Chapter III
Tom Swift's Friends
Tom was still walking swiftly when he arrived in sight of Mary Nestor'shome. He was so filled with excitement both because of the hold-up andthe new scheme that Mr. Richard Bartholomew had brought to him from theWest, that he could keep neither to himself. He just had to tell Mary!
Mary Nestor was a very pretty girl, and Tom thought she was just aboutright in every particular. Although he had been about a good deal for ayoung fellow and had seen girls everywhere, none of them came up toMary. None of them held Tom's interest for a minute but this girl whomhe had been around with for years and whom he had always confided in.
As for the girl herself, she considered Tom Swift the very nicest youngman she had ever seen. He was her beau-ideal of what a young man shouldbe. And she entered enthusiastically into the plans for everything thatTom Swift was interested in.
Mary was excited by the story Tom told her in the Nestor sitting room.The idea of the electric locomotive she saw, of course, was somethingthat might add to Tom's laurels as an inventor. But the other phase ofthe evening's adventure--"Tom, dear!" she murmured with no littledisturbance of mind. "That man who stopped you! He is a thief, and adangerous man! I hate to think of your going home alone."
"He's got what he was after," chuckled Tom. "Is it likely he willbother me again?"
"And you do not seem much worried about it," she cried, in wonder.
"Not much, I confess, Mary," said Tom, and grinned.
"But if, as you suppose, that man was working for Mr. Bartholomew'senemies--"
"I am convinced that he was, for he did not rob me of my watch andchain or loose money. And he could have done so easily. I don't mindabout the old wallet. There was only five dollars in it."
"But those notes you said you took of Mr. Bartholomew's offer?"
"Oh, yes," chuckled Tom again. "Those notes. Well, I may as wellexplain to you, Mary, and not try to puzzle you any longer. But thathighwayman is sure going to be puzzled a long, long time."
"What do you mean, Tom?"
"Those notes were jotted down in my own brand of shorthand. Suchstenographic notes would scarcely be readable by anybody else. Ho, ho!When that bold, bad hold-up gent turns the notes over to MontagneLewis, or whoever his principal is, there will be a sweet time."
"Oh, Tom! isn't that fun?" cried Mary, likewise much amused.
"I can remember everything we said there in the library," Tomcontinued. "I'll see Ned tonight on my way home from here, and he willdraw a contract the first thing in the morning."
"You are a smart fellow, Tom!" said Mary, her laughter trilling sweetly.
"Many thanks, Ma'am! Hope I prove your compliment true. Thistwo-mile-a-minute stunt--"
"It seems wonderful," breathed Mary.
"It sure will be wonderful if we can build a locomotive that will dosuch fancy lacework as that," observed Tom eagerly. "It will be a greatstunt!"
"A wonderful invention, Tom."
"More wonderful than Mr. Bartholomew knows," agreed the young fellow."An electric locomotive with both great speed and great hauling poweris what more than one inventor has been aiming at for two or threedecades. Ever since Edison and Westinghouse began their experiments, intruth."
"Is the locomotive they are using out there a very marvelous machine?"asked the girl, with added interest.
"No more marvelous than the big electric motors that drag the trainsinto New York City, for instance, through the tunnels. Steam enginescannot be used in those tunnels for obvious, as well as legal, reasons.They are all wonderful machines, using third-rail power.
"But that Jandel patent that Mr. Bartholomew is using out there on theH. & P. A. is probably the highest type of such motors. It is up to usto beat that. Fortunately I got a pass into the Jandel shops a fewmonths ago and I studied at first hand the machine Mr. Bartholomew isusing."
"Isn't that great!" cried Mary.
"Well, it helps some. I at least know in a general way the 'how' of theconstruction of the Jandel locomotive. It is simple enough. Too simpleby far, I should say, to get both speed and power. We'll see," and henodded his head thoughtfully.
Tom did not stay long with the girl, for it was already late in theevening when he had arrived at her house. As he got up to depart Mary'sanxiety for his safety revived.
"I wish you would take care now, Tom. Those men may hound you."
"What for?" chuckled the young inventor. "They have the notes theywanted."
"But that very thing--the fact that you fooled them--will make themmore angry. Take care."
"I have a means of looking out for myself, after all," said Tomquietly, seeing that he must relieve her mind. "I let that fellow getaway with my wallet; but I won't let him hurt me. Don't fear."
She had opened the door. The lamplight fell across porch and steps, andin a broad white band even to the gate and sidewalk. There was amotor-car slowing down right before the open gate.
"Who's this?" queried Tom, puzzled.
A sharp voice suddenly was raised in an exclamatory explosion.
"Bless my breakshoes! is that Tom Swift? Just the chap I was lookingfor. Bless my mileage-book! this saves me time and money."
"Why, it's Mr. Wakefield Damon," Mary cried, with something like reliefin her tones. "You can ride home in his car, Tom."
"All right, Mary. Don't be afraid for me," replied Tom Swift, and randown the walk to the waiting car.
"Bless my vest buttons! Tom Swift, my heart swells when I see you--"
"And is like to burst off the said vest buttons?" chuckled the youngfellow, stepping in beside his eccentric friend who blessed everythinginanimate in his florid speech.
"I am delighted to catch you--although, of course," and Tom knew thegentleman's eyes twinkled, "I could have no idea that you were overhere at Mary's, Tom."
"Of course not," rejoined the young inventor calmly. "Seeing that Ionly come to see her just as often as I get a chance."
"Bless my memory tablets! is that the fact?" chuckled Mr. Damon."Anyway, I wanted to see you so particularly that I drove over in mycar tonight--"
"Wait a minute," said Tom, hastily. "Is this important?"
"I think so, Tom."
"Let me get something else off of my mind first, then, Mr. Damon," TomSwift said quickly. "Drive around by Ned's house, will you, please? NedNewton's. After I speak a minute with him I will be at your service.
"Surely, Tom; surely," agreed the gentleman.
The automobile had been running slowly. Mr. Damon knew the streets ofShopton very well, and he headed around the next corner. As the carturned, a figure bounded out of the shadow near the house line. Twolong strides, and the man was on the running board of the car upon theside where Tom Swift sat. Again an ugly club was raised above the youngfellow's head.
"You're the smart guy!" croaked the coarse voice Tom had heard before."Think you can bamboozle me, do you? Up with 'em!"
"Bless my spark-plug!" gasped Mr. Wakefield Damon.
Either from nervousness or intention, he jerked the steering wheel sothat the car made a sudden leap away from the curb. The figure of thestranger swayed.
Instantly Tom Swift struck the man's arm up higher and from under hisown coat appeared something that bulked like a pistol in his righthand. He had intimated to Mary Nestor that he carried something withwhich to defend himself from highwaymen if he chose to. This invention,his ammonia gun, now came into play.
"Bless my failing eyesight!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, as he shot themotor-car ahead again in a straight line.
The man who had accosted Tom so fiercely fell off the running board androlled into the gutter, screaming and choking from the fumes from Tom'sgun.
"Drive on!" commanded the young inventor. "If he keeps bellowing likethat the police will pick him up. I guess he will let us alonehere-after."
"Bless my short hairs and long ones!" chuckled Mr. Damon. "You are thecoolest young fellow, Tom, that I ever saw. That man must have been ahighwa
yman. And it is of some of those gentry that I drove over toShopton this evening to talk to you about."
Tom Swift and His Electric Locomotive; Or, Two Miles a Minute on the Rails Page 3