The young inventor was not a little nervous as he prepared to press the button this time.It was a heavier charge than any used that day, though the same quantity had been fired on other occasions with safety.But he was not going to hesitate.
Coincident with the pressure of Tom's fingers there seemed to be a veritable earthquake.The ground swayed and rocked, and a number of the spectators staggered back.It was like the blast of a hundred thunderbolts.
The gun shook as it recoiled from the shock, but the wonderful disappearing carriage, fitted with coiled, pneumatic and hydrostatic buffers, stood the strain.
Following the awful report, the terrific recoil and the howl of the wind as it rushed into the vacuum created, there was an intense silence.The projectile had been seen by some as a dark speck, rushing through the air like a meteor.Then the wireless operator could be seen writing down a message, the telephone-like receivers clamped over his ears.
"Something happened, all right!" he called aloud."That shot hit something.""Not one of the ships!" cried Tom, aghast.
"I don't know.There seems to be some difficulty in transmitting.Wait--I'm getting it: now."
As he ceased speaking there came from underneath the great gun the sound of confused shouts.Tom and Ned recognized Koku's voice protesting:
"No--no--you can't come in here! Master said no one was to come in." "What is it, Koku?" yelled Tom, springing to the speaking tubeconnecting with the powder magazine, at the same time keeping an eye on the wireless operator.Tom was torn between two anxieties.
"Someone here, Master!" cried the giant."Him try to fix powder.Ah, I fix you!" and with a savage snarl the giant, in the concrete chamber below, could be heard to attack someone who cried out gutturally in German:
"Help! Help! Help!"
"Come on, Ned!" cried Tom, making a dash for the stairs that led into the magazine.There was confusion all about, but through it all the wireless operator continued to write down the message coming to him through space.
"What is it, Koku? What is it?" cried Tom, plunging down into the little chamber.
As he reached it, a door leading to the outer air flew open, and out rushed a man, badly torn as to his clothes, and scratched and bleeding as to his face.On he ran, across the space back of the barbette, toward the lower tier of seats that had been erected for the spectators.
"It's von Brunderger's servant!" gasped Ned, recognizing the fellow."What did he do, Koku?" demanded the young inventor.
"Him sneak in here--have some of that stuff you call 'dope.' I sent up powder, and I come back here to see him try to put some dope in Master's ammunition.""The scoundrel!" cried Tom."They're trying to break me, even at the last minute! Come on, Ned."They raced outside to behold a curious sight.Straight toward von Brunderger rushed the man as if in a frenzy of fear.He called out something in German to his master, and the latter's face went first red, then white.He was observed to look about quickly, as though in alarm, and then, with a shout at his servant, the German officer rushed from the stand, and the two disappeared in the direction of the barracks.
"What does it mean?" cried Ned.
"Give it up," answered Tom, "except that Koku spoiled their trick, whatever it was.It looks as if this was the end of it, and that the mystery has been cleared up.""Mr.Swift! Where's Mr.Swift?" shouted the wireless operator."Where are you?""Yes; what is it?" demanded Tom, so excited that he hardly knew what he was doing."The longest shot on record!" cried the man."Thirty-three miles, and it struck, exploded, and blew the top off a mountain on an island out there!" and he pointed across the sun-lit sea.
