“It’s a big undertaking, son,” Mr. Swift murmured. “I’m confident you can handle it in a way that will bring credit to America.”
“I’ll try, Dad. Thanks-and so long!”
Minutes later, the Sky Queen zoomed aloft and seaward. Then three huge cargo jets took off.
As Tom streaked over the South Atlantic, a radio call came in from Harlan Ames.
“The skeleton bomber’s been nabbed, skipper,” he reported. “Happened early this morning upstate-I just got the word. A trooper chased a THE SKELETON BOMBER 125
speeding car, made the driver pull over, and spotted the skeleton costume on the back seat.”
“That’s great, Harlan! Who is the fellow?”
“He’s a hood named Willie Jarvel. So far he won’t talk-but the costume fits him perfectly. By the way, guess how he carried that cylinder.”
“How?”
“Inside one of the padded ribs sewn on the front of his suit. The padding had been removed. He’s being brought to Shopton,” Ames added. “I’ll let you know if we get anything out of him.”
Before noon, the air convoy landed in Ngombia. A car was waiting to whisk Tom to the Ministry of Economic Development. Here, Kwanu informed him that native work gangs had already been organized and were standing by at Imbolu and Copperville.
“I have also hired an experienced big-game hunter-an Englishman,” Kwanu went on. “His name is Luke Auber. He will help you deal with the jungle tribesmen and protect your work crews from animal attack.”
“Thanks. We can use him,” Tom said.
As soon as he returned to the airport, the planes took off for Imbolu. When they landed, a tall, lean man strolled out from the village to meet them. Black-haired and deeply tanned, he was wearing jungle-stained khakis and a broad-brimmed felt hat.
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