CHAPTER V
A TEST OF SPEED
Whether Tom or Andy was the most surprised at the happening would behard to say. The former had not meant to hit so hard and he certainlydid not intend to knock the squint-eyed youth down. The latter's fallwas due, as much as anything, to his senseless, rushing tactics and tothe fact that he slipped on the green grass. The bully was up in amoment, however, but he knew better than to try conclusions with Tomagain. Instead he stood out of reach and spluttered:
"You just wait, Tom Swift! You just wait!"
"Well, I'm waiting," responded the other calmly.
"I'll get even with you," went on Andy. "You think you're smartbecause you got ahead of me, but I'll get square!"
"Look here!" burst out the young inventor determinedly, taking a steptoward his antagonist, at which Andy quickly retreated, "I don't wantany more of that talk from you, Andy Foger. That's twice you've madethreats against me to-day. You put that log across the road, and ifyou try anything like it for your second attempt I'll make you wish youhadn't. That applies to you, too, Sam," he added, glancing at theother lad.
"I--I ain't gone' to do nothin'," declared Sam.
"I told Andy not to put that tree--"
"Keep still, can't you!" shouted the bully. "Come on. We'll get evenwith him, that's all," he muttered as he went back into the busheswhere the auto was. Andy cranked up and he and his crony getting intothe car were about to start off.
"Hold on!" cried Tom. "You'll take that log from across the road orI'll have you arrested for obstructing traffic, and that's a seriousoffense."
"I'm goin' to take it away!" growled Andy. "Give a fellow a show can'tyou?"
He cast an ugly look at Tom, but the latter only smiled. It was noeasy task for Sam and Andy to pull the log out of the way, as theycould hardly lift it to slip the rope under. But they finally managedit, and, by the power of the car, hauled it to one side. Then theyspeed off.
"I 'clar t' gracious, dem young fellers am most as mean an' contrary asmah mule Boomerang am sometimes," observed Eradicate. "Only Boomerangain't quite so mean as dat."
"I should hope not, Rad," observed Tom. "I'm ever so much obliged foryour warning. I guess I'll be getting, home now. Come around nextweek; we have some work for you."
"'Deed an' I will," replied the colored man. "I'll come around an'eradicate all de dirt on yo' place, Mistah Swift. Yais, sah, I'sEradicate by name, and dat's my perfession--eradicatin' dirt. Muchobleeged, I'll call around. Giddap, Boomerang!"
The mule lazily flicked his ears, but did not stir, and Tom, knowingthe process of arousing the animal would take some time, hurried up thehill to where he had left his motor-cycle. Eradicate was still engagedon the task of trying to arouse his steed to a sense of its duty whenthe young inventor flashed by on his way home.
"So now you own a broken motor-boat," observed Mr. Swift when Tom hadrelated the circumstances of the auction. "Well, now you have it, whatare you going to do with it?"
"Fix it, first of all," replied his son. "It needs considerabletinkering up, but nothing but what I can do, if you'll help me."
"Of course I will. Do you think you can get any speed out of it?"
"Well, I'm not so anxious for speed. I want a good, comfortable boat,and the ARROW will be that. I've named it, you see. I'm going back toLanton this afternoon, take some tools along, and repair it so I canrun the boat over to here. Then I'll get at it and fix it up. I'vegot a plan for you, dad."
"What is it?" asked the inventor, his rather tired face lighting upwith interest.
"I'm going to take you on a vacation trip."
"A vacation trip?"
"Yes, you need a rest. You've been working too hard over thatgyroscope invention."
"Yes, Tom, I think I have," admitted Mr. Swift. "But I am very muchinterested in it, and I think I can get it to work. If I do it willmake a great difference in the control of aeroplanes. It will makethem more stable and able to fly in almost any wind. But I certainly havepuzzled my brains over some features of it. However, I don't quite seewhat you mean."
"You need a rest, dad," said Mr. Swift's son kindly. "I want you toforget all about patents, invention, machinery and even the gyroscopefor a week or two. When I get my motor-boat in shape I'm going to takeyou and Ned Newton up the lake for a cruise. We can camp out, or, ifwe had to, we could sleep in the boat. I'm going to put a canopy on itand arrange some bunks. It will do you good and perhaps new ideas foryour gyroscope may come to you after a rest."
"Perhaps they will, Tom. I am certainly tired enough to need avacation. It's very kind of you to think of me in connection with yourboat. But if you're going to get it this afternoon you'd better startif you expect to get back by night. I think Mrs. Baggert has dinnerready."
After the meal Tom selected a number of tools from his own particularmachine shop and carried them down to the dock on the lake, where histwo small boats were tied.
"Aren't you going back on your motor-cycle?" asked his father.
"No, Dad, I'm going to row over to Lanton, and, if I can get the ARROWfixed, I'll tow my rowboat back."
"Very well, then you won't be in any danger from Andy Foger. I mustspeak to his father about him."
"No, dad, don't," exclaimed the young inventor quickly. "I can fightmy own battles with Andy. I don't fancy he will bother me again rightaway."
Tom found it more of a task than he had anticipated to get the motor inshape to run the ARROW back under her own power. The magneto was outof order and the batteries needed renewing, while the spark coil hadshort-circuited and took considerable time to adjust. But by usingsome new dry cells, which Mr. Hastings gave him, and cutting out themagneto, or small dynamo which produces the spark that exploded thegasoline in the cylinders, Tom soon had a fine, "fat" hot spark fromthe auxiliary ignition system. Then, adjusting the timer and throttleon the engine and seeing that the gasoline tank was filled, the ladstarted up his motor. Mr. Hastings helped him, but after a few turnsof the flywheel there were no explosions. Finally, after thecarburetor (which is the device where gasoline is mixed with air toproduce an explosive mixture) had been adjusted, the motor started offas if it had intended to do so all the while and was only taking itstime about it.
"The machine doesn't run as smooth as it ought to," commented Mr.Hastings. "No, it needs a thorough overhauling," agreed the owner ofthe ARROW. "I'll get at it to-morrow," and with that he swung out intothe lake, towing his rowboat after him.
"A motor-boat of my own!" exulted Tom as he twirled the steering wheeland noted how readily the craft answered her helm. "This is great!"
He steered down the lake and then, turning around, went up it a mile ormore before heading for his own dock, as he wanted to see how theengine behaved.
"With some changes and adjustments I can make this a speedy boat,"thought Tom. "I'll get right at it. I shouldn't wonder if I couldmake a good showing against Mr. Hastings' new CARLOPA, though hisboat's got four cylinders and mine has but two."
The lad was proceeding leisurely along the lakeshore, near his home,with the motor throttled down to test it at low speed, when he heardsome one shout. Looking toward the bank, Tom saw a man waving hishands.
"I wonder what he wants?" thought our hero as he put the wheel over tosend his craft to shore. He heard a moment later, for the man on thebank cried:
"I say, my young friend, do you know anything about automobiles? Ofcourse you do or you wouldn't be running a motor-boat. Bless my veryexistence, but I'm in trouble! My machine has stopped on a lonely roadand I can't seem to get it started. I happened to hear your boat and Icame here to hail you. Bless my coat-pockets but I am in trouble! Canyou help me? Bless my soul and gizzard!"
"Mr. Damon!" exclaimed Tom, shutting off the power, for he was now nearshore. "Of course I'll help you, Mr. Damon," for the young inventorhad recognized the eccentric man of whom he had purchased themotor-cycle and who had helped him in rounding up t
he thieves.
"Why, bless my shoe-laces, if it isn't Tom Swift!" exclaimed Mr. Damon,who seemed very fond of calling down blessings upon himself or uponarticles of his dress or person.
"Yes! I'm here," admitted Tom with a laugh.
"And in a motor-boat, too! Bless my pocketbook, but did that run awaywith some one who sold it to you cheap?"
"No, not exactly," and the lad explained how he had come intopossession of it. By this time he was ashore and had tied the ARROW toan overhanging tree. Then Tom proceeded to where Mr. Damon had lefthis stalled automobile. The eccentric man was wealthy and hisphysician had instructed him to ride about in the car for his health.Tom soon located the trouble. The carburetor had become clogged, andit was soon in working order again.
"Well, now that you have a boat, I don't suppose you will be ridingabout the country so much," commented Mr. Damon as he got into his car."Bless my spark-plug! But if you ever get over to Waterfield, where Ilive, come and see me. It's handy to get to by water."
"I'll come some day," promised the lad.
"Bless my hat band, but I hope so," went on the eccentric individual ashe prepared to start his car.
Tom completed the remainder of the trip to his house without incidentand his father came down to the dock to see the motor-boat. He agreedwith his son that it was a bargain and that it could easily be put infine shape.
The youth spent all the next day and part of the following working onthe craft. He overhauled the ignition system, which was the jump-sparkstyle, cleaned the magneto and adjusted the gasoline and compressiontaps so that they fitted better. Then he readjusted the rudder lines,tightening them on the steering wheel, and looked over the piping fromthe gasoline tank.
The tank was in the forward compartment, and, upon inspecting this, thelad concluded to change the plan by which the big galvanized iron boxwas held in place. He took out the old wooden braces and set themcloser together, putting in a few new ones.
"The tank will not vibrate so when I'm going at full speed," heexplained to his father.
"Is that where the strange man was tampering with the lock the day ofthe auction?" asked Mr. Swift.
"Yes, but I don't see what he could want in this compartment, do youdad?"
The inventor got into the boat and looked carefully into the ratherdark space where the tank fitted. He went over every inch of it, and,pointing to one of the thick wooden blocks that supported the tank,asked:
"Did you bore that hole in there, Tom?"
"No, it was there before I touched the braces. But it isn't a hole, orrather, someone bored it and stopped it up again. It doesn't weakenthe brace any."
"No, I suppose not. I was just wondering whether that was one of thenew blocks or an old one."
"Oh, an old one. I'm going to paint them, too, so in case the waterleaks in or the gasoline leaks out the wood won't be affected. Agasoline tank should vibrate as little as possible, if you don't wantit to leak. I guess I'll paint the whole interior of this compartmentwhite, then I can see away into the far corners of it."
"I think that's a good idea," commented Mr. Swift.
It was four days after his purchase of the boat before Tom was ready tomake a long trip in it. Up to that time he had gone on short spins notfar from the dock, in order to test the engine adjustment. The ladfound it was working very well, but he decided with a new kind of sparkplugs for the two cylinders that he could get more speed out of it.Finally the forward compartment was painted and a general overhaulinggiven the hull and Tom was ready to put his boat to a good test.
"Come on, Ned," he said to his chum early one evening after Mr. Swifthad said he was too tired to go out on a trial run. "We'll see whatthe ARROW will do now."
From the time Tom started up the motor it was evident that the boat wasgoing through the water at a rapid rate. For a mile or more the twolads speeded along, enjoying it hugely. Then Ned exclaimed:
"Something's coming behind us."
Tom turned his head and looked. Then he called out:
"It's Mr. Hastings in his new CARLOPA. I wonder if he wants a race?"
"Guess he'd have it all his own way," suggested Ned.
"Oh, I don't know. I can get a little more speed out of my boat."
Tom waited until the former owner of the ARROW was up to him.
"Want a race?" asked Mr. Hastings good-naturedly.
"Sure!" agreed Tom, and he shoved the timer ahead to produce quickerexplosions.
The ARROW seemed to leap forward and for a moment was ahead of theCARLOPA, but with a motion of his hand to the spark lever Mr. Hastingsalso increased his speed. For a moment the two boats were on eventerms and then the larger and newer one forged ahead. Tom had expectedit, but he was a little disappointed.
"That's doing first rate," complimented Mr. Hastings as he passed them."Better than I was ever able to make her do even when she was new, Tom."
This made the present owner of the ARROW feel somewhat consoled. Heand Ned ran on for a few miles, the CARLOPA in the meanwhiledisappearing from view around a bend. Then Tom and his chum turnedaround and made for the Swift dock.
"She certainly is a dandy!" declared Ned. "I wish I had one like it."
"Oh, I intend that you shall have plenty of rides in this," went on hisfriend. "When you get your vacation, you and dad and I are going on atour," and he explained his plan, which, it is needless to say, metwith Ned's hearty approval.
Just before going to bed, some hours later, Tom decided to go down tothe dock to make sure he had shut off the gasoline cock leading fromthe tank of his boat to the motor. It was a calm, early summer night,with a new moon giving a little light, and the lad went down to thelake in his slippers. As he neared the boathouse he heard a noise.
"Water rat," he murmured, "or maybe muskrats. I must set some traps."
As Tom entered the boathouse he started back in alarm, for a brightlight flashed up, almost in his eyes.
"Who's here?" he cried, and at that moment someone sprang out of hismotor-boat, scrambled into a rowing craft which the youth could dimlymake out in front of the dock and began to pull away quickly.
"Hold on there!" cried the young inventor. "Who are you? What do youwant? Come back here!"
The person in the 'coat returned no answer. With his heart doing beatsover-time Tom lighted a lantern and made a hasty examination of theARROW. It did not appear to have been harmed, but a glance showed thatthe door of the gasoline compartment had been unlocked and was open.Tom jumped down into his craft.
"Some one has been at that compartment again!" he murmured. "I wonderif it was the same man who acted so suspiciously at the auction? Whatcan his object be, anyhow?"
The next moment he uttered an exclamation of startled surprise andpicked up something from the bottom of the boat. It was a bunch ofkeys, with a tag attached, bearing the owner's name.
"Andy Foger!" murmured Tom. "So this is, how he was trying to geteven! Maybe he started to put a hole in the tank or in my boat."
Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat; Or, The Rivals of Lake Carlopa Page 5