Tom Swift and His Air Glider; Or, Seeking the Platinum Treasure — John Shaqi
Tom Swift and His Air Glider; Or, Seeking the Platinum TreasureAppleton, Victor
Science
Tom Swift and His Air Glider; Or, Seeking the Platinum Treasure
Appleton, Victor
Gliders (Aeronautics) -- Juvenile fiction; Russia -- Juvenile fiction; Swift, Tom (Fictitious character) -- Juvenile fiction
"He knows it as well as I do. The trouble is you can't tell who the
spies are until it's too late. I'm glad I'm not mixed up in that sort
of thing. If I can get to Siberia, help Mr. Petrofsky rescue his
brother, and get hold of some of that platinum I'll be satisfied. Then
I won't go back to the land of the Czar, once I get away from there."
"That's right. Well, let's go back and work on the glider."
"And we'll have Eradicate patrolling about the shop to make sure we're
not spied on again."
"By golly! Ef I sees any oh 'em, I suah will pinch 'em!" cried the
colored man, as he clicked the pliers.
But there was no further disturbance that night, and, when Tom and Ned
ceased work, they had made good progress toward finishing the air
glider.
The big airship was almost ready to be given a trial flight, with her
motors tuned up to give more power, and as soon as the Russian exile
had a little more definite information as to the possible whereabouts
of his brother, they could start.
In the days that followed Tom and his friends worked hard. The air
glider was made as nearly perfect as any machine is, and in a fairly
stiff gale, that blew up about a week later, Tom did some things in it
that made his friends open their eyes. The young inventor had it under
nearly as good control as he had his dirigible balloons or aeroplanes.
The big airship, too, was made ready for the long voyage, extra large
storage tanks for gasolene being built in, as it was doubtful if they
could get a supply in Siberia without arranging for it in advance, and
this they did not want to do. Besides there was the long ocean flight
to provide for.
"But if worst comes to worst I can burn kerosene in my motor," Tom
explained, for he had perfected an attachment to this end. "You can get
kerosene almost anywhere in Russia."
At last word was received from Russia, from some Revolutionist friends
of the exile, stating that his brother was supposed to be working in a
certain sulphur mine north of the Iablonnoi mountains, and half way
between that range and the city of Iakutsk.
"But it might be a salt mine, just as well," said Mr. Petrofsky, when
he told the boys the news. "Information about the poor exiles is hard
to get."
"Well, we'll take a chance!" cried Tom determinedly.
The preparations went on, and by strict watchfulness none of the spies
secured admission to the shop where the air glider was being finished.
The big airship was gotten in shape for the voyage, and then, after a
final trial of the glider, it was taken apart and put aboard the
Falcon, ready for use on the gale-swept plains of Siberia.
The last of the stores, provisions and supplies were put in the big car
of the airship, a route had been carefully mapped out, and Tom, after
saying good-bye to Mary Nestor, his father, the housekeeper, and
Eradicate, took his place in the pilot house of the airship one
pleasant morning at the beginning of Summer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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