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

Chapter 12Miss Nest<strong>or</strong> Calls“What’s de mattah? Shall I come in? Am anybody hurted?” yelled EradicateSampson as he pounded on the rear do<strong>or</strong> of the aeroplane shed. “Let me in,Massa <strong>Tom</strong>!”“All right! Wait a minute! I’m coming!” called Mr. Jackson. He triedto peer through the darkness, to where a huddled heap indicated the presenceof <strong>Tom</strong>. <strong>The</strong>n he thought of the electric lights, which were run by a st<strong>or</strong>agebattery when the dynamo was shut down, <strong>and</strong> a moment later the engineer hadswitched on the inc<strong>and</strong>escents, filling the big shed with radiance.“<strong>Tom</strong>, are you badly hurt?” gasped Mr. Jackson.<strong>The</strong>re was no answer, f<strong>or</strong> <strong>Tom</strong> was unconscious.“Let me in! Let me git at dat robber wif mah club!” cried the col<strong>or</strong>ed maneagerly.Knowing that he would need help in carrying <strong>Tom</strong> to the house, Mr. Jacksonhurried to the back do<strong>or</strong>. He had a key to it, <strong>and</strong> it was quicker to open it thanto send Eradicate away around the shed to the front p<strong>or</strong>tals.“Whar am he?” gasped the faithful darky, as he took a firmer grasp of hisclub <strong>and</strong> looked around the place. “Let me git mah h<strong>and</strong>s on him! I’ll feed himt’ Boomerang, when I gits froo wif him!”“He’s gone,” said the engineer. “Help me look after <strong>Tom</strong>. I’m afraid he’sbadly hurt.”<strong>The</strong>y hastened to the unconscious lad. On one side of his head was a badcut, which was bleeding freely.“Oh! he’s daid! I know he’s daid!” wailed Eradicate.“Not a bit of it. He isn’t dead, but he may die, if we don’t get him into thehouse, <strong>and</strong> have a doct<strong>or</strong> here soon,” said Mr. Jackson sternly. “Catch hold ofhim, Rad, <strong>and</strong>, mind, don’t carry on, <strong>and</strong> get excited, <strong>and</strong> scare Mr. <strong>Swift</strong>. Justpretend it isn’t very bad, <strong>or</strong> we’ll have two patents on our h<strong>and</strong>s instead of only<strong>Tom</strong>.”<strong>The</strong>y managed to get the youth into the house, <strong>and</strong>, contrary to their fears,Mr. <strong>Swift</strong> was not nearly so nervous as they had expected. Calmly he tookcharge of matters, <strong>and</strong> even telephoned f<strong>or</strong> Dr. Gladby himself, while Mr. Jack-55