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

71“Oh, we’ll take good care of him,” said the lad; but he could not helpw<strong>or</strong>rying, though he tried not to let his father see the strain which he wasunder.It was some days after this, <strong>and</strong> lacking about a week until the meet wasto open, when a peculiar thing happened. <strong>Tom</strong> had given his Humming-Bird atryout one day, <strong>and</strong> had then begun to make arrangements f<strong>or</strong> taking it apart<strong>and</strong> shipping it to Eagle Park. F<strong>or</strong> he would not fly to the meet in it, f<strong>or</strong> fearof some accident. So big cases had been provided.“I’ll take it apart in the m<strong>or</strong>ning,” decided <strong>Tom</strong>, as he went to his room,after seeing to the burglar alarm, “<strong>and</strong> ship her off. <strong>The</strong>n Mr. Damon <strong>and</strong> I willgo there, set her up, <strong>and</strong> get ready to win the race.”<strong>Tom</strong> had opened all the windows in his room, f<strong>or</strong> it was very warm. In factit was so warm that sleep was almost out of the question, <strong>and</strong> he got up to sitnear the windows in the hope of feeling a breeze.<strong>The</strong>re it was m<strong>or</strong>e comf<strong>or</strong>table, <strong>and</strong> he was just dozing off, <strong>and</strong> beginningto think of getting back into bed, when he was aware of a peculiar sound in theair overhead.“I wonder if that’s a heavy wind starting up?” he mused. “Good luck, if itis! We need it.” <strong>The</strong> noise increased, sounding m<strong>or</strong>e <strong>and</strong> m<strong>or</strong>e like wind, but<strong>Tom</strong>, looking out into the night, saw the leaves of the trees barely moving.“If that’s a breeze, it’s taking its own time getting here,” he went on.<strong>The</strong> sound came nearer, <strong>and</strong> then <strong>Tom</strong> knew that it was not the noise of thewind in the trees. It was m<strong>or</strong>e like a roaring <strong>and</strong> rumbling,“Can it be distant thunder?” <strong>Tom</strong> asked himself. “<strong>The</strong>re is no sign ofa st<strong>or</strong>m.” Once m<strong>or</strong>e he looked from the window. <strong>The</strong> night was calm <strong>and</strong>clear—the trees as still as if they were painted.<strong>The</strong> sound was even m<strong>or</strong>e plain now, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tom</strong>, who had sharp ears, at oncedecided that it was just over the house—directly overhead. An instant later heknew what it was.“<strong>The</strong> mot<strong>or</strong> of an aeroplane, <strong>or</strong> a dirigible balloon!” he exclaimed. “Someone is flying overhead!”F<strong>or</strong> an instant he feared lest the shed had been broken into, <strong>and</strong> his Humming-Bird taken, but a glance toward the place seemed to show that it was all right.<strong>The</strong>n <strong>Tom</strong> hastily made his way to where a flight of stairs led to a littleenclosed observat<strong>or</strong>y on the roof.“I’m going to see what s<strong>or</strong>t of a craft it is making that noise,” he said.As he opened the trap do<strong>or</strong>, <strong>and</strong> stepped out into the little observat<strong>or</strong>ythe sound was so plain as to startle him. He looked up quickly, <strong>and</strong>, directlyoverhead he saw a curious sight.F<strong>or</strong>, flying so low as to almost brush the lightning rod on the chimney of the<strong>Swift</strong> home, was a small aeroplane, <strong>and</strong>, as <strong>Tom</strong> looked up, he saw in a lightthat gleamed from it, two figures looking down on him.