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

“Empty!” Bud echoed. “Maybe it’s radio-controlled.”

A VANISHED PILOT 5

“No, this is an ordinary commercial job,” Tom replied. “Bud, I believe the pilot bailed out before the robot intercepted the plane!”

“There’s a chance, then, that he’s out on the water and may swim to the island!” Bud said.

“A very good chance,” Tom replied grimly. “We’ll search every bit of beach.”

From the hangar he phoned the control tower to sound the alarm which would start an all-out search of the island and the surrounding waters.

“I’ll take a copter up,” Bud said, and ran toward one of the fast, new helicopters.

Speedboats roared into action from the north and south docks, and streaked away from the cone of light that covered the island. They started zigzagging, sweeping the choppy sea with their searchlights.

Meanwhile, on the south beach, Tom, carrying a walkie-talkie to keep in touch with his men, led a ground search party. It included Hank Sterling, chief engineer of the patternmaking division of Swift Enterprises, whose great skill was indispensable to the precision job of rocket building. Tom had moved most of his rocket staff from the Swift Enterprises plant on the mainland, a four-mile-square enclosure of modern laboratories and factories where he and his father carried on their experiments.

Hank scanned the sky. “The plane was coming in a southerly direction,” he said, “so if my theory’s correct, the pilot will be heading for this side.”

“Right!” Tom agreed.

Tom Swift, the nation’s youngest rocket expert, 6 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ROCKET SHIP