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

Chapter 24Won by a LengthRising upward, on a steep slant, f<strong>or</strong> he wanted to get into the upper currentsas soon as possible, <strong>Tom</strong> looked down <strong>and</strong> off to his left <strong>and</strong> saw one machinegoing over the ground in curious leaps <strong>and</strong> bounds. It was the tiny Demoiselle—the smallest craft in the race, <strong>and</strong> its peculiar style of starting was always thusmanifested.“I don’t believe he’s going to make it,” thought <strong>Tom</strong>.He was right. In another moment the tiny craft, after rising a sh<strong>or</strong>t distance,dove downward, <strong>and</strong> was wrecked. <strong>The</strong> young invent<strong>or</strong> saw the two men crawlingout from the tangled planes <strong>and</strong> wings, apparently uninjured.“One contestant less,” thought <strong>Tom</strong>, grimly, though with pity in his heartf<strong>or</strong> the unf<strong>or</strong>tunates.However, he must think of himself <strong>and</strong> his own craft now. He glanced atMr. Damon sitting beside him. That odd gentleman, with never a thought ofblessing anything now, unless he did it silently, was watching the lubricatingsystem. This was a vital part of the craft, f<strong>or</strong> if anything went wrong with it,<strong>and</strong> the bearings overheated, the race would have to be ab<strong>and</strong>oned. So <strong>Tom</strong>was not trusting to any automatic arrangement, but had instituted, almost atthe last moment, a duplicate h<strong>and</strong>-w<strong>or</strong>ked system, so that if one failed him hewould have the other.“A good start!” shouted Mr. Damon in his car.<strong>Tom</strong> nodded, <strong>and</strong> glanced behind him. On a line with the Humming-Bird,<strong>and</strong> at about the same elevation, were the Bleriot monoplane <strong>and</strong> a Wrightbiplane. Below were the Santos-Dumont <strong>and</strong> the Antoinette.“Where’s the Slugger?” called <strong>Tom</strong> to his friend.Mr. Damon motioned upward. <strong>The</strong>re, in the air above <strong>Tom</strong>’s machine, <strong>and</strong>slightly in advance, was Andy Foger’s craft. He had gotten away in better shapethan had the Humming-Bird.F<strong>or</strong> a moment <strong>Tom</strong>’s heart misgave him. <strong>The</strong>n he turned on m<strong>or</strong>e power,<strong>and</strong> had the satisfaction of mounting upward <strong>and</strong> shooting onward until he wason even terms with Andy.105