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Page 50
"But there is enormous pressure to overcome, Tom. You must be
sure your muffler will stand the strain. Otherwise she is going
to blow out a gasket some day, when you least expect it. Then the
sudden resumption of pressure outside the cylinders is going to
cause a change in the equilibrium, and you may turn turtle in the
air."
"I've thought of that," said Tom. "At worst it can't be any
more than looping the loop. But I'll make the muffler doubly
strong."
"Better provide an auxiliary chamber to take care of part of
the exhaust in case your main apparatus breaks," advised the
older inventor, and Tom said he would. He did, too, for he valued
his father's expert advice.
Meanwhile he was busy fitting one of his latest aeroplanes with
the new motor. The motor he and Mr. Damon had used in their
flight was one patched up from an old one. But now Tom was
working on a complete new one, made after his revised model, and
in which the silencer was an integral part, instead of being
built on.
While giving Mary and her mother all the assistance in his
power, Tom still found time to work on his new, pet scheme. He
had matters now where he did not fear any tampering with his
plans, for he had filed away his papers in a safe place, and was
making his new machine from memory.
"But if some one got in and had a look at the inside of your
silencer he could see how it is constructed, couldn't he?" asked
Ned Newton.
"Yes," assented Tom, "But they're not going to get in very
easily. Koku sleeps in the experiment shop now, and my machine is
there."
"Oh, well that explains your confidence. I feel sorry for the
burglar who makes the attempt, once Koku wakes up. Heard anything
more from those Universal people?"
"No, not directly. I understand they are working hard on some
new type of plane for army use, but I haven't bothered my head
about them. I'm too much occupied with my own affairs and trying
to help Mary."
"Very strange about Mr. Nestor, isn't it?"
"Worse than strange," said Tom. "If this keeps on, and he isn't
heard from, it will be tragic pretty soon."
"He must be held a prisoner somewhere," declared Ned.
"It begins to look that way," assented Tom. "Though who would
have an object in that I can't understand. He had no enemies, as
far as is known, and his business affairs were in excellent
shape. Unless, as I said, the persons who ran him down are,
through fear, keeping him hidden until he recovers, I can't
imagine what has become of him."
"Well, it certainly is a puzzle," said Ned. And Tom agreed with
his chum.
It was about a week after the disappearance of Mr. Nestor that
Mr. Damon came over to see Tom.
"Bless my shoe laces, Tom!" exclaimed the eccentric man, "but
you are as busy as ever." For he found the young inventor in the
experiment shop, surrounded by a mass of papers and all sorts of
mechanical devices.
"Yes, I'm working a little," said Tom. "But you are just in
time. Come on out, I want to introduce you to Silent Sam."
"'Silent Sam!'" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Have you been taking a
new trip to the Land of Wonders? Have you brought back some new
kind of servant?"
"Not exactly a servant," said Tom with a laugh, "though I hope
Silent Sam will serve me well."
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