92 CHAPTER 20. JUST IN TIME
Chapter 21“Will He Live?”So<strong>on</strong> there were busy scenes in the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Swift</str<strong>on</strong>g> home, as preparati<strong>on</strong>s were madef<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> a serious operati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the aged invent<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>’s father had sunk into deepunc<strong>on</strong>sciousness, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> was stretched out <strong>on</strong> the bed as though there was no m<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>elife in him. In fact, <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>, f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> the moment, feared that it was all over. But goodold Dr. Kurtz, noting the look <strong>on</strong> the lad’s face, said:“Ach, Dom, doan’t v<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>ry! Maybe it vill yet all be vell, und der vater villhear of der great race. Bluck up your courage, und doan’t gif up. Der greatestsurge<strong>on</strong> in der v<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>ld is here now, und if anybody gan safe your vater, HerrHendriz gan. Dot vos a great drip you made—a great drip!”<str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> felt a little comf<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>ted <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>, after a sight of his father, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> a silent prayerthat God would spare his life f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> years to come, the young invent<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> went out inthe yard. He wanted to be busy about something, f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> he knew, with the doct<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g>s,<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> a trained nurse who had been hastily summ<strong>on</strong>ed, there was no immediateneed f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> him. He wanted to get his mind off the operati<strong>on</strong> that would so<strong>on</strong> takeplace, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> so he decided to look over his aeroplane.Mr. Dam<strong>on</strong> came out when <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> was going over the guy wires <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> braces,to see how they had stood the strain.“Well, <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>, my lad,” said the eccentric man, sadly, as he grasped our hero’sh<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>, “it’s too bad. But hope f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> the best. I’m sure your father will pullthrough. We will have to begin taking the Humming-Bird apart so<strong>on</strong>; w<strong>on</strong>’twe, if we’re going to ship it to Eagle Park?” He wanted to take <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>’s mind offhis troubles.“I d<strong>on</strong>’t know whether we will <str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> not,” was the answer, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> tried tospeak unbrokenly, but there was a troublesome lump in his throat, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> a mistof tears in his eyes that prevented him from seeing well. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> Humming-Bird,to him, looked as if she was in a fog.“N<strong>on</strong>sense! Of course we will!” cried Mr. Dam<strong>on</strong>. “Why, bless my wishb<strong>on</strong>e!<str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g>, you d<strong>on</strong>’t mean to say you’re going to let that little shrimp Andy Fogerwalk away with that ten-thous<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>-dollar prize without giving him a fight f<str<strong>on</strong>g>or</str<strong>on</strong>g> it;are you?”This was just what <str<strong>on</strong>g>Tom</str<strong>on</strong>g> needed, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> it seemed good to have Mr. Dam<strong>on</strong>93