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TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY
OR
A Daring Escape by Airship
BY VICTOR APPLETON
AUTHOR OF "TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-CYCLE," "TOM SWIFT AND HISWIRELESS MESSAGE," "TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD," ETC.
ILLUSTRATED
CONTENTS
I A STRANGE REQUEST II THE CIRCUS MAN III TOM WILL GO IV "LOOK OUT FOR MY RIVAL!" V ANDY FOGER LEARNS SOMETHING VI ALARMING NEWS VII FIRE ON BOARD VIII A NARROW ESCAPE IX "FORWARD MARCH!" X A WILD HORSE STAMPEDE XI CAUGHT IN A LIVING ROPE XII A NATIVE BATTLE XIII THE DESERTION XIV IN GIANT LAND XV IN THE "PALACE" OF THE KING XVI THE RIVAL CIRCUS MAN XVII HELD CAPTIVESXVIII TOM'S MYSTERIOUS BOX XIX WEAK GIANTS XX THE LONE CAPTIVE XXI A ROYAL CONSPIRACY XXII THE TWIN GIANTSXXIII A SURPRISE IN THE NIGHT XXIV THE AIRSHIP FLIGHT XXV TOM'S GIANT--CONCLUSION
CHAPTER I
A STRANGE REQUEST
Tom Swift closed the book of adventures he had been reading, tossedit on the table, and got up. Then he yawned.
"What's the matter?" asked his chum, Ned Newton, who was deep inanother volume.
"Oh, I thought this was going to be something exciting," repliedTom, motioning toward the book he had discarded. "But say! themake-believe adventures that fellow had, weren't anything compared tothose we went through in the city of gold, or while rescuing theexiles of Siberia."
"Well," remarked Ned, "they would have to be pretty classyadventures to lay over those you and I have had lately. But whereare you going?" he continued, for Tom had taken his cap and startedfor the door.
"I thought I'd go out and take a little run in the aeroplane. Wantto come along? It's more fun than sitting in the house reading aboutexciting things that never have happened. Come on out and--"
"Yes, and have a tumble from the aeroplane, I suppose you were goingto say," interrupted Ned with a laugh. "Not much! I'm going to stayhere and finish this book."
"Say," demanded Tom indignantly. "Did you ever know me to have atumble since I knew how to run an airship?"
"No, I can't say that I did. I was only joking."
"Then you carried the joke too far, as the policeman said to the manhe found lugging off money from the bank. And to make up for ityou've got to come along with me."
"Where are you going?"
"Oh, anywhere. Just to take a little run in the upper regions, andclear some of the cobwebs out of my head. I declare, I guess I'vegot the spring fever. I haven't done anything since we got back fromRussia last fall, and I'm getting rusty."
"You haven't done ANYTHING!" exclaimed Ned, following his chum'sexample by tossing aside the book. "Do you call working on your newinvention of a noiseless airship nothing?"
"Well, I haven't finished that yet. I'm tired of inventing things. Ijust want to go off, and have some good fun, like gettingshipwrecked on a desert island, or being lost in the mountains, orsomething like that. I want action. I want to get off in the jungle,and fight wild beasts, and escape from the savages!"
"Say! you don't want much," commented Ned. "But I feel the same way,Tom."
"Then come on out and take a run, and maybe we'll get on the trackof an adventure," urged the young inventor. "We won't go far, justtwenty or thirty miles or so."
The two youths emerged from the house and started across the biglawn toward the aeroplane sheds, for Tom Swift owned several speedyaircrafts, from a big combined aeroplane and dirigible balloon, to alittle monoplane not much larger than a big bird, but which was themost rapid flier that ever breathed the fumes of gasolene.
"Which one you going to take, Tom?" asked Ned, as his chum paused infront of the row of hangars.
"Oh, the little double-seated monoplane, I guess that's in goodshape, and it's easy to manage. When I'm out for fun I hate to betinkering with levers and warping wing tips all the while. The Larkpractically flies herself, and we can sit back and take it easy.I'll have Eradicate fill up the gasolene tank, while I look at themagneto. It needs a little adjusting, though it works nearly toperfection since I put in some of that new platinum we got from thelost mine in Siberia."
"Yes, that was a trip that amounted to something. I wouldn't mindgoing on another like that, though we ran lots of risks."
"We sure did," agreed Tom, and then, raising his voice he calledout: "Rad, I say Rad! Where are you? I want you!"
"Comin', massa Tom, comin'," answered an aged colored man, as heshuffled around the corner of the shed. "What do yo'-all want obme?"
"Put some gasolene in the Lark, Rad. Ned and I are going to take alittle flight. What were you doing?"
"Jest groomin' mah mule Boomerang, Massa Tom, dat's all. Po'Boomerang he's gittin' old jest same laik I be. He's gittin' old,an' he needs lots ob 'tention. He has t' hab mo' oats dan usual,Massa Tom, an' he doan't feel 'em laik he uster, dat's a fac', MassaTom."
"Well, Rad, give him all he wants. Boomerang was a good mule in hisday."
"An' he's good yet, Massa Tom, he's good yet!" said EradicateSampson eagerly. "Doan't yo' all forgit dat, Massa Tom." And thecolored man proceeded to fill the gasolene tank, while Tom adjustedthe electrical mechanism of his aeroplane, Ned assisting by handinghim the tools needed. Eradicate, who said he was named that becausehe "eradicated" dirt, was a colored man of all work, who had been inthe service of the Swift household for several years. He and hismule Boomerang were fixtures.
"There, I guess that will do," remarked Tom, after testing themagneto, and finding that it gave a fat, hot spark. "That ought tosend us along in good shape. Got all the gas in, Rad?"
"Every drop, Massa Tom."
"Then catch hold and help wheel the Lark out. Ned, you steady her onthat side. How are the tires? Do they need pumping up?"
"Hard as rocks," answered Tom's chum, as he tapped his toe againstthe rubber circlets of the small bicycle wheels on which theaeroplane rested.
"Then they'll do, I guess. Come on now, and we'll give her a testbefore we start off. I ought to get a few hundred more revolutionsper minute out of the motor with the way I've adjusted the magneto.Rad, you and Ned hold back, while I turn the engine over."
The youth and the colored man grasped the rear supports of the long,tail-like part of the monoplane while Tom stepped to the front totwist the propeller blades. The first two times there was noexplosion as he swung the delicate wooden blades about, but thethird time the engine started off with a roar, and a succession ofexplosions that were deafening, until Tom switched in the muffler,thereby cutting down the noise. Faster and faster the propellerwhirled about as the motor warmed up, until the young inventorexclaimed:
"That's the stuff! She's better than ever! Climb up Ned, and we'llstart off. You can turn her over, Rad; can't you?"
"Suah, Massa Tom," was the reply, for Eradicate had been on so manytrips with Tom, and had had so much to do with airships, that tomerely start one was child's play for him.
The two youths had scarcely taken their seats, and the colored manwas about to twist around the fan-like blades of the big propellerin front, when from behind there came a hail.
"Hold on there! Wait a minute, Tom Swift! Bless my admission ticket,don't go! I've got something important to tell you! Hold on!"
"Humph! I know who that is!" cried Tom, motioning to Eradicate tocease trying to start the motor.
"Mr. Damon, of course," agreed Ned. "I wonder what he wants?"
"A ride, maybe," went on Tom. "If he does we've got to take theScooter instead of this one. That holds four
. Well, we may as wellsee what he wants."
He jumped lightly from his seat in the monoplane and was followed byNed. They saw coming toward them, from the direction of the house, astout man, who seemed very much excited. He was walking so fast thathe fairly waddled, and he was smiling at the lads, for he was one oftheir best friends.
"Glad I caught you, Tom." he panted, for his haste had almostdeprived him of breath. "I've got something important to tell you. Ihurried over as soon as I heard about it."
"Well, you're just in time," commented Ned with a laugh. "In anotherminute we'd have been up in the clouds."
"What is it, Mr. Damon?" asked Tom. "Have you got wind of a city ofdiamonds, or has some one sent you a map telling where we can go topick up ten thousand dollar bills by the basket?"
"Neither one, Tom, neither one. It's something better than either ofthose, and if you don't jump at the chance I'm mistaken in you,that's all I've got to say. Come over here."
He turned a quick glance over his shoulder as he spoke and advancedtoward the two lads on tiptoe as though he feared some one would seeor hear him. Yet it was broad daylight, the place was the startingground for Tom's aeroplanes and save Eradicate there was no onepresent except Mr. Damon, Ned and the young inventor himself.
"What's up?" asked Tom in wonderment.
"Hush!" cautioned the odd gentleman. "Bless my walking stick, Tom!but this is going to be a great chance for you--for us,--for I'mgoing along."
"Going where, Mr. Damon?"
"I'll tell you in a minute. Is there any one here?"
"No one but us?"
"You are sure that Andy Foger isn't around."
"Sure. He's out of town, you know."
"Yes, but you never can tell when he's going to appear on the scene.Come over here," and taking hold of the coat of each of the youths,Mr. Damon led them behind the big swinging door of the aeroplaneshed.
"You haven't anything on hand; have you, Tom?" asked the oddgentleman, after peering through the crack to make sure they wereunobserved.
"Nothing at all, if you mean in the line of going off on anadventure trip."
"That's what I mean. Bless my earlaps! but I'm glad of that. I'vegot just the thing for you. Tom, I want you to go to a strange land,and bring back one of the biggest men there--a giant! Tom Swift, youand I and Ned--if he wants to go--are going after a giant!"
Mr. Damon gleefully clapped Tom on the back, with such vigor thatour hero coughed, and then the odd gentleman stepped back and gazedat the two lads, a look of triumph shining in his eyes.
For a moment there was a silence. Tom looked at Ned, and Ned gavehis chum a quick glance. Then they both looked sharply at Mr. Damon.
"A--a giant," murmured Tom faintly.
"That's what I said," replied Mr. Damon. "I want you to help mecapture a giant, Tom."
Once more the two youths exchanged significant glances, and thenTom, in a low and gentle voice said:
"Yes, Mr. Damon, that's all right. We'll get you a giant right away.Won't we, Ned? Now you'd better come in the house and lie down, I'llhave Mrs. Baggert make you a cup of tea, and after you have had asleep you'll feel better. Come on," and the young inventor gentlytried to lead his friend out from behind the shed door.
"Look here, Tom Swift!" exclaimed the odd gentleman indignantly. "Doyou think I'm crazy? Lie down? Rest myself? Go to sleep? Say, I'mnot crazy! I'm not tired! I'm not sleepy! This is the greatestchance you ever had, and if we get one of those giants--"
"Yes, yes, we'll get one," put in Ned soothingly.
"Of course," added Tom. "Come on, now, Mr. Damon. You'll feel betterafter you've had a rest. Dr. Perkinby is coming over to see fatherand I'll have him--"
Mr. Damon gave one startled glance at the young inventor and hischum, and then burst into a peal of hearty laughter.
"Oh, my!" he exclaimed at intervals in his paroxysms. "Oh, dear! Hethinks I'm out of my head! He can't stand that talk about giants! Ohdear! Tom Swift, this is the greatest chance you ever had! Come onin the house and I'll tell you all I know about giant land, and thenif you want to think I'm crazy you can, that's all I've got to say!"