"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Jr 05 - And His Atomic Earth Blaster" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

"Maybe the answer is to bring in more water," Tom suggested quietly.
"We're planning to do that," Greenup said importantly. "We intend to tunnel
through Pine Hill and tap Silver Lake. But all that takes time. We can't hope to
have that lake water piped in before next summer."
After a few more grumbling remarks, he wandered off to inspect the work of
the repair crew. The men, stripped to the waist, were dripping with sweat as they
labored under the hot August sun.
THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGERS 9
"Say, pal, I'm sorry I got you into all this," Bud apologized, an embarrassed
look on his face.
"Forget it," Tom replied. "Greenup's been peeved at Swift Enterprises for
quite a while. He tried to make trouble for Dad at the last meeting of the Town
Council."
"My hands were so sweaty from excitement that they slipped off the steering
wheel and the truck got away from me."
"By the way, where did you leave it?" Tom asked.
"Over there by that-" Bud broke off abruptly, a bewildered expression on his
face. "Holy smoke, it's gone!"
"What!" Tom whirled around in the direction his friend was staring.
"I parked it over there by that tree," Bud faltered, pointing to a spot about fifty
yards from the place where the main had been broken. "But it's not there now!"
"Someone must have moved it!" Tom exclaimed.
Hastily he questioned the police and firemen, then went over to speak to
Hank and the repair crew. In the excitement, no one had noticed what happened
to the truck with the atomic earth-digging machine.
As he rejoined Bud, Tom ran his fingers worriedly through his blond crew cut.
"Come on," he told his friend. "Let's look for tread marks."
10 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ATOMIC BLASTER
The two boys easily picked up the trail and followed it for about thirty yards
toward the highway. Then it vanished on a stretch of hard, sun-baked ground.
"Maybe we can pick out the marks again on the sandy shoulder of the
highway," Bud suggested. "We know the tread pattern."
"You go ahead and look," Tom ordered. "I'll try the other direction, among the
trees."
As he ran toward the grove, Tom puzzled over the mysterious disappearance
of the earth blaster. What was back of it?
Among clumps of coarse grass and weeds, Tom found marks of heavy tires.
He followed the trail without any thought that danger might lie ahead.
A few moments later the young inventor came in sight of the truck itself. A
stranger was seated in the cab with a sketch pad resting on the steering wheel.
Apparently he was making notes and drawings of the earth blaster!
"Hey, you!" shouted Tom angrily. "What's the big idea, stealing our
machine?"
The stranger looked up with a startled expression, then jerked open the door
and jumped down on the opposite side of the truck.
He made a dash for the wooded area, but Tom quickly caught up with him
and grabbed him by the coat collar.
THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGERS
11
As the tall stranger spun around, Tom saw that he was gaunt and hollow-