CHAPTER VI
THE AERIAL WARSHIP
Ned Newton looked at Tom questioningly. Then he glanced at theunsuspicious colored man, who was industriously polishing thehalf-dollar the mysterious stranger had given him.
"Rad, just exactly what sort of a man was this one you speak of?" askedTom.
"Why, he were a gen'man--"
"Yes, I know that much. You've said it before. But was he anEnglishman, an American--or--"
Tom paused and waited for an answer.
"I think he were a Frenchman," spoke Eradicate. "I done didn't see himeat no frogs' laigs, but he smoked a cigarette dat had a funny smell,and he suah was monstrous polite. He suah was a Frenchman. I think."
Tom and Ned laughed at Eradicate's description of the man, but Tom'sface was soon grave again.
"Tell us more about him, Rad," he suggested. "Did he seem especiallyinterested in the fire?"
"No, sah, Massa Tom, he seemed laik he was more special interested inmah mule, Boomerang. He done asted how long I had him, an' how much Iwanted fo' him, an' how old he was."
"But every once in a while he put in some question about the fire, orabout our shops, didn't he, Rad?" Tom wanted to know.
The colored man scratched his kinky head, and glanced with a queer lookat Tom.
"How yo' all done guess dat?" he asked.
"Answer my question," insisted Tom.
"Yes, sah, he done did ask about yo', and de wuks, ebery now and den,"Rad confessed. "But how yo' all knowed dat, Massa Tom, when I werea-tellin' yo' all about him astin' fo' mah mule, done gets me--dat'swhat it suah does."
"Never mind, Rad. He asked questions about the plant, that's all I wantto know. But you didn't tell him much, did you?"
Eradicate looked reproachfully at his master.
"Yo' all done knows me bettah dan dat, Massa Tom," the old colored mansaid. "Yo' all know yo' done gib orders fo' nobody t' talk about yo'projections."
"Yes, I know I gave those orders," Tom said, with a smile, "but I wantto make sure that they have been followed."
"Well, I done follered 'em, Massa Tom."
"Then you didn't tell this queer stranger, Frenchman, or whatever heis, much about my place?"
"I didn't tell him nuffin', sah. I done frowed dust in his eyes."
Ned uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"Eradicate is speaking figuratively," Tom said, with a laugh.
"Dat's what I means," the colored man went on. "I done fooled him. Whenhe asted me about de fire I said it didn't do no damage at all--in fackdat we'd rather hab de fire dan not hab it, 'case it done gib us achance t' practice our hose drill."
"That's good," laughed Tom. "What else?"
"Well, he done sort ob hinted t' me ef we all knowed how de fire donestart. I says as how we did, dat we done start it ourse'ves fo'practice, an dat we done expected it all along, an' were ready fo' it.Course I knows dat were a sort of fairy story, Massa Tom, but den datcigarette-smokin' Frenchman didn't hab no right t' asted me so manyquestions, did he?"
"No, indeed, Rad. And I'm glad you didn't give him straight answers. Sohe's coming here later on, is he?"
"T' see ef I wants t' sell mah mule, Boomerang, yais, sah. I sort obthought maybe you'd want t' hab a look at dat man, so I tole him t'come on. Course I doan't want t' sell Boomerang, but ef he was t' offerme a big lot ob money fo' him I'd take it."
"Of course," Tom answered. "Very well, Rad. You may go on now, anddon't say anything to anyone about what you have told me."
"I won't, Massa Tom," promised the colored man, as he went offmuttering to himself.
"Well, what do you make of it, Tom?" asked Ned of his chum, as theywalked on toward the shed of the new, big aerial warship.
"I don't know just what to think, Ned. Of course things like this havehappened before--persons trying to worm secrets out of Eradicate, orsome of the other men."
"They never succeeded in getting much, I'm glad to say, but it alwayskeeps me worried for fear something will happen," Tom concluded.
"But about this Frenchman?"
"Well, he must be a new one. And, now I come to think of it, I did hearsome of the men speaking about a foreigner--a stranger--being aroundtown last week. It was just a casual reference, and I paid littleattention to it. Now it looks as though there might be something in it."
"Do you think he'll come to bargain with Eradicate about the mule?" Nedasked.
"Hardly. That was only talk to make Eradicate unsuspicious. Thestranger, whoever he was, sized Rad up partly right. I surmised, whenRad said he asked a lot of questions about the mule, that was only todivert suspicion, and that he'd come back to the subject of the fireevery chance he got."
"And you were right."
"Yes, so it seems. But I don't believe the fellow will come aroundhere. It would be too risky. All the same, we'll be prepared for him.I'll just rig up one of my photo-telephone machines, so that, if hedoes come to have a talk with Rad, we can both see and hear him."
"That's great, Tom! But do you think this fellow had anything to dowith the fire?"
"I don't know. He knew about it, of course. This isn't the first firewe've had in the works, and, though we always fight them ourselves,still news of it will leak out to the town. So he could easily haveknown about it. And he might be in with those who set it, for I firmlybelieve the fire was set by someone who has an object in injuring me."
"It's too bad!" declared Ned. "Seems as though they might let youalone, if they haven't gumption enough to invent things for themselves."
"Well, don't worry. Maybe it will come out all right," returned Tom."Now, let's go and have a look at my aerial warship. I haven't shown itto you yet. Then we'll get ready for that mysterious Frenchman, if hecomes--but I don't believe he will."
The young inventor unlocked the door of the shed where he kept hislatest "pet," and at the sight which met his eyes Ned Newton uttered anexclamation of surprise.
"Tom, what is it?" he cried in an awed voice.
"My aerial warship!" was the quiet answer.
Ned Newton gave vent to a long whistle, and then began a detailedexamination of the wonderful craft he saw before him. That is, he madeas detailed an examination as was possible under the circumstances, forit was a long time before the young bank clerk fully appreciated allTom Swift had accomplished in building the Mars, which was the warlikename painted in red letters on the big gas container that tugged andswayed overhead.
"Tom, however did you do it?" gasped Ned at length.
"By hard work," was the modest reply. "I've been at this for a longertime than you'd suppose, working on it at odd moments. I had a lot ofhelp, too, or I never could have done it. And now it is nearly allfinished, as far as the ship itself is concerned. The only thing thatbothers me is to provide for the recoil of the guns I want to carry.Maybe you can help me with that. Come on, now, I'll explain how theaffair works, and what I hope to accomplish with it."
In brief Tom's aerial warship was a sort of German Zeppelin type ofdirigible balloon, rising in the air by means of a gas container, or,rather, several of them, for the section for holding the lifting gaselement was divided by bulkheads.
The chief difference between dirigible balloons and ordinaryaeroplanes, as you all know, is that the former are lifted from theearth by a gas, such as hydrogen, which is lighter than air, while theaeroplane lifts itself by getting into motion, when broad, flat planes,or surfaces, hold it up, just as a flat stone is held up when you sailit through the air. The moment the stone, or aeroplane, loses itsforward motion, it begins to fall.
This is not so with a dirigible balloon. It is held in the air by meansof the lifting gas, and once so in the air can be sent in any directionby means of propellers and rudders.
Tom's aerial warship contained many new features. While it was as largeas some of the war-type Zeppelins, it differed from them materially.But the details would be of more interest to a scientific builder ofsuch things than to the ordinary reader, so I will n
ot weary you withthem.
Sufficient to say that Tom's craft consisted first of a greatsemi-rigid bag, or envelope, made of specially prepared oiled silk andaluminum, to hold the gas, which was manufactured on board. There werea number of gas-tight compartments, so that if one, or even if a numberof them burst, or were shot by an enemy, the craft would still remainafloat.
Below the big gas bag was the ship proper, a light but strong and rigidframework about which were built enclosed cabins. These cabins, orcompartments, housed the driving machinery, the gas-generating plant,living, sleeping and dining quarters, and a pilot-house, whence theship could be controlled.
But this was not all.
Ned, making a tour of the Mars, as she swayed gently in the big shed,saw where several aluminum pedestals were mounted, fore and aft and oneither beam of the ship.
"They look just like places where you intend to mount guns," said Nedto Tom.
"And that's exactly what they are," the young inventor replied. "Ihave the guns nearly ready for mounting, but I can't seem to think of away of providing for the recoil. And if I don't take care of that, I'mlikely to find my ship coming apart under me, after we bombard theenemy with a broadside or two."
"Then you intend to fight with this ship?" asked Ned.
"Well, no; not exactly personally. I was thinking of offering it to theUnited States Government. Foreign nations are getting ready largefleets of aerial warships, so why shouldn't we? Matters in Europe aremighty uncertain. There may be a great war there in which aerial craftwill play a big part. I am conceited enough to think I can build onethat will measure up to the foreign ones, and I'll soon be in aposition to know."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I have already communicated with our government experts, andthey are soon to come and inspect this craft. I have sent them wordthat it is about finished. There is only the matter of the guns, andsome of the ordnance officers may be able to help me out with asuggestion, for I admit I am stuck!" exclaimed Tom.
"Then you're going to do the same with this aerial warship as you didwith your big lantern and that immense gun you perfected?" asked Ned.
"That's right," confirmed Tom. My former readers will know to what NedNewton referred, and those of you who do not may learn the details ofhow Tom helped Uncle Sam, by reading the previous volumes, "Tom Swiftand His Great Searchlight," and "Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon."
"When do you expect the government experts?" Ned asked.
"Within a few days, now. But I'll have to hustle to get ready for them,as this fire has put me back. There are quite a number of details Ineed to change. Well, now, let me explain about that gun recoilbusiness. Maybe you can help me."
"Fire away," laughed Ned. "I'll do the best I can."
Tom led the way from the main shed, where the aerial warship washoused, to a small private office. As Ned entered, the door, pulled bya strong spring, swung after him. He held back his hand to prevent itfrom slamming, but there was no need, for a patent arrangement took upall the force, and the door closed gently. Ned looked around, not muchsurprised, for the same sort of door-check was in use at his bank. Buta sudden idea came to him.
"There you are, Tom!" he cried. "Why not take up the recoil of the gunson your aerial warship by some such device as that?" and Ned pointed tothe door-check.