The Tom Swift Megapack

by Victor Appleton

  “The police ought to be notified,” declared Mr. Nestor. “Develop those pictures, Tom, and I’ll take the matter up with the police. Maybe they can identify the tramp from the photographs.”

  But this proved impossible. Tom had secured several good films, not only in the first views he took, giving the spectators the impression that they were going up in an airship, but also those showing the shop on fire, and the tramp running away, were very plain.

  The police made a search for the incendiary, but of course did not find him. Mr. Period came to Shopton, and declared it was his belief that his rivals, Turbot and Eckert, had had a hand in the matter. But it was only a suspicion, though Tom himself believed the same thing. Still nothing could be accomplished.

  “The thing to do, now that the camera works all right, is for you to hit the trail for India at once,” suggested the picture man. “They won’t follow you there. Get me some pictures of the Durbar, of elephants being captured, of tiger fights, anything exciting.”

  “I’ll do my—” began Tom.

  “Wait, I’m not through,” interrupted the excitable man. “Then go get some volcanoes, earthquakes—anything that you think would be interesting. I’ll keep in touch with you, and cable occasionally. Get all the films you can. When will you start?”

  “I can leave inside of two weeks,” replied Tom.

  “Then do it, and, meanwhile, be on your guard.”

  It was found that a few changes were needed on the camera, and some adjustments to the airship. Another trial flight was made, and some excellent pictures taken. Then Tom and his friends prepared to take the airship apart, and pack it for shipment to Calcutta. It was to go on the same steamer as themselves, and of course the Wizard Camera would accompany Tom. He took along many rolls of films, enough, he thought, for many views. He was also to send back to Mr. Period from time to time, the exposed rolls of film, so they could be developed, and printed in the United States, as Tom would not have very good facilities for this on the airship, and to reproduce them there was almost out of the question. Still he did fit up a small dark room aboard the Flyer, where he could develop pictures if he wished.

  There was much to be done, but hard work accomplished it, and finally the party was ready to start for India. Tom said good-bye to Mary Nestor, of course, and her father accompanied our hero from the Nestor house to the Swift homestead, where the start was to take place.

  Eradicate bade his master a tearful good-bye, and there was moisture in the eyes of Mr. Swift, as he shook hands with his son.

  “Take care of yourself, Tom,” he said. “Don’t run too many risks. This moving picture taking isn’t as easy as it sounds. It’s more than just pointing your camera at things. Write if you get a chance, or send me a message.”

  Tom promised, and then bade farewell to Mrs. Baggert. All were assembled, Koku, Mr. Damon, who blessed everything he saw, and some things he did not, Ned, Mr. Nestor and Tom. The five were to go by train to New York, there to go aboard the steamer.

  Their journey to the metropolis was uneventful. Mr. Period met them at the steamship dock, after Tom had seen to it that the baggage, and the parts of the airship were safely aboard.

  “I wish I were going along!” exclaimed the picture man. “It’s going to be a great trip. But I can’t spare the time. I’m the busiest man in the world. I lose about a thousand dollars just coming down to see you off, but it’s a good investment. I don’t mind it. Now, Tom, good luck, and don’t forget, I want exciting views.”

  “I’ll try—” began our hero.

  “Wait, I know what you’re going to say!” interrupted Mr. Period. “You’ll do it, of course. Well, I must be going. I will— Great Scott!” and Mr. Period interrupted himself. “He has the nerve to come here!”

  “Who?” asked Tom.

  “Wilson Turbot, the rascal! He’s trying to balk me at the last minute, I believe. I’m going to see what he means!” and with this, the excited Mr. Period rushed down the gangplank, toward the man at whom he had pointed—one of the men who had tried to buy Tom’s picture taking camera.

  A moment later the steamer’s whistle blew, the last belated passenger rushed up the gangplank, it was drawn in, and the vessel began to move away from the dock. Tom and his friends were on their way to India, and the last glimpse they had of Mr. Period was as he was chasing along the pier, after Mr. Turbot.

  CHAPTER X

  UNEXPECTED EXCITEMENT

  “Well, what do you know about that, Tom?” asked Ned, as they stood on deck watching the chase. “Isn’t he the greatest ever—Mr. Period, I mean?”

  “He certainly is. I’d like to see what happens when he catches that Turbot chap.”

  “Bless my pocket handkerchief!” cried Mr. Damon. “I don’t believe he will. Mr. Period’s legs aren’t long enough for fast running.”

  “Those scoundrels were after us, up to the last minute,” spoke Mr. Nestor, as the ship moved farther out from the dock. Tom and his friends could no longer see the excitable picture man after his rival, but there was a commotion in the crowd, and it seemed as if he had caught the fellow.

  “Well, we’re free of him now,” spoke the young inventor, with a breath of relief. “That is, unless they have set some one else on our trail,” and he looked carefully at the passengers near him, to detect, if possible, any who might look like spies in the pay of the rival moving picture concern, or any suspicious characters who might try to steal the valuable camera, that was now safely locked in Tom’s cabin. Our hero, however, saw no one to worry about. He resolved to remain on his guard.

  Friends and relatives were waving farewells to one another, and the band was playing, as the big vessel drew out into the North, or Hudson, river, and steamed for the open sea.

  Little of interest marked the first week of the voyage. All save Koku had done much traveling before, and it was no novelty to them. The giant, however, was amused and delighted with everything, even the most commonplace things he saw. He was a source of wonder to all the other passengers, and, in a way, he furnished much excitement.

  One day several of the sailors were on deck, shifting one of the heavy anchors. They went about it in their usual way, all taking hold, and “heaving” together with a “chanty,” or song, to enliven their work. But they did not make much progress, and one of the mates got rather excited about it.

  “Here, shiver my timbers!” he cried. “Lively now! Lay about you, and get that over to the side!”

  “Yo! Heave! Ho!” called the leader of the sailor gang.

  The anchor did not move, for it had either caught on some projection, or the men were not using their strength.

  “Lively! Lively!” cried the mate.

  Suddenly Koku, who was in the crowd of passengers watching the work, pushed his way to where the anchor lay. With a powerful, but not rough action, he shoved the sailors aside. Then, stooping over, he took a firm grip of the big piece of iron, planted his feet well apart on the deck, and lifted the immense mass in his arms. There was a round of applause from the group of passengers.

  “Where you want him?” Koku calmly asked of the mate, as he stood holding the anchor.

  “Blast my marlin spikes!” cried the mate. “I never see the like of this afore! Put her over there, shipmate. If I had you on a voyage or two you’d be running the ship, instead of letting the screw push her along. Put her over there,” and he indicated where he wanted the anchor.

  Koku calmly walked along the deck, laid the anchor down as if it was an ordinary weight, and passed over to where Tom stood looking on in amused silence. There were murmurs of surprise from the passengers at the giant’s strength, and the sailors went forward much abashed.

  “Say, I’d give a good bit to have a bodyguard like that,” exclaimed a well-known millionaire passenger, who, it was reported, was in constant fear of attacks, though they had never taken place. “I wonder if I could get him.”

  He spoke to Tom about it, but our hero would not listen to a propo
sition to part with Koku. Besides, it is doubtful if the simple giant would leave the lad who had brought him away from his South American home. But, if Koku was wonderfully strong, and, seemingly afraid of nothing, there were certain things he feared.

  One afternoon, for the amusement of the passengers, a net was put overboard, sunk to a considerable depth, and hauled up with a number of fishes in it. Some of the finny specimens were good for eating, and others were freaks, strange and curious.

  Koku was in the throng that gathered on deck to look at the haul. Suddenly a small fish, but very hideous to look at, leaped from the net and flopped toward the giant. With a scream of fear Koku jumped to one side, and ran down to his stateroom. He could not be induced to come on deck until Tom assured him that the fishes had been disposed of. Thus Koku was a mixture of giant and baby. But he was a general favorite on the ship, and often gave exhibitions of his strength.

  Meanwhile Tom and his friends had been on the lookout for any one who might be trailing them. But they saw no suspicious characters among the passengers, and, gradually, they began to feel that they had left their enemies behind.

  The weather was pleasant, and the voyage very enjoyable. Tom and the others had little to do, and they were getting rather impatient for the time to come when they could put the airship together, and sail off over the jungle, to get moving pictures of the elephants.

  “Have you any films in the camera now?” asked Ned of his chum on day, as they sat on deck together.

  “Yes, it’s all ready for instant use. Even the storage battery is charged. Why?”

  “Oh, I was just wondering. I was thinking we might somehow see something we could take pictures of.”

  “Not much out here,” said Tom, as he looked across the watery expanse. As he did so, he saw a haze of smoke dead ahead. “We’ll pass a steamer soon,” he went on, “but that wouldn’t make a good picture. It’s too common.”

  As the two lads watched, the smoke became blacker, and the cloud it formed grew much larger.

  “They’re burning a lot of coal on that ship,” remarked Ned. “Must be trying for a speed record.”

  A little later a sailor stationed himself in the crow’s nest, and focused a telescope on the smoke. An officer, on deck, seemed to be waiting for a report from the man aloft.

  “That’s rather odd,” remarked Ned. “I never knew them to take so much interest in a passing steamer before; and we’ve gone by several of late.”

  “That’s right,” agreed Tom. “I wonder—”

  At that moment the officer, looking up, called out:

  “Main top!”

  “Aye, aye, sir,” answered the sailor with the glass. “She’s a small steamer, sir, and she’s on fire!”

  “That’s what I feared. Come down. I’ll tell the captain. We must crowd on all steam, and go to the rescue.”

  “Did you hear that?” cried Ned to Tom, as the officer hurried to the bridge, where the captain awaited him. “A steamer on fire at sea, Tom! why don’t you—”

  “I’m going to!” interrupted the young inventor, as he started for his cabin on the run. “I’m going to get some moving pictures of the rescue! That will be a film worth having.”

  A moment later the Belchar, the vessel on which our friends had embarked, increased her speed, while sudden excitement developed on board.

  As the Belchar approached the burning steamer, which had evidently seen her, and was making all speed toward her, the cloud of smoke became more dense, and a dull flame could be seen reflected in the water.

  “She’s going fast!” cried Mr. Nestor, as he joined Ned on deck.

  “Bless my insurance policy!” cried Mr. Damon. “What a strange happening! Where’s Tom Swift?”

  “Gone for his camera,” answered his chum. “He’s going to get some pictures of the rescue.”

  “All hands man the life boats!” cried an officer, and several sailors sprang to the davits, ready to lower the boats, when the steamers should be near enough together.

  Up on deck came Tom, with his wonderful camera.

  “Here you go, Ned!” he called. “Give me a hand. I’m going to start the film now.”

  CHAPTER XI

  AN ELEPHANT STAMPEDE

  “Lower away!”

  “Stand by the life boats!”

  “Let go! Pull hearty!”

  These and other commands marked the beginning of the rescue, as the sailors manned the davit-falls, and put the boats into the water. The burning steamer had now come to a stop, not far away from the Belchar, which was also lay-to. There was scarcely any sea running, and no wind, so that the work of rescuing was not difficult from an ordinary standpoint. But there was grave danger, because the fire on the doomed vessel was gaining rapidly.

  “That’s oil burning,” remarked an officer, and it seemed so, from the dense clouds of smoke that rolled upward.

  “Is she working, Tom?” asked Ned, as he helped his chum to hold the wonderful camera steady on the rail, so that a good view of the burning steamer could be had.

  “Yes, the film is running. Say, I wonder if they’ll get ’em all off?”

  “Oh, I think so. There aren’t many passengers. I guess it’s a tramp freighter.”

  They could look across the gap of water, and see the terrified passengers and crew crowding to the rail, holding out their hands appealingly to the brave sailors who were lustily and rapidly, pulling toward them in life boats.

  At times a swirl of smoke would hide those on the doomed vessel from the sight of the passengers on the Belchar, and on such occasions the frightened screams of women could be heard. Once, as the smoke cleared away, a woman, with a child in her arms, giving a backward glance toward the flames that were now enveloping the stern of the vessel, attempted to leap overboard.

  Many hands caught her, however, and all this was registered on the film of Tom’s camera, which was working automatically. As the two vessels drifted along, Tom and Ned shifted the lens so as to keep the burning steamer, and the approaching lifeboats, in focus.

  “There’s the first rescue!” cried Ned, as the woman who had attempted to leap overboard, was, with her child, carefully lowered into a boat. “Did you get that, Tom?”

  “I certainly did. This will make a good picture. I think I’ll send it back to Mr. Period as soon as we reach port.”

  “Maybe you could develop it on board here, and show it. I understand there’s a dark room, and the captain said one of his officers, who used to be in the moving picture business, had a reproducing machine.”

  “Then that’s what I’ll do!” cried Tom. “I’ll have our captain charge all the Belchar passengers admission, and we’ll get up a fund for the fire sufferers. They’ll probably lose all their baggage.”

  “That will be great!” exclaimed Ned.

  The rescue was now in full swing, and, in a short time all the passengers and crew had been transferred to the life boats. Tom got a good picture of the captain of the burning steamer being the last to leave his vessel. Then the approaching life boats, with their loads of sailors, and rescued ones, were caught on the films.

  “Are you all off?” cried the captain of the Belchar to the unfortunate skipper of the doomed ship.

  “All off, yes, thank you. It is a mercy you were at hand. I have a cargo of oil. You had better stand off, for she’ll explode in a few minutes.”

  “I must get a picture of that!” declared Tom as the Belchar got under way again. “That will cap the climax, and make a film that will be hard to beat.”

  A few moments later there was a tremendous explosion on the tramp oiler. A column of wreckage and black smoke shot skyward, and Tom secured a fine view of it. Then the wreck disappeared beneath the waves, while the rescuing steamer sailed on, with those who had been saved. They had brought off only the things they wore, for the fire had occurred suddenly, and spread rapidly. Kind persons aboard the Belchar looked after the unfortunates. Luckily there was not a large passenger list on the tramp.
And the crew was comparatively small, so it was not hard work to make room for them, or take care of them, aboard the Belchar.

  Tom developed his pictures, and produced then in one of the large saloons, on a machine he borrowed from the man of whom Ned had spoken. A dollar admission was charged, and the crowd was so large that Tom had to give two performances. The films, showing the burning steamer and the rescue, were excellent, and enough money was realized to aid, most substantially, the unfortunate passengers and crew.

  A few days later a New York bound steamer was spoken, and on it Tom sent the roll of developed films to Mr. Period, with a letter of explanation.

  I will not give all the details of the rest of the voyage. Sufficient to say that no accidents marred it, nor did Tom discover any suspicious characters aboard. In due time our friends arrived at Calcutta, and were met by an agent of Mr. Period, for he had men in all quarters of the world, making films for him.

  This agent took Tom and his party to a hotel, and arranged to have the airship parts sent to a large open shed, not far away, where it could be put together. The wonderful scenes in the Indian city interested Tom and his companions for a time, but they had observed so many strange sights from time to time that they did not marvel greatly. Koku, however, was much delighted. He was like a child.

  “What are you going to do first?” asked Ned, when they had recovered from the fatigue of the ocean voyage and had settled themselves in the hotel.

  “Put the airship together,” replied our hero, “and then, after getting some Durbar pictures, we’ll head for the jungle. I want to get some elephant pictures, showing the big beasts being captured.”

  Mr. Period’s agent was a great help to them in this. He secured native helpers, who aided Tom in assembling the airship, and in a week or two it was ready for a flight. The wonderful camera, too, was looked over, and the picture agent said he had never seen a better one.

  “It can take the kind of pictures I never could,” he said. “I get Calcutta street scenes for Mr. Period, and occasionally I strike a good one. But I wish I had your chance.”