Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera; Or, Thrilling Adventures While Taking Moving Pictures Read online

  Produced by Anthony Matonac

  TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA

  or

  Thrilling Adventures While Taking Moving Pictures

  by

  VICTOR APPLETON

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER

  I A STRANGE OFFER II A MAN IN THE SNOW BANK III TOM MAKES UP HIS MIND IV HELD FAST V TOM GETS A WARNING VI TRYING THE CAMERA VII WHAT THE CAMERA CAUGHT VIII PHOTOS FROM THE AIRSHIP IX OFF FOR INDIA X UNEXPECTED EXCITEMENT XI AN ELEPHANT STAMPEDE XII THE LION FIGHT XIII A SHOT IN TIME XIV IN A GREAT GALE XV SNAPPING AN AVALANCHE XVI TELEGRAPH ORDERS XVII SUSPICIOUS STRANGERS XVIII THE NATIVE BATTLE XIX A HEAVY LOSS XX AFTER THE ENGLISHMEN XXI THE JUNGLE FIRE XXII A DANGEROUS COMMISSION XXIII AT THE VOLCANO XXIV THE MOLTEN RIM XXV THE EARTHQUAKE--CONCLUSION

  TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA

  CHAPTER I

  A STRANGE OFFER

  "Some one to see you, Mr. Tom."

  It was Koku, or August, as he was sometimes called, the new giantservant of Tom Swift, who made this announcement to the young inventor.

  "Who is it, Koku?" inquired Tom, looking up from his work-bench in themachine shop, where he was busy over a part of the motor for his newnoiseless airship. "Any one I know? Is it the 'Blessing Man?'" for soKoku had come to call Mr. Damon, an eccentric friend of Tom's.

  "No, not him. A strange man. I never see before. He say he got quickbusiness."

  "Quick business; eh? I guess you mean important, Koku," for thisgigantic man, one of a pair that Tom had brought with him after hiscaptivity in "Giant Land," as he called it, could not speak Englishvery well, as yet. "Important business; eh, Koku? Did he send in hiscard?"

  "No, Mr. Tom. Him say he have no card. You not know him, but he verymuch what you call--recited."

  "Excited I guess you mean, Koku. Well, tell him to wait a few minutes,and I'll see him. You can show him in then. But I say, Koku," and Tompaused as he looked at the big man, who had attached himself to ourhero, as a sort of personal helper and bodyguard.

  "Yes, Mr. Tom; what is it?"

  "Don't let him go poking around the shop. He might look at some of mymachines that I haven't got fully patented yet. Is he in the frontoffice?"

  "That's where him am. He be lookin' at pictures on the walls."

  "Oh, that's all right then. Just keep him there. And, Koku, don't lethim come back in the shop here, until I get ready to see him. I'll ringthe bell when I am."

  "All right, Mr. Tom."

  Koku, very proud of his mission of keeping guard over the strangevisitor, marched from the room with his big strides, his long arms andpowerful hands swinging at his sides, for Koku, or August, as Tom hadrechristened him, and as he often called him (for it was in the monthof August that he had located the giants) was a very powerful man. Averitable giant, being extremely tall, and big in proportion.

  "Be sure. Don't let him in here, Koku!" called Tom, in an additionalwarning, as his new servant left the main shop.

  "Sure not!" exclaimed Koku, very earnestly.

  "I don't know who he may be," mused Tom, as he began putting away theparts to his new noiseless motor, so that the stranger could not seethem, and profit thereby. "It looks rather funny, not sending in hisname. It may be some one who thinks he can spring a trick on me, andget some points about my inventions, or dad's.

  "It may even be somebody sent on by Andy Foger, or his father. I can'tbe too careful. I'll just put everything away that isn't fully coveredby patents, and then if he wants to infringe on any of the machines Ican sue him."

  Tom looked about the shop, which was filled with strange machinery,most of which had been made by himself, or his father, or under theircombined directions. There was a big biplane in one corner, a smallmonoplane in another, parts of a submarine boat hanging up overhead,and a small, but very powerful, electric auto waiting to have somerepairs made to it, for on his last trip in it Tom Swift had suffered aslight accident.

  "There, I guess he can't see anything but what I want him to," musedTom, as he put away the last part of a new kind of motor, from which hehoped great things. "Let's see, yes, it's out of sight now. I wish NedNewton, or Mr. Damon were here to be a witness in case he startsanything. But then I have Koku, even if he doesn't speak much Englishyet. If it comes to blows--well, I wouldn't want that giant to hit me,"finished Tom with a laugh, as he rang the bell to announce to hisservant that the visitor might be shown in.

  There was a sound outside the door that separated the business officefrom the main shop, and Tom heard Koku exclaim:

  "Hold on! Wait! I go first. You wait!"

  "What's the matter with me going ahead?" demanded a quick, snappyvoice. "I'm in a hurry, and--"

  "You wait! I go first," was the giant's reply, and then came the soundof a scuffle.

  "Ouch! Say! Hold on there, my man! Take your hand off my shoulder!You're crushing me with those big fingers of yours!"

  This was evidently the visitor remonstrating with the giant.

  "Humph! I guess Koku must have grabbed him," said Tom softly. "I don'tlike that sort of a visitor. What's his hurry getting in here?" and ourhero looked about, to see if he had a weapon at hand in case of anattack. Often cranks had forced their way into his shop, with petinventions which they wanted him to perfect after they had themselvesfailed. Tom saw a heavy iron bar at hand, and knew this would serve toprotect him.

  "You come after me!" exclaimed Koku, when the voice of the other hadceased. "Do you stand under me?"

  "Oh, yes, I understand all right. I'll keep back. But I didn't meananything. I'm just in a hurry to see Tom Swift, that is all. I'malways in a hurry in fact. I've lost nearly a thousand dollars thismorning, just by this delay. I want to see Mr. Swift at once; and havea talk with him."

  "Another crank, I guess," mused Tom. "Well, I'm not going to waste muchtime on him."

  A moment later the door opened, and into the shop stepped Koku,followed by a short, stout, fussy little man, wearing a flaming redtie, but otherwise his clothes were not remarkable.

  "Is this Mr. Tom Swift?" asked the stranger, as he advanced and heldout his hand to the young man.

  "Yes," answered Tom, looking carefully at the visitor. He did not seemto be dangerous, he had no weapon, and, Tom was relieved to note thathe did not carry some absurd machine, or appliance, that he had made,hoping to get help in completing it. The youth was trying to rememberif he had ever seen the stranger before, but came to the conclusionthat he had not.

  "Sorry to take up your time," went on the man, "but I just had to seeyou. No one else will do. I've heard lots about you. That was a greatstunt you pulled off, getting those giants for the circus. This is one;isn't he?" and he nodded toward Koku.

  "Yes," replied Tom, wondering if the little man was in such a hurry whyhe did not get down to business.

  "I thought so," the caller went on, as he shook hands with Tom. "Onceyou felt his grip you'd know he was a giant, even if you didn't seehim. Yes, that was a great stunt. And going to the caves of ice, too,and that diamond-making affair. All of 'em great. I--"

  "How did you know about them?" interrupted Tom, wishing the man wouldtell his errand.

  "Oh, you're better known than you have any idea of, Tom Swift. As soonas I got this idea of mine I said right away, to some of the others inmy business, I says, says I, 'Tom Swift is the boy for us. I'll get himto undertake this work, and then it will be done to the Queen's taste.Tom's the boy who can
do it,' I says, and they all agreed with me. So Icame here to-day, and I'm sorry I had to wait to see you, for I'm thebusiest man in the world, I believe, and, as I said, I've lost about athousand dollars waiting to have a talk with you. I--"

  "I am sorry," interrupted Tom, and he was not very cordial. "But I wasbusy, and--"

  "All right! All right! Don't apologize!" broke in the man in rapidtones, while both Tom, and his servant, Koku, looked in surprise at thequick flow of language that came from him. "Don't apologize for theworld. It's my fault for bothering you. And I'll lose several thousanddollars, willingly, if you'll undertake this job. I'll make money fromit as it is. It's worth ten thousand dollars to you, I should say, andI'm willing to pay that."

  He looked about, as though for a seat, and Tom, apologizing for hisneglect in offering one, shoved a box forward.

  "We don't have chairs in here," said the young inventor with a smile."Now if you will tell me what you--"

  "I'm coming right to it. I'll get down to business in a moment,"interrupted the man as he sat down on the box, not without a grunt ortwo, for he was very stout. "I'm going to introduce myself in just asecond, and then I'm going to tell you who I am. And I hope you'll takeup my offer, though it may seem a strange one."

  The man took out a pocketbook, and began searching through it,evidently for some card or paper.

  "He's as odd as Mr. Damon is, when he's blessing everything," musedTom, as he watched the man.

  "I thought I had a card with me, but I haven't," the visitor went on."No matter. I'm James Period--promoter of all kinds of amusemententerprises, from a merry-go-'round to a theatrical performance. I wantyou to--"

  "No more going after giants," interrupted. Tom. "It's too dangerous,and I haven't time--"

  "No, it has nothing to do with giants," spoke Mr. Period, as he glancedup at Koku, who towered over him as he sat on the box near Tom.

  "Well?" returned Tom.

  "This is something entirely new. It has never been done before, thoughif you should happen to be able to get a picture of giants don't missthe opportunity."

  "Get a picture?" exclaimed Tom, wondering if, after all, his visitormight not be a little insane.

  "Pictures, yes. Listen. I'm James Period. Jim, if you like it better,or just plain 'Spotty.' That's what most of my friends call me. Get theidea? A period is a spot. I'm a Period, therefor I'm a spot. But thatisn't the real reason. It's because I'm always Johnny on the Spot whenanything is happening. If it's a big boxing exhibition, I'm there. Ifit's a coronation, I'm there, or some of my men are. If it's a Durbarin India, you'll find Spotty on the spot. That's me. If there's goingto be a building blown up with dynamite--I'm on hand; or some of mymen. If there's a fire I get there as soon as the engines do--if it'sa big one. Always on the spot--that's me--James Period--Spotty forshort. Do you get me?" and he drew a long breath and looked at Tom, hishead on one side.

  "I understand that you are--"

  "In the moving picture business," interrupted Mr. Period, who neverseemed to let Tom finish a sentence. "I'm the biggest moving pictureman in the world--not in size, but in business. I make all the bestfilms. You've seen some of 'em I guess. Every one of 'em has my pictureon the end of the film. Shows up great. Advertising scheme--get me?"

  "Yes," replied Tom, as he recalled that he had seen some of the filmsin question, and good ones they were too. "I see your point, but--"

  "You want to know why I come to you; don't you?" again interrupted"Spotty," with a laugh. "Well, I'll tell you. I need you in mybusiness. I want you to invent a new kind of moving picture camera. Asmall light one--worked by electricity--a regular wizard camera. I wantyou to take it up in an airship with you, and then go to all sorts ofwild and strange countries, Africa, India--the jungles--get pictures ofwild animals at peace and fighting--herds of elephants--get scenes ofnative wars--earthquakes--eruptions of volcanoes--all the newest andmost wonderful pictures you can. You'll have to make a new kind ofcamera to do it. The kind we use won't do the trick.

  "Now do you get me? I'm going to give you ten thousand dollars, aboveall your expenses, for some films such as I've been speaking of. I wantnovelty. Got to have it in my business! You can do it. Now will you?"

  "I hardly think--" began Tom.

  "Don't answer me now," broke in Mr. Period. "Take four minutes to thinkit over. Or even five. I guess I can wait that long. Take fiveminutes. I'll wait while you make up your mind, but I know you'll doit. Five minutes--no more," and hastily getting up off the box Mr.Period began impatiently pacing up and down the shop.