32 CHAPTER 6. ANDY FOGER WILL CONTESTdecided to adopt a new style of treatment. In the meanwhile, Mr. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Swift</str<strong>on</strong>g> kepthis promise, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> did no w<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>k. He sat in his easy-chair, out in the garden, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>dozed away, while <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> visited him frequently to see if he needed anything.“Po<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> old dad!” mused the young invent<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>. “I hope he is well enough tocome <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> see me try f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> the ten-thous<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>-dollar prize—<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> win it! I hope I do;but if some <strong>on</strong>e builds, from my stolen plans, a machine <strong>on</strong> this model, I’ll havemy w<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>k cut out f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> me.” And he gazed with pride <strong>on</strong> the Humming-Bird.F<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> the past two weeks <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> had seen nothing of Andy Foger. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> red-hairedbully seemed to have dropped out of sight, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> even his cr<strong>on</strong>ies, Sam Snedecker<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Pete Bailey, did not know where he had g<strong>on</strong>e.“I hope he has g<strong>on</strong>e f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> good,” said Ned Newt<strong>on</strong>, who lived near Andy. “He’san infernal nuisance. I wish he’d never come back to Shopt<strong>on</strong>.”But Andy was destined to come back.One day, when <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> was busy installing a wireless apparatus <strong>on</strong> his newaeroplane, he heard Eradicate hurrying up the path that led to the shop.“I w<strong>on</strong>der if dad is w<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>se?” thought <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>, that always being his first ideawhen he knew a summ<strong>on</strong>s was coming f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> him. Quickly be opened the do<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>.“Some <strong>on</strong>e’s comin’ out to see you, Massa <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>,” said the col<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed man.“Who is it?” asked the lad, taking the precauti<strong>on</strong> to put his precious plansout of sight.“I dunno, sah; but yo’ father knows him, an’ he said fo’ me to come outheah, ahead ob de gen’man, an’ tell yo’ he were comin’. He’ll be right heah.”“Oh, well, if dad knows him, it’s all right. Let him come, Rad.”“Yes, sah. Heah he comes.” And the col<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed man pointed to a figure advancingdown the gravel path. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> watched the stranger curiously. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>re wassomething familiar about him, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> was sure he had met him bef<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>e, yethe could not seem to place him.“How are you, <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Swift</str<strong>on</strong>g>?” greeted the newcomer pleasantly. “I guessyou’ve f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>gotten me, haven’t you?” He held out his h<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>, which <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> took.“D<strong>on</strong>’t know me, do you?” he went <strong>on</strong>.“Well, I’m afraid I’ve f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>gotten your name,” admitted the lad, just a bitembarrassed. “But your face is familiar, somehow, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> yet it isn’t”“I’ve shaved off my mustache,” went <strong>on</strong> the other. “That makes a difference.But you haven’t f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>gotten John Sharp, the ballo<strong>on</strong>ist, whom you rescued fromLake Carlopa, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> who helped you build the Red Cloud? You haven’t f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>gottenJohn Sharp, have you, <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>?”“Well, I should say not!” cried the lad heartily. “I’m real glad to see you.What are you doing around here? Come in. I’ve got something to show you,”<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> he moti<strong>on</strong>ed to the shop where the Humming-Bird was housed.“Oh, I know what it is,” said the veteran ballo<strong>on</strong>ist.“You do?”“Yes. It’s your new aeroplane. In fact, I came to see you about it.”“To see me about it?”“Yes. I’m <strong>on</strong>e of the committee of arrangements f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> the meet to be held atEagle Park, where I underst<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> you are going to c<strong>on</strong>test. I came to see how
near you were ready, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> to get you to make a f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>mal entry of your machine.Mr. Gunm<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>e sent me.”“Oh, so you’re in with them now, eh?” asked <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>. “Well, I’m glad to knowI’ve got a friend <strong>on</strong> the committee. Yes, my machine is getting al<strong>on</strong>g very well.I’ll so<strong>on</strong> be ready f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> a trial flight. Come in <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> look at it. I think it’s a bird—aregular Humming-Bird!” And <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> laughed.“It certainly is something new,” admitted Mr. Sharp as his eyes took inthe details of the trim little craft. “By the way, Shopt<strong>on</strong> is going to be wellrepresented at the meet.”“How is that? I thought I was the <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong>e around here to enter an aeroplane.”“No. We have just received an entry from Andy Foger.”“From Andy Foger!” gasped <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>. “Is he going to try to win some of theprizes?”“He’s entered f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> the big <strong>on</strong>e, the ten-thous<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>-dollar prize,” replied theballo<strong>on</strong>ist. “He has made f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>mal applicati<strong>on</strong> to be allowed to compete, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> wehave to accept any <strong>on</strong>e who applies. Why, do you object to him, <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>?”“Object to him? Mr. Sharp, let me tell you something. Some time ago aset of plans of my machine here were stolen from my house. I suspected AndyFoger of taking them, but I could get no proof. Now you say he is building amachine to compete f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> the big prize. Do you happen to know what style it is?”“It’s a small m<strong>on</strong>oplane, something like the Antoinette, his applicati<strong>on</strong>states, though he may change it later.”“<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>n he’s stolen my ideas, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> is making a craft like this!” exclaimed <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>,as he sank up<strong>on</strong> a bench, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> gazed from the ballo<strong>on</strong>ist to the Humming-Bird,<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> hack to Mr. Sharp again. “Andy Foger is trying to beat me with my ownmachine!”33
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