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

96 CHAPTER 22. OFF TO THE MEET“Promise!” whispered the surgeon to <strong>Tom</strong>.“I—I promise!” exclaimed <strong>Tom</strong>, <strong>and</strong> the aged invent<strong>or</strong> sank back with asmile of satisfaction on his pale face.“Now you must go,” said Dr. Gladby to <strong>Tom</strong>. “He has talked long enough.He must sleep now, <strong>and</strong> get up his strength.”“Will he get better?” asked <strong>Tom</strong>, anxiously.“We can’t say f<strong>or</strong> sure,” was the answer. “We have great hopes.”“I don’t want to enter the race unless I know he is going to live,” went on<strong>Tom</strong>, as Dr. Gladby followed him out of the room.“No one can say f<strong>or</strong> a certainty that he will recover,” spoke the physician.“You will have to hope f<strong>or</strong> the best, that is all, <strong>Tom</strong>. If I were you I’d go in therace. It will occupy your mind, <strong>and</strong> if you could send good news to your fatherit might help him in the fight f<strong>or</strong> life he is making.”“But suppose—suppose something happens while I am away?” suggestedthe young invent<strong>or</strong>.<strong>The</strong> doct<strong>or</strong> thought f<strong>or</strong> a moment. <strong>The</strong>n he exclaimed:“You have a wireless outfit on your craft; haven’t you?”“Yes.”“<strong>The</strong>n you can receive messages from here every hour if you wish. GarretJackson, your engineer, can send them, <strong>and</strong> you can pick them up in mid-air ifneed be.”“So I can!” cried <strong>Tom</strong>. “I will go to the meet. I’ll take the Humming-Birdapart at once, <strong>and</strong> ship it to Eagle Park. Unless Dr. Hendrix wants to go backin it,” he added as an after thought.“No,” spoke Dr. Gladby, “Dr. Hendrix is going to remain here f<strong>or</strong> a few days,in case of an emergency. By that time the bridge will have been repaired, <strong>and</strong>he can go back by train. I gather, from what he said, that though he liked theair trip, he will not care f<strong>or</strong> another one.”“Very well,” assented <strong>Tom</strong>, <strong>and</strong> Mr. Damon <strong>and</strong> he were kept busy, packingthe Humming-Bird f<strong>or</strong> shipment. Mr. Jackson helped them, <strong>and</strong> Eradicate <strong>and</strong>his mule Boomerang were called on occasionally when boxes <strong>or</strong> crates were tobe taken to the railroad station.In the meanwhile, Mr. <strong>Swift</strong>, if he did not improve any, at least held hisown. This the doct<strong>or</strong>s said was a sign of hope, <strong>and</strong>, though <strong>Tom</strong> was filled withanxiety, he tried to think that fate would be kind to him, <strong>and</strong> that his fatherwould recover. Dr. Hendrix left, saying there was nothing m<strong>or</strong>e he could do,<strong>and</strong> that the rest depended on the local physicians, <strong>and</strong> on the nurse.“Und ve vill do our duty!” ponderously exclaimed Dr. Kurtz. “You go off todot bird race, Dom, und doan’t v<strong>or</strong>ry. Ve vill send der with-out-vire messagesto you venever dere is anyt’ing to rep<strong>or</strong>t. Go mit a light heart!”How <strong>Tom</strong> wished he could, but it was out of the question. <strong>The</strong> last ofthe parts of the Humming-Bird had been sent away, <strong>and</strong> our hero f<strong>or</strong>warded atelegram to Mr. Sharp, of the arrangement committee, stating that he <strong>and</strong> Mr.Damon would soon follow. <strong>The</strong>n, having bidden his father a fond farewell, <strong>and</strong>after arranging with Mr. Jackson to send frequent wireless messages, <strong>Tom</strong> <strong>and</strong>the eccentric man left f<strong>or</strong> the meet.