Tom Swift and His Sky Racer or The Quickest Flight on ... - Fourmilab

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100 CHAPTER 23. THE GREAT RACEinfringed on your machine, lodge a protest—that is unless you can get evidenceagainst him bef<strong>or</strong>e that time.”<strong>Tom</strong> well knew the uselessness of the latter plan. He <strong>and</strong> Mr. Damon hadtried several times to get a glimpse of the craft Andy had made, but withoutsuccess. As to the other alternative—that of waiting until the last moment—<strong>Tom</strong> feared that, too, would be futile.“F<strong>or</strong>,” he reasoned, “just bef<strong>or</strong>e the race there will be a lot of confusion,officials will be here <strong>and</strong> there, scattered over the ground, they will be hard tofind, <strong>and</strong> it will be almost useless to protest then. Andy will enter the race, <strong>and</strong>there is a possibility that he may win. Almost any one could with a machinelike the Humming-Bird. It’s the machine almost as much as the operat<strong>or</strong>, in acase like this.”“But you can protest after the race,” suggested Mr. Damon.“That would be little good, in case Andy beat me. <strong>The</strong> public would say Iwas a s<strong>or</strong>ehead, <strong>and</strong> jealous. No, I’ve either got to stop Andy bef<strong>or</strong>e the race,<strong>or</strong> not at all. I will try to think of a plan.”<strong>Tom</strong> did think of several, but ab<strong>and</strong>oned them one after the other. He triedto get a glimpse inside the tent where the Foger aeroplane Was housed, but itwas too closely guarded. Andy himself was not much in evidence, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tom</strong> onlyhad fleeting glimpses of the bully.Meanwhile he <strong>and</strong> Mr. Damon, together with their machinist, were keptbusy. As <strong>Tom</strong>’s craft was fully protected by patents now, he had no hesitationin taking it out, <strong>and</strong> it was given several severe tests around the aerial course.It did even better than <strong>Tom</strong> expected of it, <strong>and</strong> he had great hopes.Always, though, there were two things that w<strong>or</strong>ried him. One was his father’sillness, <strong>and</strong> the other the uneasiness he felt as to what Andy Foger might do.As to the f<strong>or</strong>mer, the wireless rep<strong>or</strong>ts indicated that Mr. <strong>Swift</strong> was doing as wellas could be expected, but his improvement was not rapid. Regarding the latterw<strong>or</strong>ry, <strong>Tom</strong> saw no way of getting rid of it.“I’ve just got to wait, that’s all,” he thought.<strong>The</strong> day bef<strong>or</strong>e the opening of the meet, <strong>Tom</strong> <strong>and</strong> Mr. Damon had given theHumming-Bird a grueling tryout. <strong>The</strong>y had taken her high up—so high thatno prying eyes could time them, <strong>and</strong> there <strong>Tom</strong> had opened the mot<strong>or</strong> f<strong>or</strong> allthe power in it. <strong>The</strong>y had flashed through space at the rate of one hundred <strong>and</strong>twenty miles an hour.“If we can only do that in the race, the ten thous<strong>and</strong> dollars is mine!” exulted<strong>Tom</strong>, as he slanted the nose of the aeroplane toward the earth.<strong>The</strong> day of the race dawned clear <strong>and</strong> beautiful. <strong>Tom</strong> was up early, f<strong>or</strong> thereremained many little things to do to get his craft in final trim f<strong>or</strong> the contest.<strong>The</strong>n, too, he wanted to be ready to act promptly as soon as Andy’s machinewas wheeled out, <strong>and</strong> he also wanted to get a message from home.<strong>The</strong> wireless arrived soon after breakfast, <strong>and</strong> did not contain very cheeringnews.“Your father not so well,” Mr. Jackson sent. “Po<strong>or</strong> night, but doct<strong>or</strong> thinksday will show improvement. Don’t w<strong>or</strong>ry.”
101“Don’t w<strong>or</strong>ry! I wonder who could help it,” mused po<strong>or</strong> <strong>Tom</strong>. “Well, I’llhope f<strong>or</strong> the best,” <strong>and</strong> he wired back to tell the engineer in Shopton to keepin touch with him, <strong>and</strong> to flash the messages to the Humming-Bird in the air,after the big race started.“Now I’ll go out <strong>and</strong> see if I can catch a glimpse of what that sneak Andyhas to pit against me,” said <strong>Tom</strong>.<strong>The</strong> Foger tent was tightly closed, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tom</strong> turned back to his own place,having arranged with a messenger to come <strong>and</strong> let him know as soon as Andy’scraft was wheeled out.All about was a scene of great activity. <strong>The</strong> gr<strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong>s were filled, <strong>and</strong>a big crowd stood about the field anxiously waiting f<strong>or</strong> the first sight of the“bird-men” in their wonderful machines. Now <strong>and</strong> then the b<strong>and</strong> blared out,<strong>and</strong> cheers arose as one after another the frail craft were wheeled to the startingplace.Men in queer leather costumes darted here <strong>and</strong> there-they were the aviat<strong>or</strong>swho were soon to risk life <strong>and</strong> limb f<strong>or</strong> gl<strong>or</strong>y <strong>and</strong> gold. Most of them werenervously smoking cigarettes. <strong>The</strong> air was filled with guttural German <strong>or</strong> nasalFrench, while now <strong>and</strong> then the staccato Russian was heard, <strong>and</strong> occasionallythe liquid tones of a Japanese. F<strong>or</strong> men of many nations were competing f<strong>or</strong>the prizes.<strong>The</strong> maj<strong>or</strong>ity of the machines were monoplanes <strong>and</strong> biplanes though onetriplane was entered, <strong>and</strong> there were several “freaks” as the biplane <strong>and</strong> monoplanemen called them—craft of the helicopter, <strong>or</strong> the wheel type. <strong>The</strong>re wasalso one Witzig Li<strong>or</strong>e Dutilleul biplane, with three planes behind.<strong>Tom</strong> was familiar with most of these types, but occasionally he saw a newone that excited his curiosity. However, he was m<strong>or</strong>e interested in what AndyFoger would turn out. Andy’s machine had not been tried, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tom</strong> wonderedhow he dared risk flying in it, without at least a preliminary tryout. But Andy,<strong>and</strong> those with him, were evidently full of confidence.News of the suspicions of <strong>Tom</strong>, <strong>and</strong> what he intended to do in case thesesuspicions proved true, had gotten around, <strong>and</strong> there was quite a crowd abouthis own tent, <strong>and</strong> another throng around that of Andy.<strong>Tom</strong> <strong>and</strong> Mr. Damon had wheeled the Humming-Bird out of her canvas“nest.”. <strong>The</strong>re was a cheer as the crowd caught sight of the trim little craft.<strong>The</strong> young invent<strong>or</strong>, the eccentric man, <strong>and</strong> the machinist were busy going overevery part.Meanwhile the meet had been officially opened, <strong>and</strong> it was announced thatthe preliminary event would be some air evolutions at no great height, <strong>and</strong> f<strong>or</strong> noparticular prize. Several biplanes <strong>and</strong> monoplanes took part in this. It was veryinteresting, but the big ten-thous<strong>and</strong>-dollar race, over a distance of a hundredmiles was the principal feature of the meet, <strong>and</strong> all waited anxiously f<strong>or</strong> this.<strong>The</strong> opening stunts passed off successfully, save that a German operat<strong>or</strong> in aBleriot came to grief, crashing down to the ground, wrecking his machine, <strong>and</strong>breaking an arm. But he only laughed at that, <strong>and</strong> coolly dem<strong>and</strong>ed anothercigarette, as he crawled out of the tangle of wires, planes <strong>and</strong> the mot<strong>or</strong>.After this there was an exhibition flight by a French aviat<strong>or</strong> in a Curtis
Page 1:
Tom Swift<
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4 CONTENTS20 Just in Time 8921 “W
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6 CHAPTER 1. THE PRIZE OFFER“It
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8 CHAPTER 1. THE PRIZE OFFERHe star
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10 CHAPTER 2. MR. SWIFT IS ILL“<s
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Chapter 3The Plans
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Tom followed him,
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that the screen was also unhooked,
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Chapter 4Anxious DaysPeering on all
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21about him. He may have been sneak
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Chapter 5Building the Sky</
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25“Why, then this heavy beard of
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Who had them? Was some one making a
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Chapter 6Andy Foger Will ContestOne
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31“Then you go o
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near you were ready, and</s
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Chapter 7Seeking a ClueJohn Sharp w
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37“Well, because it will add to t
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Chapter 8The Empty
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He left the house by a side do<stro
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Chapter 9A Trial Flight</st
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emained much to do on it. It was no
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Chapter 10A Midnight Intruder<stron
Page 49 and 50: must do his very best, and<
Page 51 and 52: Chapter 11Tom Is H
Page 53 and 54: He did not intend to shoot at the m
Page 55 and 56: Chapter 12Miss Nestor</stro
Page 57 and 58: 57“It’s possible,” agreed the
Page 59 and 60: Chapter 13A Clash with Andy
Page 61 and 62: 61“It’s glorio
Page 63 and 64: 63Cautiously they entered the enclo
Page 65 and 66: Chapter 14The Grea
Page 67 and 68: “To-morrow, if I
Page 69 and 70: Chapter 15A Noise in the Night“We
Page 71 and 72: 71“Oh, we’ll take good care of
Page 73 and 74: Chapter 16A Mysterious FireF<strong
Page 75 and 76: Tom looked out. Fl
Page 77 and 78: Chapter 17Mr. Swift</strong
Page 79 and 80: above that the flames were now on t
Page 81 and 82: Chapter 18The Brok
Page 83 and 84: 83By daylight it was seen that quit
Page 85 and 86: Chapter 19A Nervy Specialist<strong
Page 87 and 88: was so absorbed in
Page 89 and 90: Chapter 20Just in TimeWhile Dr. Hen
Page 91 and 92: 91Humming-Bird gave a dangerous <st
Page 93 and 94: Chapter 21“Will He Live?”Soon t
Page 95 and 96: Chapter 22Off to the MeetSoftly <st
Page 97 and 98: There was a wirele
Page 99: Chapter 23The Grea
Page 103 and 104: 103“I’m going to beat you!” t
Page 105 and 106: Chapter 24Won by a LengthRising upw
Page 107 and 108: 107he would wait until five miles f
Page 109 and 110: Chapter 25Home Again—ConclusionMr
Page 111 and 112: 111But Tom almost
Page 113 and 114: 113“Indeed I did. But you helped
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Tom Swift and His Sky Racer or The Quickest Flight on ... - Fourmilab

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