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@@ -0,0 +1,5774 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Tom Swift and his Air Glider, by Victor Appleton + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Tom Swift and his Air Glider + or, Seeking the Platinum Treasure + +Author: Victor Appleton + +Posting Date: July 13, 2008 [EBook #952] +Release Date: June, 1997 +Last updated: January 30, 2012 +Last updated: April 22, 2012 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER *** + + + + +Produced by Anthony Matonac. + + + + + + + + +TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER + +or + +Seeking the Platinum Treasure + + +By + +VICTOR APPLETON + + + +CONTENTS + + I A Breakdown + II A Daring Project + III The Hand of the Czar + IV The Search + V A Clew from Russia + VI Rescuing Mr. Petrofsky + VII The Air Glider + VIII In a Great Gale + IX The Spies + X Off in the Airship + XI A Storm at Sea + XII An Accident + XIII Seeking a Quarrel + XIV Hurried Flight + XV Pursued + XVI The Nihilists + XVII On to Siberia + XVIII In a Russian Prison + XIX Lost in a Salt Mine + XX The Escape + XXI The Rescue + XXII In the Hurricane + XXIII The Lost Mine + XXIV The Leaking Tanks + XXV Homeward Bound--Conclusion + + + + + +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, Tom." + +"Oh, that's all right, Mr. Damon," answered 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 +propeller 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 you're more than ballast--I want you to +help me manage the craft since I made the changes 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 +when yo' 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's 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 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 +combination 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 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 anyone to go along with him! But Ned finally +got over his feeling of nervousness. + +"Understand, Tom," spoke Ned, "it isn't because 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 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." + +"Aye, aye, sir!" answered Ned with a laugh. + +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 yelled, 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. + +"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 object, the "thrust" of the propellers will be +registered in pounds on the scale of the balance. Anywhere 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 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 minute, the young inventor +pulled the rope that released 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. + +Ned Newton had ridden many times with his chum Tom, and the sensation +of gliding through the upper regions was not new to him. But this time +there was something different. The propellers 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 referred 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 +inventor 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. + +"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 volplane to earth." + +This, it may be explained, is gliding downward from a height with the +engine shut off. Aeroplanists 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 headplanes 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 uttered an exclamation. + +"Find it?" asked Ned. + +"Yes, it's in the magneto. All the platinum bearings and contact +surfaces have fused and crystallized. 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 platinum 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 service 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 Tom. "If I only had some platinum, I could--" + +"Perhaps I could be of service to you," suddenly 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. + +"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 silverlike +metal. + +"Do? I should say it would! My, but that is the best platinum I've seen +in a long while!" exclaimed Tom, who was an expert judge of this 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 be found I would be the +happiest man on earth 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 platinum 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 related how Tom bought the machine from a +Mr. 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 blessing everything he could think of--was no +objection 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 daughter 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 submarine, in which they went after sunken treasure. In +the book, "Tom Swift and His Electric Runabout," 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 Earthquake 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. Illingway and his wife, from the red pygmies. + +Tom had not been home from Africa long before 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 way 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 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 +prisoners. 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 Shopton. 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 inventions, 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." + +"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--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 Russian 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 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 quartered there +were many mines, some of salt and some of sulphur. Oh, the horrors 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 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 snowstorm, 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 naturally, 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 platinum 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 in terrific storms, were found by a searching party and +brought back to the barracks." + +"Did they think you had escaped?" asked Tom. + +"They did," replied the Russian, "and they punished us severely 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 for 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 +could not penetrate that wild country." + +"They should have used an aeroplane," suggested Tom. + +"They did," replied the Russian quickly, "but it was of no use." + +"Why not?" the young inventor wanted to know. + +"Because of the terrific winds that almost continually sweep over that +part of Siberia. They 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 precious 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 had a hard time," declared Tom. "I am much obliged +for this platinum. Have you set a price on it? It is worth much more +than the ordinary kind." + +"The price is nothing to you," replied the Russian, 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 platinum. + +"If the Russians had such a machine as this maybe they could have +gotten to that mine," suggested Ned, who was very proud of Tom's craft. + +"It would be useless in the terrific winds, I fear," answered Ivan +Petrofsky. "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 have a try at finding your +brother, and would you come with me?" + +"Would I?" asked the Russian eagerly. "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 larger airship--the one that doesn't come down so often." + +"Well, perhaps it is a little easier on an amateur," 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 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. Petrofsky. "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 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. I'd 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 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 aeroplane, but the motion +comes from the wind, acting 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 Mr. 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 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. Petrofsky 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, Tom?" + +"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 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 he bent all his +energies in that direction. Meanwhile Mr. Damon had been told of the +prospective trip. + +"Bless my bank book! Of course I'll 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 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 Russian. "I will write to +some friends in St. Petersburg 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 from 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 +Petrofsky lived. + +"He doesn't seem to be at home," remarked Ned, as they descended and +approached the dwelling. + +"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. + +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. Upstairs, 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. Petrofsky 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! This isn't Russia!" + +"No, but he's a Russian subject, and, by his own 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 government 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. "Probably the spies, secret +police, or whoever the Russian 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 airship, 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." + +"Not a bit of it. I'm going to have a hunt for it." + +"But how can you when Mr. Petrofsky can't go along to show us the way? +Besides, we wanted to help 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 Russian 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 windows 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 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 upset, the dishes on the floor. Here's one +with oatmeal 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. Petrofsky was at breakfast 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 +putting him in a carriage, searched the house for incriminating 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 chum 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 +rescue. 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 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 he 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 anything. 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 breakfast. + +"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. Unfortunately, +however, in approaching the house after leaving the aeroplane, Ned and +Tom had not thought to exercise caution, and, not suspecting anything +wrong, they had stepped on a number of footprints 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 hurried 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." + +"GOOD!" cried Tom admiringly. "You're coming 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 going +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 electrical 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 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, however, 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. +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 happened, and see what he says." + +"Carriage?" 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 middlin' 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 believe they are the fellows we're +after," and, without 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 slowness, "an' asked me how far it was t' th' +Waterville station, an' I told him." + +"Why didn't you say so at first?" asked Tom 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 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. "There 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' 'vaterville!" 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 Waterville station, was surprised +at seeing two youths drop down out of an aeroplane, and begin +questioning 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 counterfeit 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 between here and New York, +or even changed to another railroad at the junction," spoke Tom. "It's +going to be a hard job." + +"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. Petrofsky 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 detectives 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 men who had taken Mr. Petrofsky away, and confirmed +the suspicion that they were agents of the Russian 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. + +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 communication 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. +Petrofsky 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. Petrofsky's 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, whatever 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 received 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 +whereabouts of Mr. Petrofsky. + +Now the young inventor and his friends were hovering over the sandy +stretch of coast that extends from Sandy Hook down the Atlantic +seaboard. They were looking for a small fishing hamlet on the outskirts +of which, so the Russian 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 distance, 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 accurate description of the +prisoner's hut had been given, and also some details about his guards. +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." + +"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 figured +on getting to the hut after dark. + +"Have everything ready for a quick start," Tom said to Ned, "for we may +come back running." + +"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 +judgement now, for the minor details of the location 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 detective. + +"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 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 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. Damon, 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 listened 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! Look out, comrades!" + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE AIR GLIDER + + +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 continued to call. "Bless my +safety valve! We'll save you! Come on!" + +Mr. Petrofsky was leaping across the 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. Damon, 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, and he swerved suddenly, +tearing his coat, from the grasp of the guard. + +In another instant the exile was at the casement, 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 harmlessly 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 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 airship! 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," remarked 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. Petrofsky, and this gained +a little time for our friends. + +"Stop! Hold on!" cried one of the guards in fairly good English. "That +is our prisoner." + +"Not any more!" the young inventor yelled back. "He's ours now." + +"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 the 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. "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 rapidly +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 meet 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 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 halt 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 Tom, +Mr. Damon, the detective and Ivan Petrofsky, and an instant later Ned +had sent it aloft. The race was over, and the young inventor 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 you. I had to go slowly so as not to pass you +in the darkness." + +They were speeding off now, and Ned, turning the beams of the great +searchlight below them, picked up the three guards who were gazing +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 +breakfast 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 prisoner in the lonely +hut, and each day he had expected 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 inventor over and over again, "for the papers would +have arrived, and the last obstacle to taking 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 heartily. "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 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, changing 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 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 completion. 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 telegraph wires that ran along on +high poles past the house of Tom Swift sung 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 much though." + +In spite of his haste Tom ate a good breakfast 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 satisfaction 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 +airship 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 proportioned 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." + +"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 "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 faithful mule, was soon on hand. +The animal was hitched to the glider, and pulled it toward the hill. + +"Now to see what happens," remarked Tom as he wheeled his latest +invention around where the wind would take it as soon as the +restraining 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 anemometer or wind gage, on the craft, and noted +that it registered sixty miles an hour. + +"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 Eradicate, 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 +different. 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. + +"How high are you going up?" demanded Ned, for the air glider was still +mounting upward 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 everything," and he shifted them forward on the sliding +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 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 +moving 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 wonder 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 success." + +"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 standstill, 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 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 anxiously, 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 big airship in shape for the long trip to the land +of the exiles. + +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. Mr. Petrofsky +spent his nights writing 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: + +"Tom, 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 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 +grapple with those who had looked in the shop window, but it was not to +be. + +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 window. 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?" + +"I didn't see those fellows very well, you remember, 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 anything 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 information 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, plotting, 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 the very people whom Mr. Petrofsky thinks are his friends +are spies, and they send word to headquarters 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 until it's too late. I'm glad I'm not mixed up in that sort +of thing. If I can get to Siberia, help Mr. Petrofsky rescue his +brother, and get hold of some of that platinum I'll be satisfied. Then +I won't go back to the land of the Czar, once I get away from there." + +"That's right. Well, let's go back and work on the glider." + +"And we'll have Eradicate patrolling about the shop to make sure we're +not spied on again." + +"By golly! Ef I sees any oh 'em, I suah will pinch 'em!" cried the +colored man, as he clicked the pliers. + +But there was no further disturbance that night, and, when Tom and Ned +ceased work, they had made good progress toward finishing the air +glider. + +The big airship was almost ready to be given a trial flight, with her +motors tuned up to give more power, and as soon as the Russian exile +had a little more definite information as to the possible whereabouts +of his brother, they could start. + +In the days that followed Tom and his friends worked hard. The air +glider was made as nearly perfect as any machine is, and in a fairly +stiff gale, that blew up about a week later, Tom did some things in it +that made his friends open their eyes. The young inventor had it under +nearly as good control as he had his dirigible balloons or aeroplanes. + +The big airship, too, was made ready for the long voyage, extra large +storage tanks for gasolene being built in, as it was doubtful if they +could get a supply in Siberia without arranging for it in advance, and +this they did not want to do. Besides there was the long ocean flight +to provide for. + +"But if worst comes to worst I can burn kerosene in my motor," Tom +explained, for he had perfected an attachment to this end. "You can get +kerosene almost anywhere in Russia." + +At last word was received from Russia, from some Revolutionist friends +of the exile, stating that his brother was supposed to be working in a +certain sulphur mine north of the Iablonnoi mountains, and half way +between that range and the city of Iakutsk. + +"But it might be a salt mine, just as well," said Mr. Petrofsky, when +he told the boys the news. "Information about the poor exiles is hard +to get." + +"Well, we'll take a chance!" cried Tom determinedly. + +The preparations went on, and by strict watchfulness none of the spies +secured admission to the shop where the air glider was being finished. +The big airship was gotten in shape for the voyage, and then, after a +final trial of the glider, it was taken apart and put aboard the +Falcon, ready for use on the gale-swept plains of Siberia. + +The last of the stores, provisions and supplies were put in the big car +of the airship, a route had been carefully mapped out, and Tom, after +saying good-bye to Mary Nestor, his father, the housekeeper, and +Eradicate, took his place in the pilot house of the airship one +pleasant morning at the beginning of Summer. + +"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. + +"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, of sinister +looks, peering at the slowly-moving airship from the shelter of a glove +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 preferred 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 Atlantic he knew there would +be more ships to render assistance if it was needed, although he 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?" + +"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 Russia. 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. Petrofsky. As for Mr. Damon, he was +so busy getting his sleeping room in order, and blessing everything 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 perfection 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 us and we need to save +all the elevating gas we can save. If worst comes 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 arranged. 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 stores 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. Petrofsky'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 Eradicate's work but the +eccentric man knew how to do almost everything from making soup to +roasting a chicken, and he liked it. So he was allowed free run of the +galley. + +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 almost +constant attention, though there was an arrangement whereby in case of +emergency, the airship would steer herself in any set direction for a +certain number of hours. + +There were ample sleeping quarters for six persons, 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 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. Petrofsky was not expert enough to accept this +responsibility. + +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 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 +thunder, 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 +billow of foam. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +AN ACCIDENT + + +For a few moments it seemed as if the Falcon would surely turn turtle +and plunge into the seething ocean. The storm had burst with such +suddenness 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 +phosphorescent 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 +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 supports 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, 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 responded +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 generating machine, as Ned opened the release valve. + +"Now we ought to go up," the young inventor murmured, as he anxiously +watched the barograph, 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, even 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. + +"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 elements. 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 maximum power until he +released it, Tom hastened to the gas-generating apparatus. He found Ned +attending to it, so that it was now working satisfactorily. + +"How about it, Tom?" cried his chum anxiously. + +"All right now, Ned, but it was a close shave! I thought we were done +for, platinum mine, rescue of exiles, and all." + +"So did I. Shall I keep on with the gas?" + +"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 several 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 fairly 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 +thankfulness in their hearts that they were not engulfed in it. + +"This is a pretty hard initiation for an amateur," remarked Mr. +Petrofsky. "I never imagined I 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 morning. 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 than 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 engine 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, appearing 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 dirigible." + +"Of course! Why didn't I think of that!" exclaimed 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 start the generator, +and then the earthward motion 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?" + +"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 becomes 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 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. "Unfortunately 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." + +"That might answer," spoke the Russian, and it was decided to try that. + +Meanwhile it was somewhat doubtful whether they would reach France, for +they were dependent on the wind. But it seemed to be blowing steadily +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 breakfast 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 observed. + +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 +observation 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 small +village, and though several farmers wondered 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 train 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. Petrofsky. "If not I might be of +service, but if I go to Paris I might be----" + +"Never mind," interrupted 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 place 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," replied 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 attire +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 character he obviously posed. + +"Monsieur has a fine airship there," he remarked to Tom. + +"Oh, yes, it'll do." Tom did not want to encourage 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 Frenchman." + +"Now that'll do!" cried Tom, thoroughly aroused. "I don't want to be +too short with you, 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 bothering me but if you want +anything I'll give it to you!" cried Tom, striking a position of +defense. + +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 inventor rushed toward the +airship. As he entered the pilot house he noticed that his late +questioner 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?" + +"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 quarrel 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?" + +"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 pretext or other. They may +claim that we have no license, 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. Perhaps 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." + +"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!" cautioned 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 magneto 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 something was wrong," commented +Tom, "but 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 instructions, and +something might happen any minute. + +"Now, Ned, if you'll see to having some gasolene brought out here, and +the tanks filled, I'll tinker with the dynamo and get that in running +shape," said Tom. "It only needs a little adjustment of the brushes. +Then we'll be off." + +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 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 warning 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 Russian. + +"Why?" asked Tom. + +"Look!" was the answer, and Ivan Petrofsky pointed across the field +over which, headed toward 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 young 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 beyond 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 repaired, and anywhere else it won't amount to anything." + +The officer was aiming his revolver at the airship, 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 themselves. + +"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 suspected, 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--" + +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 work 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 much 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 Russian, would send the airship +skirting the southern coast of the Baltic sea, then north-west, to pass +to one side of St. Petersburg, and then, after getting 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 naturally 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 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 wall of the pilot house, that some of the +machinery 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 wondering 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. Petrofsky 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. + +"Maybe it isn't a bird," suggested Ivan Petrofsky. "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. Damon. "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 my 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, 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 speaking distance, and +then pull out like the Congressional Limited passing a slow freight." + +"Then wait a few minutes," suggested Mr. Petrofsky. "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. "I'll get things in shape for a +quick move," and he hurried back to the machine room, while the others +took turns looking at the oncoming 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. Petrofsky. "You know we're rather large, +and 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 telescope and peered down toward the earth. +They were not a great way above it, and at that moment they were +passing 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 buildings down there. We are over Russia." + +"And here comes that airship," called Ned suddenly. + +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 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 moment later he took the glass down from his eye. + +"It's our spy again," 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 occupants 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 terrific pace, to +which Tom had pushed her. The pursuit was over. + +"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. Petrofsky. "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 elevation rudder at its limit. +Meanwhile the spies were working frantically over their motor, trying +to get it in shape for the pursuit. But soon they realized 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 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 on 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 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 atmosphere made breathing difficult. + +It was about three days after the chase when, having carefully studied +the map and made several 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 airship 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 Tom, "and you can spend as +much time in town as you like, Mr. Petrofsky." + +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 almost 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 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. Petrofsky 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. Petrofsky. "I am opposed to +violence you know." And then, while his new friends gazed wonderingly +at the strange craft, he led them inside. Tom 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, everything 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 information 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. "Peaceful 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 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 jabbering in the Russian +tongue, when Mr. Petrofsky 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!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, who, up to +now had not taken much part in the conversation. He followed 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 suddenly 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 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 he 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 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 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, utterly 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 cheerful subjects of talk. + +"What are your plans?" asked Tom of the exile. "You say you can get no +trace here of your brother?" + +"No, he seems to have totally disappeared from 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," suggested 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 imprisoned, +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 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 +government, and, therefor, a brother. But you will be one 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 delaying 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 careful inspection to see that they were +not spied upon. 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 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 enthusiasm. + +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. Damon. + +"I'll see who it is," volunteered Mr. Petrofsky, and Tom looked toward +the rack of loaded rifles, for that day a man, seemingly a wood cutter +had passed close to the airship, and had hurried 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 throwing 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 behind 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 forgotten 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 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 something to work on, and Tom was tired of inaction. +Then, too, even after they had started, the prisoner 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, we'll 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 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." + +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 forest +clearing. + +"It's just as if they were looking for something," 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 detection. No, those are police +spies. A few minutes 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 disappeared 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 Russian. "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." + +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," answered 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. Onward they flew, covering verst after verst of +loneliness. + +"I'm going to put on a little more speed," announced 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!" answered 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. + +"Why not?" + +"Because we are approaching a large town--Owbinsk I think it is--the +police there will be there 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. + +"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 +commander called something to them. + +"What is he saying?" cried Tom to Mr. Petrofsky. + +"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 officer 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, offenders. "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 Russian exile. "They know the +value of a good airship, 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!" + +"If you get the chance!" interposed the exile. + +"But we're American citizens!" cried Tom, "and--" + +"You forget that I am not," interrupted 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 +prisoners. "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 Russian secrets." + +They were served with food in their prison, but to all inquiries made +by Ivan Petrofsky, evasive 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 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 +pleasure 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 +developed 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 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 +confined 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 villainous looking +guard, who brought them their poor meals. The governor ignored them, +and Mr. Petrofsky did not know what to think. + +"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 exile. "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." + +The man peered into his cell, and said something in Russian. + +"Nothing doing," remarked the young inventor with a short laugh. "Nixy +on that jabbering." + +But, no sooner had the man's words penetrated to the cell of Ivan +Petrofsky, that the exile called out something. The guard started, +hastened to that cell door, and for a few seconds there was an excited +dialogue in Russian. + +"Boys! Mr. Damon! We're saved!" suddenly cried out Mr. Petrofsky. + +"Bless my door knob! You don't say so!" gasped the odd man. "How? Has +the Czar sent orders to release us." + +"No, but somehow my Revolutionary friends have heard about my arrest, +and they have arranged 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, upstairs?" asked Ned. + +"We're not going that way," explained Mr. Petrofsky. "There is a secret +exit from this corridor, 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 airship?" asked Tom. Mr. +Petrofsky put the question 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 followed their liberator, who +spoke in whispers. "He says he will lead us to the salt mine, tell us +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 disclosed. + +"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 +behind 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 in this part had been +abandoned long ago, all the salt there was left being in the shape of +large pillars, 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 before!" he said. "I remember +this pillar that looks like two men wrestling!" + +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 +fantastic 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 worst comes to worst, we can go, back in the tunnel, go to +our cells and ask the 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 discovered +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 +isolated 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 remember 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 Russian with a shudder. + +"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 +sometimes 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. If they kept us we know we could get +free--sometime." + +"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 +light. No one answered him. + +It was, as they learned later, just about two 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 darkness +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. + +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 toward 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 plane +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 then resumed their pacing around the anchored +craft. Evidently they were waiting for the escaped 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 hoard 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 light would have drawn the fire of the +guards. But the youth knew every inch of his invention. The only +worriment was whether or not the motor would start up after the +breakdown, 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 momentum +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 minutes. +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, +apparently, 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 removed 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 automatic steering gear, all fell into heavy slumbers +that lasted until far into the next day. + +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 informed 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 soft 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 +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 approach, 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 danger. 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 traveled 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 +of. 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 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 forgotten," he added significantly. "He +made his escape from the mines some time ago, and has suffered great +hardships since. The revolutionists 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 suppose from inquiries the revolutionists +have been 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 result. For, no sooner had Ivan Petrofsky mentioned +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!" + +"Then let's get a move on!" cried Tom with enthusiasm. "Do you think +this man will come with us, Mr. Petrofsky, 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 inside, 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. Petrofsky's brother was to make the attempt when the +prisoners were marched back from the mines to the barracks where they +were confined. + +"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 escapes." + +"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 remain 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 barracks," 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 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 avoiding the +noise of the motor. + +"The next thing I do, when I get home," remarked 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-gathering 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. + +"Yes, that looks like a line of prisoners," remarked 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 heating 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--save you in the +wonderful airship of Tom Swift! Come quickly and we will take you away! +Peter Petrofsky!" + +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 +approaching 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 Russian +the 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 clambered 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 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 airship. "But it won't do them any good. We've got our +man." + +"And right from under their noses, too," added Ivan Petrofsky +exultingly. "This rescue of an exile 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 excitedly conversing, while Tom +and Ned managed 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 being reunited to his brother overshadowed everything +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 turns in answering them. And from now on, I shall give +the conversation of the two new Russians 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. + +"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 magnificent 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, supper 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. + +"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 prison 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 indiscriminately, 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 point, and again the other would. But at 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 Iakutsk and +the first range of the Iablonnoi 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. + +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 conditions 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 revolved 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 imaginary centre of the district in which the mine lay, +that, as Mr. Damon was 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 being 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-hunters. 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 hurricane, 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 us." + +"You will know, pretty soon, if the gas isn't let out!" retorted Tom +grimly, and then Mr. 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 stagger 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 better help Mr. Damon," for +that gentleman was slowly crawling back, not caring to trust himself 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 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-assembling 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 together 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 nearly 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 remember that I depend on the +wind alone to give me motion." + +"What do you think causes the wind to blow so 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 +an instant since they found its zone, was very 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 higher, until, all at once, +Tom pulled on another lever and she was still. There she hung in the +air, the 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 hundred 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 preparations 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 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 +observation 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 +aloft all through the dark hours in the glider, in a fierce 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 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. Borious 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 determined to head back for the +airship. Ivan Petrofsky was peering anxiously down at the desolate +land, over which they were gliding. He and his brother took turns at +this. + +They were not far above the earth, but landmarks, 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 instrumental 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, suddenly 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 Petrofsky 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, 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 themselves 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 equalize the balance and it +would remain stationary in any wind. + +"This is the place! This is the place!" cried Ivan Petrofsky. "Don't +you remember, Peter?" + +"Indeed I do! I have good cause to! This is where we found the +platinum!" + +"Bless my soul!" cried Mr. Damon. "Where is it, in the lake?" + +"The mine itself is just beyond that barrier of broken and twisted +trees," replied the elder Russian 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 platinum we'll stay here all +night, and longer if necessary 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 platinum treasure!" + +They went forward, and it was no easy work. For the wind still blew with +tremendous force 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 airship, 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 opening 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 underground 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 highest +grade! But the lumps are very small." + +"There are larger ones beyond," said the younger Russian brother. + +Forward they pressed, and a moment later 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 valuable metal, in as pure a state as it is ever found. +For it is always mixed with other metals or chemicals. + +"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 king's ransom here. Everybody +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 morning, 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 Russian 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 one day, after the finish of +their mining operations. 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 exiles," +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 Pirtchina, on the Obi river, +that what might have proved a disastrous accident occurred. They were +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 telescope, 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 dripping 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 +suspiciously. + +"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 startling, 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 Petrofsky of his +brother, in Russian. + +"I guess there's no danger, where Tom Swift's concerned," was the +answer. "I have not volplaned 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 Petrofsky to his brother and +Mr. Borious. "Descriptions of you are probably out broadcast by now, +but I am still sufficiently disguised, I think." + +"But what is to be done?" demanded the younger Russian brother. "If the +gasolene is gone, how can we leave here?" + +"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 than risk going in themselves, they hired a wagoner who +agreed, for liberal pay, to go and return 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. Petrofsky 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 +escaping. "What don't you like, Mr. Petrofsky?" + +"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." + +"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," replied 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 persons 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-opening 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 ourselves. 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 Russian +a moment later. + +Backward leaped the throng, as though a bomb bad been thrown into their +midst, even the supposed officers joining in the retreat. The oil wagon +was now easy of access, and Tom and Ned, with Mr. Damon to aid them, +hastened toward it. Then the work of filling 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 +come 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 declared you arrested by his orders, +and in the name of the Czar!" + +"Nothing doing!" yelled Tom, and then, looking 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 on 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 motors working well on the +kerosene. Higher and higher. The governor and his soldiers were +directly below her now. + +"Stop! 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 homeward hound the Falcon was after +a perilous trip through two storms. But she weathered them well. + +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 experience 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 considerable 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 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 other 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 Daring +Escape by Airship." + +Tom had several offers to give exhibitions in his air glider, from +aviation committees at various 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. + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Tom Swift and his Air Glider, by Victor Appleton + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER *** + +***** This file should be named 952.txt or 952.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/9/5/952/ + +Produced by Anthony Matonac. + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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