Chapter Twenty
Just in Time
While Dr. Hendrix was in his office, getting ready to make thethrilling trip through the air with Tom, the young inventor spent a fewminutes going over his monoplane. The wonderful little craft had madeher first big flight in excellent time, though Tom knew she could dobetter the farther she was flown. Not a stay had started, not a guywire was loose. The motor had not overheated, and every bearing was ascool as though it had not taken part in thousands of revolutions.
"Oh, I can depend on you!" murmured Tom, as he looked to see that thepropeller was tight on the shaft. He gave the bearing a slightadjustment to make sure of it.
He was at this when the specialist reappeared. Dr. Hendrix, after hisfirst show of excitement, when he had made his decision to accompanyTom, had resumed his usual calm demeanor. Once again he was the gravesurgeon, with his mind on the case before him.
"Well, is my auto ready?" he asked absentmindedly. Then, as he saw thelittle aeroplane, and Tom standing waiting beside it, he added: "Oh, Iforgot for the moment that I was to make a trip through the air,instead of in my car. Well, Mr. Swift, are we all ready?"
"All ready," replied the young inventor. "We're going to make fasttime, Dr. Hendrix. You'd better put this on," and Tom extended a faceprotector.
"What's it for?" The physician looked curiously at it.
"To keep the air from cutting your cheeks and lips. We are going totravel a hundred miles an hour this trip."
"A hundred miles an hour!" Dr. Hendrix spoke as though he would like toback out.
"Maybe more, if I can manage it," went on Tom, calmly, as he proceededto remove the bag of sand from the place where the surgeon was to sit.Then he looked to the various equilibrium arrangements and the controllevers. He was so cool about it, taking it all for granted, as ifrising and flying through the air at a speed rivaling that of thefastest birds, was a matter of no moment, that Dr. Hendrix wasimpressed by the calm demeanor of the young inventor.
"Very well," said the surgeon with a shrug of his shoulders, "I guessI'm game, Tom Swift."
The doctor took the seat Tom pointed out to him, with his bag ofinstruments on his knees. He put on the face protector, and had, at thesuggestion of our hero, donned a heavy coat.
"For it's cold in the upper regions," said Tom.
Several servants in the physician's household had gathered to see himdepart in this novel fashion, and the chauffeur of the auto, in whichthe specialist usually made his calls, was also there.
"I'll give you a hand," said the chauffeur to the young inventor. "Iwas at an aviation meet once, and I know how it's done."
"Good," exclaimed Tom. "Then you can hold the machine, and shove when Igive the word."
Tom started the propeller himself, and quickly jumped into his seat.The chauffeur held back the Humming-Bird until the young aviator hadspeeded up the motor.
"Let go!" cried the youthful inventor, and the man gave the littlecraft a shove. Across the rather uneven ground of the doctor's yard itran, straight for a big iron barrier.
"Look out! We'll be into the fence!" shouted the surgeon. "We'll bekilled!" He seemed about to leap off.
"Sit still!" cried Tom, and at that instant he tilted the elevationplanes, and the craft shot upward, going over the fence like a circushorse taking a seven-barred gate.
"Oh!" exclaimed the physician in a curious voice. They were off ontheir trip to save the life of Mr. Swift.
What the sensations of the celebrated specialist were, Tom neverlearned. If he was afraid, his fright quickly gave place to wonder, andthe wonder soon changed to delight as the machine rose higher andhigher, acquired more speed, and soared in the air over the countrythat spread out in all directions from Kirkville.
"Magnificent! Magnificent!" murmured the doctor, and then Tom knew thatthe surgeon was in the grip of the air, and was one of the "bird-men."
Every moment the Humming-Bird increased her speed. They passed over theriver near where men were working on the broken bridge. It was now nobarrier to them. Tom, noting the barograph, and seeing that they weretwenty-two hundred feet high, decided to keep at about that distancefrom the earth.
"How fast are we going?" cried Dr. Hendrix, into the ear of the younginventor.
"Just a little short of a hundred an hour!" Tom shouted back. "We'llhit a hundred and five before long."
His prediction proved true, and when about forty miles from Shoptonthat terrific speed had been attained. It seemed as if they were goingto have a trip devoid of incident, and Tom was congratulating himselfon the quick time made, when he ran into a contrary strata of air.Almost before he knew it the Humming-Bird gave a dangerous andsickening dive, and tilted at a terrifying angle.
"Are we going to turn turtle?" cried the doctor.
"I--I hope not!" gasped Tom. He could not understand why theequilibrium weights did not work, but he had no time then toinvestigate. Quickly he warped the wing tips and brought the craft upon an even keel.
He gave a sigh of relief as the aeroplane was once more shootingforward, and he was not mistaken when he thought he heard Dr. Hendrixmurmur a prayer of thankfulness. Their escape had been a narrow one.Tom's nerve, and the coolness of the physician, had alone saved themfrom a fall to death.
But now, as if ashamed of her prank, the Humming-Bird went along evenbetter than before. Tom was peering through the slight haze that hungover the earth, for a sight of Shopton. At length the spires of thechurches came into view.
"There it is," he called, pointing downward. "We'll land in two minutesmore."
"No time to spare," murmured the doctor, who knew the serious nature ofthe aged inventor's illness. "How long did it take us?"
"Fifty-one minutes," replied Tom, glancing at a small clock in front ofhim. Then he shut off the motor and volplaned to earth, to the no smallastonishment of the surgeon. He made a perfect landing in the yardbefore the shed, leaped from his seat, and called:
"Come, Dr. Hendrix!"
The surgeon followed him. Dr. Gladby and Dr. Kurtz came to the door ofthe house. On their faces were grave looks. They greeted the celebratedsurgeon eagerly.
"Well?" he asked quickly, and they knew what he meant.
"You are only just in time," said Dr. Gladby, softly, and Tom,following the doctors into the house, wondered if his trip with thespecialist had been in vain.