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

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112 CHAPTER 25. HOME AGAIN—CONCLUSION“I’ve got to fix that magneto!”“But if she dips down?”“Throw up the head planes as I did. It’s our only chance! I can’t go downnow, so far from Shopton!”Mr. Damon reached over <strong>and</strong> took the wheel from <strong>Tom</strong>’s h<strong>and</strong>s. <strong>The</strong>n theyoung invent<strong>or</strong>, leaning f<strong>or</strong>ward, f<strong>or</strong> the magneto was within easy reach, lookedto see what the trouble was. He found it quickly. A wire had vibrated loose froma binding-post. In a second <strong>Tom</strong> had it in place again; <strong>and</strong>, ere the propellershad ceased revolving, he had turned the switch. <strong>The</strong> magneto took up thew<strong>or</strong>k in a flash. Once m<strong>or</strong>e the spark exploded the gasoline mixture, <strong>and</strong> thepropellers sent the Humming-Bird swiftly ahead.“We’ll make it now!” declared <strong>Tom</strong> grimly.“We’re almost there,” added Mr. Damon, as he relinquished the wheel tothe young pilot. <strong>The</strong> craft had gone down some, but <strong>Tom</strong> sent her up again.Nearer <strong>and</strong> nearer home they came, until at last the spires of the Shoptonchurches loomed into view. <strong>The</strong>n he was over the village. Now he was withinsight of his own house.<strong>Tom</strong> coasted down a bank of air, <strong>and</strong> brought the Humming-Bird up with ajerk of the ground brakes. Bef<strong>or</strong>e the wheels had ceased turning he had leapedout.“It’s Massa <strong>Tom</strong>!” cried Eradicate, as he saw <strong>Tom</strong> alight.<strong>The</strong> young invent<strong>or</strong> hurried into the house. He was met by the nurse, whoheld up a warning finger. <strong>Tom</strong>’s heart almost stopped beating. He was awarethat Dr. Gladby came from the room where Mr. <strong>Swift</strong> lay.“Is he—is he—am I too late?” gulped <strong>Tom</strong>.“Hush!” cautioned the nurse.<strong>Tom</strong> reeled, <strong>and</strong> would have fallen had not the doct<strong>or</strong> caught him, f<strong>or</strong> thelad was weak <strong>and</strong> w<strong>or</strong>nout.“He is going to get well!” were the joyful w<strong>or</strong>ds he heard, as if in a dream, <strong>and</strong>then his strength suddenly came back to him. “<strong>The</strong> crisis is just passed, <strong>Tom</strong>,”went on Dr. Gladby, “<strong>and</strong> your father will recover, <strong>and</strong> be stronger than ever.Your good news of winning was like a tonic to him. Now let me congratulateyou on the race.” <strong>Tom</strong> had flashed by wireless a brief message of his success.“Dad’s news is better than all the congratulations in the w<strong>or</strong>ld,” he saidsoftly, as he grasped the doct<strong>or</strong>’s h<strong>and</strong>.* * *It was a week later. Mr. <strong>Swift</strong> improved rapidly once the course of the diseasewas permanently checked, <strong>and</strong> he was soon able to sit up. <strong>Tom</strong> was with himin the room, talking of the great race, <strong>and</strong> how he had won. He fingered thecertified check f<strong>or</strong> ten thous<strong>and</strong> dollars that had just come to him by mail.“You certainly did wonderfully well,” said the aged invent<strong>or</strong>, softly. “Wonderfullywell, <strong>Tom</strong>. I’m proud of you.”“You may well be,” added Mr. Damon. “Bless my shoelaces, but I thoughtAndy Foger had us there one spell; didn’t you, <strong>Tom</strong>?”
113“Indeed I did. But you helped me win, Mr. Damon.”“Nonsense!” exclaimed the odd man.“Yes, you did. You helped me a lot.”“Well, are you going to keep after m<strong>or</strong>e air-prizes, <strong>Tom</strong>, <strong>or</strong> are you going totry f<strong>or</strong> something else?” asked his father.“I don’t believe I’ll go in any m<strong>or</strong>e aeroplane races right away,” answeredthe young invent<strong>or</strong>. “F<strong>or</strong> some time I’ve been wanting to complete <strong>and</strong> perfectmy electric rifle. I think I’ll begin w<strong>or</strong>k on that soon.”“And go hunting?” asked Mr. Damon.“I think so,” answered <strong>Tom</strong>, dreamily. “I don’t know just where, though.”Where he went, <strong>and</strong> what he shot, will be told in the next volume of thisseries, to be called: “<strong>Tom</strong> <strong>Swift</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>His</strong> Electric Rifle; <strong>or</strong>, Daring Adventuresin Elephant L<strong>and</strong>.”F<strong>or</strong> a few moments after <strong>Tom</strong>’s announcement no one spoke, then the younginvent<strong>or</strong> said:“It’s too bad that first set of plans were stolen. If I had them I could makea good deal with the Government about my little aeroplane. But they don’twant to take up with it as long as there is a chance of some f<strong>or</strong>eign nationgetting inf<strong>or</strong>mation about the secret parts, <strong>and</strong> my patents won’t hold abroad.I wonder if there is any way of getting those plans away from Andy Foger? Idon’t underst<strong>and</strong> why he hasn’t used them bef<strong>or</strong>e this. I thought sure he wouldmake a craft like the Humming-Bird to race against me.”“What plans are those?” asked Mr. <strong>Swift</strong>.“Why, don’t you remember?” asked <strong>Tom</strong>. “<strong>The</strong> ones I showed you one day,in the library, when you fell asleep, <strong>and</strong> some one slipped in <strong>and</strong> stole them.”A curious look came over Mr. <strong>Swift</strong>’s face. He passed his h<strong>and</strong> across hisbrow.“I am beginning to remember something I have been trying to recall eversince I became ill,” he said slowly. “It is coming back to me. Those plans—inthe library—I fell asleep, but bef<strong>or</strong>e I did so I hid those plans, <strong>Tom</strong>!”“You hid those plans!” <strong>Tom</strong> fairly shouted the w<strong>or</strong>ds.“Yes, I remember feeling a drowsy feeling coming on, <strong>and</strong> I feared lest someone might see the drawings. I got up <strong>and</strong> put them under the window, in a little,hollow place in the foundation wall. <strong>The</strong>n I came back in through the windowagain, <strong>and</strong> went to sleep. <strong>The</strong>n, on account of my illness, just as I once bef<strong>or</strong>ef<strong>or</strong>got something, <strong>and</strong> thought the minister had called, I lost all recollection ofthem. I hid those plans.”<strong>Tom</strong> leaped to his feet. He rushed to the place named by his father. Soonhis triumphant shout told of his success. He came hurrying back into the housewith a roll of papers in his h<strong>and</strong>s.And there were the long-missing plans! Damp <strong>and</strong> stained by the weather,but all there. No enemy had them, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tom</strong>’s secret was safe.“Now I can accept the Government offer!” he cried. And a few weeks later hemade a most advantageous deal with the United States officials f<strong>or</strong> his patents.Dr. Gladby explained that Mr. <strong>Swift</strong>’s queer action was due to his illness.He became liable to lapses of mem<strong>or</strong>y, <strong>and</strong> one happened just after he hid away
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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
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must do his very best, and<
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Chapter 11Tom Is H
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He did not intend to shoot at the m
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Chapter 12Miss Nestor</stro
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57“It’s possible,” agreed the
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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 and 100: Chapter 23The Grea
Page 101 and 102: 101“Don’t worr
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: 111But Tom almost
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