SUSPICIONS
High up aloft, over the blazing red shed, with its dangerous contents that any moment might explode, Tom Swift continued to hold his big dirigible balloon as near the flames as possible.And as he stood outside on the small deck in front of the pilot-house, where were located the various controls, the young inventor pulled the levers that emptied bag after bag of fine sand on the spouting flames that, already, were beginning to die down as a result of this effectual quenching.
"Tom's done the trick!" yelled Ned, paying little attention now to the big airship shed, since he saw that the danger was about over.
"Dhat's what he suah hab done!" agreed Eradicate."Mah ole mule Boomerang couldn't 'a' done any better.""Huh! Your mule afraid of fire," remarked Koku.
"What's dat? Mah mule afraid ob fire?" cried the colored man."Look heah, yo' great, big, overgrowed specimen ob an equilateral quadruped, I'll hab yo' all understand dat when yo' all speaks dat way about a friend ob mine dat yo'--""That'll do, Rad!" broke in Ned, with a laugh.He knew that when Tom's helper grew excited on the subject of his mule there was no Stopping him, and Boomerang was a point on which Eradicate and Koku were always arguing."The fire is under control now.""Yes, it seems to have gone visiting," observed Koku."Visiting?" queried Ned, in some surprise.
"Yes, that is, it is going out," went on Koku.
"Oh, I understand!" laughed Ned."Yes, and I hope it doesn't pay us another visit soon.Oh, look at Tom, would you!" he cried, for the young aviator had swung his ship about over the flames, to bring another row of sand bags directly above a place where the fire was hottest.
Down showered more sand from the bags which Tom opened.No fire could long continue to blaze under that treatment.The supply of air was cut off, and without that no fire can exist.Water would have been worsethan useless, because of the carbide, but the sand covered it up so that it was made perfectly harmless.
Moving slowly, the airship hovered over every part of the now slowly expiring flames, the burned opening in the roof of the shed making it possible for the sand to reach the spots where it was most needed.The flames died out in section after section, until no more could be seen--only clouds of black smoke.
"How is it now?" came Tom's voice, as he spoke from the deck of the balloon through a megaphone.
"Almost out," answered Mr.Damon."A little more sand, Tom."The eccentric man had caught up a piece of paper and, rolling it into a cone, made an improvised megaphone of that.
"Haven't much more sand left," was Tom's comment, as he sent down a last shower."That will have to do.Hustle that carbide and other explosive stuff out of there now, while you have a chance.""That's it!" cried Ned, who caught his chums meaning."Come on, Koku.There's work for you.""Me like work," answered the giant, stretching out his great arms.
The last of the sand had completely smothered the fire, and Tom, observing from aloft that his work was well done, moved away in the dirigible, sending it to a landing space some little distance away from the shed whence it had arisen.It was impossible to drop it back again through the roof of the hangar, as the balloon was of such bulk that even a little breeze would deflect it so that it could not be accurately anchored.But Tom had it under very good control, and soon it was being held down on the ground by some of his helpers.
As all the sand ballast had been allowed to run out Tom was obliged to open the gas-valves and let some of the lifting vapor escape, or he could not have descended."Come on, now!" cried the inventor, as he leaped from the deck of his sky craft."Let's clean out the red shed.That fire is only smothered, and there may be sparks smoldering under that sand, which will burst into flame, if we're not careful.Let's get the explosives out of the way.
"Bless my insurance policy, yes," exclaimed Mr.Damon."That was afine move of yours."
"It was the only way I could think of to put out the fire," Tom replied."I knew water was out of the question, and sand was the next thing.""But I didn't know where to get any until I happened to think of the ballast bags of my dirigible.Then I knew, if I could get above the fire, I could do the trick.I had to fly pretty high, though, as the fire was hot, and I was afraid it might explode the gas bag and wreck me.""You were taking a chance," remarked Ned.
"Oh, well, you have to take chances in this business," observed Tom, with a smile."Now, then, let's finish this work."The sand, falling from the ballast bags of the dirigible, had so effectually quenched the fire that it was soon cool enough to permit close approach.Koku, Tom and some of the men who best knew how to handle the explosives, were soon engaged in the work of salvage.
"I wish I could help you, Tom," said his aged father."I don't seem able to do anything but stand here and look on," and he gazed about him rather sadly.
