Tom Swift and His Sky Racer; Or The Quickest Flight on Record Read online

  Chapter Two

  Mr. Swift is Ill

  "Who was it?" asked Mr. Gunmore as Tom again entered the library. "Afriend of yours?"

  "Hardly a friend," replied Tom grimly. "It was a young fellow who hasmade lots of trouble for me in the past, and who, lately, with hisfather, tried to get ahead of me and some friends of mine in locating agold claim in Alaska. I don't know what he's up to now, but certainlyit wasn't any good. He's got nerve, sneaking up under our windows!"

  "What do you think was his object?"

  "It would be hard to say."

  "Can't you find him to-morrow, and ask him?"

  "There's not much satisfaction in that. The less I have to do with AndyFoger the better I'm satisfied. Well, perhaps it's just as well I fell,and couldn't catch him. There would have been a fight, and I don't wantto worry dad any more than I can help. He hasn't been very well oflate."

  "No, he doesn't look very strong," agreed the secretary. "But I hope hedoesn't get sick, and I hope no bad consequences result from theeavesdropping of this Foger fellow."

  Tom started for the hall, to get a brush with which to remove some ofthe dust gathered in his chase after Andy. As he opened the librarydoor to go out Mr. Swift came in again.

  "I saw Mrs. Baggert, Tom," he said. "She wasn't out under the window,and, as you said, Eradicate isn't about. His mule is in the barn, so itcouldn't have been the animal straying around."

  "No, dad. It was Andy Foger."

  "Andy Foger!"

  "Yes. I couldn't catch him. But you'd better go lie down, father. It'sgetting late, and you look tired."

  "I am tired, Tom, and I think I'll go to bed. Have you finished yourarrangements with Mr. Gunmore?"

  "Well, I guess we've gone as far as we can until I invent the newaeroplane," replied Tom, with a smile.

  "Then you'll really enter the meet?" asked the secretary eagerly.

  "I think I will," decided Tom. "The prize of ten thousand dollars isworth trying for, and besides that, I'll be glad to get to work againon a speedy craft. Yes, I'll enter the meet."

  "Good!" exclaimed Mr. Gunmore, shaking hands with the young inventor."I didn't have my trip for nothing, then. I'll go back in the morningand report to the committee that I've been successful. I am greatlyobliged to you."

  He left the Swift home, after refusing Tom's invitation to remain allnight, and went to his hotel. Tom then insisted that his father retire.

  As for the young inventor, he was not satisfied with the result of hisattempt to catch Andy Foger. He had no idea why the bully was hidingunder the library window, but Tom surmised that some mischief might beafoot.

  "Sam Snedecker or Pete Bailey, the two cronies of Andy, may still bearound here, trying to play some trick on me," mused Tom. "I think I'lltake a look outside." And taking a stout cane from the umbrella rack,the youth sallied forth into the yard and extensive grounds surroundinghis house.

  While he is thus looking for possible intruders we will tell you alittle more about him than has been possible since the call of theaviation secretary.

  Tom Swift lived with his father, Barton Swift, in the town of Shopton,New York State. The young man had followed in the footsteps of hisparent, and was already an inventor of note.

  Their home was presided over by Mrs. Baggert, as housekeeper, sinceMrs. Swift had been dead several years. In addition, there was GarretJackson, an engineer, who aided Tom and his father, and EradicateSampson, an odd colored man, who, with his mule, Boomerang, workedabout the place.

  In the first volume of this series, entitled "Tom Swift and hisMotor-Cycle," here was related how he came to possess that machine. Acertain Mr. Wakefield Damon, an eccentric gentleman, who was alwaysblessing himself, or something about him, owned the cycle, but he cameto grief on it, and sold it to Tom very cheaply.

  Tom had a number of adventures on the wheel, and, after having used themotor to save a valuable patent model from a gang of unscrupulous men,the lad acquired possession of a power boat, in which he made severaltrips, and took part in many exciting happenings.

  Some time later, in company with John Sharp, an aeronaut, whom Tom hadrescued from Lake Carlopa, after the airman had nearly lost his life ina burning balloon, the young inventor made a big airship, called theRed Cloud. With Mr. Damon, Tom made several trips in this craft, as setforth in the book, "Tom Swift and His Airship."

  It was after this that Tom and his father built a submarine boat, andwent under the ocean for sunken treasure, and, following that trip Tombuilt a speedy electric runabout, and by a remarkable run in that, withMr. Damon, saved a bank from ruin, bringing gold in time to stave off apanic.

  "Tom Swift and His Wireless Message" told of the young inventor's planto save the castaways of Earthquake Island, and how he accomplished itby constructing a wireless plant from the remains of the wreckedairship Whizzer. After Tom got back from Earthquake Island he went withMr. Barcoe Jenks, whom he met on the ill-fated bit of land, to discoverthe secret of the diamond makers. They found the mysterious men, butthe trip was not entirely successful, for the mountain containing thecave where the diamonds were made was destroyed by a lightning shock,just as Mr. Parker, a celebrated scientist, who accompanied the party,said it would be.

  But his adventure in seeking to discover the secret of making preciousstones did not satisfy Tom Swift, and when he and his friends got backfrom the mountains they prepared to go to Alaska to search for gold inthe caves of ice. They were almost defeated in their purpose by theactions of Andy Foger and his father, who in an under-hand manner, gotpossession of a valuable map, showing the location of the gold, andmade a copy of the drawing.

  Then, when Tom and his friends set off in the Red Cloud, as related in"Tom Swift in the Caves of Ice," the Fogers, in another airship, didlikewise. But Tom and his party were first on the scene, andaccomplished their purpose, though they had to fight the savageIndians. The airship was wrecked in a cave of ice, that collapsed onit, and the survivors had desperate work getting away from the frozenNorth.

  Tom had been home all the following winter and spring, and he had donelittle more than work on some small inventions, when a new turn wasgiven his thoughts and energies by a visit from Mr. Gunmore, asnarrated in the first chapter of the present volume.

  "Well, I guess no one is here," remarked the young inventor as hecompleted the circuit of the grounds and walked slowly back toward thehouse. "I think I scared Andy so that he won't come back right away. Hehad the laugh on me, though, when I stumbled and fell."

  As Tom proceeded he heard some one approaching, around the path at theside of the house.

  "Who's there?" he called quickly, taking a firmer grasp of his stick.

  "It's me, Massa Swift," was the response. "I jest come back from town.I got some peppermint fo' mah mule, Boomerang, dat's what I got."

  "Oh! It's you, is it, Rad?" asked the youth in easier tones.

  "Dat's who it am. Did yo' t'ink it were some un else?"

  "I did," replied Tom. "Andy Foger has been sneaking around. Keep youreyes open the rest of the night, Rad."

  "I will, Massa Tom."

  The youth went into the house, having left word with the engineer, Mr.Jackson, to be on the alert for anything suspicious.

  "And now I guess I'll go to bed, and make an early start to-morrowmorning, planning my new aeroplane," mused Tom. "I'm going to make thespeediest craft of the air ever seen!"

  As he started toward his room Tom Swift heard the voice of thehousekeeper calling to him:

  "Tom! Oh, Tom! Come here, quickly!"

  "What's the matter?" he asked, in vague alarm.

  "Something has happened to your father!" was the startling reply. "He'sfallen down, and is unconscious! Come quickly! Send for the doctor!"

  Tom fairly ran toward his father's room.