"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Jr 10 - And His Ultrasonic Cycloplane" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

expert could help us."
Picking up the phone, he put through a longdistance call to Grandyke
University. He spoke with Professor Feeney, a specialist in Oceanian art, who
promised to come out and examine the strange figure. Tom then contacted Dr.
Gorde, the curator of the Shopton Museum. The next day, both men arrived and
studied the statue closely, but neither could offer any clue as to its exact origin. It
might be Asiatic, Polynesian, or Melanesian.
"Most unusual example of primitive sculpture I've ever seen!" declared Dr.
Gorde. "Would you
THE WEIRD FIGURE 9
permit the figure to be placed on display for a few days?"
Ed Longstreet, who was planning to fly on to New York, agreed willingly, so
the statue was transported to the Shopton Museum. Radio and TV commentators
mentioned the news item and the Shopton Evening Bulletin carried a frontpage
story about the queer pagan idol.
As a result, crowds stormed the museum the next day, eager to view the
mysterious object. Armed guards were posted around the glass case in which the
figure was displayed.
"It certainly caused a stir in town," Tom said to his blond, blue-eyed sister
Sandra. He repeated this later to his slim, pretty mother when he kissed her good
night.
Shortly after midnight, he was awakened by the shrill ringing of his bedside
phone. Lifting the receiver sleepily, Tom asked who was calling.
"It's Dr. Gorde, Tom!" gasped a trembling voice. "The animal god has been
stolen!"
CHAPTER II
JAKE THE CAT
THE NEWS shocked Tom wide awake. "Where are you calling from?" he
asked quickly.
"Police Headquarters."
"Be right down!"
Tom dressed hurriedly and in a few minutes was backing his sports car out of
the garage. A short time later he braked to a halt in front of Shopton Police
Headquarters.
Shoving past reporters, he strode to the office of Police Chief Slater. Here he
found Dr. Gorde and two night watchmen from the museum being questioned by
detectives.
"Glad you're here, Tom," the chief greeted him. "Maybe you can give us
some help on this."
"Exactly what happened?" Tom inquired.
A plain-clothes sergeant and the two night watchmen gave him a quick fill-in.
The first hint of trouble had come with a sound of shattering glass in the east
wing of the museum about 11:35
p.m. One of the watchmen had run to investigate,
10
JAKE. THE CAT 11
only to be knocked out by a blow on the head. A livid bruise still showed on
his right temple.
The other watchman, arriving on the scene a minute or so later, had found
the display case smashed and the mysterious figurine missing.