AND HIS 
 
University of California Berkeley 
 
 DONALD SIDNEY-FRYER 
 COLLECTION 
 
HIGHER AND HIGHER WENT THE VULTURE. Page l8t, 
 Swift *nd His Air 
 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS 
 AIR GLIDER 
 
 OR 
 
 Seeking the Platinum Treasure 
 
 BY 
 VICTOR APPLETON 
 
 AUTHOR OF "TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-CYC E," "TOM SWIFT AND HIS 
 
 WIRELESS MESSAGE," "TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND 
 
 MAKERS," "TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER," 
 
 "TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD," ETC. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP 
 PUBLISHERS 
 
 Made in the United States of America 
 
BOOKS BY VICTOR APPLETON 
 THE TOM SWIFT SERIES 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-CYCLE 
 
 Or Fun and Adventures on the Road 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-BOA C 
 
 Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP 
 
 Or the Stirring Cruise of the Red Cloud 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT 
 
 Or Under the Ocean for Sunken Treasure 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT 
 
 Or the Speediest Car on the Road 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE 
 
 Or the Castaways of Earthquake Island 
 TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS 
 
 Or the Secret of Phantom Mountain 
 TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE 
 
 Or the Wreck of the Airship 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER 
 
 Or The Quickest Flight on Record 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE 
 
 Or Daring Adventures in Elephant Land 
 TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD 
 
 Or Marvelous Adventures Underground 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 Or Seeking the Platinum Treasure 
 TOM SWIFT IN GIANT LAND 
 
 Or A Daring Escape from Captivity 
 
 (Other Volumes in Preparation) 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP 
 
 PUBLISHERS NEW YORK 
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1912 BY 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP 
 
 Tom Swift and His Air Glidtr 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I A BREAKDOWN 1 
 
 II A DARING PROJECT 15 
 
 III THE HAND OF THE CZAR 26 
 
 IV THE SEARCH 35 
 
 V A CLEW FROM RUSSIA 41 
 
 VI RESCUING MR. PETROFSKY 52 
 
 VII THE AIR GLIDER 59 
 
 VIII IN A GREAT GALE 69 
 
 IX THE SPIES 74 
 
 X OFF IN THE AIRSHIP 81 
 
 XI A STORM AT SEA 68 
 
 XII AN ACCIDENT 94 
 
 XIII SEEKING A QUARREL 100 
 
 XIV HURRIED FLIGHT 109 
 
 XV PURSUED 114 
 
 XVI THE NIHILISTS 124 
 
 XVII ON TO SIBERIA 130 
 
 XVIII IN A RUSSIAN PRISON 139 
 
 XIX LOST IN A SALT MINE 148 
 
 XX THE ESCAPE 157 
 
 ill 
 
iv CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGH 
 
 XXI THE RESCUE 165 
 
 XXII IN THE HURRICANE 176 
 
 XXIII THE LOST MINE ^3 
 
 XXIV THE LEAKING TANKS 194 
 
 XXV HOMEWARD BOUND CONCLUSION.. 201 
 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR 
 GLIDER 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 A BREAKDOWN 
 
 "WELL, Ned, are you ready?" 
 
 "Oh, I suppose so, Tom. As ready as I ever 
 shall be." 
 
 "Why, Ned Newton, you're not getting afraid; 
 are you? And after you've been on so many 
 trips with me?" 
 
 "No, it isn't exactly that, Tom. I'd go in a 
 minute if you didn't have this new fangled thing 
 on your airship. But how do you know how it's 
 going to work or whether it will work at all? 
 We may come a cropper." 
 
 "Bless my insurance policy!" exclaimed a man 
 who was standing near the two lads who were 
 conversing. "You'd better keep near the ground, 
 
 Oh, that's all right, Mr. Damon," answered 
 
 i 
 
' 2 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 Tom Swift. "There isn't any more danger than 
 there ever was, but I guess Ned is nervous since 
 our trip to the underground city of gold." 
 
 "I am not!" indignantly exclaimed the other 
 lad, with a look at the young inventor. "But you 
 know yourself, Tom, that putting this new pro- 
 peller on your airship, changing the wing tips, 
 and re-gearing the motor has made an altogether 
 different sort of a craft of it. You, yourself, 
 said it wasn't as reliable as before, even though 
 it does go faster." 
 
 "Now look here, Ned !" burst out Tom. "That 
 was last week that I said it wasn't reliable. It is 
 now, for I've tried it out several times, and yet, 
 when I ask you to take a trip with me, to act as 
 ballast " 
 
 "Is that all you want me for, Tom, to act as 
 ballast ? Then you'd better take a bag of sand- 
 or Mr. Damon here!" 
 
 "Me? I guess not! Bless my diamond ring! 
 My wife hasn't forgiven me for going off on that 
 last trip with you, Tom, and I'm not going to take 
 any more right away. But I don't blame 
 Ned " 
 
 "Say, look here!" cried Tom, a little out of 
 patience, "you know me better than that, Ned. 
 Of course your more than ballast I want you to 
 help me manage the craft since I made the changes 
 
A BREAKDOWN 3 
 
 on her. Now if you don't want to come, why 
 say so, and I'll get Eradicate. I don't believe 
 he'll be afraid, even if he " 
 
 "Hold on dar now, Massa Tom!" exclaimed an 
 aged colored man, who was an all around helper 
 at the Swift homestead, "was yo' referencin' t' me 
 whenyo' spoke?" 
 
 "Yes, Rad, I was saying that if Ned wouldn't 
 go up in the airship with me you would." 
 
 "Well, now, Masa Tom, I shorely would laik 
 t' 'blige yo', I shore would. But de fack ob de 
 mattah am dat I has a mos' particular job ob 
 white washin' t' do dish mornin', an' I 'spects I'd 
 better be gittin' at it. It's a mos' particular job, 
 an', only fo' dat, I'd be mos' pleased t' go up in 
 de airship. But as it am, I mus' ax yo' t' 'scuse 
 me, I really mus'," and the colored man shuffled 
 off at a faster gait than he was in the habit of 
 using. 
 
 "Well, of all things!" gasped Tom. "I believe 
 you're all afraid of the old airship, just because I 
 made some changes in her. I'll go up alone, that'f 
 what I will." 
 
 "No, I'll go with you," interposed Ned Newton 
 who was Tom's most particular chum. "I only 
 wanted to be sure it was all right, that was all." 
 
 "Well, if you've fully made up your mind," went 
 on the young inventor, a little mollified, "lend me 
 
* TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 a hand to get her in shape for a run. I expect 
 to make faster time than I ever did before, and 
 I'm going to head out Waterford way. You'd 
 better come along, Mr. Damon, and I'll drop you 
 off at your house." 
 
 "Bless my feather bed !" gasped the man. "Drop 
 me off ! I like that, Tom Swift !" 
 
 "Oh, I didn't mean it exactly that way/' 
 laughed Tom. "But will you come?" 
 
 "No, thanks, I'm going home by trolley," and 
 then as the odd man went in the house to speak 
 to Tom's father, the two lads busied themselves 
 about the airship. 
 
 This was a large aeroplane, one of the largest 
 Tom Swift had ever constructed, and he was a 
 lad who had invented many kinds of machinery 
 besides crafts for navigating the upper regions. 
 It was not as large as his combined aeroplane and 
 dirigible balloon of which I have told you in other 
 books, but it was of sufficient size to carry three 
 persons besides other weight. 
 
 Tom had built it some years before, and it had 
 seemed good enough then. Later he constructed 
 some of different models, besides the big com- 
 bination affair, and he had gone on several trips 
 in that. 
 
 He and his chum Ned, together with Eradicate 
 Sampson, the colored man, and Mr. Damon, had 
 
A BREAKDOWN 5 
 
 been to a wonderful underground city of gold in 
 Mexico, and it was soon after their return from 
 this perilous trip that Tom had begun the work 
 of changing his old aeroplane into a speedier 
 craft. 
 
 This had occupied him most of the Winter, and 
 now that Spring had come he had a chance to try 
 what a re-built motor, changed propellers, and 
 different wing tips would do for the machine. 
 
 The time had come for the test and, as we have 
 seen, Tom had some difficulty in persuading any- 
 one to go along with him. But Ned finally got 
 over his feeling of nervousness. 
 
 "Understand, Tom," spoke Ned, "it isn't be- 
 cause I don't think you know how to work an 
 aeroplane that I hesitated. I've been up in the 
 air with you enough times to know that you're 
 there with the goods, but I don't believe even you 
 know what this machine is going to do." _ 
 
 "I can pretty nearly tell. I'm sure my theory 
 is right." 
 
 "I don't doubt that. But will it work out in 
 practice?" 
 
 "She may not make all the speed I hope she 
 will, and I may not be able to push her high into 
 the air quicker than I used to before I made the 
 changes," admitted Tom, "but I'm sure of one 
 thing. She'll fly, and she won't come down until 
 
6 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 I'm ready to let her. So you needn't worry about 
 getting hurt." 
 
 "All right if you say so. Now what do you 
 want me to do, Tom?" 
 
 "Go over the wire guys and stays for the first 
 thing. There's going to be lots of vibration, with 
 the re-built motor, and I want everything tight." 
 ^ N Aye, aye, sir!" answered Ned with a laugh, 
 had- finished the wires. 
 
 Then he set at his task, tightening the small 
 nuts, and screwing up the turn-buckles, while 
 Tom busied himself over the motor. There was 
 some small trouble with the carburetor that needed 
 eliminating before it would feed properly. 
 
 "How about the tires?" asked Ned, when he 
 had finished the wires. 
 
 "You might pump them up. There, the motor 
 is all right. I'm going to try it now, while you 
 attend to the tires." 
 
 Ned had pumped up one of the rubber circlets 
 of the small bicycle wheels on which the aeroplane 
 rested, and was beginning on the second, when a 
 noise like a battery of machine guns going off 
 next to his ear startled him so that he jumped,, 
 tripped over a stone and went down, the air pump 
 thumping him in the back. 
 
 "What in the world happened, Tom?" he yelted, 
 
A BREAKDOWN 7 
 
 for he had to use all his lung power to be heard 
 above that racket. "Did it explode?" 
 
 "Explode nothing!" shouted Tom. "That's 
 the re-built motor in action." 
 
 "In action! I should say it was in action. Is 
 it always going to roar like that?" 
 
 Indeed the motor was roaring away, spitting 
 fire and burnt gases from the exhaust pipe, and 
 enveloping the aeroplane in a whitish haze of 
 choking smoke. 
 
 "No, I have the muffler cut out, and that's why 
 she barks so. But she runs easier that way, and I 
 want to get her smoothed out a bit." 
 
 "Whew! That smoke!" gasped his chum. 
 "Why don't you whew this is more than I 
 can stand," and holding his hands to his smarting 
 eyes, Ned, gasping and choking, staggered away 
 to where the air was better. 
 
 "It is sort of thick," admitted Tom. "But 
 that's only because she's getting too much oil. 
 She'll clear in a few minutes. Stick around and 
 we'll go up." 
 
 Despite the choking vapor, the young inventor 
 stuck to his task of regulating the motor, and in 
 a short while the smoke became less, while the 
 big propeller blades whirled about more evenly. 
 Then Tom adjusted the muffler, and most of the 
 noise stopped 
 
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "Come on back, and finish pumping up the 
 tires," he shouted to Ned. "I'm going to stop her 
 now, and then I'll give her the pressure test, and 
 we'll take a trip." 
 
 Having cleared his eyes of smoke, Ned came 
 back to his task, and this having been finished, 
 Tom attached a heavy spring balance, or scales, 
 to the rope that held the airship back from moving 
 when her propellers were whirling about. 
 
 "How much pressure do you want ?" asked Ned. 
 
 "I ought to get above twelve hundred with the 
 way the motor is geared, but I'll go up with ten. 
 Watch the needle for me." 
 
 It may be explained that when aeroplanes are 
 tested on the earth the propellers are set in motion. 
 This of course would send a craft whizzing over 
 the ground, eventually to rise in the air, but for 
 the fact that a rope, attached to the craft, and to 
 some stationary object, holds it back. 
 
 Now if this rope is hooked to a spring balance, 
 which in turn is made fast to the stationary ob- 
 ject, the "thrust" of the propellers will be regis- 
 tered in pounds on the scale of the balance. Any- 
 where from five hundred to nine hundred pounds 
 of thrust will take a monoplane or biplane up. 
 But Tom wanted more than this. 
 
 Once more the motor coughed and spluttered, 
 and the big blades whirled about so fast that they 
 
A BREAKDOWN g 
 
 seemed like solid pieces of wood. Tom stood on 
 the ground near the levers which controlled the 
 speed, and Ned watched the scale. 
 
 "How much?" yelled the young inventor. 
 
 "Eight hundred." 
 
 Tom turned on a little more gasolene. 
 
 "How much?" he cried again. 
 
 "Ten hundred. That'll do!" 
 
 "No, I'm going to try for more. 
 
 Again he advanced the spark and gasolene 
 levers, and the comparatively frail craft vibrated 
 so that it seemed as if she would fly apart. 
 
 "Now?" yelled Tom. 
 
 "Eleven hundred and fifty!" cried Ned. 
 
 "Good! That'll do it. She'll give more after 
 she's been running a while. We'll go up." 
 
 Ned scrambled to his seat, and Tom followed. 
 He had an arrangement so that he could slip 
 loose the retaining rope from his perch whenever 
 he was ready. 
 
 Waiting until the motor had run another min- 
 ute, the young inventor pulled the rope that re- 
 leased them. Over the smooth starting ground 
 that formed a part of the Swift homestead darted 
 the aeroplane. Faster and faster she moved, Ned 
 gripping the sides of his seat. 
 
 "Here we go!" cried Tom, and the next instant 
 they shot up into the air. 
 
'j TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 Ned Newton had ridden many times with his 
 chum Tom, and the sensation of glidding through 
 the upper regions was not new to him. But this 
 time there was something different. The propel- 
 lers seemed to take hold of the air with a firmer 
 grip. There was more power, and certainly the 
 speed was terrific. 
 
 "We're going fast!" yelled Ned into Tom's 
 ear. 
 
 "That's right," agreed the young inventor. 
 "She'll beat anything but my Sky Racer, and 
 she'd do that if she was the same size." Tom re- 
 ferred to a very small aeroplane he had made 
 some time before. It was like some big bird, and 
 very swift. 
 
 Up and onward went the remodeled airship, 
 faster and faster, until, when several miles had 
 been covered, Ned realized that the young in- 
 ventor had achieved another triumph. 
 
 " It's great, Tom ! Great ! " he yelled. 
 
 "Yes, I guess it will do, Ned. I'm satisfied. If 
 there was an international meet now I'd capture 
 some of the prizes. As it is " 
 
 Tom stopped suddenly. His voice which had 
 been raised to overcome the noise of even the 
 muffled motor, sounded unnaturally loud, and no 
 wonder, for the engine had ceased working! 
 
 "What's the matter?" gasped Ned. 
 
A BREAKDOWN 1 1 
 
 "I don't know a breakdown of some kind." 
 
 "Can you get it going again?" 
 
 "I'm going to try." 
 
 Tom was manipulating various levers, but with 
 no effect. The aeroplane was shooting downward 
 with frightful rapidity. 
 
 "No use!" exclaimed the young inventor. 
 "Something has broken." 
 
 "But we're falling, Tom!" 
 
 "I know it. We've done it before. I'm going 
 to vofplane to earth." 
 
 This, it may be explained, is gliding downward 
 from a height with the engine shut off. Aero- 
 pianists often do it, and Tom was no novice at 
 the art. 
 
 They shot downward with less speed now, for 
 the young inventor had thrown up his head- 
 planes to act as a sort of brake. Then, a little 
 later they made a good landing in a field near a 
 small house, in a rather lonely stretch of country, 
 about ten miles from Shopton, where Tom lived. 
 
 "Now to see what the trouble is," remarked our 
 hero, as he climbed out of his seat and began 
 looking over the engine. He poked in among the 
 numerous cogs, wheels and levers, and finally ut- 
 tered an exclamation. 
 
 "Find it?" asked Ned. 
 
 "Yes, it's in the magneto. All the platinum 
 
12 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 bearings and contact surfaces have fused and crys- 
 talized. I never saw such poor platinum as I've 
 been getting lately, and I pay the highest prices 
 for it, too. The trouble is that the supply of 
 platinum is giving out, and they'll have to find a 
 substitute I guess." 
 
 "Can't we go home in her?" asked Ned. 
 
 "I'm afraid not. I've got to put in new plat- 
 inum bearings and contacts before she'll spark. I 
 only wish I could get hold of some of the better 
 kind of metal." 
 
 The magneto of an aeroplane performs a serv- 
 ice similar to one in an automobile. It provides 
 the spark that explodes the charge of gas in the 
 cylinders, and platinum is a metal, more valuable 
 now than gold, much used in the delicate parts of 
 the magneto. 
 
 "Well, I guess it's walk for ours," said Ned 
 ruefully. 
 
 "I'm afraid so," went on Torn. "If I only had 
 some platinum, I could " 
 
 "Perhaps I could be of service to you," sudden- 
 ly spoke a voice behind them, and turning, the 
 youths saw a tall, bearded man, who had evidently 
 come from the lonely house. "Did I hear you 
 say you needed some platinum?" he asked. He 
 spoke with a foreign accent, and Tom at once 
 put him down for a Russian. 
 
A BREAKDOWN 13 
 
 "Yes, I need some for my magneto," began the 
 young inventor. 
 
 "If you will kindly step up to my house, perhaps 
 I can give you what you want," went on the man. 
 "My name is Ivan Petrofsky, and I have only 
 lately come to live here." 
 
 "I'm Tom Swift, of Shopton, and this is my 
 chum, Ned Newton," replied the young inventor, 
 completing the introductions. He was wondering 
 why the man, who seemed a cultured gentleman, 
 should live in such a lonely place, and he was 
 wondering too how he happened to have some 
 platinum. 
 
 "Will that answer?" asked Mr. Petrofsky, when 
 they had reached his house, and he had handed 
 Tom several strips of the precious silver-like 
 metal. 
 
 "Do? I should say it would ! My, but that is 
 the best platinum I've seen in a long while!" ex- 
 claimed Tom, who was an expert judge of the 
 metal. "Where did you get it, if I may ask?" 
 
 "It came from a lost mine in Siberia," was the 
 unexpected answer. 
 
 "A lost mine?" gasped Tom. 
 
 "In Siberia?" added Ned. 
 
 Mr. Petrofsky slowly nodded his head, and 
 smiled, but rather sadly. 
 
 "A lost mine," he said slowly, "and if it could 
 
I 4 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 be found I would be the happiest man on eartK 
 for I would then be able to locate and save my 
 brother, who is one of the Czar's exiles," and 
 he seemed shaken by emotion. 
 
 Tom and Ned stood looking at the bearded 
 man, and then the young inventor glanced at the 
 platinum strips in his hand while a strange and 
 daring thought came to him. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 A DARING PROJECT 
 
 WHILE Tom and his chum are in the house of 
 the Russian, who so strangely produced the plat- 
 inum just when it was most needed, I am going to 
 take just a little time to tell you something about 
 the hero of this story. Those who have read the 
 previous books of this series need no introduction 
 to him, but in justice to my new readers I must 
 make a little explanation. 
 
 Tom Swift was an inventor, as was his father 
 before him. But Mr. Swift was getting too old, 
 now, to do much, though he had a pet invention 
 that of a gyroscope on which he worked from 
 time to time. Tom lived with his father in the 
 village of Shopton, in New York state. His 
 mother was dead, but a housekeeper, named Mrs. 
 Baggert, looked after the wants of the inventors, 
 young and old. 
 
 The first book of the series was called "Tom 
 Swift and His Motor-Cycle," and in that I re- 
 lated how Tom bought the machine from a Mr. 
 
 is 
 
16 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 Wakefield Damon, of Waterford, after the odd 
 gentleman had unintentionally started to climb a 
 tree with it. That disgusted Mr. Damon with 
 motor-cycling, and Tom had lots of fun on the 
 machine, and not a few daring adventures. 
 
 He and Mr. Damon became firm friends, and 
 the oddity of the gentleman mainly that of bless- 
 ing everything he could think of was no objec- 
 tion in Tom's mind. The young inventor and 
 Ned Newton went on many trips together, Mr. 
 Damon being one of the party. 
 
 In Shopton lived Andy Foger, a bullying sort 
 of a chap, who acted very meanly toward Tom at 
 times. Another resident of the town was a Mr. 
 Nestor, but Tom was more interested in his daugh- 
 ter Mary than in the head of the household. Add 
 Eradicate Sampson, an eccentric colored man who 
 said he got his name because he "eradicated" dirt, 
 and his mule, Boomerang, and I think you have 
 met the principal characters of these stories. 
 
 After Tom had much enjoyment out of his 
 motor-cycle, he got a motor boat, and one of his 
 rivals on Lake Carlopa was this same Andy 
 Foger, but our hero vanquished him. Then Tom 
 built an airship, which had been the height of his 
 ambition for some years. He had a stirring 
 cruise in the Red Cloud, and then, deserting the 
 air for the water, Tom and his father built a sub- 
 
A DARING PROJECT 17 
 
 marine, in which they went after sunken treasure. 
 
 In the book, "Tom Swift and His Electric Run- 
 about," I told how, in the speediest car on the 
 road, Tom saved his father's bank from ruin, and 
 in the book dealing with Tom's wireless message 
 I related how he saved the castaways of Earth- 
 quake Island. 
 
 When Tom went among the diamond makers, 
 at the request of Mr. Barco Jenks, and discovered 
 the secret of phantom mountain, the lad fancied 
 that might be the end of his adventures, but there 
 were more to follow. Going to the caves of ice, 
 his airship was wrecked, but he and his friends 
 managed to get back home, and then it was that 
 the young inventor perfected his sky racer, in 
 which he made the quickest flight on record. 
 
 Most startling were his adventures in elephant 
 land whither he went with his electric rifle, and he 
 was the means of saving a missionary, Mr. Illing- 
 way and his wife, from the red pygmies. 
 
 Tom had not been home from Africa long be- 
 fore he got a letter from this missionary, telling 
 about an underground city in Mexico that was 
 said to be filled with gold. Tom went there, and- 
 in the book, entitled, "Tom Swift in the City of 
 Gold," I related his adventures. 
 
 How he and his friends were followed by the 
 Fogers, how they eluded them, made their wa)r 
 
18 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 to the ruined temple in a small dirigible balloon, 
 descended to the secret tunnel, managed to turn 
 aside the underground river, and reach the city 
 of gold with its wonderful gold statues all this 
 N is told in the volume. 
 
 Then, after pulling down, in the centre of the 
 underground city, the big golden statue, the door 
 of rock descended, and made our friends prison- 
 ers. They almost died, but Andy Foger and his 
 father, in league with some rascally Mexicans 
 and a tribe of head-hunters, finally made their 
 way to the tunnel, and most unexpectedly, released 
 Tom and his friends. 
 
 There was a fight, but our hero's party escaped 
 with considerable gold and safely reached Shop- 
 ton. Now, after a winter spent in work, fixing 
 over an old aeroplane, we again meet Tom. 
 
 " Would you mind telling me something about 
 where this platinum comes from, and if you can 
 get any more of it?" asked Tom, after a pause, 
 following the strange statement made by the 
 Russian. 
 
 "I will gladly tell you the story," spoke Mr. 
 Petrofsky, "for I am much interested in inven- 
 tions, and I formerly did something in that line 
 myself, and I have even made a small aeroplane, 
 so you see I know the need of platinum in a high 
 power magneto." 
 
A DARING PROJECT 19 
 
 "But where did you get such pure metal?" 
 asked Tom. "I have never seen it s equal." 
 
 "There is none like it in all the world," went on 
 the Russian, "and perhaps there never can be any 
 more. I have only a small supply. But in Siberia v 
 ' in the lost mine there is a large quantity of 
 it, as pure as this, needing only a little refining. 
 
 "Can't we get some from there?" asked the 
 young inventor eagerly. "I should think the Rus- 
 sian government would mine it, and export it." 
 
 "They would if they could find it," said Ivan 
 Petrofsky dryly, "but they can't no one can 
 find it and I have tried very hard so hard, in 
 fact, that it is the reason for my coming to this 
 country that and the desire to find and aid my 
 brother, who is a Siberian exile." 
 
 "This is getting interesting," remarked Ned to 
 Tom in a low voice, and the young inventor 
 nodded. 
 
 "My brother Peter, who is younger than I by 
 a few years, and I, are the last of our family," 
 began Mr. Petrofsky, motioning Tom and Ned 
 to take chairs. "We lived in St. Petersburg, and 
 early in life, though we were of the nobility, we/ 
 took up the cause of the common people." 
 
 "Nihilists?" asked Ned eagerly, for he had 
 read something of these desperate men. 
 
 "No, and not anarchists," said Mr. Petrofsky 
 
20 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 with a sad smile. "Our party was opposed to 
 violence, and we depended on education to aid our 
 cause. Then, too, we did all we could in a quiet 
 way to help the poor. My brother and I invented 
 several life-saving and labor-saving machines and 
 in this way we incurred the enmity of the rich 
 contractors and government officials, who made 
 more money the more people they could have 
 working for them, for they made the people buy 
 their food and supplies from them. 
 
 "But my brother, and I persisted, with the 
 result that we were both arrested, and, with a 
 number of others^were sent to Siberia. 
 
 "Of the horrors we endured there I will say 
 nothing. However, you have probably read 
 much. In the country near which we were quar- 
 tered there were many mines, some of salt and 
 some of sulphur. Oh, the horros of those mines! 
 Many a poor exile has been lost in the windings 
 of a salt mine, there to die miserably. And in 
 the sulphur mines many die also, not from being 
 lost so much as being overcome by stifling gases. 
 It is terrible ! And sometimes they are purposely 
 abandoned by their guides, for the government 
 wants to get rid of certain exiles. 
 
 "But you are interested in platinum. One day 
 my brother and I who had been sent to work in 
 the salt mines, mistook a turning and wandered 
 
A DARING PROJECT 21 
 
 on and on for several miles, finally losing our 
 Way. We had food and water with us, or we 
 would have perished, and, as it was, we nearly 
 died before we finally found our way out of an 
 abandoned opening. 
 
 "We came out in the midst of a terrible snow- 
 storm, and wandered about almost frozen. At 
 last we were found by a serf who, in his sled, 
 took us to his poor cottage. There we were 
 warmed and fed back to life. 
 
 "We knew we would be searched for, as nat- 
 urally, our absence would lead to the suspicion 
 that we had tried to escape. So as soon as we 
 were able, we started back to the town where we 
 Were quartered. The serf wanted to take us in 
 his sled, but we knew he might be suspected of 
 having tried to aid us to get away, and he might 
 be arrested. So we went alone. 
 
 "As might have been expected, we became lost 
 again, and wandered about for several days. But 
 We had enough food to keep us alive. And it was 
 during this wandering that I came upon the plat- 
 inum mine. It was down in a valley, in the midst 
 of a country densely wooded and very desolate. 
 There was an outcropping of the ore, and rather 
 idly I put some of it in my pockets. Then we 
 Wandered on, and finally after awful suffering 
 
22 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 in terrific storms, were found by a searching party 
 and brought back to the baracks. " 
 
 "Did they think you had escaped?" asked Tom. 
 
 "They did," replied the Russian, "and they 
 punished us severly for it, in spite of our denials. 
 In time I managed secretly to smelt the platinum 
 ore, and I found I had some of the purest metal 
 I had ever seen. I was wishing I could find the 
 mine, or tell some of my friends about it, when 
 one of the officers discovered the metal in my bed. 
 
 "He demanded to know where I had gotten it, 
 and knowing that refusal would only make it the 
 worse for me I told him. There was considerable 
 excitement, for the value of the discovery was 
 recognized, and a search was at once made lor the 
 mine. 
 
 "But, even with the aid we were able to give, 
 it could not be located. Many expeditions went 
 out to hunt for it but came back baffled. They 
 coukl not penetrate that wild country." 
 
 "They should have used an aeroplane," suggest- 
 ed Tom. 
 
 "They did," replied the Russian quickly, "but it 
 was of no use." 
 
 "Why not?" the young inventor wanted to 
 know. 
 
 "Because of the tenfic winds that almost con- 
 tinually sweep over that part of SiberLau 
 
A DARING PROJECT 33 
 
 never seem to cease, and there are treacherous air 
 currents and 'pockets' that engulfed more than 
 one luckless aviator. Oh, you may be sure the 
 Russian government spared no means of finding 
 the lost platinum mine, but they could not locate 
 it, or even get near the place where they supposed 
 it to be. / 
 
 "Then, perhaps thinking that my Brother and I 
 were concealing something, they separated us. 
 Where they sent him I do not know, but I was 
 doomed to the sulphur mines. I was heartbroken, 
 and I scarcely cared whether I lived or died. But 
 an opportunity of escape came, and I took it. I 
 wanted to save my brother, but I did not know 
 where he was, and I thought if I could make my 
 way to some civilized country, or to free America, 
 I might later be able to save my brother. 
 
 "I went to England, taking some of my prec- 
 ious platinum with me, and stayed there for two 
 years. I learned your language, but my efforts to 
 organize an expedition to search for the lost mine, 
 and for my brother, failed. Then I came here, 
 and well, I am still trying. " 
 
 " My ! That is certainly interesting ! " exclaimed 
 Ned, who had been all attention during the telling 
 of the story. 
 
 "And you certainly hkd a hard time," declared 
 Tom. "I am much obliged for this platinum. 
 
24 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 Have you set a price on it? It is worth much 
 more than the ordinary kind." 
 
 "The price is nothing to you," replied the Rus- 
 sian, with a smile. "I am only too glad to help 
 you fix your aeroplane. Will it take long? I 
 should like to watch you." 
 
 "Come along," invited Tom. "I can soon have 
 it going again, and I'll give you a ride, if you 
 like." 
 
 "No, thank you, I'm hardly up to that yet, 
 though I may be some day. The machine I made 
 never flew well and I had several bad falls." 
 
 Tom and Ned worked rapidly on the magneto, 
 and soon had replaced the defective bits of plat- 
 inum. 
 
 "If the Russians had such a machine as this 
 maybe they could Lave gotten to that mine," sug- 
 gested Ned, who was very proud of Tom's craft. 
 
 "It would be useless in the terrific winds, I 
 fear, " answered Ivan Petrof sky. " But now I care 
 little for the mine. It is my brother whom I want 
 to save. He must be in some of the Siberian 
 mines, and if I had such a craft as this I might be 
 able to rescue him." 
 
 Tom Swift dropped the file he was using. A 
 bright light sparkled in his eyes. He seemed 
 strangely excited. 
 
 "Mr. Petrofsky!" he cried, "would you let me 
 
A DARING PROJECT 2$ 
 
 have a try at finding your brother, and would 
 you come with me?" 
 
 "Would I?" asked the Russian eagerly. "I 
 i would be your debtor for life, and I would always 
 pray for you, if you could help me to save my 
 brother Peter." 
 
 "Then we'll have a try at it !" cried Tom. "I've 
 got a different airship than this one in which I 
 can travel three thousand miles without coming 
 down. I haven't had any excitement since I got 
 back from the city of gold. I'm going to Russia 
 to help you rescue your brother from exile, and 
 I'm also going to have a try for that lost platinum 
 treasure!" 
 
 "Thank heaven, there is some hope for poor 
 Peter at last," murmured Mr. Petrofsky earnestly. 
 
 "You never can get to the platinum mine," said 
 Ned. The winds will tear your airship to pieces." 
 
 "Not the kind I'm going to make," declared 
 Tom. "It's going to be an air glider, that will 
 fairly live on high winds. Ho! for Siberia and 
 the platinum mines. Will you come?" 
 
 "I don't know what you mean by an air glider, 
 Tom Swift, but I'll go to help rescue my brother/' 
 was the quick answer, and then, with the light of 
 a daring resolve shining in his eyes, the young 
 inventor proceeded to get his aeroplane in shape 
 for the trip back to Shopton. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 THE HAND OF THE CZAR 
 
 "THEN you won't take a ride with me to-day?'* 
 asked the young inventor, of the Russian, as he 
 completed the repairs to the magneto. "I'd like 
 to have you meet my father, and a friend of his, 
 Mr. Damon. Most likely he'll go to Siberia with 
 us, if his wife will let him. I'd like to talk some 
 plans over with you." 
 
 "I shall certainly call on you," answered Ivan 
 Petrofsky, "but," he added with a smile, "I 
 think I should prefer to take my first ride in your 
 l&rger airship the one that doesn't come down so 
 often." 
 
 "Well, perhaps it is a little easier on an ama- 
 teur," admitted Tom. "If you'll come over to 
 our house at any time, I'll take you out in it, or 
 I'll call for you." 
 
 "I'll come over in a few days," answered the 
 
 escaped exile. "Then I'll tell you all I know of 
 
 the locality where the platinum mine is located, 
 
 and we can make our plans. In the meanwhile 
 
 26 
 
THE HAND OF THE CZAR 27 
 
 don't say anything about what I have told you." 
 
 "Why?" asked Ned quickly. 
 
 Mr. Petrofsky approached closer to the lads, 
 and in a low voice said : 
 
 "I am not sure about it, but of late I think I 
 have been shadowed. I have seen strange men 
 in the village near here and they have eyed me 
 rather suspiciously. Then, too, I have surprised 
 several men around my house. I live here all 
 alone, you know, and do most of my own work, 
 a woman coming in occasionally to clean. But 
 I don't like these suspicious characters hanging 
 about. 
 
 "Who do you think they are?" asked Tom. 
 
 "I'm almost afraid to think, but from my past 
 experience I think nay, I fear they may be 
 spies, or agents of the Russian government." 
 
 "Spies! "cried Ned. 
 
 "Hush. Not so loud," cautioned Mr. Petrof- 
 sky. "They may even now be in hiding, especially 
 since your aeroplane landed so near my house. 
 They may see something suspicious even in that." 
 
 "But why should the Russian government set 
 spies on you?" asked Tom in a low voice. 
 
 "For two reasons. I am an escaped exile, and I 
 am not a citizen of the United States. Therefore 
 I may be sent back to the sulphur mines. And 
 another reason is that they may think I know the 
 
28 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 secret of the platinum treasure the lost mine." 
 
 "Say this is getting interesting!" exclaimed 
 Tom. "If we are going to have a brush with 
 some of the spies of the Russian government so 
 much the better. I'm ready for 'em!" 
 
 "So am I!" added Ned. 
 
 "You don't know them," said Mr. Petrofsky, 
 and he could not repress a shudder. "I hope they 
 
 are not on my trail, but if they are " he paused 
 
 a moment, straightened himself up, and looked 
 like what he was, a strong man "if they are 
 let them look out. Fd give my life to save my 
 brother from the awful, living death to which he 
 is consigned!" 
 
 "And we're with you!" cried Tom, offering the 
 Russian his hand. "We'll turn the trick yet. 
 Now don't forget to come and see us. Come 
 along, Ned. If I'm going to build an air glider 
 I've got to get busy." And waving farewells to 
 their new friend, the lads took their places in the 
 aeroplane and were soon on their way to Shopton. 
 
 "Well, what do you think of it?" asked Ned of 
 his chum, as they sped along at a good elevation, 
 the engine going at half speed to be less noisy and 
 make talking easier. 
 
 "Lots. I think we're in for a good time." 
 
 "An exciting one, anyhow, if what he says is 
 
THE HAND OF THE CZAR 29 
 
 true. But what in the world is an air glider, 
 Tom?" 
 
 "It's the last word in aeroplanes. You don't 
 need a motor to make it go. " 
 
 "Don't need a motor?" 
 
 "No, the wind does it all. It's a sort of aero- 
 plane, but the motion comes from the wind, act- 
 ing on different planes, and this is accomplished 
 by shifting weights. In it you can stand still in 
 a fierce gale, if you like." 
 
 "How, by tying her fast on the ground?" 
 
 "No, hovering in the air. It's all done by 
 getting the proper balance. The harder the wind 
 blows the better the air glider works, and that's 
 why I think it will be just the thing for Siberia. 
 I'm going to get right at work on it, and you'll 
 help me; won't you?" 
 
 "I sure will. Say, is platinum worth much?" 
 
 "Worth much? I should say it was! It's 
 got gold beat now, and the available supply is very 
 small, and it's getting more scarce. Russia has 
 several mines, and the metal is of good quality. 
 I've used some Russian platinum, but the kind Mi , 
 Petrofsky gave me to-day was better than the best 
 I ever had. If we can only find that lost mine 
 we'll be millionaires all right." 
 
 "That's what we thought when we found the 
 
30 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 city of gold, but the gold wasn't of as fine a 
 grade as we hoped." 
 
 "Well, nothing like that can happen in this 
 platinum deal. It sure is rich ore that Mr. Pet- 
 rof sky and his brother found. Poor fellow ! To 
 think of being an exile in that awful country, not 
 knowing where you may be sent next. No wonder 
 Mr. Petrofsky wants to rescue him." 
 
 "That's right. Well, here we are. I wonder 
 what your father will say when he hears you're 
 thinking of another expedition, Torn?" 
 
 "Oh, he'll want me to go when he hears about 
 the exile." 
 
 "And I'm sure my folks will let me go. How 
 about Mr. Damon?" 
 
 "I don't believe we can hold him back. It will 
 make a nice party, just you and I, and Mr. Damon 
 and Mr. Petrofsky. That will leave room for the 
 other Russian if we can rescue him," and with 
 that Tom shut off the engine and glided to earth. 
 
 It may well be imagined that Mr. Swift was 
 surprised when his son told him the latest news, 
 but he did not offer any serious objection to the 
 young inventor going to Siberia. 
 
 "Only you must be careful," he said. "Those 
 Russian officers are ugly when it comes to trying 
 to take away any of their prisoners. And this 
 air glider I don't exactly know about that. It's 
 
THE HAND OF THE CZAR 31 
 
 a new machine, and you want to be sure it works 
 before you trust yourself to it." 
 
 "I will," promised Tom. "Say, I've got plenty 
 of work ahead of me, to get my big airship in 
 shape, and build the glider. You'll have to help 
 me, dad." 
 
 "I will, son. Now tell me more about this Mr. 
 Petrofsky." Which Tom did. 
 
 The days that followed were indeed busy ones 
 for Tom. The young inventor made a model air 
 glider that sailed fairly well, but he knew it 
 would have to work better to be successful, and 
 be bent all his energies in that direction Mean- 
 while Mr. Damon had been told of the pros- 
 pective trip. 
 
 "Bless my bank book! Of course Til go," he 
 said. "But don't say anything about it to my 
 wife that is, just yet. I'll bring her around to it 
 gradually. She has always wanted a diamond 
 ring set in platinum, and now I can get it for 
 her. I know she'll let me go if I break it to her 
 gently." 
 
 It may be mentioned here that many valuable 
 diamonds are now set in platinum instead of 
 gold. 
 
 "I want to keep busy," said Mr. Damon, so 
 (Tom set him, Ned and Eradicate at the task of 
 getting the big airship in shape for the trip. This 
 
32 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 air craft has not figured in any of my previous 
 stories, but as it is so nearly like the one that 
 was crushed in the caves of ice, I will not give a 
 description of it here. Those who care to may 
 refer to the book telling of Tom's trip to the 
 caves of ice for a detailed account of the craft. 
 
 Sufficient to say that this latest airship, named 
 the Falcon, was the largest Tom had ever built. 
 It contained much room, many comforts, and 
 could sail for several thousand miles without 
 descending, except in case of accident. It was a 
 combined dirigible balloon and aeroplane, and 
 could be used as either, the necessary gas being 
 made on board. It was large enough to enable 
 the air glider to be taken on it in sections. 
 
 It was about a week after their first meeting 
 with him, that Ivan Petrofsky paid a visit to the 
 Swift home. He was warmly welcomed by the 
 aged inventor and Mr. Damon, and, closeted in 
 the library of the house, he proceeded to go more 
 into details of his own and his brother's exile to 
 Siberia, and to tell about the supposed location of 
 the lost platinum mine. 
 
 "I don't believe we can start for several weeks 
 yet," said Tom, after some discussion. "It will 
 take me that long to make the glider." 
 
 "And I, too, need a little time," said the Rus- 
 sian. "I will write to some friends in St. Peters* 
 
THE HAND OF THE CZAR 33 
 
 burg and perhaps they can get some information 
 for us, as to where my brother is. 
 
 "That will be good," declared Mr. Damon. 
 "Bless my icicle! But the more I think of this 
 trip the better I like it!" 
 
 It was arranged that the Russian should call 
 again soon, when the plans would be nearer in 
 shape, and in the meanwhile he must learn all he 
 could from revolutionary friends in Siberia. 
 
 It was a week after this, during which Tom, 
 Ned and the others had been very busy, that Tom 
 decided to take a trip to see their Russian friend. 
 They had not heard frorr him since his visit, and 
 Tom wanted to learn something about the strength 
 of the Siberian winds. 
 
 He and Ned went in one of the small airships 
 and soon they were hovering over the grounds 
 surrounding the lonely house where Ivan Petrof- 
 sky lived. 
 
 "He doesn't seem to be at home," remarked 
 Ned, as they descended and approached the dwell- 
 ing. 
 
 "No, and it looks quite deserted," agreed the 
 young inventor. "Say, all the doors are open, 
 too! He shouldn't go away and leave his house 
 open like that with the valuable platinum 
 there." 
 
 "Maybe he's asleep," suggested Ned. 
 
34 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 They knocked on the opened door, but there 
 was no answer. Then they went inside. To their 
 surprise the house was in confusion. Furniture 
 was overturned, tables and chairs were broken, 
 and papers were scattered about the room. 
 
 "There's been a fight here!" cried Tom. 
 
 "That's right," agreed Ned. "Maybe he's been 
 hurt maybe burglars came for the platinum!" 
 
 "Come on!" cried Tom, making a dash for the 
 stairs. "We'll see if he's here." 
 
 The house was small, and it took but a moment 
 to show that Mr. Petrofsky was not there. Up- 
 stairs, as below, was the same confusion the 
 overturned furniture and the papers scattered 
 about. 
 
 Tom stooped and picked up a scrap that looked 
 like a piece torn from a letter. On top was a 
 seal the black seal of Russia the imperial arms 
 of the Czar! 
 
 "Look!" cried Tom, holding out the paper. 
 
 "What is it." asked Ned. 
 
 "The hand of the Czar!" answered his chum. 
 "It has reached out from Russia, and taken Mr. 
 Petrafsky away!" 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 THE SEARCH 
 
 FOR a moment Ned could scarcely understand 
 what Tom meant. It scarcely seemed possible 
 that such a thing could happen. That some one 
 in far-off Russia be it the Czar or one of the 
 secret police could operate from such a distance, 
 seeking out a man in an obscure house in a little 
 American village, and snatching him away. 
 
 "It isn't possible!" declared Ned breathlessly. 
 
 "What difference does that make?" asked Tom. 
 "The thing has happened, and you can't get out 
 of it. Look at all the evidence there's been a 
 fight, that's sure, and Mr. Petrofsky is gone." 
 
 "But maybe he went away of his own accord," 
 insisted Ned, who was sometimes hard to convince. 
 
 "Nonsense! If a man went away of his own 
 accord would he smash up his furniture, leave his 
 papers scattered all about and go off leaving the 
 doors and windows open for any one to walk in? 
 I guess not. " 
 
 "Well, maybe you're right. But think of it! 
 fThis isn't Russia!" 
 
 35 
 
36 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "No, but he's a Russian subject, and, by his owfi 
 confession^an escaped exile. If he was arrested in 
 the usual way he could be taken back, and our 
 government couldn't interfere. He's been taken 
 back all right. Poor man ! Think of being doomed 
 to those sulphur mines again, and as he escaped 
 they'll probably make it all the harder for him!" 
 
 "But I thought our goverment wouldn't help 
 other nations to get back prisoners convicted of 
 political crimes,* suggested Ned. "That's all Mr. 
 Petrofsky was guilty of politics, trying to help 
 the poor in his own country. It's a shame if our 
 government stands for anything like that!" 
 
 "That's just the point!" exclaimed Tom. * Prob- 
 ably the spies, secret police, or whoever the Rus- 
 sian agents were, didn't ask any help from our 
 government. If they did there might be a chance 
 for him. But likely they worked in secret. They 
 came here, sneaked in on him, and took him away 
 before he could get help. Jove ! If he could only 
 have gotten word to me I'd have come in the air- 
 ship, and then there'd be a different ending to 
 this." 
 
 "I guess you're right, Tom. Well, that ends it* 
 I suppose." 
 
 "Ends what?" 
 
 "Our trip to the platinum mine." 
 
THE SEARCH 37 
 
 "Not a bit of it. I'm going to have a hunt 
 for it." 
 
 "But how can you when Mr. Petrofsky can't 
 o along to show us the way ? Besides, we wanted 
 to heip rescue his brother, and now we can't." 
 
 "Well, I'm going to make a big try," declared 
 the young inventor firmly. "And the first thing 
 I'm going to do is to get our friend out of the 
 clutches of the Rusian police." 
 
 "You are? How?" 
 
 "I'm going to make a search for him. Look 
 here, Ned, he must have been taken away some 
 time to-day perhaps only a few hours ago and 
 they can't have gone far with him." 
 
 "How do you make that out?" Ned wanted 
 to know. 
 
 "Well, I guess I'm detective enough for that," 
 and Tom smiled. "Look here, the doors and win- 
 dows are open. Now it rained last night, and 
 there was quite a wind. If the windows had been 
 open in the storm there'd be some traces of 
 moisture in the rooms. But there isn't a drop. 
 Consequently the windows have been opened 
 Since last night." 
 
 "Say, that's so !" cried Ned admiringly. 
 
 "But that's not all," went on Tom. "Here's a 
 bottle of milk on the table, and it's fresh," which 
 he proved by tasting it. "Now that was left by 
 
38 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 the milkman either late last night or early this 
 morning. I don't believe it's over twelve hours 
 old." 
 
 "Well, what does this mean?" asked Ned, who 
 couldn't quite follow Tom's line of reasoning. 
 
 "To my mind it means that the spies were here 
 no later than this morning. Look at the table up- 
 set, the dishes on the floor. Here's one with oat- 
 meal in it, and you know how hard and firm 
 cooked oatmeal gets after it stands a bit. This is 
 quite fresh, and soft, and " 
 
 "And that means " interrupted Ned, who 
 
 was in turn interrupted by Tom, who exclaimed: 
 
 "It means that Mr. Peterofsky was at break- 
 fast when they burst in on him, and took him 
 away. They had hard work overpowering him, 
 I'll wager, for he could put up a pretty good 
 fight. And the broken furniture is evidence of 
 that. Then the spies, after tying him up, or put- 
 ting him in a carriage, searched the house for in- 
 criminating papers. That's as plain as the nose 
 on your face. Then the police agents, or whoever 
 they were, skipped out in a hurry, not taking the 
 trouble to close the windows and doors." 
 
 "I believe it did happen that way," agreed Ned, 
 who clearly saw what Tom meant. "But what 
 can we do ? How can we find him ?" 
 
 "By getting on the trail, " answered his chuni 
 
THE SEARCH 39 
 
 quickly. "There may be more clews in the house, 
 and I'm sure there'll be some out of doors, for 
 they must have left footprints or the marks of 
 carriage wheels. We'll take a look, and then we'll 
 get right on the search. I'm not going to let them 
 take Mr. Petrofsky to Russia if I can help it. I 
 want to get after that platinum, and he's the only 
 one who can pilot us anywhere near the place; 
 and besides, there's his brother we've got to res- 
 cue. We'll make a search for the exile." 
 
 "I'm with you! "cried Ned. "Jove! Wouldn't 
 it be great if we could rescue him? They can't 
 have gotten very far with him." 
 
 "I'm afraid they have quite a start on us," 
 admitted Tom with a dubious shake of his head, 
 "but as long as they're in the United States we 
 have a chance. If ever they get him on Russian 
 soil it's all up with him." 
 
 "Come on then!" cried Ned. "Let's get busy. 
 What's the first thing to do?" 
 
 "Look for clews," replied Tom. "We'll begin 
 at the top of the house and work down. It's 
 lucky we came when we did, for every minute 
 counts. " 
 
 Then the two plucky lads began their search 
 for the kidnapped Russian exile. Had those who 
 took him away seen the mere youths who thus 
 devoted themselves to the task, they might have 
 
40 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 laughed in contempt, but those who know Tom 
 Swift and his sturdy chum, know that two more 
 resourceful and brave lads would be hard to 
 find. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 A CLEW FROM RUSSIA 
 
 "NOTHING much up here," remarked Tom, 
 when he and Ned had gone all over the second 
 floor twice. "That scrap of paper, which put me 
 on to the fact that some one from the Russian 
 government had been here, is about all. They 
 must have taken all the documents Mr. Petrofsky 
 had." 
 
 "Maybe he didn't have any," suggested Ned. 
 
 "If rie was wise he'd get rid of them when he 
 knew he was being shadowed, as he told us. 
 Perhaps that was why they broke up the furniture, 
 searching for hidden papers, or they may have 
 done it out of spite because they didn't find any- 
 thing. But we might as well go downstairs and 
 look there." 
 
 But the first floor was equally unproductive of 
 clews, save those already noted, which showed, at 
 least so Tom believed, that Mr. Petrofsky had 
 been surprised and overpowered while at break- 
 fast. 
 
 41 
 
42 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "Now for outside!" cried the young inventor. 
 "We'll see if we can figure out how they got him 
 away." 
 
 There were plenty of marks in the soft ground 
 and turf, which was still damp from the night's, 
 rain, though it was now afternoon. Unfortunate- 
 ly, however, in approaching the house after leav- 
 ing the aeroplane, Ned and Tom had not thought 
 to exercise caution, and, not suspecting anything 
 wrong, they had stepped on a number of foot- 
 prints left by the kidnappers. 
 
 But for all that, they saw enough to convince 
 them that several men had been at the lonely 
 house, for there were many marks of shoes. It 
 was out of the question, however, to tell which 
 were those of Mr. Petrofsky and which those of 
 his captors. 
 
 "They might have carried him out to a carriage 
 they had in waiting," suggested Ned. "Let's go 
 out to the front gate and look in the road. They 
 hardly would bring the carriage up to the door.** 
 
 "Good idea," commented Tom, and they hur- 
 ried to the main thoroughfare that passed the 
 Russian's house. 
 
 "Here they are!" cried Ned, who was in the. 
 lead. "There's been a carriage here as sure as 
 you're a foot high, and it's a rubber-tired one 
 too." 
 
r A CLEW FROM RUSSIA 43 
 
 "Good I" cried Tom admiringly. "You're com- 
 ing right along in your detective training. How 
 do you make that out?" 
 
 "See here, where a piece of rubber has been 
 broken or cut out of the tire. It makes a peculiar 
 mark in the dirt every time the wheel goes 
 around." 
 
 "That's right, and it will be a good thing to 
 trace the carriage by. Come on, we'll keep right 
 after it." 
 
 "Hold on a bit," suggested Ned, who, though 
 not so quick as Tom Swift, frequently produced 
 good results by his very slowness. "Are you go- 
 ing off and leave the airship here for some one to 
 walk off with?" 
 
 "Guess they wouldn't take it far," replied the 
 young inventor, "but I'd better make it safe. I'll 
 disconnect it so they can't start it, though if 
 Andy Foger happens to come along he might 
 slash the planes just out of spite. But I guess 
 he won't show up." 
 
 Tom took a connecting pin out of the elec- 
 trical apparatus, making it impossible to start the 
 aeroplane, and then, wheeling it out of sight 
 behind a small barn, he and Ned went back to 
 the carriage marks in the road. 
 
 "Hurry!" urged Tom, as he started off in the 
 direction of >the village of Hurdtown, near where 
 
44 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 the cottage stood. "We will ask people living 
 along the highway if they've seen a carriage pass.* 
 
 "But what makes you think they went off that 
 way?" asked Ned. "I should think they'd head 
 away from the village, so as not to be seen." 
 
 "No, I don't agree with you. But wait, we'll 
 look at the marks. Maybe that will help us." 
 
 Peering carefully at the marks of horses' hoofs 
 and the wheel impressions, Tom uttered a cry of 
 discovery. 
 
 "I have it!" he declared. "The carriage came 
 from the village, and kept right on the other way. 
 You're right, Ned. They didn't go back to town." 
 
 "Are you sure?" 
 
 "Of course. You can see for yourself; if the 
 carriage had turned around the track would show, 
 but it doesn't and, even if they turned on the grass, 
 there'd be two lines of marks one coming out 
 here and one returning. As it is there is only a 
 single set just as if the carriage drove up here, 
 took on its load, and continued on. This way, 
 Ned." 
 
 They hurried down the road, and soon came to 
 a cluster of farm houses. Inquiries there, how- 
 ever, failed to bring anything to light, for either 
 the occupants of the house had failed to notice 
 passing vehicles, or there had been so many that 
 any particular carriage was not recalled. 
 
A CLEW FROM RUSSIA 45 
 
 And there were' now so many impressions in the 
 soft dirt of the highway so many wheel tracks 
 and hoof imprints that it was impossible to pick 
 out those of the carriage with the cut rubber tire. 
 
 "Well, I guess it isn't of much use to go on any 
 farther," spoke Ned, when they had traveled 
 several miles and had learned nothing. 
 
 "We'll try one more house, and then go back," 
 agreed Tom. "We'll tell dad about what's hap- 
 pened, and see what he says." 
 
 "Carnage?" repeated an old farmer to whom 
 they next put the question. "Wa'al, now, come 
 t' think of it, I did see one drivin' along here 
 early this morning. It had rubber tires on too, 
 for I recollect remarkin' t' myself that it didn't 
 make much noise. Had t' talk t' myself," he 
 added in explanation, " 'cause nobody else in the 
 family was up, 'ceptin' th' dog." 
 
 "Did the carriage have some Russians in it?" 
 asked Tom eagerly, "and was one a big bearded 
 man?" 
 
 "Wa'al, now you've got me," admitted the 
 farmer frankly. "It was quite early you see, 
 and I didn't take no particular notice. I got up 
 early t' do my milkin' 'cause I have t' take it t' 
 th' cheese factory. That's th' reason nobody was 
 up but me. But I see this carriage comin' down 
 th' road, and thinks I t' myself it was pretty 
 
46 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 middlin 5 early fer anybody t' be takin' a pleasure 
 ride: I 'lowed it were a pleasure ride, 'cause it 
 were one of them hacks that folks don't usually 
 use 'ceptin' fer a weddin', or a funeral, an* it 
 wa'n't no funeral." 
 
 "Then you can't tell us anything more except 
 that it passed?" asked Ned. 
 
 "No, I couldn't see inside, 'cause it was rather 
 dark at that hour, and then, too, I noticed that 
 they had th' window shades down." 
 
 "That's suspicious!" exclaimed Tom. "I be- 
 lieve they are the fellows we're after," and, with- 
 out giving any particulars he said that they were 
 looking for a friend who might have been taken 
 away against his will. 
 
 "Could you tell where they were going?" asked 
 Tom, scarcely hoping to get an affirmative answer. 
 
 "Wa'al, th' man on th' seat pulled up when he 
 see me," spoke the farmer with exasperating slow- 
 ness, "an' asked me how far it was t' th' Water- 
 ville station, an' I told him." 
 
 "Why didn't you say so at first?" asked Torn 
 quickly. "Why didn't you tell us they were 
 heading for the railroad?" 
 
 "You didn't ask me," replied the farmer. 
 "What difference does it make." 
 
 "Every minute counts!" exclaimed the young 
 inventor. "We want to keep right after those 
 
A CLEW FROM RUSSIA 47 
 
 'fellows. Maybe the agent can tell us where they 
 bought tickets to, and we can trace them that 
 way." 
 
 "Shouldn't wonder," commented the farmer. 
 fThere ain't many trains out from Waterville at 
 that time of day, an' mighty few passengers. 
 Shouldn't wonder but Jake Applesauer could put 
 ye on th' trail." 
 
 "Much obliged," called Tom. "Come on, Ned," 
 and he started back in the direction of the house 
 where the kidnapping had taken place. 
 
 "That ain't th' way t' Waterville!" the farmer 
 shouted after them. 
 
 "I know it, we're going to get our airship," 
 answered Tom, and then he heard the farmer 
 .mutter. 
 
 "Plumb crazy! That's what they be! Plumb 
 crazy! Going after their airship! Shouldn't 
 wonder but they was escaped lunatics, and the 
 other fellers was keepers after 'em. Hu ! Wa'al, 
 I've got my work to do. 'Tain't none of my 
 affair." 
 
 "Let him think what he likes," commented Ned 
 as he and his chum hurried on. "We're on the 
 trail all right." 
 
 If Jake Applesauer, the agent at the Water- 
 ville station, was surprised at seeing two youths 
 drop down out of an aeroplane, and begin ques- 
 
48 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 tioning him about some suspicious strangers that 
 had taken the morning train, he did not show it. 
 Jake prided himself on not being surprised at 
 anything, except once when he took a counter- 
 feit dollar in return for a ticket, and had to make 
 it good to the company. 
 
 But, to the despair of Tom and Ned, he could 
 not help them much. He had seen the party, of 
 course. They had driven up in the hack, and one 
 of the men seemed to be sick, or hurt, 'for his 
 head was done up in bandages, and the others had 
 to half carry him on the train. 
 
 "That was Mr. Petrofsky all right," declared 
 Ned. 
 
 "Sure," assented Tom. "They must have hurt 
 and drugged him. But you can't tell us for what 
 station they bought tickets, Mr. Applesauer?" 
 
 "No, for they didn't buy any. They must have 
 had 'em, or else they paid on the train. One man 
 drove off in the coach, and that's all I know." 
 
 As Tom and Ned started back to Shopton in 
 the aeroplane they discussed what could be done 
 next. A hard task lay before them, and they 
 realized that. 
 
 "They could have gotten off at any station be- 
 tween here and New York, or even changed to 
 another railroad at the junction," spoke Tom. 
 "It's going to be a hard job." 
 
A CLEW FROM RUSSIA 
 
 49 
 
 "Guess we'll have to get some regular detectives 
 on it," suggested Ned. 
 
 "And that's what I'll do," declared the young 
 inventor. "They may be able to locate Mr. Pet- 
 rofsky before those spies take him out of this 
 country. If they don't it will be too late. I'm 
 going to talk to dad about it, and if he agrees 
 I'll hire the best private detectives." 
 
 Mr. Swift gave his consent when Tom had told 
 the story, and, a day later, one of the best detec- 
 tives of a well known agency called on Tom in 
 Shopton and assumed charge of the case. 
 
 The early reports from the detective were quite 
 reassuring. He got on the trail of the meo who 
 had taken Mr. Petrofsky away, and confirmed 
 the suspicion that they were agents of the Rus- 
 sian police. He trailed them as far as New 
 York, and there the clews came to an end. 
 
 "Whether they are in the big city, which 
 might easily be, or in some of the nearby towns, 
 will take some time to learn," the detective wrote, 
 and Tom wired back telling him to keep on 
 searching. 
 
 But, as several weeks went by, and no word 
 came, even Tom began to give up hope, though 
 he did not stop work on the air glider, which was 
 nearing completion. And then, most unexpectedly 
 a clew came a clew from far-off Russia. 
 
50 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 Tom got a letter one day a letter in a strange 
 hand, the stamp and postmark showing that it 
 had come from the land of the Czar. 
 
 "What do you suppose it contains?" asked 
 Ned, who was with his chum when the com- 
 munication was received. 
 
 "Haven't the least idea; but I'll soon find out." 
 
 "Maybe it's from the Russian police, telling 
 you to keep away from Siberia." 
 
 "Maybe," answered Tom absently, for he was 
 reading the missive. "I say!" he suddenly cried. 
 "This is great! A clew at last, and from St. 
 Petersburg! Listen to this, Ned! 
 
 "This letter is from the head of one of the 
 secret societies over there, a society that works 
 against the government. It says that Mr. Petrof- 
 sky is being detained a prisoner in a lonely hut 
 on the Atlantic sea coast, not far from New York 
 Sandy Hook the letter says and here are the 
 very directions how to get there!" 
 
 "No!" cried Ned, in disbelief. "How in the 
 world could anybody in Russia know that." 
 
 "It tells here," said Tom. "It's all explained. 
 As soon as the secret police got Mr. Petrofsky 
 they communicated with the head officials in St. 
 Petersburg. You know nearly everyone is a spy 
 over there, and the letter says that Mr. Petrosky's 
 
A CLEW FROM RUSSIA 51 
 
 friends there soon heard the news, and even about 
 the exact place where he is being held." 
 
 "What are they holding him for?" asked Ned. 
 
 "That's explained, too. It seems they can't 
 legally take him back until certain papers are 
 received from his former prison in Siberia, and' 
 those are now on the way. His friends write to 
 me to hasten and rescue him." 
 
 "But how did they ever get your address?" 
 
 "That's easy, though you wouldn't think so. 
 It seems, so the letter explains, that as soon as 
 Mr. Petrofsky got acquainted with us he wrote 
 to friends in St. Petersburg, giving my address, 
 and telling them, in case anything ever happened 
 to him, to notify us. You see he suspected that 
 something might, after he found he was being 
 shadowed that way. 
 
 "And it all worked out. As soon as his friends 
 heard that he was caught, and learned where he 
 was being held, they wrote to me. Hurrah, Ned ! 
 A clew at last! Now to wire the detective no, 
 hold on, we'll go there and rescue him ourselves ! 
 We'll go in the airship, and pick up Detective 
 Trivett in New York." 
 
 "That's the stuff! I'm with you!" 
 
 "Bless my, suspender buttons! So am I, what- 
 ever it is!" cried Mr. Damon, entering the room 
 at that moment. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 RESCUING MR. PETROFSKY 
 
 "WE OUGHT to be somewhere near the place 
 now, Tom." 
 
 "I think we are, Ned. But you know I'm not 
 going too close in this airship." 
 
 "Bless my silk hat!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. 
 "I hope we don't have to walk very far in such 
 a deserted country as this, Tom Swift." 
 
 "We'll have to walk a little way, Mr. Damon/" 
 replied the young inventor. "If I go too close 
 to the hut they'll see the airship, and as those 
 spies probably know that Mr. Petrofsky has 
 been dealing with me, they'd smell a rat at once, 
 and run away, taking him with them, and we'd 
 have all our work to do over again." 
 
 "That's right," agreed Detective Trivett, who 
 was one of the four in the airship that was now 
 hovering over the Atlantic coast, about ten miles 
 below the summer resorts of which Asbury Park 
 was one. 
 
 It was only a few hours after Tom had re* 
 52 
 
RESCUING MR. PETROFSKY 53 
 
 ceived the letter from Russia informing him of 
 the whereabouts of the kidnapped Russian, and he 
 had acted at once. 
 
 His father sanctioned the plan of going to the 
 rescue in one of Tom's several airships and, 
 Mr. Damon, having been on hand, at once agreed 
 to go. Of course Ned went along, and they had 
 picked up the private detective in New York, 
 where he was vainly seeking a clew to the where- 
 abouts of Mr. Petrofsky. 
 
 Now the young inventor and his friends were 
 hovering over the sandy stretch of coast that ex- 
 tends from Sandy Hook down the Atlantic sea- 
 board. They were looking for a small fishing 
 hamlet on the outskirts of which, so the Rus 
 sian letter stated, was situated the lonely hut in 
 which Mr. Petrofsky was held a prisoner. 
 
 "Do you think you can pick it out from a dis- 
 tance, Tom?" asked Mr. Damon, as the airship 
 floated slowly along. It was not the big one 
 they intended taking on their trip to Siberia, 
 but it was sufficiently large to accommodate the 
 four and leave room for Mr. Petrofsky, should 
 they succeed in rescuing him. 
 
 "I think so," answered the young inventor. 
 
 In the letter from Russia a comparatively ac- 
 curate description of the prisoner's hut had been 
 given, and also some details about his guards. 
 
54 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 For there is little goes on in political circles in 
 the realm of the Czar that is not known either 
 to the spies of the government or those of the 
 opposition, and the latter had furnished Tom 
 with reliable information. 
 
 "That looks like the place," said Tom at length, 
 when, after peering steadily through a powerful 
 telescope, during which time Ned steered the 
 ship, the young inventor "picked up" a fishing 
 settlement. "There is the big fish house, spoken 
 of in the letter," he went on, "and the Russians 
 know a lot about fish. That house makes a good 
 landmark. We'll go down now, before they have 
 a chance to see us." 
 
 The others thought this a good idea, and a 
 little later the airship sank to the ground amid 
 a lonely stretch of sand dunes, about two miles 
 from the hamlet on the outskirts of which the 
 prison hut was said to be located. 
 
 "Now," said Tom, "we've got to decide on a 
 plan of campaign. It won't do for all of us to 
 go to the hut and make the rescue. Some one 
 has got to stay with the airship, to be ready to 
 start it off as soon as we come back with Mr. 
 Petrofsky if we do come." 
 
 "Then there's no use in me staying here," 
 spoke Detective Trivett. "I don't know enough 
 even to turn on the gasolene." 
 
RESCUING MR. PETROFSKY 55 
 
 "No, it's got to be Ned or me," said the young 
 inventor. 
 
 "I'll stay," volunteered Ned quickly, for 
 though he would very much have liked to be in 
 at the rescue, he realized that his place was in 
 the airship, as Mr. Damon was not sufficiently 
 familiar with the machinery to operate it. 
 
 Accordingly, after looking to everything to 
 see that it was in working order, Tom led the 
 advance. It was just getting dusk, and they fig- 
 ured on getting to the hut after dark. 
 
 "Have everything ready for a quick start," 
 Tom said to Ned, "for we may come back run- 
 ning." 
 
 "I will," was the prompt answer, and then, 
 getting their bearings, the little party set off. 
 
 They had to travel over a stretch of sandy 
 waste that ran along the beach. Back in shore 
 were a few scattered cottages, and not yet opened 
 for the summer, and on the ocean side was the 
 pounding surf. The hut, as Tom recalled the 
 directions, lay just beyond a group of stunted 
 hemlock trees that set a little way back from the 
 ocean, on a bluff overlooking the sea. It was 
 not near any other building. 
 
 Slowly, and avoiding going any nearer the 
 other houses than they could help, the little party 
 made its way. They had to depend on their own 
 
56 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 judgment now, for the minor details of the lo- 
 cation of the hut could not be given in the letter 
 from Russia. In fact the spies themselves, in 
 writing to their head officers about the matter, 
 had not described the location in detail. 
 
 "That looks like it over there," said Tom at 
 last, when they had gone about a mile and a half, 
 and saw a lonely hut with a light burning in it. 
 
 Cautiously they approached and, as they drew 
 nearer, they saw that the light came through the 
 window of a small hut. 
 
 "Looks like the place," commented the detec^ 
 tive. 
 
 "We'll have a look," remarked Tom. 
 
 He crept up so he could glance in the window, 
 and no sooner had he peered in, than he motioned 
 for the others to approach. 
 
 Looking under a partly-drawn curtain, Mr. 
 Damon and Mr. Trivett saw the Russian whom 
 they sought. He was seated at a table, his head 
 bowed on his hands, and in the room were three 
 men. A rifle stood in one corner, near one of the 
 guards. 
 
 "They're taking no chances," whispered Mr.; 
 Damon. "What shall we do, Tom?" 
 
 "It's three to three," replied the young inventor. 
 "But if we can get him away without a fight, 
 so much the better. I think I have it. I'll go up 
 
RESCUING MR. PETROFSKY 57 
 
 to the door, knock and make quite a racket, and 
 demand admittance in the name of the Czar. 
 That will startle them, and they may all three rush 
 to answer. Mr. Damon, you and the detective will 
 stay by the window. As soon as you see the men 
 rush for the door, smash in the window with a 
 piece of driftwood and call to Mr. Petrofsky to 
 jump out that way. Then you can run with him 
 toward the airship, and I'll follow. It may 
 work." 
 
 "I don't see why it wouldn't," declared the 
 detective. "Go ahead, Tom. We're ready." 
 
 Looking in once more, to make sure that the 
 guards were not aware of the presence of the 
 rescuing party, Tom went to the front door of 
 the hut. It was a small building, evidently one 
 used by fishermen. 
 
 Tom knocked loudly on the portal, at the same 
 time crying out in a voice that he strove to make 
 as deep and menacing as possible: 
 
 "Open! Open in the name of the Czar!" 
 
 Looking through the window, ready to act on 
 the instant, Mr. Damon and the detective saw the 
 three guards spring to their feet. One remained 
 near Mr. Petrofsky, who also leaped up. 
 
 "Now!" called the detective to his companion. 
 "Smash the window!" 
 
 The next instant a big piece of driftwood 
 
58 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 crashed through the casement, just as the two 
 men were hurrying to the front door to answer 
 [Tom's summons. 
 
 "Mr. Petrofsky ! This way !" yelled Mr. Dam- 
 on, sticking his head in through the broken 
 sash. "Come out! We've come to save you! 
 Bless my putty blower, but this is great! Come 
 on!" 
 
 For a moment the exile stared at the head 
 thrust through the broken window, and he lis- 
 tened to Tom's emphatic knocks and demands. 
 Then with a cry of delight the Russian sprang 
 for the open casement, while the guard that had 
 remained near him made a leap to catch him, 
 crying out : 
 
 "Betrayed! Betrayed! It's the Nihilists I 
 Look out, comrades!" 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 THE AIR GLIDES 
 
 MR. DAMON continued to hammer away at the 
 window sash with the piece of driftwood. There 
 were splinters of the frame and jagged pieces of 
 glass sticking out, making it dangerous for the 
 exile to slip through. 
 
 "Come on! Come on!" the eccentric man con- 
 tinued to call. "Bless my safety valve! We'll 
 save you! Come on!" 
 
 Mr. Petrofsky was leaping across tke room, 
 just ahead of the one guard. The other two 
 were at the open door now, through which Tom 
 could be seen. Then the spies, realizing in an 
 instant that they had been deceived, made a dash 
 after their comrade, who had his hand on the 
 tails of the exile's coat. 
 
 "Break away! Break loose!" cried Mr. Dam- 
 on, who, by this time had cleared the window so 
 a person could get through. "Don't let them 
 hold you!" 
 
 "I don't intend to!" retorted Mr. Petrofsky, 
 II 
 
60 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 and he swerved suddenly, tearing his coat, from 
 the grasp of the guard. 
 
 In another instant the exile was at the case- 
 ment, and was being helped through by Mr. 
 Damon, and there was need of it, for the three 
 guards were there now, doing their best to keep 
 their prisoner. 
 
 "Pull away! Pull away!" cried Mr. Damon, 
 
 "We'll help you!" shouted Tom, who, now 
 that his trick had worked, had sped around to 
 the other side of the hut. 
 
 "Don't be afraid, we're with you!" exclaimed 
 the detective, who was with the young inventor. 
 
 "Grab him! Keep him! Hold him!" fairly 
 screamed the rearmost of the three guards. "It 
 is a plot of the Nihilists to rescue him. "Shoot 
 him, comrades. He must not get away!" 
 
 "Don't you try any of your shooting games, or 
 I'll take a hand in it!" shouted the detective, 
 and, at the same moment he drew his revolver 
 and fired harmlesly in the air. 
 
 "A bomb! A bomb!" yelled the guards in 
 terror. 
 
 "Not yet, but there may be!" murmured Tom. 
 The firing of the shot produced a good effect, 
 for the three men who were trying to detain Ivan 
 Petrofsky at once fell back from the window 
 and gave him just the chance needed. He 
 
THE AIR GLIDER 6l 
 
 scrambled through, with the aid of Mr. Damon, 
 and before the guards could again spring at him, 
 which they did when the echoes of the shot had 
 died away. They had realized, too late, that it was 
 not a bomb, and that there was no immediate 
 danger for them. 
 
 "Come on!" cried Tom. "Make for the air- 
 ship! We've got to get the start of them!" 
 
 Leading the way, he sprinted toward the road 
 that led to the place where the airship awaited 
 them. He was followed by Mr. Damon and the 
 detective, who had Mr. Petrofsky between them. 
 
 "Are you all right?" Tom called back to the 
 exile. " Are you hurt ? Can you run ? " 
 
 "I'm all right," was the reassuring answer. 
 "Go ahead; but they'll be right after us." 
 
 "Maybe they'll stop when they see this," re- 
 marked the detective significantly, and he held 
 his revolver so that the rays of the newly-risen 
 moon glinted on it. 
 
 "Here they come!" cried Tom a moment later, 
 as three figures, one after the other, came around 
 the corner of the house. They had not taken the 
 shorter route through the window, as had Mr. i 
 Petrofsky, and this gained a little time for our 
 friends. 
 
 "Stop! Hold on!" cried one of the guards in 
 fairly good English. "Jhat is our prisoner." 
 
62 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "Not any more!" the young inventor yelled 
 back. "He's ouisnow." 
 
 "Look out! They're going to shoot!" cried 
 Mr. Damon. "Bless my gunpowder! can't you 
 stop them some way or other, Mr. Detective?" 
 
 "The only way is by firing first," answered 
 Mr. Trivett, "and I don't want to hurt them. 
 Guess I'll fire in the air again." 
 
 He did, and the guards halted. They seemed 
 to be holding a consultation, as Tom learned by 
 glancing hastily back, and he caught the glisten 
 of some weapon. But if the three men had any 
 notion of firing they gave it up, and once more 
 came on running. Doubtless they had orders to 
 get their prisoner back to Russia alive, and did not 
 want to take any chances of hitting him. 
 
 "Leg it!" cried Tom. "Leg it!" 
 
 He was well ahead, and wanted the others to 
 catch up to him, but none of the men was a 
 good runner, and Mr. Petrofsky, by reason of 
 being rather heavily built, was worse than the 
 other two, so they had to accommodate their pace 
 to his. 
 
 "I wonder if we can make it," mused Tom, as 
 he realized that the airship was a good distance 
 off yet. "Jhe guards, though quite a way in the 
 rear now, were coming on fast. "It's going to 
 be a close race," thought the young inventor. 
 
THE AIR GLIDER 63 
 
 "I wish we'd brought the airship a little nearer. " 
 
 It was indeed a race now, for the guards, 
 seeming to know that they would not be shot at, 
 were coming on more confidently, and were rap- 
 idly lessening the distance that separated them 
 from their recent prisoner. 
 
 "We've got to go faster!" cried Tom. 
 
 "Bless my shoe leather!" yelled Mr. Damon. 
 "I can't go any faster." 
 
 Still he did make the attempt, and so did the 
 exile and the detective. Little was said now, for 
 each of the parties was running a dogged race, 
 and in silence. They had gone possibly half a 
 mile, and the first advantage of Tom and his 
 friends was rapidly being lost, when suddenly 
 there sounded in the air above a curious throbbing 
 noise. 
 
 "Bless my gasolene! What's that?" cried Mr. 
 Damon. 
 
 "The airship! It's the airship!" yelled Tom, 
 as he saw a great dark shape slowly approaching. 
 "Ned is bringing her to met us." 
 
 "Good!" cried the detective. "We need it 
 I'm about winded!" 
 
 "This way, Ned! This way!" cried Tom, 
 and, an instant later, they were in the midst of 
 a brilliant glow, for Ned had turned the current 
 into the great searchlight on the bow of the air 
 
'6 4 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 craft, and the beams were focused on our friends. 
 Ned could now see the refugees, and in a moment 
 he sent the graceful craft down, bringing it to a 
 bait on the ground near Tom. 
 
 "In with you!" cried the lad. "She's all ready 
 to start up again!" 
 
 "Come on!" yelled Tom to the others. 
 "We're all right now, if you hustle!" 
 
 "Bless my pin cushion!" gasped Mr. Damon, 
 making a final spurt. 
 
 The three guards had halted in confusion on 
 seeing the big, black bulk of the airship, and 
 when they noted the gleaming of the searchlight 
 they must have realized that their chances were 
 gone. They made a rush, however, but it was 
 too late. Over the side of the craft scrambled 
 rrom, Mr. Damon, the detective and Ivan Pet- 
 rofsky, and an instant later Ned had sent it 
 aloft. The race was over, and the young invent- 
 or and his friends had won. 
 
 "You're the stuff!" cried Tom to Ned, as he 
 went with his chum to the pilot house to direct 
 the progress of the airship. "It's lucky you 
 came for us. We never could have made the 
 distance. We left the ship too far off." 
 
 "That's what I thought after you'd gone," 
 replied his chum. "So I decided to come and meet 
 
THE AIR GLIDER 65 
 
 you. I had to go slowly so as not to pass you in 
 the darkness." 
 
 They were speeding off now, and Ned, turn- 
 ing the beams of the great searchlight below 
 them, picked up the three guards who were gaz- 
 ing helplessly aloft after their fast disappearing 
 prisoner. 
 
 "You're having your first ride in an airship, 
 Mr. Petrofsky," remarked Tom, when they had 
 gone on for some little distance. "How do you 
 like it?" 
 
 "I'm so excited I hardly know, but it's quite a 
 sensation. But how in the world did you ever 
 find me to rescue me?" 
 
 Then they told the story of their search, and 
 the unexpected clew from Russia. In turn the 
 exile told how he had been attacked at the break- 
 fast table one morning by the three spies the 
 very men who had been shadowing him and 
 taken away secretly, being drugged to prevent his 
 calling for help. He had been kept a close pris- 
 oner in the lonely hut, and each day he had ex- 
 pected to be taken back to serve out his sentence 
 in Siberia. 
 
 "Another day would have been too late," he 
 told Tom, when he had thanked the young in- 
 ventor over and over again, "for the papers 
 would have arrived, and the last obstacle to tak- 
 
66 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 ing me back to Russia would have been removed. 
 They dared not take me out of the United States 
 without official documents, and they would have 
 been forged ones, for they intended trumping up 
 a criminal charge against me, the political one not 
 being strong enough to allow them to extradite 
 
 me." 
 
 "Well I'm glad we got you," said Tom heart- 
 ily. "We will soon be ready to start for Siberia." 
 
 "In this kind of a craft?" 
 
 "Yes, only much larger. You'll like it. I 
 only hope my air glider works." 
 
 By putting on speed, Tom was able to reach 
 Shopton before midnight, and there was quite 
 an informal celebration in the Swift homestead 
 over the rescue of the exile. The detective, for 
 whom there was no further need, was paid off, 
 and Mr. Petrofsky was made a member of the 
 household. 
 
 "You'd better stay here until we are ready to 
 start," Tom said, "and then we can keep an eye 
 on you. We need you to show us as nearly as 
 possible where the platinum field is." 
 
 "All right," agreed the Russian with a laugh. 
 "I'm sure I'll do all I can for you, and you are 
 certainly treating me very nicely after what I 
 suffered from my captors." 
 
 Tom resumed work on his air glider the next 
 
THE AIR GLIDER 67 
 
 day, and he had an additional helper, for Mr. 
 Petrofsky proved to be a good mechanic. 
 
 In brief, the air glider was like an aeroplane 
 save that it had no motor. It was raised by a 
 strong wind blowing against transverse planes, 
 and once aloft was held there by the force of the 
 air currents, just like a box kite is kept up. To 
 make it progress either with or against the wind, 
 there were horizontal and vertical rudders, and 
 sliding weights, by which the equilibrium could 
 be shifted so as to raise or lower it. While it 
 could not exactly move directly against the wind 
 it could progress in a direction contrary to which 
 the gale was blowing, somewhat as a sailing 
 ship "tacks." 
 
 And, as has been explained, the harder the 
 wind blew the better the air glider worked. In 
 fact unless there was a strong gale it would not 
 go up. 
 
 "But it will be just what is needed out there 
 in that part of Siberia," declared the exile, "for 
 there the wind is never quiet. Often it blows a 
 regular hurricane." 
 
 "That's what we want!" cried Tom. He 
 had made several models of the air glider, chang- 
 ing them as he found out his errors, and at last 
 he had hit on the right shape and size. 
 
 Midway of the big glider, on which work was 
 
68 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 now well started, there was to be an enclosed car 
 for the carrying of passengers, their food and 
 supplies. Tom figured on carrying five or six. 
 
 For several weeks the work on the air glider 
 progressed rapidly, and it was nearing com- 
 pletion. Meanwhile nothing more had been 
 heard or seen of the Russian spies. 
 
 "Well," announced Tom one night, after a 
 day's hard work, "we'll be ready for a trial now, 
 just as soon as there comes a good wind." 
 
 "Is it all finished?" asked Ned. 
 
 "No, but enough for a trial spin. What I 
 Want is a big wind now." 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 IN A GREAT GALE 
 
 THERE was a humming in the air. The tele- 
 graph wires that ran along on high poles past 
 the house of Tom Swift sang a song like that of 
 an Aeolian harp. The very house seemed to 
 tremble. 
 
 "Jove! This is a wind!" cried Tom as he 
 awakened on a morning a few days after his air 
 glider was nearly completed. "I never saw it 
 so strong. This ought to be just what I want. 
 I must telephone to Mr. Damon and to Ned." 
 
 He hustled into his clothes, pausing now and 
 then to look out of his window and note the 
 effects of the gale. It was a tremendous wind, 
 as was evidenced by the limbs of several trees 
 being broken off, while in some cases frail trees 
 themselves had been snapped in twain. 
 
 "Coffee ready, Mrs. Baggert?" asked our hero 
 as he went downstairs. "I haven't got time to 
 eat muchjthough." 
 
 In spite of his haste Tom ate a good break- 
 6g 
 
70 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 fast and then, having telephoned to his two 
 friends, and receiving their promises to come 
 right over, our hero went out to make a few 
 adjustments to his air glider, to get it in shape 
 for the trial. 
 
 He was a little worried lest the wind die out, 
 but when he got outside he noted with satis- 
 faction that the gale was stronger than at first. 
 In fact it did considerable damage in Shopton, 
 as Tom learned later. 
 
 It certainly was a strong wind. An ordinary 
 aeroplane never could have sailed in it, and Tom 
 was doubtful of the ability of even his big air- 
 ship to navigate in it. But he was not going to 
 try that. 
 
 "And maybe my air glider won't work," he 
 remarked to himself as he was on his way to the 
 shed where it had been constructed. "The models 
 went up all right, but maybe the big one isn't pro- 
 portioned right. However, I'll soon see." 
 
 He was busy adjusting the balancing weights 
 when Ned Newton came in. 
 
 "Great Scott!" exclaimed the lad, as he 
 labored to close the shed door, "this is a blow all 
 right, Tom! Do you think it's safe to go up?" 
 
 "I can't go up without a gale, Ned." 
 
 "Well, I'd think twice about it myself." 
 
 "Why, I counted on you going up with me." 
 
IN A GREAT GALE 71 
 
 "Burr-r-r-r!" and Ned pretended to shiver. 
 "I haven't an accident insurance policy ^ you 
 know." 
 
 "You won't need it, Ned. If we get up at all 
 we'll be all right. Catch hold there, and shift 
 that rear weight a little forward on the rod. I 
 expect Mr. Damon soon." 
 
 The eccentric man came in a little later, just 
 as Tom and Ned had finished adjusting the 
 mechanism. 
 
 "Bless my socks!" cried Mr. Damon. "Do 
 you really mean to go up to-day, Tom?" 
 
 "I sure do! Why, aren't you going with me?" 
 and Tom winked at Ned. 
 
 "Bless my " began Mr. Damon, and then, 
 
 evidently realizing that he was being tested he 
 exclaimed: "Well, I will go, Tom! If the air 
 glider is any good it ought to hold me. I will 
 go up." 
 
 "Now, Ned, how about you?" asked the young 
 inventor. 
 
 "Well, I guess it's up to me to come along. 
 But I sure do wish it was over with," and Ned 
 glanced out of the window to see if the gale was 
 dying out. But the wind was as high as ever. 
 
 It was hard work getting the air glider out of 
 the shed, and in position on top of a hill, about 
 a quarter of a mile away, for Tom intended 
 
72 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "taking off" from the mound, as he could not 
 get a running start without a motor. The wind, 
 however, he hoped, would raise him and the 
 strange craft. 
 
 In order to get it over the ground without, 
 having it capsize, or elevate before they were 
 ready for it, drag ropes, attached to bags of sand 
 were used, and once these were attached the four 
 found that they could not wheel the air glider 
 along on its bicycle wheels. 
 
 "We'll have to get Eradicate and his mule, I 
 guess," said Tom, after a vain endeavor to make 
 progress against the wind. "When it's up in the 
 air it will be all right, but until then I'll need 
 help to move it. Ned, call Rad, will you?" 
 
 The colored man, with Boomerang, his faith-* 
 ful mule, was soon on hand. The animal was 
 hitched to the glider, and pulled it toward the hilL 
 
 "Now to see what happens," remarked Torrv 
 as he wheeled his latest invention around where 
 the wind would take it as soon as the restrain-* 
 ing ropes were cast off, for it was now held in 
 place by several heavy cables fastened to stakes 
 driven in the ground. 
 
 Tom gave a last careful look to the weights, 
 planes and rudders. He glanced at a small ane- 
 mometer or wind gage, on the craft, and noted 
 that it registered sixty miles an hour. 
 
IN A GREAT GALE 73 
 
 "That ought to do," he remarked. "Now 
 who's going up with me? Will you take a 
 chance, Mr. Petrofsky?" 
 
 "I'd rather not at first." 
 
 "Come on then, Ned and Mr. Damon. Mr, 
 Petrofsky and Rad can cast off the ropes." 
 
 The wind, if anything, was stronger than ever. 
 It was a terrific gale, and just what was needed. 
 But how would the air glider act? That was 
 what Tom wanted very much to know. 
 
 "Cast off!" he cried to the Russian and Eradi- 
 cate, and they slipped the ropes. 
 
 The next moment, with a rush and whizzing 
 roar, the air glider shot aloft on the wings of the 
 wind. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 THE SPIES 
 
 "WE'RE certainly going up!" yelled Ned, as he 
 sat beside Tom in the cabin of the air glider. 
 
 "That's right!" agreed the young inventor 
 rather proudly, as he grasped two levers, one of 
 which steered the craft, the other being used to 
 shift the weights. "We're going up. I was 
 pretty sure of that. The next thing is to see if 
 it will remain stationary in the air, and answer 
 the rudder." 
 
 "Bless my top knot!" cried Mr. Damon. "You 
 don't mean to tell me you can stand still in a gale 
 of wind, Tom Swift." 
 
 "That's exactly what I do mean. You can't 
 do it in an aeroplane, for that depends on motion 
 to keep itself up in the air. But the glider is dif- 
 ferent. That's one of its specialties, remaining, 
 still, and that's why it will be valuable if we ever 
 get to Siberia. We can hover over a certain spot 
 in a gale of wind, and search about below with 
 telescopes for a sign of the lost platinum mine." 
 
 74 
 
THE SPIES 75 
 
 "How high are you going up?" demanded 
 Ned, for the air glider was still mounting up- 
 ward on a slant. If you ever scaled a flat piece 
 of tin, or a stone, you'll remember how it seems 
 to slide up a hill of air, when it was thrown at 
 the right angle. It was just this way with the 
 air glider it was mounting upward on a slant. 
 
 "I'm going up a couple of hundred feet at 
 least," answered Tom, "and higher if the gale- 
 strata is there. I want to give it a good test) 
 while I'm at it." 
 
 Ned looked down through a heavy plate of 
 glass in the floor of the cabin, and could see Mr. 
 Petrofsky and Eradicate looking up at them. 
 
 "Bless my handkerchief!" cried Mr. Damon, 
 when his attention had been called to this. "It's 
 just like an airship." 
 
 "Except that we haven't a bit of machinery 
 on board," said Tom. "These weights do every- 
 thing," and he shifted them forward on the slid- 
 ing rods, with the effect that the air glider dipped 
 down with a startling lurch. 
 
 "We're falling!" cried Ned. 
 
 "Not a bit of it," answered Tom. "I only 
 showed you how it worked. By sliding the 
 weights back we go up." 
 
 He demonstrated this at once, sending his 
 craft sliding up another hill of air, until it reached 
 
76 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 an elevation of four hundred feet, as evidenced 
 by the barograph. 
 
 "I guess this is high enough," remarked Tom 
 after a bit. "Now to see if she'll stand still." 
 
 Slowly he moved the weights along, by means 
 of the compound levers, until the air glider was 
 on an "even keel" so to speak. It was still mov- 
 ing forward, with the wind now, for Tom had 
 warped his wing tips. 
 
 "The thing to do," said the young inventor, 
 "is to get it exactly parallel with the wind-strata, 
 so that the gale will blow through the two sets of 
 planes, just as the wind blows through a box 
 kite. Only we have no string to hold us from 
 moving. We have to depend on the equalization 
 of friction on the surfaces of the wings. I won- 
 der if I can do it." 
 
 It was a delicate operation, and Tom had not 
 had much experience in that sort of thing, for 
 his other airships and aeroplanes worked on an 
 entirely different principle. But he moved the 
 weights along, inch by inch, and flexed the tips, 
 planes and rudders until finally Ned, who was 
 looking down through the floor window, cried 
 out 
 
 "We're stationary!" 
 
 "Good!" exclaimed Tom. "Then it's a suc- 
 cess/' 
 
THE SPIES 
 
 77 
 
 "And we can go to Siberia?" added Mr. 
 Damon. 
 
 "Sure," assented the young inventor. "And if 
 we have luck we'll rescue Mr. Petrofsky's 
 brother, and get a lot of platinum that will be 
 more valuable than gold." 
 
 It would not be true to say that the air glider 
 was absolutely stationary. There was a slight 
 forward motion, due to the fact that it was not 
 yet perfected, and also because Tom was not 
 expert enough in handling it. 
 
 The friction on the plane surfaces was not 
 equalized, and the gale forced the craft along 
 slightly. But, compared to the terrific power of 
 the wind, the air glider was practically at a stand- 
 still, and this was remarkable when one considers 
 the force of the hurricane that was blowing above, 
 below and through it. 
 
 For actually that was what the hurricane was 
 doing. It was as if an immense box kite was 
 suspended in the air, without a string to hold it 
 from moving, and as though a cabin was placed 
 amidships to hold human beings. 
 
 "This sure is great!" cried Ned. "Have you 
 got her in control, Tom?" 
 
 "I think so. I'll try and see how she works." 
 
 By shifting the weights, changing the balance, 
 and warping the wings, the young inventor sent 
 
78 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 the craft higher up, made it dip down almost to 
 the earth, and then swoop upward like some great 
 bird. Then he turned it completely about and 
 though he developed no great speed in this test 
 made it progress quarteringly against the wind, 
 
 "It's almost perfect," declared Tom. "A few 
 touches and she'll be all right." 
 
 "Is it all right?" asked Ivan Petrofsky anx- 
 iously, as the three left the cabin, and Eradicate 
 hitched his mule to the glider to take it back to 
 the shed. 
 
 "I see where it can be improved," he said, as 
 they made ready to descend. "I'll soon have it 
 in shape." 
 
 "Then we can go to Siberia?" 
 
 "In less than a month. The big airship needs 
 some repairs, and then we'll be off." 
 
 The Russian said nothing, but he looked his 
 thanks to Tom, and the manner in which he 
 grasped the hand of our hero showed his deep 
 feelings. 
 
 The glider was given several more trials, and 
 each time it worked better. Tom decided to 
 change some of the weights, and he devoted all 
 his time to this alteration, while Ned, Mr. 
 Damon, and the others labored to get the l)ig 
 airship in shape for the long trip to the land of 
 the exiles. 
 
THE SPIES 79 
 
 So anxious was Tom to get started, that he 
 put in several nights working on the glider. Ned 
 occasionally came over to help him, while Mr. 
 Damon was on hand as often as his wife would 
 allow him. Mr. Petrofsky spent his nights writ- 
 ing to friends in Russia, hoping to get some clew 
 as to the whereabouts of his brother. 
 
 It was on one of these nights, when Tom and 
 Ned were laboring hard, with Eradicate to help 
 them, that an incident occurred which worried 
 them all not a little. Tom was adjusting some 
 of the "new weights on the sliding rods, and 
 called to Ned: 
 
 "I say, old man, hand me that big monkey 
 wrench, will you. I can't loosen this nut with the 
 small one. You'll find it on the bench by that 
 back window." 
 
 As Ned went to get the tool he looked from 
 the casement. He started, stood staring through 
 the glass for a moment into the outer darkness, 
 and then cried out: 
 
 "Torn, we're being watched! There are some 
 spies outside!" 
 
 "What?" exclaimed the young inventor 
 "Where are they? Who are they?" 
 
 "I don't know. Those Russian police, maybe. 
 Out front, and maybe we can catch them!" 
 
 Grabbing up the big monkey wrench, Ned 
 
8o TOM SWIFT AND PI IS AIR GLIDER 
 
 made a dash for the large sliding doors, followed 
 by Tom who had an iron bar, and Eradicate with 
 a small pair of pliers. 
 
 "By golly!" cried the colored man, "ef I gits 
 'em I'll pinch dere noses off!" 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 OFF IN THE AIRSHIP 
 
 GOING from the brightly lighted shop into the 
 darkness of the night, illuminated as it was only 
 by the stars, neither Tom, Ned, nor Eradicate, 
 could see anything at first. They had to stand 
 still for a moment to accustom their eyes to the 
 gloom. 
 
 "Can you see them?" cried Tom to his chum. 
 
 "No, but I can hear them! Over this way!" 
 yelled Ned, and then, being able to dimly make 
 out objects, so he would not run into them, he 
 started off, followed by the young inventor. 
 
 Tom could hear several persons running away 
 now, but he could see no one, and from the sound 
 he judged that the spies, if such they were, were 
 hurrying across the fields that surrounded the 
 shop. 
 
 It was almost a hopeless task to pursue them, 
 but the two lads were not the kind that give up. 
 They rushed forward, hoping to be able to grap- 
 ple with those who had looked in the shop win- 
 dow, but it was not to be. 
 
 81 
 
82 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 The sound of the retreating footsteps became 
 more and more faint, until finally they gave no 
 clew to follow. 
 
 "Better stop," advised Tom. "No telling where 
 we'll end up if we keep on running. Besides it 
 might be dangerous." 
 
 "Dangerous; how?" panted Ned. 
 
 "They might dodge around, and wait for us 
 behind some tree or bush." 
 
 "An' ef dat Foger feller am around he jest as 
 soon as not fetch one ob us a whack in de head," 
 commented Eradicate grimly. 
 
 "Guess you're about right," admitted Ned. 
 "There isn't much use keeping on. We'll go 
 back." 
 
 "What sort of fellows were they?" asked Tom, 
 when, after a little further search, the hunt was 
 given up. "Could you see them well, Ned?" 
 
 "Not very good. Just as I went to get you that 
 wrench I noticed two faces looking in the win- 
 dow. I must have taken them by surprise, for 
 they dodged down in an instant. Then I yelled, 
 and they ran off." 
 
 "Did you see Andy Foger?" 
 
 "No, I didn't notice him." 
 
 "Was either of them one of the spies who had 
 Mr. Petrofsky in the hut?" 
 
OFF IN THE AIRSHIP 83 
 
 "I didn't see those fellows very well, you re- 
 member, so I couldn't say." 
 
 "That's so, but I'll bet that's who they were." 
 
 "What do you think they're after, Tom?" 
 
 "One of two things. They either want to get 
 our Russian friend into their clutches again, or 
 they're after me to try to stop me from going 
 to Siberia." 
 
 "Do you think they'd go to such length as 
 that?" 
 
 "I'm almost sure they would. Those Russian 
 police are wrong, of course, but they think Mr. 
 Petrofsky is an Anarchist or something like that, 
 and they think they're justified in doing any- 
 thing to get him back to the Siberian mines. 
 And once the Russian government sets out to do 
 a thing it generally does it I'll give 'em credit 
 for that." 
 
 "But how do you suppose they know you're 
 going to Russia?" 
 
 "Say, those fellows have ways of getting in- 
 <'formation you and I would never dream of. 
 Why, didn't you read the other day how some 
 fellow who was supposed to be one of the worst 
 Anarchists ever, high up in making bombs, plot- 
 ting, and all that sort of thing turned out to be 
 a police spy? They get their information that 
 ;way<, I shouldn't be surprised but what some of 
 
84 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 the very people whom Mr. Petrofsky thinks are 
 his friends are spies, and they send word to head- 
 quarters of every move he makes." 
 
 "Why don't you warn him?" 
 
 "He knows it as well as I do. The trouble is 
 you can't tell who the spies are toatil 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 patroling about the 
 shop to make sure we're not spied on again." 
 
 "By golly! Ef I sees any ob 'em, I suah will 
 pinch 'em!" cried the colored man, as he clicked 
 the pliers. 
 
 But there was no further disturbance that 
 Bight, 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. 
 
OFF IN THE AIRSHIP 85 
 
 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 gaso- 
 lene 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 pro- 
 vide for. ^ 
 
 "But if worsjf comes to worst I can burn kero- 
 sene 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 lablonnoi 
 mountains, and half way between that range and 
 the city of lakutsk. 
 
 "But it might be a salt mine, just as well," 
 said Mr. Petrofsky, when he told the boys the 
 
86 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 news. "Information about the poor exiles is 
 hard to get." 
 
 "Well, we'll take a chance!" cried Tom deter- 
 minedly. 
 
 The preparations went on, and by strict watch- 
 fulness 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 voy- 
 age, 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 say- 
 ing 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. 
 
 "Don't you wish you were going, Rad?" the 
 young inventor asked, for the colored man had 
 decided to stay at home. 
 
 "No indeedy, Massa Tom," was the answer. 
 "Dat's a mighty cold country in Shebeara, an* 
 I laik warm wedder." 
 
 "Well, take care of yourself and Boomerang," 
 answered Tom with a laugh. Then he pulled the 
 lever that sent a supply of gas into the big bag, 
 and the ship began to rise. 
 
OFF IN THE AIRSHIP 87 
 
 "I guess we've given those spies the slip," 
 remarked Ned, as they rose from the ground 
 calling good-byes to the friends they left behind. 
 
 "I hope so," agreed Tom, but could he have 
 seen two men 1 , of sinister looks, peering at the 
 slowly-moving airship from the shelter of a grove 
 of trees, not far off, he might have changed his 
 opinion, and so would Ned. 
 
 Then, as the airship gathered momentum, it 
 fairly sprang into the air, and a moment later, 
 the big propellers began revolving. They were 
 off on their long voyage to find the lost platinum 
 mine, and rescue the exile of Siberia. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 A STORM AT SEA 
 
 TOM had the choice of two routes in making 
 his voyage to far-off Siberia. He could have 
 crossed the United States, sailed over the Pacific 
 ocean, and approached the land of the Czar from 
 the western coast above Manchuria. But he pre- 
 ferred to take the Atlantic route, crossing Europe, 
 and so sailing over Russia proper to get to his 
 destination. There were several reasons for this. 
 
 The water voyage was somewhat shorter, and 
 this was an important consideration when there 
 was no telling when he might have an accident 
 that would compel him to descend. On the At- 
 lantic he knew there would be more ships to 
 render assistance if it was needed, although h* 
 hoped he would not have to ask for it. 
 
 "Then, too," he said to Ned, when they were 
 discussing the matter, "we will have a chance to 
 see some civilized countries if we cross Europe, 
 and we may land near Paris." 
 
 "Paris!" cried Ned. "What for?" 
 
A STORM AT SEA 89 
 
 "To renew our supply of gasolene, for one 
 thing," replied the young inventor. "Not that we 
 will be out when we arrive, but if we take on 
 more there we may not have to get any in Rus- 
 sia. Besides, they have a very good quality in 
 France, so all told, I think the route over Europe 
 to be the best." 
 
 Ned agreed with him, and so did Mr. Petrof- 
 sky. As for Mr. Damon, he was so busy getting 
 his sleeping room in order, and blessing every- 
 thing he could think of, that he did not have 
 time to talk much. So the eastern route was 
 decided on, and as the big airship, carrying our 
 friends, their supplies, and the wonderful air 
 glider rose higher and higher, Tom gradually 
 brought her around so that the pointed nose of 
 the gas bag aimed straight across the Atlantic. 
 
 They were over the ocean on the second day 
 out, for Tom did not push the craft to her limit 
 of speed, now they had time to consider matters 
 at their leisure, for they had been rather hurried 
 on leaving. 
 
 The machinery was working as nearly to per- 
 fection as it could be brought, and Tom, after 
 finding out that his craft would answer equally 
 well as a dirigible balloon or an aeroplane, let it 
 sail along as the latter. 
 
 "For," he said, "we have a long trip ahead of 
 
90 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 us "and we need to save all the elevating gas we 
 can save. If worsycomes to worst, and we can't 
 navigate as an aeroplane any more, we can even 
 drift along as a dirigible. But while we have the 
 gasolene we might as well make speed and be an 
 aeroplane." 
 
 The others agreed with him, and so it was ar- 
 ranged. Tom, when he had seen to it that his 
 craft was working well, let Ned take charge and 
 devoted himself to seeing that all the stares and 
 supplies were in order for quick use. 
 
 Of course, until they were nearer the land of 
 the Czar, and that part of Siberia where Mr. Pet- 
 rofsky's brother was held as an exile, they could 
 do little save make themselves as comfortable as 
 possible in the airship. And this was not hard to 
 do. 
 
 Naturally, in a craft that had to carry a heavy 
 load, and lift itself into the air, as well as propel 
 itself along, not many things could be taken. 
 Every ounce counted. Still our friends were not 
 without their comforts. There was a well stocked 
 kitchen, and Mr. Damon insisted on installing 
 himself as cook. This had been Eradicated work, 
 but the eccentric man knew how to do almost 
 everything from making soup to roasting a chick- 
 en, and he liked it. So he was allowed free run 
 of the galley. 
 
A STORM AT SEA 9 ! 
 
 Tom and Ned spent much time in the steering 
 tower or engine room, for, though all of the 
 machinery was automatic, there was need of al- 
 most constant attention, though there was an ar- 
 rangement whereby in case of emergency, the air- 
 ship would steer herself in any set direction for a 
 certain number of hours. 
 
 There were ample sleeping quarters for six per- 
 sons, a living room and a dining saloon. In short 
 the Falcon was much like Tom's Red Cloud, only 
 bigger and better. There was even a phonograph 
 on board so that music, songs, and recitations 
 could be enjoyed. 
 
 "Bless my napkin! but this is great!" exclaimed 
 Mr. Damon, about noon of the second day, when 
 they had just finished dinner and looked down 
 through the glass windows in the bottom of the 
 cabin at the rolling ocean below them. "I don't 
 believe many persons have such opportunities as 
 we have." 
 
 "I'm sure they, do not," added Mr. Petrofsky. 
 "I can hardly think it true, that I am on my way 
 back to Siberia to rescue my dear brother." 
 
 "And such good weather as we're having," 
 spoke Ned. "I'm glad we didn't start off in a 
 storm, for I don't exactly like them when we're 
 over the water." 
 
 "We may get one yet," said Tom. "I don't 
 
92 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 just like the way the barometer is acting. It's 
 falling pretty fast." 
 
 "Bless my mercury tube!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 "I hope we have no bad luck on this trip." 
 
 "Oh, we can't help a storm or two," answered 
 Tom. "I guess it won't do any harm to prepare 
 for it." 
 
 So everything was made snug, and movable 
 articles on the small exposed deck of the airship 
 were lashed fast. Then, as night settled down, our 
 friends gathered about in the cheerful cabin, in 
 the light of the electric lamps, and talked of what 
 lay before them. 
 
 As Mr. Damon could steer as well as Tom or 
 Ned, he shared in the night watch. But Mr. Pet- 
 rofsky was not expert enough to accept this re- 
 sponsibility. 
 
 It was when Mr. Damon finished his watch at 
 midnight, and called Tom, that he remarked. 
 
 "Bless my umbrella, Tom. But I don't like the 
 looks of the weather." 
 
 "Why, what's it doing?" 
 
 "It isn't doing anything, but it's clouding up 
 and the barometer is going down." 
 
 "I was afraid we were in for it," answered the 
 young inventor. "Well, we'll have to take what 
 comes. " 
 
 The airship plunged on her way, while her 
 
A STORM AT SEA 93 
 
 young pilot looked at the various gages, noting 
 that to hold her way against the wind that had 
 risen he would have to increase the speed of the 
 motor. 
 
 "I don't like it," murmured Tom, "I don't like 
 it," and he shook his head dubiously. 
 
 With a suddenness that was almost terrifying, 
 the storm broke over the ocean about three o'clock 
 that morning. There was a terrific clap of thun- 
 der, a flash of lighting, and a deluge of rain that 
 fairly made the staunch Falcon stagger, high in 
 the air as she was. 
 
 "Come on, Ned!" cried Tom, as he pressed 
 the electric alarm bell connected with his chum's 
 berth. "I need you, and Mr. Damon, too." 
 
 "What's the matter?" cried Ned, awakened 
 suddenly from a sound sleep. 
 
 "We're in a bad storm," answered Tom, "and 
 I'll have to have help. We need more gas, to try 
 and rise above it." 
 
 "Bless my hanging lamp!" cried Mr. Damon, 
 "I hope nothing happens!" 
 
 And he jumped from his berth as the Falcon 
 plunged and staggered through the storm that 
 was lashing the ocean below her into white bil- 
 lows of foam. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 AN ACCIDENT 
 
 FOR a few moments it seemed as if the Falcon 
 would surely turn turtle and plunge into the seeth- 
 ing ocean. The storm had burst with such sud- 
 denness that Tom, who was piloting his air craft, 
 was taken unawares. He had not been using 
 much power or the airship would have been better 
 able to weather the blast that burst with such 
 fury over her. But as it was, merely drifting 
 along, she was almost like a great sheet of paper. 
 
 Down she was forced, until the high-flying 
 spray from the waves actually wet the lower part 
 of the car, and Ned, looking through one of the 
 glass windows, saw, in the darkness, the phos- 
 phorescent gleam of the water so near to them. 
 
 "Tom!" he cried in alarm. "We're sinking!" 
 
 "Bless my bath sponge! Don't say that!" 
 gasped Mr. Damon. 
 
 "That's why I called you," yelled the young 
 inventor. "We've got to rise above the storm if 
 possible. Go to the gas machine, Ned, and turn 
 
 94 
 
AN ACCIDENT 95 
 
 it on full strength. I'll speed up the motor, and 
 we may be able to cut up that way. But get the 
 gas on as soon as you can. The bag is only about 
 half full. Force in all you can! 
 
 "Mr. Damon, can you take the wheel? It 
 doesn't make any difference which way we go as 
 long as you keep her before the wind, and yank 
 back the elevating rudder as far as she'll go! 
 We must head up." 
 
 "All right, Tom," answered the eccentric man, 
 as he fairly jumped to take the place of the 
 young inventor at the helm. 
 
 "Can I do anything?" asked the Russian, as 
 Tom raced for the engine room, to speed the 
 motor up to the last notch. 
 
 "I guess not. Everything is covered, unless 
 you want to help Mr. Damon. In this blow it 
 will be hard to work the rudder levers." 
 
 "All right," replied Ivan Petrofsky, and then 
 there came another sickening roll of the airship, 
 that threatened to turn her completely over. 
 
 "Lively!" yelled Tom, clinging to various sup* 
 ports as he made his way to the engine room. 
 "Lively, all hands, or we'll be awash in another 
 minute!" 
 
 And indeed it seemed that this might be so, for 
 with the wind forcing her down, and the hungry 
 waves leaping up, as if to clutch her to themselves, 
 
96 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 the Falcon was having anything but an easy time 
 of it. 
 
 It was the work of but an instant however, 
 when Tom reached the engine room, to jerk the 
 accelerator lever toward him, and the motor re- 
 sponded at once. With a low, humming whine the 
 wheels and gears redoubled their speed, and the 
 great propellers beat the air with fiercer strokes. 
 
 At the same time Tom heard the hiss of the 
 gas as it rushed into the envelope from the gen- 
 erating machine, as Ned opened the release valve. 
 
 "Now we ought to go up," the young inventor 
 murmured, as he anxiously watched the baro- 
 graph, and noted the position of the swinging 
 pendulum which told of the roll and dip of the 
 air craft. 
 
 For a moment she hung in the balance, neither 
 the increased speed of the propellers, nor the force 
 of the gas having any seeming effect. Mr. Damon 
 and the Russian, clinging to the rudder levers, 
 to avoid being dashed against the sides of the 
 pilot house, held them as far back as they could, 
 to gain the full power of the elevation planes. 
 But even this seemed to do no good. 
 
 The power of the gale was such, that, eveit 
 with the motor and gas machine working to their 
 limit, the Falcon only held her own. She swept 
 along, barely missing the crests of the giant waves, 
 
AN ACCIDENT 97 
 
 "She's got to go up! She's got to go up!" 
 cried Tom desperately, as if by very will power 
 he could send her aloft. And then, when there 
 came a lull in the fierce blowing of the wind, the 
 elevation rudder took hold, and like a bird that 
 sees the danger below, and flies toward the clouds, 
 the airship shot up suddenly. 
 
 "That's it!" cried Tom in relief, as he noted the 
 needle of the barograph swinging over, indicating 
 an ever-increasing height. "Now we're safe." 
 
 They were not quite yet, but at last the power 
 of machinery had prevailed over that of the ele- 
 ments. Through the pelting rain, and amid the 
 glare of the lightning, and the thunder of heaven's 
 artillery, the airship forced her way, up and up 
 and up. 
 
 Setting the motor controller to give the maxi- 
 mum power until he released it, Tom hastened to 
 the gas-generating apparatus. He found Ned 
 attending to it, so that it was now working satis- 
 factorily. 
 
 "How about it, Tom?" cried his chum anx- 
 iously. 
 
 "All right now, Ned, but it was a close shave! 
 I thought we were done for, platinum mine, res- 
 cue of exiles, and all." 
 
 "So did I. Shall I keep on with the gas ?" 
 
98 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "Yes, until the indicator shows that the bag is 
 full. I'm going to the pilot house." 
 
 Running there, Tom found that Mr. Damon 
 and the Russian had about all they could manage. 
 The young inventor helped them and then, when 
 the Falcon was well started on her upward course, 
 Tom set the automatic steering machine, and they 
 had a breathing spell. 
 
 To get above the sweep of the blast was no 
 easy task, for the wind strata seemed to be sev- 
 eral miles high, and Tom did not want to risk 
 an accident by going to such an elevation. So, 
 when having gone up about a mile, he found a 
 comparatively calm area he held to that, and the 
 Falcon sped along with the occupants feeling fair- 
 ly comfortable, for there was no longer that 
 rolling and tumbling motion. 
 
 The storm kept up all night, but the danger 
 was practically over, unless something should 
 happen to the machinery, and Tom and Ned kept 
 careful watch to prevent this. In the morning 
 they could look down on the storm-swept ocean 
 below them, and there was a feeling of thank- 
 fulness in their hearts that they were not en- 
 gulfed in it. 
 
 "This is a pretty hard initiation for an amateur," 
 remarked Mr. Petrofsky. "I never imagined I 
 
AN ACCIDENT 99 
 
 should be as brave as this in an airship in a 
 storm." 
 
 "Oh, you can get used to almost anything," 
 commented Mr. Damon. 
 
 It was three days before the storm blew itself 
 out and then came pleasant weather, during which 
 the Falcon flew rapidly along. Our friends busied 
 themselves about many things, talked of what lay 
 before them, and made such plans as they could. 
 
 It was the evening of the fifth day, and they 
 expected to sight the coast of France in the morn- 
 ing. Tom was in the pilot house, setting the 
 course for the night run, and Ned had gone to 
 the engine room to look after the oiling of the 
 motor. 
 
 Hardly had he reached the compartment tha 
 there was a loud report, a brilliant flash of fire, 
 and the machinery stopped dead. 
 
 "What is it?" cried Tom, as he came in on the 
 run, for the indicators in the pilot house had told 
 him something was wrong. 
 
 "An accident!" cried Ned. "A breakdown, 
 Tom! What shall we do?" 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 SEEKING A QUARREL 
 
 THERE was an ominous silence in the engirt 
 room, following the flash and the report. The 
 young inventor took in every bit of machinery in 
 a quick glance, and he saw at once that the main 
 dynamo and magneto had short-circuited, and 
 gone out of commission. Almost instantly the 
 airship began to sink, for the propellers had 
 ceased revolving. 
 
 "Bless my barograph!" cried Mr. Damon, ap* 
 pearing on the scene. "We're sinking, Tom!" 
 
 "It's all right," answered our hero calmly. 
 : 'It's a bad accident, and may delay us, but there's 
 no danger. Ned, start up the gas machine," for 
 they were progressing as an aeroplane then. 
 "Start that up, and we'll drift along as a diri- 
 gible." 
 
 "Of course! Why didn't I think of that!" ex- 
 claimed Ned, somewhat provoked at his own 
 want of thought. The airship was going down 
 rapidly, but it was the work of but a moment to 
 
 POO 
 
SEEKING A QUARREL ioi 
 
 start the generator, and then the earthward mo- 
 tion was checked. 
 
 "We'll have to take our chance of being blown 
 to France," remarked Tom, as he went over to 
 look at the broken electrical machinery. "But 
 we ought to fetch the coast by morning with this 
 wind. Lucky it's blowing our way." 
 
 "Then you can't use the propellers?" asked Mr. 
 Petrofsky. 
 
 "No," replied Tom, "but if we get to France 
 I can easily repair this break. It's the platinum 
 bearings again. I do hope we'll locate that lost 
 mine, for I need a supply of good reliable metal." 
 
 "Then we'll have to land in France?" asked the 
 Russian, and he seemed a trifle uneasy. 
 
 "Yes," answered Tom. "Don't you want to? n 
 
 "Well, I was thinking of our safety." 
 
 "Bless my silk hat!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 "Where is the danger of landing there? I rather 
 hoped we could spend some time in Paris." 
 
 "There is no particular danger, unless it be- 
 comes known that I am an escaped exile, and that 
 we are on our way to Siberia to rescue another 
 one, and try to find the platinum mine. Then 
 we would be in danger." 
 
 "But how are they to know it?" asked Ned, 
 who had come back from the gas machine. 
 
 "France, especially in Paris and the larger 
 
102 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 cities, is a hot-bed of political spies," answered 
 Mr. Petrofsky. Russia has many there on the 
 secret police, and while the objectors to the Czar's 
 government are also there, they could do little to 
 help us." 
 
 "I guess they won't find out about us unless 
 we give it away," was Tom's opinion. 
 
 "I'm afraid they will," was the reply of the 
 Russian. "Undoubtedly word has been cabled by 
 the spies who annoyed us in Shopton, that we 
 are on our way over here. Of course they can't 
 tell where we might land, but as soon as we do 
 land the news will be flashed all over, and the 
 word will come back that we are enemies of 
 Russia. You can guess the rest." 
 
 "Then let's go somewhere else," suggested Mr. 
 Damon. 
 
 "It would be the same anywhere in Europe," 
 replied Ivan Petrofsky. "There are spies in all 
 the large centres." 
 
 "Well, I've got to go to Paris, or some large 
 city to get the parts I need," said Tom. "Unfor- 
 tunately I didn't bring any along for the dynamo 
 and magneto, as I should have done, and I can't 
 get the necessary pieces in a small town. I'll 
 have to depend on some big machine shop. But 
 we might land in some little-frequented place, 
 and I could go in to town alone." 
 
SEEKING A QUARREL 103 
 
 "That might answer," spoke the Russian, and 
 it was decided to try that. 
 
 Meanwhile it was somewhat doubtful whether 
 *hey would reach France, for they were dependent 
 on the wind. But it seemed to be blowing stead- 
 ily in the desired direction, and Tom noted with 
 satisfaction that their progress was comparatively 
 fast. He tried to repair the broken machinery 
 but found that he could not, though he spent 
 much of the night over it. 
 
 "Hurrah!" cried Ned when morning came, and 
 he had taken an observation. "There's some kind 
 of land over there." 
 
 The wind freshened while they were at break* 
 fast and using more gas so as to raise them higher 
 Tom directed the course of his airship as best he 
 could. He wanted to get high enough so that if 
 they passed over a city they would not be ob- 
 served. 
 
 At noon it could be seen through the glass 
 that they were over the outskirts of some large 
 place, and after the Russian had taken an obser- 
 vation he exclaimed : 
 
 "The environs of Paris! We must not land 
 there!" 
 
 "We won't, if the wind holds out," remarked 
 Tom and this good fortune came to them. They 
 succeeded in landing in a field not far from a 
 
104 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 small village, and though several farmers won- 
 dered much as the sight of the big airship, it was 
 thought by the platinum-seekers that they would 
 be comparatively safe. 
 
 "Now to get the first Jfain for Paris and get 
 the things I need," exclaimed Tom. He set to 
 work taking off the broken pieces that they might 
 be duplicated, and then, having inquired at an 
 inn for the nearest railroad station, and having 
 hired a rig, the young inventor set off. 
 
 "Can you speak French?" asked Mr. Petrof- 
 sky. "If not I might be of service, but if I go 
 to Paris I might be " 
 
 "Never mind," inerrupted Tom. "I guess I 
 can parley enough to get along with." 
 
 He had a small knowledge of the tongue, and 
 with that, and knowing that English was spoken in 
 many places, he felt that he could make out. 
 And indeed he had no trouble. He easily found 
 his way about the gay capital, and located a 
 machine shop where a specialty was made of 
 parts for automobile and airship motors. The 
 proprietor, knowing the broken pieces belonged 
 to an aeroplane, questioned Tom about his craft, 
 but the young inventor knew better than to give 
 any clew that might make trouble, so he returned 
 evasive answers. 
 
 It was nearly night when he got back to the 
 
SEEKING A QUARREL 105 
 
 f)lace where he had left the Falcon, and he found 
 a curious crowd of rustics grouped about it. 
 
 "Has anything happened?" he asked of his 
 friends. 
 
 "No, everything is quiet, I'm glad to say," re- 
 plied Mr. Petrofsky. "I don't think our presence 
 will create stir enough so that the news of it will 
 reach the spies in Paris. Still I will feel easier 
 when we're in the air again." 
 
 "It will take a day to make the repairs," said 
 Tom, "and put in the new pieces of platinum. But 
 I'll work as fast as I can." 
 
 He and Ned labored far into the night, and 
 were at it again the next morning. Mr. Damon 
 and the Russian were of no service for they, did 
 not understand the machinery well enough. It 
 was while Tom was outside the craft, filing a 
 piece of platinum in an improvised vise, that a 
 poorly-clothed man sauntered up and watched 
 him curiously. Tom glanced at him, and was at 
 once struck by a difference between the man's at- 
 tire and his person. 
 
 For, though he was tattered and torn, the man's 
 face showed a certain refinement, and his hands 
 Were not those of a farmer or laborer in which 
 diaracter he obviously posed. 
 
 "Monsieur has a fine airship there," he re- 
 marked to Tom. 
 
106 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "Oh, yes, it'll do." Tom did not want to en- 
 courage conversation. 
 
 "Doubtless from America it comes?" 
 
 The man spoke English but with an accent, and 
 certain peculiarities. 
 
 "Maybe so," replied the young inventor. 
 
 "Is it permit to inspect the interior?" 
 
 "No, it isn't," came from Tom shortly. He 
 had hurt his finger with the file, and he was not 
 in the best of humor. 
 
 "Ah, there are secrets then?" persisted the 
 stranger. 
 
 "Yes!" said Tom shortly. "I wish you 
 wouldn't bother me. I'm busy, can't you see." 
 
 "Ah, does monsieur mean that I have poor 
 eyesight?" 
 
 The question was snapped out so suddenly, 
 and with such a menacing tone that Tom glanced 
 up quickly. He was surprised at the look in the 
 man's eyes. 
 
 "Just as you choose to take it," was the cool 
 answer. "I don't know anything about your 
 eyes, but I know I've got work to do." 
 
 "Monsieur is insulting!" rasped out the seeming 
 farmer. "He is not polite. He is not a French- 
 man." 
 
 "Now that'll do!" cried Tom, thoroughly 
 aroused. "I don't want to be too short with you, 
 
SEEKING A QUARREL 107 
 
 but I've really got to get this done. One side, if 
 you please," and having finished what he was 
 doing, he started toward the airship. 
 
 Whether in his haste Tom did not notice where 
 he was going, or whether the man deliberately 
 got in his way I cannot say, but at any rate they 
 collided and the seeming farmer went spinning to 
 one side, falling down. 
 
 "Monsieur has struck me! I am insulted! 
 You shall pay for this!" he cried, jumping to 
 his feet, and making a rush for our hero. 
 
 "All right. It was your own fault for bother- 
 ing me but if you want anything I'll give it to 
 you!" cried Tom, striking a position of defence. 
 
 The man was about to rush at him, and there 
 would have been a fight in another minute, had 
 not Mr. Petrofsky, stepping to the open window 
 of the pilot house, called out : 
 
 "Tom! Tom! Come here, quick. Never 
 mind him!" 
 
 Swinging away from the man, the young in- 
 ventor rushed toward the airship. As he en- 
 tered the pilot house he noticed that his late ques- 
 tioner was racing off in the direction of the village. 
 
 "What is it? What's the matter?" he asked of 
 the Russian. "Is something more wrong with the 
 airship?" 
 
108 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "No, I just wanted to get you away from that 
 man." 
 
 "Oh, I could take care of myself." 
 
 "I know that, but don't you see what his game 
 was ? I listened to him. He was seeking a quar- 
 rel with you." 
 
 "A quarrel?" 
 
 "Yes. He is a police spy. He wanted to get 
 you into a fight and then he and you would be 
 arrested by the local authorities. They'd clap 
 you into jail, and hold us all here. It's a game! 
 They suspect us, Tom! The Russian spies have 
 had some word of our presence! We must get 
 away as quickly as we can!" 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 HURRIED FLIGHT 
 
 THE announcement of Ivan Petrofsky came to 
 Tom with startling suddenness. He could say 
 nothing for a moment, and then, as he realized 
 what it meant, and as he recalled the strange 
 appearance and actions of the man, he understood 
 the danger. 
 
 "Was he a spy?" he asked. 
 
 "I'm almost sure he was," came the answer. 
 "He isn't one of the villagers, that's sure, and he 
 isn't a tourist. No one else would be in this 
 little out-of-the-way place but a police official. He 
 is in disguise, that is certain." 
 
 "I believe so," agreed Tom. "But what was 
 his game?" 
 
 "We are suspected," replied the Russian. "I 
 was afraid a big airship couldn't land anywhere 
 in France without it becoming known. Word ( 
 must have been sent to Paris in the night, and 
 this spy came out directly." 
 
 "But what will happen now?" 
 109 
 
HO TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "Didn't you see where he headed for? THe 
 village. He has gone to send word that his trick 
 failed. There will be more spies soon, and we 
 may be detained or thrown into jail on some pre- 
 text or other. They may claim that we have no li- 
 cense, or some such flimsy thing as that. Anything 
 to detain us. They are after me, of course, and 
 I'm sorry that I made you run such danger. Per- 
 haps I'd better leave you, and " 
 
 "No, you don't!" cried Tom heartily. "We'll 
 all 'hang together or we'll hang separately', as 
 Benjamin Franklin or some of those old chaps 
 once remarked. I'm not the kind to desert a 
 friend in the face of danger." 
 
 "Bless my revolver! I should say not!" cried 
 Mr. Damon. "What's it all about? Where's the 
 danger?" 
 
 They told him as briefly as possible, and Ned, 
 who had been working in the motor room, was 
 also informed. 
 
 "Well, what's to be done?" asked Tom. "Had 
 we better get out our ammunition, or shall I take 
 out a French license." 
 
 "Neither would do any good," answered the 
 Russian. "I appreciate your sticking by me, and 
 if you are resolved on that,the only thing to do is 
 to complete the repairs as soon as possible and get 
 away from here." 
 
HURRIED FLIGHT III 
 
 "That's it!" cried Ned. "A quick flight. We 
 can get more gasolene here, for lots of autos pass 
 along the road through the village. I found that 
 out. Then we needn't stop until we hit the trail 
 for the mine in Siberia!" 
 
 "Hush!" cautiond the Russian. "You can't 
 tell who may be sneaking around to listen. But 
 we ought to leave as soon as we can." 
 
 "And we will," said Tom. "I've got the mag- 
 neto almost fixed!" 
 
 "Let's get a hustle on then!" urged Ned. "That 
 fellow meant business from his looks. The nerve 
 of him to try to pick a quarrel that way." 
 
 "I might have told by his manner that some- 
 thing was wrong," commented Tom, "brfft I 
 thought he was a fresh tramp and I didn't take 
 any pains in answering him. But come on, Ned, 
 get busy." 
 
 They did, with such good effect that by noon 
 the machinery was in running shape again, and 
 so far there had been no evidence of the return of 
 the spy. Doubtless he was waiting for instruc- 
 tions, and something might happen any minute. 
 
 "Now, Ned, if you'll see to having some gaso- 
 lene brought out here, and the tanks filled, Fll 
 tinker with the dynamo and get that in running 
 shape," said Tom. "It only needs a little adjust" 
 ment of the brushes. Then we'll be off." 
 
112 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 Ned started for the village where there was a 
 gasolene depot. He fancied the villagers regarded 
 him rather curiously, but he did not stop to ask 
 what it meant. Another odd fact was that the 
 usual crowd of curious rustics about the airship 
 was missing. It was as though they suspected 
 trouble might come, and they did not want to be 
 mixed up in it. 
 
 Never, Ned thought, had he seen a man so slow 
 at getting ready the supply of gasolene. He was to 
 take it out in a wagon, but first he mislaid the 
 funnel, then the straining cloth, and finally he 
 discovered a break in the harness that needed 
 mending. 
 
 "I believe he's doing it on purpose to delay 
 us," thought the youth, "but it won't do to say 
 anything. Something is in the wind. " He helped 
 the man all he could, and urged him in every 
 way he knew, but the fellow seemed to have 
 grown suddenly stupid, and answered only in 
 French, though previously he had spoken some 
 English. 
 
 But at last Ned, by dint of hard work, got him 
 started, and rode on the gasolene wagon with 
 him. Once at the anchored airship, Tom and the 
 others filled the reserve tanks themselves, though 
 the man tried to help. However he did more 
 
HURRIED FLIGHT 113 
 
 harm than good, spilling several gallons of the 
 fluid. 
 
 "Oh, get away, and let us do it!" cried Tom at 
 
 last. "I know what you " 
 
 "Easy!" cautioned Mr. Petrofsky, with a warn- 
 ing look, and Tom subsided. 
 
 Finally the tanks were full, the man was paid, 
 and he started to drive away. 
 
 "Now to make a quick flight!" cried Tom, as 
 he took his place in the pilot house, while Ned 
 went to the engine room. "Full speed, Ned!" 
 
 "Yes, and we'll need it, too," said the Rus- 
 sian. 
 
 "Why?" asked Tom. 
 
 "Look!" was the answer, and Ivan Petrofsky 
 pointed across the field over which, headed to- 
 ward the airship, came the man who had sought 
 a quarrel with Tom. And with the spy were 
 several policemen in uniform, their short swords 
 dangling at their sides. 
 
 "They're after us!" cried Mr. Damon. "Bless 
 my chronometer they're after us!" 
 
 "Start the motor, Ned! Start the motor!" 
 cried Tom, and a moment later the hum of 
 machinery was heard, while the police and the 
 spy broke into a run, shouting and waving their 
 hands 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 PURSUED 
 
 SLOWLY the airship arose, almost too slowly to 
 suit those on board who anxiously watched the 
 oncoming officers. The latter had drawn their 
 short swords, and at the sight of them Mr. Damon 
 cried out: 
 
 "Bless my football! If they jab them into the 
 gas bag, Tom, we're done for!" 
 
 "They won't get the chance," answered the 
 y&ung inventor, and he spoke truly, for a moment 
 later, as the big propellers took hold of the air, 
 the Falcon went up with a rush, and was far be- 
 yond the reach of the men. In a rage the spy 
 shook his fist at the fast receding craft, and one 
 of the policemen drew his revolver. 
 
 "They're going to fire!" cried Ned. 
 
 "They can't do much damage," answered Tom 
 coolly. "A bullet hole in the bag is easily re- 
 paired, and anywhere else it won't amount to 
 anything. " 
 
 The officer was aiming his revolver at the air- 
 
PURSUED 115 
 
 ship, now high above his head, but with a quick 
 motion the spy pulled down his companion's arm, 
 and they seemed to be disputing among them- 
 selves. 
 
 "I wonder what that means?" mused Mr. 
 Damon. 
 
 "Probably they didn't want to risk getting into 
 trouble," replied the Russian. "There are strict 
 laws in France about using firearms, and as yet 
 we are accused of no crime. We are only sus- 
 pected, and I suppose the spy didn't want to get 
 into trouble. He is on foreign ground, and there 
 might be international complications." 
 
 "Then you really think he was a spy?" asked 
 Tom. 
 
 "No doubt of it, and I'm afraid this is only the 
 beginning of our trouble." 
 
 "In what way?" 
 
 "Well, of course word will be sent on ahead 
 about us, and every where we go they'll be on the 
 watch for us. They have our movements pretty 
 well covered." 
 
 "We won't make a descent until we get to 
 Siberia," said Tom, "and I guess there it will be 
 so lonesome that we won't be troubled much." 
 
 "Perhaps," admitted the Russian, "but we will 
 have to be on our guard. Of course keeping up 
 in the air will be an advantage but they may-^ * 
 
Il6 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 He stopped suddenly and shrugged his 
 shoulders. 
 
 "What were you going to say?" inquired Ned. 
 
 "Oh, it's just something that might happen, but 
 it's too remote a possibility to \vork about. We're 
 leaving those fellows nicely behind," he added 
 quickly, as though anxious to change the subject. 
 
 "Yes, at this rate we'll soon be out of France," 
 observed Tom, as he speeded the ship along still 
 more. The young inventor wondered what Mr. 
 Petrofsky had been going to say, but soon after 
 this, some of the repaired machinery in the motor 
 room needed adjusting, and the young inventor 
 was kept so busy that the matter passed from his 
 mind. 
 
 The dynamo and magneto were doing mucr. 
 more efficient work since Tom had put the new 
 platinum in, and the Falcon was making better 
 time than ever before. They were flying at a 
 moderate height, and could see wondering men, 
 women and children rush out from their houses, 
 to gaze aloft at the strange sight. Paris was now 
 far behind, and that night they were approaching 
 the borders of Prussia, as Mr. Petrofsky informed 
 them, for he knew every part of Europe. 
 
 The route, as laid down by Tom and the Rus- 
 sian, would send the airship skirting the southern 
 coast of the Baltic sea, then north-west, to pass to 
 
PURSUED 117 
 
 one side of St. Petersburg, and then, after get- 
 ting far enough to the north, so as to avoid the 
 big cities, they would head due east for Siberia. 
 
 "In that way I think we'll avoid any danger 
 from the Russian police," remarked the exile. 
 
 For the next few days they flew steadily on at 
 no remarkable speed, as the extra effort used 
 more gasolene than Tom cared to expend in the 
 motor. He realized that he would need all he had, 
 and he did not want to have to buy any more 
 until he was homeward bound, for the purchase 
 of it would lead to questions, and might cause 
 their detention. 
 
 Mr. Damon gave his friends good meals and 
 they enjoyed their trip very much, though nat- 
 urally there was some anxiety about whether it 
 would have a successful conclusion. 
 
 "Well, if we don't find the platinum mine we'll 
 rescue your brother, if there's a possible chance!" 
 exclaimed Tom one day, as he sat in the pilot 
 house with the exile. "Jove! it will be great to 
 drop down, pick him up, and fly away with him 
 before those Cossacks, or whoever has him, know 
 what's up." 
 
 "I'm afraid we can't make such a sensational 
 rescue as that," replied Mr. Petrofsky. "We'll 
 have to go at it diplomatically. That's the only 
 way to get an exile out of Siberia. We must get 
 
118 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AfR GLIDER 
 
 word to him somehow, after we locate him, that 
 we are waiting to help him, and then we can plan 
 for his escape. Poor Peter! I do hope we can 
 find him, for if he is in the salt or sulphur mines 
 it is a living death!" and he shuddered at the 
 memory of his own exile. 
 
 "How do you expect to get definite information 
 as to where he might be?" asked Tom. 
 
 "I think the only thing to do is to get in touch with 
 some of the revolutionists," answered the Russian. 
 "They have ways and means of finding out even 
 state secrets. I think our best plan will be to 
 land near some small town, when we get to the 
 edge of Siberia. If we can conceal the airship, 
 so much the better. Then I can disguise myself 
 and go to the village." 
 
 "Will it be safe?" inquired the young inventor. 
 
 "I'll have to take that chance. It's the only 
 way, as I am the only one in our party who can 
 speak Russian." 
 
 "That's right," admitted Tom with a laugh, 
 "I'm afraid I could never master that tongue. 
 It's as hard as Chinese." 
 
 "Not quite," replied his friend, "but it is not 
 an easy language for an American." 
 
 They talked at some length, and then Tom 
 noticing, by one of the automatic gages on the 
 
PURSUED 119 
 
 wall of the pilot house, that some of the ma- 
 chinery needed attention, went to attend to it. 
 
 He was rather surprised, on emerging from the 
 motor compartment, to see Mr. Damon standing 
 on the open after deck of the Falcon gazing 
 earnestly toward the rear. 
 
 "Star-gazing in the day time?" asked Tom witH 
 a laugh. 
 
 "Bless my individuality!" exclaimed the odd 
 man. "How you startled me, Tom! No, I'm 
 not looking at stars, but I've been noticing a black 
 speck in the sky for some time, and I was won- 
 dering whether it was my eyesight, or whether it 
 really is something." 
 
 "Where is it?" 
 
 "Straight to the rear," answered Mr. Damon, 
 "and it seems to be about a mile up. It's been 
 hanging in the same place this ten minutes." 
 
 "Oh, I see," spoke Tom, when the speck had 
 been pointed out to him. "It's there all right, but 
 I guess it's a bird, an eagle perhaps. Wait, I'll 
 get a glass and we'll take a look." 
 
 As he was taking the telescope down from its 
 rack in the pilot house, Mr. Petrof sky saw him. 
 
 "What's up?" asked the Russian, and the youtH 
 told him. 
 
 "Must be a pretty big bird to be seen at such a 
 distance as it is," remarked Tom. 
 
120 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "Maybe it isn't a bird," suggested Ivan Petrof- 
 sky. "I'll take a look myself," and, showing 
 something of alarm in his manner, he followed 
 Tom to where Mr. Damon awaited them. Ned 
 also came out on deck. 
 
 Quickly adjusting the glass, Tom focused it on 
 the black speck. It seemed to have grown larger, 
 He peered at it steadily for several seconds. 
 
 "Is it a bird?" asked Mr. Damon. 
 
 "Jove! It's another airship a big biplane !* 
 cried Tom, "and there seems to be three men in 
 her." 
 
 "An aeroplane!" gasped Ned. 
 
 "Bless my deflecting rudder!" cried Mr. Da- 
 mon. "An airship in this out-of-the-way place?" 
 for they were flying over a desolate country. 
 
 "And they're coming right after us," added 
 Tom, as he continued to gaze. 
 
 "I thought so," was the quiet comment of Mr. 
 Petrofsky. "That is what I started to say a few 
 days ago," he went on, "when I stopped, as I 
 hardly believed it possible. I thought they might 
 -possibly send an aeroplane after us, as both the 
 French and Russian armies have a number of fast 
 ones. So they are pursuing us. I'm afraid rm. 
 presence will bring you no end of trouble." 
 
 "Let it come!" cried Tom. "If they can catch 
 up to us they've got a good machine. Come on, 
 
PURSUED 121 
 
 Ned, let's speed her up, and make them take 
 more of our star dust." 
 
 "Wait a minute," advised the Russian, as he 
 took the telescope from Tom, and viewed the 
 ever-increasing speck behind them. "Are you 
 sure of the speed of this craft?" he asked a 
 moment later. 
 
 "I never saw the one yet I couldn't pull away 
 from, even after giving them a start," answered 
 the young inventor proudly. "That is all but my 
 little sky racer. I could let them get within speak- 
 ing distance, and then pull out like the Congres- 
 sional Limited passing a slow freight." 
 
 "Then wait a few minutes," suggested Mr. Pet- 
 rofsky. "That is an aeroplane all right, but I 
 can't make out from what country. I'd like a 
 better view, and if it's safe we can come closer.*' 
 
 "Oh, it's safe enough," declared Tom. "Ill 
 get things in shape for a quick move," and he hur- 
 ried back to the machine room, while the others 
 took turns looking at the on-coming aeroplane. 
 And it was coming on rapidly, showing that it 
 had tremendous power, for it was a very large 
 one, carrying three men. 
 
 "How do you suppose they got on our track?" 
 asked Ned. 
 
 "Oh, we must have been reported from time to 
 time, as we flew over cities or towns," replied Mr. 
 
122 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 Petrofsky. "You know we're rather large, an<f 
 can be seen from a good distance. Then too, 
 the whole Russian secret police force is at the 
 service of our enemies." 
 
 "But we're not over Russia yet," said Mr. 
 Damon. 
 
 Ivan Petrofsky took the tekseope and peered 
 down toward the earth. They were not a great 
 way above it, and at that moment they were pass- 
 ing a small village. 
 
 "Can you tell where we are?" asked the odd 
 man. 
 
 "We are just over the border of the land of the 
 Czar," was the quiet answer. "The imperial flag 
 is flying from a staff in front of one of the build- 
 ings down there. We are over Russia." 
 
 "And here comes that airship,** called Ned sud- 
 denly. 
 
 They gazed back with alarm, and saw that it 
 was indeed so. The big aeroplane had come on 
 wonderfully fast in the last few minutes. 
 
 "Tom! Tom!" cried his chum. "Better get 
 ready to make a sprint." 
 
 "I'm all ready," calmly answered our hero. 
 ''Shall I go now?" 
 
 "If you can give us a few seconds longer I 
 may be able to tell who is after us," remarked 
 
PURSUED 123 
 
 Mr. Petrofsky, turning his telescope on the craft 
 behind them. 
 
 "I can let them get almost up to us, and get 
 away," replied Tom. 
 
 The Russian did not answer. He was gazing 
 earnestly at the approaching aeroplane. A mo- 
 ment later he took the glass down from his eye. 
 
 "It's our spy ag^in," he said. "There are two 
 others with him. That is one of the aeroplanes 
 owned by the secret police. They are stationed 
 all over Europe, ready for instant service, and 
 they're on our trail." 
 
 The pursuing craft was so near that the oc- 
 cupants could easily be made out with the naked 
 eye, but it needed the glass to distinguish their 
 features, and Mr. Petrofsky had done this. 
 
 "Shall I speed up?" cried Tom. 
 
 "Yes, get away as fast as you can!" shouted the 
 Russian. "No telling what they may do," and 
 then, with a hum and a roar the motor of the 
 Falcon increased its speed, and the big airship 
 shot ahead. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE NIHILISTS 
 
 FROM the pursuing aircraft came a series of 
 sharp explosions that fairly rattled through the 
 clear air. 
 
 "Look out for bombs!" yelled Ned. 
 
 "Bless my safety match!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 "Are they anarchists?" 
 
 "It's only their motor back-firing," cried Tom. 
 "It's all right, They're done for now, we'll 
 leave them behind." 
 
 He was a true prophet, for with a continued 
 rush and a roar the airship of our friends opened 
 up a big gap between her rear rudders and the 
 forward planes of the craft that was chasing her. 
 The three men were working frantically to get 
 their motor in shape, but it was a useless task. 
 
 A little later, finding that they were losing 
 speed, the three police agents, or spies, whatever 
 they might be, had to volplane to earth and there 
 was no need for the Falcon to maintain the ter- 
 rific pace, to which Tom had pushed her. The 
 pursuit was over. 
 
 124 
 
THE NIHILISTS 
 
 125 
 
 "Well, we got out of that luckily," remarked 
 Ned, as he looked down to where the spies were 
 making a landing. "I guess they won't try that 
 trick again." 
 
 "I'm afraid they will," predicted Mr. Petrof- 
 sky. "You don't know these government agents 
 as I do. They never give up. They'll fix their 
 engine, and get on our trail again." 
 
 "Then we'll make them work for what they 
 get," put in Tom, who, having set the automatic 
 speed accelerator, had rejoined his companions. 
 " We'll try a high flight and if they can pick up 
 a trail in the air, and come up to us, they're good 
 ones!" 
 
 He ran to the pilot house, and set the elevatioii 
 rudder at its limit. Meanwhile the spies were 
 working frantically over their motor, trying to 
 get it is shape for the pursuit. But soon they real- 
 ized that this was out of the question, for the 
 Falcon was far away, every moment going higher 
 and higher, until she was lost to sight beyond the 
 clouds. 
 
 "I guess they'll have their own troubles now,'* 
 remarked Ned. "We've seen the last of them.* 
 
 "Don't be too sure," spoke the Russian. We 
 may have them after us again. We're over the 
 land of the Czar now, and they'll have everything 
 
126 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 their own way. They'll want to stop me at any 
 cost." 
 
 "Do you think they suspect that we're after the 
 platinum?" asked Tom. 
 
 "They may, for they know my brother and I 
 were the only ones who ever located it, though 
 unless I get in the exact neighborhood I'd have 
 trouble myself picking it out. I remember some 
 of the landmarks, but my brother is better at that 
 sort of work than I am. But I think what they 
 are mostly afraid of is that I have some designs 
 on the life of, say one of the Grand Dukes, or 
 some high official. But I am totally opposed to 
 violent measures," went on Mr. Petrofsky. "I 
 believe in a campaign of education, to gain for 
 the down-trodden people what are their rights." 
 
 "Do you think they know you are coming to 
 rescue your brother?" asked Tom. 
 
 "I don't believe so. And I hope not, for once 
 they suspected that, they would remove him to 
 some place where I never could locate him." 
 
 Calmer feelings succeeded the excitement caused 
 by the pursuit, and our friends, speculating 
 an the matter, came to the conclusion that the 
 aeroplane must have started from some Prussian 
 town, as Mr. Petrofsky said there were a number 
 of Russian secret police in that country. The 
 Falcon was now speeding along at a considerable 
 
THE NIHILISTS 127 
 
 Height, and after running for a number of miles, 
 sufficient to preclude the possibility that they 
 could be picked up by the pursuing aeroplane, 
 [Tom sent his craft down, as the rarefied atmos- 
 phere made breathing difficult. 
 
 It was about three days after the chase when, 
 having carefully studied the map and made sev- 
 eral observations through the telescope of the 
 country over which they were traveling, that Ivan 
 Petrofsky said: 
 
 "If it can be managed, Tom, I think we ought 
 to go down about here. There is a Russian town 
 not far away, and I know a few friends there. 
 There is a large stretch of woodland, and the air- 
 ship can be easily concealed there. " 
 
 "All right," agreed the young inventor, "down 
 we go, and I hope you get the information you 
 want." 
 
 Flying high so as to keep out of the observation 
 of the inhabitants of the Russian town, the young 
 inventor sent his craft in a circle about it, and, 
 having seen a clearing in the forest, he made a 
 landing there, the Falcon having come to rest a 
 second time since leaving Shopton, now several 
 thousand miles away. 
 
 "We'll hide here for a few days," observed 
 ITom, "and you can spend as much time in town 
 as you like, Mr. Petrofsky," 
 
I2 8 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 The Russian, disguising himself by trimming 
 his beard, and putting on a pair of dark spectacles, 
 went to the village that afternoon. 
 
 While he was gone Tom, Ned and Mr. Damon 
 busied themselves about the airship, making a few 
 repairs that could not very well be done while it 
 was in motion. As night came on, and the exile 
 did not return, Tom began to get a little worried, 
 and he had some notion of going to seek him, but 
 he knew it would not be safe. 
 
 "He'll come all right," declared Ned, as they 
 sat down to supper. All about them was an al- 
 most impenetrable forest, cut here and there by 
 paths along which, as Mr. Petrofsky had told 
 them, the wood cutters drove their wagons. 
 
 It was quite a surprise therefor, when, as they 
 Were leaving the table, a knock was heard on the 
 Cabin door. 
 
 "Bless my electric bell!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 "Who can that be?" 
 
 "Mr. Petrofsky of course," answered Ned. 
 
 "He wouldn't knock he'd walk right in," 
 spoke Tom, as he went to the door. As he opened 
 it he saw several dark-bearded men standing there, 
 and in their midst Mr. Petrofsky. 
 
 For one moment our hero feared that his 
 'friend had been arrested and that the police had 
 
THE NIHILISTS 129 
 
 come to take the rest of them into custody. But 
 a word from the exile reassured him. 
 
 "These are some of my friends," said Mr. Pet- 
 rofsky simply. "They are Nihilists which I am 
 not, but " 
 
 "Nihilists yes! Always!" exclaimed one who 
 spoke English. "Death to the Czar and the 
 Grand Dukes! Annihilation to the government!" 
 
 "Gently my friend, gently," spoke Mr. Petrof- 
 sky. "I am opposed to violence you know." And 
 then, while his new friends gazed wonderingly 
 at the strange craft, he led them inside. Torn 
 and the others were hardly able to comprehend 
 what was about to take place. 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 ON TO SIBERIA 
 
 "HAS anything happened?" asked Tom. "Are 
 we suspected? Have they come to warn us?" 
 
 "No, everthing is all right, so far," answered 
 Ivan Petrofsky. "I didn't have the success I 
 hoped for, and we may have to wait here for a 
 few days to get news of my brother. But these 
 men have been very kind to me," he went on, 
 "and they have ways of getting imformation that 
 I have not. So they are going to aid me." 
 
 "That's right!" exclaimed the one who had 
 first spoken. "We will yet win you to our cause, 
 Brother Petrofsky. Death to the Czar and the 
 Grand Dukes!" 
 
 "Never!" exclaimed the exile firmly. "Peace- 
 ful measures will succeed. But I am grateful for 
 what you can do for me. They heard me describe 
 your wonderful airship," he explained to Tom, 
 "and wanted to see for themselves." 
 
 The Nihilists were made welcome after Mr. 
 Petrofsky had introduced them. They had 
 
 130 
 
ON TO SIBERIA I 3 I 
 
 strange and almost unpronounceable names for the 
 ears of our friends, and I will not trouble you 
 with them, save to say that the one who spoke 
 English fairly well, and who was the leader, was 
 called Nicolas Androwsky. There was much jab- 
 bering in the Russian tongue, when Mr. Petrof- 
 sky and Mr. Androwsky took the others about 
 the craft, explaining how it worked. 
 
 "I can't show you the air glider," said Tom, 
 who naturally acted as guide, "as it would take 
 too long to put together, and besides there is not 
 enough wind here to make it operate." 
 
 "Then you need much wind?" asked Nicolas 
 Androwsky. 
 
 "The harder the gale the better she flies,'* 
 answered Tom proudly. 
 
 "Bless my sand bag, but that's right!" ex* 
 claimed Mr. Damon, who, up to now had not 
 taken much part in the conversation. He foU 
 lowed the party about the airship, keeping in the 
 rear, and he eyed the Nihilists as if he thought 
 that each one had one or more dynamite bombs 
 concealed on his person. 
 
 "Ha!" exclaimed Mr. Androwsky, turning sud- 
 denly to the odd man. "Are you not one of us? 
 Do you not believe that this terrible kingdom 
 should be destroyed made as nothing, and a new 
 one built from its ashes? Are you not one of 
 
132 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 us?" and with a quick gesture he reached into his 
 pocket. 
 
 "No! No!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, starting 
 back. "Bless my election ticket! No! Never 
 could I throw a bomb. Please don't give me 
 one." Mr. Damon started to run away. 
 
 "A bomb!" exclaimed the Nihilist, and then 
 he drew from his pocket some pamphlets printed 
 in Russian. "I have no bombs. Here are some 
 of the tracts we distribute to convert unbelievers 
 to our cause," he went on. "Read them and you 
 will understand what we are striving for. They 
 will convert you, I am sure." 
 
 He went on, following the rest of the party, 
 while Mr. Damon dropped back with Ned. 
 
 "Bless my gas meter!" gasped the odd man, as 
 fie stared at the queerly-printed documents in his 
 hand. "I thought he was going to give me a 
 bomb to throw!" 
 
 "I don't blame you," said Ned in a low voice. 
 "They look like desperate men, but probably they 
 have suffered many hardships, and they think 
 their way of righting a wrong is the only way. 
 I suppose you'll read those tracts," he added with 
 with a smile. 
 
 "Hum! I'm afraid not," answered Mr. 
 Damon. "I might just as well try to translate a 
 'Chinese laundry check. But I'll save 'em for 
 
ON TO SIBERIA 133 
 
 souvenirs," and he carefully put them in his 
 pocket, as if he feared they might unexpectedly 
 turn into a bomb and blow up the airship. 
 
 The tour of the craft was completed and the 
 Nihilists returned to the comfortable cabin where, 
 much to their surprise, they were served with a 
 little lunch, Mr. Damon bustling proudly about 
 from the table to the galley, and serving tea as 
 nearly like the Russians drink it as possible. 
 
 "Well, you certainly have a wonderful craft 
 here wonderful," spoke Mr. Androwsky. "If 
 We had some of these in our group now, we could 
 start from here, hover over the palace of the 
 Czar, or one of the Grand Dukes, drop a bomb, 
 Bitterly destroy it, and come back before any of 
 the hated police would be any the wiser." 
 
 "I'm afraid I can't lend it to you," said Tom, 
 and he could scarcely repress a shudder at the 
 terrible ideas of the Nihilists. 
 
 "It would never do," agreed Ivan Petrofsky. 
 *The campaign of education is the only way." 
 
 There were gutteral objections on the part of 
 the other Russians, and they turned to more 
 theerful subjects of talk. 
 
 "What are your plans?" asked Tom of the 
 fcxile. "You say you can get no trace here of 
 your brother?" 
 
 "No, he seems to have totally disappeared from 
 
134 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 sight. Usually we enemies of the government 
 can get some news of a prisoner, but poor Peter 
 is either dead, or in some obscure mine, which is 
 hidden away in the forests or mountains." 
 
 "Maybe he is in the lost platinum mine," sug- 
 gested Ned. 
 
 "No, that has not been discovered," declared 
 the exile, "or my friends here would have heard 
 of it. That is still to be found." 
 
 "And we'll do it, in the air glider," declared 
 Tom. "By the way, Mr. Petrofsky, would it not 
 be a good plan to ask your friends the location of 
 the place where the winds constantly blow with 
 such force. It occurs to me that in some such 
 way we might locate the mine." 
 
 "It would be of use if there was only one place 
 of the gales," replied the exile. "But Siberia has 
 many such spots in the mountain fastnesses- 
 places which, by the peculiar formation of the 
 land, have constant eddys of air over them. No, 
 the only way is for us to go as nearly as possible 
 to the place where my brother and I were im- 
 prisoned, and search there." 
 
 "But what is that you said about us having to 
 stay here, to get some news of your brother?" 
 asked Tom. 
 
 "I had hoped to get some information here," 
 resumed Mr. Petrofsky, "but my friends here 
 
ON TO SIBERIA 135 
 
 are without news. However, they are going to 
 make inquiries, and we will have to stay here 
 until they have an answer. It will be safe, they 
 think, as there are not many police in town, and 
 the local authorities are not very efficient. So the 
 airship will remain here, and, from time to time 
 I will go to the village, disguised, and see if any 
 word has come." 
 
 "And we will bring you news as soon as we 
 get it," promised Mr. Androwsky. "You are not 
 exactly one of us, but you are against the govern- 
 ment, and, therefor, a brother. But you will be 
 owe of us in time." 
 
 "Never," replied the exile with a smile. "My 
 only hope now is to get my brother safely away, 
 and then we will go and live in free America. 
 But, Tom, I hope I won't put you out by delay- 
 ing here." 
 
 "Not a bit of it. More than half the object of 
 our trip is to rescue your brother. We must do 
 that first. Now as to details," and they fell to 
 discussing plans. It was late that night when the 
 Nihilists left the airship, first having made a care- 
 ful inspection to see that they were not spied up- 
 on. They promised at once to set to work their 
 secret methods of getting information. 
 
 For several days the airship remained in the 
 vicinity of the Russian town. Our friends were 
 
136 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 undisturbed by visitors, as they were in a forest 
 where the villagers seldom came, and the nearest 
 wood-road was nearly half a mile off. 
 
 Every day either Mr. Petrofsky went in to 
 town to see the Nihilists or some of them came 
 Out to the Falcon, usually at night. 
 
 "Well, have you any word yet?" asked Tom, 
 after about a week had passed. 
 
 "Nothing yet," answered the exile, and his tone 
 was a bit hopeless. "But we have not given up. 
 All the most likely places have been tried, but he 
 is not there. We have had traces of him, but 
 they are not fresh ones. He seems to have been 
 moved from one mine to another. Probably they 
 feared I would make an attempt to rescue him. 
 But I have not given up. He is somewhere in 
 Siberia." 
 
 "And we'll find him!" cried Tom with enthu- 
 siasm. 
 
 For three days more they lingered, and then, 
 one night, when they were just getting ready to 
 retire, there was a knock on the cabin door. Mr. 
 Petrofsky had been to the village that day, and 
 had received no news. He had only returned 
 about an hour before. 
 
 "Some one's knocking," announced Ned, as if 
 there could be any doubt of it. 
 
 "Bless my burglar alarm!" gasped Mr. Damoa 
 
ON TO SIBERIA 137 
 
 "I'll see who it is," volunteered Mr. Petrof- 
 sky, and Tom looked toward the rack of loaded 
 rifles, for that day a man, seemingly a wood cut- 
 ter had passed close to the airship, and had hur- 
 ried off as if he had seen a ghost. 
 
 The knock was repeated. It might be their 
 friends, and it might be 
 
 But Mr. Petrofsky solved the riddle by throw- 
 ing back the portal, and there stood the Nihilist, 
 Nicolas Androwsky. 
 
 "Is there anything the matter?" asked the exile 
 quickly. 
 
 "We have news," was the cautious answer, as 
 the Nihilist slipped in, and closed the door be- 
 hind him. 
 
 "News of my brother?" 
 
 "Of your brother! He is in a sulphur mine in 
 the Altai Mountains, near the city of Abakansk." 
 
 "Where's that?" asked Tom for he had for- 
 gotten most of his Russian geography. 
 
 "The Altai Mountains are a range about the 
 middle of Siberia," explained Mr. Petrofsky. 
 "They begin at the Kirghiz Steppes, and run 
 west. It is a wild and desolate place. I hope we 
 can find poor Peter alive." 
 
 "And this city of Abakansk?" went on the 
 young inventor. 
 
 "It is many miles -from here, but I can give 
 
I 3 8 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 you a good map," said the Nihilist. "Some of 
 our friends are there," he added with a half- 
 growl. "I wish we could rescue all of them." 
 
 "We'd like to," spoke Tom. "But I fear it is 
 impossible. But now that we have a clew, come 
 on! Let's start at once! It may be dangerous 
 to stay here. On to Siberia!" 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 IN A RUSSIAN PRISON 
 
 THE news they had waited for had come at 
 last. It might be a false clew, but it was some- 
 thing to work on, and Tom was tired of inaction. 
 Then, too, even after they had started, the pris- 
 oner might be moved and they would have to trace 
 him again. 
 
 "But that is the latest information we could 
 get," said Mr. Androwsky. "It came through 
 some of our Anarchist friends, and I believe is 
 reliable. Can you soon make a thousand miles 
 in your airship?" 
 
 "Yes," answered Tom, "if I push her to the 
 limit." 
 
 "Then do so," advised the Nihilist, "for there 
 is need of haste. In making inquiries our friends 
 might incur suspicions and Peter Petrofsky may 
 'be exiled to some other place." 
 
 "Oh, well get there," cried Tom. "Ned, see 
 to the gas machine. Mr. Damon, you can help 
 me in the pilot house." 
 
 "Here is a map of the best route," said the 
 139 
 
I 4 o TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 Nihilist, as he handed one to Mr. Petrofsky. "It 
 will take you there the shortest way. But how 
 can you steer when high in the air?" 
 
 "By compass," explained Tom. "We'll get 
 there, never fear, and we're grateful for your 
 clew. " 
 
 "I never can thank you enough!" exclaimed 
 the exile, as he shook hands with Mr. Androwsky, 
 
 The Nihilist left, after announcing that, in the 
 event of the success of Tom and his friends, and 
 the rescue of the exile from the sulphur mine, it 
 would probably become known to them, as such 
 news came through the Revolutionary channels, 
 slowly but surely. 
 
 "Here we go!" cried the young inventor gaily, 
 as he turned the starting lever in the pilot house, 
 and silently, in the darkness of the night, the 
 Falcon shot upward. There was not a light on 
 board, for, though small signal lamps had been 
 kept burning when the craft was in the forest, to 
 guide the Nihilists to her, now that she was up in 
 the air, and in motion, it was feared that her 
 presence would become known to the authorities 
 of the town, so even these had been extinguished. 
 
 "After we get well away we can turn on the 
 electrics," remarked Tom, "and if they see us at 
 a distance they may take us for a meteor. But, 
 so close as this, they'd get wise in a minute." 
 
IN A RUSSIAN PRISON 141 
 
 Mr. Damon, who had done all that Tom needed 
 in the starting of the craft, went to the forward 
 port rail, and idly looked down on the black forest 
 they were leaving. He could just make out the 
 clearing where they had rested for over a week, 
 and he was startled to see lights bobbing in it. 
 
 "I say, Mr. Petrofsky!" he called. "Did we 
 leave any of our lanterns behind us?" 
 
 "I don't believe so," answered the exile. "I'll 
 ask Tom." 
 
 "Lanterns? No," answered the young inventor. 
 "Before we started I took down the only one we 
 had out. I'll take a look." 
 
 Setting the automatic steering apparatus, he 
 joined Mr. Damon and the Russian. The lights 
 were now dimly visible, moving about in the for- 
 est clearing. 
 
 "It's just as if they were looking for some- 
 thing," said Tom. "Can it be that any of your 
 Nihilist friends, Mr. Petrofsky are " 
 
 "Friends no friends enemies!" cried the 
 Russian. "I understand now ! We got away just 
 in time. Those are police agents who are looking 
 for us ! They must have received word about our 
 being there. Androwsky and the others never 
 carry lights when they go about. They know the 
 country too well, and then, too, it leads to de- 
 tection. No, those are police spies. A few min- 
 
142 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 utes later, and we would have been discovered." 
 
 "As it is we're right over their heads, and they 
 don't know it," chuckled Tom. The airship was 
 moving silently along before a good breeze, the 
 propellers not having been started, and Tom let 
 her drift for several miles, as he did not want to 
 give the police spies a clew by the noise of the 
 motor. 
 
 The twinkling lights in the forest clearing dis- 
 appeared from sight, and the seekers went on in 
 the darkness. 
 
 "Well, we've got the hardest part of our work 
 yet ahead of us," remarked Tom several hours 
 later when, the lights having been set aglow, they 
 were gathered in the main cabin. There was no 
 danger of being seen now, for they were quite 
 high. 
 
 "We've done pretty well, so far," commented 
 Ned. "I think we will have easier work rescuing 
 Mr. Petrofsky's brother than in locating the 
 mine." 
 
 "I don't know about that," answered the Rus- 
 sian. "It is almost impossible to rescue a person 
 from Siberia. Of course it is not going to be 
 easy to locate the lost mine, but as for that we 
 can keep on searching, that is if the air glider 
 works, but there are so many forces to fight 
 against in rescuing a prisoner." 
 
IN A RUSSIAN PRISON 143 
 
 They had a long journey ahead of them, and 
 not an easy route to follow, but as the days passed, 
 and they came nearer and nearer to their goal, 
 they became more and more eager. 
 
 They were passing over a desolate country, for 
 they avoided the vicinity of large towns and 
 cities. 
 
 "I wonder when we'll strike Siberia?" mused 
 Tom one afternoon, as they sat on the outer deck, 
 enjoying the air. 
 
 "At this rate of progress, very soon." an- 
 swered the exile, after glancing at the map. "We 
 should be at the foot of the Ural mountains in a 
 few hours, and across them in the night. Then 
 we will be in Siberia." 
 
 And he was right, for just as supper was being 
 served, Ned, who had been making observations 
 with a telescope, exclaimed : 
 
 "These must be the Urals!" 
 
 Mr. Petrofsky seized the glass. 
 
 "They are," he announced. "We will cross 
 between Orsk and Iroitsk. A safe place. In the 
 morning we will be in Siberia the land of the 
 exiles." 
 
 And they were, morning seeing them flying 
 over a most desolate stretch of landscape. On- 
 ward they flew, covering verst after verst of lone- 
 liness. 
 
144 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "I'm going to put on a little more speed," an- 
 nounced Tom, after a visit to the storeroom, 
 where were kept the reserve tanks of gasolene. 
 "I've got more fluid than I thought I had, and as 
 we're on the ground now I want to hurry things. 
 I'm going to make better time," and he yanked 
 over the lever of the accelerator, sending the 
 Falcon ahead at a rapid rate. 
 
 All day this was kept up, and they were just 
 making an observation to determine their position, 
 along toward supper time, when there came the 
 sound of another explosion from the motor room. 
 
 "Bless my safety valve!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 "Something has gone wrong again." 
 
 Tom ran to the motor, and, at the same time 
 the Falcon which was being used as an aeroplane 
 and not as a dirigible, began to sink. 
 
 "We're going down!" cried Ned. 
 
 "Well, you know what to do." shouted his 
 chum. "The gas bag! Turn on the generator!" 
 
 Ned ran to it, but, in spite of his quick action, 
 the craft continued to slide downward. 
 
 "She won't work!" he cried. 
 
 "Then the intake pipe must be stopped!" an- 
 swered the young inventor. "Never mind, I'll 
 volplane to earth and we can make repairs. That 
 magneto has gone out of business again." 
 
 "Don't land here!" cried Ivan Petrofsky. 
 
IN A RUSSIAN PRISON 145 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 "Because we are approaching a large town 
 Owbinsk I think it is the police there will be 
 sure to get us. Keep on to the forest again!" 
 
 "I can't !" cried Tom. "We've got to go down, 
 police or no police." 
 
 Running to the pilot house, he guided the craft 
 so that it would safely volplane to earth. They 
 could all see that now they were approaching a 
 fairly large town, and would probably land on its 
 outskirts. Through the glass Ned could make out 
 people staring up at the strange sight. 
 
 "They'll be ready to receive us," he announced 
 grimly. 
 
 "I hope they have no dynamite bombs for us," 
 murmured Mr. Damon. "Bless my watch chain! 
 I must get rid of that Nihilist literature I have 
 about me, or they'll take me for one," and he tore 
 up the tracts, and scattered them in the air. 
 
 Meanwhile the Falcon continued to descend. 
 
 "Maybe I can make quick repairs, and get away 
 before they realize who we are," said Tom, as he 
 got ready for the landing. 
 
 They came down in a big field, and, almost 
 before the bicycle wheels had ceased revolving, 
 under the application of the brakes, several men 
 came running toward them. 
 
 "Here they come!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 
I 4 6 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "They are only farmers," said the exile. He 
 had donned his dark glasses again, and looked 
 like anything but a Russian. 
 
 "Lively, Ned!" cried Tom. "Let's see if we 
 can't make repairs and get off again." 
 
 The two lads frantically began work, and they 
 soon had the magneto in running order. They 
 could have gone up as an aeroplane, leaving the 
 repairs to the gas bag to be made later but, just 
 as they were ready to start, there came galloping 
 out a troop of Cossack soldiers. Their com- 
 mander called something to them. 
 
 "What is he saying?" cried Tom to Mr. Pet- 
 rofsky. 
 
 "He is telling them to surround us so that we 
 can not get a running start, such as we need to 
 go up. Evidently he understands aeroplanes." 
 
 "Well, I'm going to have a try," declared the 
 young inventor. 
 
 He jumped to the pilot house, yelling to Ned 
 to start the motor, but it was too late. They 
 were hemmed in by a cordon of cavalry, and it 
 would have been madness to have rushed the 
 Falcon into them, for she would have been 
 wrecked, even if Tom could have succeeded in 
 sending her through the lines. 
 
 "I guess it's all up with us," groaned Ned. 
 
 And it seemed to, for, a moment later, an of- 
 
IN A RUSSIAN PRISON 147 
 
 ficer and several aides galloped forward, calling 
 out something in Russian. 
 
 "What is it?" asked Tom. 
 
 "He says we are under arrest," translated the 
 exile. 
 
 "What for?" demanded the young inventor. 
 
 Ivan Petrofsky shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 "It is of little use to ask now," he answered. 
 "It may be we have violated some local law, and 
 can pay a fine and go, or we may be taken for 
 just what we are, or foreign spies, which we are 
 not. It is best to keep quiet, and go with them." 
 
 "Go where?" cried Tom. 
 
 "To prison, I suppose," answered the exile. 
 "Keep quiet, and leave it to me. I will do all I 
 can. I don't believe they will recognize me." 
 
 "Bless my search warrant!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 "In a Russian prison! That is terrible!" 
 
 A few minutes later, expostulations having been 
 useless, our friends were led away between guards 
 who carried ugly looking rifles, and who looked 
 more ugly and menacing themselves. Then the 
 doors of the Russian prison of Owbinsk closed 
 on Tom and his friends, while their airship was 
 left at the mercy of their enemies. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 LOST IN A SALT MINE 
 
 THE blow had descended so suddenly that it 
 was paralyzing. Tom and his friends did not 
 know what to do, but they saw the wisdom of the 
 course of leaving everything to Ivan Petrofsky. 
 He was a Russian, and he knew the Russian police 
 ways to his sorrow. 
 
 "I'm not afraid, said Tom, when they had been 
 locked in a large prison room, evidently set apart 
 for the use of political, rather than criminal, of- 
 fenders. "We're United States citizens, and once 
 our counsel hears of this as he will there'll be 
 some merry doings in Oskwaski, or whatever they 
 call this place. But I am worried about what they 
 may do to the Falcon." 
 
 "Have no fears on that score," said the Rus- 
 sian exile. "They know the value of a good air- 
 ship, and they won't destroy her." 
 
 "What will they do then?" asked Tom. 
 
 "Keep her for their own use, perhaps." 
 
 "Never!" cried Tom. "I'll destroy her first!" 
 748 
 
LOST IN A SALT MINE 149 
 
 "If you get the chance!" interposed the exile. 
 
 "But we're American citizens!" cried Tom, 
 "and " 
 
 "You forget that I am not," interruped Mr. 
 Petrofsky. "I can't claim the protection of your 
 flag, and that is why I wish to remain unknown. 
 We must act quietly. The more trouble we make, 
 the more important they will know us to be. If 
 we hope to accomplish anything we must act 
 cautiously. " 
 
 "But my airship!" cried Tom. 
 
 '"They won't do anything to that right away," 
 declared the Russian in a whisper for he knew 
 sometimes the police listened to the talk of pris- 
 oners. "I think, from what I overheard when 
 they arrested us, that we either trespassed on the 
 grounds of some one in authority, who had us 
 taken in out of spite, or they fear we may be 
 English or French spies, seeking to find out Rus- 
 sian secrets." 
 
 They were served with food in their prison, 
 but to all inquiries made by Ivan Petrofsky, eva- 
 sive answers were returned. He spoke in poor, 
 broken Russian, so that he would not be taken 
 for a native of that country. Had he been, he 
 would have at once been in great danger of being 
 accused as an escaped exile. 
 
 Finally a man who, the exile whispered to his 
 
150 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 companions, was the local governor, came to 
 their prison. He eagerly asked questions as to 
 their mission, and Mr. Petrofsky answered them 
 diplomatically. 
 
 "I don't think he'll make much out of what I 
 told him," said the exile when the governor had 
 gone. "I let him think we were scientists, or pleas- 
 ure seekers, airshipping for our amusement. He 
 tried to tangle me up politically, but I knew 
 enough to keep out of such traps." 
 
 "What's going to become of us?" asked Ned. 
 
 "We will be detained a few days until they 
 find out more about us. Their spies are busy, I 
 have no doubt, and they are telegraphing all over 
 Europe about us." 
 
 "What about my airship?" asked Tom. 
 
 "I spoke of that," answered the exile. "I 
 said you were a well-known inventor of the 
 United States, and that if any harm came to the 
 craft the Russian Government would not only be 
 held responsible, but that the governor himself 
 would be liable, and I said that it cost much 
 money. That touched him, for, in spite of their 
 power, these Russians are miserably paid. He 
 didn't want to have to make good, and if it de- 
 veloped that he had made a mistake in arresting 
 us, his superiors would disclaim all responsibility, 
 and let him shoulder the blame. Oh, all is not 
 
LOST IN A SALT MINE 151 
 
 lost yet, though I don't like the looks of things." 
 
 Indeed it began to seem rather black for our 
 friends, for, that night they were taken from the 
 fairly comfortable, large, prison room, and con- 
 fined in small stone cells down in a basement. 
 They were separated, but as the cells adjoined 
 on a corridor they could talk to each other. With 
 some coarse food, and a little water, Tom and 
 his friends were left alone. 
 
 "Say I don't like this!" cried our hero, after a 
 pause. 
 
 "Me either," chimed in Ned. 
 
 "Bless my burglar alarm!" exclaimed Mr. 
 Damon. "It's an awful disgrace! If my wife 
 ever heard of me being in jail " 
 
 "She may never hear of it!" interposed Tom. 
 
 "Bless my heart!" cried the odd man. "Don't 
 say such things." 
 
 They discussed their plight at length, but 
 nothing could be done, and they settled themselves 
 to uneasy slumber. For two days they were thus 
 imprisoned, and all of Mr. Petrofsky's demands 
 that they be given a fair trial, and allowed to 
 know the nature of the charge against them, went 
 for naught. No one came to see them but a vil- 
 lainous looking guard, who brought them their 
 poor meals. The governor ignored them, and 
 Mr. Petrofsky did not know what to think. 
 
152 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "Well, I'm getting sick of this!" exclaimed 
 Tom I wish I knew where my airship was." 
 
 "I fancy it's in the same place," replied the ex- 
 ile. "From the way the governor acted I think 
 he'd be afraid to have it moved. It might be 
 damaged. If I could only get word to some of 
 my Revolutionary friends it might do some good, 
 but I guess I can't. We'll just have to wait." 
 
 Another day passed, and nothing happened. 
 But that night, when the guard came to bring 
 their suppers, something did occur, 
 
 "Hello ! we've got a new one !" exclaimed Tom, 
 as he noted the man. "Not so bad looking, either. 11 
 
 The man peered into his cell, and said some* 
 thing in Russian, 
 
 "Nothing doing," remarked the young inventot 
 with a short laugh. "Nixy on that jabbering." 
 
 But, no sooner had the man's words penetrate< 
 to the cell of Ivan Petrofsky, that the exile callecj 
 out something. The guard started, hastened t<? 
 that cell door, and for a few seconds there was an 
 excited dialogue in Russian. 
 
 "Boys! Mr. Damon! We're saved!" sudden* 
 ly cried out Mr. Petrofsky. 
 
 "Bless my door knob! You don't say so! n 
 gasped the odd man. "How? Has the Czar 
 sent orders to release us." 
 
 "No, but somehow my Revolutionary friends 
 
LOST IN A SALT MINE 153 
 
 have heard about my arrest, and they have ar- 
 ranged for our release secretly of course. This 
 guard is affiliated with the Nihilist group that 
 got on the trail of my brother. He bribed the 
 other guard to let him take his place for to-night, 
 and now " 
 
 "Yes! What is it?" cried Tom. 
 
 "He's going to open the cell doors and let us 
 out!" 
 
 "But how can we get past the other guards, up- 
 stairs?" asked Ned. 
 
 "We're not going that way," explained Mr. 
 Petrofsky. "There is a secret exit from this cor- 
 ridor, through a tunnel that connects with a large 
 salt mine. Once we are in there we can make our 
 Way out. We'll soon be free." 
 
 "Ask him if he's heard anything of my air- 
 ship?" asked Tom. Mr. Petrofsky put the ques- 
 tion rapidly in Russian and then translated the 
 answer. 
 
 "It's in the same place." 
 
 "Hurray!" cried Tom. 
 
 Working rapidly, the Nihilist guard soon had 
 the cell doors open, for he had the keys, and our 
 friends stepped out into the corridor. 
 
 "This way," called Ivan Petrofsky, as he fol- 
 lowed their liberator, who spoke in whispers. 
 "He says he will lead us to the salt mine, tell us 
 
154 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 how to get out and then he must make his own 
 escape. " 
 
 "Then he isn't coming with us?" asked Ned. 
 
 "No, it would not be safe. But he will tell us 
 how to get out. It seems that years ago some 
 prisoners escaped this way, and the authorities 
 closed up the tunnel. But a cave-in of the salt 
 mine opened a way into it again." 
 
 They followed their queer guide, who led them 
 down the corridor. He paused at the end, and 
 then, diving in behind a pile of rubbish, he pulled 
 away some boards. A black opening, barely large 
 enough for a man to walk in upright, was dis- 
 closed. 
 
 "In there?" cried Tom. 
 
 "In there," answered Mr. Petrofsky. He and 
 the guard murmured their good-byes, and then, 
 with a lighted candle the faithful Nihilist had 
 provided, and with several others in reserve, our 
 friends stepped into the blackness. They could 
 hear the board being pulled back into place be- 
 hind them. 
 
 "Forward!" cried the exile, and forward they 
 went. 
 
 It was not a pleasant journey, being through 
 an uneven tunnel in the darkness. Half a mile 
 later they emerged into a large salt mine, that 
 seemed to be directly beneath the town. Work 
 
LOST IN A S 'ALT MINE 155 
 
 in this part had been abandoned long ago, all the 
 salt there was left being in the shape of large pil- 
 lars, that supported the roof. It sparkled dully 
 in the candle light. 
 
 "Now let me see if I remember the turnings," 
 murmured Mr. Petrofsky. "He said to keep on 
 for half an hour, and we would come out in a 
 little woods not far from where our airship was 
 anchored." 
 
 Twisting and turning, here and there in the 
 semi-darkness, stumbling, and sometimes falling 
 over the uneven floor, the little party went on. 
 
 "Did you say half an hour?" asked Tom, after 
 a while. 
 
 *Yes," replied the Russian. 
 
 "We've been longer than that," announced the 
 young inventor, after a look at his watch. "It's 
 over an hour." 
 
 "Bless my timetable!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 
 "Are you sure?" asked Mr. Petrofsky. 
 
 "Yes," answered Tom in a low voice. 
 
 The Russian looked about him, flashing the 
 Candle on several turnings and tunnels. Suddenly 
 Ned uttered a cry. 
 
 "Why, we passed this place a little while be- 
 fore!" he said. "I remember this pillar that 
 looks like two men wrestling!" 
 
156 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 It was true. They all remembered it when they 
 saw it again. 
 
 "Back in the same place!" mused the Russian. 
 "Then we have doubled on our tracks. I'm afraid 
 we're lost!" 
 
 "Lost in a Russian salt mine!" gasped Tom, 
 and his words sounded ominous in that gloomy 
 place. 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 THE ESCAPE 
 
 FOR a space of several seconds no one moved 
 or spoke. In the flickering light of the candle 
 they looked at one another, and then at the fan- 
 tastic pillars of salt all about them. Then Mr. 
 Damon started forward. 
 
 "Bless my trolley car !" he exclaimed. "It isn't 
 possible! There must be some mistake. If we'll 
 keep on we'll come out all right. You know your 
 way about, don't you, Mr. Petrofsky?" 
 
 "I thought I did, from what the guard told us. 
 But it seems I must have taken a wrong turning." 
 
 "Then it's easily remedied," suggested Tom. 
 "All we'll have to do will be to go to the place 
 where we started, and begin over again. " 
 
 "Of course," agreed Ned, and they all seemed 
 more cheerful. 
 
 "And if we start out once more, and get lost 
 again, then what?" asked Mr. Damon. 
 
 "Well, if worsf^ comes to worst, we can go 
 back in the tunnel, go to our cells and ask the 
 
158 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 guard to come with us and show us the way," 
 went on Tom. 
 
 "Never!" cried the exile. "It would be the 
 most dangerous thing in the world to go back to 
 the prison. Our escape has probably been dis- 
 covered by this time, and to return would only- 
 be to put our heads in the noose. We must keep 
 on at any cost!" 
 
 "But if we can't get out," suggested Tom, "and 
 if we haven't anything to eat or drink, we " 
 
 He did not finish, but they all knew what he 
 meant. 
 
 "Oh, we'll get out!" declared Ned, who was 
 something of an optimist. "You've been in salt 
 mines before, haven't you, Mr. Petrofsky?" 
 
 "Yes, I was condemned to one once, but it was 
 not in this part of the country, and it was not an 
 abandoned one. I imagine this was only an iso- 
 lated mine, and that there are no others near it, 
 so when they abandoned it, after all the salt was 
 taken out, most people forgot about it. I re- 
 member once a party of prisoners were lost .in a 
 large salt mine, and were missed for several 
 days." 
 
 "What happened to them?" asked Tom. 
 
 "I don't like to talk about it," replied the Rus- 
 sian with a shudder. 
 
THE ESCAPE 159 
 
 "Bless my soul! Was it as bad as that?" 
 asked Mr. Damon. 
 
 "It was," replied the exile. "But now let's see 
 if we can find our way back, and start afresh. 
 I'll be more careful next time, and watch the 
 turns more closely." 
 
 But he did not get the chance. They could not 
 find the tunnel whence they had started. Turn after 
 turn they took, down passage after passage some- 
 times in such small ones that they almost had to 
 crawl. 
 
 But it was of no use. They could not find their 
 way back to the starting place, and they could not 
 find the opening of the mine. They had used two 
 of the slow burning candles and they had only 
 half a dozen or so left. When these were 
 gone 
 
 But they did not like to think of that, and 
 stumbled on and on. They did not talk much, for 
 they were too worried. Finally Ned gasped: 
 
 "I'd give a good deal for a drink of water." 
 
 "So would I," added his chum. "But what's 
 the use of wishing? If there was a spring down 
 here it would be salt water. But I know what I 
 would do if I could." 
 
 "What?" asked Mr. Damon. 
 
 "Go back to the prison. At least we wouldn't 
 starve there, and we'd have something to drink. 
 
l6o TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 If they kept us we know we could get free some- 
 time." 
 
 "Perhaps never!" exclaimed Ivan Petrofsky. 
 "It is better to keep on here, and, as for me, I 
 would rather die here than go back to a Russian 
 prison. We must we shall get out!" 
 
 But it was idle talk. Gradually they lost track 
 of time as they staggered on, and they hardly 
 knew whether a day had passed or whether it 
 was but a few hours since they had been lost. 
 
 Of their sufferings in that salt mine I shall not 
 go into details. There are enough unpleasant 
 things in this world without telling about that. 
 They must have wandered around for at least a 
 day and a half, and in all that while they had 
 not a drop of water, and not a thing to eat. 
 Wait, though, at last in their desperation they 
 did gnaw the tallow candles, and that served to 
 keep them alive, and, in a measure, alleviate their 
 awful sufferings from thirst. 
 
 Back and forth they wandered, up and down 
 in the galleries of the old salt mine. They were 
 merely hoping against hope. 
 
 "It's worse than the underground city of gold," 
 said Ned in hollow tones, as he staggered on. 
 "Worse much worse." His head was feeling 
 li^ht. No one answered him. 
 
 It was, as they learned later, just about two 
 
THE ESCAPE l6l 
 
 r days after the time when they entered the mine 
 that they managed to get out. Forty-eight hours, 
 most of them of intense suffering. They were 
 burning their last candle, and when that was out 
 they knew they would have the horrors of dark- 
 ness to fight against, as well as those of hunger 
 and thirst. 
 
 But fate was kind to them. How they managed 
 to hit on the right gallery they did not know, but, 
 as they made a turn around an immense pillar of 
 salt Tom, who was walking weakly in advance, 
 suddenly stopped. 
 
 "Look! Look!" he whispered. "Another 
 candle! Someone someone is searching for us! 
 We are saved!" 
 
 "It may be the police!" said Ned. 
 
 "That is not a candle," spoke the Russian in 
 hollow tones as he looked to where Tom pointed, 
 to a little glimmer of light. "It is a star. Friends, 
 we are saved, and by Providence ! That is a star, 
 shining through the opening of the mine. We are 
 saved!" 
 
 Eagerly they pressed forward, and they had 
 not gone far before they knew that the exile was 
 right. They felt the cool night wind on their 
 hot cheeks. 
 
 "Thank heaven!" gasped Tom, as he pushed 
 on. 
 
162 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 A moment later, climbing over the rusted rails 
 on which the mine cars had run with their loads 
 of salt, they staggered into the open. They were 
 free under the silent stars! 
 
 "And now, if we can only find the airship," 
 said Tom faintly, "we can " 
 
 "Look there!" whispered Ned, pointing to a 
 patch of deeper blackness that the surrounding 
 night. "What's that." 
 
 "The Falcon!" gasped Tom. He started to- 
 ward her, for she was but a short distance from a 
 little clump of trees into which they had emerged 
 from the opening of the salt mine. There, on 
 the same little ,plae where they had landed in 
 her was the airship. She had not been moved. 
 
 "Wait!" cautioned Ivan Petrofsky. "She may 
 be guarded." 
 
 Hardly had he spoken than there walked into 
 the faint starlight on the side of the ship nearest 
 them, a Cossack soldier with his rifle over his 
 shoulder. 
 
 "We can't get her!" gasped Ned. 
 
 "We've got to get her !" declared Tom. "We'll 
 die if we don't!" 
 
 "But the guards! They'll arrest us!" said the 
 exile. 
 
 An instant later a second soldier joined the 
 first, and they could be seen conversing. They 
 
THE ESCAPE 163 
 
 then resumed their pacing around the anchored 
 craft. Evidently they were waiting for the es- 
 caped prisoners to come up when they would 
 give the alarm and apprehend them. 
 
 "What can we do?" asked Mr. Damon. 
 
 "I have a plan," said Tom weakly. "It's the 
 only chance, for we're not strong enough to tackle 
 them. Every time they go around on the far side 
 of the airship we must creep forward. When they 
 come on this side we'll lie down. I doubt if they 
 can see us. Once we are on board we can cut 
 the ropes, and start off. Everything is all ready 
 for a start if they haven't monkeyed with her, and 
 I don't think they have. We've got room enough 
 to run along as an aeroplane and mount upward. 
 It's our only hope." 
 
 The others agreed, and they put the plan into 
 operation. When the Cossack guards were out of 
 sight the escaped prisoners crawled forward, and 
 when the soldiers came into view our friends 
 waited in silence. 
 
 It took several minutes of alternate creeping 
 and waiting to do this, but it was accomplished 
 at last and unseen they managed to slip aboard 
 Then it was the work of but a moment to cut the 
 restraining ropes. 
 
 Silently Tom crept to the motor room. He had 
 % to work in absolute darkness, for the gleam of a 
 
164 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 light would have drawn the fire of the 
 But the youth knew every inch of his invention. 
 The only worriment was whether or not the 
 motor would start up after the break-down, not 
 having been run since it was so hastily repaired. 
 Still he could only try. 
 
 He looked out, and saw the guards pacing back 
 and forth. They did not know that the much- 
 sought prisoners were within a few feet of them. 
 
 Ned was in the pilot house. He could see a 
 clear field in front of him. 
 
 Suddenly Tom pulled the starting lever. There 
 was a little clicking, followed by silence. Was the 
 motor going to revolve? It answered the next 
 moment with a whizz and a roar. 
 
 "Here we go!" cried the young inventor, as 
 the big machine shot forward on her flight. "Now 
 let them stop us!" 
 
 Forward she went until Ned, knowing by the 
 speed that she had m'omentum enough, tilted the 
 elevation rudder, and up she shot, while behind, 
 on the ground, wildly running to and fro, and 
 firing their rifles, were the two amazed guards. 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
 
 THE RESCUE 
 
 "HAVE we have we time to get a drink?" 
 gasped Ned, when the aeroplane, now on a level 
 keel, had been shooting forward about three min- 
 utes. Already it was beyond the reach of the 
 rifles. 
 
 "Yes, but take only a little," cautioned Tom. 
 "Oh! it doesn't seem possible that we are free!" 
 
 He switched on a few interior lights, and by 
 their glow the faint and starving platinum-seekers 
 found water and food. Their craft had, appar- 
 ently, not been touched in their absence, and the 
 machinery ran well. 
 
 Cautiously they ate and drank, feeling their 
 strength come back to them, and then they re- 
 moved the traces of their terrible imprisonment, 
 and set about in ease and comfort, talking of 
 what they had suffered. 
 
 Onward sped the aeroplane, onward through 
 the night, and then Tom, having set the auto- 
 matic steering gear, all fell into heavy slumbers 
 that lasted until far into the next day. 
 
 165 
 
166 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 When the young inventor awoke he looked 
 below and could see nothing nothing but a sea 
 of mist. 
 
 "What's this?" he cried. "Are we above the 
 clouds, or in a fog over some inland sea?" 
 
 He was quite worried, until Ivan Petrofsky in- 
 formed him that they were in the midst of a dense 
 fog, which was common over that part of Siberia, 
 
 "But where are we?" asked Ned. 
 
 "About over the province of Irtutsk," was the 
 answer. "We are heading north," he went on, 
 as he looked at the compass, "and I think about 
 right to land somewhere near where my brother 
 is confined in the sulphur mine." 
 
 "That's so; we've got to drop," said Tom. 
 "I must get the gas pipe repaired. I wish we 
 could see over what sort of a place we were so as 
 to know whether it would be safe to land. I 
 wish the mist would clear away." 
 
 It did, about noon, and they noted that they 
 were over a desolate stretch of country, in which 
 it would be safe to make a landing. 
 
 Bringing the aeroplane down on as smooth a 
 spot as he could pick out, Tom and Ned were 
 soon at work clearing out the clogged pipe of the 
 gas generator. They had to take it out in the 
 open air, as the fumes were unpleasant, and it 
 was while working over it that they saw a shadow 
 
THE RESCUE 167 
 
 thrown on the ground in front of them. Startled 
 they looked up, to see a burly Russian staring at 
 them. 
 
 The sudden appearance of a man in that lonely 
 spot, his calm regard of the lads, his stealthy ap- 
 proach, which had made it possible for him to be 
 almost upon them before they were aware of 
 his presence, all this made them suspicious of dan- 
 ger. Tom gave a quick glance about, however, 
 and saw no others no Cossack soldiers, and as 
 he looked a second time at the man he noted that 
 he was poorly dressed, that his shoes were ragged, 
 his whole appearance denoting that he had trav- 
 eled far, and was weary and ill. 
 
 "What do you make of this, Ned?" asked Tom, 
 in a low voice. 
 
 "I don't know what to make of it. He can't 
 be an officer, in that rig, and he has no one with 
 him. I guess we haven't anything to be afraid 
 ef . I'm going to ask him what he wants. " 
 
 Which Tom did in his plainest English. At 
 once the man broke into a stream of confused 
 Russian, and he kept it up until Tom held up his 
 hand for silence. 
 
 "I'm sorry, but I can't understand you," said 
 the young inventor. "I'll call some one who can, 
 though," and, raising his voice, he summoned Ivan 
 
165 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 Petrofsky who, with Mr. Damon, was inside the 
 airship doing some small repairs. 
 
 "There's a Russian out here, Mr. Petrofsky," 
 said Tom, "and what he wants I can't make out." 
 
 The exile was quickly on the scene and, after a 
 first glance at the man, hurried up to him, grasped 
 him by the hand and at once the two were talking 
 such a torrent of hard-sounding words that Tom 
 and Ned looked at each other helplessly, while Mr. 
 Damon, who had come out, exclaimed: 
 
 "Bless my dictionary! they must know eacH 
 other." 
 
 For several minutes the two Russians kept up 
 their rapid-fire talk and then Mr. Petrofsky, 
 evidently realizing that his friends must wonder 
 at it, turned to them and said : 
 
 "This is a very strange thing. This man is an 
 escaped convict, as I once was. I recognized him 
 by certain signs as soon as I saw him, though I 
 had never met him before. There are certain 
 marks by which a Siberian exile can never be for- 
 gotten," he added significantly. "He made his 
 escape from the mines some time ago, and has 
 suffered great hardships since. The revolution- 
 ists help him when they can, but he has to keep 
 in concealment and travels from town to town as 
 best he may. He has heard of our airship, I sup- 
 pose from inquiries the revolutionists have been 
 
THE RESCUE 169 
 
 making in our behalf, and when he unexpectedly 
 came upon us just now he was not frightened, as 
 an ordinary peasant would have been. But he 
 did not know I was aboard." 
 
 "And does he know you?" asked Tom. "Does 
 he know you are trying to rescue your brother?" 
 
 "No, but I will tell him." 
 
 There was another exchange of the Russian 
 language, and it seemed to have a surprising re- 
 sult. For, no sooner had Ivan Petrofsky men- 
 tioned his brother, than the other, whose name 
 was Alexis Borious, seemed greatly excited. Mr. 
 Petrofsky was equally so at the reply his new 
 acquaintance made, and fairly shouted to Tom, 
 Ned and Mr. Damon. 
 
 "Friends, I have unexpected good news! It is 
 well that we met this man or we would have gone 
 many miles out of our way. My brother has been 
 moved to another mine since the revolutionists 
 located him for me. He is in a lonely district 
 many miles from here. This man was in the same 
 mine with him, until my brother was transferred, 
 and then Mr. Borious escaped. We will have to 
 change our plans." 
 
 "And where are we to head for now?" asked 
 Tom. 
 
 "Near to the town of Haskaski, where my poor 
 brother is working in a sulphur mine!" 
 
170 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "Then let's get a move on!" cried Tom witH 
 enthusiasm. "Do you think this man will come 
 with us, Mr. Petrof sky, to help in the rescue, and 
 show us the place?" 
 
 "He says he will," translated the exile, "though 
 he is much afraid of our strange craft. Still he 
 knows that to trust himself to it is better than 
 being captured, and sent back to the mines to 
 starve to death!" 
 
 "Good !" cried Tom. "And if he wants to, and 
 all goes well, we'll take him out of Russia with 
 us. Now get busy, Ned, and we'll have this 
 machine in shape again soon." 
 
 While Ivan Petrofsky took his new friend in- 
 side, and explained to him about the workings of 
 the Falcon, Tom and Ned labored over the gas 
 machine with such good effect that by night it was 
 capable of being used. Then they went aloft, 
 and making a change in their route, as suggested 
 by Mr. Borious, they headed for the desolate 
 sulphur region. 
 
 For several days they sailed on, and gradually 
 a plan of rescue was worked out. According to 
 the information of the newcomer, the best way 
 to save Mr. Petrof sky's brother was to make the 
 attempt when the prisoners were marched back 
 from the mines to the barracks where they were 
 confined. 
 
THE RESCUE 171 
 
 "It will be dark then," said Mr. Borious, "and 
 if you can hover in your airship near at hand, and 
 if Mr. Petrofsky can call out to his brother to 
 run to him, we can take him up with us and get 
 away before the guards know what we are doing." 
 
 "But aren't the prisoners chained?" asked Tom. 
 
 "No, they depend on guards to prevent es- 
 capes." 
 
 "Then we'll try that way," decided the young 
 inventor. 
 
 On and on they sailed, the Falcon working 
 admirably. Verst after verst was covered, and 
 finally, one morning, Mr. Borious, who knew the 
 country well, from having once been a prisoner 
 there, said: 
 
 "We are now near the place. If we go any 
 closer we may be observed. We had better re- 
 main hidden in some grove of trees so that at 
 nightfall we can go forth to the rescue." 
 
 "But how can we find it after dark?" asked 
 Ned. 
 
 "You can easily tell by the lights in the bar- 
 racks," was the answer. "I can stand in the pilot 
 house to direct you, for nearly all these exile 
 prisons are alike. The prisoners will march in a 
 long line from the mine. Then for the rescue." 
 
 It was tedious waiting that day, but it had to 
 be done, and to Tom, who was anxious to effect 
 
172 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 the rescue, and proceed to the place of the winds 
 to try his air glider, it seemed as if dusk would 
 never come as they remained in concealment. 
 
 But night finally approached and then the great 
 airship went silently aloft, ready to hover over the 
 prison ground. Fortunately there was little wind, 
 and she could be used as a balloon, thus avoid- 
 ing the noise of the motor. 
 
 "The next thing I do, when I get home," re* 
 marked Tom, as they drifted along, "Will be 
 to make a silent airship. I think they would be 
 very useful." 
 
 With Mr. Borious in the pilot house, to point 
 out the way, Tom steered through the fast-gather- 
 ing darkness. The Russian had soon become 
 used to the airship, and was not at all afraid. 
 
 "Can you go just where you want to, as a 
 balloon?" asked the new guide. 
 
 "No, but almost," replied Tom. "At the last 
 moment I've got to take a chance and start the 
 motor to send us just where we want to go. That's 
 why I think a silent airship would be a great thing. 
 You could get up on the enemy before he knew 
 it" 
 
 "There are the prison barracks," said the guide 
 a little later, his talk being translated by Mr. 
 Petrofsky. Below and a little ahead of them 
 could been seen a cluster of lights. 
 
THE RESCUE 173 
 
 "Yes, that looks like a line of prisoners," re- 
 marked Ned, who was peering through a pair of 
 night glasses. 
 
 "Where?" asked Tom eagerly, and they were 
 pointed out to him. He took an observation, and 
 exclaimed : 
 
 "There they are, sure enough. Now if your 
 brother is only among them, Mr. Petrofsky, we'll 
 soon have him on board." 
 
 "Heaven grant that he may be there!" said the 
 exile in a low voice. 
 
 A moment later, the Falcon, meanwhile having 
 been allowed to drift as close as possible to the 
 dimly-seen line of prisoners, Tom set in motion 
 the great motor, the propeller blades beating the 
 air fiercely. 
 
 At the sound there was a shout on the ground 
 below, but before the excitement had time to 
 spread, or before any of the guards could form a 
 notion of what was about to take place, Tom had 
 sent his craft to earth- on a sharp slant, closer to 
 the line of prisoners than he had dared to hope. 
 
 Mr. Petrofsky sprang out on deck, and in a 
 loud voice called in Russian: 
 
 "Peter! Peter! If you are there, come here! 
 Come quickly! It is I, your brother Ivan who 
 speaks. I have come to save you sa\e you in 
 the wonderful airship of Tom Swift! Come 
 
174 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 quickly and we will take you away ! Peter Petrof- 
 sky!" 
 
 For a moment there was silence, and then the 
 sound of some one running rapidly was borne to 
 the ears of the waiting ones. It was followed, a 
 moment later, by angry shouts from the guards. 
 
 "Quick! Quick, Peter!" cried the brother, 
 "over this way!" 
 
 For an instant only the exile showed a single 
 electric flash light, that his brother might see in 
 which direction to run. The echo of the ap- 
 proaching footsteps came nearer, the shouts of 
 the guards redoubled, and then came the sound of 
 many men running in pursuit. 
 
 "Hurry, Peter, hurry!" cried Mr. Petrofsky, 
 and, as he spoke in Russiany:he guards, of course, 
 understood. 
 
 Suddenly a rifle shot rang out, but the weapon 
 seemed to have been fired in the air. A moment 
 later a dark figure clambored aboard the airship. 
 
 "Peter, is it you?" cried Ivan Petrofsky, 
 hoarsely. 
 
 "Yes, brother! But get away quickly or the 
 whole guard will be swarming about here!" 
 
 "Praise the dear Lord you are saved!" 
 
 "Is it all right?" cried Tom, who wanted to 
 make sure they were saving the right man. 
 
 "Yes! Yes, Tom! Go quickly!" called Ivan 
 
THE RESCUE 175 
 
 Petrofsky, as he folded his brother in his arms. 
 A moment later, with a roar, the Falcon shot 
 away from the earth, while below sounded angry 
 cries, confused shouts and many orders, for the 
 guards and their officers had never known of such 
 a daring rescue as this. 
 
CHAPTER XXII 
 
 IN THE HURRICANE 
 
 THERE was a volley of shots from the prison 
 guards, and the flashes of the rifles cut bright 
 slivers of flame in the darkness, but, so rapidly 
 did the airship go up, veering off on a wide slant, 
 under the skillful guidance of Tom that the shots 
 did no harm. 
 
 "Bless my bullet pouch!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 "They must be quite excited." 
 
 "Shouldn't wonder," calmly observed Ned, as 
 he went to help his chum in managing the air- 
 ship. "But it won't do them any good. W&ve 
 got our man." 
 
 "And right from under their noses, too," added 
 Ivan Petrofsky exultingly. "This rescue of an 
 txile will go down in the history of Russia." 
 
 The two exile brothers were gazing fondly at 
 each other, for now that the Falcon was so high, 
 Tom ventured to turn on the lights. 
 
 A moment later the three Russians were ex- 
 citedly conversing, while Tom and Ned managed 
 
 176 
 
IN THE PIURRICANE 177 
 
 the craft, and Mr. Damon, after listening a 
 moment to the rapid flow of the strange language, 
 which quite fascinated him, hurried to the galley 
 to prepare a meal for the rescued one, who had 
 been taken away before he had had a chance to 
 get his supper. 
 
 His wonder at his startling and unexpected 
 rescue may well be imagined, but the joy at be- 
 ing reunited to his brother overshadowed every- 
 thing for the time being. But when he had a 
 chance to look about, and see what a strange craft 
 -he was in, his amazement knew no bounds, and he 
 was like a child. He asked countless questions, 
 and Ivan Petrofsky and Mr. Borious took turnft 
 in answering them. And from now on, I shall 
 give the conversation of the two new Rus- 
 sians just as if they spoke English, though of 
 course it had to be translated by Ivan Petrofsky, 
 Peter's brother. 
 
 If Peter was amazed at being rescued in an 
 airship, his wonder grew when he was served 
 with a well-cooked meal, while high in the air, 
 and while flying along at the rate of fifty miles 
 an hour. He could not talk enough about it. 
 
 By degrees the story of how Tom and his 
 friends had started for Russia was told, and there, 
 was added the detail of how Mr. Borious came 
 to be picked up. 
 
178 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "But brother Ivan, you did not come all that 
 distance to rescue me; did you?" asked Peter. 
 
 "Yes, partly, and partly to find the platinum 
 mine." 
 
 * What ? The lost mine that you and I stumbled 
 upon in that terrible storm?" 
 
 "That is the one, Peter." 
 
 "Then, Tom Swift may as well return. I doubt 
 if we can even locate the district where it was, 
 and if we did find it, the winds blow so that even 
 this magnificant ship could not weather the gales." 
 
 "I guess he doesn't understand 'about my air 
 glider," said Tom with a smile, when this was 
 translated to him. "I wish I had a chance to put 
 it together, and show him how it works." 
 
 "Oh, it will work all right," replied Ned, who 
 was very proud of his friend's inventive ability. 
 
 "Now, what is the next thing to be done?" 
 asked Tom, a little later that evening, when, sup- 
 per having been served, they were sitting in the 
 main cabin, talking over the events of the past 
 few days. "I'd like to get on the track of that 
 platinum treasure." 
 
 "And we will do all in our power to aid you." 
 said Ivan Petrofsky. "My brother and I owe 
 much to you in fact Peter owes you his life; 
 do you not?" and he turned to him. 
 
 "I do," was the firm answer. 
 
IN THE HURRICANE 179 
 
 "Oh, nonsense!" exclaimed Tom, who did not 
 like to be praised. "I didn't do much." 
 
 "Much ! You do not call taking me away from 
 that place that sulphur mine that horrible pris- 
 on barrack with the cruel guards you do not 
 call that much? My, friend," spoke the Russian 
 solemnly, "no one on earth has done so much 
 for me as you have, and if it is the power of man 
 to show you where that lost mine is, my brother 
 and I will do so!" 
 
 "Agreed," spoke Ivan quietly. 
 
 "Then what plans shall we make?" asked Tom, 
 after a little more talk. "Are we to go about in- 
 discriminately, or is there any possible way of 
 getting on the trail?" 
 
 "My brother and I will try and decide on a 
 (definite route," spoke Ivan Petrofsky. "It is 
 some time since I have seen him, and longer since 
 we accidently found the mine together, but we 
 will consult each other, and, if possible make some 
 sort of a map." 
 
 This was done the next day, the present maps 
 aboard the Falcon being consulted, and the 
 brothers comparing notes. They began to lay out 
 a stretch of country in which it was most likely 
 the lost mine lay. It took several days to do this, 
 for sometimes one brother would forget some 
 
l8o TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 
 
 point, and again the other would. But a? last 
 they agreed on certain facts. 
 
 "This is the nearest we can come to it," said 
 Ivan Petrofsky to Tom. "The lost platinum 
 mine lies somewhere between the city of lakutsk 
 and the first range of the lablonnoi mountains. 
 Those are the northern and southern boundaries. 
 As for the western one, it is most likely the Lena 
 river, and the eastern one the Amaga river. So 
 you see you have quite a large stretch of country 
 to search, Tom Swift." 
 
 "Yes, I should say I had," agreed the young 
 inventor. But I have had harder tasks. Now 
 that I know where to head for I'll get there as 
 soon as possible." 
 
 "And what will you do when you arrive?" 
 asked Ned. 
 
 "Fly about in the Falcon, in ever-widening 
 circles, starting as near the centre of that area 
 as possible," replied Tom. "And as soon as I 
 run into a steady hurricane I'll know that I'm at 
 the place of the big winds, and I'll get out my 
 glider, for I'll be pretty sure to be near the place." 
 
 "Bless my gas meter!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 'That's the talk!" 
 
 Tom put his plan into operation at once, by 
 heading the nose of his craft for the desolate 
 region mapped out by the Russian brothers. 
 
IN THE HURRICANE 181 
 
 The days that followed were filled with weary 
 searching. It was like the time when they had 
 sought for the plain of the great ruined Temple 
 in Mexico, that they might locate the underground 
 city of gold. Only in this case they had no such 
 landmark as a great Aztec ruin to guide them. 
 
 What they were seeking for was something 
 unseen, but which could be felt a mysterious 
 wind a wind that might be encountered any 
 time, and which might send the Falcon to the 
 earth a wreck. 
 
 The Russian brothers, staggering about in the 
 storm, had seen the mine under different con- 
 ditions from what it would be viewed now. Then 
 it was winter in Siberia. Now it was summer, 
 though it was not very warm. 
 
 On and on sailed the Falcon. The weather 
 could not have been better, but for once Tom 
 wanted bad weather. He wanted a blow the 
 harder the better and all eyes anxiously watched 
 the anemometer, or wind gage. But ever it re- 
 volved lazily about in the gentle breeze. 
 
 "Oh, for a hurricane!" cried Tom. 
 
 He got his wish sooner than he anticipated. It 
 was about two days after this, when they were 
 going about in a great circle, about two hundred 
 miles from the imaginery centre of the district 
 in which the mine lay, that, as Mr. Damon wafi 
 
182 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 getting dinner a dish he was carrying to the table 
 was suddenly whisked out of his hand. 
 
 "I say, what's the matter?" he cried. "Bless 
 my " 
 
 But he had no time to say more. The airship 
 fairly stood on end, and then, turning completely 
 about, was rapidly driven in the opposite direction,, 
 though her propellers were working rapidly. 
 
 "What's up?" yelled Ned. 
 
 "We are capsizing!" shouted Ivan Petrofsky, 
 and indeed it seemed so, for the airship was be- 
 ing forced over. 
 
 "I guess we've struck what we want!" cried 
 Tom. "We're in a hurricane all right ! This is 
 the place of the big wind! Now for my air 
 glider, if I can get the airship to earth without 
 being wrecked! Ned, lend a hand! We've got 
 our work cut out for us now!" 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 THE LOST MINE 
 
 FOR several moments it seemed as if disaster 
 would overtake the little band of platinum-hunt- 
 ers. In spite of all that Tom and Ned could do, 
 the Falcon was whipped about like a feather in 
 the wind. Sometimes she was pointing her nose 
 to the clouds, and again earthward. Again she 
 would be whirling about in the grip of the hurri- 
 cane, like some fantastic dancer, and again she 
 would roll dangerously. Had she turned turtle it 
 probably would have been the last of her and of 
 all on board. 
 
 "Yank that deflecting lever as far down as it 
 will go!" yelled Tom to his chum. 
 
 "I am. She won't go any farther." 
 
 "All right, hold her so. Mr. Damon, let all 
 the gas out of the bag. I want to be as heavy as 
 possible, and get to earth as soon as we can." 
 
 "Bless my comb and brush!" cried the odd 
 man. "I don't know what's going to become of 
 
 183 
 
Z 84 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "You will know, pretty soon, if the gas isn'l 
 let out!" retorted Tom grimly, and then Mr c 
 Damon hastened to the generator compartment, 
 and opened the emergency outlet. 
 
 Finally, by crowding on all the possible power, 
 so that the propellers and deflecting rudders 
 forced the craft down, Tom was able to get out of 
 the grip of the hurricane, and landed just beyond 
 the zone of it on the ground. 
 
 "Whew! That was a narrow squeak!" cried 
 Ned, as he got out. "How'd you do it, Tom?" 
 
 "I hardly know myself. But it's evident that 
 we're on the right spot now." 
 
 "But the wind has stopped blowing," said Mr. 
 Damon. "It was only a gust." 
 
 "It was the worst kind of a gust I ever want 
 to see," declared the young inventor. "My air 
 glider ought to work to perfection in that. If 
 you think the wind has died out, Mr. Damon, 
 just walk in that direction," and Tom pointed off 
 to the left. 
 
 "Bless my umbrella, I will," was the reply and 
 the odd man started off. He had not gone far, 
 before he was seen to put his hand to his cap. 
 Still he kept on. 
 
 "He's getting into the blow-zone," said Tom 
 in a low voice. 
 
 The next moment Mr. Damon was seen to stag- 
 
THE LOST MINE 185 
 
 ger and fall, while his cap was whisked from his 
 head, and sent high into the air, almost instantly 
 disappearing from sight. 
 
 "Some wind that," murmured Ned, in rather 
 awe-struck tones. 
 
 "That's so," agreed his chum. "But we'd bet- 
 ter help Mr. Damon," for that gentleman was 
 slowly crawling back, not caring to trust him- 
 self on his feet, for the wind had actually carried 
 him down by its force. 
 
 "Bless my anemometer!" he gasped, when Tom 
 and Ned had given him a hand up. "What 
 happened?" 
 
 "It was the great wind," explained Tom. "It 
 blows only in a certain zone, like a draft down 
 a chimney. It is like a cyclone, only that goes in a 
 circle. This is a straight wind, but the path of 
 it seems to be as sharply marked as a trail through 
 the forest. I guess we're here all right. Does 
 this location look familiar to you?" he asked of 
 the Russian brothers. 
 
 "I can't say that it does," answered Ivan. "But 
 then it was winter when we were here." 
 
 "And, another thing," put in Peter. "That 
 wind zone is quite wide. The mine may be in the 
 middle, or near the other edge." 
 
 "That's so," agreed Tom. "We'll soon see 
 what we can do. Come on, Ned, let's get the 
 
186 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 air glider out and put her together. She'll have a 
 test as is a test, now. " 
 
 I shall not describe the tedious work of re-as- 
 sembling Tom Swift's latest invention in the air 
 craft line his glider. Sufficient to say that it 
 was taken out from where it had been stored in 
 separate pieces on board the Falcon, and put to- 
 gether on the plain that marked the beginning of 
 the wind zone. 
 
 It was a curious fact that twenty feet away 
 from the path of the wind scarcely a breeze could 
 be felt, while to advance a little way into it meant 
 that one would at once be almost carried off his 
 feet. 
 
 Tom tested the speed of it one day with a 
 special anemometer, and found that only a few 
 hundred feet inside the zone the wind blew near- 
 ly one hundred miles an hour. 
 
 "What is it like inside, I wonder?" asked Ned. 
 
 "It must be terrific," was his chum's opinion. 
 
 "Dare you risk it, Tom?" 
 
 "Of course. The harder it blows the better 
 the glider works. In fact I can't make much 
 speed in a hundred-mile wind for with us all on 
 board the craft will be heavy, and you must re- 
 member that I depend on the wind alone to give 
 me motion." 
 
THE LOST MINE 187 
 
 "What do you think causes the wind to blow 
 *o peculiarly here Tom?" went on Ned. 
 
 "Oh, it must be caused by high mountain ranges 
 on either side, or the effects of heat and cold, the 
 air being evaporated over a certain area because of 
 great heat, say a volcano, or something like that ; 
 though I don't know that they have volcanoes 
 here. That creates a vacuum, and other air rushes 
 in to fill the vacant space. That's all wind is, 
 anyhow, air rushing in to fill a vacuum, or low 
 pressure zone, for you remember that nature 
 abhors a vacuum." 
 
 It took nearly a week to assemble the Vulture, 
 as Tom had named his latest craft, from the 
 fact that it could hover in the air motionless, like 
 that great bird. At last it was completed and 
 then, weights being taken aboard to steady it, 
 all was ready for the test. Tom would have liked 
 to have taken all his passengers in the glider, for 
 it would work better then, but the three Russians 
 were timid, though they promised to get aboard 
 after the trial. 
 
 The test came off early one morning, Tom, Ned 
 and Mr. Damon being the only ones aboard. Bags 
 of sand represented the others. The glider was 
 wheeled to the edge of the wind zone and they 
 took their places in the car. It was hard work, 
 for the gale, that had never ceased blowing for 
 
1 88 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 an instant since they found its zone, was verj 
 strong. But the glider remained motionless in it, 
 for the wing planes, the rudders, and equalizing 
 weights had been adjusted to make the strain of 
 the wind neutral. 
 
 "All ready?" asked Tom, when his chum and 
 his friend were in the enclosed car of the glider. 
 
 "As ready as I ever shall be," answered Ned. 
 
 "Bless my suspenders! Let her go, Tom, and 
 have it over with!" cried the odd man. 
 
 The young inventor pulled a lever, and almost 
 instantly the glider darted forward. A moment 
 later it soared aloft, and the three Russians cheered. 
 But their voices were lost in the roar of the 
 hurricane, as Tom sent his craft higher and 
 higher. 
 
 It worked perfectly, and he could direct it 
 almost anywhere. The wind acted as the motive 
 power, the bending and warping wings, and the 
 rudders and weights controlling its force. 
 
 "I'm going higher, and see if I can remain 
 stationary!" yelled Tom in Ned's ear. His chum 
 only nodded. Mr. Damon was seated on a bench, 
 clinging to the sides of it as if he feared he would 
 fall off. 
 
 Higher and higher went the Vulture, ever high- 
 er, until, all at once, Tom pulled on another lever 
 and she was still. There she hung in the air, the 
 
THE LOST MINE [89 
 
 wind rushing through her planes, but the glider 
 herself -as-still and quiet as though she rested on / 
 the ground in a calm. She hardly moved a foot ' 
 in either direction, and yet the wind, as evidenced 
 by the anemometer was howling along at a hun- 
 dred and twenty miles an hour ! 
 
 "Success!" cried Tom. " Success! Now we 
 can lie stationary in any spot, and spy out the land 
 through our telescope. Now we will find the lost 
 platinum mine!" 
 
 "Well, I'm not deaf," responded Ned with a 
 smile, for Tom had fairly yelled as he had at the 
 start, and there was no need of this now, for 
 though the wind blew harder than ever it was 
 not opposed to any of the weights or planes, and 
 there was only a gentle humming sound as it 
 rushed through the open spaces of the queer craft. 
 
 Tom gave his glider other and more severe 
 tests, and she answered every one. Then he came 
 to earth. 
 
 "Now we'll begin the search," he said, and prep- 
 arations were made to that end. The Russians, 
 now that they had seen how well the craft worked, 
 were not afraid to trust themselves in her 
 
 As I have explained, there was an enclosed 
 car, capable of holding six. In this were stores, 
 supplies and food sufficient for several days. 
 Tom's plan was to leave the airship anchored on 
 
190 
 
 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 the edge of the wind zone, as a sort of base of 
 supplies or headquarters. From there he intended 
 to go off from time to time in the wind-swept 
 area to look for the lost mine. 
 
 There were weary days that followed. Hour 
 after hour was spent in the air in the glider, the 
 whole party being aboard. Observation after ob- 
 servation was taken, sometimes a certain strata of 
 wind enabling them to get close enough to the 
 earth to use their eyes, while again they had to 
 use the telescopes. They covered a wide section 
 but as day after day passed, and they were no 
 nearer their goal, even Tom. optimistic as he 
 usually was, began to have a tired and discouraged 
 look. 
 
 "Don't you see anything like the place where 
 you found the mine?" he asked of the exile 
 brothers. 
 
 They could only shake their heads. Indeed 
 their task was not easy, for to recognize the 
 place again was difficult. 
 
 More than a week passed. They had been back 
 and forth to their base of supplies at the airship, 
 often staying away over night, once remaining 
 alof t all through the dark hours in the glider, in a 
 nerce gale which prevented a landing. They ate 
 and slept on board, and seldom descended unless 
 at or near the place where they had left the 
 
THE LOST MINE 191 
 
 Falcon. Once they completely crossed the zone 
 of wind, and came to a calm place on the other 
 side. It was as wild and desolate as the other 
 edge. 
 
 Nearly two weeks had passed, and Tom was 
 almost ready to give up and go back home. He 
 had at least accomplished part of his desire, to 
 rescue the exile, and he had even done better than 
 originally intended, for there was Mr. Borioua 
 who had also been saved, and it was the intention 
 of the young inventor to take him to the United 
 States. 
 
 "But the platinum treasure has me beat, I 
 guess," said Tom grimly. "We can't seem to get 
 a trace of it." 
 
 Night was coming on, and he had half de 
 termined to head back for the airship. Ivan Pet 
 rofsky was peering anxiously down at the deso- 
 late land, over which they were gliding. He and 
 his brother took turns at this. 
 
 They were not far above the earth, but land- 
 marks, such as had to be depended on to locate 
 the mine, could not readily be observed without 
 the glass. Mr. Damon, with a pair of ordinary 
 field glasses, was doing all he could to pick out 
 likely spots, though it was doubtful if he would 
 know the place if he saw it. 
 
 However, as chance willed it, he was instru* 
 
192 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 mental in bringing the quest to a close, and most 
 unexpectedly. Peter Petrofsky was relieving his 
 brother at the telescope, when the odd man, who 
 had not taken his eyes from the field glasses, sud- 
 dely uttered an exclamation. 
 
 "Bless my tooth-brush!" he cried. "That's a 
 most desolate place down there. A lot of trees 
 blown down around a lake that looks as black as 
 ink." 
 
 "What's that !" cried Ivan Petrofsky. "A lake 
 as black as ink? Where?" 
 
 "We just passed it!" replied Mr. Damon. 
 
 "Then put back there, as soon as you can, 
 Tom!" called the Russian. "I want to look at 
 that place." 
 
 With a long, graceful sweep the young inventor 
 sent the glider back over the course. Ivan Pet- 
 rofsky glued his eyes to the telescope. He picked 
 out the spot Mr. Damon had referred to, and a 
 moment later cried: 
 
 "That's it ! That's near the lost platinum mine ! 
 We've found it again, Tom everybody! Don't 
 you remember, Peter," he said turning to his 
 brother, "when we were lost in the snow we 
 crawled in among a tangle of trees to get out of 
 the blast. There was a sheet of white snow near 
 them, and you broke through into water. I 
 pulled you out. That must have been a lake, 
 
THE LOST MINE 
 
 193 
 
 though it was lightly frozen over then. I believe 
 this is the lost mine. Go down, Tom ! Go down !" 
 "I certainly will!" cried the youth, and pulling! 
 on the descending" lever he shunted the glider to 
 earth. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 THE LEAKING TANKS 
 
 LIKE a bird descending from some dizzy 
 height, the Vulture landed close to the pool of 
 black water, It was a small lake and the darkness 
 must have been caused by its depth, for later 
 when they took some out in a glass it was as 
 clear as a crystal. Then, too, there might have 
 been black rocks on the bottom. 
 
 "Can it be possible that we are here at last?" 
 cried Tom, above the noise of the gale, for the 
 wind was blowing at a terrific rate. But our 
 friends knew better now how to adjust them- 
 selves to it, and the lake was down in a valley, 
 the sides of which cut off the power of the gale. 
 As for the glider it was only necessary to equal- 
 ize the balance and it would remain stationary in 
 any wind. 
 
 "This is the place! This is the place!' 3 cried 
 Ivan Petrofsky. "Don't you remember, Peter?' 2 
 
 "Indeed I do! I have good cause to! This ii 
 where we found the platinum!" 
 
 194 
 
THE LEAKING TANKS 
 
 195 
 
 "Bless my soul!" cried Mr. Damon. "Where 
 is it, in the lake?" 
 
 "The mine itself is just beyond that barrier ot 
 broken and twisted trees," replied the elder Rus- 
 sian brother. "It is an irregular opening in the 
 ground, as though once, centuries ago, an ancient 
 people tried to get out the precious metal. We 
 will go to it at once." 
 
 "But it is getting late," objected Ned. 
 
 "No matter," said Tom. "If we find any plat- 
 inum we'll stay here all night, and longer if nec- 
 essary to get a good supply. This is better than 
 the city of gold, for we're in the open." 
 
 "I should say we were," observed Mr. Damon, 
 as he bent to the blast, which was strong, sheltered 
 even as they were. 
 
 "Will it be safe to remain all night?" asked 
 Mr. Borious, with a glance about the desolate 
 country. 
 
 "We have plenty of food," replied Tom, "and 
 a good place to stay, in the car of the glider. I 
 don't believe we'll be attacked." 
 
 "No, not here," said the elder Petrofsky. "But 
 we still have to go back across Siberia to escape." 
 
 "We'll do it!" cried Tom. "Now for the plat- 
 inum treasure!" 
 
 They went forward, and it was no easy work. 
 For the wind still blew with tremendous force 
 
196 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 though nothing like what it did higher up. And 
 the ground was uneven. They had to cling to 
 each other and it was very evident that no air- 
 ship, not even the powerful Falcon, could have 
 reached the place. Only an air glider would 
 answer. 
 
 It took them half an hour to get to the open- 
 ing of the ancient mine, and by that time it was 
 nearly dark. But Tom had thought to bring 
 electric torches, such as he had used in the under- 
 ground city of gold, and they dispelled the gloom 
 of the small cavern. 
 
 "Will you go in?" asked Ivan Petrofsky, when 
 they had come to the place. He looked at Tom. 
 
 "Go in? Of course I'll go in!" cried our hero, 
 stepping forward. The others followed. For 
 some time they went on, and saw no traces of 
 the precious metal. Then Ned uttered a cry, as 
 he saw some dull, grayish particles imbedded in 
 the earth walls of the shaft. 
 
 "Look!" he cried. 
 
 Tom was at his chum's side in a moment. 
 
 "That's platinum!" cried the young inventor. 
 '''And of the very higest grade! But the lumps 
 are very small." 
 
 "There are larger ones beyond," said the young^ 
 er Russian brother. 
 
 Forward they pressed, and a moment later, 
 
THE LEAKING TANKS 197 
 
 coming around a turn in the cavern where some 
 earth had fallen away, evidently recently, Tom 
 could not repress a cry of joy. For there, in 
 plain sight, were many large lumps of the valu- 
 able metal, in as pure a state as it is ever found. 
 For it is always mixed with other metals or chem- 
 icals. 
 
 "Look at that!" cried Tom. "Look at that! 
 Lumps as large as an egg!" and he dug some out 
 with a small pick he had brought along, and 
 stuffed them into his pocket. 
 
 "Bless my check book!" cried Mr. Damon, 
 "and that stuff is as valuable as gold!" 
 
 "More so!" cried Tom enthusiastically. 
 
 "Oh, here's a whopping big one!" cried Ned. 
 I'll bet it weighs ten pounds." 
 
 "More than that!" cried Tom, as he ran over 
 and began digging it out, and they found later 
 that it did. Platinum is usually found in small 
 granules, but there are records of chunks being 
 found weighing twenty pounds while others, the 
 size of pigeons' eggs, are not uncommon. 
 
 "Say, this is great!" yelled Ned, discovering 
 another large piece, and digging it out. 
 
 "I am glad we could lead you to it," said the 
 elder Russian brother. "It is a small return for 
 what you did for us!" 
 
 "Nonsense!" cried Tom. "These must be a 
 
I9 8 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 king's ransom here. Everbody dig it out! Get 
 all you can." 
 
 They were all busy, but the light of the two 
 torches Tom had brought was not sufficient for 
 good and efficient work, so, after getting several 
 thousand dollars worth of the precious metal, 
 they decided to postpone operations until morn- 
 ing, and come with more lights. 
 
 They were at the work soon after breakfast, 
 the night in the air glider having passed without 
 incident. The treasure of platinum proved even 
 richer than the Russians had thought, and it was 
 no wonder the Imperial government had tried so 
 hard to locate it, or get on the trail of those who 
 sought it. 
 
 "And it's all good stuff!" cried Tom eagerly. 
 "Not like that low-grade gold of the underground 
 city. I can make my own terms when I sell this." 
 
 For three days our friends dug and dug in 
 that platinum mine, so many years lost to man, 
 and when they got ready to leave they had indeed 
 a king's ransom with them. But it was to be 
 equally divided. Tom insisted on this, as his Rus- 
 sian friends had been instrumental in finding it. 
 Toward the end of the excavation large pieces 
 were scarce, and it was evident that the mine 
 was what is called a "lode." 
 
 "Well, shall we go back now?" asked Tom 
 
THE LEAKING TANKS 199 
 
 one day, after the finish of their mining opera- 
 tions. The work was comparatively simple, as 
 the platinum lumps had merely to be dug out 
 of the sides of the cave. But the loneliness and 
 dreariness of the place was telling on them all. 
 
 "Can't we carry any more?" asked Ned. 
 
 "We could, but it might not be safe. I don't 
 want to take on too much weight, as my glider 
 isn't as stable as the airship. But we have plenty 
 of the metal. 
 
 "Indeed we have," agreed Ivan Petrofsky. 
 "Much of mine and my brother's will go toward 
 helping relieve the sufferings of the Siberian ex- 
 iles," he added. 
 
 "And mine, too," said Alexis Borious. 
 
 They started back early the next morning in a 
 more terrific gale than in any the glider had yet 
 flown. But she proved herself a stanch craft, 
 and soon they were at the place where they had 
 left the airship. It was undisturbed. 
 
 Four days were spent in taking apart the glider 
 and packing it on board the Falcon. Then, with 
 the platinum safely stored away Tom, with a last 
 look at the desolate land that had been so kind 
 to them, sent his craft on her homeward way. 
 
 It was when they were near the city of Pirt- 
 china, on the Obi river, that what might have 
 proved a disastrous accident occurred. They were 
 
200 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 flying along high, and at great speed, for Tom 
 wanted to make all the distance he could, to get 
 out of Siberia the more quickly. They had had 
 a fair passage so far, and were congratulating 
 themselves that they would soon be in civilization 
 again. 
 
 Suddenly, Mr. Damon, who had been on the 
 after deck, taking observations through a tele- 
 scope, came running forward, crying out: 
 
 "Tom! Tom! What is that water dripping 
 from the back part of the airship?" 
 
 "Water?" exclaimed Tom. "No water is drip- 
 ping from there." 
 
 "Come and look," advised Mr. Damon. 
 
 The young inventor raced back with him. He 
 saw a thin, white stream trickling down from the 
 lower part of the craft. Tom sniffed the air sus- 
 piciously. 
 
 "Gasolene! It's gasolene!" he cried. "We 
 must have a leak in the supply tanks!" 
 
 He dashed toward the reserve storeroom, and 
 at that moment, with a suddenness that was start- 
 ling, the motor stopped and the Falcon lurched 
 toward the earth. 
 
CHAPTER XXV 
 
 HOMEWARD BOUND CONCLUSION 
 
 "ALL right!" yelled Ned, as soon as he heard 
 Tom's cry. "I've got her under control. We'll 
 volplane down." 
 
 "Is it dangerous? Are we in danger?" asked 
 Peter Patrofsky of his brother^ in Russian. 
 
 "I guess there's no danger, where Tom Swift 
 is concerned," was the answer. "I have not vol- 
 planed much, but it will be all right I think." 
 
 And it was, for with Ned Newton to guide the 
 craft, while Tom did his best to stop the leak, the 
 craft came gently to earth on the outskirts of a 
 fairly large Siberian city. Almost instantly the 
 Falcon was surrounded by a curious throng. 
 
 "You had better keep inside," said Ivan Pet- 
 rofsky to his brother and Mr. Borious. "Des- 
 criptions of you are probably out broadcast by 
 now, but I am still sufficiently disguised, I think." 
 
 "But what is to be done ?" demanded the young- 
 er Russian brother. "If the gasolene is gone, how 
 can we leave here?" 
 
 201 
 
202 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "Trust Tom Swift for that," was the reply. 
 "Keep out of sight now, there is a large crowd 
 outside." 
 
 Tom came from the tank room. There was a 
 despondent look on his face. 
 
 "It's all gone every drop," he said. "That's 
 what made the motor stop." 
 
 "What's gone?" asked Mr. Damon. 
 
 "The gasolene. We sprung a leak in the main 
 tank, somehow, and it all flowed out while we 
 were flying along." 
 
 "Haven't you any more?" 
 
 "Not a bit. I was drawing on the reserve tank, 
 hoping to get to civilization before I needed more. 
 But its too late now. We will have to " 
 
 "Bless my snow shoes!" cried Mr. Damon. 
 "Don't say we'll have to stay here in Siberia! 
 Don't say that. My wife " 
 
 "No, we won't have to stay here if we can get 
 a supply of kerosene," interrupted Tom. "The 
 motor will burn that. The only trouble is that we 
 may be detained. The authorities probably know 
 us by this time, and are on the watch." 
 
 "Then get it before they know we are here," 
 advised Ned. 
 
 "I'll try," said Tom, and he at once conferred 
 with the elder Petrofsky. The latter said he was 
 sure kerosene could be had in town, and, rather 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND CONCLUSION 203 
 
 than risk going in themselves, they hired a wag- 
 oner who agreed, for liberal pay, to go and re- 
 turn with a quantity. Until then there was nothing 
 to do but wait. 
 
 Meanwhile the crowd of curiosity seekers grew. 
 They thronged around the airship, some of them 
 meddling with various devices, until Tom had to 
 order them away with gestures. 
 
 One particularly inquisitive man insisted on 
 pulling or twisting everything, until he happened 
 to touch a couple of live wires, giving himself 
 quite a shock, and then he ran away howling. 
 But still the crowd increased, and at last Mr. Pet- 
 rofsky said: 
 
 "I don't like this, Tom?" 
 
 "Why not?" They were all inside the craft, 
 looking out and waiting for the return of the 
 man with the kerosene. The leak in the tank had 
 proved to be a small one, and had quickly been 
 soldered. It had been open a long time, which 
 accounted for the large amount of gasolene es- 
 caping. "What don't you like, Mr. Petrofsky?" 
 t "So many men surrounding us. I believe some 
 of them are officers dressed in civilians' clothes, 
 and a Russian officer never does that unless he 
 has some object." 
 
 "And you think the object is ?" 
 
 "To capture us." 
 
204 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 "If it was that, wouldn't they have done it 
 long ago when we first came down?" 
 
 "No, they are evidently waiting for something^ 
 perhaps for some high official, without whose 
 orders they dare do nothing. Russia is overrun 
 with officialdom." 
 
 And a little later Ivan Petrofsky's suspicion 
 proved true. There arrived a man in uniform, 
 who spoke fairly good English, and who politely 
 asked Tom if he would not delay the start of the 
 airship, again, until the governor could arrive 
 from his country place to see it. 
 
 "We know you are going to leave us," said the 
 Russian with a smile, "for you have sent for 
 kerosene. But please wait." 
 
 "If your governor comes soon we'll wait," re- 
 plied Tom. "But we are in a hurry. I wish 
 that kerosene fellow would get a move on," he 
 murmured. 
 
 "Oh, he will doubtless be here soon," said the 
 officer. "Might I be permitted to come aboard 
 and wait for my chief?" 
 
 "Sorry, but it's not allowed," replied our hero, 
 straining his eyes down the road for a sight of 
 the wagoner. At last he came, and Tom 
 breathed easier. 
 
 But the crowd was bigger, and some of the 
 men, though poorly dressed, seemed to be per- 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND CONCLUSION 205 
 
 sons in authority. Tom had no doubt but what 
 there was a plot afoot to detain him, and arrest 
 the exiles, and that there were disguised soldiers 
 in the throng. But they could not act without 
 the governor's orders, and he was probably on 
 his way with all haste. 
 
 "Lively now, get that kerosene in the tanks!" 
 cried Tom to the man, motioning in lieu of using 
 Russian. The youth was not going to meet the 
 governor if he could help it. 
 
 Now it was a curious thing, but the more that 
 wagoner and his helpers seemed to try to hurry, 
 and pour the oil from the cans into the tank-open- 
 ing of the airship, the slower they worked. They 
 got in each others' way, dropped some cans, spilled 
 others, and in general made such poor work at it 
 that Tom saw there was something in the wind. 
 
 "Ned!" he exclaimed, "they're doing all they 
 can to detain us. We've got to put that oil in our- 
 selves. Just as we did the gasolene in France. 
 It's the same sort of a delay game." 
 
 "Right, Tom! I'm with you." 
 
 "And I'll warn the crowd back, by telling them 
 we are likely to blow up any minute!" added 
 Ivan Petrofsky, which warning he shouted in 
 Prussian a moment later. 
 
 Backward leaped the throng, as though a bomb 
 had been thrown into their midst, even the sup- 
 
206 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 posed officers joining in the retreat. Tne oil 
 wagon was now easy of access, and Tom and Ned, 
 with Mr. Damon to aid them, hastened toward it. 
 Then the work of rilling the tanks went on in 
 something like good old, United States fashion. 
 
 The last gallon of kerosene had been put aboard, 
 and Tom and Ned with Mr. Damon, had climbed 
 on deck, when the gaily uniformed officer, who 
 had requested the delay, came riding up furiously. 
 
 "Hold! Hold! If you please! "he cried. "The 
 governor has come. He wants to see you." 
 
 "Too late!" answered Tom. "Give him our 
 best regards and ask him to some to the United 
 States if he wants to see us. Sorry we haven't 
 cards handy. Ned, take the pilot house, and 
 shoot her up sharp when you get the signal. I'm 
 going to run the motor. I don't know just how 
 she'll behave on the kerosene." 
 
 "You must remain!" angrily cried the officer. 
 
 "The United States doesn't take 'must' from 
 anybody, from the Czar down!" cried Tom as he 
 disappeared into the motor room. The window 
 was open, and the youth turned on the power the 
 official cried again to him: 
 
 "Halt! Here comes the governor! I declare 
 you arrested by his orders, and in the name of the 
 Czar!" 
 
 "Nothing doing!" yelled Tom, and then, look- 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND CONCLUSION 207 
 
 ing from the window, he saw approaching a 
 troop of Cossacks, in the midst of whom rode a 
 man in a brilliant uniform evidently the 
 governor. 
 
 "Stop! Stop!" cried the official. 
 
 "Here we go, Ned!" yelled Tom, and turning 
 oti more power the Falcon arose swiftly, before 
 the very eyes of the angry governor, and his 
 staff of Cossack soldiers. 
 
 Up and up she went, faster and faster, the mo- 
 tors working well on the kerosene. Higher and 
 higher. The governor and his soldiers were di- 
 rectly below her now. 
 
 "Stopl Stop! You must stop. The Imperial 
 governor orders it!" yelled the officer, evidently 
 his Excellency's aide-de-camp. 
 
 "We can't hear you!" shouted Tom, waving 
 his hand from the motor room window, and then, 
 turning on still more power he flew over the city, 
 taking his friends and the valuable supply of 
 platinum with him. So surprised were the 
 soldiers that they did not fire a shot, but had they 
 done so it is doubtful if much damage could have 
 been done. 
 
 "And now for home!" cried Tom, and home- 
 ward bound the Falcon was after a perilous trip 
 through two storms. But she weathered them 
 well. 
 
2 o8 TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER 
 
 In due season they reached Paris again, and 
 now, having no reason for concealment, they 
 flew boldly down, to change what remained of the 
 kerosene for gasolene, as the motor worked better 
 on that. The secret police learned that the exiles 
 were aboard, but they could do nothing, as the 
 offenses were political ones, and so Tom kept 
 his friends safe. 
 
 Then they started on the long voyage across 
 the Atlantic, and though they had one bad ex- 
 perience in a storm over that mighty ocean, they 
 got safely home to Shopton in due season. 
 
 There is little more to tell. The platinum 
 proved to be even more valuable than Tom had 
 expected. He could have sold it all for a large 
 sum, but he preferred to keep most of what he 
 had for his inventive work, and he used consider- 
 able of it in his machinery. Ned disposed of his, 
 selling Tom some at a lower price than market 
 quotations, and the Russians got a good price for 
 theirs, turning the money into the fund to help 
 their fellow exiles. Mr. Damon also made a good 
 donation to the cause, as did Tom and Ned. 
 
 Mr. Petrofsky and his brother, with the other 
 exile, joined friends in New York, and promised 
 to come and see Tom when they could. 
 
 "Well, I suppose you'll take a long vacation 
 now," said Mary Nestor, to Tom, when he called 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND CONCLUSION 209 
 
 on her one evening to present her a unique ring, 
 with the stones set in some of the platinum he 
 had dug in the Siberian mine. 
 
 "Vacation? I have no time for vacations !"\ 
 said the young inventor. "I'm soon going to 
 work on my silent airship, and on some othet 
 things I have in mind. I want more adventures." 
 
 "Oh, you greedy boy!" exclaimed Mary with a 
 laugh. 
 
 And what adventures Tom had next will be 
 found in the next book of this series, which will 
 be entitled, "Tom Swift in Captivity; Or, a Dar- 
 ing Escape by Airship." 
 
 Tom had several offers to give exhibitions in 
 his air glider, from aviation committees at vari- 
 ous meets, but he declined. 
 
 "I haven't time," he declared. "I'm too busy." 
 
 "You ought to rest," his chum Ned advised 
 him. 
 
 " 'Bless my alarm clock !' as Mr. Damon would 
 say," exclaimed Tom. "The best rest is new 
 work," and then he began sketching his ideas for 
 a silent motor craft, during which we will take 
 leave of him for a while. 
 
 THE END 
 
This Isn't All! 
 
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 you will find a wonderful list of 
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 Use it as a handy catalog of the books 
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 case you do mislay it, write to the 
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 THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT CEDAR CAMP 
 
 THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT THE COUNTY FAIR 
 
 THE BOBBSEY TWINS CAMPING OUT 
 
 THE BOBBSEY TWINS AND BABY MAY 
 
 THE BOBBSEY TWINS KEEPING HOUSE 
 
 THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT CLOVERBANK 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK. 
 
THE BUNNY BROWN SERIES 
 
 By LAURA LEE HOPE 
 
 Author of the Popular " Bobbsey Twins" Books, Etff 
 
 Durably Sound. Illustrated. Uniform Style of Binding/ 
 Every Vo&orae Complete in Itself. 
 
 These stories are eagerly -welcomed by the little folks 
 from about five to tea years of age. Their eyes fairly dance 
 with delight at the lively doiogs of inquisitive little Btinny 
 Brown and his ctKimsg, trustful sister Sue. 
 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTSR SUB 
 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE ON GRAOTPA'S 
 
 FARM 
 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE PLAYING CSRCU3 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT GAMP-REST- 
 
 A-WHILE 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT AUNT LITS 
 
 CITY HOMB 
 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE IN THE BIG 
 
 WOODS 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE ON AN AUTO 
 
 TOUR 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AND THEIR 
 
 SHETLAND POKY 
 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE GIVING A SHOW 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AT CHRISTMAS 
 
 TREE COVE 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE IN THE SUNNY 
 
 SOUTH 
 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE KEEPING STORB 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE AND THEIR 
 
 TRICK DOG 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SJSTBR SUE AT A SUGAR 
 
 CAMP 
 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE ON THE ROLL- 
 ING OCEAN 
 BUNNY BROWN AND HIS SISTER SUE ON JACK FROST 
 
 ISLAND 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, jPzc&^s^er, NEW YORK 
 
SIX LITTLE BUNKERS SERIES 
 
 By LAURA LEE HOPE 
 
 Author of The Bobbsey Twins Books, The Bunny 
 Brown Series, The Blythe Girls Books, Etc. 
 
 Durably Bound. Illustrated. Uniform Style of Binding* 
 Every Volume Complete in Itself. 
 
 Delightful stories for little boys and girls which sprung 
 into immediate popularity. To know the six little Bunkers 
 is to take them at once to your heart, they are so intensely 
 human, so full of fun and cute sayings. Each story has a 
 little plot of its own one that can be easily followed and 
 all are written in Miss Hope's most entertaining manner. 
 Clean, wholesome volumes which ought to be on the book* 
 shelf of every child in the land. 
 
 SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT GRANDMA BELL'S 
 SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT AUNT JO'S 
 SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT COUSIN TOM'S 
 SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT GRANDPA FORD'S 
 SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT UNCLE FRED'S 
 SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT CAPTAIN BEN'S 
 SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT COWBOY JACK'S 
 SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT MAMMY JUNE'S 
 SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT FARMER JOEL'S 
 SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT MILLER NED'S 
 SIX LITTLE BUNKERS AT INDIAN JOHN'S 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK 
 
Football and Baseball Stories 
 
 Durably Bound. Illustrated. Colored Wrappers. 
 Every Volume Complete in Itself. 
 
 The Ralph Henry Barbour Books for Boys 
 
 In these up-to-the-minute, spirited genuine stories of 
 boy life there is something which will appeal to every boy 
 with the love of manliness, cleanness and sportsmanship 
 in his heart. 
 
 LEFT END EDWARDS 
 
 LEFT TACKLE THAYER 
 
 LEFT GUARD GILBERT 
 
 CENTER RUSH ROWLAND 
 
 FULLBACK FOSTER 
 
 LEFT HALF HARMON 
 
 RIGHT END EMERSON 
 
 RIGHT GUARD GRANT 
 
 QUARTERBACK BATES 
 
 RIGHT TACKLE TODD 
 
 RIGHT HALF HOLLINS 
 
 The Christy Mathewson Books for Boys 
 
 Every boy wants to know how to play ball in the fairest 
 and squarest way. These books about boys and baseball 
 are full of wholesome and manly interest and information. 
 
 PITCHER POLLOCK 
 CATCHER CRAIG 
 FIRST BASE FAULKNER 
 SECOND BASE SLOAN 
 PITCHING IN A PINCH 
 
 THIRD BASE THATCHER, By Everett Scott 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK 
 
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