Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 03 – And His Rocket Ship

Landry was sorry that he had kept them from contacting the suspects but promised to find out all he possibly could the next evening. He would let Bud know what he learned.

Before leaving the restaurant, Bud asked the owner if he were acquainted with the foreigners, but the man shook his head. One bit of information he did tell about them was discouraging. The men had mentioned to him that they would not be back-they were leaving New York permanently. Bud was disheartened, and as he and Ames flew back to Fearing Island, he said: 138 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ROCKET SHIP

“I hope Tom has better luck tomorrow night than we’ve had tonight.”

Reaching the island, Bud related what had happened. Tom, instead of being downcast about the two suspects not being caught, said: “Anyway, I’m still among the missing.” He grinned. “And I’ll stay there until you and I return from our rocket race.”

Early the next evening Tom flew with Bud to Shopton where the four stages of the new rocket were ready for transporting. Tom and his father were to ride with Bud in the Sky Queen to carry the payload stage to Fernwood and stay with it. Then Bud, Arvid Hanson, and the crew would shuttle the plane and move the other three sections there one by one.

After the cabin end of the Star Spear had been loaded into the hangar of the Flying Lab, the gigantic plane headed for the little seashore village of Fernwood.

Twenty minutes later it hovered in midair, several miles from the small hamlet, where there was a fleet of outsized amphibious bares parked along a lonely road.