Tom Swift and the Electronic Hydrolung
shouted. "Take a squint through your telescope, bos
s. Some were bewildered, a few frightened. Others were laughing, thinking the
m ordered, trying to make h
with a huge red bandanna. "Why, sufferin' rattlesnakes, di
d what?"
ht over the loud-speaker in the galley! They was chitt
ard it, too!" one of
s eyes kindled with a dawning suspicion. Whirling around, he
te of Enterprises. "What's going on?" he asked the guard at
ering myself. I know it sounds crazy, but I thought I hea
erator and sped off along the paved drive. Seconds later, his car braked to a stop near Tom J
in astonishment at Tom and Bud, wh
chuckles. "Chow thought some Martian monsters wer
appened. Realizing Chow's embarrassment, Tom
the boys' scrambled conversation underwater. The signal had been transferred
ank. Anyhow," he concluded, slapping the cook affectionately on the back, "I'm sure glad we have
employees, reassured,
with a smile as the room cleared. "But I'm afraid
t, Dad," Tom
e plants," the elder scientist said. "It looks as thou
quickly and cheaply-enough to increase the world's food supply by a sizable margin. Mor
een doing some experiments of his own with a vitamin extract from the
at Mr. Swift's cautious report could well
," Tom said, his eyes flashing enthusiastically. "With the earth's
ded, "or we may find spac
was a standing joke at Enterprises, and already had led to
s drawing board was littered with sketches and diagrams when the phone rang, breaking in
acht club to talk over the
as eager to do everything possible to make the s
end Bud Barclay can tell you what we want-probably better th
ry well," Morris agreed, alth
the appointment. Bud was only too happy to oblige, jump
yacht club lounge. Lester Morris was nowhere in sight, so they sat d
tten," Sandy said, glan
ught to be extra good," Bud joked. "Fine thi
hat moment a thin, seedy-looking man came into the lounge. His close-set eyes
" Sandy whispered. "Wha
Both Bud and Sandy had met him occasiona
up," Unger informed them.
tried to conceal her feelings. "Please sit down," she invited
hrugged. "Y
d, puzzled, "how do we know h
derstand. "You mean, can he call off the danc
calls or singing
esitated, the
." After a moment's thought, she went on, "Well, let's see. What about 'Bird
t, he remarked, "Guess your brother was too busy to make it today,
he always made it a point not to discuss Tom Jr.
ead where he handled that Jupi
nning the program, Len Unger continued to drop remarks and questions about "T
e conversation and left the yacht club. Unger'
en he and Sandy were driving
iscouraged. He had tried several different experimental attacks on the
affle might lead somewhere," he murmur
chin in his hands. He was frowning, deep in thought, as
quired cheerfully. "Ain't you
m to be," To
ay," Chow said philosophically. "What yo
lf. "Maybe you're right, Chow
legs. He strolled outside with Chow, then scootered to th
n. Nearing town, Tom turned off on a side-road short cut. He
thought. "If you're in such a
it closed in straight behind him. The next moment, Tom saw a port open below th
m's rear bumper! His car was
off the road, steering around a utility pole. As the cable tautened, there wase side window. With a groan,