e hero
seemed born an inventive genius. It was this inventive faculty which
enabled him to take the motor cycle that tried to climb a tree with Mr.
Wakefield Damon on it and make the wreck into a serviceable bit of
mechanism. Thus Tom became acquainted with Mr. Damon, who among other
eccentricities, was always "blessing" something personal.

Tom Swift lived in the city of Shopton with his father and their
faithful housekeeper, Mrs. Baggert. It was so named because the Swift
shops were an important industry there. Tom's father, as well as Tom
himself, was an inventor of note, and employed many men in building
machines of various kinds. During the Great War the services of Tom and
his father had been dedicated to the government.

There are a number of books dealing with Tom's activities, the list of
titles of which may be found at the beginning of this volume.

Sufficient to say here, that Tom invented and operated motor boats,
airships, and submarines. In addition he traveled on many expeditions
with Mr. Damon, Ned, and others. He went among the diamond makers and
it was when he escaped from captivity that he managed to bring away
Koku, the giant, with him. Since then Koku and Eradicate Sampson, the
faithful colored man, had periodic quarrels as to who should serve the
young inventor.

Besides inventing and using many machines of motive power, Tom Swift
engaged in other industries. He helped dig a big tunnel, he constructed
a photo-telephone, a great searchlight and a monster cannon.
Occasionally he had searched for treasure, once under the sea, with
considerable success.

Of late his and his father's industries had become so important that a
number of new buildings had been constructed and the plant greatly
enlarged. Ned Newton, who had once worked in a Shopton bank, became
financial manager for Tom and his father, and plenty of work he found
with which to occupy himself.

Just prior to the opening of this story Tom had perfected a noiseless
aeroplane--or one so nearly silent as to justify the name. The details
of it will be found in the book called "Tom Swift and His Air Scout."
In this mechanism of the air Tom had had some wonderful experiences,
and they had not been at home more than a few weeks when New Newton
broached the subject of undersea wealth.

The talk of Tom and his financial manager was interrupted by the
arrival of Mr. Damon and the stranger he had introduced as Mr. Hardley.

Eradicate, or "Rad,