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

52 CHAPTER 11. TOM IS HURT“Maybe we can’t catch him.”“That’s so. Andy is a pretty slippery customer. Say, Mr. Jackson, you goaround <strong>and</strong> get Eradicate, <strong>and</strong> have him bring a club. We can’t trust him witha gun. Tell him to get at the back do<strong>or</strong>, <strong>and</strong> I’ll wait f<strong>or</strong> you to join me, <strong>and</strong>we’ll go in the front do<strong>or</strong>. <strong>The</strong>n we’ll have ’em between two fires. <strong>The</strong>y can’tget away.”“How about the windows?”“<strong>The</strong>y’re high up, <strong>and</strong> hard to open since I put the new catches on them.Whoever got in must have f<strong>or</strong>ced the lock of the do<strong>or</strong>. <strong>The</strong>re goes the lightagain!”As <strong>Tom</strong> spoke there was seen the faint glimmer of a light. It moved slowlyabout the interi<strong>or</strong> of the shed, <strong>and</strong> with a peculiar bobbing motion, whichindicated that some one was carrying it.“Go f<strong>or</strong> Eradicate, <strong>and</strong> don’t make any m<strong>or</strong>e noise than you can help inwaking him up,” whispered <strong>Tom</strong>, f<strong>or</strong> they were now close to the shed, <strong>and</strong>might be heard.Mr. Jackson slipped off in the darkness, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tom</strong> drew nearer to the buildingthat housed his Humming-Bird. <strong>The</strong>re was one window lower than the others,<strong>and</strong> near it was a box, that <strong>Tom</strong> remembered having seen that afternoon. Heplanned to get up on that <strong>and</strong> look in, bef<strong>or</strong>e making a raid to capture theintruder.<strong>Tom</strong> raised himself up to the window. <strong>The</strong> light had been visible a momentbef<strong>or</strong>e he placed the box in position, but an instant later it seemed to go out,<strong>and</strong> the place was in darkness.“I wonder if they’ve gone away?” thought <strong>Tom</strong>. “I can’t hear any noise.”He listened intently. It was dark <strong>and</strong> silent in the shop. Suddenly the lightflashed up brighter than bef<strong>or</strong>e, <strong>and</strong> the young invent<strong>or</strong> caught sight of a manwalking around the new aeroplane, examining it carefully. He carried, as <strong>Tom</strong>could see, a large-sized electric flash-lamp, with a brilliant tungsten filament,which gave a powerful light.As the youth watched, he saw the intruder place the light on a bench, insuch a position that the rays fell full upon the Humming-Bird. <strong>The</strong>n, adjustingthe spring switch so that the light would continue to glow, the man steppedback <strong>and</strong> drew something from an inner pocket.“I wonder what he’s up to?” mused <strong>Tom</strong>. “I wish Eradicate <strong>and</strong> Mr. Jacksonwould hurry back. Who can that fellow be, I wonder? I’ve never seen him bef<strong>or</strong>e,as far as I know. I thought sure it was going to turn out to be Andy Foger!”<strong>Tom</strong> turned around to look into the dark yard surrounding the shed. Hewas anxious to hear the approach of his two allies, but there was no sound oftheir footsteps.As be turned back to watch the man he could not repress a cry of alarm, f<strong>or</strong>what the intruder had drawn from his pocket was a small hatchet, <strong>and</strong> he wasadvancing with it toward the Humming-Bird!“He’s going to destroy my aeroplane!” gasped <strong>Tom</strong>, <strong>and</strong> he raised his revolverto fire.