"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Jr 18 - And the Electronic Hydrolung" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

5 A Hunch Pays Off
6 The Caisson Clue
7 Porpoise Tag
8 Date Trouble
9 A Magnetic Kidnaping
10 Telephone Code
11 Square-Dance Hoax
12 Detection Test
13 Enemy Frogmen
14 A Propaganda Blitz
15 Mountain Hike
16 The Gunman's Surprise
17 A Missing Amulet
18 Smiley the Sea Cow
19 Flash from the Depths
20 A Lucky Blast


CHAPTER I
PIRATE MISSILE

Tense, excited men gazed spaceward from the ships and planes of the
South Atlantic task force. Other watchers waited breathlessly in the control room
of the ship Recoverer. Among these was Tom Swift Jr.
"How close to earth is our Jupiter probe missile?" Bud Barclay asked Tom
excitedly.
The lanky blond youth beside him, in T shirt and slacks, shot a glance at the
dials of the tracking equipment. "Eight thousand miles from this spot, Bud. It
should land here in fifteen minutes!"
Tom Jr., his father, Bud, and a host of scientists, Navy officers, and
newsmen were crowded aboard a U. S. Navy missile launching ship.
"Just think!" Bud exulted. "You'll have data from the planet Jupiter that no
one on earth has yet been able to get!"
"// we recover the missile safely," Mr. Swift 11
12 THE ELECTRONIC HYDROLUNG
spoke up hopefully. The elder scientist's voice was quiet but taut with the
strain of waiting. The two Swifts resembled each other closely-each had deep-set
blue eyes and clean-cut features- although Tom was somewhat taller and
rangier.
"You're right, Dad," Tom agreed. "If we don't snare the missile, our whole
project will be a total loss to America's space program!"
At Tom's words, the watchers and crewmen who were crowded into the
Recoverer's control room stirred restlessly. Its bulkheads were banked with radar
and telemetering devices. Tension had been mounting throughout the morning
aboard the ships and observation planes of the task force as everyone awaited
the return of the planet-circling missile-scientists' deepest penetration into space
so far.
"What do you mean, a total loss?" Bud argued. "Even if the recovery
operation's a flop, the shot will still pay off in valuable information, won't it?"
Tom shook his head grimly. "The purpose of this unmanned, exploratory