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

61“It’s gl<strong>or</strong>ious; gl<strong>or</strong>ious!” she cried. I’m not a bit afraid now¡‘“I knew you wouldn’t be,” declared the young invent<strong>or</strong>, who had calculatedon the fascination which the motion through the air, untrammeled <strong>and</strong> free,always produces. “Shall we go higher?”“Yes!” cried Miss Nest<strong>or</strong>, <strong>and</strong> she gazed fearlessly down at the earth, whichwas falling away from beneath their feet. She was in the grip of the air, <strong>and</strong> itwas a new <strong>and</strong> wonderful sensation.<strong>Tom</strong> went up to a considerable distance, f<strong>or</strong>, once a person loses his firstfright, one hundred feet <strong>or</strong> one thous<strong>and</strong> feet elevation makes little difference tohim. It was this way with Miss Nest<strong>or</strong>.Now, indeed, could <strong>Tom</strong> demonstrate to her some of the fine points of navigationin the upper currents, <strong>and</strong> though he did no risky “stunts,” he showedthe girl what it means to do an ascending spiral, how to cut c<strong>or</strong>ners, how totwist around in the figure eight, <strong>and</strong> do other things. <strong>Tom</strong> did not try f<strong>or</strong> thegreat speed of which he knew his craft was capable, f<strong>or</strong> he knew there was somerisk with Miss Nest<strong>or</strong> aboard. But he did nearly everything else, <strong>and</strong> when hesent the Humming-Bird down he had made another convert <strong>and</strong> devotee to theroyal sp<strong>or</strong>t of aeroplaning.“Oh! I never would dared believe I could do it!’ exclaimed the girl, as withflushed cheeks <strong>and</strong> dancing eyes she dismounted from the seat. ”Mamma <strong>and</strong>papa will never believe I did it¡‘“Bring them over, <strong>and</strong> I’ll take them f<strong>or</strong> a flight,” said <strong>Tom</strong>, with a laugh,as Mary departed.<strong>Tom</strong> received an answer to his letter to Mr. Sharp that night.“Andy Foger’s entry blank states,” wrote the balloonist, “that he is constructinghis aeroplane in the village of Hampton, which is about fifty milesfrom your place. If there is anything further I can do f<strong>or</strong> you, <strong>Tom</strong>, let meknow. I will see you at the meet. Hope you win the prize.”“In Hampton, eh?” mused <strong>Tom</strong>. “So that’s where Andy has been keepinghimself all this while. <strong>His</strong> uncle lives there, <strong>and</strong> that’s the reason f<strong>or</strong> it. Hewanted to keep it a secret from me, so he could use my stolen plans f<strong>or</strong> his craft.But he shan’t do it! I’ll go to Hampton!”“And I’ll go with you!” declared Mr. Damon, who was with <strong>Tom</strong> when hegot the note from the balloonist. “We’ll get to the bottom of this mystery aftera while, <strong>Tom</strong>.”Delaying a few days, to make the final changes in his aeroplane, <strong>Tom</strong> <strong>and</strong>Mr. Damon departed f<strong>or</strong> Hampton one m<strong>or</strong>ning. <strong>The</strong>y thought first of goingin the Butterfly, but as they wanted to keep their mission as secret as possible,they decided to go by train, <strong>and</strong> arrive in the town quietly <strong>and</strong> unostentatiously.<strong>The</strong>y got to Hampton late that afternoon.“What’s the first thing to be done?” asked Mr. Damon as they walked upfrom the station, where they were almost the only persons who alighted fromthe train.“Go to the hotel,” decided <strong>Tom</strong>. “<strong>The</strong>re’s only one, I was told, so there’snot much choice.”