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Page 22
"I know you've more than done your bit, with Liberty Bonds,
subscriptions to the Y. M. C. A. and other war work, besides your
war tank and other inventions. But you're such a shark on flying
machines I should think you'd offer your factory to the
government for the production of aeroplanes."
"I would in a minute, Ned, and you know it; but the fact of the
matter is my shops aren't equipped for the production of anything
in large numbers. We do mostly an experimenting business here,
making only one or two of a certain machine. I have told the
government officials they can have anything I've got, and you
know they wouldn't let me enlist when I was working on the war
tank."
"Yes, I remember that," said Ned. "You're no slacker! I wanted
to shoulder a rifle, too, but they keep me at this Liberty Loan
work. Well, Uncle Sam ought to know."
"That's what I say," agreed Tom, "and that's why I haven't gone
to the front myself. And now, as it happens, I've got something
else in mind that may help Uncle Sam."
"What is it?"
"A silent flying machine for scout work on the battle front,"
Tom told his friend, and then he gave a few details, such as
those he had been telling Mr. Damon.
"Then I don't wonder you turned down the offer of the Universal
people," remarked Ned, at the conclusion of the recital. "This
will be a heap more help to the government, Tom, than working for
those people, even at twenty-five thousand dollars a year. And if
you get short, and can't meet your newest Liberty Bond payments,
why, I guess the bank will stretch your credit a little."
"Thanks!" laughed Tom, "but I'll try not to ask them."
The friends talked together a little longer, and then Ned had
to take his departure to solicit more subscriptions, while Mr.
Damon went with him, the eccentric man saying he would go home to
Waterfield.
"But, bless my overshoes, Tom!" he exclaimed, as he departed,
"don't forget to let me know when you have your silent motor
working. I want to see it."
"I'll let you know," was the promise given by the young
inventor.
"And watch out for those Universal people," warned Ned. "I'm
not telling you this as a bank official, for I'm not supposed to,
but it's personal."
"I'll be on the watch," said Tom. And, as he went into his
private workshop, he wondered why it was his father and Ned had
both warned him not to trust Gale and Ware.
The next few days were busy ones for Tom Swift. Once he had
made up his mind to go to work seriously on a silent motor, all
else was put aside. He sent a note to Mary Nestor, telling her
what he was going to do, and, asking her to say nothing about it,
which, of course, Mary agreed to.
"Come and see me when you can," she sent back word, "but I know
you won't have much chance when you're experimenting with your
invention. And I shall be working so hard for the Red Cross that
I sha'n't get much chance to entertain you. But the war can't
last forever."
"No," agreed Tom with a sigh, as he put away her letter, "and
thank goodness that it can't!"
The young inventor threw himself into the perplexing work of
inventing a silent motor with all the fervor he had given to the
production of his war tank, his giant cannon, his wonderful
searchlight and other machines.
"And," mused Tom, as he sat at his work table with pencil and
paper before him, "since this is a problem in acoustics, I had
best begin. I suppose by going back to first principles, and
after determining what makes an aeroplane engine noisy, try to
figure out how to make it quiet. Now as to the first, the
principle causes of noise are--"
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