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Tom Swift and His Airship, or, The Stirring Cruise of the Red Cloud, is Volume 3 in the original Tom Swift novel series.

Tom Swift has finished his latest invention: the Red Cloud, a fast and innovative airship and Tom is anxious for a cross-country trial. But just before he and his friends take off, the Shopton bank is robbed. No sooner is Tom in the air than he blamed for the robbery with... More

Tom Swift and His Airship, or, The Stirring Cruise of the Red Cloud, is Volume 3 in the original Tom Swift novel series.

Tom Swift has finished his latest invention: the Red Cloud, a fast and innovative airship and Tom is anxious for a cross-country trial. But just before he and his friends take off, the Shopton bank is robbed. No sooner is Tom in the air than he blamed for the robbery without his knowledge. Suddenly, he's a wanted fugitive, and doesn't know why until he's half-way across the country. With no safe harbor or friend on the land below, Tom must race back to Shopton to clear his name before he's shot out of the sky.

Title: Tom Swift and His Airship

Author: Victor Appleton



Contents

I - An Explosion
II - Ned Sees Mysterious Men
III - Whitewashed
IV - A Trial Trip
V - Colliding With A Tower
VI - Getting Off The Roof
VII - Andy Tries A Trick
VIII - Winning a Prize
IX - The Runaway Auto
X - A Bag of Tools
XI - The "Red Cloud" Departs
XII - Some Startling News
XIII - Mr. Damon in Danger
XIV - Andy Gives the Clue
XV - Fired Upon
XVI - Over a Fiery Furnace
XVII - "Wanted -- For Robbery!"
XVIII - Back for Vindication
XIX - Wrecked
XX - Tom Gets a Clue
XXI - On the Trail
XXII - The Sheriff on Board
XXIII - On To the Camp
XXIV - The Raid
XXV - Andy Gets His Reward




Chapter 1 - An Explosion



"Are you all ready, Tom?"

"All ready, Mr. Sharp," replied a young man, who was stationed near
some complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with a
nervous manner, leaned over a large tank.

"I'm going to turn on the gas now," went on the man. "Look out for
yourself. I'm not sure what may happen."

"Neither am I, but I'm ready for it. If it does explode it can't do
much damage."

"Oh, I hope it doesn't explode. We've had so much trouble with the
airship, I trust nothing goes wrong now."

"Well, turn, on the gas, Mr. Sharp," advised Tom Swift. "I'll watch
the pressure gauge, and, if it goes too high, I'll warn you, and you
can shut it off."

The man nodded, and, with a small wrench in his hand, went to one end
of the tank. The youth, looking anxiously at him, turned his gaze now
and then toward a gauge, somewhat like those on steam boilers, which
gauge was attached to an aluminum, cigar-shaped affair, about five
feet long.

Presently there was a hissing sound in the small frame building where
the two were conducting an experiment which meant much to them. The
hissing grew louder.

"Be ready to jump," advised Mr. Sharp.

"I will," answered the lad. "But the pressure is going up very slowly.
Maybe you'd better turn on more gas."

"I will. Here she goes! Look out now. You can't tell what is going to
happen."

With a sudden hiss, as the powerful gas, under pressure, passed from
the tank, through the pipes, and into the aluminum container, the hand
on the gauge swept past figure after figure on the dial.

"Shut it off!" cried Tom quickly. "It's coming too fast! Shut her
off!"

The man sprang to obey the command, and, with nervous fingers, sought
to fit the wrench over the nipple of the controlling valve. Then his
face seemed to turn white with fear.

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