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

21about him. He may have been sneaking around, <strong>and</strong> if he has my plans he’dask nothing better than to make a sky racer <strong>and</strong> beat me.”“Oh, <strong>Tom</strong>, I’m so s<strong>or</strong>ry!” exclaimed Mr. <strong>Swift</strong> “I—I feel very bad about it!”“<strong>The</strong>re, never mind!” spoke the lad, seeing that his father was looking illagain. “Don’t think any m<strong>or</strong>e about it, dad. I’ll get back those plans. Come,now. It’s time f<strong>or</strong> your medicine, <strong>and</strong> then you must lie down.” F<strong>or</strong> the agedinvent<strong>or</strong> was looking tired <strong>and</strong> weak.Wearily he let <strong>Tom</strong> lead him to his room, <strong>and</strong> after seeing that the invalidwas comf<strong>or</strong>table <strong>Tom</strong> called up Dr. Gladby, to have him come <strong>and</strong> see Mr. <strong>Swift</strong>.<strong>The</strong> doct<strong>or</strong> said his patient had been overdoing himself a little, <strong>and</strong> must restm<strong>or</strong>e if he was to completely recover.Learning that his father was no w<strong>or</strong>se, <strong>Tom</strong> set off to find Andy Foger.“I can’t rest until I know whether <strong>or</strong> not he has my plans,” he said to himself.“I don’t want to make a speedy aeroplane, <strong>and</strong> find out at the last minute thatAndy, <strong>or</strong> some of his cronies, have duplicated it.”But <strong>Tom</strong> got little satisfaction from Andy Foger. When that bully wasaccused of having been around <strong>Tom</strong>’s house he denied it, <strong>and</strong> though the younginvent<strong>or</strong> did not actually accuse him of taking the plans, he hinted at it. Andymuttered many indignant negatives, <strong>and</strong> called on some of his cronies to witnessthat at the time the plans were taken he <strong>and</strong> they were some distance from the<strong>Swift</strong> home.So <strong>Tom</strong> was baffled; <strong>and</strong> though he did not believe the red-haired lad’sdenial, there was no way in which he could prove to the contrary.“If he didn’t take the plans, who did?” mused <strong>Tom</strong>.As the young invent<strong>or</strong> turned away after cross-questioning Andy, the bullycalled out:“You’ll never win that ten thous<strong>and</strong> dollars!”“What do you know about that?” dem<strong>and</strong>ed <strong>Tom</strong> quickly.“Oh, I know,” sneered Andy. “<strong>The</strong>re’ll be bigger <strong>and</strong> better aeroplanes inthat meet than you can make, <strong>and</strong> you’ll never win the prize.”“I suppose you heard about the affair by sneaking around under our windows,<strong>and</strong> listening,” said <strong>Tom</strong>.“Never mind how I know it, but I do,” ret<strong>or</strong>ted the bully.“Well, I’ll tell you one thing,” said <strong>Tom</strong> calmly. “If you come around againit won’t be healthy f<strong>or</strong> you. Look out f<strong>or</strong> live wires, if you try to do the listeningact any m<strong>or</strong>e, Andy!” And with that ominous warning <strong>Tom</strong> turned away.“What do you suppose he means, Andy?” asked Pete Bailey, one of Andy’scronies.“It means he’s got electrical wires strung around his place,” declared SamSnedecker, “<strong>and</strong> that we’ll be shocked if we go up there. I’m not going!”“Me, either,” added Pete, <strong>and</strong> Andy laughed uneasily.<strong>Tom</strong> heard what they said, <strong>and</strong> in the next few days he made himself busyby putting some heavy wires in <strong>and</strong> about the grounds where they would showbest. But the wires carried no current, <strong>and</strong> were only displayed to impress asense of fear on Andy <strong>and</strong> his cronies, which purpose they served well.