"Well, perhaps you can, just the same, though you may not know a lot of technical things about machines.It sometimes helps me just to tell my troubles to a disinterested person, and hear him ask questions.I've got dad half distracted trying to solve the problem, so I've had to let up on him for a while.Come on out and see what you make of it.""Sure, Tom, anything to oblige.If you want me to sit in front of your photo-telephone, and have my picture taken, I'm agreeable, even if you shoot off a flashlight at my ear.Or, if you want me to see how long I can stay under water without breathing I'll try that, too, provided you don't leave me under too long, lead the way--I'm agreeable as far as I'm able, old man.""Oh, it isn't anything like that," Tom answered with a laugh."I might as well give you a few hints, so you'll know what I'm driving at.Then I'll take you out and show it to you.""What is it--air, earth or water?" asked Ned Newton, for he knew his chum's activities led along all three lines.
"This happens to be air." "A new balloon?""Something like that.I call it my aerial warship, though." "Aerial warship, Tom!That sounds rather dangerous!""It will be dangerous, too, if I can get it to work.That's what it's intended for.""But a warship of the air!" cried Ned."You can't mean it.A warship carries guns, mortars, bombs, and--""Yes, I know," interrupted Tom, "and I appreciate all that when I called my newest craft an aerial warship.""But," objected Ned, "an aircraft that will carry big guns will be so large that--""Oh, mine is large enough," Tom broke in.
"Then it's finished!" cried Ned eagerly, for he was much interested in his chum's inventions.
"Well, not exactly," Tom said."But what I was going to tell you was that all guns are not necessarily large.You can get big results with small guns and projectiles now, for high-powered explosives come in small packages.So it isn't altogether a question of carrying a certain amount of weight.Of course, an aerial warship will have to be big, for it will have to carry extra machinery to give it extra speed, and it will have to carry a certain armament, and a large crew will be needed.So, as I said, it will need to be large.But that problem isn't worrying me.""Well, what is it, then?" asked Ned.
"It's the recoil," said Tom, with a gesture of despair."The recoil?" questioned Ned, wonderingly.
1
Ned shook his head.
"I'm afraid I can't help you any," he said."The only thing I know about recoils is connected with an old shotgun my father used to own.
"I took that once, when he didn't know it," Ned proceeded."It was pretty heavily loaded, for the crows had been having fun in our cornfield, and dad had been shooting at them.This time I thought I'd take a chance.
"Well, I fired the gun.But it must have had a double charge in it and been rusted at that.All I know is that after I pulled the trigger I thought the end of the world had come.I heard a clap of thunder, and then I went flying over backward into a blackberry patch.""That was the recoil," said Tom."The what?" asked Ned.
"The recoil.The recoil of the gun knocked you over.
"Oh, yes," observed Ned, rubbing his shoulder in a reflective sort of way."I always thought it was something like that.But, at the time I put it down to an explosion, and let it go at that.""No, it wasn't an explosion, properly speaking," said Tom."You see, when powder explodes, in a gun, or otherwise, its force is exerted in alldirections, up, down and every way.
"This went mostly backward--in my direction," said Ned ruefully. "You only thought so," returned Tom."Most of the power went out infront, to force out the shot.Part of it, of course, was exerted on the barrel of the gun--that was sideways--but the strength of the steel held it in.And part of the force went backward against your shoulder.That part was the recoil, and it is the recoil of the guns I figure on putting aboard my aerial warship that is giving me such trouble.""Is that what makes you look so blue?" asked Ned.
"That's it.I can't seem to find a way by which to take up the recoil, and the force of it, from all the guns I want to carry, will just about tear my ship to pieces, I figure.""Then you haven't actually tried it out yet?" asked Ned.
"Not the guns, no.I have the warship of the air nearly done, but I've worked out on paper the problem of the guns far enough so that I know I'm up against it.It can't be done, and an aerial warship without guns wouldn't be worth much, I'm afraid.""I suppose not," agreed Ned."And is it only the recoil that is bothering you?""Mostly.But come, take a look at my latest pet," and Tom arose to lead the way to another shed, a large one in the distance, toward which he waved his hand to indicate to his chum that there was housed the wonderful invention.
The two chums crossed the yard, threading their way through the various buildings, until they stood in front of the structure to which Tom had called attention.
"It's in here," he said."I don't mind admitting that I'm quite proud of it, Ned; that is, proud as far as I've gone.But the gun business sure has me worried.I'm going to talk it off on you.Hello!" cried Tom suddenly, as he put a key in the complicated lock on the door, "someone has been in here.I wonder who it is?"Ned was a little startled at the look on Tom s face and the sound of alarm in his chum's voice.
