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

Chapter 7Seeking a ClueJohn Sharp was m<strong>or</strong>e than surprised at the effect his piece of inf<strong>or</strong>mation hadon <strong>Tom</strong> <strong>Swift</strong>. Though the young invent<strong>or</strong> had all along suspected Andy ofhaving the missing plans, yet there had been no positive evidence on this point.That, coupled with the fact that the red-haired bully had not been seen in thevicinity of Shopton lately, had, in a measure, lulled <strong>Tom</strong>’s suspicions to rest,but now his hope had been rudely shattered.“Do you really think that’s his game?” asked Mr. Sharp.“I’m sure of it,” replied the youth. “Though where he is building his aeroplaneI can’t imagine, f<strong>or</strong> I haven’t seen him in town. He’s away.”“Are you sure of that?”“Well, not absolutely sure,” replied <strong>Tom</strong>. “It’s the general rum<strong>or</strong> that he’sout of town.”“Well, old General Rum<strong>or</strong> is sometimes a person not to be relied upon,”remarked the balloonist grimly. “Now this is the way I size it up: Of course,all I know officially is that Andy Foger has sent in an entry f<strong>or</strong> the big racef<strong>or</strong> the ten-thous<strong>and</strong>-dollar prize which is offered by the Eagle Park AviationAssociation. I’m a member of the arrangements committee, <strong>and</strong> so I know. Ialso know that you <strong>and</strong> several others are going to try f<strong>or</strong> the prize. That’s allI am absolutely sure of.“Now, when you tell me about the missing plans, <strong>and</strong> you conclude thatAndy is doing some underh<strong>and</strong>ed w<strong>or</strong>k, I agree with you. But I go a stepfarther. I don’t believe he’s out of town at all.”“Why not?” exclaimed <strong>Tom</strong>.“Because when he has an airship shed right in his own backyard, where, youtell me, he once made a craft in which he tried to beat you out in the trip toAlaska, when you think of that, doesn’t it seem reasonable that he’d use thatsame building in which to make his new craft?”“Yes, it does,” admitted <strong>Tom</strong> slowly, “but then everybody says he’s out oftown.”“Well, what everybody says is generally not So. I think you’ll find thatAndy is keeping himself in seclusion, <strong>and</strong> that he’s w<strong>or</strong>king secretly in his ship,35