Tom Swift and His Air Glider; Or, Seeking the Platinum Treasure

by Victor Appleton

  CHAPTER VI

  RESCUING MR. PETROFSKY

  "We ought to be somewhere near the place now, Tom."

  "I think we are, Ned. But you know I'm not going too close in thisairship."

  "Bless my silk hat!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "I hope we don't have to walkvery far in such a deserted country as this, Tom Swift."

  "We'll have to walk a little way, Mr. Damon," replied the younginventor. "If I go too close to the hut they'll see the airship, and asthose spies probably know that Mr. Petrofsky has been dealing with me,They'd smell a rat at once, and run away, taking him with them, andwe'd have all our work to do over again."

  "That's right," agreed Detective Trivett, who was one of the four inthe airship that was now hovering over the Atlantic coast, about tenmiles below the summer resorts of which Asbury Park was one.

  It was only a few hours after Tom had received the letter from Russiainforming him of the whereabouts of the kidnapped Russian, and he hadacted at once.

  His father sanctioned the plan of going to the rescue in one of Tom'sseveral airships and, Mr. Damon, having been on hand, at once agreed togo. Of course Ned went along, and they had picked up the privatedetective in New York, where he was vainly seeking a clew to thewhereabouts of Mr. Petrofsky.

  Now the young inventor and his friends were hovering over the sandystretch of coast that extends from Sandy Hook down the Atlanticseaboard. They were looking for a small fishing hamlet on the outskirtsof which, so the Russian letter stated, was situated the lonely hut inwhich Mr. Petrofsky was held a prisoner.

  "Do you think you can pick it out from a distance, Tom?" asked Mr.Damon, as the airship floated slowly along. It was not the big one theyintended taking on their trip to Siberia, but it was sufficiently largeto accommodate the four and leave room for Mr. Petrofsky, should theysucceed in rescuing him.

  "I think so," answered the young inventor.

  In the letter from Russia a comparatively accurate description of theprisoner's hut had been given, and also some details about his guards.For there is little goes on in political circles in the realm of theCzar that is not known either to the spies of the government or thoseof the opposition, and the latter had furnished Tom with reliableinformation.

  "That looks like the place," said Tom at length, when, after peeringsteadily through a powerful telescope, during which time Ned steeredthe ship, the young inventor "picked up" a fishing settlement. "Thereis the big fish house, spoken of in the letter," he went on, "and theRussians know a lot about fish. That house makes a good landmark. We'llgo down now, before they have a chance to see us."

  The others thought this a good idea, and a little later the airshipsank to the ground amid a lonely stretch of sand dunes, about two milesfrom the hamlet on the outskirts of which the prison hut was said to belocated.

  "Now," said Tom, "we've got to decide on a plan of campaign. It won'tdo for all of us to go to the hut and make the rescue. Some one has gotto stay with the airship, to be ready to start it off as soon as wecome back with Mr. Petrofsky--if we do come.

  "Then there's no use in me staying here," spoke Detective Trivett. "Idon't know enough even to turn on the gasolene."

  "No, it's got to be Ned or me," said the young inventor.

  "I'll stay," volunteered Ned quickly, for though he would very muchhave liked to be in at the rescue, he realized that his place was inthe airship, as Mr. Damon was not sufficiently familiar with themachinery to operate it.

  Accordingly, after looking to everything to see that it was in workingorder, Tom led the advance. It was just getting dusk, and they figuredon getting to the hut after dark.

  "Have everything ready for a quick start," Tom said to Ned, "for we maycome back running."

  "I will," was the prompt answer, and then, getting their bearings, thelittle party set off.

  They had to travel over a stretch of sandy waste that ran along thebeach. Back in shore were a few scattered cottages, and not yet openedfor the summer, and on the ocean side was the pounding surf. The hut,as Tom recalled the directions, lay just beyond a group of stuntedhemlock trees that set a little way back from the ocean, on a bluffoverlooking the sea. It was not near any other building.

  Slowly, and avoiding going any nearer the other houses than they couldhelp, the little party made its way. They had to depend on their ownjudgement now, for the minor details of the location of the hut couldnot be given in the letter from Russia. In fact the spies themselves,in writing to their head officers about the matter, had not describedthe location in detail.

  "That looks like it over there," said Tom at last, when they had goneabout a mile and a half, and saw a lonely hut with a light burning init.

  Cautiously they approached and, as they drew nearer, they saw that thelight came through the window of a small hut.

  "Looks like the place," commented the detective.

  "We'll have a look," remarked Tom.

  He crept up so he could glance in the window, and no sooner had hepeered in, than he motioned for the others to approach.

  Looking under a partly-drawn curtain, Mr. Damon and Mr. Trivett saw theRussian whom they sought. He was seated at a table, his head bowed onhis hands, and in the room were three men. A rifle stood in one corner,near one of the guards.

  "They're taking no chances," whispered Mr. Damon. "What shall we do,Tom?"

  "It's three to three," replied the young inventor. "But if we can gethim away without a fight, so much the better. I think I have it. I'llgo up to the door, knock and make quite a racket, and demand admittancein the name of the Czar. That will startle them, and they may all threerush to answer. Mr. Damon, you and the detective will stay by thewindow. As soon as you see the men rush for the door, smash in thewindow with a piece of driftwood and call to Mr. Petrofsky to jump outthat way. Then you can run with him toward the airship, and I'llfollow. It may work."

  "I don't see why it wouldn't," declared the detective. "Go ahead, Tom.We're ready."

  Looking in once more, to make sure that the guards were not aware ofthe presence of the rescuing party, Tom went to the front door of thehut. It was a small building, evidently one used by fishermen.

  Tom knocked loudly on the portal, at the same time crying out in avoice that he strove to make as deep and menacing as possible:

  "Open! Open in the name of the Czar!"

  Looking through the window, ready to act on the instant, Mr. Damon andthe detective saw the three guards spring to their feet. One remainednear Mr. Petrofsky, who also leaped up.

  "Now!" called the detective to his companion. "Smash the window!"

  The next instant a big piece of driftwood crashed through the casement,just as the two men were hurrying to the front door to answer Tom'ssummons.

  "Mr. Petrofsky! This way!" yelled Mr. Damon, sticking his head inthrough the broken sash. "Come out! We've come to save you! Bless myputty blower, but this is great! Come on!"

  For a moment the exile stared at the head thrust through the brokenwindow, and he listened to Tom's emphatic knocks and demands. Then witha cry of delight the Russian sprang for the open casement, while theguard that had remained near him made a leap to catch him, crying out:

  "Betrayed! Betrayed! It's the Nihilists! Look out, comrades!"