TRYING THE CAMERA
"Well, what do you think of that?" cried Ned, as his chum finished.
"It certainly isn't very pleasant," replied Tom. "I wonder why those
chaps can't let me alone? Why don't they invent cameras of their own?
Why are they always trying to get my secret inventions?"
"I suppose they can't do things for themselves," answered Ned. "And
then, again, your machinery always works, Tom, and some that your
rivals make, doesn't."
"Well, maybe that's it," admitted our hero, as he put away the letter.
"I will be on the watch, just as I have been before. I've got the
burglar alarm wires adjusted on the shop now, and when these rival
moving picture men come after me they'll get a short answer."
For several days nothing happened, and Tom and Ned worked hard on the
Wizard Camera. It was nearing completion, and they were planning, soon,
to give it a test, when, one afternoon, two strangers, in a powerful
automobile, came to the Swift homestead. They inquired for Tom, and,
as he was out in the shop, with Ned and Koku, and as he often received
visitors out there, Mrs. Baggert sent out the two men, who left their
car in front of the house.
As usual, Tom had the inner door to his shop locked, and when Koku
brought in a message that two strangers would like to see the young
inventor, Tom remarked:
"I guess it's the rival picture men, Ned. We'll see what they have to
say."
"Which of you is Tom Swift?" asked the elder of the two men, as Tom and
Ned entered the front office, for our hero knew better than to admit
the strangers to the shop.
"I am," replied Tom.
"Well, we're men of business," went on the speaker, "and there is no
use beating about the bush. I am Mr. Wilson Turbot, and this is my
partner, Mr. William Eckert. We are in the business of making moving
picture films, and I understand that you are associated with Mr. Period
in this line. 'Spotty' we call him."
"Yes, I am doing some work for Mr. Period," admitted Tom, cautiously.
"Have you done any yet?"
"No, but I expect to."
"What kind of a camera are you going to use?" asked Mr. Eckert eagerly.
"I must decline to answer that," replied Tom, a bit stiffly.
"Oh, that's all right," spoke Mr. Turbot, good naturedly. "Only
'Spotty' was bragging that you were making a new kind of film for him,
and we wondered if it was on the market."
"We are always looking for improvements," added Mr. Eckert.
"This camera isn't on the market," replied Tom, on his guard as to how
he answered.
The two men whispered together for a moment, and then Mr. Turbot said:
"Well, as I remarked, we're men of business, and there's no use beating
about the bush. We've heard of you, Tom Swift, and we know you can do
things. Usually, in this world, every man has his price, and we're
willing to pay big to get what we want. I don't know what offer Mr.
Period made to you, but I'll say this: We'll give you double what he
offered, for the exclusive rights to your camera, whenever it's on the
market, and we'll pay you a handsome salary to work for us."
"I'm sorry, but I can't consider the offer," replied Tom firmly. "I
have given my word to Mr. Period. I have a contract with him, and I
cannot break it."
"Offer him three times what Period did," said Mr. Eckert, in a hoarse
whisper that Tom heard.
"It would be useless!" exclaimed our hero. "I wouldn't go back on my
word for a hundred times the price I am to get. I am not in this
business so much for the money, as I am for the pleasure of it."
The men were silent a moment. There were ugly looks on their faces.
They looked sharply at Tom and Ned. Then Mr. Eckert said:
"You'll regret this, Tom Swift. We are the biggest firm of moving
picture promoters in the world. We always get what we want."
"You won't get my camera," replied Tom calmly.
"I don't know about that!" exclaimed Mr. Turbot, as he made a hasty
stride toward Tom, who stood in front of the door leading to the
shop--the shop where his camera, almost ready for use, was on a bench.
"I guess if we--"
"Koku!" suddenly called Tom.
The giant stepped into the front office. He had been standing near the
door, inside the main shop. Mr. Turbot who had stretched forth his
hand, as though to seize Tom, and his companion, who had advanced
toward Ned, fairly jumped back in fright at the sight of the big man.
"Koku," went on Tom, in even tones, "just show these gentlemen to the
front door--and lock it after them," he added significantly, as he
turned back into the shop, followed by Ned.
"Yes, Mr. Tom," answered the giant, and then, with his big hand, and
brawny fist, he gently turned the two men toward the outer door. They
were gasping in surprise as they looked at the giant.
"You'll be sorry for this, Tom Swift!" exclaimed Mr. Turbot. "You'll
regret not having taken our offer. This Period chat is only a small
dealer. We can do better by you. You'll regret--"
"You'll regret coming here again," snapped Tom, as he closed the door
of his shop, leaving Koku to escort the baffled plotters to their auto.
Shortly afterward Tom and Ned heard the car puffing away.
"Well, they came, just as Mr. Period said they would," spoke Tom,
slowly.
"Yes, and they went away again!" exclaimed Ned with a laugh. "They had
their trip for nothing. Say, did you see how they stared at Koku?"
"Yes, he's a helper worth having, in cases like these."
Tom wrote a full account of what had happened and sent it to Mr.
Period. He received in reply a few words, thanking him for his loyalty,
and again warning him to be on his guard.
In the meanwhile, work went on rapidly on the Wizard Camera. Briefly
described it was a small square box, with a lens projecting from it.
Inside, however, was complicated machinery, much too complicated for me
to describe. Tom Swift had put in his best work on this wonderful
machine. As I have said, it could be worked by a storage battery, by
ordinary electric current from a dynamo, or by hand. On top was a new
kind of electric light. This was small and compact, but it threw out
powerful beams. With the automatic arrangement set, and the light
turned on, the camera could be left at a certain place after dark, and
whatever went on in front of it would be reproduced on the moving roll
of film inside.
In the morning the film could be taken out, developed, and the pictures
thrown on a screen in the usual way, familiar to all who have been in a
moving picture theatre. With the reproducing machines Tom had nothing
to do, as they were already perfected. His task had been to make the
new-style camera, and it was nearly completed.
A number of rolls of films could be packed into the camera, and they
could be taken out, or inserted, in daylight. Of course after one film
had been made, showing any particular scene any number of films could
be made from this "master" one. Just as is done with the ordinary
moving picture camera. Tom had an attachment to show when one roll was
used, and when another needed inserting.
For some time after the visit of the rival moving picture men, Tom was
on his guard. Both house and shop were fitted with burglar alarms, but
they did not ring. Eradicate and Koku were told to be on watch, but
there was nothing for them to do.
"Well," remarked Tom to Ned, one afternoon, when they had both worked
hard, "I think it's about finished. Of course it needs polishing, and
there may be some adjusting to do, but my camera is now ready to take
pictures--at least I'm going to give it a test."
"Have you the rolls of films?"
"Yes, half a dozen of 'em And I'm going to try the hardest test first."
"Which one is that?"
"The night test. I'm going to place the camera out in the yard, facing
my shop. Then you and I, and some of the others, will go out, pass in
front of it, do various stunts, and, in the morning we'll develop the
films and see what we have."
"Why, are you going to leave the camera out, all night?"
"Sure. I'm going to give it the hardest kind of a test."
"But are you and I going to stay up all night to do stunts in front of
it?"
"No, indeed. I'm going to let it take what ever pictures happen to come
along to be taken after we get through making some special early ones.
You see my camera will be a sort of watch dog, only of course it won't
catch any one--that is, only their images will be caught on the film.
"Oh, I see," exclaimed Ned, and then he helped Tom fix the machine for
the test.