“And our rivals didn’t secure any views like ours,” said Tom.

“I’m glad of it,” spoke Mr. Period.  “Turbot and Eckert bribed one of my men, and so found out where I was sending messages to you.  They even got a copy of my cablegram.  But it did them no good.”

“Were all the films clear that I sent you?” asked our hero.

“Every one.  Couldn’t be better.  The animal views were particularly fine.  You must have had your nerve with you to get some of ’em.”

“Oh, Tom always has his nerve,” laughed Ned.

“Well, how soon will you be ready to start out again?” asked the picture man, as he packed up the last of the films which Tom gave him.  “I’d like to get some views of a Japanese earthquake, and we haven’t any polar views.  I want some of them, taken as near the North Pole as you can get.”

Tom gently shook his head.

“What!  You don’t mean to say you won’t get them for me?” cried Mr. Period.  “With that wonderful camera of yours you can get views no one else ever could.”

“Then some one else will have to take them,” remarked the young inventor.  “I’ll lend you the camera, and an airship, and you can go yourself, Mr. Period.  I’m going to stay home for a while.  I did what I set out to do, and that’s enough.”

“I’m glad you’ll stay home, Tom,” said his father.  “Now perhaps I’ll get my gyroscope finished.”

“And I, my noiseless airship,” went on our hero.  “No, Mr. Period, you’ll have to excuse me this time.  Why don’t you go yourself?” he asked.  “You would know just what kind of pictures you wanted.”

“No, I’m a promoter of the moving picture business, and I sell films, but I don’t know hew to take them,” was the answer.  “Besides I—­er—­well, I don’t exactly care for airships, Tom Swift,” he finished with a laugh.  “Well, I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me, and I’ve brought you a check to cover your expenses, and pay you as I agreed.  All the same I’m sorry you won’t start for Japan, or the North Pole.”

“Nothing doing,” said Tom with a laugh; and Mr. Period departed.

“Have you any idea what you will do next?” asked Ned, a day or so later, when he and Tom were in the workshop.

“I can’t tell until I finish my noiseless airship,” was the answer.  “Then something may happen.”

Something did, as I shall have the pleasure of telling you about in the next volume of this series, to be called, “Tom Swift and His Great Searchlight; or, On the Border for Uncle Sam,” and in it will be given an account of a great lantern our hero made, and how he baffled the smugglers with it.

“Oh, Tom, weren’t you dreadfully frightened when you saw that burning river of lava coming toward you?” asked Mary Nestor, when the young inventor called on her later and told her some of his adventures.  “I should have been scared to death.”

“Well, I didn’t have time to get scared,” answered Tom.  “It all happened so quickly, and then, too I was thinking of my camera.  Next I knew Koku grabbed me, and it was all over.”