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

skyward. But what made Tom's heart give a joyous leap was the sight of Bud's
plane reposing safely on the airfield!
Its leather-jacketed young pilot came rushing up to greet him as Tom climbed
out of the jet. The two embraced in a bear hug of relief.
"Boy, am I glad to see you in one piece!" Tom exulted. "What happened after
you signed off?"
"The craziest game of tag you ever saw," Bud replied. "That masked pilot
tried every trick in
18 THE RACE TO THE MOON
the acrobatics book to keep me from getting to Fearing short of crashing,"
Bud explained. "But when old hotrock figured you'd be here soon- no doubt he
heard us talking-he streaked off. I came down here pronto and suggested the
veiled message to you."
"Have you notified the Civil Air Patrol?" Tom asked.
"Billing went to call them. Let's go find out if he's learned anything."
The two boys hurried over to base communications. George Billing, the
Swifts' radio chief, was just signing off.
"Hello, Tom," he greeted the young inventor. "The CAA says the mysterious
plane's registration numbers were faked. And the Civil Air Patrol has alerted all
ships to be on the lookout."
"How about checking with the Hammond factory?" Tom suggested.
"I've already done that, skipper," Billing replied. "They'll call back as soon as
they've compiled a list of purchasers. It shouldn't take long. That ship's been on
the market only a few months."
"Good work, George. Bud and I will be over at the tracking center. I want to
test the electronic brain after the dipsy-doodle ride it got. Let us know if anything
develops."
"Roger!"
As the boys drove across the island, Bud turned to Tom who was sitting tight-
lipped at the
SOS TO ENTERPRISES 19
wheel. "Do you think that masked pilot was after the electronic brain?"
"Yes, I do. We'll take extra precautions here to guard it. What I'd like to know
is how they found out about it."
In brooding silence the two boys completed the trip. Both kept asking
themselves, "Why should anyone want to steal a device for communicating with
the space people?"
The brain had already been unloaded from Bud's airplane and trucked to the
communications building. Tom made several tests on incoming and outgoing
messages. The brain functioned perfectly.
Bud clapped his chum on the shoulder. "Good work, genius boy. This means
a flight around the universe, no matter how dipsy-doodle it may be, won't disturb
this machine's brain one little bit."
As Tom grinned in satisfaction, the phone rang. George Billing was calling.
"Just heard from the Hammond factory, skipper. The people they sold
Jayhawks to are all well-known pilots or reputable businessmen- with one
exception."
"Who's the exception?" Tom asked eagerly.
"A man named Otto Jantree, who speaks with an accent. He's not a pilot
himself, but said he planned to engage one."