"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Jr 12 - In the Race to the Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

"and-
"Does it work?"
"Too well!" Tom grinned ruefully and pointed to the shattered case and
melted cables. "The cell was putting out so much energy the circuit couldn't
handle it-just blew up!"
At that moment high-heeled cowboy boots clattered on the stairway. A
foghorn voice boomed up:
"Brand my prairie dogs, what's happenin' up thar? Have the Martians
landed?"
The next moment Chow Winkler, Enterprises' stout, bowlegged ex-ranch
cook, hove into view. Wild-eyed, he was waving a pair of six-shooters. Chow
wore a gaudy Western shirt, topped off by a white chef's hat on his bald,
weather-beaten head.
"Speak up, son! Where are they?"
Tom collapsed in a chair, weak with laughter. Hank was also grinning as he
handed Tom a paper cup of water.
"Relax, Chow," Tom soothed him. "No saucer men here-just myself and a
solar short circuit!" He explained what had happened.
Chow glared at them, hands on his hips. "Tom,
A SOLAR EXPERIMENT 31
sometimes I think you oughta be hog-tied for your own good, to keep you
from takin' so many risks!"
The fat, middle-aged Texan had met the Swifts while they were doing atomic
energy work in the Southwest, and he had become so attached to Tom that they
had brought him East to Shopton. Now he cooked for Tom and his father at the
plant and often went on trips with them as chef.
Still chuckling, Tom got up and gave the roly-poly cook an affectionate hug.
"Okay, Chow. I'll take it easy on one condition."
"What's that?" Chow squinted suspiciously.
"That you rustle us up some lunch pronto!"
Always proud to display his cooking skill, Chow broke into a wide smile.
"Comin' right up, pod-ner!"
Later, as Tom and Hank enjoyed the tasty meal of vegetable soup and
corned-beef hash, the phone rang. Tom answered.
"This is Billing, skipper," said the voice at the other end of the line. "I just
picked up some more information on that Otto Jantree, who bought the
Hammond Jayhawk. He's a Brungarian!"
CHAPTER IV
MYSTERIOUS RAIDERS
TOM was alarmed. Apparently his hunch about the masked pilot had been
correct-the fellow had attacked Bud in hopes of stealing the electronic brain!
Such a device would be highly useful to the Brungarians for learning Tom's
secret communications with his space friends.
"Watch your step, skipper," Billing warned. "If Jantree's working for a
Brungarian spy ring, they'll stop at nothing to get their way!"
"Right!" Tom agreed grimly. "But we'll be on guard. And thanks for letting me
know."
Hank noticed Tom's worried look as he put down the phone. "Bad news?" he
asked.
Tom reported the conversation, then said, "I'll call right now to notify