"Is silence its chief recommendation?" asked Mr. Damon.
"Yes," replied Tom. "Or rather, it will be when I have it
perfected. Aeroplane motors now are about as compact and speedy
as they can be made. It is only the terrific noise that is a
handicap. It is a handicap to the pilots and observers in the
craft, as they cannot communicate except through a special
speaking tube, and this is not always satisfactory or sure. Then,
too, the noise of an airship proclaims its approach to the enemy,
sometimes long before it can be seen.
"With a silent motor all this would be done away with. With my
new craft, in case I can perfect it, the enemy's lines can be
approached as silently as the Indians used to approach the log
cabins of the white settlers. That will be its great advantage--
not that conversation can be more easily carried on, for that is,
after all, an unimportant detail. But to approach the enemy's
lines in the silence of the night would be a distinct gain."
"I believe it would, Tom!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "And I should
think, too, that Uncle Sam would be glad to get such a motor," he
added.
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