登陆注册
15295300000003

第3章

A MAN IN THE SNOW BANK

Tom Swift looked somewhat in surprise at his strange visitor.It had all happened so suddenly, the offer had been such a strange one, the man himself--Mr.Period--was so odd, that our hero hardly knew what to think.The moving picture agent continued pacing up and down the room now and then looking at his watch as if to note when the five minutes had passed.

"No," said Tom to himself."I'm not going to take this offer.There's too much work and risk attached to it.I want to stay at home and work on my noiseless motor for the airship.After that-- well--I don't know what I'll do.I'll tell Mr.Period that he needn't wait the five minutes.My mind is made up now!"But as Tom was about to make this announcement, and dismiss his caller, he looked again at the visitor.There was something attractive about him--about his hasty way of talking, about his manner of interrupting, about the way he proposed matters.Tom was interested in spite of himself."Well," he reflected, "I may as well wait until the five minutes are up,anyhow."

Koku, the giant servant, glanced at his young master, as if to ask if there was anything that he could do.Tom shook his head, and then the big man strolled over to the other side of the machine shop, at the same time keeping a careful eye on Mr.Period.

While Tom is waiting for the time to expire, I will take a few minutes to tell you something more about him.Those of my friends who have read the previous books in this series need no introduction to my hero, but those who may chance upon this as their first book in the Tom Swift series, will like to be more formally introduced.

Tom, whose mother had been dead some years, lived with his father, Barton Swift, in the town of Shopton.Mr.Swift was an inventor of prominence, and his son was fast following in his footsteps.A Mrs.Baggert kept house for the Swifts, and another member of the householdwas Eradicate Sampson, an aged colored man, who said he used to "eradicate" the dirt.He had been with Tom on many trips, but of late was getting old and feeble.Then there was Garret Jackson, an engineer employed by the Swifts.These were all the immediate members of the household.

Tom had a chum, Ned Newton, who used to work in a bank, and there was a girl, Mary Nestor, a daughter of Amos Nestor, in which young lady Tom was much interested.

Eradicate Sampson had a mule, Boomerang, of whom he thought almost as much as he did of Tom.Eradicate was a faithful friend and servant, but, of late, Koku, or August, the giant, had rather supplanted him.I must not forget Mr.Wakefield Damon, of Waterfield, a village near Shopton.Mr.Damon was an odd man, always blessing everything.He and Tom were good friends, and had been on many trips together.

The first book of the series was called "Tom Swift and His Motor- Cycle," and related how Tom bought the cycle from Mr.Damon, after the latter had met with an accident on it, and it was in this way that our hero became acquainted with the odd man.

Tom had many adventures on his motor-cycle, and, later on he secured a motor-boat, in which he beat his enemy, Andy Foger, in a race.Next Tom built an airship, and in this he went on a wonderful trip.Returning from this he and his father heard about a treasure sunken under the ocean.In his submarine boat Tom secured the valuables, and made a large sum for himself.

In his electric runabout, which was the swiftest car on the road, Tom was able to save from ruin a bank in which his father was interested, and, a short time after that, he went on a trip in an airship, with a man who had invented a new kind.The airship was smashed, and fell to Earthquake Island, where there were some refugees from a shipwreck, among them being the parents of Mary Nestor.In the volume called "Tom Swift and His Wireless Message," I told how he saved these people.

When Tom went among the diamond makers he had more strange adventures, on that trip discovering the secret of phantom mountain.He had bad luck when he went to the caves of ice, for there his airship waswrecked.

When Tom made the trip in his sky racer he broke all records for an aerial flight, incidentally saving his father's life.It was some time after this when he invented an electric rifle, and went to elephant land, to rescue some missionaries from the red pygmies.

The eleventh volume of the series is called "Tom Swift in the Land of Gold," and relates his adventures underground, while the next one tells of a new machine he invented--an air-glider-- which he used to save the exiles of Siberia, incidentally, on that trip, finding a valuable deposit of platinum.

同类推荐
  • 净名玄论

    净名玄论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 阿弥陀经通赞疏

    阿弥陀经通赞疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 律宗新学名句

    律宗新学名句

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 阅史郄视

    阅史郄视

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 巴林纪程

    巴林纪程

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 我与四个女人恋爱

    我与四个女人恋爱

    和小雪站在空阔的操场等待日落。她一直喜欢残阳如血的暮色,失去了刺眼光芒的太阳像一个通红的苹果,独自徘徊在秋日的尽头。你想干什么?”和小雪转回头,冷漠的问。“我……”男生吞吞吐吐,“我,想认识你。”“想认识我,行啊,不过告诉你,我不是处女。”和小雪挑衅的自嘲道。“什么,你已经不是处女了?”男生仔细打量她,“怪不知道你身上有股子安全套的味呢。”和小雪笑笑,走到男生面前,甩手狠狠的给了他一个大嘴巴子,冷冷的说:“现在还有安全套的味道吗?”男生被打了一个趔趄,突如其来的一巴掌把他给打懵了,他捂着腮帮子怯生生的回答:“没有了。”和小雪突然收了笑容,指着男生问:“还想认识我吗?”男生头摇的像是芙蓉姐姐热舞时的乳房,飞快的跑开了。和小雪笑的泪花四溅,不是处女就是好,不用故作矜持,多自在!
  • 凰倾异世:废柴小姐初长成

    凰倾异世:废柴小姐初长成

    一代杀人机器,穿越异世,沦为废柴小姐。她是天才杀手,腹黑冷血,绝色容颜;一朝穿越,浴火凤凰,倾倒异世!他是江山之主,隐藏极深,妖孽绝色;异世相逢,执子之手,与子偕老!地生连理枝,水出并蒂莲,生生世世,相随相依····是宿命的悲,还是轮回的痛?她穷极一生,散尽修为,那里,还是一片茫茫···
  • 妃常危险,胡闹王妃不靠谱

    妃常危险,胡闹王妃不靠谱

    第一次见面,杜灵儿就看到了林非羽……只是一个不小心而已,她就被某人追着喊着要负责。第二次见面,他就狗皮膏药似的赖在她家,蹭吃蹭喝。先是被夺初吻之恨,再是白吃白喝之气,杜灵儿暗想:此仇怎可不报?不料偷鸡不成蚀把米,在某人的强势攻击下,她不知不觉成为异国王妃。后家境突变,才知最长情的告白是陪伴,入京救母杀机四伏、危机暗涌,最知良人在身边。他是蒙古小王,身份高贵,但是她也不差,想要把她这个前朝帝女娶回家,路漫漫还修远兮啊!
  • 逆天行道:斗神将

    逆天行道:斗神将

    不知多久以前……广阔的大地上,无数形态各异的生物忘我的厮杀著,残肢与鲜血在天空中飞舞,大地早已变成了红黑色的泥浆,那是流淌下的鲜血与泥土混合,然後被无数人来回践踏才形成的死亡之地。作者:狗狗执政官
  • 混吃混喝的日子:傻妃传

    混吃混喝的日子:傻妃传

    【本文极腐!慎入】当傻子的好处:一,能常人所不能, 傻常人所不傻。二,没有缺点,缺点就是最大的优点。三,吃陌生美男的豆腐不会喊非礼!例如,戏弄太子,消遣王爷,撞撞书生。重点PS:那个倾城倾国的“邪魅丫鬟”,能不能独占为已用?
  • 最牛召唤系统

    最牛召唤系统

    天降系统,齐梁从一个普通的宅男,变身成为了一个拥有超级召唤系统的人。“知道这是什么么?这个是玉皇大帝的头冠。”“知道他是谁么?他是LOL的菊花信。”“知道这是什么么?这是人名币。”只有你想不到的,没有我召唤不到的。
  • 微风轻起我等花开

    微风轻起我等花开

    人世间有百媚千红,唯独你是我情之所钟即使终点已到我心上仅你一人
  • 九世缘之三世桃

    九世缘之三世桃

    这里的桃花似乎连年都开闯进来是要付出代价的哦!她坐在桃树上晃荡的双腿仔细的打量着他,打量着这个千百年来进来的第一人他空张了张朱唇,什么也没有说,但是此后这林里多了一个扫花的男子你每天都在这里帮我扫花,你累不累啊?要不,我做桃花羹给你吃吧她笑眯眯的望着他他为她扫了千年的花,她替他做了千年的桃花羹。她渡了雷劫,成了仙,他呢?他渡不过的,她知道。他的气力全部用在帮她渡劫,他渡不过的。他的雷劫到了,那一日桃花林里的桃花似乎发疯似的长她换上了他的衣物扮作了他的模样望了一眼竹屋里昏迷的他。抚了一曲凤求凰那一日,桃林尽毁。他醒了,看到了案牍上她娟秀的字来世相见,勿等
  • 神探狄仁杰之大唐风云

    神探狄仁杰之大唐风云

    这是一个现代人在狄公身边的故事;这是一个江湖和庙堂的纠纷;这是一个讲述神探狄仁杰背后不为人知的秘密......
  • 异世逍遥生活

    异世逍遥生活

    什么?你不是我亲妈?没事,你对我很好,你还是我妈。什么?逐出家门?很好,我走就是,本少爷不稀罕。什么?你要跟我混?你别后悔!有战斗,有柔情,出色的天赋,卓绝的天才,现代少年重生异界,看他如何异世逍遥,手掌天下权,醉卧美人膝?新建书友群299155142,欢迎朋友们加入,验证码:书友