CHAPTER VII
A SEARCHLIGHT IS NEEDED
For a few moments after the custom officer had made his appeal, TomSwift did not reply. His thoughts were busy with many things.Somehow, it seemed of late, there had been many demands on him,demands that had been hard and trying.
In the past he had not hesitated, but in those cases friendship, aswell as a desire for adventures, had urged him. Now he thought hehad had his fill of adventures.
"Well?" asked Mr. Whitford, gently. "What's your answer, Tom? Don'tyou think this is a sort of duty-call to you?"
"A duty-call?" repeated the young inventor.
"Yes. Of course I realize that it isn't like a soldier's call tobattle, but Uncle Sam needs you just the same. When there is a warthe soldiers are called on to repel an enemy. Now the smugglers arejust as much an enemy of the United States, in a certain way, as anarmed invader would be."
"One strikes at the life and liberty of the people, while thesmugglers try to cheat Uncle Sam out of money that is due him. I'mnot going to enter into a discussion as to the right of thegovernment to impose duties. People have their own opinion as tothat. But, as long as the law says certain duties are to becollected, it is the duty of every citizen, not only to pay thosedues, but to help collect them. That's what I'm asking you to do,Tom."
"I don't want to get prosy, or deliver a lecture on the work of thecustom house, Tom, but, honestly, I think it is a duty you owe toyour country to help catch these smugglers. I admit I'm at the endof my rope. This last clew has failed. The Fogers seem to beinnocent of wrong doing. We need your help, Tom."
"But I don't see how I can help you."
"Of course you can! You're an expert with airships. The smugglersare using airships, of that I'm sure. You tell me you have justperfected a noiseless aircraft. That will be just the thing. You canhover on the border, near the line dividing New York State fromCanada, or near the St. Lawrence, which is the natural division fora certain distance, and when you see an airship coming along you canslip up in your noiseless one, overhaul it, and make them submit toa search."
"But I won't have any authority to do that," objected Tom, whoreally did not care for the commission.
"Oh, I'll see that you get the proper authority all right," said Mr.Whitford significantly. "I made you a temporary deputy to-night, butif you'll undertake this work, to catch the smugglers in theirairships, you will be made a regular custom official."
"Yes, but supposing I can't catch them?" interposed our hero. "Theymay have very fast airships, and--"
"I guess you'll catch 'em all right!" put in Ned, who was at hischum's side as they walked along a quiet Shopton street in thedarkness. "There's not an aeroplane going that can beat yours, Tom."
"Well, perhaps I COULD get them," admitted the young inventor. "But--"
"Then you'll undertake this work for Uncle Sam?" interrupted Mr.Whitford eagerly. "Come, Tom, I know you will."
"I'm not so sure of that," spoke Tom. "It isn't going to be as easyas you think. There are many difficulties in the way. In the firstplace the smuggling may be done over such a wide area that it wouldneed a whole fleet of airships to capture even one of the others,for they might choose a most unfrequented place to cross theborder."
"Oh, we would be in communication with you," said the agent. "We cancome pretty near telling where the contraband goods will be shippedfrom, but the trouble is, after we get our tips, we can't get to theplace before they have flown away. But with your airship, you couldcatch them, after we sent you, say a wireless message, about whereto look for them. So that's no objection. You have a wireless outfiton your airships, haven't you, Tom?"
"Yes, that part is all right."
"Then you can't have any more objections, Tom."
"Well, there are some. For instance you say most of this smugglingis done at night."
"Practically all of it, yes."
"Well, it isn't going to be easy to pick out a contraband airship inthe dark, and chase it. But I'll tell you what I'll do, Mr.Whitford, I feel as if I had sort of 'fallen down' on this clewbusiness, as the newspaper men say, and I owe it to you to make goodin some way."
"That's what I want--not that I think you haven't done all youcould," interposed the agent.
"Well, if I can figure out some way, by which I think I can comeanywhere near catching these smugglers, I'll undertake the work!"exclaimed Tom. "I'll do it as a duty to Uncle Sam, and I don't wantany reward except my expenses. It's going to cost considerable, but--"
"Don't mind the expense!" interrupted Mr. Whitford. "Uncle Sam willstand that. Why, the government is losing thousands of dollars everyweek. It's a big leak, and must be stopped, and you're the one tostop it, Tom."
"Well, I'll try. I'll see you in a couple of days, and let you knowif I have formed any plan. Now come on, Ned. I'm tired and want toget to bed."
"So do I," added the agent. "I'll call on you day after to-morrow,Tom, and I expect you to get right on the job," he added with alaugh.
"Have you any idea what you are going to do, Tom?" asked his chum,as they turned toward their houses.
"Not exactly. If I go I'll use my noiseless airship. That will comein handy. But this night business rather stumps me. I don't quitesee my way to get around that. Of course I could use an ordinarysearchlight, but that doesn't give a bright enough beam, or carryfar enough. It's going to be quite a problem and I've got to thinkit over."
"Queer about the Fogers; wasn't it, Tom?"
"Yes, I didn't think they were going to let us in."
"There's something going on there, in spite of the fact that theywere willing for an inspection to be made," went on Ned.
"I agree with you. I thought it was funny the way Mr. Foger actedabout not wanting the men to go down in the cellar."
"So did I, and yet when they got down there they didn't findanything."
"That's so. Well, maybe we're on the wrong track, after all. But I'mgoing to keep my eyes open. I don't see what Andy wants with anairship platform on the roof of his house. The ground is good enoughto start from and land on."
"I should think so, too. But then Andy always did like to show off,and do things different from anybody else. Maybe it's that way now."
"Perhaps," agreed Tom. "Well, here's your house, Ned. Come over inthe morning," and, with a good-night, our hero left his chum,proceeding on toward his own home.
"Why, Koku, haven't you gone to bed yet?" asked the young inventor,as, mounting the side steps, he saw his giant servant sitting thereon a bench he had made especially for his own use, as ordinarychairs were not substantial enough. "What is the matter?"
"Nothing happen YET," spoke Koku significantly, "but maybe he comepretty soon, and then I get him."
"Get who, Koku?" asked Tom, with quick suspicion.
"I do not know, but Eradicate say he hear someone sneaking aroundhis chicken coop, and I think maybe it be same man who was here oncebefore."
"Oh, you mean the rivals, who were trying to get my moving picturecamera?"
"That's what!" exclaimed Koku.
"Hum!" mused Tom. "I must be on the look-out. I'll tell you whatI'll do, Koku. I'll set my automatic camera to take the movingpictures of any one who tries to get in my shop, or in the chickencoop. I'll also set the burglar alarm. But you may also stay on thewatch, and if anything happens--"
"If anything happens, I will un-happen him!" exclaimed the giant,brandishing a big club he had beside him.
"All right," laughed Tom. "I'm sleepy, and I'm going to bed, butI'll set the automatic camera, and fix it with fuse flashlights, sothey will go off if the locks are even touched."
This Tom did, fixing up the wizard camera, which I have told youabout in the book bearing that title. It would take moving picturesautomatically, once Tom had set the mechanism to unreel the filmsback of the shutter and lens. The lights would instantly flash, whenthe electrical connections on the door locks were tampered with, andthe pictures would be taken.
Then Tom set t
he burglar alarm, and, before going to bed he focuseda searchlight, from one of his airships, on the shed and chickencoop, fastening it outside his room window.
"There!" he exclaimed, as he got ready to turn in, not havingawakened the rest of the household, "when the burglar alarm goesoff, if it does, it will also start the searchlight, and I'll get aview of who the chicken thief is. I'll also get some pictures."
Then, thinking over the events of the evening, and wondering if hewould succeed in his fight with the smugglers, providing heundertook it, Tom fell asleep.
It must have been some time after midnight that he was awakened bythe violent ringing of a bell at his ear. At first he thought it wasthe call to breakfast, and he leaped from bed crying out:
"Yes, Mrs. Baggert, I'm coming!"
A moment later he realized what it was.
"The burglar alarm!" he cried. "Koku, are you there? Someone istrying to get into the chicken coop!" for a glance at the automaticindicator, in connection with the alarm, had shown Tom that thehenhouse, and not his shop, had been the object of attack.
"I here!" cried Koku, "I got him!"
A series of startled cries bore eloquent testimony to this.
"I'm coming!" cried Tom. And then he saw a wonderful sight. Thewhole garden, his shop, the henhouse and all the surroundingterritory was lighted up with a radiance almost like daylight. Thebeams of illumination came from the searchlight Tom had fixedoutside his window, but never before had the lantern given such aglow.
"That's wonderful!" cried Tom, as he ran to examine it. "What hashappened? I never had such a powerful beam before. There must besomething that I have stumbled on by accident. Say, that is a lightall right! Why it goes for miles and miles, and I never projected abeam as far as this before."
As Tom looked into a circle of violet-colored glass set in the sideof the small searchlight, to see what had caused the extraordinaryglow, he could observe nothing out of the ordinary. The violet glasswas to protect the eyes from the glare.
"It must be that, by accident, I made some new connection at thedynamo," murmured Tom.
"Hi! Lemme go! Lemme go, Massa giant! I ain't done nuffin'!" yelleda voice.
"I got you!" cried Koku.
"It's an ordinary chicken thief this time I guess," said Tom. "Butthis light--this great searchlight--"
Then a sudden thought came to him.
"By Jove!" he cried. "If I can find out the secret of how I happenedto project such a beam, it will be the very thing to focus on thesmugglers from my noiseless airship! That's what I need--asearchlight such as never before has been made--a terrificallypowerful one. And I've got it, if I can only find out just how ithappened. I've got to look before the current dies out."
Leaving the brilliant beams on in full blast, Tom ran down thestairs to get to his shop, from which the electrical power came.