Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat; Or, The Rivals of Lake Carlopa

by Victor Appleton

  CHAPTER IV

  TOM AND ANDY CLASH

  Even a casual observer could have told that an auto had had some partin dragging the log to the place where it blockaded the road. In thedust were many marks of the big rubber tires and even the imprint of arope, which had been used to tow the tree trunk.

  "What fo' yo' t'ink any one put dat log dere?" asked the colored man ashe followed Tom. Boomerang, the mule, so called because Eradicate saidyou never could tell what he was going to do, opened his eyes lazilyand closed them again. "I don't know why, Rad, unless they wanted towreck an automobile or a wagon. Maybe tramps did it for spite."

  "Maybe some one done it to make yo' hab trouble, Mistah Swift."

  "No, I hardly think so. I don't know of any one who would want to maketrouble for me, and how would they know I was coming this way--"

  Tom suddenly checked himself. The memory of the scene at the auctioncame back to him and he recalled what Andy Foger had said about"'getting even."

  "Which way did dat auto go?" resumed Eradicate.

  "It came from down the road," answered Tom, not completing the sentencehe had left unfinished. "They dragged the log up to the foot of thehill and left it. Then the auto went down this way." It wascomparatively easy, for a lad of such sharp observation as was Tom, totrace the movements of the vehicle.

  "Den if it's down heah, maybe we cotch 'em," suggested the colored man.

  The young inventor did not answer at once. He was hurrying along, hiseyes on the telltale marks. He had proceeded some distance from theplace where the log was when he uttered a cry. At the same moment hehurried from the road toward a thick clump of bushes that were in theditch alongside of the highway. Reaching them, he parted the leavesand called:

  "Here's the auto, Rad!"

  The colored man ran up, his eyes wider open than ever. There, hiddenamid the bushes, was a large touring car.

  "Whose am dat?" asked Eradicate.

  Tom did not answer. He penetrated the underbrush, noting where thebroken branches had been bent upright after the forced entrance of thecar, the better to hide it. The young inventor was, seeking some clewto discover the owner of the machine. To this end he climbed up in thetonneau and was looking about when some one burst in through the screenof bushes and a voice cried: "Here, you get out of my car!"

  "Oh, is it your car, Andy Foger?" asked Tom calmly as he recognized hissquint-eyed rival. "I was just beginning to think it was. Allow me toreturn your wrench," and he held out the one he had picked up near thelog. "The next time you drag trees across the road," went on the ladin the tonneau, facing the angry and dismayed Andy, "I'd advise you topost a notice at the top of the hill, so persons riding down will notbe injured."

  "Notice--road--hill--logs!" stammered Andy, turning red under hisfreckles.

  "That's what I said," replied Tom coolly.

  "I--I didn't have anything to do with putting a log across any road,"mumbled the bully. "I--I've been off toward the creek."

  "Have you?" asked Tom with a peculiar smile.

  "I thought you might have been looking for the wrench you dropped nearthe log. You should be more careful and so should Sam Snedecker, who'shiding outside the bushes," went on our hero, for he had caught sightof the form of Andy's crony. "I--I told him not to do it!" exclaimedSam as he came from his hiding place.

  "Shut up!" exclaimed Andy desperately.

  "Oh, I think I know your secret," continued the young inventor. "Youwanted to get even with me for outbidding you on the motor-boat. Youwatched which road I took, and then, in your auto, you came a shorterway, ahead of me. You hauled the log across the foot of the hill,hoping, I suppose, that my machine would be broken. But, let me tellyou, it was a risky trick. Not only might I have been killed, but sowould whoever else who happened to drive down the slope over the log,whether in a wagon or automobile. Fortunately Eradicate discovered itin time and warned me. I ought to have you arrested, but you're notworth it. A good thrashing is what such sneaks as you deserve!"

  "You haven't got any evidence against us," sneered Andy confidently,his old bravado coming back.

  "I have all I want," replied Tom. "You needn't worry. I'm not goingto tell the police. But you've got to do one thing or I'll make yousorry you ever tried this trick. Eradicate will help me, so don'tthink you're going to escape."

  "You get out of my automobile!" demanded Andy. "I'll have you arrestedif you don't."

  "I'll get out because I'm ready to, but not on account of yourthreats," retorted Mr. Swift's son. "Here's your wrench. Now I wantyou and Sam to start up this machine and haul that log out of the way."

  "S'pose I won't do it?" snapped Andy.

  "Then I'll cause your arrest, besides thrashing you into the bargain!You can take your choice of removing the log so travelers can pass orhaving a good hiding, you and Sam. Eradicate, you take Sam and I'lltackle Andy."

  "Don't you dare touch me!" cried the bully, but there was a whine inhis tones.

  "You let me alone or I'll tell my father!" added Sam. "I--I didn'thave nothin' to do with it, anyhow. I told Andy it would make trouble,but he made me help him."

  "Say, what's the matter with you?" demanded Andy indignantly of hiscrony. "Do you want to--"

  "I wish I'd never come with you," went on Sam, who was beginning to befrightened.

  "Come now. Start up that machine and haul the log out of the way,"demanded Tom again.

  "I won't do it!" retorted the red-haired lad impudently.

  "Yes, you will," insisted our hero, and he took a step toward thebully. They were out of the clump of bushes now and in the roadsideditch. "You let me alone," almost screamed Andy, and in his baffledrage he rushed at Tom, aiming a blow.

  The young inventor quickly stepped to one side, and, as the bullypassed him, Tom sent out a neat left-hander. Andy Foger went down in aheap on the grass.