On the earth below stood Mr. Swift, Mr. Jackson, Eradicate2 and Mrs. Baggert. They were the only witnesses of the trial flight, and as the aged3 inventor saw his son's latest design in aeroplanes circling in the air he gave a cheer of delight. It was too feeble for Tom to hear, but the lad, glancing down, saw his father waving his hand to him.
"Dear old dad!" thought Tom, waving in return. "I hope he's well enough to see me win the big prize."
Tom and Mr. Damon went skimming easily through the air, at no great speed, to be sure, for the young inventor did not want to put too sudden a strain on his motor.
"This is glorious!" cried the odd gentleman. "I never shall have enough of aeroplaning, Tom!"
"Nor I, either," added his companion. "But how do you like it? Don't you think it's an improvement on my Butterfly, Mr. Damon?"
"It certainly is. You're a wonder, Tom! Look out! What are you up to?" for the machine had suddenly swerved4 in a startling manner.
"Oh, that's just a new kind of spiral dip I was trying," answered Tom. "I couldn't do that with my other machine, for I couldn't turn sharp enough."
"Well, don't do it right away again," begged Mr. Damon, who had turned a little white, and whose breath was coming in gasps5, even though he was used to hair-raising stunts6 in the frail7 craft of the air.
Tom did not take his machine far away, for he did not want to exhibit it to the public yet, and he preferred to remain in the vicinity of his home, in case of any accident. So he circled around, did figures of eight, went up and down on long slants8, took sharp turns, and gave the craft a good tryout.
"Does it satisfy you?" asked Mr. Damon, when Tom had once more made the spiral dip, but not at high speed.
"In a way, yes," was the answer. "I see a chance for several changes and improvements. Of course, I know nothing about the speed yet, and that's something that I'm anxious about, for I built this with the idea of breaking all records, and nothing else. I know, now, that I can construct a craft that will successfully navigate9 the air; in fact, there are any number of people who can do that; but to construct a monoplane that will beat anything ever before made is a different thing. I don't yet know that I have done it."
"When will you?"
"Oh, when I make some changes, get the motor tuned10 up better, and let her out for all she's worth. I want to do a hundred miles an hour, at least. I'll arrange for a speedy flight in about two weeks more."
"Then I think I will stay home," said Mr. Damon.
"No; I'll need you," insisted Tom, laughing. "Now watch. I'm going to let her out just a little."
He did, with the result that they skimmed through the air so fast that Mr. Damon's breath became a mere11 series of gasps.
"We'll have to wear goggles12 and mouth protectors when we really go fast!" yelled Tom above the noise of the motor, as he slowed down and turned about for home.
"Go fast! Wasn't that fast?" asked Mr. Damon.
Tom shook his head.
"You wait, and you'll see," he announced.
They made a good landing, and Mr. Swift hastened up to congratulate his son.
"I knew you could do it, Tom!" he cried.
"I couldn't, though, if it hadn't been for that wonderful engine of yours, dad! How do you feel?"
"Pretty good. Oh! but that's a fine machine, Tom!"
"It certainly is," agreed Mr. Jackson.
"It will be when I have it in better trim," admitted the young inventor modestly.
"By golly!" cried Eradicate, who was grinning almost from ear to ear, "I's proud oh yo', Massa Tom, an' so will mah mule13 Boomerang be, when I tells him. Yes, sah, dat's what he will be—proud ob yo', Massa Tom!"
"Thanks, Rad."
"Well, some folks is satisfied with mighty14 little under 'em, when they go up in the air, that's my opinion," said Mrs. Baggert.
"Not if you was to give me ten thousand dollars!" she cried firmly. "Oh, dear! I think the potatoes are burning!" And she rushed back into the house.
The next day Tom started to work overhauling17 the Humming-Bird, and making some changes. He altered the wing tips slightly, and adjusted the motor, until in a thrust test it developed nearly half again as much power as formerly18.
"And I'll need it all," declared Tom as he thought of the number of contestants19 that had entered the great race.
For the Eagle Park meet was to be a large and important one, and the principal "bird-men" of the world were to have a part in it. Tom knew that he must do his very best, and he spared no efforts to make his monoplane come up to his ideal, which was a very exacting20 one.
"We'll have a real speed test to-morrow," Tom announced to Mr. Damon one night. "I'll see what the Humming-Bird can really do. You'll come, won't you?"
"Oh, I suppose so. Bless my insurance policy! I might as well take the same chance you do. But if you're going to have such a nerve-racking thing as that on the program, you'd better get to bed early and have plenty of sleep."
"Oh, I'm not tired. I think I'll go out this evening."
"Where?"
"Oh, just around town, to see some of the fellows." But if Tom was only going around town merely to see his male friends, why did he dress so carefully, put on a new necktie, and take several looks in the glass before he went out? We think you can guess, and also the girl's name.
The young inventor got in rather late, and after a visit to the aeroplane shed, to see that all was right there, he went to bed, first connecting up the burglar-alarm wires that guarded the doors and windows of the aerodrome.
How long he had been asleep Tom did not know, but he was suddenly awakened21 by hearing the buzzing of the alarm at the head of his bed. At first he took it for the droning and humming of the aeroplane motor, as he had a hazy22 notion, and a sort of dream, that he was in his craft.
Then, with a start, he realized what it was—the burglar alarm.
Out of bed he leaped, drawing on his trousers and coat, and putting on a pair of slippers24, with speed worthy25 of a fireman. He grabbed up a revolver and rushed from his room, pounding on the door of Mr. Jackson's apartment in passing.
"Some one in the shed, after the Humming-Bird!" shouted Tom. "Get a gun, and come down!"
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1
slant
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| v.倾斜，倾向性地编写或报道；n.斜面，倾向 | |
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2
eradicate
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| v.根除，消灭，杜绝 | |
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3
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
gasps
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| v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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6
stunts
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| n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 )；（广告中）引人注目的花招；愚蠢行为；危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 ) | |
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7
frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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8
slants
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| （使）倾斜，歪斜( slant的第三人称单数 )； 有倾向性地编写或报道 | |
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9
navigate
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| v.航行，飞行；导航，领航 | |
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10
tuned
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| adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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11
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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12
goggles
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| n.护目镜 | |
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13
mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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14
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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15
buxom
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| adj.（妇女）丰满的，有健康美的 | |
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16
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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17
overhauling
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| n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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18
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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contestants
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| n.竞争者，参赛者( contestant的名词复数 ) | |
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20
exacting
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| adj.苛求的，要求严格的 | |
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21
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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22
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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23
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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24
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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25
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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