A NEW IDEA
Any one who has taken a flight in an aeroplane or gone up in a balloon,
will know exactly how Mary Nestor felt on this, her first sky ride of
any distance. For a moment, as she looked over the side of the machine,
she had a distinct impression, not that she was going up, but that some
one had pulled the earth down from beneath her and, at the same time,
given her a shove off into space. Such is the first sensation of going
aloft. Then the rush of air all about her, the slightly swaying motion
of the craft, and the vibration caused by the motor took her attention.
But the sensation of the earth dropping away from beneath her remained
with Mary for some time.
This sensation is much greater in a balloon than in an aeroplane, for a
balloon, unless there is a strong wind blowing, goes straight up, while
an aeroplane ascends on a long slant, and always into the teeth of the
wind, to take advantage of its lifting power on the underside of the
planes. The reason for this sensation--that of the earth's dropping
down, instead of one's feeling, what really happens, that one is
ascending--is because there are no objects by which comparison can be
made. If one starts off on the earth's surface at slow, or at great
speed, one passes stationary objects--houses, posts, trees, and the
like--and judges the speed by the rapidity with which these are left
behind.
Going up is unlike this. There is nothing to pass. One simply cleaves
the air, and only as it rushes past can one be sure of movement. And as
the air is void of color and form, there is no sensation of passing
anything.
So Mary Nestor, as she shot into the air with Tom Swift, had a
sensation as though the earth were dropping from beneath her. For a
moment she felt as though she were in some vast void--floating in
space--and she had a great fear. Then she calmed herself. She looked at
Tom sitting in front of her. Of course, all she could see was his back,
but it looked to be a very sturdy back, indeed, and he sat there in the
aircraft as calmly as though in a chair on the ground. Then Mary took
courage, and ceased to grasp the sides of the cockpit with a grip that
stiffened all her muscles. She was beginning to "find herself."
On and on, and up and up, went Mary and Tom, in this the girl's first
big sky ride. The earth below seemed farther and farther away. The
wide, green fields became little emerald squares, and the houses like
those in a toy Noah's ark.
Down below, Mr. Wakefield Damon, who had hurried over from his home in
Waterfield to see Tom Swift, gazed aloft at the fast disappearing
aeroplane and its passengers.
"Bless my coal bin!" cried the eccentric man, "but Tom is in a hurry
this morning. Too bad he couldn't have stopped and spoken to me. It
might have been greatly to his advantage. But I suppose I shall have to
wait."
"You want to see Master?" asked a voice behind Mr. Damon, and, turning,
he beheld a veritable giant.
"Yes, Koku, I did," Mr. Damon answered, and he did not appear at all
surprised at the sight of the towering form beside him. "I wanted to
see Tom most particularly. But I shall have to wait. I'll go in and
talk to Mr. Swift."
"Yaas, an' I go talk to Radicate," said the giant. "Him diggin' up
ground where Master told me to make garden. Radicate not strong enough
for dat!"
"Huh! there's trouble as soon as those two get to disputing," mused Mr.
Damon, as he went toward the house.
Meanwhile, Mary was beginning to enjoy herself. The sensation of moving
rapidly through the air in a machine as skillfully guided as was the
one piloted by Tom Swift was delightful. Up and up they went, and then
suddenly Mary felt a lurch, and the plane, which was now about a
thousand feet high, seemed to slip to one side.
Mary screamed, and began reaching for the buckle of the safety belt
that fastened her to her seat. She saw that something unusual had
occurred, for Tom was working frantically at the mechanism in front of
him.
But, in spite of this, he seemed aware that Mary was in danger, not so
much, perhaps, from what might happen to the machine, as what she might
do in her terror.
"Oh! Oh!" cried the girl, and Tom heard her above the terrific noise of
the motor, for she was speaking with her lips close to the tube that
served as a sort of inter-communicating telephone for the craft. "Oh,
we are falling! I'm going to jump!"
"Sit still! Sit still for your life!" cried Tom Swift. "I'll save you
all right! Only sit still! Don't jump!"
Mary, her red cheeks white, sank back, and the young inventor redoubled
his efforts at the controls and other mechanisms.
And that Tom was perfectly qualified to make a safe landing, even with
engine trouble, Mary Nestor well knew. Those of you who have read the
previous books of this series know it also, but, for the benefit of my
new readers, I shall state that this was by no means Tom's first ride
in an aeroplane.
He had operated and built gasoline engines ever since he was about
sixteen years old. As related in the initial volume of this series,
entitled, "Tom Swift and His Motorcycle," he became possessed of this
machine after it had started to climb a tree with Mr. Damon on board.
After that experience the eccentric man--blessing everything he could
think of--had no liking for the speedy motorcycle and sold it to Tom at
a low price.
That was the beginning of a friendship between the two, and also
started Tom on his career as an inventor and a possessor of many
gasoline craft. For he was not content with merely riding the repaired
motorcycle. He made improvements on it.
Tom lived with his father in the town of Shopton, their home being
looked after, since the death of Mrs. Swift, by Mrs. Baggert. Mr.
Wakefield Damon lived in the neighboring town of Waterfield, and spent
much time at Tom's home, often going on trips with him in various
vehicles of the land, sea or air.
As related in the various volumes of this series, Tom was not content
to remain on earth. He built a speedy motor boat, and then secured an
airship, following that with a submarine. He also made an electric
runabout that was the speediest car on the road. Sending wireless
messages, having thrilling experiences among the diamond makers,
journeying to the caves of ice, and making perilous trips in his sky
racer took up part of the young inventor's time.
With his electric rifle he did some wonderful shooting, and in the
"City of Gold" made some strange discoveries, part of the fortune he
secured enabling him to build his sky racer. It was in a land of giants
that Tom was made captive, but he succeeded in escaping, and brought
two giants, of whom Koku was one, away with him.
Following this achievement Tom invented a wizard camera and a great
searchlight, which, with his giant cannon, was purchased by the United
States Government. Work on his photo-telephone and his aerial warship,
the problem of digging a big tunnel, and then traveling to the land of
wonders, kept Tom Swift very busy, and he had just completed a
wonderful piece of work when the present story opens.
This last achievement was the perfecting of a machine to aid in the
great World War and you will find the details set down in the volume
which immediately precedes this. "Tom Swift and His War Tank," it is
called, and in that is related how he not only invented a marvelous
machine, but succeeded in keeping its secret from the plotters who
tried to take it from him. In this Tom was helped by the inspiration of
Mary Nestor, whom he hoped some day to marry, and by Ned Newton, a
chum, who, though no inventor himself, could admire one.
Ned and Tom had been chums a long while, but Ned inclined more to
financial and office matters than to machinery. At times he had managed
affairs for Tom, and helped him finance projects. Ned was now an
important bank official, and since the United States had entered the
war had had charge of some Red Cross work, as well as Liberty Bond
campaigns.
Somehow, as she sat there in the craft which seemed disabled, Mary
Nestor could not help thinking of Tom's many activities, in some of
which she had shared.
"Oh, if he falls now, and is killed!" she thought. "Oh, what will
happen to us?"
"It's all right, Mary! Don't worry! It's all right!" cried Tom, through
the speaking tube.
"What's that? I can't hear you very well!" she called back.
"No wonder, with the racket this motor is making," he answered. "Why
can't something be done so you can talk in an aeroplane as well as in a
balloon? That's an idea! If I could tell you what was the matter now
you wouldn't be a bit frightened, for it isn't anything. But, as it
is--"
"What are you saying, Tom? I can't hear you!" cried Mary, still much
frightened.
"I say it's all right--don't get scared. And don't jump!" Tom shouted
until his ears buzzed. "It's all nonsense--having a motor making so
much noise one can't talk!" he went on, irritatedly.
A strange idea had come to the young inventor, but there was no time to
think of it now. Mentally he registered a vow to take up this idea and
work on it as soon as possible. But, just now, the aeroplane needed all
his attention.
As he had told Mary, there was really nothing approaching any great
danger. But it was rather an anxious moment. If Tom had been alone he
would have thought little of it, but with Mary along he felt a double
responsibility.
What had happened was that the craft had suddenly gone into an "air
pocket" or partial vacuum, and there had been a sudden fall and a slide
slip. In trying to stop this too quickly Tom had broken one of his
controls, and he was busily engaged in putting an auxiliary one in
place and trying to reassure Mary at the same time.
"But it's mighty hard trying to do that through a speaking tube with a
motor making a noise like a boiler factory," mused the young inventor.
Tom worked quickly and to good purpose. In a few moments, though to
Mary they seemed like hours, the machine was again gliding along on a
level keel, and Tom breathed more easily.
"And now for my great idea!" he told himself.
But it was some time before he could give his attention to that.