Part 2 (1/2)

With parts from the wrecked electric airs.h.i.+p the youth rigged up a plant, and sent wireless messages from the island. The castaways nearly lost their lives in the earthquake shocks, but a steamer, summoned by Tom's wireless call, arrived in time to save them, just as the island disappeared beneath the sea.

In the seventh book of the series, ent.i.tled ”Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers” there was related the adventures of himself and his friends when they tried to solve the mystery of Phantom Mountain.

Among the castaways of Earthquake Island was a Mr. Barcoe Jenks and a Professor Ralph Parker. Mr. Jenks was a strange man, and claimed to have some valuable diamonds, which he said were made by a gang of men hidden in a cave in the Rocky Mountains. Tom did not believe that the diamonds were real, but Mr. Jenks soon proved that they were.

He asked Tom to aid him in searching for the cave of the diamond makers. Mr. Jenks had been there once--in fact, he had been offered a partners.h.i.+p in the diamond-making business, but, after he had paid his money, he had been drugged, and carried secretly from the cave before he had a chance to note its location.

But he, together with Tom, Mr. Damon and the scientist Mr. Parker, who correctly predicted the destruction of Earthquake Island, set out in the RED CLOUD to find the diamond makers. They did find them, after many hards.h.i.+ps, and were captured by the gang. How Tom and his friends escaped from the cave, after they had seen diamonds made by a powerful lightning flash, and how they nearly lost their lives from the destruction of Phantom Mountain, is fully set down in the book.

Sufficient to say now, that, though they had a general idea of how the precious stones were made, by the power of the lightning, the young inventor and his friends were never quite able to accomplish it, and the secret remained a secret. But they had secured some diamonds as they rushed from the cave (Mr. Damon grabbing them up) and these were divided among Tom and the others.

Just as they were ready to come home in the airs.h.i.+p, our friends were met by an old miner, Abe Abercrombie, who spoke of a valley of gold in Alaska, which was the story Tom related to Ned Newton, as the two chums sat in the den of the airs.h.i.+p shed.

”Then you don't know all the details about the gold valley, Tom?”

remarked Ned, as the young inventor showed his chum the letter that had just arrived.

”No, not all of them. At the time this miner met us I was anxious to get back East, for we had been away so long I knew dad would be worried. But I listened to part of Abe's story, and half promised to go in partners.h.i.+p in this quest for gold. He was to furnish information about the hidden valley, and I was to supply the airs.h.i.+p. I expect Abe to come along at any time, now, and then I'll hear more particulars.”

”Will you go all the way in the airs.h.i.+p?”

”Well, I hadn't thought of that. I could s.h.i.+p it to the nearest place by rail, I suppose, and go on from there. That's a detail to be considered later. I'll talk it over with Abe.”

”Who are going?”

”I don't know that even. I suppose Mr. Damon would feel slighted if I left him out. And perhaps Mr. Parker, that gloomy scientist, who is always predicting terrible accidents, will be glad to go along.

Then Abe may have some friend he wants to take.”

”By Jinks! But you certainly do have swell times, Tom Swift!”

exclaimed Ned Newton, enviously. ”I wish I could go and have a try at that valley of gold!”

”Why don't you come along, Ned?”

”Do you really mean it?”

”Of course.”

”But I don't believe I could get away from the bank.”

”Oh, dad and Mr. Damon could fix that. They're directors, you know.

Come along, I'd be delighted to have you. Will you?”

”I'll think about it. Jinks! But I sure would like to go. Do you think you can find the valley?”

”Well, there's no telling. We generally do succeed in finding what we go after, even if we didn't get the diamond secret. I'm anxious to have Abe come, now, though until I got his letter I had almost forgotten about my promise to him. But, say, what's this you told me about Andy Foger making an airs.h.i.+p?”

”It's true, though I haven't seen it. Jake Porter was telling me about it. Andy's built a big shed in his yard, and he and some cronies of his, including Pete Bailey and Sam Snedecker, are working in there night and day. They've hired a couple of machinists, too.

Mr. Foger is putting up the cash, I guess. Say, that was quite a scare you gave Andy on your monoplane, one day.”