Tom Swift and His Giant Telescope Read online

  CHAPTER VI

  TOM DRUGGED!

  Tom had headed the ship up at a steep angle so as to get as muchaltitude as possible before the other motor should stop. But he knew inhis heart that he could not hope to glide so heavy a plane as far as thelake.

  Tom Headed the Ship Up]

  In some surprise Ned observed that Captain Britten was fumbling withthe straps about his big, old-fashioned valise. Young Newton wonderedwhat the elderly man was looking for so intensely.

  "Ahoy there, Tom Swift!" boomed the old diver, straightening up with abottle in his hand. "I've got a drop o' gasoline here that may help ye!"

  "I've Got a Drop of Gasoline."]

  "What's that?" gasped the pilot. Turning, he saw the quart bottle.Already the remaining engine was dying of thirst. "Quick, Ned!" heordered, snatching the container. "Take the controls and hold the shiplevel."

  Five seconds later the inventor was creeping out along one wing towardthe intake valve of the port gas tank. Their hearts almost in theirmouths, his companions watched his hazardous progress. In spite of theclutching hand of the wind and the quavering of the ship under Ned'sinexpert guidance, Tom managed to reach his goal.

  He Crept Along One Wing]

  Removing the cap with no little difficulty, he dumped the preciousdrops of gasoline into the tank. In a few moments he got back to thecabin. As he closed the door the laboring engine once more resumed itsfull-throated roar.

  "Lad, you've got what it takes!" rumbled Captain Britten, shaking Tom'shand approvingly. "You're a mighty brave young fellow!"

  "You mean YOU had what it takes," laughed the inventor, taking over thecontrols preparatory to landing on Carlopa. "Without that extra bit ofgas we'd be piled up in a tree by now!"

  He Emptied the Precious Drops]

  The quart of fuel was just sufficient to carry the ship safely down tothe lake's surface at a point about three miles from the town.Fortunately one of Tom's friends was sailing near-by in his cat-boat andgladly offered to take the three over to the Swift dock, which juttedout from the grounds behind Tom's home.

  It was mid-afternoon before the "Winged Arrow" was towed across to thedock and her tanks refilled with high-test gasoline. While this wasbeing done, Tom and Ned went to the home of Mr. Damon to ask if he wouldlike to accompany them to the West Indies.

  Tom Saw a Friend]

  The man was found to be sitting in an easy chair on his front porch,where he spent much time, now that he was home from the hospital.

  They Went to See Mr. Damon]

  "Bless my parachute, I'd like nothing better than to make the trip!" hesaid a trifle wistfully. "To tell you the truth, though," his voicesank to a whisper, "between the doctors and Mrs. Damon I'll be lucky ifI'm allowed to walk around the block alone for some time to come!"

  "Well, that's too bad, Mr. Damon. We were counting on you."

  "We Were Counting on You."]

  "Bless my fishing tackle, Tom, I'm sorry too. But tell me! How didCaptain Britten happen to be carrying a quart of gasoline in hissatchel?" asked the eccentric gentleman after he had been told of theairplane's narrow escape.

  "I thought it strange myself," said Tom, "but he claimed he alwayscarries some with him to remove grease spots from his clothes."

  "Ha! He must be quite a character. I suppose aboard a salvage boat folksget their clothes pretty dirty, at that."

  After the boys returned home it was decided that they and Mr. Brittenwould set out for Florida the next morning. In the meantime, theelderly diver telegraphed his caretaker to get the "Betsy B." in orderand arrange to hire a tug-boat.

  They Planned to Start the Next Day]

  Late in the afternoon Tom called his chum on the phone. "Can you spareme a few minutes?" he asked. "Think I'm going to have somethinginteresting to show you."

  "Be right over," replied Ned. "Where are you?"

  "In the lab."

  A few minutes later young Newton had joined his friend. "What's up?"he asked Tom as he entered.

  "What's up?" Asked Ned]

  Tom had discovered that his bendable glass mixture had cooled to acritical temperature, making it necessary to remove it from the furnaceat once lest it be ruined. In a small secret chamber beneath his privatelaboratory he had set up a sort of miniature glass works which wouldhave astonished any ordinary glass worker, for the young inventor haddevised an entirely new method of procedure. As to its outcome, well,even to its inventor that feature remained in doubt.

  A Miniature Glass Works]

  "Do you think it'll work, Tom?" asked Ned Newton anxiously as hefollowed the youthful scientist down the stairs. "Your experiments havecost a mint of money already--"

  "Don't croak," chuckled Tom. "I've a few pennies left, haven't I?"

  "You won't have so very many after you finish with your new telescopeidea," declared Ned grimly. "And THAT certainly won't bring in anydividends."

  Ned Followed Tom]

  "Nor is it intended to," said Tom a bit sharply. "There is, you know,such a thing as pursuing knowledge for its own sake."

  "I'm sorry. You ought to know, though, that I'm thinking only of yourinterests, not of mine," he said as they reached the room below.

  "Forgive me, old man!" Tom clapped Ned warmly on the back. "Don't feelfor a minute that I don't appreciate everything you've done for me. Totell you the truth, I'm as worried about this new glass as you are.That's why I jumped on you. Let's forget it!"

  "Forgive Me, Old Man!"]

  "Right!"

  The two were standing now before the cylindrical furnace containing themixture of silicates and other ingredients from which Tom Swift hopedwould emerge a glass as flexible as rubber and as strong as steel. Thethermometer on the front stood at twenty-one degrees Centigrade.

  They Looked at the Thermometer]

  "She's just right," muttered the inventor, consulting a complicatedchart hanging on the wall. "Now we'll see!"

  The asbestos-coated door clanged open. Tom drew out a shallow tray, thecontents of which were buried in a black powder.

  "Charcoal!" he explained, setting the pan on a table. "It prevents anyrapid temperature change. Even common glass must be cooled slowly or itbecomes as brittle as peanut candy."

  Tom Drew out a Shallow Tray]

  With the aid of a wooden rod Tom pulled out a glass bar about teninches long and an inch thick. After picking it up carefully he examinedit closely. In no way did the object appear different from ordinaryglass.

  "Well, here goes!" said the inventor and forthwith bent the bar into theshape of a horseshoe!

  "Hurrah!" yelled Ned, clapping his friend on the back. "You've done itagain, Tom Swift!"

  He Bent the Glass]

  "Don't crow too soon. Perhaps it won't bend back again. If a rod ofcopper is annealed in a certain way it can be bent ONCE like rubber butthen the crystal breaks up and it becomes as rigid as ever. Maybe thisglass will act the same way."

  "Then try it! Don't keep me in suspense!"

  Perhaps Tom had been tantalizing his business manager, or maybe hereally was doubtful about the flexibility of the bar. At any rate, whenhe applied pressure he did not seem surprised when the glass becamestraight again. Then he proceeded actually to tie a knot in it, sobendable was the new substance!

  The Glass Became Straight Again]

  "This will revolutionize the glass industry!" declared Ned, noting thateven the blows of a heavy sledge-hammer failed even so much as to crackthe rod.

  "It's not half as wonderful as that other kind of glass," said Tom,dreamily.

  "Your glass eye, d'you mean?" chuckled Ned in high good humor. In hismind he could already see fat profits for the company.

  A Heavy Hammer Did Not Crack It]

  "I'll give you a pair of black eyes if you make another bad joke!"laughed Tom, giving his chum a playful push. "But seriously, I'm mightywell pleased with this stuff; it turned out better than I dared hope.You know, I got the idea for bendable glass while I was trying to fig
ureout a way to make a huge telescope mirror. That was before we found themeteorite."

  "And I suppose you'll go back to the glass mirror if you can't findthe big stone so you can make the large green disk."

  "I'm Well Pleased With This."]

  "Yes, that's what I'll have to do if the salvage attempt fails. But I'msure we'll succeed."

  Captain Britten had been given a room at the Swift home. When the boysgot there they found their guest and Tom's father deep in a game ofchess.

  The Two Men Were Playing Chess]

  "Well, son," laughed Mr. Swift, "I've met my match at last. John Brittenhas beaten me three straight games! But don't tell Damon about it!"

  "I won't, Dad," grinned Tom. "What do you think of this?" He handed hisfather the bar of bendable glass.

  "What do I think of it? Why, it looks like a glass rod, that's all I cansee."

  "Then watch!" Tom took the bar and deftly twisted it into the shape of afat pretzel.

  "You've done it, son!" cried Mr. Swift. "And to think I told you sucha thing was impossible! Congratulations!"

  "What Do You Think of This?"]

  At dinner that evening the conversation turned mainly to the projectedflight to the West Indies. It was decided to start the next day atsunrise, as Captain Britten had received word from Florida that hisbarge had been made ready. A tug was getting up steam to haul it to theCuban coast.

  "Congratulations!" Cried Mr. Swift]

  "Mr. Damon can't go with us, Dad," said Tom. "His wife won't let him! Bythe way," he added with a laugh, "she was looking up the names of allhis relatives--Mr. Damon said she was glad of the excuse to do so!--butshe could find none named Jones or Brown. So that definitely provesthose two fellows were fakes and that they merely pretended relationshipin order to pump him about my work."

  After supper Ned went to his home to pack a suitcase, for he was tospend the night at the Swifts' to be on hand for the early start thatwas being planned. Tom spent the evening in his office studying thelatest available data on diving operations, and plotting the route overwhich the party would travel to the coast of Cuba.

  Ned Packed His Suitcase]

  Immersed in his work, he at first paid but little attention to apeculiar odor that gradually was pervading the atmosphere.

  Suddenly he realized that something was wrong; a strange buzzing filledhis ears and the lights seemed to be growing dim. He started to getup, but instead fell across his desk.

  Something Was Wrong]

  As Tom lay there motionless, a window opened noiselessly. Stealthily amasked figure climbed in. After a hasty glance around the room, theintruder hastened to the desk and leaned over the unconscious youth.

  A Masked Figure Entered]