CHAPTER XVII
SILENT SAM
Slowly the dawn broke through the mists of darkness, and made the earthlight. The sun came straggling in through cracks in the shutters in thehome of Mr. Nestor, the gradually increasing gleam paling the electriclights, in the glare of which Tom Swift, Mary, and her aunt sat,waiting for some word of the missing man. But none came.
"What shall we do now?" asked Mary, as she looked at Tom.
"Oh, there's lots to do," he said, trying to make his voice soundcheerful. "We'll be busy all day. I sent word to have one of my touringcars ready to hurry to any part of the country the moment we should getword from your father."
"And do you think we shall get word, Tom?" the girl went on wistfully.
"Of course we shall!" he cried. "Word may come in at any time. Now getready, eat a good breakfast, and then you can go with me as soon as wehear anything definite. Come, we'll have breakfast!"
"I can't eat a thing!" protested Mary.
"Oh, yes you can," said her aunt, who was a cheerful sort of person."I'll see about getting something for you and Mr. Swift, and see thatyour mother is all right."
She left the room to give orders to the servant about the meal, andreturned to say that Mrs. Nestor was sleeping quietly. She had beengiven a sedative. Mary managed to eat a little, and she gave Tom theaddress of several friends who were called up in the vain hope that,somehow, Mr. Nestor might have gone to see them.
"Tom, what do you really think has happened?" asked Mary again, as theysat facing one another in the library, during a respite from thetelephone.
Tom Swift repeated, to the girl his theory of what had happened with anassumption of confidence he did not altogether feel.
His prediction of a speedy end to the suspense did not come true thatday, nor for many days. No news was heard of Mr. Nestor. After thefirst day, when there was no information and when no reports came ofany one of his description having been hurt in an automobile accidentor having been taken to any hospital, the police started an energeticsearch.
The authorities in all near-by cities were notified, and all thought ofkeeping from the public what had happened was given over. Tom's story,of how he and Mr. Damon had heard the cry for help on the lonelymeadow, was printed in the papers, though the young inventor did notsay that he had been out trying his new aeroplane. That was a detailnot needed in the finding of Mr. Nestor.
But Mary's father was not found. The mystery regarding hisdisappearance deepened, and there was no trace of him after he had leftTom's house that eventful evening. Persons living along the roads hemight have taken in riding his bicycle were questioned, but they hadseen nothing of him, nor were they aware of any accident. Tom'stestimony and that of Mr. Damon was all the clew there was.
"I don't believe he's dead!" stoutly declared the young inventor, whenthis dire possibility had been hinted at. "I believe the persons whowere responsible for the accident are afraid to reveal his whereaboutsuntil he recovers from possible injuries. You'll see! Mr. Nestor willcome back safe!"
And, somehow, though her mother was skeptical, Mary believed what Tomsaid.
The search was kept up, but without result, and Tom aided all he could.But there was not much he could do. The police and other authoritieswere at a total loss.
In the intervals of visiting Mary and her mother, and doing what hecould for them, Tom worked on his new motor. He knew that he was on theright track and that all that was needed now was to make certainrefinements and adjustments in the apparatus he had alreadyconstructed, so that it would operate more quietly.
"Absorbing the vibrations from the exhaust, caused by the explodedgases in the cylinders, does the trick," Tom told his father.
"But there is enormous pressure to overcome, Tom. You must be sure yourmuffler will stand the strain. Otherwise she is going to blow out agasket some day, when you least expect it. Then the sudden resumptionof pressure outside the cylinders is going to cause a change in theequilibrium, and you may turn turtle in the air."
"I've thought of that," said Tom. "At worst it can't be any more thanlooping the loop. But I'll make the muffler doubly strong."
"Better provide an auxiliary chamber to take care of part of theexhaust in case your main apparatus breaks," advised the olderinventor, and Tom said he would. He did, too, for he valued hisfather's expert advice.
Meanwhile he was busy fitting one of his latest aeroplanes with the newmotor. The motor he and Mr. Damon had used in their flight was onepatched up from an old one. But now Tom was working on a complete newone, made after his revised model, and in which the silencer was anintegral part, instead of being built on.
While giving Mary and her mother all the assistance in his power, Tomstill found time to work on his new, pet scheme. He had matters nowwhere he did not fear any tampering with his plans, for he had filedaway his papers in a safe place, and was making his new machine frommemory.
"But if some one got in and had a look at the inside of your silencerhe could see how it is constructed, couldn't he?" asked Ned Newton.
"Yes," assented Tom, "But they're not going to get in very easily. Kokusleeps in the experiment shop now, and my machine is there."
"Oh, well that explains your confidence. I feel sorry for the burglarwho makes the attempt, once Koku wakes up. Heard anything more fromthose Universal people?"
"No, not directly. I understand they are working hard on some new typeof plane for army use, but I haven't bothered my head about them. I'mtoo much occupied with my own affairs and trying to help Mary."
"Very strange about Mr. Nestor, isn't it?"
"Worse than strange," said Tom. "If this keeps on, and he isn't heardfrom, it will be tragic pretty soon."
"He must be held a prisoner somewhere," declared Ned.
"It begins to look that way," assented Tom. "Though who would have anobject in that I can't understand. He had no enemies, as far as isknown, and his business affairs were in excellent shape. Unless, as Isaid, the persons who ran him down are, through fear, keeping himhidden until he recovers, I can't imagine what has become of him."
"Well, it certainly is a puzzle," said Ned. And Tom agreed with hischum.
It was about a week after the disappearance of Mr. Nestor that Mr.Damon came over to see Tom.
"Bless my shoe laces, Tom!" exclaimed the eccentric man, "but you areas busy as ever." For he found the young inventor in the experimentshop, surrounded by a mass of papers and all sorts of mechanicaldevices.
"Yes, I'm working a little," said Tom. "But you are just in time. Comeon out, I want to introduce you to Silent Sam."
"'Silent Sam!'" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Have you been taking a new tripto the Land of Wonders? Have you brought back some new kind of servant?"
"Not exactly a servant," said Tom with a laugh, "though I hope SilentSam will serve me well."
"'Silent Sam?' What does it mean? Is that a joke?" asked the puzzledMr. Damon.
"I hope it doesn't turn out a joke," replied Tom. "But come on, I'llintroduce you to him, Mr. Damon."
He led the way to one of the big hangars where his various machines ofthe air were housed. On the way Mr. Damon asked about news of Mr.Nestor, but was told there was none.
Tom Swift opened the big, swinging doors and pulled aside an envelopingcanvas curtain. There stood revealed a big aeroplane, of somewhat newpattern, the wings gleaming like silver from the varnish that had beenapplied. In shape it was not unlike the machines already in use, exceptthat the propellers were of somewhat different design.
The engine was mounted in front, and even with his slight knowledge ofmechanics Mr. Damon could tell that it was exceedingly powerful. But itwas certain devices attached to the engine that attracted hisattention, for they were totally different from any on any otheraeroplane, though they bore some resemblance to apparatus on the planein which Tom and the eccentric man had made the night flight.
"Is this your new machine, Tom?" asked Mr. Damon.
"Yes."
"Well
, I don't see anything of that fellow you spoke of--Silent Sam."
"This is Silent Sam," returned Tom, with a laugh. "I've named my newnoiseless aeroplane--my Air Scout--I've named that Silent Sam. Waituntil you hear it, or rather, don't hear it, and I think you'll agreewith me. Silent Sam for Uncle Sam!"
"Good!" cried Mr. Damon. "Bless my dictionary, but that's a good name!Does it sail silently, Tom?"
"I'll let you judge presently. Silent Sam is all ready for his firsttrial, and I'll be glad to have you with me. Now, I'll just--"
Tom suddenly ceased speaking and held up a hand to enjoin silence.Then, while Mr. Damon watched, the young inventor began movingnoiselessly toward the rear of the big shed, inside which was his newmachine.
Tom Swift and His Air Scout; Or, Uncle Sam's Mastery of the Sky Page 17
