "They must be desperate." 
 
 "They are. But here comes Tom now. He 
 looks as though something new was about to 
 happen." 
 
 "Take care of yourselves now," advised the 
 young aero-inventor, as he entered the cabin, find-* 
 ing it hard work to close the door against the 
 terrific wind pressure. 
 
 "Why?" asked Ned. 
 
 "Because we are going to turn around and fight 
 our way back against the gale. We may ba 
 turned topsy-turvy for a second or two." 
 
 "Bless my shoe-horn !" cried Mr. Damon. "Do 
 you mean upside down, Tom?" 
 
 "No, not that exactly. But watch out!" 
 
 Tom went forward to the pilot-house, followed 
 by Ned and the lieutenant. The latter wanted 
 to take official note of what happened. Tom re- 
 lieved the man at the wheel, and gradually began 
 to alter the direction of the craft. 
 
 At first no change was noticeable. So strong 
 was the force of the wind that it seemed as 
 though the Mars was going in the same direction. 
 But Ned, noticing a direction compass on the 
 wall, saw that the needle was gradually shift- 
 ing. 
 
QUEER HAPPENINGS 173 
 
 "Hold fast!" cried Tom suddenly. Then with 
 a quick shift of the rudder something happened. 
 It seemed as though the Mars was trying to turn 
 over, and slide along on her side, or as if she 
 wanted to turn about and scud before the gale, 
 instead of facing it. But Tom held her to the 
 reverse course. 
 
 "Can you get her around?" cried the lieutenant 
 above the foar of the gale. 
 
 "I — I'm going to !" muttered Tom through his 
 set teeth. 
 
 Inch by inch he fought the big craft through 
 the storm. Inch by inch the indicator showed the 
 turning, until at last the grip of the gale was 
 overcome. 
 
 "Now she's headed right into it !" cried Tom in 
 exultation. "She's nosing right into it!" 
 
 And the Mars was. There was no doubt of 
 it. She had succeeded, under Tom's direction, 
 in changing squarely about, and was now going 
 against the wind, instead of with it. 
 
 "But we can't expect to make much speed," 
 Tom said, as he signaled for more power, for 
 he had lowered it somewhat in making the turn. 
 
 But Tom himself scarcely had reckoned on the 
 force of his craft, for as the propellers whirled 
 more rapidly the aerial warship did begin to make 
 headway, and that in the teeth of a terrific wind. 
 
174 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 "She's doing it, Tom! She's doing it!" cried 
 Ned exultingly. 
 
 "I believe she is," agreed the lieutenant. 
 
 "Well, so much the better," Tom said, trying 
 to be calm. "If she can keep this up a little while 
 I'll give her a rest and we'll go up above the storm 
 area, and beat back home." 
 
 The Mars, so far, had met every test. Tom 
 had decided on ten minutes more of gale-fight- 
 ing, when from the tube that communicated with 
 the engine-room came a shrill whistle. 
 
 "See what that is, Ned," Tom directed. 
 
 "Yes," called Ned into the mouthpiece. 
 "What's the matter?" 
 
 "Short circuit in the big motor," was the re- 
 ply. "We've got to run on storage battery. Send 
 Tom back here! Something queer has hap- 
 pened !" 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 THE STOWAWAYS 
 
 Ned repeated the message breathlessly. 
 
 "Short circuit!" gasped Tom. "Run on stor- 
 age battery! I'll have to see to that. Take the 
 wheel somebody!" 
 
 "Wouldn't it be better to turn about., and run 
 before the wind, so as not to put too great a strain 
 on the machinery?" asked Lieutenant Marbury. 
 
 "Perhaps," agreed Tom. "Hold her this way, 
 though, until I see what's wrong!" 
 
 Ned and the government man took the wheel, 
 while Tom hurried along the runway leading 
 from the pilot-house to the machinery cabin. The 
 gale was still blowing fiercely. 
 
 The young inventor cast a hasty look about 
 the interior of the place as he entered. He sniffed 
 the air suspiciously, and was aware of the odor 
 of burning insulation. 
 
 "What happened?" he asked, noting that al- 
 ready the principal motive power was coming 
 from the big storage battery. The shift had 
 
 175 
 
176 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIR 
 
 been made automatically, when the main moton 
 gave out. 
 
 "It's hard to say," was the answer of the chief 
 engineer. "We were running along all right, and 
 we got your word to switch on more power, after 
 the turn. We did that all right, and she was 
 running as smooth as a sewing-machine, when, 
 all of a sudden, she short-circuited, and the stor- 
 age battery cut in automatically." 
 
 "Think you put too heavy a load on the mo- 
 tor?" Tom asked. 
 
 "Couldn't have been that. The shunt box 
 would have taken that up, and the circuit-breaker 
 would have worked, saving us a burn-out, and 
 that's what happened — a burn-out. The motor 
 will have to be rewound." 
 
 "Well, no use trying to fight this gale with! 
 the storage battery," Tom said, after a moment's 1 
 thought. "We'll run before it. That's the easi- 
 est way. Then we'll try to rise above the wind." 
 
 He sent the necessary message to the pilot- 
 house. A moment later the shift was made, and 
 once more the Mars was scudding before the 
 storm. Then Tom gave his serious attention to 
 what had happened in the engine room. 
 
 As he bent over the burned-out motor, looking 
 at the big shiny connections, he saw something 
 that startled him. With a quick motion Tom, 
 
THE STOWAWAYS 177 
 
 Swift picked up a bar of coppen It was hot to 
 the touch — so hot that he dropped it with a cry 
 of pain, though he had let go so quickly that the 
 burn was only momentary. 
 
 " What's the matter?" asked Jerry Mound, 
 Tom's engineer. 
 
 "Matter!" cried Tom. "A whole lot is the 
 matter ! That copper bar is what made the short 
 circuit. It's hot yet from the electric current. 
 How did it fall on the motor connections?" 
 
 The engine room force gathered about the 
 young inventor. No one could explain how the 
 copper bar came to be where it was. Certainly 
 no one of Tom's employees had put it there, and 
 it could not have fallen by accident, for the motor 
 connections were protected by a mesh of wire, 
 and a hand would have to be thrust under them 
 to put the bar in place. Tom gave a quick look 
 at his men. He knew he could trust them — > 
 every one. But this was a queer happening. 
 
 For a moment Tom did not know what to 
 think, and then, as the memory of that warning 
 telegram came to him, he had an idea. 
 
 "Were any strangers in this cabin before the 
 start was made?" he asked Mr. Mound. 
 
 "Not that I know of," was the answer. 
 
 "Well, there may be some here now," Tom 
 said grimly. "Look about." 
 
178 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 But a careful search revealed no one. Yet 
 the young inventor was sure the bar of copper, 
 which had done the mischief of short-circuiting 
 the motor, had been put in place deliberately. 
 
 In reality there was no danger to the craft, 
 since there was power enough in the storage bat- 
 tery to run it for several hours. But the happen- 
 ing showed Tom he had still to reckon with his 
 enemies. 
 
 He looked at the height gauge on the wall of 
 the motor-room, and noted that the Mars was go- 
 ing up. In accordance with Tom's instructions 
 they were sending her above the storm area. 
 Once there, with no gale to fight, they could 
 easily beat their way back to a point above Shop- 
 ton, and make the best descent possible. 
 
 And that was done while, under Tom's direc- 
 tion, his men took the damaged motor apart, with 
 a view to repairing it. 
 
 "What was it, Tom ?" asked Ned, coming back 
 to join his chum, after George Ventor, the assis- 
 tant pilot, had taken charge of the wheel. 
 
 "I don't exactly know, Ned," was the answer. 
 "But I feel certain that some of my enemies came 
 aboard here and worked this mischief." 
 
 "Your enemies came aboard ?" 
 
 "Yes, and they must be here now. The placing 
 of that copper bar proves it." 
 
THE STOWAWAYS 179 
 
 "Then let's make a search and find them, Tom. 
 It must be some of those foreign spies." 
 
 "Just what I think." 
 
 But a more careful search of the craft than the 
 one Tom had casually made revealed the presence 
 of no one. All the crew and helpers were ac- 
 counted for, and, as they had been in Tom's ser- 
 vice for some time, they were beyond suspicion. 
 Yet the fact remained that a seemingly human 
 agency had acted to put the main motor out of 
 commission. Tom could not understand it. 
 
 "Well, it sure is queer," observed Ned, as the 
 search came to nothing. 
 
 "It's worse than queer," declared Tom, "it's 
 alarming! I don't know when I'll be safe if we 
 have ghosts aboard." 
 
 "Ghosts?" repeated Ned. 
 
 "Well, when we can't find out who put that 
 bar in place I might as well admit it was a ghost," 
 spoke Tom. "Certainly, if it was done by a man, 
 he didn't jump overboard after doing it, and he 
 isn't here now. It sure is queer!" 
 
 Ned agreed with the last statement, at any rate. 
 
 In due time the Mars, having fought her way 
 above the storm, came over Shopton, and then, 
 the wind having somewhat died out, she fought 
 her way down, and, after no little trouble, was 
 housed in the hangar. 
 
180 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 Tom cautioned his friends and workmen to say 
 nothing to his father about the mysterious hap- 
 pening on board. 
 
 "I'll just tell him we had a slight accident, and 
 let it go at that," Tom decided. "No use in caus- 
 ing him worry." 
 
 "But what are you going to do about it ?" asked 
 Ned. 
 
 "I'm going to keep careful watch over the aerial 
 warship, at any rate," declared Tom. "If there's 
 a hidden enemy aboard, I'll starve him out." 
 
 Accordingly, a guard, under the direction of 
 Koku, was posted about the big shed, but nothing 
 came of it. No stranger was observed to sneak 
 out of the ship, after it had been deserted by the 
 crew. The mystery seemed deeper than ever. 
 
 It took nearly a week to repair the big motor, 
 and, during this time, Tom put some improve- 
 ments on the airship, and added the finishing 
 touches. 
 
 He was getting it ready for the final govern- 
 ment test, for the authorities in Washington had 
 sent word that they would have Captain Warner, 
 in addition to Lieutenant Marbury, make the final 
 inspection and write a report. 
 
 Meanwhile several little things occurred to an- 
 noy Tom. He was besieged with applications 
 from new men who wanted to work, and many of 
 
THE STOWAWAYS l8l 
 
 these men seemed to be foreigners. Tom was 
 sure they were either spies of some European 
 nations, or the agents of spies, and they got no 
 further than the outer gate. 
 
 But some strangers did manage to sneak into 
 the works, though they were quickly detected and 
 sent about their business. Also, once or twice, 
 small fires were discovered in outbuildings, but 
 they were soon extinguished with little damage. 
 Extra vigilance was the watchword. 
 
 "And yet, with all my precautions, they may 
 get me, or damage something," declared Tom. 
 "It is very annoying!" 
 
 "It is," agreed Ned, "and we must be doubly 
 wn the lookout." 
 
 So impressed was Ned with the necessity for 
 caution that he arranged to take his vacation at 
 this time, so as to be on hand to help his chum, 
 if necessary. 
 
 The Mars was nearing completion. The re- 
 paired motor was better than ever, and every- 
 thing was in shape for the final test. Mr. Damon 
 was persuaded to go along, and Koku was to be 
 taken, as well as the two government officials. 
 
 The night before the trip the guards about the 
 airship shed were doubled, and Tom made two 
 visits to the place before midnight. But there 
 was no alarm. 
 
182 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 Consequently, when the Mars started off on 
 her final test, it was thought that all danger from 
 the spies was over. 
 
 "She certainly is a beauty," said Captain War- 
 ner, as the big craft shot upward. "I shall be 
 interested in seeing how she stands gun fire, 
 though." 
 
 "Oh, she'll stand it," declared Lieutenant Mar- 
 bury. The trip was to consume several days of 
 continuous flying, to test the engines. A large 
 supply of food and ammunition was aboard. 
 
 It was after supper of the first day out, and 
 our friends were seated in the main cabin laying 
 •out a program for the next day, when sudden 
 yells came from a part of the motor cabin de- 
 voted to storage. Koku, who had been sent to 
 get out a barrel of oil, was heard to shout. 
 
 "What's up?" asked Tom, starting to his feet. 
 He was answered almost at once by more yells. 
 
 "Oh, Master! Come quickly!" cried the giant. 
 "There are many men here. There are stow 
 aways aboard!" 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
 
 PRISONERS 
 
 For a moment, after hearing Koku's reply, 
 neither Tom nor his friends spoke. Then Ned, 
 in a dazed sort of way, repeated : 
 
 "Stowaways !" 
 
 "Bless my " began Mr. Damon, but that 
 
 was as far as he got. 
 
 From the engine compartment, back of the 
 amidship cabin, came a sound of cries and heavy 
 blows. The yells of Koku could be heard above 
 *.hose of the others. 
 
 Then the door of the cabin where Tom Swift 
 and his friends were was suddenly burst open, 
 and seven or eight men threw themselves within. 
 They were led by a man with a small, dark 
 mustache and a little tuft of whiskers on his chin 
 ■ — an imperial. He looked the typical Frenchman, 
 and his words, snapped out, bore out that belief. 
 
 What he said was in French, as Tom under- 
 stood, though he knew little of that language. 
 Also, what the Frenchman said produced an im- 
 i83 
 
184 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 mediate result, for the men following him sprang 
 at our friends with overwhelming fierceness. 
 
 Before Tom, Ned, Captain Warner, Mr. Da- 
 mon or Lieutenant Marbury could grasp any 
 weapon with which to defend themselves, had 
 their intentions been to do so, they were seized. 
 
 Against such odds little could be done, though 
 our friends did not give up without a struggle. 
 
 "What does this mean?" angrily demanded 
 Tom Swift. "Who are you? What are you 
 doing aboard my craft? Who are " 
 
 His words were lost in smothered tones, for 
 one of his assailants put a heavy cloth over his 
 mouth, and tied it there, gagging him. Another 
 man, with a quick motion, whipped a rope about 
 Tom's hands and feet, and he was soon securely 
 bound. 
 
 In like manner the others were treated, and, 
 despite the struggles of Mr. Damon, the two 
 government men and Ned, they were soon put 
 in a position where they could do nothing — help- 
 lessly bound, and laid on a bench in the main 
 cabin, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Each 
 one was gagged so effectively that he could not 
 utter more than a faint moan. 
 
 Of the riot of thoughts that ran through the 
 heads of each one, I leave you to imagine. 
 
 What did it all mean ? Where had the strange 
 
PRISONERS 185 
 
 men come from? What did they mean by thus 
 assaulting Tom and his companions ? And what 
 had happened to the others of the crew — Koku, 
 Jerry Mound, the engineer, and George Ventor, 
 the assistant pilot? 
 
 These were only a few of the questions Tom 
 asked himself, as he lay there, bound and helpless. 
 Doubtless Mr. Damon and the others were ask- 
 ing themselves similar questions. 
 
 One thing was certain — whatever the stow- 
 aways, as Koku had called them, had done, they 
 had not neglected the Mars, for she was run- 
 ning along at about the same speed, though in 
 what direction Tom could not tell. He strained 
 to get a view of the compass on the forward wall 
 of the cabin, but he could not see it. 
 
 It had been a rough-and-tumble fight, by which 
 our friends were made prisoners, but no one 
 seemed to have been seriously, or even slightly, 
 hurt. The invaders, under the leadership of the 
 Frenchman, were rather ruffled, but that was all. 
 
 Pantingly they stood in line, surveying their 
 captives, while the man with the mustache and 
 imperial smiled in a rather superior fashion at 
 the row of bound ones. He spoke in his own 
 tongue to the men, who, with the exception of 
 one, filed out, going, as Tom and the others could 
 note, to the engine-room in the rear. 
 
186 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 "I hope I have not had to hurt any of you," the 
 Frenchman observed, with sarcastic politeness. 
 "I regret the necessity that caused me to do this, 
 but, believe me, it was unavoidable." 
 
 He spoke with some accent, and Tom at once 
 decided this was the same man who had once 
 approached Eradicate. He also recognized him 
 as the man he had seen in the woods the day of 
 the outing. 
 
 "He's one of the foreign spies," thought Tom, 
 "and he's got us and the ship, too. They were 
 too many for us !" 
 
 Tom's anxiety to speak, to hold some converse 
 with the captor, was so obvious that the French- 
 man said : 
 
 "I am going to treat you as well as I can under 
 the circumstances. You and your other friends, 
 who are also made prisoners, will be allowed to 
 be together, and then you can talk to your hearts' 
 content." 
 
 The other man, who had remained with the 
 evident ringleader of the stowaways, asked a 
 question, in French, and he used the name La 
 Foy. 
 
 "Ah !" thought Tom. "This is the leader of 
 the gang that attacked Koku in the shop that 
 night. They have been waiting their chance, and 
 now they have made good. But where did they 
 
PRISONERS 187 
 
 come from? Could they have boarded us from 
 some other airship?" 
 
 Yet, as Tom asked himself that question, he 
 knew it could hardly have been possible. The 
 men must have been in hiding on his own craft, 
 they must have been, as Koku had cried out — 
 stowaways — and have come out at a preconcerted 
 signal to overpower the aviators. 
 
 "If you will but have patience a little longer," 
 went on La Foy, for that was evidently the name 
 of the leader, "you will all be together. We are 
 just considering where best to put you so that 
 you will not suffer too much. It is quite a prob- 
 lem to deal with so many prisoners, but we have 
 no choice." 
 
 The two Frenchmen conversed rapidly in their 
 own language for ak<y minutes, and then there 
 came into the cabin another of the men who had 
 helped overpower Tom and his friends. What 
 he told La Foy seemed to give that individual 
 satisfaction, for he smiled. 
 
 "We are going to put you all together in the 
 largest storeroom, which is partly empty," La 
 Foy said. "There you will be given food and 
 drink, and treated as well as possible under the 
 circumstances. You will also be unbound, and 
 may converse among yourselves. I need hardly 
 point out," he went on, "that calling for help 
 
188 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 will be useless. We are a mile or so in the air, 
 and have no intention of descending," and he 
 smiled mockingly. 
 
 "They must know how to navigate my aerial 
 warship," thought Tom. "I wonder what their 
 game is, anyhow?" 
 
 Night had fallen, but the cabin was aglow with 
 electric lights. The foreigners in charge of the 
 Mars seemed to know their way about perfectly, 
 and how to manage the big craft. By the vibra- 
 tion Tom could tell that the motor was running 
 evenly and well. 
 
 "But what happened to the others — to Mound, 
 Ventor and Koku?" wondered Tom. 
 
 A moment later several of the foreigners en- 
 tered. Some of them did not look at all like 
 Frenchmen, and Tom was sure one was a Ger- 
 man and another a Russian. 
 
 "This will be your prison — for a while," said 
 La Foy significantly, and Tom wondered how 
 long this would be the case. A sharp thought 
 came to him — how long would they be prison- 
 ers? Did not some other, and more terrible, fate 
 await them ? 
 
 As La Foy spoke, he opened a storeroom door 
 that led off from the main, or amidship, cabin. 
 This room was intended to contain the supplies 
 and stores that would be taken on a long voyage. 
 
PRISONERS 189 
 
 It was one of two, being the larger, and now 
 contained only a few odds and ends of little im- 
 portance. It made a strong prison, as Tom well 
 knew, having planned it. 
 
 One by one, beginning with Tom, the prisoners 
 were taken up and placed in a recumbent posi- 
 tion on the floor of the storeroom. Then were 
 brought in the engineer and assistant pilot, as well 
 as Koku and a machinist whom Tom had brought 
 along to help him. Now the young inventor and 
 all his friends were together. It took four men 
 to carry Koku in, the giant being covered with a 
 network of ropes. 
 
 "On second thought," said La Foy, as he saw 
 Koku being placed with his friends, "I think we 
 will keep the big man with us. We had trouble 
 enough to subdue him. Carry him back to the 
 engine-room." 
 
 So Koku, trussed up like some roped steer, was 
 taken out again. 
 
 "Now then," said La Foy to his prisoners, as 
 he stood in the door of the room, "I will unbind 
 one of you, and he may loose the bonds of the 
 others." 
 
 As he spoke, he took the rope from Tom's 
 hands, and then, quickly slipping out, locked and 
 barred the door. 
 
CHAPTER XXII 
 
 APPREHENSIONS 
 
 For a moment or two, after the ropes binding 
 his hands were loosed, Tom Swift did nothing. 
 He was not only stunned mentally, but the bonds 
 had been pulled so tightly about his wrists that 
 the circulation was impeded, and his cramped 
 muscles required a little time in which to respond. 
 
 But presently he felt the tingle of the coursing 
 blood, and he found he could move his arms. He 
 raised them to his head, and then his first care 
 was to remove the pad of cloth that formed a 
 gag over his mouth. Now he could talk. 
 
 "1 — I'll loosen you all in just a second," he 
 said, as he bent over to pick at the knot of the 
 rope around his legs. His own voice sounded 
 strange to him. 
 
 "I don't know what it's all about, any more 
 than you do," he went on, speaking to the others. 
 "It's a fierce game we're up against, and we've 
 got to make the best of it. As soon as we can 
 move, and talk, we'll decide what's best to dp. 
 190 
 
APPREHENSIONS 191 
 
 Whoever these fellows are, and I believe they 
 are the foreign spies I've been warned about, 
 they are in complete possession of the airship." 
 
 Tom found it no easy matter to loosen the 
 bonds on his feet. The ropes were well tied, 
 and Tom's fingers were stiff from the lack of 
 circulation of blood. But finally he managed to 
 free himself. When he stood up in the dim store- 
 room, that was now a prison for all save Koku, 
 he found that he could not walk. He almost top- 
 pled over, so weak were his legs from the tight- 
 ness of the ropes. He sat down and worked his 
 muscles until they felt normal again. 
 
 A few minutes later, weak and rather tottery, 
 he managed to reach Mr. Damon, whom he first 
 unbound. He realized that Mr. Damon was the 
 oldest of his friends, and, consequently, would 
 suffer most. And it was characteristic of the 
 eccentric gentleman that, as soon as his gag was 
 removed he burst out with: 
 
 "Bless my wristlets, Tom! What does it all 
 mean ?" 
 
 "That's more than I can say, Mr. Damon," re- 
 plied Tom, with a mournful shake of his head. 
 "I'm very sorry it happened, for it looks as 
 though I hadn't taken proper care. The idea of 
 those men stowing themselves away on board 
 here, and me not knowing it; and then coming 
 
ig2 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 out unexpectedly and getting possession of the 
 craft ! It doesn't speak very well for my smart- 
 ness." 
 
 "Oh, well, Tom, anyone might have been 
 fooled by those plotting foreigners," said Mr. 
 Damon. "Now, we'll try to turn matters about 
 and get the best of them. Oh, but it feels good 
 to be free once more!" 
 
 He stretched his benumbed and stiffened limbs! 
 and then helped Tom free the others. They 
 stood up, looking at each other in their dimly 
 lighted prison. 
 
 "Well, if this isn't the limit I don't know what 
 is!" cried Ned Newton. 
 
 "They got the best of you, Tom," spoke Lieu«* 
 tenant Marbury. 
 
 "Are they really foreign spies ?" asked Captain 
 Warner. 
 
 "Yes," replied his assistant. "They managed 
 to carry out the plot we tried to frustrate. It 
 was a good trick, too, hiding on board, and com- 
 ing out with a rush." 
 
 "Is that what they did?" asked Mr. Damon, 
 
 "It looks so," observed Tom. "The attack 
 must have started in the engine-room," he went 
 on, with a look at Mound and Ventor. "What 
 happened there?" he asked. 
 
 "Well, that's about the way it was," answered 
 
"APPREHENSIONS 193 
 
 Hie engineer. "We were working away, making 
 some adjustments, oiling the parts and seeing that 
 everything was running smoothly, when, all at 
 once, I heard Koku yell. He had gone in the oil 
 room. At first I thought something had gone 
 wrong with the ship, but, when I looked at the 
 giant, I saw he was being attacked by four 
 strange men. And, before I, or any of the other 
 men, could do anything, they all swarmed down 
 on us. 
 
 "There must have been a dozen of them, and 
 they simply overwhelmed us. One of them hit 
 Koku on the head with an iron bar, and that took 
 all the fight out of the giant, or the story might 
 have been a different one. As it was, we were 
 overpowered, and that's all I know until we were 
 carried in here, and saw you folks all tied up as 
 we were." 
 
 "They burst in on us in the same way," Tom 
 explained. "But where did they come from? 
 Where were they hiding?" 
 
 "In the oil and gasoline storeroom that opens 
 out of the motor compartment," answered 
 Mound, the engineer. "It isn't half full, you 
 know, and there's room for more than a dozen 
 men in it. They must have gone in some time 
 last night, when the airship was in the hangar, 
 and remained hidden among the boxes and bar* 
 
x p4 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 rels until they got ready to come out and over- 
 power us." 
 
 "That's it," decided Tom. "But I don't un- 
 derstand how they got in. The hangar was well 
 guarded all night." 
 
 "Some of your men might have been bribed," 
 suggested Ned. 
 
 "Yes, that is so," admitted Tom, and, later, he 
 learned that such had been the case. The foreign 
 spies, for such they were, had managed to cor- 
 rupt one of Tom's trusted employees, who had 
 looked the other way when La Foy and his fel- 
 low-conspirators sneaked into the airship shed 
 and secreted themselves. 
 
 "Well, discussing how they got on board isn't 
 going to do us any good now," Tom remarked 
 ruefully. "The question is — what are we going 
 to do?" 
 
 "Bless my fountain pen!" cried Mr. Damon, 
 "''There's only one thing to do !" 
 
 "What is that?" asked Ned. 
 
 "Why, get out of here, call a policeman, and 
 have these scoundrels arrested. I'll prosecute 
 them! I'll have my lawyer on hand to see that 
 they get the longest terms the statutes call for! 
 Bless my pocketbook, but I will !" and Mr. Damon 
 waxed quite indignant. 
 
 "That's easier said than done," observed Tom 
 
APPREHENSIONS 195 
 
 Swift, quietly. "In the first place, it isn't going 
 to be an easy matter to get out of here." 
 
 He looked around the storeroom, which was 
 then their prison. It was illuminated by a single 
 electric light, which showed some boxes and bar- 
 rels piled in the rear. 
 
 "Nothing in them to help us get out," Tom 
 went on, for he knew what the contents were. 
 
 "Oh, we'll get out," declared Ned confidently, 
 "but I don't believe we'll find a policeman ready 
 to take our complaint. The upper air isn't very 
 well patrolled as yet." 
 
 "That's so," agreed Mr. Damon. "I forgot 
 that we were in an airship. But what is to be 
 done, Tom? We really are captives aboard our 
 own craft." 
 
 "Yes, worse luck," returned the young inven- 
 tor. "I feel foolish when I think how we let 
 them take us prisoners." 
 
 "We couldn't help it," Ned commented. "They 
 came on us too suddenly. We didn't have a 
 chance. And they outnumbered us two to one. 
 If they could take care of big Koku, what chance 
 did we have?" 
 
 "Very little," said Engineer Mound. "They 
 were desperate fellows. They know something 
 about aircraft, too. For, as soon as Koku, Ven- 
 tor and I were disposed of, some of them went at 
 
I96 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIR 
 
 the machinery as if they had been used to running 
 it all their lives." 
 
 "Oh, the foreigners are experts when it comes 
 to craft of the air," said Captain Warner. 
 
 "Well, they seem to be running her, all right,** 
 admitted the young inventor, "and at good speed, 
 too. They have increased our running rate, if I 
 am any judge." 
 
 "By several miles an hour," confirmed the as- 
 sistant pilot. "Though in which direction they 
 are heading, and what they are going to do with 
 us is more than I can guess." 
 
 "That's so!" agreed Mr. Damon. "What is 1 
 to become of us? They may heave us overboard 
 into the ocean!" 
 
 "Into the ocean!" cried Ned apprehensively* 
 "Are we near the sea?" 
 
 "We must be, by this time," spoke Tom. "We 
 were headed in that direction, and we have come 
 almost far enough to put us somewhere over 
 the Atlantic, off the Jersey coast." 
 
 A look of apprehension was on the faces of all. 
 But Tom's face did not remain clouded long. 
 
 "We won't try to swim until we have to," he 
 said. "Now, let's take an account of stock, and 
 see if we have any means of getting out of this 
 prison." 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 ACROSS THE SEA 
 
 With one accord the hands of the captives 
 sought their pockets. Probably the first thought 
 of each one was a knife — a pocket-knife. But 
 blank looks succeeded their first hopeful ones, for 
 the hands came out empty. 
 
 "Not a thing!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Not 
 a blessed thing ! They have even taken my keys 
 and — my fountain pen !" 
 
 "I guess they searched us all while they were 
 Struggling with us, tying us up," suggested Ned. 
 "I had a knife with a big, strong blade, but it's 
 gone." 
 
 "So is mine," echoed Tom. 
 
 "And I haven't even a screwdriver, or a pock- 
 et-wrench," declared the engineer, "though I had 
 both." 
 
 "They evidently knew v/hat they were doing," 
 said Lieutenant Marbury. "I don't usually carry 
 a revolver, but of late I have had a small auto- 
 matic in my pocket. That's gone, too." 
 
 197 
 
198 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 "And so are all my things," went on his naval 
 friend. "That Frenchman, La Foy, was taking no 
 chances." 
 
 "WeM, if we haven't any weapons, or means of 
 getting out of here, we must make them," said 
 Tom, as hopefully as he could under the circum- 
 stances. "I don't know all the things that were 
 put in this storeroom, and perhaps there may be 
 something we can use." 
 
 "Shall we make the try now?" asked Ned. 
 "I'm getting thirsty, at least. Lucky we had 
 supper before they came out at us." 
 
 "Well, there isn't any water in here, or any- 
 thing to eat, of so much I am sure," went on 
 Tom. "So we will have to depend on our cap- 
 tors for that." 
 
 "At least we can shout and ask for water," 
 said Lieutenant Marbury. "They have no ex- 
 cuse for being needlessly cruel." 
 
 They all agreed that this might not be a bad 
 plan, and were preparing to raise a united shout, 
 when there came a knock on the door of their 
 prison. 
 
 "Are you willing to listen to reason?" asked a 
 voice they recognized as that of La Foy. 
 
 "What do you mean by reason?" asked Tom 
 bitterly. "You have no right to impose any 
 conditions on us." 
 
ACROSS THE SEA 199 
 
 "I have the right of might, and I intend exer- 
 cising it," was the sharp rejoinder. "If you will 
 listen to reason " 
 
 "Which kind — yours or ours?" asked Tom 
 pointedly. 
 
 "Mine, in this case," snapped back the French- 
 man. "What I was going to say was that I do 
 not intend to starve you, or cause you discomfort 
 by thirst. I am going to open the door and put 
 in food and water. But I warn you that any 
 attempt to escape will be met with severe meas- 
 ures. 
 
 "We are in sufficient force to cope with you. 
 I think you have seen that." He spoke calmly 
 and in perfect English, though with a marked 
 accent. "My men are armed, and will stand here 
 ready to meet violence with violence," he went 
 on. "Is that understood ?" 
 
 For a moment none of the captives replied. 
 
 "I think it will be better to give in to him — 1 
 at least for a while," said Captain Warner in a 
 low voice to Tom. "We need water, and will 
 soon need food. We can think and plan better 
 if we are well nourished." 
 
 "Then you think I should promise not to raise 
 a row?" 
 
 "For the time being — yes." 
 
200 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 "Well, I am waiting!" came in sharp tones 
 from the other side of the portal. 
 
 "Our answer is — yes," spoke Tom. "We will 
 not try to get out — just yet," he added signifi- 
 cantly. 
 
 A key was heard grating in the lock, and, a 
 moment later, the door slid back. Through the 
 opening could be seen La Foy and some of his 
 men standing armed. Others had packages of 
 food and jugs of water. A plentiful supply of 
 the latter was carried aboard the Mars. 
 
 "Keep back from the door!" was the stern 
 command of La Foy. "The food and drink will 
 be passed in only if you keep away from the en<- 
 trance. Remember my men are armed!" 
 
 The warning was hardly needed, for the weap^ 
 ons could plainly be seen. Tom had half a no- 
 tion that perhaps a concerted rush would carry 
 the day for him and his friends, but he was forced 
 to abandon that idea. 
 
 While the guards looked on, others of the 
 "pirate crew," as Ned dubbed them, passed in 
 [food and water. Then the door was locked again. 
 
 They all felt better after drinking the water, 
 which was made cool by evaporation, for the 
 airship was quite high above the earth when 
 Tom's enemies captured it, and the young in- 
 ventor felt sure it had not descended any. 
 
"ACROSS THE SEA 201' 
 
 No one felt much like eating, however, so the 
 food was put away for a time. And then, some- 
 what refreshed, they began looking about for 
 some means of getting out of their prison. 
 
 "Of course we might batter down the door, in 
 time, by using some of these boxes as rams," 
 said Tom. "But the trouble is, that would make 
 a noise, and they could stand outside and drive 
 us back with guns and pistols, of which they 
 seem to have plenty." 
 
 "Yes, and they could turn some of your own 
 quick-firers on us," added Captain Warner. "No, 
 we must work quietly, I think, and take them 
 unawares, as they took us. That is our only 
 plan." 
 
 "We will be better able to see what we have 
 here by daylight," Tom said. "Suppose we wait 
 until morning?" 
 
 That plan was deemed best, and preparations 
 made for spending the night in their prison. 
 
 It was a most uncomfortable night for all of 
 them. The floor was their only bed, and their 
 only covering some empty bags that had con- 
 tained supplies. But even under these circum- 
 stances they managed to doze off fitfully. 
 
 Once they were all awakened by a violent 
 plunging of the airship. The craft seemed to be 
 trying to stand on her head, and then she rocked 
 
202 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP- 
 
 violently from side to side, nearly turning turtle. 
 
 "What is it ?" gasped Ned, who was lying next 
 to Tom. 
 
 "They must be trying some violent stunts," re- 
 plied the young inventor, "or else we have run 
 into a storm." 
 
 "I think the latter is the case," observed Lieu- 
 tenant Marbury. 
 
 And, as the motion of the craft kept up, though 
 less violently, this was accepted as the explana- 
 tion. Through the night the Mars flew, but 
 whither the captives knew not. 
 
 The first gray streaks of dawn finally shone 
 through the only window of their prison. Sore, 
 lame and stiff, wearied in body and disturbed in 
 mind, the captives awoke. Tom's first move was 
 toward the window. It was high up, but, by 
 standing on a box, he could look through it. He 
 uttered an exclamation. 
 
 "What is it?" asked Ned, swaying to and fro 
 from the violent motion <of the aerial warship. 
 
 "We are away out over the sea," spoke Tom, 
 "and in the midst of a bad storm." 
 
CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 THE LIGHTNING BOLT 
 
 Tom turned away from the window, to find his 
 companions regarding him anxiously. 
 
 "A storm," repeated Ned. "What sort?" 
 
 "It might turn into any sort," replied Tom. 
 "All I can see now is a lot of black clouds, and 
 the wind must be blowing pretty hard, for there's 
 quite a sea on." 
 
 "Bless my galvanometer!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 "Then we are out over the ocean again, Tom?" 
 
 "Yes, there's no doubt of it." 
 
 "What part?" asked the assistant pilot. 
 
 "That's more than I can tell," Tom answered. 
 
 "Suppose I take a look?" suggested Captain 
 Warner. "I've done quite a bit of sailing in my 
 time." 
 
 But, when he had taken a look through the 
 window at which Tom had been standing, the 
 naval officer descended, shaking his head. 
 
 "There isn't a landmark in sight," he an- 
 nounced. "We might be over the middle of the 
 Atlantic, for all I could tell." 
 203 
 
204 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 "Hardly as far as that," spoke Tom. "They 
 haven't been pushing the Mars at that speed. But 
 we may be across to the other side before we 
 realize it." 
 
 "How's that?" asked Ned. 
 
 "Well, the ship is in the possession of these 
 foreign spies," went on Tom. "All their inter- 
 ests are in Europe, though it would be hard to 
 say what nationality is in command here. I think 
 there are even some Englishmen among those 
 who attacked us, as well as French, Germans, Ital- 
 ians and Russians." 
 
 "Yes, it seems to be a combination of Euro- 
 pean nations against us," admitted Captain War- 
 ner. "Probably, after they have made good their 
 seizure of Tom's aerial warship, they will portion 
 her out among themselves, or use her as a model 
 from which to make others." 
 
 "Do you think that is their object?" asked Mr. 
 Damon. 
 
 "Undoubtedly," was the captain's answer. "It 
 has been the object of these foreign spies, all 
 along, not only to prevent the United States from 
 enjoying the benefits of these progressive inven- 
 tions, but to use them for themselves. They 
 would stop at nothing to gain their ends. It 
 seems we did not sufficiently appreciate their 
 power and daring." 
 
THE LIGHTNING BOLT 205 
 
 "Well, they've got us, at any rate," observed 
 Tom, "and they may take us and the ship to some 
 far-off foreign country." 
 
 "If they don't heave us overboard half-way 
 there," commented Ned, in rather gloomy tones. 
 
 "Well, of course, there's that possibility," ad- 
 mitted Tom. "They are desperate characters." 
 
 "Well, we must do something," declared Lieu- 
 tenant Marbury. "Come, it's daylight now, and 
 we can see to work better. Let's see if we can't 
 find a way to get out of this prison. Say, but 
 this sure is a storm!" he cried, as the airship 
 rolled and pitched violently. 
 
 "They are handling her well, though," ob- 
 served Tom, as the craft came quickly to an even 
 keel. "Either they have a number of expert 
 birdmen on board, or they can easily adapt them- 
 selves to a new aircraft. She is sailing splen- 
 didly." 
 
 "Well, let's eat something, and set to work," 
 jproposed Ned. 
 
 They brought out the food which had been 
 given to them the night before, but before they 
 could eat this, there came a knock on the door, 
 and more food and fresh water was handed in, 
 under the same precautions as before. 
 
 Tom and his companions indignantly demand- 
 ed to be released, but their protests were only 
 
206 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 laughed at, and while the guards stood with ready 
 weapons the door was again shut and locked. 
 
 But the prisoners were not the kind to sit idly 
 down in the face of this. Under Tom's direction 
 they set about looking through their place of cap- 
 tivity for something by which they could release 
 themselves. At first they found nothing, and 
 Ned even suggested trying to cut a way through 
 the wooden walls with a fingernail file, which 
 he found in one of his pockets, when Tom, who 
 had gone to the far end of the storeroom, uttered 
 a cry. 
 
 "What is it — a way out?" asked Lieutenant 
 Marbury anxiously. 
 
 "No, but means to that end," Tom replied. 
 "Look, a file and a saw, left here by some of my 
 workmen, perhaps," and he brought out the tools. 
 He had found them behind a barrel in the far 
 end of the compartment. 
 
 "Hurray!" cried Ned. "That's the ticket t 
 Now we'll soon show these fellows what's what !" 
 
 "Go easy!" cautioned Tom. "We must work 
 carefully. It won't do to slam around and try to 
 break down the door with these. I think we had 
 better select a place on the side wall, break through 
 that, and make an opening where we can come 
 out unnoticed. Then, when we are ready, we can 
 take them by surprise. We'll have to do some- 
 
THE LIGHTNING BOLT 207 
 
 thing like that, for they outnumber us, you 
 know." 
 
 "That is so," agreed Captain Warner. "We 
 must use strategy." 
 
 "Well, where would be a good place to begin 
 to burrow out?" asked Ned. 
 
 "Here," said Torn, indicating a place far back 
 in the room. "We can work there in turns, saw- 
 ing a hole through the wall. It will bring us out 
 in the passage between the aft and 'midship cab- 
 ins, and we can go either way." 
 
 "Then let's begin !" cried Ned enthusiastically, 
 and they set to work. 
 
 While the aerial warship pitched and tossed in 
 the storm, over some part of the Atlantic, Tom 
 and his friends took turns in working their way 
 to freedom. With the sharp end of the file a 
 small hole was made, the work being done as 
 slowly as a rat gnaws, so as to make no noise that 
 would be heard by their captors. In time the 
 hole was large enough to admit the end of the 
 saw. 
 
 But this took many hours, and it was not until 
 the second day of their captivity that they had 
 the hole nearly large enough for the passage of 
 one person at a time. They had not been dis- 
 covered, they thought. 
 
 Meanwhile they had been given food and water 
 
208 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIB 
 
 at intervals, but to all demands that they be re- 
 leased, or at least told why they were held pris- 
 oners, a deaf ear was turned. 
 
 They could only guess at the fate of Koku. 
 Probably the giant was kept bound, for once he 
 got the chance to use his enormous strength it 
 might go hard with the foreigners. 
 
 The Mars continued to fly through the air. 
 Sometimes, as Tom and his friends could tell by 
 the motion, she was almost stationary in the 
 upper regions, and again she seemed to be flying 
 at top speed. Occasionally there came the sound 
 of firing. 
 
 "They're trying my guns," observed Tom 
 grimly. 
 
 "Do you suppose they are being attacked ?* 
 asked Ned, hopefully. 
 
 "Hardly," replied Captain Warner. "The 
 United States possesses no craft able to cope 
 with this one in aerial warfare, and they are 
 hardly engaging in part of the European war yet. 
 I think they are just trying Tom's new guns." 
 
 Later our friends learned that such was the 
 case. 
 
 The storm had either passed, or the Mars had 
 run out of the path of it, for, after the first few 
 hours of pitching and tossing, the atmosphere 
 deemed reduced to a state of calm. 
 
THE LIGHTNING BOLT 20$ 
 
 All the while they were secretly working to 
 gain their freedom so they might attack and 
 overpower their enemies, they took occasional ob- 
 servations from the small window. But they 
 could learn nothing of their whereabouts. They 
 could only view the heaving ocean, far below 
 them, or see a mass of cloud-mist, which hid the 
 earth, if so be that the Mars was sailing over 
 land. 
 
 "But how much longer can they keep it up?" 
 asked Ned. 
 
 "Well, we have fuel and supplies aboard for 
 nearly two weeks," Tom answered. 
 
 "And by the end of that time we may all be 
 dead," spoke the young bank clerk despondently. 
 
 "No, we'll be out of here before then!" de- 
 clared Lieutenant Marbury. 
 
 Indeed the hole was now almost large enough 
 to enable them to crawl out one at a time. They 
 could not, of course, see how it looked from the 
 outside, but Tom had selected a place for its cut- 
 ting so that the sawdust and the mark of the 
 panel that was being removed, would not ordi- 
 narily be noticeable. 
 
 They set night as the time for making the 
 attempt — late at night, when it was hoped that 
 most of their captors would be asleep. 
 
 Finally the last cut was made, and a piece of 
 
2IO TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 
 wood hung over the opening only by a shred, all 
 ready to knock out. 
 
 "We'll do it at midnight," announced Tom. 
 
 Anxious, indeed, were those last hours of wait- 
 ing. The time had almost arrived for the at- 
 tempt, when Tom, who had been nervously pac- 
 ing to and fro, remarked : 
 
 "We must be running into another storm. Feel 
 how she heaves and rolls!" 
 
 Indeed the Mars was most unsteady. 
 
 "It sure is a storm !" cried Ned, "and a heavy 
 one, too," for there came a burst of thunder, that 
 seemed like a report of Tom's giant cannon. 
 
 In another instant they were in the midst of a 
 violent thunderstorm, the airship pitching and 
 tossing in a manner to almost throw them from 
 their feet. 
 
 As Tom reached up to switch on the electric 
 light again, there came a flash of lightning that 
 well nigh blinded them. And so close after it as 
 to seem simultaneous, there came such a crash of 
 thunder as to stun them all. There was a tin- 
 gling, as of a thousand pins and needles in the 
 body of each of the captives, and a strong smell of 
 sulphur. Then, as the echoes of the clap died 
 away, Tom yelled : 
 
 "She's been struck! The airship has been 
 struck !" 
 
CHAPTER XXV 
 
 FREEDOM 
 
 For a moment there was silence, following 
 Tom's wild cry and the noise of the thunderclap. 
 Then, as other, though less loud reverberations of 
 the storm continued to sound, the captives awoke 
 to a realization of what had happened. They 
 had been partially stunned, and were almost as 
 in a dream. 
 
 "Are — are we all right ?" stammered Ned. 
 
 "Bless my soul! What has happened?" cried 
 Mr. Damon. 
 
 "We've been struck by lightning!" Tom re- 
 peated. "I don't know whether we're all right or 
 not." 
 
 "We seem to be falling !" exclaimed Lieutenant 
 Marbury. 
 
 "If the whole gas bag isn't ripped to pieces 
 we're lucky," commented Jerry Mound. 
 
 Indeed, it was evident that the Mars was sink- 
 ing rapidly. To all there came the sensation of 
 riding in an elevator in a skyscraper and being 
 dropped a score of stories. 
 211 
 
212 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 Then, as they stood there in the darkness, il- 
 luminated only by flashes from the lightning out- 
 side the window, waiting for an unknown fate, 
 Tom Swift uttered a cry of delight. 
 
 "We've stopped falling!" he cried. "The auto- 
 matic gas machine is pumping. Part of the gas 
 bag was punctured, but the unbroken compart- 
 ments hold !" 
 
 "If part of the gas leaked out I don't see why 
 it wasn't all set on fire and exploded," observed 
 Captain Warner. 
 
 "It's a non-burnable gas," Tom quickly ex- 
 plained. "But come on. This may be our very 
 chance. There seems to be something going on 
 that may be in our favor." 
 
 Indeed the captives could hear confused cries, 
 and the running to and fro of many feet. 
 
 He made for the sawed panel, and, in another 
 instant, had burst out and was through it, out into 
 the passageway between the after and amidship 
 cabins. His companions followed him. 
 
 They looked into the rear cabin, or motor com- 
 partment, and a scene of confusion met their gaze. 
 Two of the foreign men who had seized the ship 
 lay stretched out on the floor near the humming 
 machinery, which had been left to run itself. A 1 
 look in the other direction, toward the main 
 cabin, showed a group of the foreign spies bend- 
 
FREEDOM 213 
 
 ing over the inert body of La Foy, the French- 
 man, stretched out on a couch. 
 
 "What has happened?" cried Ned. "What 
 does it all mean?" 
 
 "The lightning!" exclaimed Tom. "The bolt 
 that struck the ship has knocked out some of 
 our enemies ! Now is the time to attack them !" 
 
 The Mars seemed to have passed completely 
 through a narrow storm belt. She was now in a 
 quiet atmosphere, though behind her could be 
 seen the fitful play of lightning, and there could 
 be heard the distant rumble of thunder. 
 
 "Come on !" cried Tom. "We must act quickly, 
 while they are demoralized ! Come on !" 
 
 His friends needed no further urging. Jerry 
 Mound and the machinist rushed to the engine- 
 room, to look after any of the enemy that might 
 be there, while Tom, Ned and the others ran into 
 the middle cabin. 
 
 "Grab 'em ! Tie 'em up !" cried Tom, for they 
 tiad no weapons with which to make an attack. 
 
 But none were needed. So stunned were the 
 foreigners by the lightning bolt, which had mirac- 
 ulously passed our friends, and so unnerved by 
 the striking down of La Foy, their leader, that 
 they seemed like men half asleep. Before they 
 could offer any resistance they were bound with 
 the same ropes that had held our friends in bon- 
 
214 T0M SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP. 
 
 dage. That is, all but the big Frenchman himself. 
 He seemed beyond the need of binding. 
 
 Mound, the engineer, and his assistant, came 
 hurrying in from the motor-room, followed by 
 Koku. 
 
 "We found him chained up," Jerry explained, 
 as the big giant, freed from his captivity, rubbed 
 his chafed wrists. 
 
 "Are there any of the foreigners back there?" 
 
 "Only those two knocked out by the lightning," 
 the engineer explained. "We've made them se- 
 cure. I see you've got things here in shape." 
 
 "Yes," replied Tom. "And now to see where 
 we are, and to get back home. Whew! But 
 this has been a time! Koku, what happened to 
 you?" 
 
 "They no let anything happen. I be in chains 
 all the while," the giant answered. "Jump on me 
 before I can do anything!" 
 
 "Well, you're out, now, and I think we'll have 
 you stand guard over these men. The tables 
 are turned, Koku." 
 
 The bound ones were carried to the same prison 
 whence our friends had escaped, but their bonds 
 were not taken off, and Koku was put in the 
 place with them. By this time La Foy and the 
 two other stricken men showed signs of returning 
 life. They had only been stunned. 
 
FREEDOM 215 
 
 The young inventor and his friends, once more 
 in possession of their airship, lost little time in 
 planning to return. They found that the spies 
 were all expert aeronauts, and had kept a careful 
 chart of their location. They were then halfway 
 across the Atlantic, and in a short time longer 
 would probably have been in some foreign coun- 
 try. But Tom turned the Mars about. 
 
 The craft had only been slightly damaged by 
 the lightning bolt, though three of the gas bag 
 compartments were torn. The others sufficed, 
 however, to make the ship sufficiently buoyant. 
 1 When morning came Tom and his friends had 
 matters running almost as smoothly as before 
 their capture. 
 
 The prisoners had no chance to escape, and, in- 
 deed, they seemed to have been broken in spirit. 
 La Foy was no longer the insolent, mocking 
 Frenchman that he had been, and the two chief 
 foreign engineers seemed to have lost some of 
 their reason when the lightning struck them. 
 
 "But it was a mighty lucky and narrow escape 
 for us," said Ned, as he and Tom sat in the pilot- 
 house the second day of the return trip. 
 
 "That's right," agreed his chum. 
 
 Once again they were above the earth, and, 
 desiring to get rid as soon as possible of the 
 presence of the spies, a landing was made near 
 
2l6 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL V/ARSHIR 
 
 New York City, and the government authorities 
 communicated with. Captain Warner and Lieu- 
 tenant Marbury took charge of the prisoners, 
 with some Secret Service men, and the foreign- 
 ers were soon safely locked up. 
 
 "And new what are you going to do, Tom?'* 
 asked Ned, when, once more, they had the air- 
 ship to themselves. 
 
 "I'm going back to Shopton, fix up the gas 
 bag, and give her another government trial," was 
 the answer. 
 
 And, in due time, this was done. Tom added 
 some improvements to the aircraft, making it 
 better than ever, and when she was given the 
 test required by the government, she was an un- 
 qualified success, and the rights to the Mars were 
 purchased for a large sum. In sailing, and in 
 the matter of guns and bombs, Tom's craft an- 
 swered every test. 
 
 "So you see I was right, after all, Dad," the 
 young inventor said, when informed that he had 
 succeeded. "We can shoot off even bigger guns 
 than I thought from the deck of the Mars." 
 
 "Yes, Tom," replied the aged inventor, "I ad- 
 mit I was wrong." 
 
 Tom's aerial warship was even a bigger suc- 
 cess than he had dared to hope. Once the gov- 
 ernment men fully understood how to run it, in 
 
FREEDOM 217 
 
 which Tom played a prominent part in giving 
 instructions, they put the Mars to a severe test. 
 She was taken out over the ocean, and her guns 
 trained on an obsolete battleship. Her bombs 
 and projectiles blew the craft to pieces. 
 
 "The Mars will be the naval terror of the seas] 
 in any future war," predicted Captain Warner. 
 
 The Secret Service men succeeded in unearth- 
 ing all the details of the plot against Tom. His 
 life, at times, had been in danger, but at the last 
 minute the man detailed to harm him lost his 
 nerve. 
 
 It was Tom's enemies who had set on fire the 
 red shed, and who later tried to destroy the ship 
 by putting a corrosive acid in one of the propel- 
 lers. That plot, though, was not wholly success- 
 ful. Then came the time when one of the spies 
 hid on board, and dropped the copper bar on the 
 motor, short-circuiting it. But for the storage- 
 battery that scheme might have wrought fearful 
 damage. The spy who had stowed himself away 
 on the craft escaped at night by the connivance 
 of one of Tom's corrupt employees. 
 
 The foreign spies were tried and found guilty, 
 receiving merited punishment. Of course the 
 governments to which they belonged disclaimed 
 any part in the seizure of Tom's aerial warship. 
 
 It came out at the trial that one of Tom's most 
 
2l8 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP, 
 
 trusted employees had proved a traitor, and hady 
 the night before the test, allowed the foreign 
 spies to secrete themselves on board, to rush out 
 at an opportune time to overpower our hero and 
 his friends. But luck was with Tom at the end. 
 
 "Well, what are you going to tackle next, 
 Tom?" asked Ned, one day about a month after 
 these exciting experiences. 
 
 "I don't know," was the slow answer. "I 
 think a self-swinging hammock, under an apple 
 tree, with a never-emptying pitcher of ice-cold 
 lemonade would be about the thing." 
 
 "Good, Tom! And, if you'll invent that, Ffij 
 share it with you." 
 
 "Well, come on, let's begin now," laughed 
 Tom. "I need a vacation, anyhow." 
 
 But it is very much to be doubted if Tom 
 Swift, even on a vacation, could refrain from 
 trying to invent something, either in the line of 
 airships, water, or land craft. And so, until he 
 again comes to the front with something new, we 
 will take leave of him. 
 
 THE END 
 
Would you like to know what 
 became of the good friends you 
 have made in this book? 
 
 Would you like to read other 
 stories continuing their adventures 
 and experiences, or other books 
 quite as entertaining by the same 
 author ? 
 
 On the reverse side of the wrap- 
 per which comes with this book, 
 you will find a wonderful list of 
 stories which you can buy at the 
 same store where you got this book. 
 
 Use it as a handy catalog of the books 
 you want some day to have. ^But in 
 case you do mislay it, write to the 
 Publishers for a complete catalog. 
 
THE TOM SWIFT SERIES 
 
 By VICTOR APPLETON 
 
 Uniform Style of Binding. Individual Colored Wrappers. 
 Every Volume Complete in Itself. 
 
 Every boy possesses some form of inventive genius. 
 Tom Swift is a bright, ingenious boy and his inventions 
 and adventures make the most interesting kind of reading. 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT 
 TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS 
 TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE 
 TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL 
 TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WAR TANK 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR SCOUT 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH 
 TOM SWIFT AMONG THE FIRE FIGHTERS 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING BOAT 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT OIL GUSHER 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS CHEST OF SECRETS 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRLINE EXPRESS 
 TOM SWIFT CIRCLING THE GLOBE 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS TALKING PICTURES 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS HOUSE ON WHEELS 
 
 Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York