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TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE
OR
THE CASTAWAYS OF EARTHQUAKE ISLAND


BY VICTOR APPLETON

AUTHOR OF "TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-CYCLE," "TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR
BOAT," "TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP," "TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE
BOAT," "TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT," ETC.

ILLUSTRATED




BOOKS BY VICTOR APPLETON

THE TOM SWIFT SERIES

TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-CYCLE
 Or Fun and Adventures on the Road

TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-BOAT
 Or the Rivals of Lake Carlopa

TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP
 Or the Stirring Cruise of the Red Cloud

TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT
 Or Under the Ocean for Sunken Treasure

TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT
 Or the Speediest Car on the Road

TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE
 Or the Castaways of Earthquake Island

TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS
 Or the Secret of Phantom Mountain

TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE
 Or the Wreck of the Airship

TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER
 Or the Quickest Flight on Record

TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE
 Or Daring Adventures in Elephant Land

(Other Volumes in Preparation)






TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE




CONTENTS

      I. AN APPEAL FOR AID
     II. MISS NESTOR'S NEWS
    III. TOM KNOCKS OUT ANDY
     IV. MR. DAMON WILL GO ALONG
      V. VOL-PLANING TO EARTH
     VI. THE NEW AIRSHIP
    VII. MAKING SOME CHANGES
   VIII. ANDY FOGER'S REVENGE
     IX. THE WHIZZER FLIES
      X. OVER THE OCEAN
     XI. A NIGHT OF TERROR
    XII. A DOWNWARD GLIDE
   XIII. ON EARTHQUAKE ISLAND
    XIV. A NIGHT IN CAMP
     XV. THE OTHER CASTAWAY
    XVI. AN ALARMING THEORY
   XVII. A MIGHTY SHOCK
  XVIII. MR. JENKS HAS DIAMONDS
    XIX. SECRET OPERATIONS
     XX. THE WIRELESS PLANT
    XXI. MESSAGES INTO SPACE
   XXII. ANXIOUS DAYS
  XXIII. A REPLY IN THE DARK
   XXIV. "WE ARE LOST!"
    XXV. THE RESCUE-CONCLUSION




CHAPTER I

AN APPEAL FOR AID


Tom Swift stepped from the door of the machine shop, where he was at
work making some adjustments to the motor of his airship, and
glanced down the road. He saw a cloud of dust, which effectually
concealed whatever was causing it.

"Some one must be in a hurry this morning," the lad remarked, "Looks
like a motor speeding along. MY! but we certainly do need rain," he
added, as he looked up toward the sky. "It's very dusty. Well, I may
as well get back to work. I'll take the airship out for a flight
this afternoon, if the wind dies down a bit."

The young inventor, for Tom Swift himself had built the airship, as
well as several other crafts for swift locomotion, turned to
re-enter the shop.

Something about the approaching cloud of dust, however, held his
attention. He glanced more intently at it.

"If it's an automobile coming along," he murmured, "it's moving very
slowly, to make so much fuss. And I never saw a motor-cycle that
would kick up as much sand, and not speed along more. It ought to be
here by now. I wonder what it can be?"

The cloud of highway dirt rolled along, making some progress toward
Tom's house and the group of shops and other buildings surrounding
it. But, as the lad had said, the dust did not move at all quickly
in comparison to any of the speedy machines that might be causing
it. And the cloud seemed momentarily to grow thicker and thicker.

"I wonder if it could be a miniature tornado, or a cyclone or
whirlwind?" and Tom spoke aloud, a habit of his when he was
thinking, and had no one to talk to. "Yet it can hardly be that." he
went on. "Guess I'll watch and see what it is."

Nearer and nearer came the dust cloud. Tom peered anxiously ahead, a
puzzled look on his face. A few seconds later there came from the
midst of the obscuring cloud a voice, exclaiming:

"G'lang there now, Boomerang! Keep to' feet a-movin' an' we sho'
will make a record. 'Tain't laik we was a autermobiler, er a
electricity car, but we sho' hab been go