Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 02 – And His Jetmarine

“Hop to it, Chow,” he said, pointing to the kitchen in the rear. “Mulligan stew’s the special today. It’s popular. Better make some more.”

86 TOM SWIFT AND HIS JETMARINE

Chow whipped an apron about his rotund middle, set a white hat jauntily on the back of his bald head, and grinned.

“Yell your orders loud enough for me to hear ‘em in the galley, Gus,” he said.

“Don’t have to,” the owner replied, hooking his thumbs into his suspenders. “I got this newfangled gimmick yesterday.” He pointed to a small mike concealed under the far end of the counter. “I just whisper into this,” he said, “an’ it comes out right over the stove. Go listen!”

As Chow retreated to the back room, Gus strode to the end of the counter.

“One on a raft!” he said softly. His words echoed in the kitchen, and Chow’s eyes widened.

“Real modern,” the cook approved. “I’ll have to tell Tom about this.”

For the next hour the team of Gus and Chow served a stream of hungry customers. The pot of mulligan stew was nearly empty when the perspiring Chow suddenly heard some strange words over the loud-speaker.

“We’ll do this Swift job and get out of here,” a man said.

“When?” came another voice.

“Shhh! Not so loud.”

Chow was so startled he dropped his ladle into the steaming gravy and hurried out to the counter. Two rough-looking men were seated near the hidden mike. Chow approached them.

“Did I hear you mention Tom Swift?” he asked.

A CRUCIAL TEST 87

The two customers looked at each other in surprise. Then the taller one sneered and said, “No, we didn’t, skinhead! I jest told my pal here we have a job to finish swift-in a hurry. Catch? Now scram back to your hamburgers!”