4 CONTENTS20 Just in Time 8921 “Will He Live?” 9322 Off to the Meet 9523 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> Great Race 9924 W<strong>on</strong> by a Length 10525 Home Again—C<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong> 109
Chapter 1<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> Prize Offer“Is this <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Swift</str<strong>on</strong>g>, the invent<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> of several airships?”<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> man who had rung the bell glanced at the youth who answered hissumm<strong>on</strong>s.“Yes, I’m <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Swift</str<strong>on</strong>g>,” was the reply. “Did you wish to see me?”“I do. I’m Mr. James Gunm<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>e, secretary of the Eagle Park Aviati<strong>on</strong> Associati<strong>on</strong>.I had some c<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>resp<strong>on</strong>dence with you about a prize c<strong>on</strong>test we are goingto hold. I believe—”“Oh, yes, I remember now,” <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> the young invent<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> smiled pleasantly as heopened wider the do<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> of his home. “W<strong>on</strong>’t you come in? My father will beglad to see you. He is as much interested in airships as I am.” And <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> led theway to the library, where the secretary of the aviati<strong>on</strong> society was so<strong>on</strong> seatedin a big, comf<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>table leather chair.“I thought we could do better, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> perhaps come to some decisi<strong>on</strong> m<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>equickly, if I came to see you, than if we c<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>resp<strong>on</strong>ded,” went <strong>on</strong> Mr. Gunm<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>e.“I hope I haven’t disturbed you at any of your inventi<strong>on</strong>s,” <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> the secretarysmiled at the youth.“No. I’m through f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> to-day,” replied <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>. “I’m glad to see you. I thoughtat first it was my chum, Ned Newt<strong>on</strong>. He generally runs over in the evening.”“Our society, as I wrote you, Mr. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Swift</str<strong>on</strong>g>, is planning to hold a very large <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>imp<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>tant aviati<strong>on</strong> meet at Eagle Park, which is a suburb of Westville, NewY<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>k State. We expect to have all the prominent ’bird-men’ there, to competef<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> prizes, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> your name was menti<strong>on</strong>ed. I wrote to you, as you doubtlessrecall, asking if you did not care to enter.”“And I think I wrote you that my big aeroplane-dirigible, the Red Cloud,was destroyed in Alaska, during a recent trip we made to the caves of ice there,after gold,” replied <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>.“Yes, you did,” admitted Mr. Gunm<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>e, “<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> while our committee was verys<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>ry to hear that, we hoped you might have some other air craft that you couldenter at our meet. We want to make it as complete as possible, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> we all feelthat it would not be so unless we had a <str<strong>on</strong>g>Swift</str<strong>on</strong>g> aeroplane there.”5
Change language