"Dad, I wonder if the fish would eat those plants
from space which you've been growing under salt water?"
Tom was referring to certain strange plants rocketed to earth by unknown
space friends with whom the Swifts had been in communication.
"I have a hunch," Tom went on, "that the fish might be repelled by the
unusual scent of those space plants. If so, we could scatter them among
the earth plants to keep the fish away."
Mr. Swift was impressed by Tom's idea. As soon as they had returned to
Enterprises, he proposed that the experiment get under way.
Tom volunteered to undertake the job at once with Bud. While the young
inventor phoned his copilot, Mr. Swift went to his own laboratory to
prepare the plants for shipment.
Twenty minutes later the boys took off in a jet. The plants had been
parceled in transparent plastic film. Glistening with a red metallic
sheen, they looked somewhat like tulips with honeycombed centers.
"Scarecrow plants to drive off fishes," Bud joked. "What will scientists
think of next!"
Tom laughed, then abruptly frowned. "Hey! What's that character up to?"
he said. "Trying to buzz us?"
A sleek gray jet without markings was arrowing in on them from three
o'clock. Bud flicked on the radio and barked a warning. The plane made
no response. As it kept coming, Tom increased speed--then rolled, dived,
and changed course, but failed to shake off their pursuer.
Pages:
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43