CHAPTER IV
AN EXPERIMENT
"That can't be Koku and Rad in one of their periodic squabbles, canit?" asked Ned.
"No. It's probably Mr. Baxter," Tom answered. "The doctor said he mightget violent once or twice, until the effects of his shock wore off.There is some quieting medicine I can give him. I'll run up."
"Guess I'd better go along," remarked Ned. "Sounds as if you'd needhelp."
And it did appear so, for again the frenzied shouts sounded:
"I'll get 'em! I'll get the scoundrels who stole my secret formulaethat I worked over so many years! Come back now! Don't put the matchnear the powder!"
Tom and Ned hurried to the room where the unfortunate chemist had beenput to bed, to find him out in the hall, wrapped in a bedquilt, andwith Mrs. Baggert vainly trying to quiet him. Mr. Baxter stared at Tomand Ned without seeing them, for he was in a delirium of fever.
"Have you my formulae?" he asked. "I want them back!"
"You shall have them in the morning," replied Tom soothingly. "Liedown, and I'll bring them to you in the morning. And drink this," headded, holding out a glass of soothing mixture which the doctor hadordered in case the patient should become violent.
Josephus Baxter glared about with wild eyes, but between them Tom andMrs. Baggert managed to get him to drink the mixture.
"Bah! It's as bad as some of my chemicals!" spluttered the chemist, ashe handed back the glass. "You are sure you'll have my formulae in themorning?" he asked, as he turned to go back to his room.
"I'll do my best," declared Tom cheerfully. "Now please lie down."
Which, after some urging, Mr. Baxter consented to do. Eradicate wantedto lie down in the hall outside the excited chemist's door to guardagainst his emerging again, but Tom decided on Koku. The giant, thoughnot as intelligent as the colored man, was more efficient in anemergency because of his great strength. Eradicate was getting old,and there was a pathetic droop to his figure as he shuffled off whenKoku superseded him.
"Ah done guess Ah ain't wanted much mo'," muttered Rad sadly.
"Oh, yes, you are!" cried Tom, as, the excitement over, he walkeddownstairs with Ned. "I'm going to start something new, Rad, and I'llneed your help."
"Will yo', really, Massa Tom?" exclaimed faithful Rad, his facelighting up. "Dat's good! Is yo' goin' off after mo' diamonds, or up tode caves of ice?"
"Not quite that," answered the young inventor, recalling the stirringexperiences that had fallen to him when on those voyages. "I'm going towork around home, Rad, and I'll need your help."
"Anyt'ing yo' wants, Massa Tom! Anyt'ing yo' wants!" offered the nowdelighted Rad, and he went to bed much happier.
"Well, to resume where we left off," began Ned, when he and Tom wereonce more by themselves, "what's the game?"
"Oh, I don't know that it's much of a game," was the answer. "But Ijust have an idea that a big fire in a towering building can be foughtfrom above with chemicals, as well as from the ground with streams ofwater.
"Well, I guess it could be," Ned agreed. "But how are you going to getyour chemicals in at the top? Shoot 'em up through a hose? If you dothat you'll need a special kind of hose, for the chemicals will rotanything like rubber or canvas."
"I wasn't thinking of a hose," returned Tom. "What then?" asked theyoung financial manager.
"An airship!" Tom exclaimed with such sudden energy that Ned started."It just came to me!" explained the youthful inventor. "I waswondering how we could get the chemicals in from the top, and anairship is the solution. I can sail over the burning building and dropthe chemicals down. That will douse the blaze if my plans go right."
Ned was silent a moment, considering Tom's daring plan and project.Then, as it became clearer, the young banker cried:
"Blamed if I don't think that's just the thing, Tom! It ought to work,and, if it does, it will save a lot of lives, to say nothing ofproperty! A fire in a sky-scraper ought to be fought from above. Thenthe extinguisher element, whether chemicals or water, could be droppedwhere they'd do the most good. As it is now, with water, a lot of it iswasted. Some of it never reaches the heart of the fire, being splashedon the outside of the building. A lot more turns to steam before ithits the flames, and only a small percentage is really effective."
"That's my notion," Tom said.
"Then go ahead and do it!" urged his friend. "You have my permission!"
"Thanks," commented Tom dryly. "But there are several things to beworked out before we can start. I've got to devise some scheme forcarrying a sufficient quantity of chemicals, and invent some way ofreleasing them from an airship over the blaze. But that last part oughtto be easy, for I think I can alter my warfare bomb-dropping attachmentto serve the purpose.
"What I really need, however, is some new chemical combination thatwill quickly put a really big blaze out of business. There are anynumber of these chemicals, but most of them depend on the production ofcarbon dioxide. This is the product of some solution of a carbonate andsulphuric acid, and I suppose, eventually, I'll work out something onthat order. But I hope I may get something better."
"You haven't delved much into chemistry, have you?"
"No. And I wish now that I had. I see my limitations and realize myweakness. But I can brush up a little on my chemistry. As for themechanical part, that of dropping the extinguisher on the blaze, I'mnot worrying over that end."
"No," agreed Ned. "You have enough types of airships to be able toselect just the best one for the purpose. But, say, Tom!" he suddenlycried, "why not ask him to help you?"
"Who?"
"Mr. Baxter. He's a chemist. And though he says his formulae are aboutdyes and fireworks, maybe he can put you in the way of inventing achemical solution that will be death to fires."
"He might," Tom agreed. "But I think he'll be out of business for sometime. This shock--being overcome by smoke and his secret formulaehaving been stolen--seem to have affected his mind. I don't know that Icould depend on him."
"It's worth trying," declared Ned. "What do you suppose he means, Tom,saying that Field and Melling stole his formulae?"
"Haven't the least idea. I only know those fireworks firm membersslightly, if at all. I'm not sure I'd recognize them if I met them. Butthey are reputed to be wealthy, and I hardly think they would stoop tostealing some inventor's formulae.
"We inventors are a suspicious lot, Ned, as you probably have foundout," he added with a smile. "We imagine the rest of the world is outto cheat us, and I presume Josephus Baxter is no exception. Still,there may be some truth in his story. I'll give him all the help I can.But I'm going into the aerial fire-fighting game. I've been waiting forsomething new, and this may be it."
"You may count on me!" declared Ned. "And now, unless you're going tosit up all night and start studying chemistry, you'd better come tobed."
"That's right. Tomorrow is another day. I hope Mr. Baxter gets somerest. Sleep will improve him a lot, the doctor said."
"I know one friend of yours who will be glad to know that you are goingto start something," remarked Ned, as he and Tom started for theirrooms, for the young manager was staying with his friend for the night.
"Who?" Tom wanted to know.
"Mr. Wakefield Damon," was the answer. "He hasn't been over lately,Tom."
"No, he's been off on a little trip, blessing everything from hisbaggage check to his suspender buttons," laughed the young inventor, ashe recalled his eccentric acquaintance. "I shall be glad to see himagain."
"He'll be right over as soon as he learns what's in the wind,"predicted Ned.
The hopes that Mr. Baxter would be greatly improved in the morning weredoomed to disappointment. He was in no actual danger, the doctor said,but his recovery from the effects of the smoke he had breathed was notas rapid as desired or hoped for.
"He's suffering from some shock," said the physician, "and his mentalcondition is against him. He ought to be kept quiet, and if you can'thave him here, Mr. Swift, I can arrange to have him
sent to a hospital."
"I wouldn't dream of it!" Tom exclaimed. "Let him stay here by allmeans. We have plenty of room, and Mrs. Baggert has been wishing forsome one to nurse. Now she has him."
So it was arranged that the chemist should remain at the Swift home,and he gave a languid assent when they spoke to him of the matter. Hereally was much more ill than seemed at first.
But as everything possible had been done, Tom decided to go ahead withthe new idea that had come to him--that of inventing an aerial chemicalfire-fighting machine.
"And if we get a chance, Ned, we'll try to get back those secretformulae Mr. Baxter claims to have lost," Tom declared. "I have heardsome stories about that fireworks firm, which make me believe there maybe something in Baxter's story."
"All right, Tom, I'm with you any time you need me," Ned promised.
The young inventor lost little time in beginning his operations. As hehad said, the chief need was a fire extinguishing chemical solution orpowder. Tom resolved to try the solution first, as it was easier tomake. With this end in view he proceeded to delve into old and newchemistry books. He also sought the advice of his father.
And one day, when Ned called, Tom electrified his chum with theexclamation:
"Well, I'm going to give it a try!"
"What?"
"My aerial chemical fire-fighting apparatus. Of course I only have thechemical yet. I haven't worked on the carrying apparatus nor decidedhow I will attach it to an airship. But I'm going up now with some ofmy new solution and drop it on a blaze from above."
"Where are you going to get the fire?" asked Ned. "You can't have asky-scraper blaze made to order, you know."
"No, but as this is only an experiment," Tom said, "a big bonfire willanswer the purpose. I'm having Koku and Rad make one now down in ourbig meadow. As soon as it gets hot enough and fierce enough, I'll sailover it in my small machine, drop the extinguisher on it, and see whathappens. Want to come?"
"Sure thing!" cried Ned. "And I hope the experiment is a success!"
"Thanks," murmured Tom. "I'm about ready to start. All I have to do isto take this tank up with me," and he pointed to one containing his newmixture. "Of course the arrangement for dumping it out of the aircraftis very crude," Tom said. "But I can work on that later."
Ned and he were busy putting the can of Tom's new chemical extinguisherin the airship when the door of the hangar was suddenly opened and avery much excited man entered crying:
"Fire! Fire! Bless my kitchen sink, your meadow's on fire, Tom Swift!It's blazing high! Fire! Fire!"
Tom Swift Among the Fire Fighters; Or, Battling with Flames from the Air Page 4