Creative Books

Something that Jackson saw caused him to utter an exclamation
that brought Tom Swift to his side.
"What is it?" asked the young inventor.
"Look!" was the answer. "See! Just at the edge of that break!
It's been filed to make the metal thinner there than anywhere
else. You didn't do that, did you?"
"I should say not!" cried Tom. "Why, to file there would mean
to weaken the whole structure."
"And that's exactly what's happened!" declared Jackson, as he
gave another look. "Some one has filed this nearly
through?leaving only a thin metal skin, and when the gas pressure
became too much it blew out. That's what happened!"
Tom Swift made a quick but thorough examination.
"You're right, Jackson!" he exclaimed. "That was filed
deliberately to cause the accident. And it must have been done
lately, for I carefully inspected the silencer when I put it on,
and it was in perfect order. There's been spy work here. Some one
got into the hangar and filed that casing. Then the accumulated
pressure of the gases did the rest."
"As sure as you're alive!" agreed Jackson.


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