CHAPTER VI
THE NEW AIRSHIP
For a brief instant after the stopping of the motor, and theconsequent sudden dropping toward the earth of the monoplane, Tomglanced at Mr. Damon. The latter's face was rather pale, but heseemed calm and collected. His lips moved slightly, and Tom, even inthose tense moments, wondered if the odd gentleman was blessinganything in particular, or everything in general.
Tom threw up the tilting plane, to catch more air beneath it, andbring the BUTTERFLY in a more parallel position to the earth. This,in a manner, checked the downward flight, and they glided alonghorizontally for a hundred feet or more.
"Is--is there any great danger, Tom?" asked Mr. Damon.
"I think not," answered the young inventor, confidently. "I havedone this same thing before, and from greater heights. The onlything that bothers me is that there are several cross-currents ofair up here, which make it difficult to manage the planes and wingtips. But I think we'll make a good landing."
"Bless my overcoat!" exclaimed Mr. Damon "I certainly hope so."
Conversation was more easily carried on now, as the motor was notspitting fire and throbbing like a battery of Gatling guns. Tomthought perhaps it might start on the spark, as the propeller wasslowly swinging from the force of air against it. He tried, butthere was no explosion. He had scarcely hoped for it, as he realizedthat some part of the mechanism must have broken.
Down they glided, coming nearer and nearer to the earth. The crowdin the big athletic field grew larger. Shouts of wonder and fearcould be heard, and people could be seen running excitedly about. ToTom and Mr. Damon they looked like dolls.
Reaching the limit of the parallel glide the monoplane once moreshot down on an incline toward the earth with terrible speed. Theground seemed to rush up to meet Mr. Damon.
"Look out!" he cried to Tom. "We're going to hit something!"
"Not yet," was the calm answer "I'm going to try a new stunt. Holdfast!"
"What are you going to do?"
"Some spirals. I think that will let us down easier, but the craftis likely to tilt a bit, so hold on."
The young inventor shifted the movable planes and rudder, and, amoment later, the BUTTERFLY swung violently around, like a polo ponytaking a sudden turn after the ball. Mr. Damon slid to one side ofhis seat, and made a frantic grab for one of the upright supports.
"I made too short a turn!" cried Tom, easing off the craft, whichrighted itself in an instant. "The air currents fooled me."
Under his skillful guidance, the monoplane was soon slowlyapproaching the earth in a series of graceful curves. It was underperfect control, and a smile of relief came on the face of the younginventor. Seeing it Mr. Damon took courage, and his hands, which hadgrasped the uprights with such firmness that his knuckles showedwhite with the strain, were now removed. He sat easily in his seat.
"We're all right now," declared Tom. "I'll take a couple of forwardglides now, and we'll land."
He sent the machine straight ahead. It gathered speed in an instant.Then, with an upward tilt it was slackened, almost as if brakes hadbeen applied. Once more it shot toward the earth, and once more itwas checked by an up-tilted plane.
Then with a thud which shook up the occupants of the two seats, theBUTTERFLY came to the ground, and ran along on the three bicyclewheels. Swiftly it slid over the level ground. A more ideal landingplace would have been hard to find. Scores of willing hands reachedout, and checked the momentum of the little monoplane, and Tom andMr. Damon climbed from their seats.
The crowd set up a cheer, and hundreds pressed around the aviators.Several sought to reach, and touch the machine, for they hadprobably never been so close to one before, though airship flightsare getting more and more common.
"Where did you come from?"
"Are you trying for a record?"
"How high did you get?"
"Did you fall, or come down on purpose?"
"Can't you start your motor in mid-air?"
These, and scores of other questions were fairly volleyed at Tom andMr. Damon. The young inventor good-naturedly answered them as besthe could.
"We were coming down anyhow," he explained, "but we did notcalculate on vol-planing. The motor was stalled, and I had to glide.Please keep away from the machine. You might damage it."
The arrival of several policemen, who were attracted by the crowd,served to keep the curious ones back away from the BUTTERFLY, or themen, boys and women (for there were a number of the latter in thethrong) might have caused serious trouble.
Tom made a hasty examination of the motor, and, having satisfiedhimself that only a minor difficulty had caused it to stop, hedecided to put the monoplane in some safe place, and proceed to Mr.Fenwick's house.
The lad was just asking one of the officers if the air craft couldnot be put in one of the grandstands which surrounded the field,when a voice on the outskirts of the crowd excitedly exclaimed:
"Let me pass, please. I want to see that airship. I'm building onemyself, and I need all the experience I can get. Let me in, please."
A man pushed his way into the crowd, and wormed his way to where Tomand Mr. Damon stood. At the sight of him, the eccentric individualcried out:
"Why bless my pocket-knife! If it isn't Mr. Fenwick!"
"Mr. Fenwick?" gasped Tom.
"Yes. The inventor we came to see!"
At the same moment the newcomer cried out:
"Wakefield Damon!"
"That's who I am," answered Tom's friend, "and let me introduce youto Mr. Swift, the inventor of more machines than I can count. He andI were coming to see you, when we had a slight accident, and welanded here. But that didn't matter, for we intended to land hereanyhow, as I knew it was near your house. Only we had to vol-planeback to earth, and I can't say that I'd care for that, as a steadydiet. Bless my radiator, but I'm glad we've arrived safely."
"Did you come all the way from your home in that?" asked Mr. Fenwickof Tom, as he shook hands with him, and nodded at the monoplane.
"Oh, yes. It's not much of a trip."
"Well, I hope my airship will do as well. But something seems to bewrong with it, and I have hopes that you can help me discover whatit is, I know your father, and I have heard much of your ability.That is why I requested your aid."
"I'm afraid I've been much overrated," spoke Tom, modestly, "butI'll do all I can for you. I must now leave my monoplane in a safeplace, however."
"I'll attend to that," Mr. Fenwick hastened to assure him. "Leave itto me."
By this time a lieutenant of police, in charge of several reserveofficers, had arrived on the scene, for the crowd was now verylarge, and, as Mr. Fenwick knew this official, he requested thatTom's machine be protected from damage. It was arranged that itcould be stored in a large, empty shed, and a policeman would beleft on guard. Then, seeing that it was all right, Tom, Mr. Damonand Mr. Fenwick started for the latter's house.
"I am very anxious to show you the WHIZZER," said Mr. Fenwick, asthey walked along.
"The WHIZZER?" repeated Tom, wonderingly.
"Yes, that's what I call my electric airship. It hasn't 'whizzed'any to speak of yet, but I have hopes that it will, now that you arehere to help me. We will take one of these taxicabs, and soon be atmy house. I was out for a stroll, when I saw your monoplane comingdown, and I hastened to Franklin Field to see it."
The three entered an automobile, and were soon being driven to theinventor's home. A little later he led them out to a big shed whichoccupied nearly all of a large lot, in back of Mr. Fenwick's house.
"Does it take up all that room?" asked Tom.
"Oh, yes, the WHIZZER is pretty good size. There she is!" cried Mr.Fenwick proudly, as he threw open the doors of the shed, and Tom andMr. Damon, looking in, saw a large triplane, with a good-sized gasbag hovering over it, and a strange collection of rudders, wings andplanes sticking out from either side. Amidships was an enclosed car,or cabin, and a glimpse into it served to disclose to the younginventor a mass o
f machinery.
"There she is! That's the WHIZZER!" cried Mr. Fenwick, with pride inhis voice. "What do you think of her, Tom Swift?"
Tom did not immediately answer. He looked dubiously at the electricairship and shrugged his shoulders. It seemed to him, at firstglance, that, it would never sail.
Tom Swift and His Wireless Message; Or, The Castaways of Earthquake Island Page 6
