Victor Appleton - Tom Swift and His Airline Express (Victor Appleton) (Literary Thoughts Edition)

“Oh, he’ll be all right,” was the answer, though in his own heart Ned Newton could not help feeling apprehensive. “It may be, as you say, that he made a very late call on Mary, and her folks have probably asked him to stay all night, as they have done before.”

“I think the matter justifies me in calling Mr. Nestor on the telephone,” said Mr. Swift, as they emerged from the vault where the Chest of Secrets was stored. “It’s rather early to ring up anybody, but I guess they will understand.”

It was about four o’clock now, and already, in the east, a light was appearing, the sun was heralding the dawn. The early birds were beginning to sing. It would soon be morning, though not yet time for the wheels to begin humming in the Swift plant.

Going back to the office, where Koku reported that a second check-up had failed to disclose the whereabouts of the young inventor, Mr. Swift called the Shopton central operator and gave her the number of the Nestor house.

There was some little delay, as was natural when a call is made at that hour of the morning, but at length Mr. Nestor’s voice was heard.

“Who? Tom? No, he isn’t here – hasn’t been here,” was the message the aged inventor received. “What’s the matter?”

There was some further talk, and Mr. Swift briefly outlined what had happened.

“Don’t alarm Mary yet,” Mr. Swift cautioned his friend. “But I fear something has happened to Tom. I wish you would come over.”

“I will!” Mr. Nestor promised. “I’ll be over as soon as I can dress.”

“Tell him I’ll call for him,” Ned said to Mr. Swift, and this message went over the wires.

It was fully light when they went down into the yard where the small auto had been left. And suddenly the silence of the dawn, made musical by the twitterings of the birds, was broken by an increasing roar and throbbing noise.

“Airship!” grunted Koku.

“Suah enough!” exclaimed Eradicate, pointing up. “Dere she am!”

The throbbing sound became louder, and a moment later they saw the plane, a large one, approaching from the west.

“It’s Mr. Damon’s machine!” cried Ned. “What in the world is he flying so early for? He isn’t sure enough of himself to take that big plane out alone – he only got it the other day. Great Scott! Look! He’s going to hit your mooring mast!”

At one end of the big landing field outside the fence Tom had recently erected a tall steel mast, to which he moored a small dirigible balloon with which he was conducting experiments. As all looked up they saw Mr. Damon in his new machine headed straight for this mast.

“He doesn’t know it’s there!” cried Ned. “He’s sure going to hit!”

A moment later there was an alarming crash, and the top of the mast was seen to break off while one edge of the aeroplane’s left wing crumpled.

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