CHAPTER IV
A MURDEROUS ATTEMPT
"You drive, Tom," said Ned, for they had come from the Swift home in hiscar.
"O.K., and hang onto your hat!"
Tom Swift had once driven a fast racing auto of his own design and Nedknew his chum could get the most out of his roadster. In a few secondsthe little car reached the gate of the works, where the watchman haltedthem.
"Hang on to Your Hat."]
"Oh, an' 'tiz you agin, Misther Swift," said Malligan. "Sure, an' Iwouldn't have stopped yez but me orders is to inspect iveryone."
"You did right, Pat," commended Tom, shifting gears. "Good-night."
The Shopton Hospital was located a couple of miles from the Swift plant.Under the young scientist's guidance the roadster reached its entrancewithin a few minutes. At the information desk the boys were informedwhere Mr. Damon had been taken.
They Reached the Hospital]
"Room 302, Mr. Swift. Doctor Chilton is with him now."
Just as the boys reached Room 302 the physician came out. Tom was gladto note that the man was smiling.
"How is he, Doctor?"
"How Is He, Doctor?"]
"Hello, boys. Mr. Damon will be as good as new in a week or so. Barringa sprained wrist his injuries are trifling--a few bruises and a slightcut. From the way he's blessing everything in the place no one wouldthink he was hurt in the least!"
"I'm relieved," said Tom. "May we see him?"
"Go right in. He'll be glad to have some company. But don't stay toolong."
"Bless my operating table, if it isn't Tom and Ned!" exclaimed Mr.Damon, seeing his visitors enter. The eccentric gentleman was proppedup in bed by several pillows. His left arm was in a sling and around hishead was a big bandage. "You two got here almost as quickly as I did.But I'm glad they didn't have to carry you in!"
Mr. Damon Was Propped up in Bed]
"Your wife phoned me the news," explained Tom. "We're mighty glad youweren't injured badly. Tell us how it happened."
"It all occurred so suddenly that I hardly know myself. But I know onething!" Mr. Damon seemed very indignant. "The scoundrels deliberatelyran into my car!"
"The Scoundrels Ran into My Car!"]
"Did you get their license number?" inquired Ned Newton. "If you did,I'll call the police!"
"No, I couldn't see it in the dark. But I know the villains well enough.They were my two so-called relatives that I told you about--Jones andBrown! It was spite work for my refusal to tell 'em about your glass!"
Tom now saw the reason why Mrs. Damon was blaming him for the accident.
"My Two So-Called Relatives."]
"We'll notify the authorities and also do a little detective workourselves," he said. "We must leave now because the doctor wants you toget some rest."
"Come back again, boys. At any rate, I've escaped that house party!"
After reporting the accident at the local police station, Tom and Nedvisited all the garages and repair shops in the little town in anattempt to learn if any damaged machine had been brought in. They metwith no success, however.
They Visited All the Garages]
"Guess their bus wasn't hurt much," commented Ned as they left the lastplace. "We might as well give up for the night."
"The police will be on the job. Unless the two men hid the car somewhereit's sure to be found. The teletype will flash the word all through thestate."
The following morning the Police Chief telephoned Tom to tell him thatno trace of the mysterious Jones and Brown could be discovered, norhad any witness to the accident been located.
The Police Chief Called Tom]
Later Ned went to the hospital where he found Mr. Damon much improvedand able to sit up in a wheel chair. After a visit with him he attendedto some business at the bank. On returning to the Swift plant, he foundTom busy with his green disk, which once more was clamped to the littletelescope.
"Mr. Damon is a lot better," Ned reported, watching his friend's workcuriously. "When I left him he was blessing his hat and coat, so Isuppose he's eager to get out of the hospital."
Mr. Damon Was Much Improved]
"That's great," said Tom. "I knew he was getting along all right. I wastoo busy to go with you so I called Doctor Chilton. He told me that theX-ray showed no broken bones, but our friend must remain underobservation for a few days more."
"You've changed the wiring on the disk, haven't you?" asked Ned, whoknew a little about electricity.
"I Want to Try Alternating Current."]
"I want to try alternating current instead of direct and see if doing sowon't improve it. Dad suggested that. What is it, Koku?"
"Boy bringum letter for Master. Say must put name on book." The man heldout an envelope and pad.
"It's a radiogram. Sign for me, Ned, will you?"
Tom ripped open the envelope and glanced over the message.
"Bad news?" asked his chum, seeing a changed expression on theinventor's face.
Tom Ripped Open the Envelope]
"I should say so. Here, read it yourself. We might just as well forgetthe whole telescope idea, that's how bad it is!"
Ned took the sheet, which Tom had crumpled, spread it out on the desk,and read as follows:
"Regret inform you was compelled to jettison your cargo last night in bad storm to save ship. Approximate location four miles due east Port Baracoa, Cuba. Salvage boat take position at apex isosceles triangle 27.6 degrees with lighthouse and summit hill a mile to the south."
"(Signed) A. Mawson, Captain S.S. Perry."
"Was Compelled to Jettison Your Cargo."]
"Say, Tom, that IS tough, having your meteorite thrown overboard!"exclaimed Ned, rereading the message. "All your work wasted and yourmarvelous invention junked--"
"Not yet!" broke in the young scientist grimly as he grabbed thetelephone from his desk. "Hello, operator, get me long distance,please."
Tom Grabbed the Telephone]
"What are you going to do?" asked Ned excitedly.
"Get divers," replied Tom as he waited. "I'm going to recover thatmeteorite or know the reason--Oh, hello! Yes. I want the main office ofthe Neptune Salvage Company in New York City. No, I haven't the address.Yes, I'll hold the line.
"These people are experts," he told his chum while waiting for hiscall to be put through. "If the stone isn't in too deep water they'll beable to raise it if anyone can."
"I'm Going to Recover the Meteorite."]
"But how can they ever find it? Seems to me it'll be like hunting forthe proverbial needle in a haystack, only more so!"
"Not quite that bad. Captain Mawson gives what seem to be prettycomplete directions. You might try getting any further data the man mayhave."
"Captain Mawson Gave Directions."]
Unfortunately for Tom, as he learned in the next two hours, theNeptune Company and other salvage concerns he called were very busy andcould not spare a barge of the required size. Moreover, Ned could get nomore information, when he finally contacted the freighter, than hercommander had given already.
"Why doan yo' tak' yo' submarine boat down dere, Massa Tom?" askedEradicate as he served luncheon to the young inventor, his father andNed. "Ah 'members we once got some treasure off'n de bottom ob de seadat way."
Eradicate Served Luncheon]
"I did think of that, Rad," answered Tom a bit wearily, "but my shipisn't big enough to raise such a great weight."
"And so, son," said the elder Swift, "if you can't get the use of alarge salvage craft you will have to give up your project; is thatright?"
"That's right, Dad, and I surely hate to think of it. But I'm not goingto give up, even if I have to bring men and equipment from the Pacificcoast!"
"I'm Not Going to Give Up!"]
"That'd be mighty expensive," objected Ned. In his capacity as theSwifts' business manager, he had earned the nickname "watchdog of thetreasury." "Why not wait until some local firm can take the job?"
; "Too risky. You see, ocean currents or some submarine upheaval mightshift the big stone so great a distance that we could never find it.Don't forget that to the best of our knowledge the meteorite is the onlysource of X on earth."
"Ocean Currents Might Shift the Stone."]
"Hmm," frowned Mr. Swift. "I used to know an old fellow very well whowas in the diving business. Met him when we built the submarine'Advance'--you boys remember her--but I can't seem to recall his name.Let me see--Ha! I have it! Britten! That's it, John Britten, the bestsalvage man on the coast!"
"Maybe he's busy too," said Ned, "as all the others seem to be."
"Maybe He's Busy, Too."]
"I think not," replied the elderly scientist, "because he's retired.Yet I believe he'll undertake the job if I ask him as I once did him agreat favor. His salvaging outfit is in Florida, but he lives onDelaware Bay. I'll phone him at once."
"That's great, Dad!" cried Tom, his face lighting up with renewed hope."Tell him I'll bring him here by plane tomorrow. We can talk things overand start for Florida from here."
"He'll go," said Mr. Swift a few minutes later, turning away from thetelephone with a smile. "Said he'll be tickled to get back inharness."
"He'll Go," Said Mr. Swift]
"Thanks a million, Dad! You've saved the day!"
The following morning the boys hurried out to the Swift private airportto oversee the fueling of the huge plane Tom had decided to take. Atfirst he had thought of making the trip in his small two-seated racer,since it was the fastest craft in the hangar. Realizing, however, thatCaptain Britten might want to bring along considerable baggage, theyoung inventor had told Ned he felt it best to go in his flying boat.
They Fueled the Huge Plane]
The "Winged Arrow," in which Tom once had made a memorable rescue flightto Iceland, was equipped now with a retractable landing gear as well aswith pontoons, enabling the craft to descend on both land and water.Suddenly Tom became very excited as he looked at the hydroplane.
"Look, Ned!" he cried. "Can you beat that!"
"Look, Ned," Tom Cried]