CHAPTER IX
A VANDAL'S ACT
"Bless my penknife!" exclaimed Mr. Daman, the next morning, when hehad been told of Tom's experience in the night, "things are comingto a pretty pass when our enemies adopt such tactics as this! Whatcan we do, Tom? Hadn't you better let one of us carry the map?"
"Oh, I guess not," answered the young inventor. "They have had onetry at me, and found that I wasn't napping. I don't believe they'lltry again. No, I'll carry the map."
Tom concealed it in an old wallet, as he thought it was less likelyto attract attention there than in the new case he formerly used.Still he did not relax his vigilance, and his sleep for the next fewnights was uneasy, as he awakened several times, thinking he felt ahand under his pillow.
At length Ned suggested that one of them sit up part of the night,and keep an eye on Tom's berth. This was agreed to, and they dividedthe hours of darkness into watches, each one taking a turn atguarding the precious map. But they might have spared themselves thetrouble, for no further attempt was made to get it.
"I'd just like to know what Andy Foger's plans are?" said Tom oneafternoon, as they were within a few miles of Seattle. "He certainlymust have made up his mind quickly, after he saw the map, aboutgoing in search of the gold."
"Maybe his father proposed it," suggested Ned. "I heard, in ourbank, that Mr. Foger has lost considerable money lately, and he mayneed more."
"I shouldn't wonder. Well, if they are going to Sitka, Alaska, toassemble their ship, I think they'll have trouble, for supplies areharder to get there than in Seattle. But we'll soon be on our wayourselves, if nothing happens. I hope all the parts of the RED CLOUDarrive safely."
They did, as Tom learned a few hours later, when they had taken uptheir quarters in a Seattle hotel, and he had made inquiries at therailroad office. In the freight depot were all the boxes and cratescontaining the parts of the big airship, and by comparison with alist he had made, the young inventor found that not a single partwas missing.
"We'll soon have her together again," he said to his friends, "andthen we'll start for Alaska."
"Where are you going to assemble the airship?" asked Mr. Damon.
"I've got to hire some sort of a big shed," explained Tom. "I heardof one I think I can get. It's out at the fair grounds, and was usedsome time ago when they had a balloon ascension here. It will bejust what I need."
"How long before we can start for the gold valley?" asked the oldminer anxiously.
"Oh, in about a week," answered the lad, "that is, if everythinggoes well."
Tom lost no time in getting to work. He had the different parts ofhis airship carted to the big shed which he hired. This building wason one edge of the fair grounds, and there was a large, level spacewhich was admirably adapted for trying the big craft, when once moreit was put together.
The gold-seekers worked hard, and to such good purpose that in threedays most of the ship was together once more, and the RED CLOUDlooked like herself again. Tom hired a couple of machinists to aidhim in assembling the motor, and some of the gas appliances andother apparatus.
"Ha! Bless my rubber shoes!" cried Mr. Damon in delight, as helooked at the big craft "This is like old times, Tom!"
"Yes, indeed," agreed our hero.
"Are you going to give it a preliminary tryout?" asked Ned.
"Oh, yes, I think we can do that to-morrow," replied Tom. "I want toknow that everything is in good working shape before I trust theship on the trip to the frozen north. There are several problems Iwant to work out, too, for I think I will need a different kind ofgas up where the temperature is so low."
"It certainly is cold up here," agreed Ned, for they were now muchfarther north than when they were in Shopton, and, besides, winterwas coming on. It was not the best time of the year to journey intoAlaska, but they had no choice. To delay, especially now, might meanthat their enemies would get ahead of them.
"We'll be warm in the airship, though; won't we?" asked Abe.
"Oh, yes," answered Tom. "We'll be warm, and have plenty to eat.Which reminds me that I must begin to see about our stock ofprovisions and other supplies, for we'll soon be on our way."
Work on the airship was hastened to such good advantage the next twodays that it was in shape for a trial flight, and, one afternoon,the RED CLOUD was wheeled from the shed out into big field, the gaswas generated, and the motor started.
There was a little hitch, due to the fact that some of the machineadjustments were wrong, but Tom soon had that remedied and then,with the big propellers whirling around, the airship was sentscudding across the field.
Another moment and it rose like a great eagle, and sailed throughthe air, while a small crowd that had daily gathered in the hope ofseeing a flight, sent up a cheer.
"Does it work all right?" asked Ned anxiously, as he stood in thepilothouse beside his chum.
"As good as it did in Shopton," answered the young inventor,proudly.
"Bless my pocketbook! but that's lucky," exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Thenwe can soon start, eh?"
"As soon as we are stocked up," replied the lad.
Tom put the airship through a number of "stunts" to test herstability and the rudder control, much to the delight of thegathering throng. Everything was found to work well, and afterascending to a considerable height, to the no small alarm of the oldminer, Tom made a quick descent, with the motor shut off. The REDCLOUD conducted herself perfectly, and there was nothing else to bedesired.
She was sent down to earth and wheeled back into the shed, and notwithout some difficulty, for the crowd, which was now very large,wanted to get near enough to touch the wonderful craft.
"To-morrow I'll arrange about the supplies and provisions, and we'llstock her up," said Tom to his companions. "Now you folks had bettergo back to the hotel."
"Aren't you coming?" asked Ned.
I'm going to bunk here in the shed to-night, said the younginventor.
"What for?"
"I can't take any chances now that the RED CLOUD is in shape forflying. Some of the Foger crowd might be hanging around, and breakin here to damage her."
"But the watchman will be on guard," suggested Ned, for since thehiring of the shed, the young inventor had engaged a man to remainon duty all night.
"I know," answered Tom Swift, "but I'm not going to take anychances. I'll stay here with the watchman."
Ned offered to share the vigil with his chum, and, after someobjection Tom consented. The others went back to the hotel,promising to return early in the morning.
Tom slept heavily that night, much heavier than he was in the habitof doing. So did Ned, and their deep breathing as they lay in theirstaterooms, in the cabin of the airship, told of physical weariness,for they had worked hard to re-assemble the RED CLOUD.
The watchman was seated in a chair just inside the big door of theshed, near a small stove in which was a fire to take off the chillof the big place. The guard had slept all day, and there was noexcuse for him nodding in the way that he did.
"Queer, how drowsy I feel," he murmured several times. "It's only alittle after midnight, too," he added, looking at his watch, "GuessI'll walk around a bit to rouse myself."
He firmly intended to do this, but he thought he would wait just afew minutes more, and he stretched out his legs and got comfortablein the chair.
Three minutes more and the watchman was asleep--sound asleep, whilea strange, sweet, sickish odor seemed to fill the atmosphere abouthim.
There was a noise at the door of the shed, a door in which therewere several cracks. A man outside laid aside something that lookedlike an air pump. He applied one eye to a crack, and looked in onthe sleeping watchman.
"He's off," the man murmured. "I thought he'd never get to sleep!Now to get in and dose those two lads! Then I'll have the place tomyself!"
There was a clicking noise about the lock on the shed door. It wasnot a very secure lock at best, and, under the skilful fingers ofthe midnight visitor, it quickly gave way. Th
e man entered. He gaveone look at the slumbering watchman, listened to his heavybreathing, and then went softly toward the airship, which looked tobe immense in the comparatively small shed--taking up nearly all thespace.
The intruder peered in through the cabin windows where Ned and Tomwere asleep. Once more there was in the atmosphere a sickish odor.The man again worked the instrument which was like a small air pump,taking care not to get his own face too near it. Presently hestopped and listened.
"They're doped," he murmured. He arose, and took from his mouth andnose a handkerchief saturated with some chemical that had renderedhim immune to the effects of the sleep-producing that he hadgenerated. "Sound asleep," he added. Then, taking out a long, keenknife, the vandal stole toward where the great wings of the REDCLOUD stretched out in the dim light like the pinions of a bird.There was a ripping, tearing, rending sound, as the vandal cut andslashed, but Tom, Ned and the watchman slumbered on.