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

He left the house by a side do<strong>or</strong>, so that no one would see him, <strong>and</strong> starteddown the walk. As he did so a voice shouted:“Hi, there! Git right out oh heah! Mistah <strong>Swift</strong> doan’t allow no trampsheah, an’ we ain’t got no wuk fo’ yo’, an’ there ain’t no cold victuals. I doesall de wuk, me an’ mah mule Boomerang, an’ we takes all de cold victuals, too!Git right along, now!”“It’s Eradicate. He doesn’t know you,” said <strong>Tom</strong>, with a chuckle.“So much the better,” whispered Mr. Damon. But the disguise proved almosttoo much of a success, f<strong>or</strong> seeing the supposed tramp lingering near the house,Eradicate caught up a stout stick <strong>and</strong> rushed f<strong>or</strong>ward. He was about to strikethe ragged man, when <strong>Tom</strong> called out:“That’s Mr. Damon, Rad!”“Wh—what!” gasped the col<strong>or</strong>ed man; <strong>and</strong> when the situation had beenexplained to him, <strong>and</strong> the necessity f<strong>or</strong> silence impressed upon him, he turnedaway, too surprised to utter a w<strong>or</strong>d. He sought consolation in the stable withhis mule.Just what methods Mr. Damon used he never disclosed, but one thing iscertain: That night there came a cautious knock on the do<strong>or</strong> of the <strong>Swift</strong> home,<strong>and</strong> <strong>Tom</strong>, answering it, beheld his odd friend.“Well,” he asked eagerly, “what luck?”“Put on a suit of old clothes, <strong>and</strong> come with me,” said Mr. Damon. “We’lllook like two tramps, <strong>and</strong> then, if we’re discovered, they won’t know it was you.”“Have you found out anything?” asked <strong>Tom</strong> eagerly.“Not yet; but I’ve got a key to one of the side do<strong>or</strong>s of the shed, <strong>and</strong> we canget in as soon as it’s late enough so that everybody there will be in bed.”“A key? How did you get it?” inquired the youth.“Never mind,” was the answer, with a chuckle. “That was because of mydisguise; <strong>and</strong> I haven’t blessed anything to-day. I’m going to, soon, though. Ican feel it coming on. But hurry, <strong>Tom</strong>, <strong>or</strong> we may be too late.”“And you haven’t had a look inside the shed?” asked the young invent<strong>or</strong>.“You don’t know what’s there?”“No; but we soon will.”Eagerly <strong>Tom</strong> put on some of the oldest <strong>and</strong> most ragged garments he couldfind, <strong>and</strong> then he <strong>and</strong> the odd gentleman set off toward the Foger home. <strong>The</strong>ywaited some time after getting in sight of it, because they saw a light in oneof the windows. <strong>The</strong>n, when the house was dark, they stole cautiously f<strong>or</strong>wardtoward the big, gloomy shed.“On this side,” directed Mr. Damon in a whisper. “<strong>The</strong> key I have opensthis do<strong>or</strong>.”“But we can’t see when we get inside,” objected <strong>Tom</strong>. “I should have broughta dark lantern.”“I have one of those pocket electric flashlights,” said Mr. Damon. “Bless myc<strong>and</strong>lestick! but I thought of that.” And he chuckled gleefully.Cautiously they advanced in the darkness. Mr. Damon fumbled at the lockof the do<strong>or</strong>. <strong>The</strong> key grated as he turned it. <strong>The</strong> p<strong>or</strong>tal swung back, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tom</strong><strong>and</strong> his friend found themselves inside the shed which, of late, had been such41