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70 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ROCKET SHIP
“Too bad,” said Tom sympathetically. “Better not use it for a while. Are Hein and Johnson still at the house?” he asked quickly.
“Yup. Heard their voices after I jumped.”
“Good. Bud and I will go right up there and investigate,” Tom said. “But you’d better wait in the general store, Asa. It’ll be safer for you, in case of any trouble.
Can you make it alone?”
“I kin git to the store all right,” Asa said. “But ye fellers better do some fast thinkin’. I’m sure from what those two men said that they’ll be flyin’ away pretty quick. They got their mail.”
He explained that Johnson’s plane was the one at the public dock. Hein had brought in the other.
“Come on, Bud!” Tom urged. “Asa, if we don’t sec you again on this trip, let us know anything else you find out.”
“You betcha.”
With Tom in the lead they ran toward the public dock where one of the aluminum seaplanes was moored. As Bud sprinted along, he called: “What are we going to do?”
“Stow away!” Tom replied. “We’ll hide in the luggage compartment.”
“And fly with Johnson, maybe to the gang’s base?” Bud asked.
“Exactly! As soon as we’ve spotted their hide-out, we’ll try to take over and head back home with our prisoner!”
“Then go back and capture the rest, you old bloodhound?” Bud grinned.
STOWAWAYS 71
Tom nodded as he climbed down the wooden ladder to the seaplane’s pontoon and entered the cabin. Bud followed. A few moments later Johnson came walking rapidly down the dock. Tom and Bud slid feet first into the luggage compartment behind the pilot’s seat, closed the door, and stretched out on the floor.
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