Tom Swift and His Air Scout; Or, Uncle Sam's Mastery of the Sky

by Victor Appleton

  CHAPTER VII

  A PROBLEM IN SOUND

  Tom Swift looked up with a distinct appearance of being annoyed thatwas unusual with him, for he was, nearly always, good-natured. But thefrown that had replaced the pleasant look on his face while he wastalking to Mr. Damon about the projected new air scout was at oncewiped away as he looked at the card Jackson held out to him.

  "Bring him in right away!" he ordered. "He needn't have stood on thatceremony."

  "Well, he said it was a business call," returned the mechanician with acheerful grin, "and he said he wanted it done according to form. So hegave me his card to bring you."

  "Who is it?" asked Mr. Damon, with the privilege of an old friend.

  "It's Ned Newton," Tom answered; "though why he's putting on all thisformality I can't fathom."

  Jackson went back to the main gate and told the man on guard there toadmit Ned, who had so formally sent in his card.

  "Ah, Mr. Swift, I believe?" began the bank employee with that suave,formal air which usually precedes a business meeting.

  "That is my name," said Tom, with a suppressed grin, and he spoke asstiffly as though to a perfect stranger.

  "Mr. Tom Swift, the great inventor?" went on Ned.

  "Yes."

  "Ah, then I am at the right place. Just sign here, please, on thedotted line," and he held out a blank form, and a fountain pen to Tom,who took them half mechanically.

  "Huh? What's the big idea, Ned?" asked the young inventor, unablelonger to carry on the joke. "Is this a warrant for my arrest, ormerely a testimonial to you. If it's the latter, and concerns yournerve, I'll gladly sign it."

  "Well, it's something like that!" laughed Ned. "That's your applicationfor another block of Liberty Bonds, Tom, and I want you, as a personalfavor to me, as a business favor to the bank, and as your plain duty toUncle Sam, to double your last subscription."

  Tom looked at the sum Ned had filled in on the blank form, and uttereda slight whistle of surprise.

  "That's all right now," said Ned, with the air of a professionalsalesman. "You can stand that and more, too. I'm letting you off easy.Why, I got Mary's father--Mr. Nestor--for twice what he took last time,and Mary herself--hard as she's working for the Red Cross--gave me anice application. So it's up to you to--"

  "Nuff said!" exclaimed Tom, sententiously, as he signed his name. "Imay have to reconsider my recent refusal of the offer of the UniversalFlying Machine Company, though, if I haven't money enough to meet thissubscription, Ned."

  "Oh, you'll meet it all right! Much obliged," and Ned folded theLiberty Bond subscription paper and put it in his pocket. "But did youturn down the offer from those people?"

  "I did," answered Tom. "But how did you know about it, Ned?"

  "First let me say that I'm glad you decided to have nothing to do withthem. They're a rich firm, and have lots of money, but I wouldn't trust'em, even if they have some government contracts. The way I happenedto know they were likely to make you an offer is this," continued NedNewton.

  "They do business with one of the New York banks with which mybank--notice the accent on the my, Tom--is connected. The other day Ihappened to see some correspondence about you. These flying machinepeople asked our bank to find out certain things about you, and, as amatter of business, we had to give the information. Sort of acommercial agency report, you know, nothing unusual, and it isn't thefirst time it's been done since your business got so large. But that'show I happened to know these fellows contemplated dickering with you."

  "Do you know Gale or Ware?" Tom asked.

  "Not personally. But in a business way, Tom, I'd warn you to look outfor them, as they're sharp dealers. They put one over on the governmentall right, and there may be some unpleasant publicity to it later. Butthey're putting up a big bluff, and pretending they can turn out a lotof flying machines for use in Europe. Why don't you get busy on thatend of the game, Tom?"

  "I know you've more than done your bit, with Liberty Bonds,subscriptions to the Y. M. C. A. and other war work, besides your wartank and other inventions. But you're such a shark on flying machines Ishould think you'd offer your factory to the government for theproduction of aeroplanes."

  "I would in a minute, Ned, and you know it; but the fact of the matteris my shops aren't equipped for the production of anything in largenumbers. We do mostly an experimenting business here, making only oneor two of a certain machine. I have told the government officials theycan have anything I've got, and you know they wouldn't let me enlistwhen I was working on the war tank."

  "Yes, I remember that," said Ned. "You're no slacker! I wanted toshoulder a rifle, too, but they keep me at this Liberty Loan work.Well, Uncle Sam ought to know."

  "That's what I say," agreed Tom, "and that's why I haven't gone to thefront myself. And now, as it happens, I've got something else in mindthat may help Uncle Sam."

  "What is it?"

  "A silent flying machine for scout work on the battle front," Tom toldhis friend, and then he gave a few details, such as those he had beentelling Mr. Damon.

  "Then I don't wonder you turned down the offer of the Universalpeople," remarked Ned, at the conclusion of the recital. "This will bea heap more help to the government, Tom, than working for those people,even at twenty-five thousand dollars a year. And if you get short, andcan't meet your newest Liberty Bond payments, why, I guess the bankwill stretch your credit a little."

  "Thanks!" laughed Tom, "but I'll try not to ask them."

  The friends talked together a little longer, and then Ned had to takehis departure to solicit more subscriptions, while Mr. Damon went withhim, the eccentric man saying he would go home to Waterfield.

  "But, bless my overshoes, Tom!" he exclaimed, as he departed, "don'tforget to let me know when you have your silent motor working. I wantto see it."

  "I'll let you know," was the promise given by the young inventor.

  "And watch out for those Universal people," warned Ned. "I'm nottelling you this as a bank official, for I'm not supposed to, but it'spersonal."

  "I'll be on the watch," said Tom. And, as he went into his privateworkshop, he wondered why it was his father and Ned had both warned himnot to trust Gale and Ware.

  The next few days were busy ones for Tom Swift. Once he had made up hismind to go to work seriously on a silent motor, all else was put aside.He sent a note to Mary Nestor, telling her what he was going to do,and, asking her to say nothing about it, which, of course, Mary agreedto.

  "Come and see me when you can," she sent back word, "but I know youwon't have much chance when you're experimenting with your invention.And I shall be working so hard for the Red Cross that I sha'n't getmuch chance to entertain you. But the war can't last forever."

  "No," agreed Tom with a sigh, as he put away her letter, "and thankgoodness that it can't!"

  The young inventor threw himself into the perplexing work of inventinga silent motor with all the fervor he had given to the production ofhis war tank, his giant cannon, his wonderful searchlight and othermachines.

  "And," mused Tom, as he sat at his work table with pencil and paperbefore him, "since this is a problem in acoustics, I had best begin Isuppose by going back to first principles, and after determining whatmakes an aeroplane engine noisy, try to figure out how to make itquiet. Now as to the first, the principle causes of noise are--"

  And at that instant there broke on Tom's ears a succession ofdiscordant sounds which seemed to be a combination of an Indian's warwhoop and a college student's yells at a football game.

  "Now I wonder what that is!" mused the young inventor as he hastilyarose. "Better solve that problem before I tackle the aeroplane motor."

  CHAPTER VIII

  THROUGH THE ROOF