Tom Swift and His Airship

ial

the whitewash which ran in his eyes, but which, being slaked, did not burn

uth from the trickling fluid. Then, wiping it from his face, with his hands, as best he coul

uff twenty-five cents, an' I got t' go git mo' to finish doin' a chicken coop I'm

th the white-wash dripping from his garments, he turned and fairly r

olored man, and held

the lad said. "That fellow was desperate, and this was a lon

t on him, ef he got too obstreperous, an' dat's what he done. But I

that the Happy Harry gang was still hanging around the neighborhood of Shopton, and the fact that Morse

kin trace him by de whitewash what drops offen him," and he point

ad. You have helped me out of difficulties several times now. You put me on the trail of the men in the deser

ignated a motorcycle. "I knowed it were yo', an' I didn't laik de looks ob dat man. Den I see he had hold ob you, an' I t'ought he were a burglar. So I yelled t' Boomerang t' hurry up. Now, mostly, when I wants Boomerang t' hurry, he goes slow, an' when I wants him t' g

e weapon you could have u

rnestly. "I ain't eben got mah razor, 'case I left it home. I didn'

imple negro's misunderstanding. "I'm ever so much obliged to you,

doan't want t' take it. I

for home. Eradicate started to tell over again, how he

t all, not even mah razor," repeated Eradicate. "Only de pail

as he started his machine. "Come around next week, Ra

at man such did look odd, wif dat pail ob whitewash all ober him. He suah did look mos

done, and, as he rode off, Tom looked back to see the

the adventure with Morse, but he

ed the balloonist. "I'd take him up in the airship, and drop him down into th

ad doesn't hear about them or he will be sure to wor

et what he's engaged

d the other day, though, that it would r

r what h

r craft, even if he is my own father, and the best one in the world," said Tom, half j

if my ideas will work out in pract

nd the big aluminum holder fastened to the frame of the planes. The rudders, one to control the elevation and depression of the craft, and the oth

ne night, as he and Tom stood in the big shed, looking at th

we fit up the car ready for a lon

inting the ship. Some parts of it might rust i

orrow, and, as soon as it

the paint the first t

much care had to be used, and, when it wa

Mr. Sharp, as he removed a bit

"And hold on, I have the v

" questione

ed-at least the big, aluminum gas container is-and we

lloonist. "If I had a bottle of malted mil

that part," suggested Tom. "They al

r young lady?" asked Mr. Sharp soft

, hang it, christen it yourself,

h a twinkle in his eyes, "I christen thee Red Cloud," and with that he sprinkled some water on the pointed nose of th

enthusiastically. "Now, to-mor

hat an airship was being constructed in the Swift shops had been kept as secret as pos

and Mr. Sharp went to the shed to get the Red Cloud in readiness for th

hing I'm at all worried about is our speed. I want to go fast, but we

er. It was decided to try to go up under the lifting power of the gas, and not use the aeroplane

buoyant, the big doors of the shed were opened, and Tom and Mr.

al voices outside the high fence that surro

," remarked Tom with a grim

't worry," adv

te a crowd of boys, as well as men, had collected, though it wa

d. It was held down by ropes, fastened to stakes driven in the ground.

. "We're almost ready to fly. Will

oks as though you were going to succeed, though. I'll

Tom of the engineer, as the you

answer, with a smile. "Broken bones don't

declared Mr. Sharp. "All read

e and more sure of herself, the Red Cloud arose in the air like a gigantic bird of scarlet plumage. Up and

of the boys in the meadow, and the hoa

balloonist. "We're off!" and he wav

p confidently. "I'm going to st

Baggert, the housekeeper, running from the house

rly he had no fears, though it was the first time he had ever been in an airship. Mr. Sharp

in the car, did as directed. Mr. Sharp pulled several levers, adjusted some va

grasped the steering wheel. Then, with a quick motion he threw

eet in the air, shot forward, like a boat on the water, only with such a smo

ll planes which sent the craft up or down, according to the manner in which they were tilted. The next instant the airship was pointed a