Part 2 (1/2)

This last achievereat World War and you will find the details set down in the volume which immediately precedes this ”Tom Swift and His War Tank,” it is called, and in that is related how he not only invented aits secret from the plotters who tried to take it from him In this Tom was helped by the inspiration of Mary Nestor, whom he hoped soh no inventor himself, could ad while, but Ned inclined more to financial and office ed affairs for Tom, and helped him finance projects Ned was now an important bank official, and since the United States had entered the war had had charge of sons

Somehow, as she sat there in the craft which see of Tom's many activities, in some of which she had shared

”Oh, if he falls now, and is killed!” she thought ”Oh, ill happen to us?”

”It's all right, Mary! Don't worry! It's all right!” cried To tube

”What's that? I can't hear you very well!” she called back

”No wonder, with the racket thisbe done so you can talk in an aeroplane as well as in a balloon? That's an idea! If I could tell you as the htened, for it isn't anything But, as it is--”

”What are you saying, Tohtened

”I say it's all right--don't get scared And don't jump!” To aso much noise one can't talk!” he went on, irritatedly

A strange idea had co inventor, but there was no tiistered a vow to take up this idea and work on it as soon as possible But, just now, the aeroplane needed all his attention

As he had told Mary, there was really nothing approaching any great danger But it was rather an anxious ht little of it, but with Mary along he felt a double responsibility

What had happened was that the craft had suddenly gone into an ”air pocket” or partial vacuum, and there had been a sudden fall and a slide slip In trying to stop this too quickly Toed in putting an auxiliary one in place and trying to reassure Mary at the sah a speaking tube with ainventor

Toh to Mary they see on a level keel, and Toreat idea!” he told hiive his attention to that

CHAPTER III

THE BIG OFFER

Working with all the skill he possessed, Toain As has been said, the accident was a trivial one, and had he been alone, or with an experienced aviator, he would have thought little of it Then, very likely, he would have volplaned to earth and hten Mary Nestor, so he fixed the control while gliding along, and er was reassured

”Are we all right?” asked Mary through the tube, as they sailed along

”Right as a fiddle,” answered Toh the same means of communication

”What's that about a riddle?” asked Mary, in surprise at his see about a riddle--I said we are as fit as a fiddle!” cried To to talk with the racket this motor makes, and it isn't the noisiest of its kind, either I'll tell you e get down Do you like it?”