Victor Appleton

Tom Swift closed the book of adventures he had been reading, tossed it on the table, and got up. Then he yawned. "What's the matter?" asked his chum, Ned Newton, who was deep in another volume. "Oh, I thought this was going to be something exciting," replied Tom, motioning toward the book he had discarded. "But say the make- believe adventures that fellow had, weren't anything compared to those we went through in the city of gold, or while rescuing the exiles of Siberia."

"That's the way to do it Whoop her up, Andy Shove the spark lever over, and turn on more gasolene We'll make a record this trip." Two lads in the tonneau of a touring car, that was whirling along a country road, leaned forward to speak to the one at the steering wheel. The latter was a red-haired youth, with somewhat squinty eyes, and not a very pleasant face, but his companions seemed to regard him with much favor. Perhaps it was because they were riding in his automobile. "Whoop her up, Andy " added the lad on the seat beside the driver. "This is immense " "I rather thought you'd like it," remarked Andy Foger, as he turned the car to avoid a stone in the road. "I'll make things hum around Shopton "

Tom Swift, who had been slowly looking through the pages of a magazine, in the contents of which he seemed to be deeply interested, turned the final folio, ruffled the sheets back again to look at a certain map and drawing, and then, slapping the book down on a table before him, with a noise not unlike that of a shot, exclaimed: "Well, that is certainly one wonderful story " "What's it about, Tom?" asked his chum, Ned Newton. "Something about inside baseball, or a new submarine that can be converted into an airship on short notice?" "Neither one, you-you unscientific heathen," answered Tom, with a laugh at Ned. "Though that isn't saying such a machine couldn't be invented." "I believe you-that is if you got on its trail," returned Ned, and there was warm admiration in his voice. "As for inside baseball, or outside, for that matter, I hardly believe I'd be able to tell third base from the second base, it's so long since I went to a game," proceeded Tom. "I've been too busy on that new airship stabilizer dad gave me an idea for.

In book 24 of this new series, Tom Swift runs afoul of several flying vehicles including a recent Venus Probe sent to study seismic activity on the super hot second planet. What he does not realize is he will be drawn into a rescue mission when the designers fail to take into consideration many things that go toward keeping a tall structure upright. Before he can even plan a rescue Tom and Bud Barclay must wrestle a small jet down to the ground when someone tries to knock them from the sky. Then, he and another pilot take a test flight that ends in Tom being a crash victim in an unfriendly country where he is rescued by a resistance organization but not before the government there declares to the world that the is dead Finally, when the mission to Venus looks as if it can be handled by a robot, it soon becomes clear that it will take a human touch. And, we all know that means Tom Swift

"IMPOSSIBLE, Ned It can't be as much as that " "Well, you can prove the additions yourself, Tom, on one of the adding machines. I've been over 'em twice, and get the same result each time. There are the figures. They say figures don't lie, though it doesn't follow that the opposite is true, for those who do not stick closely to the truth do, sometimes, figure. But there you have it; your financial statement for the year," and Ned Newton, business manager for Tom Swift, the talented young inventor, shoved a mass of papers across the table to his friend and chum, as well as employer. "It doesn't seem possible, Ned, that we have made as much as that this past year. And this, as I understand it, doesn't include what was taken from the wreck of the Pandora?" Tom Swift looked questioningly at Ned Newton, who shook his head in answer. "You really didn't get anything to speak of out of your undersea search, Tom," replied the young financial manager, "so I didn't include it.

"Well, Tom Swift, I don't believe you will make any mistake if you buy that diamond," said the jeweler to a young man who was inspecting a tray of pins, set with the sparkling stones. "It is of the first water, and without a flaw." "It certainly seems so, Mr. Track. I don't know much about diamonds, and I'm depending on you. But this one looks to be all right." "Is it for yourself, Tom?" "Er-no-that is, not exactly," and Tom Swift, the young inventor of airships and submarines, blushed slightly. "Ah, I see. It's for your housekeeper, Mrs. Baggert.