The import in the words struck Tom with immense relief. At least his father was still alive!
More questions from the young inventor started another flow of bragging on Canova’s part. The rebel’s eyes gleamed as he related the great plans he had for himself and for Verano.
“Just keep talking, Pedro,” Tom murmured hopefully to himself. “The longer the better!”
AN AMAZING DISCOVERY 203
Suddenly the man’s steady stream of self-praise was cut short by the sound of concentrated rifle fire. Canova suddenly disappeared.
There were more shots, and several cries of terror. Those inside the cave could hear orders being barked in an authoritative voice.
Around the corner of the ledge just outside the gate a small company of Bapcho soldiers appeared. Two of them were dragging Canova, handcuffed, to the gate. Behind them was Rip Hulse!
“Rip!”
“Tom!”
One of the officers gave Canova a shove toward the gate. “Open it, you traitor!” he commanded in $5
Spanish.
Cowed and beaten, Canova obeyed, and the barrier swung wide. Tom, John Roberts, and the other scientists welcomed their rescuers with joyous shouts and fervent handshakes.
“Rip! How did you happen to be here?” Tom asked when the excitement died down a bit.
“I picked up a relayed message from the U.S.S. Garner and got hold of these soldiers pronto,” the flier replied. He introduced Captain Diaz, then said, “We’ve been flying around for an hour. I wasn’t sure where to look for you until that smoke signal appeared.”
Canova was forced to reveal where Bud was being held; then, after picking up the unharmed copilot, Tom said they must all fly to the Sky Queen as soon as possible. He was sure there was trouble there, also. The two helicopters would proceed together.
204 TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING LAB
As the group walked toward their craft they saw another helicopter arriving.
From it climbed a detail of soldiers whose captain announced that they had come to comb Verano and track down all the other rebels. Fritz Manuel, Miguel, and the ace pilot of the gang, Fernando, had already been captured.
Tom’s flight and that of Diaz to the area where the Sky Queen stood in the canyon were quickly made. The captain insisted that the armed contingent go first and in a short time all the Indians and the astonished Vladimir were captured.
Hanson and Chow were unharmed. As the engineer expressed his relief and explained how he had kept Vladimir there by pretending to join his rebel group, the cook looked on shamefaced. Finally he said: “Well, brand my ole cowhide skull, I never caught on.” Then he grinned. “I’m sure glad we all got free an’ are goin’ to git home agin.”
He had just finished speaking when they became aware of a small plane circling the area.
“I’m going up to the top of the canyon in the Skeeter and see who that is,”
Tom announced.
He had barely risen into the air in the helicopter when the wings of the plane dipped in recognition and two familiar faces pulled close to him.
“Dad! Senor Ricardo!” Tom shouted joyously.
As quickly as possible the two craft landed and father and son embraced.
“You escaped from those rebels!” Tom cried.
“I didn’t exactly escape, son. I was released this morning from the dingy vacant house where I’d
AN AMAZING DISCOVERY 205
been held by Senor Bonomo. He checked out of my hotel for me and kept me closely guarded.”
“Who’s he?”
“The traitor in Hemispak,” Ricardo replied. “The one who let Pedro Canova into the meeting. He has been working with Vladimir Contes, the boss of the gang, and was responsible for everywhat you callleak in our plans.”
“He caused the jamming of the air waves and kept the police from coming here by pretending you had countermanded the order, Tom,” Mr. Swift added.
“Has Bonomo been captured?” his son asked.
“Yes,” Ricardo answered, “thanks to you, Tom Swift, and your friend Rip Hulse. The message you sent started the police working. The rebel state has collapsed.”
Diaz’s soldiers took their prisoners away, and with sighs of relief the others sat down to talk over the fortunate turn of events and let their families know they were safe. Presently Tom picked up a signal on the radio receiver. It was from FBI headquarters in Washington reporting that all the members of the rebel gang in the United States had been rounded up. Among them we^-e the cruel couple who had tied up Sandy in the woods.
“That saves me the trouble of looking for those two,” Bud spoke up. “I’ve lost my chance to give that guy a thrashing.”
“Never mind.” Tom laughed. “I can use your muscles right here. We have some digging to do.”
He then proposed that they fly over to the ore deposit and obtain some of it to analyze.
206 TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING LAB
“A good idea, Tom,” Mr. Swift agreed.
“But not till after you eat,” Chow insisted.
An hour later the whole group started off. Tom carefully eased the Flying Lab out of its tight berth and shortly afterward set it down just beyond the disastrous landslide.
Digging operations got under way immediately. It was hard work, but this time there was none of the fear that had prevailed during their earlier digging efforts. Tom was busy high on the mountainside when suddenly he gave a shout.
“Here’s something! It’s in this rock formation that the explosion must have pushed up.”
There was a concerted charge from all sides at the cry. Mr. Swift and Senor Ricardo, with John Roberts assisting, examined Tom’s find.
“This is it, all right, I’m sure,” he declared, and there were murmurs of assent from his father and the other scientists.
“But what is it, exactly?” Bud asked.
Mr. Swift studied it carefully. “I don’t believe it’s pure uranium,” he stated. “But whether it is more valuable or less, I can’t say.”
“Dad,” Tom said excitedly, “now we can prove the worth of the Flying Lab!
We’ll take this ore inside and analyze it under the mass spectrograph.”
Without delay a sample of the ore was taken to the laboratory. Everyone stood by tense with expectation as Tom made the test. In a matter of minutes, he completed the analysis.
“This is one of the transuranium elements which has never been discovered!”
he announced.
AN AMAZING DISCOVERY 207
Mr. Swift, amazed, added, “Some of the simpler uranium elements, such as plutonium and ameri-cium, have been manufactured by man in atomic piles.
This strange ore, however, seems to be a higher element. All I can say is that its atomic number is higher than any known now.”
“Lucky thing our discovery didn’t get into the hands of that subversive group!”
John Roberts declared. “This element can be of great help to mankind, but those rebels probably would have blown us all to bits with it.”
Senor Ricardo raised a hand for silence. “It is only proper that I take a moment to extend boundless thanks to the Swift expedition for the magnificent work they have done on this trip,” he declared. “Tom Swift, the heartfelt appreciation of our mother country goes out to you. And to you Senor Swift, and your friends.
“And so it would be only fitting,” the president of Hemispak continued with a smile, “that we give this almost-magical substance a very special name. We shall call it Swiftonium!”
“Yippee!” shouted Chow from the doorway, and the Swifts’ other admirers enthusiastically took up the cry.
The next day the Sky Queen started her homeward journey. Bud was in the pilot’s seat, Tom and his father near him.
“Well, what’s the next job for the Swift Expeditionary Forces?” Bud asked.
Little did he realize that it would not be long before he would play an important part in another ad-208 TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING LAB
venture, Tom Swift and His Jetmarine, followed by Tom Swift and His Rocket Ship.
Tom grinned at Bud and said, “Ever think of trying to get through the earth?”
“No. Too hot for me down there.”
Tom looked at his father. “Have you figured out those symbols on the meteor?”
he asked.
“I believe I have. Did you?”
“I think so. A group of scientists on Mars can’t determine how to penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere.”
“That’s my theory, too.”
“And they want us to meet them in space to help solve the problem so that they can visit us,” Tom continued.
“That’s the way I interpret it.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Bud cried.
With a laugh he turned full power into the jet lifters and the Sky Queen shot upward.
“Hey, hold on!” Chow objected. “I got to make a stop first in good ole Texas!”
“You’ll have time while Tom’s building a rocket ship,” Hanson remarked. “And by the way, Tom, what about the atomic sub you’re building that’s going deeper in the ocean than anyone has ever been?”