第13章

A FORCED LANDING

Josephus Baxter seemed to have recovered some of his spirits after his narrow escape from death in the fireworks factory blaze.He greeted Tom and Ned with a smile as they entered the improvised laboratory he had been able to set up in what had once been a factory for the making of wooden ware, an industry that, for some reason, did not flourish in Shopton.

"I'm glad to see you, Mr.Swift," said the chemist, who seemed to have aged several years in the few weeks that had intervened since the fire."I want to thank you for giving me a chance to start over again.""Oh, that's all right," said Tom easily."We inventors ought to help one another.Are you able to do anything here?""As much as possible without my secret formulae," was the answer."If I only had those back from the rascals, Field and Melling, I would be able to go ahead faster.As it is, I am working in the dark.For some of the formulae were given to me by a Frenchman, and I had only one copy.I kept that in the safe of the fireworks concern, and after the fire it could not be found.""Was the safe destroyed?" asked Tom.

"No.But the doors were open, and much of what had been inside was in ashes and cinders.Amos Field claimed that the explosion had blown open the safe and burned a lot of their valuable fireworks formulae too.""And you believe they have yours?" asked Ned.

"I'm sure of it!" was the fierce answer."Those men are unprincipled rogues! They had been at me ever since I was foolish enough to tell them about my formulae to get me to sell them a share.But I refused, for I knew the secret mixtures would make my fortune when I could establish a new dye industry.Field and Melling claimed they wanted the formulae for their fireworks, but that was only an excuse.The formulae were not nearly so valuable for pyrotechnics as for dyes.The fireworks business is not so good, either, since so many cities have voted for a 'Sane Fourth of July.'""I can appreciate that," said Tom."But what we called for, Mr.Baxter, is to find if you have room enough to let me do a little experimenting here.I am working on a new kind of fire extinguisher, to be dropped on tall buildings from an airship.""Sounds like a good idea," said the chemist, rather dreamily.

"Well, I have the airship, and I can see my way clear to perfecting a device to drop the chemicals in metal tanks or bombs," went on Tom."But what bothers me is the chemical mixture that will put out fires better than the carbon dioxide mixtures now on the market.""I haven't given that much study myself," said Mr.Baxter."But you are welcome to anything I have, Mr.Swift.The whole place, such as it is, will be at your disposal at any time.I intend to have it in better shape soon, but I have to proceed slowly, as I lost nearly everything I owned in that fire.If I could only get those formulae back!" he sighed.

"Perhaps you may recall the combinations, suggested Ned."Or can't you get them from that Frenchman?""He is dead," answered the chemist."Everything seems to be against me!""Well, it's always darkest just before daylight," said Tom."So let us hope for the best.We both have had a bit of bad luck.But when I think of Rad, who may lose his eyesight, I can stand my losses smiling.""Yes," agreed Mr.Baxter, "you have big assets when you have your health and eyesight."Three days later the eye specialist looked at Rad.Tom stood by anxiously and waited for the verdict.The doctor motioned to the young inventor to follow him out of the room, while Mrs.Baggert replaced the bandages on the colored man's eyes and Koku stood near him, sympathetically patting Rad on the back.

"Well?" asked Tom nervously, as he faced the physician.

"I am sorry, Mr.Swift, that I can not hold out much hope that your man will ever regain his sight," was the answer.

Tom could not repress a gasp of pity.

"I do not say that the case is altogether hopeless," the doctor went on; "but it would be wrong to encourage you to hope for much.I may be ableto save partly the sight of one eye."

"Poor Rad!" murmured Tom."This will break his heart.""There is no need for telling him at once," Dr.Henderson said."It will only make his recovery so much the slower.It will be weeks before I am able to operate, and, meanwhile, he should be kept as comfortable and cheerful as possible.""We'll see to that," declared Tom."Is he otherwise injured?""No, it is merely his eyesight that we have to fear for.And, as I said, that is not altogether hopeless, though it would not be honest to let you look for much success.I shall see him from time to time until his eyes are ready to operate on."Tom and his friends were forced to take such comfort as they could from this verdict, but no hint of their downcast feelings were made manifest to Eradicate.

"Whut de doctor man done say, Massa Tom?" asked Eradicate when the young inventor went back into the sick room.

"Oh, he talked a lot of big Latin words, Rad--bigger words than you used to use on your mule Boomerang," and Tom forced a laugh."All he meant was that you'd have to stay in bed a while and let Koku wait on you.""Huh! Am dat--dat big--dat big nice man heah now?" asked Rad, feeling around with his bandaged hand; and a smile showed beneath the cloth over his eyes.

"I here right upsidedown by you, Rad," said Koku, and his big hand clasped the smaller one of the black man.