A VANDAL'S ACT
"Bless my penknife!" exclaimed Mr. Daman, the next morning, when he
had been told of Tom's experience in the night, "things are coming
to a pretty pass when our enemies adopt such tactics as this! What
can we do, Tom? Hadn't you better let one of us carry the map?"
"Oh, I guess not," answered the young inventor. "They have had one
try at me, and found that I wasn't napping. I don't believe they'll
try again. No, I'll carry the map."
Tom concealed it in an old wallet, as he thought it was less likely
to attract attention there than in the new case he formerly used.
Still he did not relax his vigilance, and his sleep for the next few
nights was uneasy, as he awakened several times, thinking he felt a
hand under his pillow.
At length Ned suggested that one of them sit up part of the night,
and keep an eye on Tom's berth. This was agreed to, and they divided
the hours of darkness into watches, each one taking a turn at
guarding the precious map. But they might have spared themselves the
trouble, for no further attempt was made to get it.
"I'd just like to know what Andy Foger's plans are?" said Tom one
afternoon, as they were within a few miles of Seattle. "He certainly
must have made up his mind quickly, after he saw the map, about
going in search of the gold."
"Maybe his father proposed it," suggested Ned. "I heard, in our
bank, that Mr. Foger has lost considerable money lately, and he may
need more."
"I shouldn't wonder. Well, if they are going to Sitka, Alaska, to
assemble their ship, I think they'll have trouble, for supplies are
harder to get there than in Seattle. But we'll soon be on our way
ourselves, if nothing happens. I hope all the parts of the RED CLOUD
arrive safely."
They did, as Tom learned a few hours later, when they had taken up
their quarters in a Seattle hotel, and he had made inquiries at the
railroad office. In the freight depot were all the boxes and crates
containing the parts of the big airship, and by comparison with a
list he had made, the young inventor found that not a single part
was missing.
"We'll soon have her together again," he said to his friends, "and
then we'll start for Alaska."
"Where are you going to assemble the airship?" asked Mr. Damon.
"I've got to hire some sort of a big shed," explained Tom. "I heard
of one I think I can get. It's out at the fair grounds, and was used
some time ago when they had a balloon ascension here. It will be
just what I need."
"How long before we can start for the gold valley?" asked the old
miner anxiously.
"Oh, in about a week," answered the lad, "that is, if everything
goes well."
Tom lost no time in getting to work. He had the different parts of
his airship carted to the big shed which he hired. This building was
on one edge of the fair grounds, and there was a large, level space
which was admirably adapted for trying the big craft, when once more
it was put together.
The gold-seekers worked hard, and to such good purpose that in three
days most of the ship was together once more, and the RED CLOUD
looked like herself again. Tom hired a couple of machinists to aid
him in assembling the motor, and some of the gas appliances and
other apparatus.
"Ha! Bless my rubber shoes!" cried Mr. Damon in delight, as he
looked at the big craft "This is like old times, Tom!"
"Yes, indeed," agreed our hero.
"Are you going to give it a preliminary tryout?" asked Ned.
"Oh, yes, I think we can do that to-morrow," replied Tom. "I want to
know that everything is in good working shape before I trust the
ship on the trip to the frozen north. There are several problems I
want to work out, too, for I think I will need a different kind of
gas up where the temperature is so low."
"It certainly is cold up here," agreed Ned, for they were now much
farther north than when they were in Shopton, and, besides, winter
was coming on. It was not the best time of the year to journey into
Alaska, but they had no choice. To delay, especially now, might mean
that their enemies would get ahead of them.
"We'll be warm in the airship, though; won't we?" asked Abe.
"Oh, yes," answered Tom. "We'll be warm, and have plenty to eat.
Which reminds me that I must begin to see about our stock of
provisions and other supplies, for we'll soon be on our way."
Work on the airship was hastened to such good advantage the next two
days that it was in shape for a trial flight, and, one afternoon,
the RED CLOUD was wheeled from the shed out into big field, the gas
was generated, and the motor started.
There was a little hitch, due to the fact that some of the machine
adjustments were wrong, but Tom soon had that remedied and then,
with the big propellers whirling around, the airship was sent
scudding across the field.
Another moment and it rose like a great eagle, and sailed through
the air, while a small crowd that had daily gathered in the hope of
seeing a flight, sent up a cheer.
"Does it work all right?" asked Ned anxiously, as he stood in the
pilothouse beside his chum.
"As good as it did in Shopton," answered the young inventor,
proudly.
"Bless my pocketbook! but that's lucky," exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Then
we can soon start, eh?"
"As soon as we are stocked up," replied the lad.
Tom put the airship through a number of "stunts" to test her
stability and the rudder control, much to the delight of the
gathering throng. Everything was found to work well, and after
ascending to a considerable height, to the no small alarm of the old
miner, Tom made a quick descent, with the motor shut off. The RED
CLOUD conducted herself perfectly, and there was nothing else to be
desired.
She was sent down to earth and wheeled back into the shed, and not
without some difficulty, for the crowd, which was now very large,
wanted to get near enough to touch the wonderful craft.
"To-morrow I'll arrange about the supplies and provisions, and we'll
stock her up," said Tom to his companions. "Now you folks had better
go back to the hotel."
"Aren't you coming?" asked Ned.
I'm going to bunk here in the shed to-night, said the young
inventor.
"What for?"
"I can't take any chances now that the RED CLOUD is in shape for
flying. Some of the Foger crowd might be hanging around, and break
in here to damage her."
"But the watchman will be on guard," suggested Ned, for since the
hiring of the shed, the young inventor had engaged a man to remain
on duty all night.
"I know," answered Tom Swift, "but I'm not going to take any
chances. I'll stay here with the watchman."
Ned offered to share the vigil with his chum, and, after some
objection Tom consented. The others went back to the hotel,
promising to return early in the morning.
Tom slept heavily that night, much heavier than he was in the habit
of doing. So did Ned, and their deep breathing as they lay in their
staterooms, in the cabin of the airship, told of physical weariness,
for they had worked hard to re-assemble the RED CLOUD.
The watchman was seated in a chair just inside the big door of the
shed, near a small stove in which was a fire to take off the chill
of the big place. The guard had slept all day, and there was no
excuse for him nodding in the way that he did.
"Queer, how drowsy I feel," he murmured several times. "It's only a
little after midnight, too," he added, looking at his watch, "Guess
I'll walk around a bit to rouse myself."
He firmly intended to do this, but he thought he would wait just a
few minutes more, and he stretched out his legs and got comfortable
in the chair.
Three minutes more and the watchman was asleep--sound asleep, while
a strange, sweet, sickish odor seemed to fill the atmosphere about
him.
There was a noise at the door of the shed, a door in which there
were several cracks. A man outside laid aside something that looked
like an air pump. He applied one eye to a crack, and looked in on
the sleeping watchman.
"He's off," the man murmured. "I thought he'd never get to sleep!
Now to get in and dose those two lads! Then I'll have the place to
myself!"
There was a clicking noise about the lock on the shed door. It was
not a very secure lock at best, and, under the skilful fingers of
the midnight visitor, it quickly gave way. The man entered. He gave
one look at the slumbering watchman, listened to his heavy
breathing, and then went softly toward the airship, which looked to
be immense in the comparatively small shed--taking up nearly all the
space.
The intruder peered in through the cabin windows where Ned and Tom
were asleep. Once more there was in the atmosphere a sickish odor.
The man again worked the instrument which was like a small air pump,
taking care not to get his own face too near it. Presently he
stopped and listened.
"They're doped," he murmured. He arose, and took from his mouth and
nose a handkerchief saturated with some chemical that had rendered
him immune to the effects of the sleep-producing that he had
generated. "Sound asleep," he added. Then, taking out a long, keen
knife, the vandal stole toward where the great wings of the RED
CLOUD stretched out in the dim light like the pinions of a bird.
There was a ripping, tearing, rending sound, as the vandal cut and
slashed, but Tom, Ned and the watchman slumbered on.