CHAPTER VII
A FORCED LANDING
Josephus Baxter seemed to have recovered some of his spirits after hisnarrow escape from death in the fireworks factory blaze. He greeted Tomand Ned with a smile as they entered the improvised laboratory he hadbeen able to set up in what had once been a factory for the making ofwooden ware, an industry that, for some reason, did not flourish inShopton.
"I'm glad to see you, Mr. Swift," said the chemist, who seemed to haveaged several years in the few weeks that had intervened since the fire."I want to thank you for giving me a chance to start over again."
"Oh, that's all right," said Tom easily. "We inventors ought to helpone another. Are you able to do anything here?"
"As much as possible without my secret formulae," was the answer. "If Ionly had those back from the rascals, Field and Melling, I would beable to go ahead faster. As it is, I am working in the dark. For someof the formulae were given to me by a Frenchman, and I had only onecopy. I kept that in the safe of the fireworks concern, and after thefire it could not be found."
"Was the safe destroyed?" asked Tom.
"No. But the doors were open, and much of what had been inside was inashes and cinders. Amos Field claimed that the explosion had blown openthe safe and burned a lot of their valuable fireworks formulae too."
"And you believe they have yours?" asked Ned.
"I'm sure of it!" was the fierce answer. "Those men are unprincipledrogues! They had been at me ever since I was foolish enough to tellthem about my formulae to get me to sell them a share. But I refused,for I knew the secret mixtures would make my fortune when I couldestablish a new dye industry. Field and Melling claimed they wanted theformulae for their fireworks, but that was only an excuse. The formulaewere not nearly so valuable for pyrotechnics as for dyes. The fireworksbusiness is not so good, either, since so many cities have voted for a'Sane Fourth of July.'"
"I can appreciate that," said Tom. "But what we called for, Mr. Baxter,is to find if you have room enough to let me do a little experimentinghere. I am working on a new kind of fire extinguisher, to be dropped ontall buildings from an airship."
"Sounds like a good idea," said the chemist, rather dreamily.
"Well, I have the airship, and I can see my way clear to perfecting adevice to drop the chemicals in metal tanks or bombs," went on Tom."But what bothers me is the chemical mixture that will put out firesbetter than the carbon dioxide mixtures now on the market."
"I haven't given that much study myself," said Mr. Baxter. "But you arewelcome to anything I have, Mr. Swift. The whole place, such as it is,will be at your disposal at any time. I intend to have it in bettershape soon, but I have to proceed slowly, as I lost nearly everything Iowned in that fire. If I could only get those formulae back!" he sighed.
"Perhaps you may recall the combinations," suggested Ned. "Or can't youget them from that Frenchman?"
"He is dead," answered the chemist. "Everything seems to be against me!"
"Well, it's always darkest just before daylight," said Tom. "So let ushope for the best. We both have had a bit of bad luck. But when I thinkof Rad, who may lose his eyesight, I can stand my losses smiling."
"Yes," agreed Mr. Baxter, "you have big assets when you have yourhealth and eyesight."
Three days later the eye specialist looked at Rad. Tom stood byanxiously and waited for the verdict. The doctor motioned to the younginventor to follow him out of the room, while Mrs. Baggert replaced thebandages on the colored man's eyes and Koku stood near him,sympathetically patting Rad on the back.
"Well?" asked Tom nervously, as he faced the physician.
"I am sorry, Mr. Swift, that I can not hold out much hope that your manwill ever regain his sight," was the answer.
Tom could not repress a gasp of pity.
"I do not say that the case is altogether hopeless," the doctor wenton; "but it would be wrong to encourage you to hope for much. I may beable to save partly the sight of one eye."
"Poor Rad!" murmured Tom. "This will break his heart."
"There is no need for telling him at once," Dr. Henderson said. "Itwill only make his recovery so much the slower. It will be weeks beforeI am able to operate, and, meanwhile, he should be kept as comfortableand cheerful as possible."
"We'll see to that," declared Tom. "Is he otherwise injured?"
"No, it is merely his eyesight that we have to fear for. And, as Isaid, that is not altogether hopeless, though it would not be honest tolet you look for much success. I shall see him from time to time untilhis eyes are ready to operate on."
Tom and his friends were forced to take such comfort as they could fromthis verdict, but no hint of their downcast feelings were made manifestto Eradicate.
"Whut de doctor man done say, Massa Tom?" asked Eradicate when theyoung inventor went back into the sick room.
"Oh, he talked a lot of big Latin words, Rad--bigger words than youused to use on your mule Boomerang," and Tom forced a laugh. "All hemeant was that you'd have to stay in bed a while and let Koku wait onyou."
"Huh! Am dat--dat big--dat big nice man heah now?" asked Rad, feelingaround with his bandaged hand; and a smile showed beneath the clothover his eyes.
"I here right upsidedown by you, Rad," said Koku, and his big handclasped the smaller one of the black man.
"Koku--yo'--yo' am mighty good to me," murmured Eradicate. "I reckon Ibeen cross to yo' sometimes, but I didn't mean nuffin' by it!"
"Huh! me an' you good friends now," said the giant. "Anybody what hurtmy Rad, I--I--bust 'im! Dat I do!" cried the big fellow.
"Come on," whispered Tom to Ned. "They'll get along all right togethernow."
But Eradicate caught the sound of his young employer's footsteps andcalled:
"Yo' goin', Massa Tom?"
"Yes, Rad. Is there anything you want?"
"No, Massa Tom. I jest wanted to ast if yo' done 'membered de time mahmule Boomerang got stuck in de road, an' yo' couldn't git past in yo'auto? Does yo' 'member dat?"
"Indeed I do!" laughed Tom, and Eradicate also chuckled at therecollection.
"That laugh will do him more good than medicine," declared the doctor,as he took his leave. "I'll come again, when I can make a more thoroughexamination," he added.
For Tom the following days, that lengthened into weeks, were anxiousones. There was a constant worry over Eradicate. Then, too, he washaving trouble with his latest invention--his aerial fire-fightingapparatus. It was not that Tom was financially dependent on thisinvention. He was wealthy enough for his needs from other patentedinventions he and his father owned.
But Tom Swift was a lad not easily satisfied. Once embarked on anenterprise, whether it was the creation of a gigantic searchlight, anelectric rifle, a photo telephone or a war tank, he never rested untilhe had brought it to a successful consummation.
But there was something about this chemical fire extinguishing mixturethat defied the young inventor's best efforts. Mixture after mixturewas tried and discarded. Tom wanted something better than the usualcarbonate and sulphuric combination, and he was not going to rest untilhe found it.
"I think you've struck a blind lead, Tom," said Ned, more than once.
"Well, I'm not going to give up," was the firm answer.
"Bless my shoe laces!" cried Mr. Damon, when he had called on Tom onceat the Baxter laboratory and had been driven out, holding his breath,because of the chemical fumes, "I should think you couldn't even starta fire with that around, Tom, much less need to put one out."
"Well, it doesn't seem to work," said the young inventor ruefully."Everything I do lately goes wrong."
"It is that way sometimes," said Mr. Baxter. "Suppose you let me studyover your formulae a bit, Mr. Swift. I haven't given much thought tofire extinguishers, but I may be able, for that very reason, toapproach the subject from a new angle. I'll lay aside my attempt to getback the lost formulae and help you."
"I wish you would!" exclaimed Tom eagerly. "My head is woozie fromthinking! Suppos
e I leave you to yourself for a time, Mr. Baxter? I'llgo for an airship ride."
"Yes, do," urged the chemist. "Sometimes a change of scene is ofbenefit. I'll see what I can do for you."
"Will you come along, Ned--Mr. Damon?" asked Tom, as he prepared toleave the improvised laboratory, the repairs on his own not yet havingbeen finished.
"Thank you, no," answered Ned. "I have some collections to make."
"And I promised my wife I'd take her riding, Tom," said the jolly,eccentric man. "Bless my umbrella! she'd never forgive me if I went offwith you. But I'll run you to your first stopping place, Ned, and youto your hangar, Tom."
His invitation was accepted, and, in due season, Tom was soaring aloftin one of his speedy cloud craft.
"Guess I'll drop down and get Mary Nestor," he decided, after ridingabout alone for a while and finding that the motor was running sweetlyand smoothly. "She hasn't been out lately."
Tom made a landing in a field not far from the home of the girl hehoped to marry some day, and walked over to her house.
"Go for a ride? I just guess. I will!" cried Mary, with sparkling eyes."Just wait until I get on my togs."
She had a leather suit, as had Tom, and they were soon in the machine,which, being equipped with a self-starter, did not need the services ofa mechanician to whirl the propellers.
"Oh, isn't it glorious!" said Mary, as she sat at Tom's side. Theywere in a little enclosed cabin of the craft--which carried justtwo--and, thus enclosed, they could speak by raising their voicessomewhat, for the noise of the motor was much muffled, due to one ofTom's inventions.
Other rides on other days followed this one, for Tom found more restand better refreshment after his hours of toil and study in these rideswith Mary than in any other way.
"I do love these rides, Tom!" the girl cried one day when the two weresoaring aloft. "And this one I really believe is better than any of therest. Though I always think that," she added, with a slight laugh.
"Glad you like it," Tom answered, and there was something in his voicethat caused Mary to look curiously at him.
"What's the matter, Tom?" she asked. "Has anything happened? Is Rad'scase hopeless?"
"Oh, no, not yet. Of course it isn't yet sure that he will ever seeagain, but, on the other hand, it isn't decided that he can't. It's afifty-fifty proposition."
"But what makes you so serious?"
"Was I?"
"I should say so! You haven't told me one funny thing that Mr. Damonhas said lately."
"Oh, haven't I? Well, let me see now," and he sent the machine up alittle. "Well, the other day he--"
Tom suddenly stopped speaking and began rapidly turning several valvewheels and levers.
"What--what's the matter?" gasped Mary, but she did not clutch his arm.She knew better than that.
"The motor has stopped," Tom answered, and the girl became aware of acessation of the subdued hum.
"Is it--does it mean danger?" she asked.
"Not necessarily so," Tom replied. "It means we have to make a forcedlanding, that's all. Sit tight! We're going down rather faster thanusual, Mary, but we'll come out of it all right!"'