CHAPTER VII
DEEP SEA DIVING
Swiftly the masked man took a bunch of keys from Tom's pocket. With adirectness that indicated familiarity with the place, he went straightto the rug covering the entrance to the secret vault. Throwing thisaside, he unlocked the trap door and quietly raised it. Thecombination lock, which gave warning if tampered with, had not been setfor the night.
He Unlocked the Trap Door]
Now the intruder very carefully draped the rug over the door in such away that it would spread itself as before when the trap should be closedfrom below. Two minutes later Tom was alone in the office, whichappeared exactly as it had before he was rendered unconscious. Yet therecrouched in the vault a hidden spy whose purpose was as sinister as hisappearance.
He Draped the Rug Over the Door]
"Mist' Swift, Massa Tom ain' come back fum de office yit," announced RadSampson as he placed the elderly inventor's nightly glass of hot milk onthe library table. "I wuz jest up t' his room to ax him suffin' an' hewuzn't dar."
"Well, I guess the boy is working a bit late tonight. But you sound atrifle anxious, Eradicate. Do you think anything is wrong?"
"Uh--Oh, no suh. No suh," mumbled the old Negro. "I jest wondered efyo'd seen him. Good night, suh! Good night!"
"Massa Tom Ain' Back Fum de Office."]
"Good night, Rad."
"Mustn't worry ole Mist' Swift," the servant muttered to himself as heshuffled back to the kitchen. "But Massa Tom tole me hisself he gwine t'baid early 'cause he gotta git up befo' sunrise.
"Look hyah, Koku," he went on when he got to the kitchen. "Quit stuffin'dat 'ar pie an' go out an' see ef Massa Tom all right. He ought t' havebin in de house long sence. I'se skeered mebbe some villains mought'vecotched him!"
"See Ef Massa Tom All Right."]
"Whoo!" growled the giant, jumping up so quickly that his big,specially-built chair crashed over. "Where um war-club? Me fixum!"
"Doan make sich a racket, yo' big lummox! Yo' want to skeer ol' Mist'Swift? Heah, take mah rollin'-pin."
Clutching the rolling pin as a "war-club," Koku started through thedarkness toward Tom's private laboratory. Following him at a discreetdistance came old Rad Sampson, who had armed himself with a bigbutcher knife.
Rad Followed]
"Dar's a light in de office, big boy," whispered the Negro. "Be keerful,now!"
The giant merely grunted, crept up to the window and peered within. Hisgreat height enabled him to do so easily. "Come," he said finally,turning toward the door. "We go in."
"Whut de matter?" demanded Eradicate, struggling to keep up with hiscompanion. "Am suffin' wrong? Mah goodness!" he cried a moment laterin the office. "Po' Massa Tom done been killed! Look at him a-layin'dere!"
The Giant Peered in the Window]
"Him no dead!" rumbled Koku, leaning over his master. "Him heart stillbeatum. Him need fresh air." Gently he picked Tom up and carried himoutside.
"I'll git a doctah!" exclaimed the old colored man. "Dey's a phone inheah."
"Him No Dead!" Rumbled Koku]
Before the physician could be reached, the beneficial effects of thecool night air had brought the young inventor back to consciousness. Atfirst he could not recall what had happened and was not a littleastonished to find himself lying on the grass.
"What in the world is the matter, Koku?" he demanded, pressing his handto his aching head. "What am I doing out here?"
"Master out, get knockum," said the giant. "We find you on desk. Radcallum medicine man now."
"What Am I Doing Here?"]
"A doctor? No, I'm all right. Tell him to cancel the call." Tommanaged to struggle to his feet. "I remember now! Some kind of gas musthave been used on me. But I must see to the office. Maybe I've beenrobbed."
Leaning heavily on the giant's arm, Tom walked as fast as he could intothe laboratory. At first glance everything seemed to be in order, and tohis relief he found the vault was locked.
The Vault Was Locked]
The young inventor did not know that a key was missing from his ring,nor, as he twirled the dial of the combination-lock, did he realize thata slender lever had been severed from below, thus rendering useless theintricate mechanism.
"Who done dis to you', Massa Tom?" asked Rad.
"Wish I knew. Anyhow, there's been no damage done except to me! Myhead's splitting, so I must get to bed. Koku, stay on guard here fromnow on until I return from Cuba. And get several of the men to relieveyou. Another thing: I don't want either of you to mention this affair toanyone. Dad would hear about it and worry."
"Koku, Stay on Guard Here."]
"If I catchum fella I breakum in little bits!" cried Koku fiercely. Heshook the rolling-pin vigorously. "Better him stay 'way fum me!"
Tom awoke the next morning little the worse for his experience. Thanksto a rugged constitution, he had been able to throw off the ill effectsof the poisonous fumes which had overcome him.
"Better Him Stay 'Way Fum Me!"]
"I can't make it out, Ned," he said as the boys stood watching themechanics warm up the engines of the big seaplane. "Nothing is missing.Whoever did the job didn't even rob me, and I had a good deal of cash inmy wallet."
"Maybe nobody made an attempt on you or your property at all, Tom," Nedremarked slowly.
"What d'you mean? I certainly was knocked out!"
"Oh, I know that. But couldn't some sort of gas have seeped into youroffice from your adjoining laboratory? A bottle of acid might havecracked, or--"
The Mechanics Warmed up the Engines]
"Nothing like that happened. I'm positive, because the same thoughtstruck me. I made a careful inspection this morning. Everything was inperfect order."
"It certainly is strange," said Ned. "It looks as if some enemy iscamping on your trail, Tom!"
"He'll have a hard time picking up that same trail in a few minutes,"chuckled the inventor. "Here come Captain Britten and Dad. I guess wecan take off soon."
"A Bottle of Acid Might Have Cracked."]
"So your sea-goin' air-yacht is ready to cast off, is she?" asked theold diver. "Well, when ye haul in the gangplank, so to speak, I'll beaboard!"
"Take care of yourself, son," said Barton Swift, shaking Tom's hand. "Ihope you will be successful in your attempt."
"Good-bye, Dad. And thanks."
"Doan git et up by no sharks or allygators!" cautioned Rad.
"Take Care of Yourself, Son."]
The mechanics had finished their work and were seen climbing down fromthe fuselage. The passengers took their places in the roomy cabin whileTom seated himself behind the controls.
After running a critical eye over the score of instruments he reachedfor the throttle and clutched the wheel tighter. The intermittentcoughing of the powerful motors changed to a deafening roar, and thehuge ship lumbered off down the long field, gathering speed everysecond.
Tom Sat Behind the Controls]
"We're off!" cried Ned, waving at the already distant figures leftbehind.
"And we'll bring home the meteorite!" muttered Tom to himself as the"Winged Arrow" glided smoothly toward the clouds lining the southernhorizon. "For I'm going to make the most wonderful telescope the worldhas ever known!"
"We're off!" Cried Ned]