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

90 CHAPTER 20. JUST IN TIME“Very well,” said the surgeon with a shrug of his shoulders, “I guess I’mgame, <strong>Tom</strong> <strong>Swift</strong>.”<strong>The</strong> doct<strong>or</strong> took the seat <strong>Tom</strong> pointed out to him, with his bag of instrumentson his knees. He put on the face protect<strong>or</strong>, <strong>and</strong> had, at the suggestion of ourhero, donned a heavy coat.“F<strong>or</strong> it’s cold in the upper regions,” said <strong>Tom</strong>.Several servants in the physician’s household had gathered to see him departin this novel fashion, <strong>and</strong> the chauffeur of the auto, in which the specialist usuallymade his calls, was also there.“I’ll give you a h<strong>and</strong>,” said the chauffeur to the young invent<strong>or</strong>. “I was atan aviation meet once, <strong>and</strong> I know how it’s done.”“Good,” exclaimed <strong>Tom</strong>. “<strong>The</strong>n you can hold the machine, <strong>and</strong> shove whenI give the w<strong>or</strong>d.”<strong>Tom</strong> started the propeller himself, <strong>and</strong> quickly jumped into his seat. <strong>The</strong>chauffeur held back the Humming-Bird until the young aviat<strong>or</strong> had speeded upthe mot<strong>or</strong>.“Let go!” cried the youthful invent<strong>or</strong>, <strong>and</strong> the man gave the little craft ashove. Across the rather uneven ground of the doct<strong>or</strong>’s yard it ran, straight f<strong>or</strong>a big iron barrier.“Look out! We’ll be into the fence!” shouted the surgeon. “We’ll be killed!”He seemed about to leap off.“Sit still!” cried <strong>Tom</strong>, <strong>and</strong> at that instant he tilted the elevation planes,<strong>and</strong> the craft shot upward, going over the fence like a circus h<strong>or</strong>se taking aseven-barred gate.“Oh!” exclaimed the physician in a curious voice. <strong>The</strong>y were off on theirtrip to save the life of Mr. <strong>Swift</strong>.What the sensations of the celebrated specialist were, <strong>Tom</strong> never learned.If he was afraid, his fright quickly gave place to wonder, <strong>and</strong> the wonder soonchanged to delight as the machine rose higher <strong>and</strong> higher, acquired m<strong>or</strong>e speed,<strong>and</strong> soared in the air over the country that spread out in all directions fromKirkville.“Magnificent! Magnificent!” murmured the doct<strong>or</strong>, <strong>and</strong> then <strong>Tom</strong> knew thatthe surgeon was in the grip of the air, <strong>and</strong> was one of the “bird-men.”Every moment the Humming-Bird increased her speed. <strong>The</strong>y passed over theriver near where men were w<strong>or</strong>king on the broken bridge. It was now no barrierto them. <strong>Tom</strong>, noting the barograph, <strong>and</strong> seeing that they were twenty-twohundred feet high, decided to keep at about that distance from the earth.“How fast are we going?” cried Dr. Hendrix, into the ear of the younginvent<strong>or</strong>.“Just a little sh<strong>or</strong>t of a hundred an hour!” <strong>Tom</strong> shouted back. “We’ll hit ahundred <strong>and</strong> five bef<strong>or</strong>e long.”<strong>His</strong> prediction proved true, <strong>and</strong> when about f<strong>or</strong>ty miles from Shopton thatterrific speed had been attained. It seemed as if they were going to have atrip devoid of incident, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tom</strong> was congratulating himself on the quick timemade, when he ran into a contrary strata of air. Almost bef<strong>or</strong>e he knew it the