IN PERIL
Upon inspection, it was found that three half-inch holes had been
drilled into each pontoon. It was evident that only an enemy of Tom or
of the Swift Company could have done such a thing.
"Ned, that proves it!" declared the young inventor gloomily.
[Illustration: Three Holes in Each Pontoon]
"Proves what?" Ned asked.
"Can't you see? It all ties in with Mr. Damon's so-called relatives, and
their knowledge of my formula for a bendable glass. Someone in our shops
is a traitor--or worse!"
"But what has a damaged hydroplane to do with that?" objected Ned.
"If we had landed on water with these damaged pontoons, we'd have
drowned most likely," replied Tom. "That would have suited the
villains who want my formula, and no one would have been the wiser as
to what caused the accident."
[Illustration: "We'd Have Been Drowned!"]
"Admitting you're right, the thing's a pretty serious mess," said Ned.
"But of course crooked people will go to long lengths for money, and if
your formula is a good one, it certainly will bring a lot of money to
someone or something."
"And that something is going to be the Swift Company!" declared Tom.
[Illustration: "It's a Pretty Serious Mess."]
"Since we can't take off in the hydroplane today," said Ned, "let's go
back to the office. I suppose it'll require some time to patch up those
holes."
Tom immediately sent for one of his skilled mechanics, a man whom he
knew to be trustworthy. He set the fellow to work welding patches over
the holes. After cautioning his employee to maintain strict silence, he
and Ned drove away.
[Illustration: He Welded Patches Over the Holes]
"Don't say anything to Dad about this," warned Tom as the two left the
field. "It would only worry him and could do no good. You and I must
work out this mess by ourselves."
After dinner that evening Tom went to his private laboratory to check
the thermostat controlling the temperature of the annealing oven in
which his batch of new glass was being slowly cooled. Then he spent some
time at his desk over certain intricate formulas. The room was in
semi-darkness, lighted only by a shaded reading lamp.
[Illustration: Tom Checked the Thermostat]
"Well, that's that," yawned the young inventor at length, locking up his
desk. "Guess I'd better put the valuable disk back in the vault before I
go home," he decided, switching on the ceiling lights and glancing
toward the corner where Koku had placed the telescope.
With a start he saw that his invention was gone!
[Illustration: His Invention Was Gone]
Quickly examining the instrument, he found that the green disk had been
jerked roughly from its clamps by someone who evidently had been in
too great a hurry to bother unscrewing the bolts which had held it in
place.
"Ho!" suddenly boomed a deep voice. Tom became aware of a commotion
outside the laboratory. "You no get 'way fum me! How you like 'nother
knock on top head?"
"Don't hit me again!" whined someone. "I won't try to escape!"
Tom flung open the door and saw his giant servant dragging a man up
the steps. A feeling of tremendous relief swept over young Swift as he
discovered his precious green disk in Koku's left hand.
[Illustration: Koku Was Dragging a Man]
"Ha, Master Tom! Catchum bad mans tryin' to sneak through gate! See
green thing stick out of pocket and grabbum--bringum here. Want me
hittum again?"
"Please don't let him hurt me, Mr. Swift," snivelled the man. "He hit me
an awful blow back there."
[Illustration: "Want Me Hittum Again?"]
"You had it coming to you," retorted Tom sternly. "Besides, you're not
hurt very much. Koku, bring him in here. You certainly did a good piece
of work when you nabbed this fellow. Take him into the office and we'll
have a word or two with him before I call the police."
"I ain't talkin'," muttered the man, shifting uncomfortably and looking
rather uneasily at the giant. "You ain't got nothin' on me. I just found
that chunk of green glass in the field."
[Illustration: "You Ain't Got Nothin' on Me."]
"Don't lie to me, unless you want to be mussed up some more," said Tom
grimly, glancing at Koku. "I think I'll just take a look through your
pockets. Perhaps you found a few other little things when you broke in
here."
Under the menacing eye of the giant, the man submitted sullenly to the
search. There was nothing in his clothes to identify him. Apparently he
had stolen nothing else from the laboratory. He refused to answer any
questions, however. Tom gave up and summoned the police by telephone.
[Illustration: Tom Searched the Man]
"O Master, here other thing in man's pocket!" exclaimed Koku, after the
thief had been carted away to jail. "It stuck to round green thing when
I yank away from um." He handed Tom a bit of pasteboard from which the
lower third had been torn.
"It's a business card of the Apex Glass Works with the representative's
name ripped off!" exclaimed young Swift aloud. Then to himself he added,
"I wonder? Maybe Ned was right after all and they ARE after my formula
for bendable glass!"
[Illustration: A Business Card]
Tom immediately called the home of Mr. Stern, head of the glass works,
to whom he related the occurrence. The executive was shocked and very
indignant at the thought of there being a criminal among his employees
and promised to investigate thoroughly.
"I hope you don't think I had anything to do with this, Mr. Swift!" the
man exclaimed.
[Illustration: The Executive Was Shocked]
"Not in the least, sir. But if you turn up any clues, I hope you'll let
me know."
"I most assuredly will. You may count on my help."
An early hour next day found Tom and Ned flying south over the sandy
coast of New Jersey. Every inch of the "Winged Arrow" had been
thoroughly inspected, but no other signs of damage had been discovered.
Even so, the young business manager sat a bit uneasily in his seat as he
peered out anxiously at the broad wings.
[Illustration: Tom and Ned Flew South]
"Afraid they'll drop off, old man?" grinned Tom. "Don't worry. We
X-rayed 'em and no struts have been filed nor any time-bombs planted!"
"Huh, I was just looking at the weather," grunted Ned indignantly. He
was secretly relieved, for he had been pondering how easily a charge of
dynamite could have been secreted aboard ship. "How soon do you think
we'll reach Delaware Bay?"
[Illustration: Ned Was Uneasy]
"Within the next twenty minutes," answered his chum, glancing at the
instrument board. "Mr. Britten is to meet us at a dock near Lewes."
Less than half an hour later the pontoons of the "Winged Arrow" were
plowing through the waters of Delaware Bay toward a near-by pier. A
wharf attendant caught the line Ned threw him and the ship was moored
securely to a stout post.
As Tom and his companion climbed up, a grizzled-looking old man hailed
them in a voice that seemed well able to travel from quarterdeck to
fo'c'sle even in the teeth of a hurricane.
[Illustration: The Plane Plowed Through the Waters]
"Ahoy there!" he bellowed, though scarcely twenty feet away. "Are you
young Swift and company?"
"Right you are. Captain Britten, I take it?"
Vastly flattered by the title, the red-faced old seaman warmly shook
hands with the boys. "Correct ye are, me lad. Your good father tells
me you need a bit o' salvagin' done an' I'm the man as'll do it proper!"
[Illustration: Captain Britten, the Grizzled Old Man]
"Good for you, Captain!" said Tom. "That's exactly what my father said.
And now, have you your equipment handy? If it's not too heavy we can
load it aboard the plane right away. Oh, and I want to introduce my good
friend here, Ned Newton."
[Illustration: "I Want to Introduce My Friend."]
"Glad to meet ye, shipmate! As for my salvagin' outfit, it's aboard
ship. We'll pick up my old barge, the 'Elizabeth B.,' but I calls her
the 'Betsy B.,' at Key West, where I keeps her anchored. She's in a
manner o' speakin' my winter home." Captain Britten picked up a huge,
battered old suitcase. "If your flyin' machine is ready, so am I!"
The old man was obviously a trifle eccentric, but both boys were warmly
attracted to him by his sincere and friendly manner. Besides, as Tom
noted, there was a certain air of competence about him, as if he was
well able to tackle and solve the hardest of problems in his line.
[Illustration: Captain Britten Carried His Suitcase]
"Let's go, then!" proposed Ned, motioning to the attendant to cast off
and handing him a coin at the same time.
Listening to a number of quaint seafaring expressions from old Captain
Britten, who was starting his first voyage into the upper air, Tom sent
the big craft roaring above the smooth water toward Shopton.
[Illustration: Tom Sent the Big Craft Roaring]
"How do you like flying, Captain Britten?" Ned asked. "Ever been up?"
"Well, I guess it's all right," rumbled the salvaging expert, looking
down at the sea dubiously. "But to tell you the truth, I'm more at home
ON the water than OVER it!"
In a short time the nose of the "Winged Arrow" turned inland as Tom set
his course direct for home. When they were nearing Shopton, the young
inventor, intending to come down on solid ground, grasped the device
which lowered the landing wheels. It seemed to work very stiffly, he
thought, so he leaned over farther to exert more force. Suddenly there
came a snapping noise.
[Illustration: The Plane Turned Inland]
"What's up, Tom?" called Ned, hearing the noise and seeing his chum
fumbling with the now useless mechanism.
"Landing gear out of commission. But there's no need to worry as we can
descend on Lake Carlopa easily with the pontoons."
[Illustration: "Landing Gear out of Commission."]
"By George!" exclaimed Ned Newton, banging his fist on the instrument
panel. "Ten to one this is the work of the same scoundrel who bored
holes in the floats. If I could get my hands on--"
"I hope you'll be in a condition to do so," cut in Tom in an oddly
strained voice. "Take a look at the fuel gauge."
"It--it says zero! But that's impossible. We saw the tanks filled last
night."
[Illustration: "Look at the Fuel Gauge."]
"Sure, and when we took off this morning the gauge showed they were
still full. Someone tampered with the pointer of the instrument and all
but drained the gas containers when they wrecked the landing gear. Just
now you dislodged the jammed needle when you struck the instrument board
with your fist."
"Then we're in a pretty bad way, eh, Tom?" asked Captain Britten calmly.
[Illustration: "We're in a Pretty Bad Way?"]
"I'll say," replied young Swift grimly. "We can't hope to reach
Carlopa and there is nothing beneath us now but thick woodland. No
question about it. A crack-up is the next thing on the program!"
As he finished speaking, the starboard motor emitted a groaning cough
and stopped. The port engine might run for another five minutes or it
might give out within the next five seconds!
[Illustration: The Starboard Engine Stopped]