Part 1 (2/2)
”They might. I'm not taking any chances. But the reason I want to be especially careful that Andy Foger doesn't spy on any of my inventions is that at last I have perfected my noiseless airs.h.i.+p motor!”
”You have!” cried Ned, for he knew that his chum had been working for a long time on this motor, that would give out no sound, no matter at how high a speed it was run. ”That's great, Tom! I congratulate you. I don't wonder you don't want Andy to get even a peep at it.”
”Especially as I haven't it fully patented,” went on the young inventor. He had met with many failures in his efforts to perfect this motor, which he intended to install on one of his airs.h.i.+ps. ”If any one saw the finished parts now it wouldn't take them long to find out the secret of doing away with the noise.”
”How do you do it?” asked Ned, for he realized that his chum had no secrets from him.
”Well, it's too complicated to describe,” said Tom, ”but the secret lies in a new way of feeding gasolene into the motor, a new sparking device, and an improved m.u.f.fler. I think I could start my new airs.h.i.+p in front of the most skittish horse, and he wouldn't stir, for the racket wouldn't wake a baby. It's going to be great.”
”What are you going to do with it, when you get it all completed?”
”I haven't made up my mind yet. It's going to be some time before I get it all put together, and installed, and in that time something may turn up. Well, let's talk about something more pleasant than Andy Foger. I guess I won't worry about him.”
”No, I wouldn't. I'd like to see the motor run.”
”You can, in a day or so, but just now I need a certain part to attach to the sparker, and I had to send to town for it. Koku has gone after it.”
”What, that big giant servant? He might break it on the way back, he's so strong. He doesn't realize how much muscle he has.”
”No, that's so. Well, while we're waiting for him, come on in the house, and I'll show you some new books I got.”
The two lads were soon in the Swift homestead, a pleasant and large old-fas.h.i.+oned residence, in the suburbs of Shopton. Tom brought out the books, and he and his chum poured over them.
”Mr. Damon gave me that one on electricity,” explained the young inventor, handing Ned a bulky volume.
”'Bless my bookmark!' as Mr. Damon himself would say if he were here,” exclaimed Ned with a laugh. ”That's a dandy. But Mr. Damon didn't give you THIS one,” and Ned picked up a dainty volume of verse. ”'To Tom Swift, with the best wishes of Mary--'” but that was as far as he read, for Tom grabbed the book away, and closed the cover over the flyleaf, which bore some writing in a girl's hand. I think my old readers can guess whose hand it was.
”Wow! Tom Swift reading poetry!” laughed Ned.
”Oh, cut it out,” begged his chum. ”I didn't know that was among the books. I got it last Christmas. Now here's a dandy one on lion hunting, Ned,” and to cover his confusion Tom shoved over a book containing many pictures of wild animals.
”Lion hunting; eh,” remarked Ned. ”Well, I guess you could give them some points on snapping lions with your moving picture camera, Tom.”
”Yes, I got some good views,” admitted the young inventor modestly.
”I may take the camera along on some trips in my noiseless airs.h.i.+p.
h.e.l.lo! here comes Koku back. I hope he got what I wanted.”
A man, immense in size, a veritable giant, one of two whom Tom Swift had brought away from captivity with him, was entering the front gate. He stopped to speak to Mr. Swift, Tom's father, who was setting out some plants in a flower bed, taking them from a large wheel barrow filled with the blooms.
Mr. Swift, who was an inventor of note, had failed in his health of late, and the doctor had recommended him to be out of doors as much as possible. He delighted in gardening, and was at it all day.
”Look!” suddenly cried Ned, pointing to the giant. Then Tom and his chum saw a strange sight.
With a booming laugh, Koku picked up Mr. Swift gently and set him on a board that extended across the front part of the wheel barrow.
Then, as easily as if it was a pound weight, the big man lifted Mr.
<script>