“Let’s get moving!” Tom urged, dashing toward the door.
As the boys ran from the building Tom took a quick glance at two rocket ships which stood out against the night sky. One was a pilotless dummy for a test run; the other was a needle-nosed giant in which Tom and Bud hoped to conquer space.
The wailing of the siren system shrieked over the sandy island. Immense floodlights had been switched
robots had veered toward the intruding plane
4 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ROCKET SHIP
on the instant the robots had veered toward the intruding plane. The glare nearly blinded the boys as they stared upward over the center of the island.
“It’s a small cabin plane-in a terrific power dive!” Tom cried.
“The interceptor drone has made contact,” Bud said elatedly. “It’s forcing the plane down!”
Leaping into a jeep, both boys sped past the two multistage rockets.
“Say, Tom,” Bud asked, “you don’t suppose that pilot was making a suicide attempt to wreck the rocket ships?”
“Possibly,” Tom replied. “Certainly all licensed pilots know that this is a restricted area.”
As the boys roared along the road to the airfield at the east end of the three-mile-long island, the sound of the sirens tapered to a hum.
“They’re landing!” Bud cried.
Tom stopped the jeep and the two boys jumped out. Dead ahead, the fiery red glow of the robot’s light outlined the captive plane as both craft banked in side by side. Tom and Bud watched tensely as the drone, only half the size of the intercepted plane, taxied in with its prize.
The instant the planes stopped, Tom and Bud hurried forward. Tom forced open the cabin door and peered in. The next moment, he drew back and cried: “The plane’s empty!”