Chapter 21 Tom Swift and His Sky Train by Victor Appleton
A BOTTLE OF ACID
“What is it?” asked Tom, in some wonderment.
“My resignation!” said Daniel, sullenly. “I’m getting through at the end of this week. I thought I’d let you know.”
“Why, Daniel, what is the matter?” asked Tom. “Aren’t you satisfied here? If it’s a question of more money——”
“It isn’t that, Mr. Swift! I’m through here that’s all there is to it! I’m not going to tell you any more. Can’t a man work where he likes?” he asked, flaring up.
“Why, yes, of course,” answered Tom, coolly. “I have no wish to keep you if you don’t want to stay.” Some of the ugly suspicions that had been in Tom’s mind concerning this man now came to the fore again. He wished he had investigated some things more carefully. But the rush of work to get his sky train working had driven everything else out of consideration. “Then you are going at the end of the week?”
“Yes, Mr. Swift. I’ll have my work all cleaned up by that time. Now that your new sky train and the couplers are finished you have no need of me, I guess?” His voice was bitterly sneering. Tom and Ned shot wondering glances at each other, not understanding the attitude of Daniel.
“Why, yes,” spoke Tom, slowly, “my sky train is about finished. I’m soon going to make a trial trip, fully equipped, with some guests on board, dropping off and picking up gliders at two places. After that I’ll start for the coast exposition. But I shall be glad to keep you in my service, Daniel. I think you are a valuable man and——”
“It’s of no use—I’m not going to stay, Mr. Swift. This is final. There’s my resignation,” and he indicated the paper he had handed in.
“All right,” assented Tom. “You know your own business best.”
Then, as Daniel went back to his own department, Tom and Ned talked the matter over, but could arrive at no explanation.
“Unless,” suggested Ned, “he is one of those poor and proud fellows. It may rankle him that you offered to pay for his boy’s operation, when he knew he couldn’t do it himself. Some folks have queer notions.”
“That may be it,” agreed Tom. “I sure feel sorry for the poor little kid and I’m going to do something to help him. I’m also going to have a watch kept over Daniel after he leaves here. I don’t just like some of the things you and I think he did. But that won’t stand in the way of aiding his boy if I can, even if I have to do it through some other channel than directly. And now, Ned, let’s get busy and arrange for the final test of the sky train.”
There was much to do in this connection. It was necessary to send out two of the small planes that hoisted gliders up to be attached to the sky train. One plane would be stationed at Portboro, a city one hundred miles from Shopton, and the other at Kenville, located three hundred miles farther on.
There were airports at both these places. In addition to the planes sent there, Tom also shipped two of the new, big gliders. These would be occupied by prominent citizens of both cities and they would be given a demonstration ride in the sky train. The “cars” would be hoisted into the air by the small, swift planes, and attached to the tail of the train pulled by the Eagle. Two gliders would also be cut off from the train, one going down at Portboro and the other at Kenville. There would be passengers in these, and in order not to disaccommodate them in getting back to their homes, Tom arranged on the return trip to pick up the gliders first dropped and let their passengers down at their homes again.
By this time many articles began appearing in the papers concerning not only Tom Swift’s sky train, but the Dirigible Flyer, as the Acton concern had named their method of transportation. News of the big prize offered by the World Exposition management had stirred interest in the coming race to a high point.
Having business at the Shopton bank one day, when his arrangements for the first, formal trip of his sky train were completed, Tom Swift drove over to the institution in his speedy electric runabout and parked in a quiet street. He happened to leave his car near an open window at the side of the bank, and from this window suddenly came the sound of two voices in rather loud conversation.
One voice Tom knew to be that of Lester Willam, president of the bank. The other Tom could not distinguish, nor could he catch all the words. But Willam, who seemed somewhat excited, was saying:
“Take care, Dan. I tried to queer things by refusing the loan, but that didn’t hold him back. You know the result of that. Now you say you are going to try more desperate measures. Well, I can’t agree to that. If you do, it will be on your own responsibility. I’m through with you from now on. How much do I owe you?”
“That’s queer talk,” mused Tom as he walked on, little dreaming that the conversation vitally concerned him. “Somebody else wants a loan from Willam and he isn’t making it. Sounds like trouble. This bird isn’t nearly as easy to get along with as the old president was. And I don’t believe he’s doing the bank any good, either. Wonder who this ‘Dan’ was?”
Dismissing from his mind what he had just heard, Tom hurried into the bank and almost ran into Daniel who was coming out, his face showing the stress of emotion under which he labored.
“Oh!” exclaimed Tom. “Excuse me!” for he had brushed into the man.
Muttering something which Tom could not catch, Daniel ran out to the street. And then dark and ugly suspicions again entered Tom’s mind.
“Dan—Daniel!” he murmured. “I wonder if it was Daniel to whom Willam was speaking. He talked of desperate measures—I don’t like the way things are going—not a bit! I’m going to keep my eyes open. It won’t do to have something happen to my train at the last minute.”
Tom’s business at the bank was quite complicated. He did not have to see Mr. Willam, for which he was glad, for he did not like the new president. When he came out his mind was so filled with many things that, for a time, it did not revert to what he had heard, nor to the meeting with Daniel.
Hurrying back to the shop, Tom found things in rather a snarl. It was nothing important, but a big task, such as getting the sky train ready for what might be called a “dress rehearsal” involved many details. These did not always go smoothly nor fit in, one with the other. Tom had to iron out several difficulties and it was night when he could call it a day’s work and go home. But before he left he spoke to Koku, saying:
“Don’t for a moment leave the vicinity of the hangar tonight, Koku. The Eagle is in there with the new gliders, and nothing must happen to them. If anybody tries to get in——”
Tom was so tired that night, after his hard day, that he slept soundly. Consequently he did not know how long the telephone at the head of his bed had been ringing. He awoke with a start to hear the bell jingling and, sleepily, reached for the receiver.
“Yes! What’s the matter?” he inquired.
Tom, startled with wonder and fear, heard the voice of Koku say:
“Master better come down quick!”
“Has anything happened?” Tom cried, now wide awake. “Are they trying to steal or damage the Eagle?”
Koku had hung up and the instrument was silent. Tom lost no time in hurriedly dressing and, getting into a speedy car, was soon at his shop. The big hangar, containing the Eagle and the new gliders with the coupling devices, was in darkness save for a small light in what was a sort of office. As Tom leaped from his car and ran toward the door he saw Koku step out to meet him.
“What happened?” cried Tom. “Is anything damaged?”
“Not yet,” Koku answered. “But somebody try to get in one door at back when I here at front. They no get in, but maybe better have Eradicate come watch by back door while I stay front.”
“Well, you must have had a fright to ask for your old enemy to share a night watch with you,” Tom said. “I’ll give you another man—half a dozen if needed—but I think Rad is too old to be on the alert. Let’s see what happened.”
A hasty survey of his craft in the hangar showed Tom that none of them had been molested. When he went to the small back door and examined it by the gleam of a flashlight, he saw where an effort had been made to force it. Koku had heard the stealthy midnight visitors just in time. His approach evidently frightened them away.
Summoning watchmen from other parts of the plant, Tom gave them orders to stay in the hangar with Koku, and to let him know at once if any further attempt was made to enter the place. Then he went back home, and it speaks well for his nerves when it is recorded that he at once went to sleep. But then he knew he could depend on Koku and the other men.
The remainder of the night passed quietly and early in the morning Tom hurried to the shop, to get his sky train ready for the most important flight, save that when he should start across the United States in an attempt to win the big prize.
The Eagle was run out of the hangar and to that great machine of the air were attached three gliders. Already the guests who were to make the trip were beginning to arrive, for there were more applications for seats than there were seats available. Tom, of course, had reserved places for Mr. Damon, for Ned and Helen and for some other personal friends. Mr. Damon managed to elude his wife and come on the trip. Tom very much wanted to take with him his aged father, whose genius had been the guiding star of his life.
“But no, Tom, I’m too old a man! Too old!” murmured the great inventor. He turned his head away that Tom might not see his tears. Nor were Tom’s own eyes dry. This was his most wonderful invention and it grieved him that his father could not go on the trip, as he had made many a trip before, in strange machines of the earth, air or water. But old age must be served even as is youth.
“Well, Dad, I’ll tell you all about it when I get back,” Tom promised, as cheerfully as he could.
“Yes, Tom, tell me about it. I can still listen!” and Mr. Swift smiled, albeit a bit sadly.
At last the sky train was ready to take the air for its epoch making flight. Police lines had to be established to keep back the crowd from the starting field. There was a great press of people, and there were newspaper reporters and movie men by the score. Tom had invited representatives of the press to occupy the Eagle to observe things.
“Well, Tom, is everything all right?” asked Mary as she arrived with Helen Morton to take her place in the Eagle with her husband.
“We’re all set,” he answered. “Yes, Mr. Damon, go right in,” he told his old friend who came along then.
“Bless my almanac, Tom, but this is a great day!” murmured the odd character. “It surely is! Great!”
Tom and his helpers were busy checking up on the final arrangements. The gliders were filled, all those who were to ride in the Eagle were now in the cabin, with the exception of Tom himself. The crowd was pressing at the ropes the police had stretched around the sky train.
Suddenly a man was seen to force his way out of a knot of people, shove a policeman aside, duck under the rope and run toward the sky train. In a flash Tom sensed that disaster was impending.
“Stop that man!” he cried, and then he recognized Daniel. The man had a large bottle in his hand. His eyes glared and his face was inflamed. Several policemen, and some of Tom’s workers, rushed toward the running man who held the bottle aloft. Before they could stop him he had stepped between two of the gliders, had taken the cork out of the bottle and was endeavoring to pour its contents over one of the couplers. As Tom drew near, he caught a peculiar odor.
“Acid!” he exclaimed. “He’s trying to burn up my train!”
“Let me go! Let me go!” screamed Daniel, who now seemed out of his senses. “I must christen the new sky train—Tom Swift’s great sky train! They christen a new ship with wine! Let me christen Tom Swift’s sky train with this!” He shook the bottle.
Some of the officers who had caught hold of Daniel seemed doubtful as to what they ought to do in the face of this declaration. The man might actually be taking part in the starting ceremonies. But Tom Swift realized the danger.
“Hold that man!” he cried. “Look out!” he added, as he saw Daniel shaking the bottle of acid.
The authoritative tone of Tom’s voice decided the police. They closed in around Daniel, but not until he was very close to a place between the rear glider and the one next to it. Then, in the scuffle the bottle fell to the ground and shattered. A yellow liquid was spread about. A pungent odor filled the air.
“Look out!” cried Tom. “If any of that gets on you it will burn you to the bone!”
Suddenly Daniel broke away from his captors and leaped for Tom Swift, the light of madness shining in his eyes.