Tom Swift and His Photo Telephone | Page 7

the long ladder. Where's Koku? That giant is never around
when he's wanted. Find Koku, Rad, and send him here."
"Yas, sah, Massa Tom; directly, sah!" and the colored man hastened off

as fast as his aged legs would take him.
And while preparations are thus under way to rescue the birdman from
the roof, I will take just a few minutes to tell you a little something
more about Tom Swift and his numerous inventions, as set forth in the
previous books of this series.
"Tom Swift and His Motor Cycle" was the first book, and in that I
related how Tom made the acquaintance of a Mr. Wakefield Damon, of
the neighboring town of Waterford, and how Tom bought that
gentleman's motor cycle, after it had tried to climb a tree with its rider
in the saddle. Mr. Wakefield Damon was an odd man, whose favorite
expression was "Bless my shoelaces!" or something equally absurd.
Waterford was not far from Shopton, where Tom and his father made
their home.
Mr. Swift was also an inventor of note, and Tom soon followed in his
father's footsteps. They lived in a large house, with many shops about it,
for their work at times required much machinery.
Mrs. Baggert was the housekeeper who looked after Tom and his father,
and got their meals, when they consented to take enough time from
their inventive work to eat. Another member of the household was
Eradicate Sampson, a genial old colored man, who said he was named
Eradicate because he used to eradicate the dirt about the place.
Koku, just referred to by Tom, was an immense man, a veritable giant,
whom Tom had brought back with him from one of his trips, after
escaping from captivity. The young inventor really brought two giants,
brothers they were, but one had gone to a museum, and the other took
service with our hero, making himself very useful when it came to
lifting heavy machinery.
Tom had a close friend in Ned Newton, who was employed in the
Shopton bank. Another friend was Miss Mary Nestor, a young lady
whose life Tom had once saved. He had many other friends, and some
enemies, whom you will meet from time to time in this story.

After Tom had had many adventures on his motor cycle he acquired a
motor boat, and in that he and Ned went through some strenuous times
on Lake Carlopa, near Tom's home. Then followed an airship, for Tom
got that craze, and in the book concerning that machine I related some
of the things that happened to him. He had even more wonderful
adventures in his submarine, and with his electric runabout our hero
was instrumental in saving a bank from ruin by making a trip in the
speediest car on the road.
After Tom Swift had sent his wireless message, and saved the
castaways of Earthquake Island, he thought he would give up his
inventive work for a time, and settle down to a life of ease and quiet.
But the call of the spirit of adventure was still too strong for him to
resist. That was why he sought out the diamond makers, and learned
the secret of Phantom Mountain. And when he went to the Caves of Ice,
and there saw his airship wrecked, Tom was well-nigh discouraged,
But he managed to get back to civilization, and later undertook a
journey to elephant land, with his powerful electric rifle.
Marvelous adventures underground did Tom Swift have when he went
to the City of Gold, and I have set down some of them in the book
bearing the latter title. Later on he sought the platinum treasure in his
air glider. And when Tom was taken captive, in giant land, only his
speedy airship saved him from a hard fate.
By this time moving pictures were beginning to occupy a large place in
the scientific, as well as the amusement world, and Tom invented a
Wizard Camera which did excellent work. Then came the need of a
powerful light, to enable Uncle Sam's custom officers on the border to
detect the smugglers, and Tom was successful in making his apparatus.
He thought he would take a rest after that, but with the opening of the
Panama Canal came the need of powerful guns to protect that important
waterway, and Tom made a Giant Cannon, which enabled the longest
shots on record to be fired.
Now, some months had passed, after the successful trial of the big

weapon, and Tom longed for new activities. He found them in the idea
of a photo telephone, and he and his father were just talking of this
when interrupted by the accident to the birdman on the roof of the
Swift home.
"Have you got that ladder,