"Sure, girls first!" agreed the skipper of the disabled craft."Hit a submerged log," he explained to Tom, as the work of rescue proceeded."Stove a hole in the bow, but we stuffed coats and things in, and made it a slow leak.Kept the engine going as long as we could, but I thought no one would ever come! Lucky you happened to see us from up there!""Yes," assented Tom shortly.He and Ned were too busy to talk much, as they were aiding in getting some hysterical girls and young women into the two sound craft.And when the last of the picnic party had been taken off, the boat with a hole in it gave a sudden lurch, there was a gurgling, bubbling sound, and she sank quickly.
Tom and Ned had anticipated this, however, and had their craft well out of the way of the suction.
"You'll all have to sit quiet," Tom warned his passengers as he took Ned's boat, with her load, in tow."I've got about all the law allows me to carry," he added grimly.
"Oh, what ever would we have done without you?" half sobbed one girl.
"I guess you could have managed to swim ashore," Tom answered, not wanting to make too much of his effort.
Then more rescue boats came up, but those in the naphtha craft, and Ned's smaller one, refused to be transferred, and remained with our friends until safely landed at the dock.
Receiving the half-hysterical thanks of the party, and leaving them to explain matters to the owner of the borrowed boats, Ned and Tom went back to the Lucifer, and were soon aloft again.
"Pretty slick act, Tom," remarked Ned.
"Oh, it's all in the day's work," was the answer.He had all but perfected his big fire-extinguishing aeroplane, and was contemplating means by which he could give a demonstration to the fire department of some big city, when Mr.Baxter asked to see Tom one day.There was a look on the face of the chemist that caused Tom to exclaim with a good deal of concern:
"What's the matter?"
"Only the same old trouble," was the discouraged answer."I can't get on the track of my lost secret formulae.If I had Field and Melling here now I--I'd--"He did not finish his threat, but the look on his face was enough to show his righteous anger.
"I wish we could do something to those fellows!" exclaimed Tom energetically."If we only had some direct evidence against them!""I've got evidence enough--in my own mind!" declared Mr.Baxter."Unfortunately that doesn't do in law," returned Tom."But now that I have this airship firefighter craft so nearly finished, I can devote more time to your troubles, Mr.Baxter.""Oh, I don't want you bothered over my troubles," said the chemist."You have enough of your own.But I'm at my wit's end what to do next.""If it is money matters," began Tom.
"It's partly that, yes," said the other, in a low voice."If I had those dye formulae, I'd be a rich man.""Well, let me help you temporarily," begged Tom.And the upshot of the talk was that he engaged Mr.Baxter to do certain research work in the Swift laboratories until such time as the chemist could perfect certain other inventions on which he was working.
In return for his kindness to a fellow laborer, Tom received from Mr.Baxter some valuable hints about fire-extinguishing chemicals, one hint, alone, serving to bring about a curious situation.
It was several days after the accident to the motor boat from which the young inventor and Ned Newton had rescued the party of pleasure seekers that Tom was visited by Mr.Damon, who drove over in his car.
"Have you anything special to do, Tom?" asked the eccentric man."If you haven't I wish you'd take a ride with me.Not for mere pleasure! Bless my excursion ticket, don't think that, Tom!" cried his friend quickly.
"I know better than to ask you out for a pleasure jaunt.But I have become interested in a certain candy-making machine that a man over in Newmarket is anxious to sell me a share in, and I'd like to get your opinion.Can you run over?""Yes," Tom answered."As it happens I am going to Newmarket myself.""Oh, I forgot about Mary Nestor being there!" laughed Mr.Damon."Sly dog, Tom! Sly dog!" and he nudged the youth in the ribs.
"It isn't altogether Mary.Though I am going to see her," Tom admitted."It has to do with a little apparatus I am getting up.I can capture several birds in the same auto, so I'll go along."This pleased Mr.Damon, and he and Tom were soon speeding over the road.It was just outside Newmarket that they saw an automobile stalled at the foot of a hill which they topped.It needed but a glance to show that there was serious trouble.As Mr.Damon's car went down the slope two men could be seen leaping from the other machine.And, as they did so, flames burst out of the rear of the stalled machine.
"Fire! Fire!" cried Mr.Damon, rather needlessly it would seem, as any one could see the blaze.
"Another chance!" exclaimed Tom, reaching down between his feet for a wrapped object he had placed in Mr.Damon's car."It's Field and Melling!" he cried."The two men who boasted of having put it over on Mr.Baxter.Their car is blazing.Here's where I get a chance to heap coals of fire on their heads!"
