CHAPTER VIII
OFF ON A TRIP
Glancing with critical eyes at the craft of his rival, Tom saw thatAndy Foger had a very fine boat. The young inventor also realized thatif he was to come anywhere near winning the race he would have to getthe utmost speed out of his engine, for the new boat the bully had wasdesigned primarily for racing, while Tom's was an all-around pleasurecraft, though capable of something in the speed line.
"I'll be giving you a tow in a few minutes, as soon as my engine getswarmed up!" sneered Andy.
"Maybe," said Tom, and then he crouched down to make as littleresistance as possible to the wind. Andy, on the contrary, sat boldlyupright at the auto steering wheel of his boat.
On rushed the two motor craft, their prows exactly even and thepropellers tossing up a bulge in the water at their sterns. Rapidlyacquiring speed after the two lads had adjusted the timers on theirmotors, the boats were racing side by side, seemingly on even terms.
The RED STREAK had a very sharp prow, designed to cut through thewater. It was of the type known as an automobile launch. That is, theengine was located forward, under a sort of hood, which had two hingedcovers like a bat's wings. The steering-wheel shaft went through theforward bulkhead, slantingly, like the wheel of an auto, and wasarranged with gasoline and sparking levers on the center post in asimilar manner. At the right of the wheel was a reversing lever, bywhich the propeller blades could be set at neutral, or arranged so asto drive the boat backward. Altogether the RED STREAK was a very fineboat and had cost considerably more than had Tom's, even when thelatter was new. All these things the young owner of the ARROW thoughtof as he steered his craft over the course.
"I hardly think I can win," Tom remarked to himself in a whisper. "Hisboat is too speedy for this one. I have a chance, though, for hisengine is new, and I don't believe he understands it as well as I domine. Then, too, I am sure I have a better ignition system."
But if Tom had any immediate hopes of defeating Andy, they were doomedto disappointment, for about two minutes after the race started the REDSTREAK forged slowly ahead.
"Come on!" cried the red-haired lad. "I thought you wanted a race."
"I do," answered the young inventor. "We're a long way from the dockyet, and we've got to come back."
"You'll be out of it by the time I get to the dock," declared Andy.
Indeed it began to look so, for the auto boat was now a full lengthahead of Tom's craft and there was open water between them. But ourhero knew a thing or two about racing, though he had not long been amotor-boat owner. He adjusted the automatic oiler on the cylinders togive more lubrication, as he intended to get more speed out of hisengine. Then he opened the gasoline cock a trifle more and set histimer forward a few notches to get an earlier spark. He was not goingto use the maximum speed just yet, but he first wanted to see how themotor of the ARROW would behave under these conditions. To his delighthe saw his boat slowly creeping up on Andy's. The latter, with aglance over his shoulder, saw it too, and he advanced his spark. Hiscraft forged ahead, but the rate of increase was not equal to Tom's."If I can keep up to him I suppose I ought to be glad," thought theyoung inventor, "for his boat is away ahead of mine in rating."
Through the water the sharp bows cut. There were only a few witnessesto the race, but those who were out in boats saw a pretty sight as thetwo speedy craft came on toward the dock, which was the turning point.
Andy's boat reached it first, and swung about in a wide circle for thereturn. Tom decided it was time to make his boat do its best, so heset the timer at the limit, and the spark, coming more quickly,increased the explosions.
Up shot the ARROW and, straightening out after the turn, Tom's craftcrept along until it lapped the stern of the RED STREAK. Andy lookedback in dismay. Then he tried to get more speed out of his engine. Hedid cause the screw to revolve a little faster, and Tom noted that hewas again being left behind. Then one of those things, which mayhappen at any time to a gasoline motor, happened to Andy's. It beganto miss explosions. At first it was only occasionally, then the missesbecame more frequent.
The owner of the RED STREAK with one hand on the steering wheel, triedwith the other to adjust the motor to get rid of the trouble, but heonly made it worse. Andy's boat began to fall back and Tom's to creepup. Frantically Andy worked the gasoline and sparking levers, butwithout avail. At last one cylinder went completely out of service.
The two boats were now on even terms and were racing along side by sidetoward the wooded, point, which marked the finish.
"I'll beat you yet!" exclaimed Andy fiercely.
"Better hurry up!" retorted Tom.
But the young inventor was not to have it all his own way. With afreakishness equal to that with which it had ceased to explode the deadcylinder came to life again, and the RED STREAK shot ahead. Once moreAndy's boat had the lead of a length and the finish of the race wasclose at hand. The squint-eyed lad turned and shouted: "I told you I'dbeat you! Want a tow now?"
It began to look as though Tom would need it, but he still hadsomething in reserve. One of the improvements he had put in the ARROWwas a new auxiliary ignition system. This he now decided to use.
With a quick motion Tom threw over the switch that put it intooperation. A hotter, "fatter" spark was at once produced, andadjusting his gasoline cock so that a little more of the fluid would bedrawn in, making a "richer" mixture, the owner of the ARROW saw thecraft shoot forward as if, like some weary runner, new life had beeninfused.
In vain did Andy frantically try to get more speed out of his motor.He cut out the muffler, and the explosions sounded loudly over thelake. But it was no use. A minute later the ARROW, which had slowlyforged ahead, crossed the bows of the RED STREAK opposite the finishingpoint, and Tom had won the race.
"Well, was that fair?" our hero called to Andy, who had quickly shutoff some of his power as he saw his rival's daring trick. "Did I beatyou fair?"
"You wouldn't have beaten me if my engine hadn't gone back on me,"grumbled Andy, chagrin showing on his face. "Wait until my motor runssmoother and I'll give you a big handicap and beat you. My boat'sfaster than yours. It ought to be. It cost fifteen hundred dollarsand it's a racer."
"I guess it doesn't like racing," commented Tom as he swung the prow ofhis craft down the lake toward his home. But he knew there was sometruth in what Andy had said. The RED STREAK was a more speedy boat,and, with proper handling, could have beaten the ARROW. That was whereTom's superior knowledge came in useful. "Just you wait, I'll beat youyet," called Andy, after the young inventor, but the latter made noanswer. He was satisfied.
Mr. Swift was much interested that night in his son's account of therace.
"I had no idea yours was such a speedy boat," he said.
"Well, it wasn't originally," admitted Tom, "but the improvements I puton it made it so. But, dad, when are we going on our tour? You lookmore worn out than I've seen you in some time, not excepting when theturbine model was stolen. Are you worrying over your gyroscopeinvention?"
"Somewhat, Tom. I can't seem to hit on just what I want. It's adifficult problem."
"Then I tell you what let's do, dad. Let's drop everything in theinventive line and go off on a vacation. I'll take you up the lake inmy boat and you can spend a week at the Lakeview Hotel at Sandport. Itwill do you good."
"What will you do, Tom?"
"Oh, Ned Newton and I will cruise about and we'll take you along anytime you want to go. We're going to camp out nights or sleep in theboat if it rains. I've ordered a canopy with side curtains. Ned and Idon't care for the hotel life in the summer. Will you go?"
Mr. Swift considered a moment. He did need a rest, for he had beenworking hard and his brain was weary with thinking of many problems.His son's program sounded very attractive.
"I think I will accept," said the inventor with a smile. "When can youstart, Tom?"
"In about four days. Ned Newton will get his vacation
then and I'llhave the canopy on. I'll start to work at it to-morrow. Then we'll goon a trip."
Sandport was a summer resort at the extreme southern end of LakeCarlopa, and Mr. Swift at once wrote to the Lakeview Hotel there toengage a room for himself. In the meanwhile Tom began to put thecanopy on his boat and arrange for the trip, which would take nearly awhole day. Ned Newton was delighted with the prospect of a campingtour and helped Tom to get ready. They took a small tent and plenty ofsupplies, with some food. They did not need to carry many rations, asthe shores of the lake were lined with towns and villages where foodcould be procured.
Finally all was ready for the trip and the night before the start NedNewton stayed at Tom's house so as to be in readiness for going offearly in the morning. The day was all that could be desired, Tomnoted, as he and his chum hurried down to the dock before breakfast toput their blankets in the boat. As the young inventor entered thecraft he uttered an exclamation.
"What's the matter?" asked Ned.
"I was sure I locked the sliding door of that forward compartment," wasthe reply. "Now it's open." He looked inside the space occupied bythe gasoline tank and cried out: "One of the braces is gone! There'sbeen some one at my boat in the night and they tried to damage her."
"Much harm done?" asked Ned anxiously.
"No, none at all, to speak of," replied Tom. "I can easily put a newblock under the tank. In fact, I don't really need all I have. Butwhy should any one take one out, and who did it? That's what I want toknow."
The two lads looked carefully about the dock and boat for a sign of themissing block or any clews that might show who had been tampering withthe ARROW, but they could find nothing.
"Maybe the block fell out," suggested Ned.
"It couldn't," replied Tom. "It was one of the new ones I put inmyself and it was nailed fast. You can see where it's been priedloose. I can't understand it," and Tom thought rapidly of severalmysterious occurrences of late in which the strange man at the auctionand the person he had surprised one night in the boathouse had a part.
"Well, it needn't delay our trip," resumed the young inventor. "Maybethere's a hoodoo around here, and it will do us good to get away a fewdays. Come on, we'll have breakfast, get dad and start."
A little later the ARROW was puffing away up the lake in the directionof Sandport.
Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat; Or, The Rivals of Lake Carlopa Page 8
