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

ger Wil

and pausing now and then to admire the trim little craft, he heard some one approaching. Looking out thr

orriment on the lady's face. Tom threw open the door. "What is it, Mrs

quite stout. "He is very ill again, and I can't seem to get

Eradicate? Send him for the doctor. Perhaps the wires are broken. If he can't locate Dr. Gladby

an, coming from the direction of th

r Dr. Gladby. If he isn't hom

," answered the colored man,

y n

an' he won't run. I'll go mahse'f

d is, and while I'm gone, Rad, you get out the Butterfly. I can make the trip in that. If Dr. Kurtz h

Massa Tom,

the monoplane in shape for a f

raft, rising swiftly above the housetop, and sailed off toward the old-fashioned residence of Dr. Kurtz, a sturdy, elderly German physician, who sometimes attended Mr. Swift. Tom dec

along through the air, now flying high and now low, merely for practice. "This machine

physician's house

onoplane?" asked Tom. "I'm anxious to

ride in an outer-mobile, yet, so vy should I go in von contrivance vot is efen more dangerous? No, I gomes to your

aid Tom, "only

the slow-going doctor got there in his carriage. Mr. Swift was n

has done much for him, und I can do little more. You must dake care of yourself, Herr Swift, or you vil

he aged inventor. "I have only bee

he doctor. "You must haf gomple

lane matters, dad, and go away, you and I, where we can't see a bluepr

ot," said Dr. Ku

nswered Mr. Swift. "I want you

it, dad, if you'r

rrupted the doctor. "

ou and I'll go away, dad-to California, or

. "I will be all right. Most of the work o

s,

it without me now. I'll take a rest, doctor, but I want my

Mit Dom, dot is different. He is young und strong, und he can vork. But you-no

t if Tom will promise to ente

l," sa

gave to Mr. Swift somewhat relieving him. Then the young inventor

plane than he does of himself. Well, I will go in the rac

en something about the way one of the forwa

Tom. "Some one has been in here.

cate. The colored man came from the directio

been around, Ra

I ain't

here, looking at

s in dere, lessen as how yo'

own you wouldn't go in. But did

pusso

een here al

n I went to de barn to put some

ht to have locked the doors, but I was in a hurry. This thing is getting on my

d discover nothing more wrong, except that one of

lans haven't been touched, and no damage has been done. Only I don't like to think that people have been

nd Dr. Gladby it was decided to adopt a new style of treatment. In the meanwhile, Mr. Swift kept his promise, and did no wor

en-thousand-dollar prize-and win it! I hope I do; but if some one builds, from my stolen plans, a ma

haired bully seemed to have dropped out of sight, and even his cron

n, who lived near Andy. "He's an infernal nui

s destined

s apparatus on his new aeroplane, he heard Erad

ways being his first idea when he knew a summons

to see you, Massa Tom

aking the precaution to put h

aid fo' me to come out heah, ahead ob de gen'man,

ws him, it's all righ

he gravel path. Tom watched the stranger curiously. There was something familiar ab

"I guess you've forgotten me, haven't you?" He held out his

mitted the lad, just a bit embarrassed. "But yo

aven't forgotten John Sharp, the balloonist, whom you rescued from Lake Carlopa, and

you. What are you doing around here? Come in. I've got something to sh

it is," said the

u d

roplane. In fact, I ca

me abo

rk, where I understand you are going to contest. I came to see how near you were r

n the committee. Yes, my machine is getting along very well. I'll soon be ready for a trial

eyes took in the details of the trim little craft. "By th

was the only one around he

received an entr

Tom. "Is he going to try t

e balloonist. "He has made formal application to be allowed to compete, a

e were stolen from my house. I suspected Andy Foger of taking them, but I could get no proof. Now yo

ke the Antoinette, his application st

s he sank upon a bench, and gazed from the balloonist to the Humming-Bird, and