"They do make a great racket," conceded Mr. Damon. "But I don't
suppose anything can be done about it."

"I don't see why there can't!" exclaimed Tom. "And that's my
new idea--to make a silent aircraft motor--perhaps silent
propeller blades, though it's the motor that makes the most
noise. And that's what I'm going to do--invent a silent
aeroplane. Not because I want so much to talk when I take
passengers up in the air, but I believe such a motor would be
valuable, especially for scouting planes in war work. To go over
the enemy's lines and not be heard would be valuable many times.

"And that's what I'm going to do--work on a silent motor for
Uncle Sam. I've got the germ of an idea and now--"

"Excuse me," said a voice behind Mr. Damon and Tom, and,
turning, the young inventor beheld the form of Mr. Peton Gale,
president of the Universal Flying Machine Company.



CHAPTER VI
MAKING PLANS


Tom Swift had drawn pencil and paper from his pocket, and, as
he and Mr. Damon were sitting on the steps of one of the shops,
the young inventor was about to demonstrate by a drawing part of
his new project, when the interruption came in the shape of one
of the men who had, an hour before, made a business offer to Tom.