CHAPTER IV
MR. DAMON'S WHIZZER
Characteristic it was of Tom Swift that he did not seem at allsurprised at what most young men would call a liberal offer. Certainlynot many youths of Tom's age would be sought out by a big manufacturingconcern, and offered ten thousand dollars a year "right off the reel,"as Ned Newton expressed it later. But Tom only smiled and shook hishead in negation.
"What!" cried Mr. Gale, "you mean you won't accept our offer?"
"I can't," answered Tom.
"You can't!" exclaimed the treasurer, Mr. Ware. "Oh, I see. Mr. Gale, aword with you. Excuse us a moment," he added to Tom and his father.
The two men consulted in a corner of the library for a moment, andthen, with smiles on their faces, once more turned toward the younginventor.
"Well, perhaps you are right, Tom Swift," said Mr. Gale. "Of course, werecognize your talents and ability, but you cannot blame us for tryingto get talent, as well as material for our airships, in the cheapestmarket. But we are not hide-bound, nor sticklers for any set sum. We'llmake that offer fifteen thousand dollars a year, if you will sign afive-year contract and agree that we shall have first claim on anythingand everything you may patent or invent in that time. Now, how doesthat strike you? Fifteen thousand dollars a year--paid weekly if youwish, and our Mr. Ware, here, has a form of contract which can be fixedup and signed within ten minutes, if you agree."
"Well, I don't like to be disagreeable," said Tom with a smile; "but,really, as I said before, I can't accept your very kind offer. I maysay liberal offer. I appreciate that."
"You can't accept!" cried Mr. Gale.
"Are you sure you don't mean 'won't'?" asked Mr. Ware, in a half growl.
"You may call it that if you like," replied Tom, a bit coolly, for hedid not like the other's tone, "Only, as I say, I cannot accept. I haveother plans."
"Oh, you--" began the brusk treasurer, but Mr. Gale, the president ofthe Universal Flying Machine Company, stopped his associate with awarning look.
"Just a moment, Mr. Swift," begged the president. "Don't be hasty. Weare prepared to make you a last and final offer, and I do not believeyou can refuse it."
"Well, I certainly will not refuse it without hearing it," said Tom,with a smile he meant to make good-natured. Yet, truth to tell, he didnot at all like the two visitors. There was something about them thataroused his antagonism, and he said later that even if they had offeredhim a sum which he felt he ought not, in justice to himself and hisfather, refuse, he would have felt a distaste in working for a companyrepresented by the twain.
"This is our offer," said Mr. Gale, and he spoke in a pompous mannerwhich seemed to say: "If you don't take it, why, it will be the worsefor you." He looked at his treasurer for a confirmatory nod and,receiving it, went on. "We are prepared to offer and pay you, and willenter into such a contract, with the stipulation about the inventionsthat I mentioned before--we are prepared to pay you--twenty thousanddollars a year! Now what do you say to that, Tom Swift?
"Twenty-thousand-dollars-a-year!" repeated Mr. Gale unctuously, rollingthe words off his tongue. "Twen-ty-thou-sand-dol-lars-a-year! Think ofit!"
"I am thinking of it," said Tom Swift gently, "and I thank you for youroffer. It is, indeed, very generous. But I must give you the sameanswer. I cannot accept."
"Tom!" exclaimed his aged father.
"Mr. Swift!" exclaimed the two visitors.
Tom smiled and shook his head.
"Oh, I know very well what I am saying, and what I am turning down," hesaid. "But I simply cannot accept. I have other plans. I am sorry youhave had your trip for nothing," he added to the visitors, "but,really, I must refuse."
"Is that your final answer?" asked Mr. Gale.
"Yes."
"Don't you want to take a day or two to think it over?" asked thetreasurer. "Don't be hasty. Remember that very few young men cancommand that salary, and I may say you will find us liberal in otherways. You would have some time to yourself."
"That is what I most need," returned Tom. "Time to myself. No, thankyou, gentlemen, I cannot accept."
"Be careful!" warned Mr. Gale, and it sounded as though there might bea threat in his voice. "This is our last offer, and your last chance.We will not renew this. If you do not accept our twenty thousanddollars now, you will never get it again."
"I realize that," said Tom, "and I am prepared to take the consequences.
"Very well, then," said Mr. Gale. "There seems nothing for us to do,Mr. Ware, but to go back to New York. I bid you good-day," and he bowedstiffly to Tom. "I hope you will not regret your refusal of our offer."
"I hope so myself," said Tom, lightly.
When the visitors had gone Mr. Swift turned toward his son, and,shaking his head, remarked:
"Of course, you know your own business best, Tom. Yet I cannot but feelyou have made a mistake."
"How?" asked Tom. "By not taking that money? I can easily make that ina year, with an idea I have in mind for an improvement on an airship.And your new electric motor will soon be ready for the market. Besides,we don't really need the money."
"No, not now, Tom, but there is no telling when we may," said Mr.Swift, slowly. "This big war has made many changes, and things thatbrought us in a good income before, hardly sell at all, now."
"Oh, don't worry, Dad! We still have a few shots left in the locker--inother words, the bank. I'm expecting Ned Newton over any moment now, togive us the annual statement of our account, and then we'll know wherewe stand. I'm not afraid from the money end. Our business has donewell, and it is going to do better. I have a new idea."
"That's all very well, Tom," said Mr. Swift, who seemed oppressed bysomething. "As you say, money isn't everything, and I know we shallalways have enough to live on. But there is something about those twomen I do not like. They were very angry at your refusal of their offer.I could see that. Tom, I don't want to be a croaker, but I think you'llhave to watch out for those men. They're going to be your enemies--yourrivals in the airship field," and Mr. Swift shook his head dolefully.
"Well, rivalry, when it's clean and above board, is the spice of tradeand invention," returned Tom, lightly. "I'm not afraid of that."
"No, but it may be unfair and underhand," said Mr. Swift. "I think itwould have been better, Tom, to have accepted their offer. Twentythousand a year, clear money, is a good sum."
"Yes, but I may make twice that with something that occurred to me onlya little while ago. Forget about those men, Dad, and I'll tell you mynew idea. But wait, I want Mr. Damon to hear it, too. Where is he?"
"He was here a little while ago. He went out when those two men cameand--"
At that moment, from the garden at the side of the library, the soundof voices in dispute could be heard.
"Now yo' all g'wan 'way from yeah!" exclaimed some one who could benone other than Eradicate Sampson. "Whut fo' yo' all want to clutter updish yeah place fo'? Massa Tom said I was to do de garden wuk, an' I'segwine to do it! G'wan 'way, Giant!"
"Ho! You want me to get out, s'pose you put me, black face!" cried abig voice, that of Koku, the giant.
"There they go! At it again!" cried Tom with a smile. "Might have knownif I told Rad to do anything that Koku would be jealous. Well, I'llhave to go out now and give that giant something to do that will taxhis strength."
But as Tom was about to leave the room another voice was heard in thegarden.
"Now, boys, be nice," said some one soothingly. "The garden is largeenough for you both to work in. Rad, you begin at the lower end andspade toward the middle. Koku, you begin at the upper end and workdown. Whoever gets to the middle first will win."
"Ha! Den I'll show dat giant some spade wuk as is spade wuk!" cried thecolored man. "Garden wuk is mah middle name."
"Be careful, Rad!" laughed Mr. Damon, for he it was who was trying toact as peacemaker. "Remember that Koku is very strong."
"Yas, sah! He may be strong, but he's clumsy!" chuckled Eradicate. "Youwatch me bea
t him!"
"Ho! Black man get stuck in mud!" challenged Koku. "I show him!"
Then there was silence, and Tom and his father, looking out, saw thetwo disputants beginning to spade the soil while Mr. Damon, satisfiedthat he had, for the time being, stopped a quarrel, turned toward thehouse.
"I was just coming to look for you," said Tom. "Sorry I had to go offin such a hurry and leave you, but I had promised to take Mary for aride, and as it was her first one, for a distance, I didn't want her toback out."
"That's all right, Tom, that's all right!" said Mr. Damon genially."Ladies first every time. But I do want to see you, and it's aboutsomething important."
"No trouble, I hope?" queried Tom, for the manner of the eccentric manwas rather grave.
"Trouble? Oh, no! Bless my frying pan, no trouble, Tom! In fact, it maybe the other way about. Tom, I have an idea, and there may be millionsin it! That's it--millions!"
"Good!" cried the young inventor. "Might as well bite off a big lumpwhile you're at it. So you have a new idea! Well, I have myself, butI'll listen to yours first. What is it, Mr. Damon?"
"It's a new kind of airship, Tom. I haven't got it all worked out yet,but I can give you a rough outline. On my way over I got to thinkingabout balloons, aeroplanes and the like, and it occurred to me that thepresent principles are all wrong."
"So I evolved a new type of machine. I'm going to call it the DamonWhizzer. Maybe Demon Whizzer would be more appropriate, but we won'tdecide on that now. Anyhow, it's going to be a whizzer, and I want totalk to you about it. There is an entirely new principle of elevationand propulsion involved in my Whizzer, and I--"
At that moment there came a crash and clatter of steel and wood fromthe garden, out of sight of which Tom and Mr. Damon had walked whiletalking. Then followed a jangle of words.
"They're at it again!" cried Tom, as he ran toward the side of thehouse. "I guess it's a fight this time!"