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The Floating Press - Victor Appleton

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132 pages

English

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Tom Swift and His Great Searchlight is the 15th book in the original Tom Swift series. "Every boy possesses some form of inventive genius. Tom Swift is a bright, ingenious boy and his inventions and adventures make the most interesting kind of reading." "These spirited tales convey in a realistic way, the wonderful advances in land and sea locomotion and other successful inventions. Stories like these are impressed upon the memory and their reading is productive only of good." This series of adventure novels starring the genius boy inventor Tom Swift falls into the genre of "invention fiction" or "Edisonade".

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Children's

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Publié par	The Floating Press
Date de parution	01 janvier 2009
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781775413011
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0164€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT
OR, ON THE BORDER FOR UNCLE SAM
* * *
VICTOR APPLETON

*

Tom Swift and His Great Searchlight Or, On the Border for Uncle Sam First published in 1912.
ISBN 978-1-775413-01-1
© 2008 THE FLOATING PRESS.
While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike.
Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
*
Chapter I - A Scrap of Paper Chapter II - A Spy in Town Chapter III - Queer Repairs Chapter IV - Searching for Smugglers Chapter V - The Raid Chapter VI - The Appeal to Tom Chapter VII - A Searchlight is Needed Chapter VIII - Tom's Newest Invention Chapter IX - "Beware of the Comet!" Chapter X - Off for the Border Chapter XI - Andy's New Airship Chapter XII - Warned Away Chapter XIII - Koku Saves the Light Chapter XIV - A False Clew Chapter XV - The Rescue on the Lake Chapter XVI - Koku's Prisoner Chapter XVII - What the Indian Saw Chapter XVIII - The Pursuit Chapter XIX - In Dire Peril Chapter XX - Suspicious Actions Chapter XXI - Mr. Period Arrives Chapter XXII - Hovering O'er the Border Chapter XXIII - Ned is Missing Chapter XXIV - The Night Race Chapter XXV - The Capture—Conclusion
Chapter I - A Scrap of Paper
*
"Tom, did you know Andy Foger was back in town?"
"Great Scott, no, I didn't Ned! Not to stay, I hope."
"I guess not. The old Foger homestead is closed up, though I did seea man working around it to-day as I came past. But he was acarpenter, making some repairs I think. No, I don't believe Andy ishere to stay."
"But if some one is fixing up the house, it looks as if the familywould come back," remarked Tom, as he thought of the lad who had solong been his enemy, and who had done him many mean turns beforeleaving Shopton, where our hero lived.
"I don't think so," was the opinion of Ned Newton, who was TomSwift's particular chum. "You know when Mr. Foger lost all hismoney, the house was supposed to be sold. But I heard later thatthere was some flaw in the title, and the sale fell through. It isbecause he couldn't sell the place that Mr. Foger couldn't get moneyto pay some of his debts. He has some claim on the house, I believe,but I don't believe he'd come back to live in it."
"Why not?"
"Because it's too expensive a place for a poor man to keep up, andMr. Foger is now poor."
"Yes, he didn't get any of the gold, as we did when we went to theunderground city," remarked Tom. "Well, I don't wish anybody badluck but I certainly hope the Fogers keep poor enough to stay awayfrom Shopton. They bothered me enough. But where did you see Andy?"
"Oh, he was with his crony, Sam Snedecker. You know Sam said, sometime ago, that Andy was to pay him a visit, but Andy didn't comethen, for some reason or other. I suppose this call makes up for it.I met them down near Parker's drug store."
"You didn't hear Andy say anything about coming back here?" and theyoung inventor's voice was a trifle anxious.
"No," replied Ned. "What makes you so nervous about it?"
"Well, Ned, you know what Andy is—always trying to make trouble forme, even sneaking in my shop sometimes, trying to get the secret ofsome of my airships and machinery. And I admit I think it lookssuspicious when they have a carpenter working on the old homestead.Andy may come back, and—"
"Nonsence, Tom! If he does you and I can handle him. But I thinkperhaps the house may be rented, and they may be fixing it up for atenant. It's been vacant a long time you know, and I heard the otherday that it was haunted."
"Haunted, Ned! Get out! Say, you don't believe in that sort of bosh,do you?"
"Of course not. It was Eradicate who told me, and he said when hecame past the place quite late the other night he heard groans, andthe clanking of chains coming from it, and he saw flashing lights."
"Oh, wow! Eradicate is geting batty in his old age, poor fellow! Heand his mule Boomerang are growing old together, and I guess mycolored helper is 'seeing things,' as well as hearing them. But, asyou say, it may be that the house is going to be rented. It's toovaluable a property to let stand idle. Did you hear how long Andywas going to stay?"
"A week, I believe."
"A week! Say, one day would be enough I should think."
"You must have some special reason for being afraid Andy will do yousome harm," exclaimed Ned. "Out with it, Tom."
"Well, I'll tell you what it is, Ned," and Tom led his chum insidethe shop, in front of which the two lads had been talking. It was ashop where the young inventor constructed many of his marvelousmachines, aircraft, and instruments of various sorts.
"Do you think some one may hear you?" asked Ned.
"They might. I'm not taking any chances. But the reason I want to beespecially careful that Andy Foger doesn't spy on any of myinventions is that at last I have perfected my noiseless airshipmotor!"
"You have!" cried Ned, for he knew that his chum had been workingfor a long time on this motor, that would give out no sound, nomatter at how high a speed it was run. "That's great, Tom! Icongratulate you. I don't wonder you don't want Andy to get even apeep at it."
"Especially as I haven't it fully patented," went on the younginventor. He had met with many failures in his efforts to perfectthis motor, which he intended to install on one of his airships. "Ifany one saw the finished parts now it wouldn't take them long tofind out the secret of doing away with the noise."
"How do you do it?" asked Ned, for he realized that his chum had nosecrets from him.
"Well, it's too complicated to describe," said Tom, "but the secretlies in a new way of feeding gasolene into the motor, a new sparkingdevice, and an improved muffler. I think I could start my newairship in front of the most skittish horse, and he wouldn't stir,for the racket wouldn't wake a baby. It's going to be great."
"What are you going to do with it, when you get it all completed?"
"I haven't made up my mind yet. It's going to be some time before Iget it all put together, and installed, and in that time somethingmay turn up. Well, let's talk about something more pleasant thanAndy Foger. I guess I won't worry about him."
"No, I wouldn't. I'd like to see the motor run."
"You can, in a day or so, but just now I need a certain part toattach to the sparker, and I had to send to town for it. Koku hasgone after it."
"What, that big giant servant? He might break it on the way back,he's so strong. He doesn't realize how much muscle he has."
"No, that's so. Well, while we're waiting for him, come on in thehouse, and I'll show you some new books I got."
The two lads were soon in the Swift homestead, a pleasant and largeold-fashioned residence, in the suburbs of Shopton. Tom brought outthe books, and he and his chum poured over them.
"Mr. Damon gave me that one on electricity," explained the younginventor, handing Ned a bulky volume.
"'Bless my bookmark!' as Mr. Damon himself would say if he werehere," exclaimed Ned with a laugh. "That's a dandy. But Mr. Damondidn't give you THIS one," and Ned picked up a dainty volume ofverse. "'To Tom Swift, with the best wishes of Mary—'" but thatwas as far as he read, for Tom grabbed the book away, and closed thecover over the flyleaf, which bore some writing in a girl's hand. Ithink my old readers can guess whose hand it was.
"Wow! Tom Swift reading poetry!" laughed Ned.
"Oh, cut it out," begged his chum. "I didn't know that was among thebooks. I got it last Christmas. Now here's a dandy one on lionhunting, Ned," and to cover his confusion Tom shoved over a bookcontaining many pictures of wild animals.
"Lion hunting; eh," remarked Ned. "Well, I guess you could give themsome points on snapping lions with your moving picture camera, Tom."
"Yes, I got some good views," admitted the young inventor modestly."I may take the camera along on some trips in my noiseless airship.Hello! here comes Koku back. I hope he got what I wanted."
A man, immense in size, a veritable giant, one of two whom Tom Swifthad brought away from captivity with him, was entering the frontgate. He stopped to speak to Mr. Swift, Tom's father, who wassetting out some plants in a flower bed, taking them from a largewheel barrow filled with the blooms.
Mr. Swift, who was an inventor of note, had failed in his health oflate, and the doctor had recommended him to be out of doors as muchas possible. He delighted in gardening, and was at it all day.
"Look!" suddenly cried Ned, pointing to the giant. Then Tom and hischum saw a strange sight.
With a booming laugh, Koku picked up Mr. Swift gently and set him ona board that extended across the front part of the wheel barrow.Then, as easily as if it was a pound weight, the big man lifted Mr.Swift, barrow, plants and all, in his two hands, and carried themacross the garden to another flower bed, that was ready to befilled.
"No use to walk when I can carry you, Mr. Swift," exclaimed Kokuwith a laugh. "I overtook you quite nice; so?"
"Yes, you took me over in great shape, Koku!" replied the agedinventor with a smile at Koku's English, for the giant frequentlygot his words backwards. "That barrow is quite heavy for me towheel."
"You after this call me," suggested Koku.
"Say, but he's strong all right," exclaimed Ned, "and that was anawkward thing to carry."
"It sure was," agreed Tom. "I haven't yet seen any one strong enoughto match Koku. And he's gentle about it, too. He's very fond ofdad."
"And you too, I guess," added Ned.
"Well, Koku, did you get that attachment?" asked Tom, as his giantservant entered the room.
"Yes, Mr. Tom. I have it here," and from his po