第3章

A STRANGE OFFER

"Hello, Tom Swift! Hello, Ned! Glad to see you both! Busy, as usual, I'll wager.Bless my check book! I never saw you when you weren't busy at some scheme or other, Tom, my boy.But I won't take up much of your time.Tom Swift, let me introduce my friend, Mr.Dixwell Hardley.Mr.Hardley, shake hands with Tom Swift, one of the youngest, and yet one of the greatest, inventors in the world! I've told you a little about him, but it would take me all day to tell you what he really has done and--""Hold on, Mr.Damon!" laughed Tom, as he shook hands with the man whom Mr.Damon had named Dixwell Hardley."Hold on, if you please.There's a limit to it, you know, and already you've said enough about me to--""Bless my ink bottle, Tom, I haven't said half enough!" interrupted the little, eccentric man."Wait until you hear what he has done, Mr.Hardley.Then, if you don't say he's the very chap for your wonderful scheme, I'm mighty much mistaken! And shake hands with Ned Newton, too.He's Tom's financial manager, and of course he'll have something to say.Though when he hears how you are going to turn over a couple of million dollars or more, why, I know he'll be on our side."Ned's eyes sparkled at the mention of the money.In truth he dealt in dollars and cents for the benefit of Tom Swift.Ned shook hands with Mr.Hardley and Tom motioned Mr.Damon and his friend to chairs.

"Now, Tom," went on the strange little man, "I know you're busy.Bless my adding machine, I never saw you when--"At that moment there arose in the corridor outside Tom's private office a discord of voices, in which one could be heard exclaiming:

"Now yo' clear out oh heah! Massa Tom done tole me to sweep dish yeah place, an' ef yo' doan let me alone, why--why--""Huh! Radicate him big stiff--dat's what! Big stiff! Too stiff for sweep Master's floor.Koku sweep one hand!""Oh, yo' t'ink 'case yo' is sich a big giant, yo' kin git de best ob oleblack Rad! But I'll show yo' dat--"

"Excuse me a moment," said Tom, with a smile to his guests as he arose."Eradicate and Koku are at it again, I'm sorry to say.I'll have to go out and arbitrate the strike," and he left the room.

While he is settling the differences between his faithful old black servant and Koku, the giant, I will take the opportunity of telling my new readers something about Tom Swift.

Those who are familiar with the previous books of this series may skip this part.But it will give my new audience a better insight into this story if they will bear with me a moment and peruse these few lines.

As related in the first book, "Tom Swift and His Motor Cycle," the hero seemed born an inventive genius.It was this inventive faculty which enabled him to take the motor cycle that tried to climb a tree with Mr.Wakefield Damon on it and make the wreck into a serviceable bit of mechanism.Thus Tom became acquainted with Mr.Damon, who among other eccentricities, was always "blessing" something personal.

Tom Swift lived in the city of Shopton with his father and their faithful housekeeper, Mrs.Baggert.It was so named because the Swift shops were an important industry there.Tom's father, as well as Tom himself, was an inventor of note, and employed many men in building machines of various kinds.During the Great War the services of Tom and his father had been dedicated to the government.

There are a number of books dealing with Tom's activities, the list of titles of which may be found at the beginning of this volume.

Sufficient to say here, that Tom invented and operated motor boats, airships, and submarines.In addition he traveled on many expeditions with Mr.Damon, Ned, and others.He went among the diamond makers and it was when he escaped from captivity that he managed to bring away Koku, the giant, with him.Since then Koku and Eradicate Sampson, the faithful colored man, had periodic quarrels as to who should serve the young inventor.

Besides inventing and using many machines of motive power, Tom Swift engaged in other industries.He helped dig a big tunnel, he constructed a photo-telephone, a great searchlight and a monster cannon.

Occasionally he had searched for treasure, once under the sea, with considerable success.

Of late his and his father's industries had become so important that a number of new buildings had been constructed and the plant greatly enlarged.Ned Newton, who had once worked in a Shopton bank, became financial manager for Tom and his father, and plenty of work he found with which to occupy himself.

Just prior to the opening of this story Tom had perfected a noiseless aeroplane--or one so nearly silent as to justify the name.The details of it will be found in the book called "Tom Swift and His Air Scout." In this mechanism of the air Tom had had some wonderful experiences, and they had not been at home more than a few weeks when New Newton broached the subject of undersea wealth.