Tom Swift and his Electric Rifle

Table of

ived by Tom and his associates. The newspaper had quite an account of the affair, and, even allowing the usua

hunter. "Of course, some parts of the continent are all right, and for me, I like it all

e newspaper account. "Still, I don't wish him any bad luck, a

patches speculating on what might have happened to him and the airship. In Shopton the dispatches created no little comment,

y hour saw the craft nearer completion, for the young inventor had had

ell attend to, and though he frequently stopped to bless hi

ern coast, where they planned to land. There the airship would be put together, stocked with provisions and supplies, and they would begin their j

Black Hawk was made in a similar manner to that, we will devote but brief space to it now. As the story proceeds, and the need arises

ith its load. This was the dirigible-balloon feature of the craft, and with the two powerful propellers, fore and aft (in which particular the Black Hawk differed from the

is alone to keep his craft afloat. It was a perfect aeroplane, and with the gas bag entirely empty could be sent scudding along at any height desired.

the gas bag, and in this car were the cabins, the living, sleepin

ropellers, dynamos, gages, and instruments for telling the speed and height, motors for doing various piec

rs, an observation and steering tower, a living-room, where they could all asse

he liked nothing better than to get up a meal when the craft was two

ts, weapons of defense and offense, in addition to the electric ri

ay's work in the shop, "I think, if all goes well, and we ha

k it will fl

less guesswork, even when you make two exactly alike. As far as I can tell, we have now

k Hawk, and in the morning the new airship was wheeled out of the shed

Nor was the Black Hawk painted and decorated as she would be when ready to be sent to Africa. On the whole, she looked rather crude as she rested there on the bicycle wheels, awaiting the starting of the big propel

d the young inventor, as he went carefully over the

ld elephant hunter. "I've never been in an airship before. It does

o was always a little diffident

the second, or the fifty-second," declared Ned Ne

ack Hawk's owner as he tried the different ga

their places. They did so, and then, with Mr. Jackson, Tom went to the engine room. There was a little

ll ready?"

pping the arms, and with a grim look on his tanned face. Mr. Swift was cool, as Ned, f

or and propellers. The Black Hawk trembled throughout her entire length. She shivered an

hing over the level space. Tom Swift tilted the elevation rudder, and with a suddenness that w

ed Ned Newton. "Now for elep

he gave his whole attention to the management of his new machine, which was