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Page 20
"With a silent motor all this would be done away with. With my
new craft, in case I can perfect it, the enemy's lines can be
approached as silently as the Indians used to approach the log
cabins of the white settlers. That will be its great advantage--
not that conversation can be more easily carried on, for that is,
after all, an unimportant detail. But to approach the enemy's
lines in the silence of the night would be a distinct gain."
"I believe it would, Tom!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "And I should
think, too, that Uncle Sam would be glad to get such a motor," he
added.
"Well, he'll have one to take if he wants it, if I can make my
plans a success," declared Tom. "That is, unless those other
fellows get ahead of me."
"What other fellows?" asked Mr. Damon.
"Gale, Ware and their crowd," was the answer. "I fancy they are
provoked because I wouldn't agree to work for them, and now, that
Gale overheard--as he must have--what I propose working on, they
may try that game themselves."
"You mean try to turn out a silent motor?"
"Yes. It would be a big feather in their cap for their company,
so far, hasn't been very successful on government orders. That's
why they came to me, I guess."
"I shouldn't be surprised, Tom," conceded Mr. Damon. "Since the
government accepted your giant cannon and your great searchlight,
you have come into greater prominence than ever before. And those
two things are a wonderful success."
"Yes," admitted Tom, modestly enough, "the big electric light
seems to have been of some benefit on the European battle front,
and though they haven't been able to make and transport as many
of my giant cannons as I'd like to see over there, it is
progressing, I understand."
And this is true. For the details of these two inventions of
Tom Swift's I refer my readers to the books bearing those titles.
Sufficient to state here that the government was using these two
inventions, and there had been no necessity for commandeering
them either, since Tom had freely offered them at the declaration
of war with Germany.
"Well, since I can't help you with my 'Whizzer,'" said Mr.
Damon, with a smile, "let me do what I can toward your silent
motor, Tom. What are you going to call it?"
"Oh, I don't know--hadn't thought of a name. I guess 'Air
Scout' would be as good as any. That's what it will be--a machine
for silently scouting in the air. And now to get down to brass
tacks, as the poet says, I believe I will--"
"Gentleman to see you, Mr. Swift," interrupted Jackson.
"Bless my penwiper!" cried Mr. Damon. "More visitors! I hope it
isn't Gale or Ware come back to see what they can spy on!"
CHAPTER VII
A PROBLEM IN SOUND
Tom Swift looked up with a distinct appearance of being annoyed
that was unusual with him, for he was, nearly always,
good-natured. But the frown that had replaced the pleasant look
on his face while he was talking to Mr. Damon about the projected
new air scout was at once wiped away as he looked at the card
Jackson held out to him.
"Bring him in right away!" he ordered. "He needn't have stood
on that ceremony."
"Well, he said it was a business call," returned the
mechanician with a cheerful grin, and he said he wanted it done
according to form. So he gave me his card to bring you."
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