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

  Chapter Four

  Anxious Days

  Peering on all sides as he dashed along the gravel walk, hoping tocatch a glimpse of the unknown intruder in the garden or shrubbery, Tomsprinted on at top speed. Now and then he paused to listen, but nosound came to him to tell of some one in retreat before him. There wasonly Silence.

  "Mighty queer," mused the youth. "Whoever it was, he couldn't have hadmore than a minute start of me--no, not even half a minute--and yetthey've disappeared as completely as though the ground had opened andlet them down; and the worst of it is, that they've taken my plans withthem!"

  He turned about and retraced his steps, making a careful search. He sawno one, until, turning a corner, a little later, he met EradicateSampson.

  "You haven't seen any strangers around here just now, have you, Rad?"asked Tom anxiously.

  "No, indeedy, I hasn't, Massa Tom. What fo' kind ob a stranger was him?"

  "That's just what I don't know. Rad. But some one sneaked into thelibrary just now and took some of my plans while my father dozed off. Ijumped out after him as soon as I could, but he has disappeared."

  "Maybe it were th' man who done stowed hisself away on yo' airship, detime yo' all went after de diamonds," suggested the colored man.

  "No, it couldn't have been him. If it was anybody, it was Andy Foger,or some of his crowd. You didn't see Andy, did you, Rad?"

  "No, indeedy; but if I do, I suah will turn mah mule, Boomerang, looseon him, an' he won't take any mo' plans--not right off, Massa Tom."

  "No, I guess not. Well, I must get back to dad, or he'll worry. Keepyour eyes open, Rad, and if you see Andy Foger, or any one else, aroundhere, let me know. Just sing out for all you're worth."

  "Shall I call out, Massa Tom, ef I sees dat blessin' man?"

  "You mean Mr. Damon?"

  "Dat's de one. De gen'man what's allers a-blessin' ob hisself or hisshoelaces, or suffin laik dat. Shall I sing out ef I sees him?"

  "Well, no; not exactly, Rad. Just show Mr. Damon up to the house. I'dbe glad to see him again, though I don't fancy he'll call. He's off ona little trip, and won't be back for a week. But watch out, Rad." Andwith that Tom turned toward the house, shaking his head over the puzzleof the missing plans.

  "Did you find any one?" asked his father eagerly as the young inventorentered the library.

  "No," was the gloomy answer. "There wasn't a sign of any one."

  Tom went over to the window and looked about for clues. There was nonethat he could see, and a further examination of the ground under thewindow disclosed nothing. There was gravel beneath the casement, andthis was not the best medium for retaining footprints. Nor were thegravel walks any better.

  "Not a sign of any one," murmured Tom. "Are you sure you didn't hearany noise, dad, when you dozed off?"

  "Not a sound, Tom. In fact, it's rather unusual for me to go to sleeplike that, but I suppose it's because of my illness. But I couldn'thave been asleep long--not more than two minutes."

  "That's what I think. Yet in that time someone, who must have been onthe watch, managed to get in here and take my plans for the new skyracer. I don't see how they got the wire screen open from the outside,though. It fastens with a strong hook."

  "And was the screen open?" asked Mr. Swift

  "Yes, it was unhooked. Either they pushed a wire in through the mesh,caught it under the hook, and pulled it up from the outside, or elsethe screen was opened from the inside."

  "I don't believe they could get inside to open the screen without someof us seeing them," spoke the older inventor. "More likely, Tom, itwasn't hooked, and they found it an easy matter to simply pull it open."

  "That's possible. I'll ask Mrs. Baggert if the screen was unhooked."

  But the housekeeper could not be certain on that point, and so thatpart of the investigation amounted to nothing.

  "It's too bad!" exclaimed Mr. Swift. "It's my fault, for dozing offthat way."

  "No, indeed, it isn't!" declared Tom stoutly.

  "Is the loss a serious one?" asked his father. "Have you no copy of theplans?"

  "Yes, I have a rough draft from which I made the completed drawings,and I can easily make another set. But that isn't what worries me--themere loss of the plans."

  "What is it, then, Tom?"

  "The fact that whoever took them must know that they are the plans fora sky racer that is to take part in the big meet. I have worked it outon a new principle, and it is not yet patented. Whoever stole my planscan make the same kind of a sky racer that I intended to construct, andso stand as good a chance to win the prize of ten thousand dollars as Iwill."

  "That certainly is too bad, Tom. I never thought of that. Do yoususpect any one?"

  "No one, unless it's Andy Foger. He's mean enough to do a thing likethat, but I didn't think he'd have the nerve. However, I'll see if Ican learn anything about him. He may have been sneaking around, and ifhe has my plans he'd ask nothing better than to make a sky racer andbeat me."

  "Oh, Tom, I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Mr. Swift "I--I feel very bad aboutit!"

  "There, never mind!" spoke the lad, seeing that his father was lookingill again. "Don't think any more about it, dad. I'll get back thoseplans. Come, now. It's time for your medicine, and then you must liedown." For the aged inventor was looking tired and weak.

  Wearily he let Tom lead him to his room, and after seeing that theinvalid was comfortable Tom called up Dr. Gladby, to have him come andsee Mr. Swift. The doctor said his patient had been overdoing himself alittle, and must rest more if he was to completely recover.

  Learning that his father was no worse, Tom set off to find Andy Foger.

  "I can't rest until I know whether or not he has my plans," he said tohimself. "I don't want to make a speedy aeroplane, and find out at thelast minute that Andy, or some of his cronies, have duplicated it."

  But Tom got little satisfaction from Andy Foger. When that bully wasaccused of having been around Tom's house he denied it, and though theyoung inventor did not actually accuse him of taking the plans, hehinted at it. Andy muttered many indignant negatives, and called onsome of his cronies to witness that at the time the plans were taken heand they were some distance from the Swift home.

  So Tom was baffled; and though he did not believe the red-haired lad'sdenial, there was no way in which he could prove to the contrary.

  "If he didn't take the plans, who did?" mused Tom.

  As the young inventor turned away after cross-questioning Andy, thebully called out:

  "You'll never win that ten thousand dollars!"

  "What do you know about that?" demanded Tom quickly.

  "Oh, I know," sneered Andy. "There'll be bigger and better aeroplanesin that meet than you can make, and you'll never win the prize."

  "I suppose you heard about the affair by sneaking around under ourwindows, and listening," said Tom.

  "Never mind how I know it, but I do," retorted the bully.

  "Well, I'll tell you one thing," said Tom calmly. "If you come aroundagain it won't be healthy for you. Look out for live wires, if you tryto do the listening act any more, Andy!" And with that ominous warningTom turned away.

  "What do you suppose he means, Andy?" asked Pete Bailey, one of Andy'scronies.

  "It means he's got electrical wires strung around his place," declaredSam Snedecker, "and that we'll be shocked if we go up there. I'm notgoing!"

  "Me, either," added Pete, and Andy laughed uneasily.

  Tom heard what they said, and in the next few days he made himself busyby putting some heavy wires in and about the grounds where they wouldshow best. But the wires carried no current, and were only displayed toimpress a sense of fear on Andy and his cronies, which purpose theyserved well.

  But it was like locking the stable door after the horse had beenstolen, for with all the precautions he could take Tom could not getback his plans, and he spent many anxious days seeking them. Theyseemed to have completely disappeared, however, and the young inventordecided there was nothing else to do but to draw new ones.

  He set to work on them, and in the meanwhile tried to learn whether ornot Andy had the missing plans. He sought this information by stealth,and was aided by his chum, Ned Newton. But all to no purpose. Not theslightest trace or clue was discovered.