第23章

In an instant Tom pulled a blank sheet over his mass of figures and looked up, a sudden fear coming over him that another spy was at hand.But a hearty voice reassured him.

"Bless my rice pudding!" cried Mr.Damon, "you shut yourself up here, Tom, like a hermit in the mountains.Why don't you come out and enjoy life?""Hello! Glad to see you!" cried Tom, joyfully."You're just in time!" "Time for what--dinner?" asked the eccentric man, with a chuckle."Ifso, my reference to rice pudding was very proper.""Why, yes, I imagine there must be a dinner in prospect somewhere, Mr.Damon," said Tom with a smile."We'll have to see Mrs.Baggert about that.But what I meant was that you're just in time to have a ride with me, if you want to go.""Go where?"

"Oh, up in cloudland.I have just finished my first sample of a silent motor, and I'm going to try it this evening.Would you like to come along?""I would!" exclaimed Mr.Damon."Bless my onion soup, Tom, but I would! But why fly at night? Isn't it safer by daylight?""Oh, that doesn't make much difference.It's safe enough at any time.

The reason I'm going to make my first flight after dark is that I don't want any spies about.""Oh, I see! Are they camping on your trail?""Not exactly.But I can't tell where they may be.If I should start out in daylight and be forced to make a landing-- Well, you know what a crowd always collects to see a stranded airship.""That's right, Tom."

"That decided me to start off after dark.Then if we have to come down because of some sort of engine trouble or because my new attachment doesn't work right, we sha'n't have any prying eyes.""I see! Well, Tom, I'll go with you.Fortunately I didn't tell my wife where I was going when I started out this afternoon, so she won't worry until after it's over, and then it won't hurt her.I'm ready any time you are.""Good! Stay to dinner and I'll show you what I've made.Then we'll take a flight after dark."This suited the eccentric man, and a little later, after he had eaten one of Mrs.Baggert's best meals, including rice pudding, of which he was very fond, Mr.Damon accompanied Tom to one of the big hangars where the new aeroplane had been set up.

"So that's the Air Scout, is it, Tom?" asked Mr.Damon, as he viewed the machine.

"Yes, that's the girl.'Air Scout' is as good a name as any, until I see what she'll do.""It doesn't look different from one of your regular craft of the skies, Tom.""No, she isn't.The main difference is here," and Tom showed his friend where a peculiar apparatus had been attached to the motor.This was the silencer--the whole secret of the invention, so to speak.

To Mr.Damon it seemed to consist of an amazing collection of pipes, valves, baffle-plates, chambers, cylinders and reducers, which took the hot exhaust gases as they came from the motor and "ate them up," as he expressed it.

"The cylinders, too, and the spark plugs are differently arranged in the motor itself, if you could see them," said Tom to his friend."But the mainwork of cutting down the noise is done right here," and he put his hand on the steel case attached to the motor, the case containing the apparatus already briefly described.

"Well, I'm ready when you are, Tom," said Mr.Damon.

"We'll go as soon as it's dark," was the reply."But first I'll give you a demonstration.Start the motor, Jackson!" Tom called to his chief helper.

Mr.Damon had ridden in aeroplanes before, and had stood near when Tom started them; so he was prepared for a great rush of air as the propellers whirled about, and for deafening explosions from the engine.

The big blades, of new construction, were turned until the gas in the cylinders was sufficiently compressed.Then Jackson stepped back out of danger while Tom threw over the switch.

"Contact!" cried the young inventor.

Jackson gave the blades a quarter pull, and, a moment later, as he leaped back out of the way, they began to revolve with the swiftness of light.There was the familiar rush of air as the wooden wings cut through the atmosphere, but there was scarcely any noise.Mr.Damon could hardly believe his ears.

"I'm not running her at full speed," said Tom."If I did she'd tear loose from the holding blocks.But you can see what little racket she makes.""Bless my fountain pen!" cried Mr.Damon."You are right, Tom Swift! Why, I can hear you talk almost as easily as if no engine were going.And I don't have to shout my head off, either."This was perfectly true.Tom could converse with Mr.Damon in almost ordinary tones.The exhaust from the motor was nearly completely muffled.

"Out in the air it will seem even more quiet," said Tom."I'll soon give you a chance to verify that statement."He ran the engine a little longer, the aeroplane quivering with the vibrations, but remaining almost silent.

"I'm anxious to see what she'll do when in motion," said Tom, as he shut off the gas and spark.

Soon after supper, when the shades of evening were falling, he and Mr.Damon took their places in the first of the Air Scouts, to give it thepreliminary test in actual flying.

Would Tom's hopes be justified or would he be disappointed?