Tom Swift and His Airship

ries a

Cloud by colliding with the tower. The most important part to reconstruct was the propeller, and Mr.

mmed, and so prevent the airship from steering properly. This the lad accomplished by a si

e declared. "I advise you t

ee much use of spending the money for a patent. Airships aren't li

ps are going to be used more in the future than y

fterward he was glad that he had,

when he was engaged in the big shed, helping Mr. Sharp, the young inventor spent many minutes calling to mi

ship before I venture with her in it. It won't do to have any accidents then. There's Ned Newton, too. I must take him for a skim i

ent at the school Mr. Sharp

we'll try another flight. Do you su

It's unusual, too, for he most generally tells me what he is engaged up

vous, and, while the ship is new, I don't want any nervous passengers aboard

to see us make the trip to-morrow," went on the young

After a trial rise by means of the gas, I'm going to lower the ship to the ground,

ious about trusting himself in an airship for the first time, finally consented to go with

d," proposed the young inventor. "Mr. Sharp isn't quite

where they were on a level with the big, red aluminum tank. Tom began

ed the young navigator of the air, "and I'll show

steps from the loft platform, a noise on

Mr. Sharp comi

tant later he grasped the arm of his ch

whispered the

aimed Ned, peering

are with him. They sneaked in when I lef

ll wager," commented Ned

the cronies on the ground below them did not speak

roposed Sam. "That will make them think

t do that," a

?" decla

he top part of the shed, and I'

fraid," s

thing that holds the gas is made of aluminum, and we can't make a

of a trick on Tom Swift," pr

ads on the ground, but of c

t!" came

anded his t

the airship collapse. They'll think the wires broke from the strain. Take o

ed Ned to Tom. "Come on down

the loft, and then a smile replaced t

better way

t is

d. "It consists of a lot of shavings, sawdust and, what's more, a lot of soot and lampblack that we used in mixing

kling. "Give me a broom. Th

of his broom, sent a big pile of the dirt, sawdust and lampblack down upon the heads of the conspirators. The young inventor did the same thing, and for an instant the lower part of the shed looked as if a d

e changed to black-as black as the burnt-cork perfor

Who di

The shed is

ed Andy. "There's been an

ted back in astonishment at the sight of the three grotesque figures, their faces black w

come meddling around her

d Pete were wildly trying to wipe the stuff from their faces, but only made matters wor

on 'em," remarked Ned, who was holdi

d to give the airship its brilliant hue. Running to the end of the loft Tom stood

ompleted the work of the dirt and soot, and a few seconds later, each face looking like a stage Indian's ready for the war-path, the trio

s taken!" cried Ned, peer

mass of red paint from his left ear, removed a mass of soot from his right cheek, an

n with you ye

time you come sneaking around this airship, trying to damage it, you'll get wo

, and, accompanied by his companions, he made a bee-line for the rear gate in the fence, and darted