Tom Swift and His Aerial Warship; Or, The Naval Terror of the Seas

by Victor Appleton

  CHAPTER XI

  A DAY OFF

  Tom Swift pondered long and intently over what his father had said tohim. He sat for several minutes in his private office, after the agedinventor had passed out, reviewing in his mind the talk just finished.

  "I wonder," said Tom slowly, "if any of the new men could have obtainedwork here for the purpose of furthering that plot the lieutenantsuspects? I wonder if that could be true?"

  And the more Tom thought of it, the more he was convinced that such athing was at least possible.

  "I must make a close inspection, and weed out any suspiciouscharacters," he decided, "though I need every man I have working now,to get the Mars finished in time. Yes, I must look into this."

  Tom had reached a point in his work where he could leave much to hishelpers. He had several good foremen, and, with his father to takegeneral supervision over more important details, the young inventor hadmore time to himself. Of course he did not lay too many burdens on hisfather's shoulders since Mr. Swift's health was not of the best.

  But Tom's latest idea, the aerial warship, was so well on towardcompletion that his presence was not needed in that shop more than twoor three times a day.

  "When I'm not there I'll go about in the other shops, and sort of sizeup the situation," he decided. "I may be able to get a line on some ofthose plotters, if there are any here."

  Lieutenant Marbury had departed for a time, to look after some personalmatters, but he was to return inside of a week, when it was hoped togive the aerial warship its first real test in flight, and under someof the conditions that it would meet with in actual warfare.

  As Tom was about to leave his office, to put into effect his newresolution to make a casual inspection of the other shops, he met Koku,the giant, coming in. Koku's hands and face were black with oil andmachine filings.

  "Well, what have you been doing?" Tom wanted to know. "Did you have anaccident?" For Koku had no knowledge of machinery, and could not evenbe trusted to tighten up a simple nut by himself. But if some onestood near him, and directed him how to apply his enormous strength,Koku could do more than several machines.

  "No accident, Master," he replied. "I help man lift that hammer-hammerthing that pounds so. It get stuck!"

  "What, the hammer of the drop forger?" cried Tom. "Was that out oforder again?"

  "Him stuck," explained Koku simply.

  There was an automatic trip-hammer in one of the shops, used forpounding out drop forgings, and this hammer seemed to take especialdelight in getting out of order. Very often it jammed, or "stuck," asKoku described it, and if the hammer could not be forced back on thechannel or upright guide-plates, it meant that it must be taken apart,and valuable time lost. Once Koku had been near when the hammer got outof order, and while the workmen were preparing to dismantle it, thegiant seized the big block of steel, and with a heave of his mightyshoulders forced it back on the guides.

  "And is that what you did this time?" asked Tom.

  "Yes, Master. Me fix hammer," Koku answered. "I get dirty, I no care.Man say I no can fix. I show him I can!"

  "What man said that?"

  "Man who run hammer. Ha! I lift him by one finger! He say he no like towork on hammer. He want to work on airship. I tell him I tell you,maybe you give him job--he baby! Koku can work hammer. Me fix it whenit get stuck."

  "Well, maybe you know what you're talking about, but I don't," saidTom, with a pleasant smile at his big helper. "Come on, Koku, we'll gosee what it all means."

  "Koku work hammer, maybe?" asked the giant hope fully.

  "Well, I'll see," half promised Tom. "If it's going to get out of gearall the while it might pay me to keep you at it so you could get itback in place whenever it kicked up a fuss, and so save time. I'll seeabout it."

  Koku led the way to the shop where the triphammer was installed. It wasworking perfectly now, as Tom could tell by the thundering blows itstruck. The man operating it looked up as Tom approached, and, at agesture from the young inventor, shut off the power.

  "Been having trouble here?" asked Tom, noting that the workman was oneof the new hands he had hired.

  "Yes, sir, a little," was the respectful answer. "This hammer goes on astrike every now and then, and gets jammed. Your giant there forced itback into place, which is more than I could do with a big bar for alever. He sure has some muscle."

  "Yes," agreed Tom, "he's pretty strong. But what's this you said aboutwanting to give up this job, and go on the airship construction."

  The man turned red under his coat of grime.

  "I didn't intend him to repeat that to you, Mr. Swift," he said. "I wasa little put out at the way this hammer worked. I lose so much time atit that I said I'd like to be transferred to the airship department.I've worked in one before. But I'm not making a kick," he added quickly."Work is too scarce for that."

  "I understand," said Tom. "I have been thinking of making a change.Koku seems to like this hammer, and knows how to get it in order onceit gets off the guides. You say you have had experience in airshipconstruction?"

  "Yes, sir. I've worked on the engines, and on the planes."

  "Know anything about dirigible balloons?"

  "Yes, I've worked on them, too, but the engineering part is myspecialty. I'm a little out of my element on a trip-hammer."

  "I see. Well, perhaps I'll give you a trial. Meanwhile you might breakKoku in on operating this machine. If I transfer you I'll put him onthis hammer."

  "Thank you, Mr. Swift! I'll show him all I know about it. Oh, theregoes the hammer again!" he exclaimed, for, as he started it up, as Tomturned away, the big piece of steel once more jammed on thechannel-plates.

  "Me fix!" exclaimed the giant eagerly, anxious for a chance to exhibithis great strength.

  "Wait a minute!" exclaimed Tom. "I want to get a look at that machine."

  He inspected it carefully before he signaled for Koku to force thehammer back into place. But, if Tom saw anything suspicious, he saidnothing. There was, however, a queer look on his face as he turnedaside, and he murmured to himself, as he walked away:

  "So you want to be transferred to the airship department, do you? Well,we'll see about that. We'll see."

  Tom had more problems to solve than those of making an aerial warshipthat would be acceptable to the United States Government.

  Ned Newton called on his chum that evening. The two talked of manythings, gradually veering around to the subject uppermost in Tom'smind--his new aircraft.

  "You're thinking too much of that." Ned warned him. "You're as bad asthe time you went for your first flight."

  "I suppose I am," admitted Tom. "But the success of the Mars means awhole lot to me. And that's something I nearly forgot. I've got to goout to the shop now. Want to come along, Ned?"

  "Sure, though I tell you that you're working too hard--burning theelectric light at both ends."

  "This is just something simple," Tom said. "It won't take long."

  He went out, followed by his chum.

  "But this isn't the way to the airship shed," objected the young bankclerk, as he noted in which direction Tom was leading him.

  "I know it isn't," Tom replied. "But I want to look at one of thetrip-hammers in the forge shop when none of the men is around. I'vebeen having a little trouble there."

  "Trouble!" exclaimed his chum. "Has that plot Lieutenant Marbury spokeof developed?"

  "Not exactly. This is something else," and Tom told of the trouble withthe big hammer.

  "I had an idea," the young inventor said, "that the man at the machinelet it get out of order purposely, so I'd change him. I want to see ifmy suspicions are correct."

  Tom carefully inspected the hammer by the light of a powerful portableelectric lamp Ned held.

  "Ha! There it is!" Tom suddenly exclaimed.

  "Something wrong?" Ned inquired.

  "Yes. This is what's been throwing the hammer off the guides all thewhile," and Tom pulled out a small steel bolt that had been slipp
edinto an oil hole. A certain amount of vibration, he explained to Ned,would rattle the bolt out so that it would force the hammer to oneside, throwing it off the channel-plates, and rendering it useless forthe time being.

  "A foxy trick," commented Tom. "No wonder the machine got out of kilterso easily."

  "Do you think it was done purposely?"

  "Well, I'm not going to say. But I'm going to watch that man. Hewants to be transferred to the airship department. He put this in thehammer, perhaps, to have an excuse for a change. Well, I'll give it tohim."

  "You don't mean that you'd take a fellow like that and put him to workon your new aerial warship, do you, Tom?"

  "Yes, I think I will, Ned. You see, I look at it this way: I haven'tany real proof against him now. He could only laugh at me if I accusedhim. But you've heard the proverb about giving a calf rope enough andhe'll hang himself, haven't you?"

  "I think I have."

  "Well, I'm going to give this fellow a little rope. I'll transfer him,as he asks, and I'll keep a close watch on him."

  "But won't it be risky?"

  "Perhaps, but no more so than leaving him in here to work mischief. Ifhe is hatching a plot, the sooner it's over with the better I shalllike it. I don't like a shot to hang fire. I'm warned now, and I'll beready for him. I have a line on whom to suspect. This is the firstclue," and Tom held up the incriminating bolt.

  "I think you're taking too big a risk, Tom," his chum said. "Why notdischarge the man?"

  "Because that might only smooth things over for a time. If this plot isbeing laid the sooner it comes to a head, and breaks, the better. Haveit done, short, sharp and quick, is my motto. Yes, I'll shift him inthe morning. Oh, but I wish it was all over, and the Mars was acceptedby Uncle Sam!" and Tom put his hand to his head with a tired gesture.

  "Say, old man!" exclaimed Ned, "what you want is a day off, and I'mgoing to see that you get it. You need a little vacation."

  "Perhaps I do," assented Tom wearily.

  "Then you'll have it!" cried Ned. "There's going to be a little picnicto-morrow. Why can't you go with Mary Nestor? She'd like you to takeher, I'm sure. Her cousin, Helen Randall, is on from New York, and shewants to go, also."

  "How do you know?" asked Tom quickly.

  "Because she said so," laughed Ned. "I was over to the house to call. Ihave met Helen before, and I suggested that you and I would take thetwo girls, and have a day off. You'll come, won't you?"

  "Well, I don't know," spoke Tom slowly. "I ought to--"

  "Nonsense! Give up work for one day!" urged Ned. "Come along. It'll doyou good--get the cobwebs out of your head."

  "All right, I'll go," assented Tom, after a moment's thought.

  The next day, having instructed his father and the foremen to look wellto the various shops, and having seen that the work on the new aerialwarship was progressing favorably, Tom left for a day's outing with hischum and the two girls.

  The picnic was held in a grove that surrounded a small lake, and afterluncheon the four friends went for a ride in a launch Tom hired. Theywent to the upper end of the lake, in rather a pretty but lonesomelocality.

  "Tom, you look tired," said Mary. "I'm sure you've been working toohard!"

  "Why, I'm not working any harder than usual," Tom insisted.

  "Yes, he is, too!" declared Ned, "and he's running more chances, too."

  "Chances?" repeated Mary.

  "Oh, that's all bosh!" laughed Tom. "Come on, let's go ashore and walk."

  "That suits me," spoke Ned. Helen and Mary assented, and soon the fouryoung persons were strolling through the shady wood.

  After a bit the couples became separated, and Tom found himself walkingbeside Mary in a woodland path. The girl glanced at her companion'sface, and ventured:

  "A penny for your thoughts, Tom."

  "They're worth more than that," he replied gallantly. "I was thinkingof--you."

  "Oh, how nicely you say it!" she laughed. "But I know better! You'repuzzling over some problem. Tell me, what did Ned mean when he hintedat danger? Is there any, Tom?"

  "None at all," he assured her. "It's just a sort of notion--"

  Mary made a sudden gesture of silence.

  "Hark!" she whispered to Tom, "I heard someone mention your name then.Listen!"