CHAPTER IX
"BEWARE OF THE COMET!"
"Well, Tom, what are you up to now?"
Ned Newton peered in the window of the shop at his chum, who wasbusy over a bench.
"This is my latest invention, Ned. Come on in."
"Looks as though you were going to give a magic lantern show. Or isit for some new kinds of moving pictures? Say, do you remember thetime we gave a show in the barn, and charged a nickel to come in?You were the clown, and--"
"I was not! You were the clown. I was part of the elephant. Thefront end, I think."
"Oh. so you were. I'm thinking of another one. But what are you upto now? Is it a big magic lantern?"
Ned came over toward the bench, in front of which Tom stood, fittingtogether sheets of heavy brass in the form of a big square box. Inone side there was a circular opening, and there were various wheelsand levers on the different sides and on top. The interior containedparobolic curved mirrors.
"It's a SORT of a lantern, and I hope it's going to do some MAGICwork," explained Tom with a smile. "But it isn't the kind of magiclantern you mean. It won't throw pictures on a screen, but it mayshow some surprising pictures to us--that is if you come along, andI think you will."
"Talking riddles; eh?" laughed Ned. "What's the answer?"
"Smugglers."
"I thought you were talking about a lantern."
"So I am, and it's the lantern that's going to show up thesmugglers, so you can call it a smuggler's magic lantern if youlike."
"Then you're going after them?"
This conversation took place several days after the raid on theFoger house, and after Tom's accidental discovery of how to make anew kind of searchlight. In the meantime he had not seen Ned, whohad been away on a visit.
"Yes, I've made up my mind to help Uncle Sam," spoke Tom, "and thisis one of the things I'll need in my work. It's going to be the mostpowerful searchlight ever made--that is, I never heard of anyportable electric lights that will beat it."
"What do you mean, Tom?"
"I mean that I'm inventing a new kind of searchlight, Ned. One thatI can carry with me on my new noiseless airship, and one that willgive a beam of light that will be visible for several miles, andwhich will make objects in its focus as plain as if viewed bydaylight."
"And it's to show up the smugglers?"
"That's what. That is it will if we can get on the track of them."
"But what did you mean when you said it would be the most powerfulportable light ever made."
"Just what I said. I've got to carry this searchlight on an airshipwith me, and, in consequence, it can't be very heavy. Of coursethere are stationary searchlights, such lights as are inlighthouses, that could beat mine all to pieces for candle power,and for long distance visibility. But they are the only ones."
"That's the way to do things, Tom! Say, I'm going with you all rightafter those smugglers. But where are some of those powerfulstationary searchlights you speak of?"
"Oh, there are lots of them. One was in the Eiffel Tower, during theParis Exposition. I didn't see that, but I have read about it.Another is in one of the twin lighthouses at the Highlands, on theAtlantic coast of New Jersey, just above Asbury Park. That light isof ninety-five million candle power, and the lighthouse keeper theretold me it was visible, on a clear night, as far as the New Haven,Connecticut, lighthouse, a distance of fifty miles."
"Fifty miles! That's some light!" gasped Ned.
"Well, you must remember that the Highlands light is up on a veryhigh hill, and the tower is also high, so there is quite anelevation, and then think of ninety-five million candle power--thinkof it!"
"I can't!" cried Ned. "It gives me a head-ache."
"Well, of course I'm not going to try to beat that," went on Tomwith a laugh, "but I am going to have a very powerful light." And hethen related how he had accidently discovered a new way to connectthe wires, so as to get, from a dynamo and a storage battery a muchstronger, and different, current than usual.
"I'm making the searchlight now," Tom continued, "and soon I'll beready to put in the lens, and the carbons."
"And then what?"
"Then I'm going to attach it to my noiseless airship, and we'll havea night flight. It may work, and it may not. If it does, I thinkwe'll have some astonishing results."
"I think we will, Tom. Can I do anything to help you?"
"Yes, file some of the rough edges off these sheets of brass, if youwill. There's an old pair of gloves to put on to protect your hands,otherwise you'll be almost sure to cut 'em, when the file slips.That brass is extra hard."
The two boys were soon working away, and were busy over the biglantern when Mr. Whitford came along. Koku was, as usual, on guardat the outer door of the shop, but he knew the custom officer, andat once admitted him.
"Well, Tom, how you coming on?" he asked.
"Pretty good. I think I've got just what I want. A powerful lightfor night work."
"That's good. You'll need it. They've got so they only smuggle thegoods over in the night now. How soon do you think you'll be able toget on the border for Uncle Sam?"
"Why, is there any great rush?" asked Tom, as he noticed a look ofannoyance pass over the agent's face.
"Yes, the smugglers have been hitting us pretty hard lately. Mysuperiors are after me to do something, but I can't seem to do it.My men are working hard, but we can't catch the rascals."
"You see, Tom, they've stopped, temporarily, bringing goods over theSt. Lawrence. They're working now in the neighborhood of Huntington,Canada, and the dividing line between the British possessions andNew York State, runs along solid ground there. It's a wild anddesolate part of country, too, and I haven't many men up there."
"Don't the Canadian custom officers help?" asked Ned.
"Well, they haven't been of any aid to us so far," was the answer."No doubt they are trying, but it's hard to get an airship at nightwhen you're on the ground, and can't even see it."
"How did they come to use airships?" asked Tom.
"Well, it was because we were too sharp after them when they triedto run things across the line afoot, or by wagons," replied theagent. "You must know that in every principal city, at or near theborder line, there is a custom house. Goods brought from Canada tothe United States must pass through there and pay a duty."
"Of course if lawless people try to evade the duty they don't gonear the custom house. But there are inspectors stationed at theprincipal roads leading from the Dominion into Uncle Sam'sterritory, and they are always on the lookout. They patrol the line,sometimes through a dense wilderness, and again over a desolateplain, always on the watch. If they see persons crossing the linethey stop them and examine what they have. If there is nothingdutiable they are allowed to pass. If they have goods on which thereis a tax, they either have to pay or surrender the goods."
"But don't the smugglers slip over in spite of all the precautions?"asked Ned. "Say at some lonely ravine, or stretch of woods?"
"I suppose they do, occasionally," replied Mr. Whitford. "Yet thefact that they never can tell when one of the inspectors or deputiesis coming along, acts as a stop. You see the border line is dividedup into stretches of different lengths. A certain man, or men, areheld responsible for each division. They must see that no smugglerspass. That makes them on the alert."
"Why, take it out west, I have a friend who told me that he oftentravels hundreds of miles on horseback, with pack ponies carryinghis camping outfit, patroling the border on the lookout forsmugglers."
"In fact Uncle Sam has made it so hard for the ordinary smuggler todo business on foot or by wagon, that these fellows have taken toairships. And it is practically impossible for an inspectorpatroling the border to be on the lookout for the craft of the air.Even if they saw them, what could they do? It would be out of thequestion to stop them. That's why we need some one with a propermachine who can chase after them, who can sail through the air, andgive them a fight in the clouds if they have to."
r /> "Our custom houses on the ground, and our inspectors on horse back,traveling along the border, can't meet the issue. We're depending onyou, Tom Swift, and I hope you don't disappoint us."
"Well," spoke Tom, when Mr. Whitford had finished. "I'll do my bestfor you. It won't take very long to complete my searchlight, andthen I'll give it a trial. My airship is ready for service, and onceI find we're all right I'll start for the border."
"Good! And I hope you'll catch the rascals!" fervently exclaimed thecustom official. "Well, Tom, I'm leaving it all to you. Here are somereports from my deputies. I'll leave them with you, and you can lookthem over, and map out a campaign. When you are ready to start I'llsee you again, and give you any last news I have. I'll also arrange sothat you can communicate with me, or some of my men."
"Have you given up all suspicion of the Fogers?" asked the younginventor.
"Yes. But I still think Shopton is somehow involved in the customviolations. I'm going to put one of my best men on the ground here,and go to the border myself."
"Well, I'll be ready to start in a few days," said Tom, as thegovernment agent departed.
For the next week our hero and his chum were busy completing work onthe great searchlight, and in attaching it to the airship. Kokuhelped them, but little of the plans, or of the use to which the biglantern was to be put, were made known to him, for Koku liked totalk, and Tom did not want his project to become known.
"Well, we'll give her a trial to-night," said Tom one afternoon,following a day of hard work. "We'll go up, and flash the lightdown."
"Who's going?"
"Just us two. You can manage the ship, and I'll look after thelight."
So it was arranged, and after supper Tom and his chum, having toldMr. Swift were they were going, slipped out to the airship shed, andsoon were ready to make an ascent. The big lantern was fastened to ashaft that extended above the main cabin. The shaft was hollow andthrough it came the wires that carried the current. Tom, from thecabin below, could move the lantern in any direction, and focus iton any spot he pleased. By means of a toggle joint, combined withwhat are known as "lazy-tongs," the lantern could be projected overthe side of the aircraft and be made to gleam on the earth, directlybelow the ship.
For his new enterprise Tom used the Falcon in which he had gone toSiberia after the platinum. The new noiseless motor had beeninstalled in this craft.
"All ready, Ned?" asked Tom after an inspection of the searchlight.
"All ready, as far as I'm concerned, Tom."
"Then let her go!"
Like a bird of the night, the great aeroplane shot into the air,and, with scarcely a sound that could be heard ten feet away, shemoved forward at great speed.
"What are you going to do first?" asked Ned.
"Fly around a bit, and then come back over my house. I'm going totry the lantern on that first, and see what I can make out from acouple of miles up in the air."
Up and up went the Falcon, silently and powerfully, until thebarograph registered nearly fourteen thousand feet.
"This is high enough." spoke Tom.
He shifted a lever that brought the searchlight into focus onShopton, which lay below them. Then, turning on the current, apowerful beam of light gleamed out amid the blackness.
"Jove! That's great!" cried Ned. "It's like a shaft of daylight!"
"That's what I intended it to be!" cried Tom in delight.
With another shifting of the lever he brought the light around sothat it began to pick up different buildings in the town.
"There's the church!" cried Ned. "It's as plain as day, in thatgleam."
"And there's the railroad depot," added Tom.
"And Andy Foger's house!"
"Yes, and there's my house!" exclaimed Tom a moment later, as thebeam rested on his residence and shops. "Say, it's plainer than Ithought it would be. Hold me here a minute, Ned."
Ned shut off the power from the propellers, and the airship wasstationary. Tom took a pair of binoculars, and looked through themat his home in the focus of light.
"I can count the bricks in the chimney!" he cried in eagerness atthe success of his great searchlight. "It's even better than Ithought it was! Let's go down, Ned."
Slowly the airship sank. Tom played his light all about, picking upbuilding after building, and one familiar spot after another.Finally he brought the beam on his own residence again, when not farabove it.
Suddenly there arose a weird cry. Tom and Ned knew at once that itwas Eradicate.
"A comet! A comet!" yelled the colored man. "De end ob de world amcomin'! Run, chillens, run! Beware ob de comet!"
"Eradicate's afraid!" cried Tom with a laugh.
"Oh good mistah comet! Doan't take me!" went on the colored man. "Iain't neber done nuffin', an' mah mule Boomerang ain't needer. Butef yo' has t' take somebody, take Boomerang!"
"Keep quiet, Rad! It's all right!" cried Tom. But the colored mancontinued to shout in fear.
Then, as the two boys looked on, and as the airship came nearer tothe earth, Ned, who was looking down amid the great illumination,called to Tom:
"Look at Koku!"
Tom glanced over, and saw his giant servant, with fear depicted onhis face, running away as fast as he could. Evidently Eradicate'swarning had frightened him.
"Say, he can run!" cried Ned. "Look at him leg it!"
"Yes, and he may run away, never to come back," exclaimed Tom. "Idon't want to lose him, he's too valuable. I know what happened oncewhen he got frightened. He was away for a week before I could locatehim, and he hid in the swamp. I'm not going to have that happenagain."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to chase after him in the airship. It will be a good testfor chasing the smugglers. Put me after him, Ned, and I'll play thesearchlight on him so we can't lose him!"