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

Chapter 14<strong>The</strong> Great Test“Bless my gizzard!” exclaimed Mr. Damon, who hardly knew what to do. “We’dbetter be getting out of here, <strong>Tom</strong>!”“Not much!” exclaimed the young invent<strong>or</strong>. “I never ran from Andy Fogeryet, <strong>and</strong> I’m not going to begin now.”He assumed an attitude of defense, <strong>and</strong> stood calmly awaiting the onslaughtof the bully; but Andy knew better than to come to a personal argument with<strong>Tom</strong>, <strong>and</strong> so the red-haired lad halted some paces off. <strong>The</strong> man, who hadfollowed young Foger, also stopped.“What do you want around here, <strong>Tom</strong> <strong>Swift</strong>?” dem<strong>and</strong>ed Andy.“You know very well what I want,” said the young invent<strong>or</strong>, calmly. “I wantto know what you did with the aeroplane plans you took from my house.”“I never took any!” declared Andy vig<strong>or</strong>ously“Well, there’s no use discussing that,” went on <strong>Tom</strong>. “What I came hereto find out, <strong>and</strong> I don’t mind telling you, is whether <strong>or</strong> not you are building amonoplane to compete against me, <strong>and</strong> building it on a model invented by me;<strong>and</strong> what’s m<strong>or</strong>e, Andy Foger, I intend to find this out, too!”<strong>Tom</strong> started toward the big shed, which loomed up in the moonlight.“St<strong>and</strong> back!” cried Andy, getting in <strong>Tom</strong>’s way. “I can build any kind ofan aeroplane I like, <strong>and</strong> you can’t stop me!”“We’ll see about that,” declared the young invent<strong>or</strong>, as he kept on. “I’m notgoing to allow my plans to be stolen, <strong>and</strong> a monoplane made after them, <strong>and</strong>do nothing about it.”“You keep away!” snarled Andy, <strong>and</strong> he grabbed <strong>Tom</strong> by the shoulder <strong>and</strong>struck him a blow in the chest. He must have been very much excited, <strong>or</strong>otherwise he never would have come to hostilities this way with <strong>Tom</strong>, whom hewell knew could easily beat him.<strong>The</strong> blow, together with the many things he had suffered at Andy’s h<strong>and</strong>s,was too much f<strong>or</strong> our hero. He drew back his fist, <strong>and</strong> a moment later AndyFoger was stretched out on the grass. He lay there f<strong>or</strong> a moment, <strong>and</strong> then roseup slowly to his knees, his face dist<strong>or</strong>ted with rage.“You—you hit me!” he snarled.65