Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 22 – And His Repelatron Skyway

“Take a look at this, Dad.” Tom handed the article to his father.

Mr. Swift read it rapidly. “Very interesting. Eldreth was certainly ahead of his time.”

“He sure was! There’s a fellow at the Munich Zoo in Germany who’s re-created the aurochs, or prehistoric European cattle, after the species died out hundreds of years ago. He picked out cattle which showed some of the same characteristics as the older type and kept breeding them together until he produced a whole herd that are exactly like the ancient aurochs. And he has done the same with the wild horse.”

Mr. Swift nodded. “Yes, I recall those experiments. The Irish wolfhound was brought back the same way. And a scientist at the University of Chicago once bred guinea pigs with so many toes that their feet resembled fins-just like their ancestors who lived in the seas ages ago.”

Tom sat bolt upright. “Dad, this sounds so crazy I’m almost afraid to say it, but-”

“Go ahead, son.”

“Well, that dinosaur Bud saw-or whatever it was-do you suppose Professor Eldreth could have

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been experimenting along the lines we’ve been talking about and produced such a creature?”

Mr. Swift got up from his chair and strode about the room, looking deeply thoughtful.

“A man-made dinosaur!” he murmured. “Sounds fantastic, Tom, and yet-that could be the answer.”

The Swifts decided to keep the whole weird idea to themselves for the time being.

But they hoped that Tom might uncover more evidence when he returned to Ngombia.

Next morning Tom called the Ngombian Embassy in Washington and informed officials that he was ready to offer a solution to their highway problem. A date was set for a demonstration.