Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers Part 11

"It's great," replied the diamond man. "I've never been in an airship before, and it's different than what I expected; but it's great! It's the only craft that will serve our purpose among the towering mountain peaks, where the diamond makers are hidden. I hope we can find them."

In a little while the Red Cloud was skimming along at faster speed, guided by the automatic rudders, so that no one was needed in the pilot house, since there was no danger of collisions. Airships are not quite numerous enough for that, yet, though they may soon become so.

Tom and the others devoted several hours to arranging their staterooms and bunks, and getting their clothing stowed away, and when this was done Mr. Parker and Mr. Jenks sat gazing off into s.p.a.ce.

"It's hard to realize that we are really in an airship," observed the diamond man. "At first I thought I would be frightened, but I'm not a bit. It doesn't seem as if anything could happen."

"Something is likely to happen soon," said Mr. Parker, suddenly, as he gazed at some weather instruments on the cabin wall.

"Bless my soul! Don't say that!" cried Mr. Damon. "What is it?"

"I think, from my observations, that we will soon have a hurricane,"

said the scientific man. "There is every indication of it;" and he seemed quite delighted at the prospect of his prediction coming true.

"A hurricane!" cried Mr. Damon. "I hope it isn't like the one that blew us to Earthquake Island."

"Oh, I think there will be no danger," spoke Tom. "If it comes on to blow we will ascend or descend out of the path of the storm. This craft is not like the ill-fated Whizzer. I can more easily handle the Red Cloud; even in a bad storm."

"I'm glad to hear that," remarked Mr. Jenks. "It would be too bad to be wrecked before we got to Phantom Mountain."

"Well, I predict that we will have a bad storm," insisted Mr. Parker, and Tom could not help wishing that the scientist would keep his gloomy forebodings to himself.

However the storm had not developed up to noon, when Tom, with Mr.

Damon's help, served a fine meal in the dining-room. In the afternoon the speed of the ship was increased, and by night they had covered several hundred miles. Through the darkness the Red Cloud kept on, making good time. Tom got up, occasionally, to look to the machinery, but it was all automatically controlled, and an alarm bell would sound in his stateroom when anything went wrong.

"Bless my napkin!" exclaimed Mr. Damon the next morning, as they sat down to a breakfast of fruit, ham and eggs and fragrant coffee, "this is living as well as in a hotel, and yet we are--how far are we above the earth, Tom?" he asked, turning to the young inventor.

"About two miles now. I just sent her up, as I thought I detected that storm Mr. Parker spoke of."

"I told you it would come," declared the scientist, and there was a small hurricane below them that morning, but only the lower edge of it caught the Red Cloud, and when Tom sent her up still higher she found a comparatively quiet zone, where she slid along at good speed.

That afternoon Tom busied himself about some wires and a number of complicated pieces of apparatus which were in one corner of the main cabin.

"What are you doing now?" asked Mr. Jenks, who had been talking with Mr.

Parker, and showing that scientist some of the manufactured diamonds.

"Getting our wireless apparatus in shape," answered the lad. "I should have done it before, but I had so much to do that I couldn't get at it.

I'm going to send off some messages. Dad will want to know how we are doing."

As he worked away, he also made up his mind to send another message, in care of his father, for there was a receiving station in the Swift home.

And to whom this message was addressed Tom did not say, but we fancy some of our readers can guess.

Finally, after several hours of work, the wireless was in shape to send and receive messages. Tom pulled over the lever, and a crackling sound was heard, as the electricity leaped from the transmitters into s.p.a.ce.

Then he clamped the receiver on his ear.

"All ready," he announced. "Has anybody any messages they wish sent?"

For, with the courtesy of a true host he was ready to serve his guests before he forwarded his own wireless notes.

"Just tell my wife that I'm enjoying myself," requested Mr. Damon.

"Bless my footstool! But this is great! We're off the earth yet, connected with it."

Mr. Jenks had no one to whom he wanted to send any word, but Mr. Parker wish to wire to a fellow scientist the result of some observations made in the upper air.

Tom noted all the messages down, and then, when all was in readiness he began to call his home station. He knew that either his father or Mr.

Jackson, the engineer, could receive the wireless.

But, no sooner had the young inventor sent off the first few dots and dashes representing "S. I."--his home station call--than he started and a look of surprise came over his face.

"They're calling us!" he exclaimed.

"Who is?" asked Mr. Jenks.

"My house--my father. He--he's been trying to get us ever since we started, but I didn't have the wireless in shape to receive messages.

Oh, I hope it's not too late!"

"Too late! Bless my soul, too late for what?" gasped Mr. Damon, somewhat alarmed by Tom's manner.

The lad did not answer at once. He was intently listening to a series of dots and dashes that clicked in the telephone receiver clamped to his left ear. On his face there was a look of worriment.

"Father has just sent me a message," he said. "It's a warning flashed through s.p.a.ce! He's been trying to get it to me since yesterday!"

"What is it?" asked Mr. Jenks, rising from his seat.

"The mysterious man is aboard the airship--hidden away!" cried Tom.

"That's what Eradicate was trying to call to our attention as we started off. Eradicate saw his face at a rear window, and tried to warn us! The mysterious man is a stowaway on board!"

CHAPTER X--DROPPING THE STOWAWAY

Tom's excited announcement startled Mr. Damon and the others as much as if the young inventor had informed them that the airship had exploded and was about to dash with them to the earth. The men leaped to their feet, and stared at the lad.

"A stowaway on board!" cried Mr. Damon. "Bless my soul! How did he--"

"Are you sure that message is straight?" asked Mr. Jenks. "Did Eradicate see the man?"

"He says he did," answered Tom. "The man is hidden away on board now--probably among the stores and supplies."

"Bless my tomato sauce!" exploded Mr. Damon. "I hope he doesn't eat them all up!"

"We must get him out at once!" declared Mr. Jenks.

"I knew something would happen on this voyage," came from Mr. Parker. "I predicted it from the first!"

Tom thought considerable, but he did not answer the scientist just then. Another communication was coming to him by wireless. He listened intently.

"Father says," the lad told his companions "that Eradicate only had a glimpse of the man at the last moment. He was looking from the rear storeroom window--he's the same man who called on me that time--Rad remembers him very well."