Chapter 9
The Runaway Auto
Had the inventors of the Red Cloud desired, they could have madeconsiderable money by giving further exhibitions at the Blakeville AeroCarnival, and at others which were to be held in the near future atadjoining cities. The fame of the new machine had spread, and therewere many invitations to compete for prizes.
But Tom and Mr. Sharp wished to try their skill in a long flight, andat the close of the Blakeville exhibition they started for Shopton,arriving there without mishap, though Tom more than half hoped thatthey might happen to strike the tower of a certain school. I needn'tspecify where.
The first thing to be done was to complete the fitting-up of the car,or cabin. No berths had, as yet, been put in, and these were firstinstalled after the Red Cloud was in her shed. Then an electricalheating and cooking apparatus was fitted in; some additional machinery,tanks for carrying water, and chemicals for making the gas, boxes ofprovisions, various measuring instruments and other supplies were putin the proper places, until the cabin was filled almost to itscapacity. Of course particular attention had been paid to the shipproper, and every portion was gone over until Mr. Sharp was sure it wasin shape for a long flight.
"Now the question is," he said to Tom one evening, "who shall we takewith us? You and I will go, of course, but I'd like one more. I wonderif your father can't be induced to accompany us? He seemed to like thetrial trip."
"I'll ask him to-morrow," said the lad. "He's very busy to-night. If hedoesn't care about it, maybe Garret Jackson will go."
"I'm afraid not. He's too timid."
"I'd like to take Ned Newton, but he can't get any more time away fromthe bank. I guess we'll have to depend on dad."
But, to the surprise of Tom and Mr. Sharp, the aged inventor shook hishead when the subject was broached to him next day.
"Why won't you go, dad?" asked his son.
"I'll tell you," replied Mr. Swift. "I was keeping it a secret until Ihad made some advance in what I am engaged upon. But I don't want to gobecause I am on the verge of perfecting a new apparatus for submarineboats. It will revolutionize travel under the water, and I don't wantto leave home until I finish it. There is another point to beconsidered. The government has offered a prize for an under-water boatof a new type, and I wish to try for it."
"So that's what you've been working on, eh, dad?" asked his son.
"That's it, and, much as I should like to accompany you, I don't feelfree to go. My mind would be distracted, and I need to concentratemyself on this invention. It will produce the most wonderful results,I'm sure. Besides, the government prize is no small one. It is fiftythousand dollars for a successful boat."
Mr. Swift told something more about his submarine, but, as I expect totreat of that in another book, I will not dwell on it here, as I knowyou are anxious to learn what happened on the trip of the Red Cloud.
"Well," remarked Mr. Sharp, somewhat dubiously, "I wonder who we canget to go? We need someone besides you and I, Tom."
"I s'pose I could get Eradicate Sampson, and his mule Boomerang,"replied the lad with a smile. "Yet I don't know--"
At that instant there was a tremendous racket outside. The loud puffingof an automobile could be heard, but mingled with it was the crash ofwood, and then the whole house seemed jarred and shaken.
"Is it an earthquake?" exclaimed Mr. Swift, springing to his feet, andrushing to the library windows.
"Something's happened!" cried Tom.
"Maybe an explosion of the airship gas!" yelled Mr. Sharp, making readyto run to the balloon shed. But there was no need. The crashing of woodceased, and, above the puffing of an auto could be heard a voiceexclaiming:
"Bless my very existence! Bless my cats and dogs! Good gracious! But Inever meant to do this!"
Tom, his father and Mr. Sharp rushed to the long, low windows thatopened on the veranda. There, on the porch, which it had mounted by wayof the steps, tearing away part of the railing, was a large touringcar; and, sitting at the steering wheel, in a dazed sort of manner, wasMr. Wakefield Damon.
"Bless my shirt studs!" he went on feebly. "But I have done it now!"
"What's the matter?" cried Tom, hastening up to him. "What happened?Are you hurt?"
"Hurt? Not a bit of it! Bless my moonstone! It's the most lucky escapeI ever had! But I've damaged your porch, and I haven't done my machineany good. Do you see anything of another machine chasing me?"
Tom looked puzzled, but glanced up and down the road. Far down thehighway could be discerned a cloud of dust, and, from the midst of itcame a faint "chug-chug."
"Looks like an auto down there," he said.
"Thank goodness! Bless my trousers, but I've escaped 'em!" cried theeccentric man from whom Tom had purchased his motor-cycle.
"Escaped who?" asked Mr. Swift.
"Those men. They were after me. But I may as well get out and explain.Dear me! However will I ever get my car off your porch?" and Mr. Damonseemed quite distressed.
"Never mind," answered Tom. "We can manage that. Tell us what happened."
"Exactly," replied Mr. Damon, growing calmer, "Bless my shoe buttons,but I had a fright, two of them, in fact.
"You see," he went on, "I was out partly on pleasure and partly onbusiness. The pleasure consisted in riding in my auto, which myphysician recommended for my health. The business consisted in bringingto the Shopton Bank a large amount of cash. Well, I deposited it allright, but, as I came out I saw some men hanging around. I didn't liketheir looks, and I saw them eyeing me rather sharply. I thought I hadseen them before and, sure enough I had. Two of the men belonged tothat Happy Harry gang!"
Tom made a quick motion of a caution, pointing to his father, but itwas not necessary, as Mr. Swift was absently-mindedly calculating on apiece of paper he had taken from his pocket, and had not heard what Mr.Damon said. The latter, however, knew what Tom meant, and went on.
"Well, I didn't like the looks of these men, and when I saw them sizingme up, evidently thinking I had drawn money out instead of putting itin, I decided to give them the slip. I got in my auto, but I wasstartled to see them get in their car. I headed for here, as I wascoming to pay you a visit, anyhow, and the mysterious men kept afterme. It became a regular race. I put on all the speed I could and headedfor your house, Tom, for I thought you would help me. I went faster andfaster, and so did they. They were almost up to me, and I was justthinking of slowing down to turn in here, when I lost control of mymachine, and--well, I did turn in here, but not exactly as I intended.Bless my gaiters! I came in with rather more of a rush than I expected.It was awful--positively awful, I assure you. You've no idea hownervous I was. But I escaped those scoundrels, for they rushed on whenthey saw what I had done--smashed the porch railing."
"Probably they thought you'd smash them," observed Tom with a laugh."But why did they follow you?"
"Can't imagine! Haven't the least idea. Bless my spark-plug, but theymight have imagined I had money. Anyhow I'm glad I escaped them!"
"It's lucky you weren't hurt," said Mr. Sharp.
"Oh, me? Bless my existence! I'm always having narrow escapes." Mr.Damon caught sight of the Red Cloud which was out in front of the bigshed. "Bless my heart! What's that?" he added.
"Our new airship," answered Tom proudly. "We are just planning a longtrip in it, but we can't find a third member of the party to go along."
"A third member!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Do you really mean it?"
"We do."
"Bless my shoe laces! Will you take me along?"
"Do you mean that?" asked Tom in turn, foreseeing a way out of theirdifficulties.
"I certainly do," answered the eccentric man. "I am much interested inairships, and I might as well die up in the clouds as any other way.Certainly I prefer it to being smashed up in an auto. Will you take me?"
"Of course!" cried Tom heartily, and Mr. Sharp nodded an assent. ThenTom drew Mr. Damon to one side. "We'll arrange the trip in a fewminutes," the lad said. "Tell me
more about those mysterious men,please."