Tom Swift and His Air Scout; Or, Uncle Sam's Mastery of the Sky

by Victor Appleton

  CHAPTER II

  A NEW IDEA

  Any one who has taken a flight in an aeroplane or gone up in a balloon,will know exactly how Mary Nestor felt on this, her first sky ride ofany distance. For a moment, as she looked over the side of the machine,she had a distinct impression, not that she was going up, but that someone had pulled the earth down from beneath her and, at the same time,given her a shove off into space. Such is the first sensation of goingaloft. Then the rush of air all about her, the slightly swaying motionof the craft, and the vibration caused by the motor took her attention.But the sensation of the earth dropping away from beneath her remainedwith Mary for some time.

  This sensation is much greater in a balloon than in an aeroplane, for aballoon, unless there is a strong wind blowing, goes straight up, whilean aeroplane ascends on a long slant, and always into the teeth of thewind, to take advantage of its lifting power on the underside of theplanes. The reason for this sensation--that of the earth's droppingdown, instead of one's feeling, what really happens, that one isascending--is because there are no objects by which comparison can bemade. If one starts off on the earth's surface at slow, or at greatspeed, one passes stationary objects--houses, posts, trees, and thelike--and judges the speed by the rapidity with which these are leftbehind.

  Going up is unlike this. There is nothing to pass. One simply cleavesthe air, and only as it rushes past can one be sure of movement. And asthe air is void of color and form, there is no sensation of passinganything.

  So Mary Nestor, as she shot into the air with Tom Swift, had asensation as though the earth were dropping from beneath her. For amoment she felt as though she were in some vast void--floating inspace--and she had a great fear. Then she calmed herself. She looked atTom sitting in front of her. Of course, all she could see was his back,but it looked to be a very sturdy back, indeed, and he sat there in theaircraft as calmly as though in a chair on the ground. Then Mary tookcourage, and ceased to grasp the sides of the cockpit with a grip thatstiffened all her muscles. She was beginning to "find herself."

  On and on, and up and up, went Mary and Tom, in this the girl's firstbig sky ride. The earth below seemed farther and farther away. Thewide, green fields became little emerald squares, and the houses likethose in a toy Noah's ark.

  Down below, Mr. Wakefield Damon, who had hurried over from his home inWaterfield to see Tom Swift, gazed aloft at the fast disappearingaeroplane and its passengers.

  "Bless my coal bin!" cried the eccentric man, "but Tom is in a hurrythis morning. Too bad he couldn't have stopped and spoken to me. Itmight have been greatly to his advantage. But I suppose I shall have towait."

  "You want to see Master?" asked a voice behind Mr. Damon, and, turning,he beheld a veritable giant.

  "Yes, Koku, I did," Mr. Damon answered, and he did not appear at allsurprised at the sight of the towering form beside him. "I wanted tosee Tom most particularly. But I shall have to wait. I'll go in andtalk to Mr. Swift."

  "Yaas, an' I go talk to Radicate," said the giant. "Him diggin' upground where Master told me to make garden. Radicate not strong enoughfor dat!"

  "Huh! there's trouble as soon as those two get to disputing," mused Mr.Damon, as he went toward the house.

  Meanwhile, Mary was beginning to enjoy herself. The sensation of movingrapidly through the air in a machine as skillfully guided as was theone piloted by Tom Swift was delightful. Up and up they went, and thensuddenly Mary felt a lurch, and the plane, which was now about athousand feet high, seemed to slip to one side.

  Mary screamed, and began reaching for the buckle of the safety beltthat fastened her to her seat. She saw that something unusual hadoccurred, for Tom was working frantically at the mechanism in front ofhim.

  But, in spite of this, he seemed aware that Mary was in danger, not somuch, perhaps, from what might happen to the machine, as what she mightdo in her terror.

  "Oh! Oh!" cried the girl, and Tom heard her above the terrific noise ofthe motor, for she was speaking with her lips close to the tube thatserved as a sort of inter-communicating telephone for the craft. "Oh,we are falling! I'm going to jump!"

  "Sit still! Sit still for your life!" cried Tom Swift. "I'll save youall right! Only sit still! Don't jump!"

  Mary, her red cheeks white, sank back, and the young inventor redoubledhis efforts at the controls and other mechanisms.

  And that Tom was perfectly qualified to make a safe landing, even withengine trouble, Mary Nestor well knew. Those of you who have read theprevious books of this series know it also, but, for the benefit of mynew readers, I shall state that this was by no means Tom's first ridein an aeroplane.

  He had operated and built gasoline engines ever since he was aboutsixteen years old. As related in the initial volume of this series,entitled, "Tom Swift and His Motorcycle," he became possessed of thismachine after it had started to climb a tree with Mr. Damon on board.After that experience the eccentric man--blessing everything he couldthink of--had no liking for the speedy motorcycle and sold it to Tom ata low price.

  That was the beginning of a friendship between the two, and alsostarted Tom on his career as an inventor and a possessor of manygasoline craft. For he was not content with merely riding the repairedmotorcycle. He made improvements on it.

  Tom lived with his father in the town of Shopton, their home beinglooked after, since the death of Mrs. Swift, by Mrs. Baggert. Mr.Wakefield Damon lived in the neighboring town of Waterfield, and spentmuch time at Tom's home, often going on trips with him in variousvehicles of the land, sea or air.

  As related in the various volumes of this series, Tom was not contentto remain on earth. He built a speedy motor boat, and then secured anairship, following that with a submarine. He also made an electricrunabout that was the speediest car on the road. Sending wirelessmessages, having thrilling experiences among the diamond makers,journeying to the caves of ice, and making perilous trips in his skyracer took up part of the young inventor's time.

  With his electric rifle he did some wonderful shooting, and in the"City of Gold" made some strange discoveries, part of the fortune hesecured enabling him to build his sky racer. It was in a land of giantsthat Tom was made captive, but he succeeded in escaping, and broughttwo giants, of whom Koku was one, away with him.

  Following this achievement Tom invented a wizard camera and a greatsearchlight, which, with his giant cannon, was purchased by the UnitedStates Government. Work on his photo-telephone and his aerial warship,the problem of digging a big tunnel, and then traveling to the land ofwonders, kept Tom Swift very busy, and he had just completed awonderful piece of work when the present story opens.

  This last achievement was the perfecting of a machine to aid in thegreat World War and you will find the details set down in the volumewhich immediately precedes this. "Tom Swift and His War Tank," it iscalled, and in that is related how he not only invented a marvelousmachine, but succeeded in keeping its secret from the plotters whotried to take it from him. In this Tom was helped by the inspiration ofMary Nestor, whom he hoped some day to marry, and by Ned Newton, achum, who, though no inventor himself, could admire one.

  Ned and Tom had been chums a long while, but Ned inclined more tofinancial and office matters than to machinery. At times he had managedaffairs for Tom, and helped him finance projects. Ned was now animportant bank official, and since the United States had entered thewar had had charge of some Red Cross work, as well as Liberty Bondcampaigns.

  Somehow, as she sat there in the craft which seemed disabled, MaryNestor could not help thinking of Tom's many activities, in some ofwhich she had shared.

  "Oh, if he falls now, and is killed!" she thought. "Oh, what willhappen to us?"

  "It's all right, Mary! Don't worry! It's all right!" cried Tom, throughthe speaking tube.

  "What's that? I can't hear you very well!" she called back.

  "No wonder, with the racket this motor is making," he answered. "Whycan't something be done so you can talk in an aeroplane as well as in aballo
on? That's an idea! If I could tell you what was the matter nowyou wouldn't be a bit frightened, for it isn't anything. But, as itis--"

  "What are you saying, Tom? I can't hear you!" cried Mary, still muchfrightened.

  "I say it's all right--don't get scared. And don't jump!" Tom shouteduntil his ears buzzed. "It's all nonsense--having a motor making somuch noise one can't talk!" he went on, irritatedly.

  A strange idea had come to the young inventor, but there was no time tothink of it now. Mentally he registered a vow to take up this idea andwork on it as soon as possible. But, just now, the aeroplane needed allhis attention.

  As he had told Mary, there was really nothing approaching any greatdanger. But it was rather an anxious moment. If Tom had been alone hewould have thought little of it, but with Mary along he felt a doubleresponsibility.

  What had happened was that the craft had suddenly gone into an "airpocket" or partial vacuum, and there had been a sudden fall and a slideslip. In trying to stop this too quickly Tom had broken one of hiscontrols, and he was busily engaged in putting an auxiliary one inplace and trying to reassure Mary at the same time.

  "But it's mighty hard trying to do that through a speaking tube with amotor making a noise like a boiler factory," mused the young inventor.Tom worked quickly and to good purpose. In a few moments, though toMary they seemed like hours, the machine was again gliding along on alevel keel, and Tom breathed more easily.

  "And now for my great idea!" he told himself.

  But it was some time before he could give his attention to that.