"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Jr 13 - And His Space Solartron" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

baked pie shells."
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Chow grunted with disgust as he served the food off the cart. "So there's
your lunch, wranglers- cold beans an' applesauce."
"Looks good to me," said Tom, as both boys piled into the food hungrily.
"It better be, son, 'cause that's all I got to offer. Jest lucky you didn't
electrocute yourself into the bargain, messin' around with all them volts an'
killywatts!"
Tom chuckled silently. He knew that under the old Westerner's leathery hide
beat a heart as warm as Texas sunshine. Chow Winkler had been a chuck-
wagon cook when he met the Swifts during one of their atomic research projects
in the Southwest. He had become so fond of Tom that he agreed to go back to
Shopton with them and take on the job of chef for the Swifts at Enterprises.
When they went on expeditions, he usually accompanied them as cook.
"In case you didn't know it, Chow," Bud put in slyly, "Tom's inventing a new
way to make all your groceries, so you won't have to take any along on our next
space trip."
Chow glared at the young copilot. "None o' your whoppers, Buddy boy!"
"It's true," Bud insisted. "He's going to make all our food out of electricity."
"Out o' ^e-lec-tricity!" Chow's tanned, lined face went pale with dismay.
"Great jumpin' Je-hoshaphat, boss-is that true?"
"Well-in a way," Tom replied hesitantly.
"Brand my buffalo stew!" Chow groaned. "You
6 SPACE SOLARTRON
think I can fry up ee-lec-tricity on a cookstove, or sling up a dish o' boiled
electric current? Why, first thing you know, I'd be blowin' the spaceship-"
"Whoa! Hold on, Chow!" Tom interrupted with a grin. "It's true that I'm trying
to produce matter from electrical energy, but that doesn't mean you'll have to
cook up any volts or amperes." He explained his invention briefly as Chow
listened with a worried frown. "And besides," Tom ended, "I don't even know yet
whether my invention will pan out."
"Wai, let's jest hope we don't all wind up gettin' carried out-on stretchers!"
Chow grumbled darkly.
Still chuckling, Tom finished his food, then picked up the phone and called
the Shopton Power and Light Company. He asked the manager if arrangements
could be made to increase the supply of power to Enterprises from the town's
generating plant.
"Sorry, Tom," the manager replied. "Our facilities are already overloaded. I'm
afraid we can't help you until we get our new reactor plant built."
"I understand. Well, thanks, anyhow," the young inventor said and hung up.
At that moment Tom's father came into the laboratory and both boys jumped
to their feet as they said "Hello."
There was a close resemblance between father and son, especially in their
keen, blue eyes, but
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Tom Jr. was the taller and rangier of the two. After Mr. Swift had seated
himself on a stool, the boys sat down and Tom told his father about the power
failure.
"No luck with the electric company?" Bud asked.
Tom shook his head. "Looks as though I'll have to go out to the Citadel if I