At the last moment Bud could not bear to burden the elder scientist with worry over his son’s plight. He spoke into the mike: “American base to Shopton… . This is Bud
188 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ATOMIC BLASTER
Barclay speaking… . Tom’s not here just now, Mr. Swift, but I’ll get your message to him as soon as possible!”
Bud signed off and hurried back to the Sky Queen, where his “troops” were waiting to embark. He was reporting the news from Shopton when the shrill whine of the air-raid siren sounded over the camp!
The men scattered for cover. Seconds later the jet bomber came swooping down. But there was no attack. Instead of bombs, another weighted tin can was dropped from the plane. Bud ran to pluck out the message and read it aloud: TO THE AMERICAN EXPEDITION: WE ARE HOLDING TOM SWIFT AS A HOSTAGE. DO NOT TRY TO ATTACK OUR CAMP OR HE
WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!
The men’s faces showed dismay. Even Bud was nonplused for a moment by the unexpected threat. But a surge of anger and indignation quickly stiffened his resolve.
“We can’t let them bluff us this way! Tom’s in danger whether we attack or not! And it’s a cinch they’ll never let him go free unless we rescue him!”
“Yo’re dad-blamed right they won’t!” Chow Winkler chimed in. “There’s only one kind o’ language them hoot owls understand, an’ it’s time we started talkin’
it!”
SHOWDOWN BATTLE 189
Most of the men were quickly won over to this point of view. But Voorhees objected.
“You’re asking us to take full responsibility for whatever happens to Tom Swift. If an armed force is on its way here by plane, why not wait and let them handle the situation?”