CHAPTER XXV
WINNING A RACE
"Where did this diamond come from?" demanded Mr. Sharp of the quartetteof criminals.
"That's for us to know and you to find out," sneered Happy Harry. "Idon't care as long as that trimmer Boreck didn't get it. He tried todo us out of our share."
"Well, I guess the police will make you tell," went on the balloonist."Go for the constable, Tom."
Leaving his friend to guard the ugly men, who for a time at least werebeyond the possibility of doing harm, Tom hurried off through the woodsto the nearest village. There he found an officer and the gang wassoon lodged in jail. The diamond was turned over to the authorities,who said they would soon locate the owner.
Nor were they long in doing it, for it appeared the gem was part of alarge jewel robbery that had taken place some time before in a distantcity. The Happy Harry gang, as the men came to be called, wereimplicated in it, though they got only a small share of the plunder.Search was made for Tod Boreck and he was captured about a week afterhis companions. Seeing that their game was up, the men made a partialconfession, telling where Mr. Swift's goods had been secreted, and theinventor's valuable tools, papers and machinery were recovered, nodamage having been done to them.
It developed that after the diamond theft, and when the gang still hadpossession of Mr. Hastings' boat, Boreck, sometimes called Murdock byhis cronies, unknown to them, had secreted the jewel in one of thebraces under the gasoline tank. He expected to get it out secretly,but the capture of the gang and the sale of the boat prevented this.Then he tried to buy the craft to take out the diamond, but Tom overbidhim. It was Boreck who found Andy's bunch of keys and used one to openthe compartment lock when Tom surprised him. The man did manage toremove some of the blocks, thinking he had the one with the diamond init, but the fact of Tom changing them, and painting the compartmentdeceived him. The gang hoped to get some valuables from Mr. Swift'sshops, and, to a certain extent, succeeded after hanging around forseveral nights and following him to Sandport, but Tom eventually provedtoo much for them. Even stealing the Arrow, which was taken to aid thegang in robbing Mr. Swift, did not succeed, and Boreck's plan then toget possession of the diamond fell through.
It was thought that the gang would get long terms in prison, but onenight, during a violent storm, they escaped from the local jail andthat was the last seen of them for some time.
A few days after the capture as Tom was in the boathouse making someminor repairs to the motor he heard a voice calling:
"Mistah Swift, am yo' about?"
"Hello, Rad, is that you?" he inquired, recognizing the voice of thecolored owner of the mule Boomerang.
"Yais, sa, dat's me. I got a lettah fo' yo'. I were passin' depost-office an' de clerk asted me to brung it to yo' 'case as how it'smarked 'hurry,' an' he said he hadn't seen yo' to-day."
"That's right. I've been so busy I haven't had time to go for themail," and Tom took the letter, giving Eradicate ten cents for histrouble.
"Ha, that's good!" exclaimed Tom as he read it.
"Hab some one done gone an' left yo' a fortune, Mistah Swift?" askedthe negro.
"No, but it's almost as good. It's an invitation to take part in themotor-boat races next week. I'd forgotten all about them. I must getready."
"Good land! Dat's all de risin' generation t'inks about now," observedEradicate, "racin' an' goin' fast. Mah ole mule Boomerang am goodenough fo' me," and, shaking his head in a woeful manner, Eradicatewent on his way.
Tom told Mr. Sharp and his father of the proposed races of the LantonMotor-boat Club, and, as it was required that two persons be in a craftthe size of the ARROW, the young inventor arranged for the balloonistto accompany him. Our hero spent the next few days in tuning up hismotor and in getting the ARROW ready for the contest.
The races took place on that side of Lake Carlopa near where Mr.Hastings lived, and he was one of the officials of the club. Therewere several classes, graded according to the horsepower of the motors,and Tom found himself in a class with Andy Foger.
"Here's where I beat you," boasted the red-haired youth exultantly,though his manner toward Tom was more temperate than usual. Andy hadlearned a lesson.
"Well, if you can beat me I'll give you credit for it," answered Tom.
The first race was for high-powered craft, and in this Mr. Hastings'new CARLOPA won. Then came the trial of the small boats, and Tom waspleased to note that Miss Nestor was on hand in the tiny DOT.
"Good luck!" he called to her as he was adjusting his timer, for histurn would come soon. "Remember what I told you about the spark," forhe had given her a few lessons.
"If I win it will be due to you," she called brightly.
She did win, coming in ahead of several confident lads who had betterboats. But Miss Nestor handled the DOT to perfection and crossed theline a boat's length ahead of her nearest competitor.
"Fine!" cried Tom, and then came the warning gun that told him to getready for his trial.
This was a five-mile race and had several entrants. The affair was ahandicap one and Tom had no reason to complain of the rating allowedhim.
"Crack!" went the starting pistol and away went Tom and one or twoothers who had the same allowance as did he. A little later the othersstarted and finally the last class, including Andy Foger. The REDSTREAK shot ahead and was soon in the lead, for Andy and Sam hadlearned better how to handle their craft. Tom and Mr. Sharp wereworried, but they stuck grimly to the race and when the turning stakewas reached Tom's motor had so warmed up and was running so well thathe crept up on Andy. A mile from the final mark Andy and Tom were oneven terms, and though the red-haired lad tried to shake off his rivalhe could not. Andy's ignition system failed him several times and hechanged from batteries to magneto and back again in the hope of gettinga little more speed out of the motor.
But it was not to be. A half-mile away from the finish Tom, who hadfallen behind a little, crept up on even terms. Then he slowly forgedahead, and, a hundred rods from the stake, the young inventor knew thatthe race was his. He clinched it a few minutes later, crossing theline amid a burst of cheers. The ARROW had beaten several boats out ofher own class and Tom was very proud and happy.
"My, but we certainly did scoot along some!" cried Mr. Sharp. "Butthat's nothing to how we'll go when we build our airship, eh, Tom?" andhe looked at the flushed face of the lad.
"No, indeed," agreed the young inventor. "But I don't know that we'lltake part in any races in it. We'll build it, however, as soon as wecan solve that one difficulty."
They did solve it, as will be told in the next book of this series, tobe called "Tom Swift and His Airship; or, The Stirring Cruise of theRED CLOUD." They had some remarkable adventures in the wonderfulcraft, and solved the mystery of a great bank robbery.
This ended the contests of the motor-boats and the little fleet crowdedup to the floats and docks, where the prizes were to be awarded. Tomreceived a handsome silver cup and Miss Nestor a gold bracelet.
"Now I want all the contestants, winners and losers, to come up to myhouse and have lunch," invited Mr. Hastings.
As Tom and the balloonist strolled up the walk to the handsome houseAndy Foger passed them.
"You wouldn't have beaten me if my spark coil hadn't gone back on me,"he said, somewhat sneeringly.
"Maybe," admitted Tom, and just then he caught sight of Mary Nestor."May I take you in to lunch?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, "because you helped me to win," and she blushedprettily. And then they all sat down to the tables set out on thelawn, while Tom looked so often at Mary Nestor that Mr. Sharp saidafterward it was a wonder he found time to eat. But Tom didn't care.He was happy.
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Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat; Or, The Rivals of Lake Carlopa Page 25
