Tom Swift and His Giant Cannon | Page 5

Eradicate Sampson, the aged colored man. "Remember yo' all has got a weak heart, Massa Swift!"
"I know it; but I must save my son. Hurry!"
Mr. Swift ran from the room, followed by Mr. Damon and Mr. Peterson, while Eradicate trailed after them as fast as his tottering limbs would carry him, murmuring to himself.
"There he is!" cried Mr. Damon, as he caught sight of the young inventor in his airship, in a position of peril. Truly it was as Eradicate had said. Caught on the slope of the roof of his big balloon shed, Tom Swift was in great danger.
From his airship there shot dazzling sparks, and streamers of green and violet fire. There was a snapping, cracking sound that could be heard above the whir of the craft's propellers, for the motor was still running.
"Oh, Tom! Tom! What is it? What has happened?" cried his father.
"Keep back! Don't come too close!" yelled the young inventor, as he clung to the seat of the aeroplane, that was tilted at a dangerous angle. "Keep away!"
"What's the matter?" demanded Mr. Damon. "Bless my pocket comb --what is it?"
"A live wire!" answered Tom. "I'm caught in a live wire! The trailer attached to the wireless outfit on my airship is crossed with the wire from the power plant. There's a short circuit somewhere. Don't come too close, for it may burn through any second and drop down. Then it will twist about like a snake!"
"Land ob massy!" cried Eradicate.
"What can we do to help you?" called Mr. Swift. "Shall I run and shut off the power?" for in the shop where Tom did most of his inventive work there was a powerful dynamo, and it was on one of the wires extending from it, that brought current into the house, that the craft had caught.
"Yes, shut it off if you can!" Tom shouted back. "But be careful. Don't get shocked! Wow! I got a touch of it myself that time!" and he could be seen to writhe in his seat.
"Oh, hurry! hurry! Find Koku!" cried Mr. Swift to Mr. Damon, who had started for the power house on the run.
The sparks and lances of fire seemed to increase around the young inventor. The airship could be seen to slip slowly down the sloping roof.
"Land ob massy! He am suah gwine t' fall!" yelled Eradicate.
"Oh, he'll never get that current shut off in time!" murmured Mr. Swift, as he started after Mr. Damon.
"Wait! I think I have a plan!" called Mr. Peterson. "I think I can save Tom!"
He did not waste further time in talk, but, running to a nearby shed, he got a long ladder that he saw standing under it. With this over his shoulder he retraced his steps to the balloon hangar and placed the ladder against the side. Then he started to climb up.
"What are you going to do?" yelled Tom, leaning over from his seat to watch the elderly fortune-hunter.
"I'm going to cut that wire!" was the answer.
"Don't! If you touch it you'll be shocked to death! I may be able to get out of here. So far I've only had light shocks, but the insulation is burning out of my magneto, and that will soon stop. When it does I can't run the motor, and--"
"I'm going to cut that wire!" again shouted Mr. Peterson.
"But you can't, without pliers and rubber gloves!" yelled Tom. "Keep away, I tell you!"
The man on the ladder hesitated. Evidently he had not thought of the necessity of protecting his hands by rubber covering, in order that the electricity might be made harmless. He backed down to the ground.
"I saw a pair of old gloves in the shed!" he cried. "I'll get them--they look like rubber."
"They are!" cried Tom, remembering now that he had been putting up a new wire that day, and had left his rubber gloves there. "But you haven't any pliers!" the lad went. "How can you cut wire without them? There's a pair in the shop, but--"
"Heah dey be! Heah dey be!" cried Eradicate, as he produced a heavy pair from his pocket. "I--I couldn't find de can-opener fo' Mrs. Baggert, an' I jest got yo' pliers, Massa Tom. Oh, how glad I is dat I did. Here's de pincers, Massa Peterson."
He handed them to the fortune-hunter, who came running back with the rubber gloves. Mr. Damon was no more than half way to the power house, which was quite a distance from the Swift homestead. Meanwhile Tom's airship was slipping more and more, and a thick, pungent smoke now surrounded it, coming from the burning insulation. The sparks and electrical flames were worse than ever.
"Just a moment now, and I'll have you safe!" cried the fortune- hunter, as he again mounted the ladder. Luckily the charged wire was near