Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle | Page 5

them in a large income. In fact with royalties from his inventions and
some gold and diamonds which he had secured on two perilous trips,
Tom Swift was quite wealthy.
"I'll never be as busy as I once was," went on Mr. Swift, a little
regretfully, "but I don't know that I care as long as you continue to turn
out new machines, Tom. By the way, how is the electric rifle coming
on? I haven't heard you speak of it lately."
"It's practically finished, Dad. It worked pretty well the time I took it
when we went on the trip to the caves of ice, but I've improved it very
much since then. In fact I'm going to give it a severe test to-night. Ned
Newton is coming over, and it may be that then we'll find out
something about it that could be bettered. But I think not. It suits me as
it is."
"So Ned is coming over to see it; eh? You ought to have Mr. Damon
here to bless it a few times."
"Yes, I wish I did. And he may come along at any moment, as it is. You
never can tell when he is going to turn up. Mrs. Baggert says you were
out walking while I was at the bank, Dad. Do you feel better after it?"

"Yes, I think I do, Tom. Oh, I'm growing stronger every day, but it will
take time. But now tell me something about the electric gun."
Thereupon the young inventor related to his father some facts about the
improvements he had recently made to the weapon. It was dinner time
when he had finished, and, after the meal Tom went out to the shed
where he built his aeroplanes and his airships, and in which building he
had fitted up a shooting gallery.
"I'll get ready for the trial to-night," he said "I want to see what it will
do to a dummy figure. Guess I'll make a sort of scarecrow and stuff it
with straw. I'll get Eradicate to help me. Rad! I say, Rad! Where are
you?"
"Heah I is, Massa Tom! Heah I is" called a colored man as he came
around the corner of a small stable where he kept his mule Boomerang.
"Was yo'-all callin' me?"
"Yes, Rad, I want you to help make a scarecrow."
"A scarecrow, Massa Tom! Good land a' massy! What fo' yo' want ob a
scarecrow? Yo'-all ain't raisin' no corn, am yo'?"
"No, but I want something to shoot at when Ned Newton comes over
to- night."
"Suffin t' shoot at? Why Massa Tom! Good land a' massy! Yo'-all ain't
gwine t' hab no duel, am yo'?"
"No, Rad, but I want a life-size figure on which to try my new electric
gun. Here are some old clothes, and if you will stuff them with rags and
straw and fix them so they'll stand up, they'll do first-rate. Have it ready
by night, and set it up at the far end of the shooting gallery."
"All right, Massa Tom. I'll jest do dat, fo' yo'," and leaving the colored
man to stuff the figure, after he had showed him how, Tom went back
into the house to read the paper which he had purchased that morning.

He skimmed over the news, thinking perhaps he might see something
of the going abroad of Andy Foger with the German aeroplane, but
there was nothing.
"I almost wish I was going to Europe," sighed Tom. "I will certainly
have to get busy at something, soon. I haven't had any adventure since I
won the prize at the Eagle Park aviaton meet in my sky racer. Jove!
That was some excitement! I'd like to do that over again, only I
shouldn't want to have Dad so sick," for just before the race, Tom had
saved his father's life by making a quick run in the aeroplane, to bring a
celebrated surgeon to the invalid's aid.
"I certainly wish I could have some new adventures," mused Tom, as
he turned the pages of the paper. "I could afford to take a trip around
the earth after them, too, with the way money is coming in now. Yes, I
do wish I could have some excitement. Hello, what's this! A big
elephant hunt in Africa. Hundreds of the huge creatures captured in a
trap--driven in by tame beasts. Some are shot for their tusks. Others
will be sent to museums."
He was reading the headlines of the article that had attracted his
attention, and, as he read, he became more and more absorbed in it. He
read the story through twice, and then, with sparkling eyes, he
exclaimed:
"That's just what I want. Elephant shooting in Africa! My! With my
new electric