Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 18 – And the Electronic Hydrolung

boat. “But at least your hydrolung device is a great success, son!”

Tom was thoughtful. “Dad, I wonder if the fish would eat those plants from space which you’ve been growing under salt water?”

Tom was referring to certain strange plants rocketed to earth by unknown space friends with whom the Swifts had been in communication.

“I have a hunch,” Tom went on, “that the fish might be repelled by the unusual scent of those space plants. If so, we could scatter them among the earth plants to keep the fish away.”

Mr. Swift was impressed by Tom’s idea. As soon as they had returned to Enterprises, he proposed that the experiment get under way.

Tom volunteered to undertake the job at once with Bud. While the young inventor phoned his copilot, Mr. Swift went to his own laboratory to prepare the plants for shipment.

Twenty minutes later the boys took off in a jet. The plants had been parceled in transparent plastic film. Glistening with a red metallic sheen, they looked somewhat like tulips with honeycombed centers.

“Scarecrow plants to drive off fishes,” Bud joked. “What will scientists think of next!”

Tom laughed, then abruptly frowned. “Hey! What’s that character up to?” he said. “Trying to buzz us?”

A sleek gray jet without markings was arrowing AERIAL ATTACK 49

in on them from three o’clock. Bud flicked on the radio and barked a warning.

The plane made no response. As it kept coming, Tom increased speed -then rolled, dived, and changed course, but failed to shake off their pursuer.

Bud, meanwhile, was frantically calling Enterprises and a nearby airport, but getting no response. Yet their radio was working, for a voice suddenly crackled: “Follow the mystery plane for a landing and you won’t be harmed!”