CHAPTER XV
A DISMAYING STATEMENT
Trouble is sometimes good in a way; it makes a person resourceful. TomSwift had had his share of annoyances of late, but they had served apurpose. He had learned to think clearly and quickly. Now, when hefound his boat stolen, he at once began to map out a plan of action.
"What will you do first?" asked Mr. Jackson as he saw his employer'sson hesitating.
"First I'm going to Andy Foger's house," declared the young inventor."If he's home I'm going to tell him what I think of him. If he's not,I'm going to find him."
"Why don't you take your sailboat and run down to his dock?" suggestedthe engineer. "It isn't as quick as your motor-boat, but it's betterthan walking."
"So it is," exclaimed the lad. "I will use my catboat. I hadforgotten all about it of late. I'm glad you spoke."
He was soon sailing down the lake in the direction of the boathouse onthe waterfront of Mr. Foger's property. It needed but a glance aroundthe dock to show him that the RED STREAK was not there, but Tomrecollected the accident to the steering gear and thought perhaps Andyhad taken his boat to some wharf where there was a repair shop andthere left it to return home himself. But inquiry of Mrs. Foger, whowas as nice a woman as her son was a mean lad, gave Tom the informationthat his enemy was not at home.
"He telephoned to me that his boat was damaged," said Mrs. Fogergently, "and that he had taken it to get fixed. Then, he said, he andsome friends were going on a little cruise and might not be backto-night."
"Did he say where he was going?" asked our hero, who did not tellAndy's mother why he wanted to see her son.
"No, and I'm worried about him. Sometimes I think Andy is too--well,too impetuous, and I'm afraid he will get into trouble."
Tom, in spite of his trouble, could hardly forbear smiling. Andy'smother was totally unaware of the mean traits of her son and thoughthim a very fine chap. Tom was not going to undeceive her.
"I'm afraid something will happen to him," she went on. "Do you thinkthere is any danger being out on the lake in a motor-boat, Mr. Swift?I understand you have one."
"Yes, I have one," answered Tom. He was going to say he had once hadone, but thought better of it. "No, there is very little danger thistime of year," he added.
"I am very glad to hear you say so," went on Mrs. Foger with a sigh."I shall feel more at ease when Andy is away now. When he returnshome, I shall tell him you called upon him and he will return yourvisit. I am glad to see that the custom of paying calls has not diedout among the present generation. It is a pleasant habit, and I amglad to have my son conform to it. He shall return your kind visit."
"Oh, no, it's of no consequence," replied Tom quickly, thinking grimlythat his visit was far from a friendly one. "There is no need to tellyour son I was here. I will probably see him in a day or two.
"Oh, but I shall tell him," insisted Mrs. Foger with a kind smile."I'm sure he will appreciate your call."
There was much doubt concerning this in the mind of the young inventor,but he did not express it and soon took his leave. Up and down thelake for the rest of the day he cruised, looking in vain for a sight ofAndy Foger in the RED STREAK, but the racing boat appeared to be wellhidden.
"If I only could find where they've taken mine," mused Tom. "Hang itall, this is rotten luck!" and for the first time he began to feeldiscouraged.
"Maybe you'd better notify the police," suggested Mr. Jackson when Tomreturned to the Swift house that night. "They might help locate it."
"I think I can do as well as the police," answered the youth. "If theboat is anywhere it's on the lake, and the police have no craft inwhich to make a search."
"That's so," agreed the engineer. "I wish I could help you, but Idon't believe it would be wise for me to leave the house, especiallysince those men have been about lately."
"No, you must stay here," was Tom's opinion. "I'll take another day ortwo to search. By this time Andy and his gang will return, I'm sure,and I can tackle them."
"Suppose they don't?"
"Well, then I'll make a tour of the lake in my sailboat and I'll run upto Sandport and tell dad, for he will wonder what's keeping me. I'llknow better next time than to leave my boat at the dock without takingout the connection at the spark coil, so no one can start the motor. Ishould have done that at first, but you always think of those thingsafterward."
The lad began his search again the next morning and cruised about inlittle bays and gulfs looking for a sight of the RED STREAK or theARROW, but he saw neither, and a call at Andy's house showed that thered-haired youth had not returned. Mrs. Foger was quite nervous overher son's continued absence, but Mr. Foger thought it was all right.
Another day passed without any results and the young inventor wasgetting so nervous, partly with worrying over the loss of his boat andpartly on his father's account, that he did not know what to do.
"I can't stand it any longer," he announced to Mrs. Baggert the nightof the third day, after a telephone message had been received from Mr.Swift. The inventor wanted to know why his son did not return to thehotel to join him and Ned. "Well, what will you do?" asked thehousekeeper.
"If I don't find my boat to-morrow, I'll sail to Sandport, bring homedad and Ned and we three will go all over the lake. My boat must be onit somewhere, but Lake Carlopa is so cut up that it could easily behidden."
"It's queer that the Foger boy doesn't come home. That makes it lookas if he was guilty."
"Oh, I'm sure he took it all right," returned Tom. "All I want is tosee him. It certainly is queer that he stays away as long as he does.Sam Snedecker and Pete Bailey are with him, too. But they'll have toreturn some time."
Tom dreamed that night of finding his boat and that it was a wreck. Heawoke, glad to find that the latter part was not true, but wishing thatsome of his night vision might come to pass during the day.
He started out right after breakfast, and, as usual, headed for theFoger home. He almost disliked to ask Mrs. Foger if her son had yetreturned, for Andy's mother was so polite and so anxious to knowwhether any danger threatened that Tom hardly knew how to answer her.But he was saved that embarrassment on this occasion, for as he wasgoing up the walk from the lake to the residence he met the gardenerand from him learned that Andy had not yet come back.
"But his mother had a message from him, I did hear," went on the man."He's on his way. It seems he had some trouble."
"Trouble. What kind of trouble?" asked Tom.
"I don't rightly know, sir, but," and here the gardener winked his eye,"Master Andy isn't particular what kind of trouble he gets into."
"That's right," agreed our hero, and as he went down again to where hehad left his boat he thought: "Nor what kind of trouble he gets otherpeople into. I wish I had hold of him for about five minutes!"
The sailboat swung slowly from the dock and heeled over to the gentlebreeze. Hardly knowing what to do, Tom headed for the middle of thelake. He was discouraged and tired of making plans only to have themfail.
As he looked across the stretch of water he saw a boat coming towardhim. He shaded his eyes with his hand to see better, and then, with apair of marine glasses, took an observation. He uttered an exclamation.
"That's the RED STREAK as sure as I'm alive!" he cried. "But what'sthe matter with her? They're rowing!"
The lad headed his boat toward the approaching one. There was no doubtabout it. It was Andy Foger's craft, but it was not speeding forwardunder the power of the motor. Slowly and laborious the occupants werepulling it along, and as it was not meant to be rowed, progress wasvery slow.
"They've had a breakdown," thought Tom. "Serves 'em right! Now waittill I tackle 'em and find out where my boat is. I've a good notion tohave Andy Foger arrested!"
The sailing craft swiftly approached the motor-boat. Tom could see thethree occupants looking at him, apprehensively as well as curiously, hethought.
"Guess they didn't think I'd
keep after 'em," mused the young inventor,and a little later he was beside the RED STREAK.
"Well," cried Tom angrily, "it's about time you came back!"
"We've had a breakdown," remarked Andy, and he seemed quite humiliated.He was beginning to find out that he didn't know as much about amotor-boat as he thought he did.
"I've been waiting for you," went on Tom.
"Waiting for us? What for?" asked Sam Snedecker.
"What for? As if you didn't know!" blurted out the owner of the ARROW."I want my boat, Andy Foger, the one you stole from me and hid! Tellme where it is at once or I'll have you arrested!"
"Your boat!" repeated the bully, and there was no mistaking thesurprise in his tones.
"Yes, my boat! Don't try to bluff me like that."
"I'm not trying to bluff you. We've been away, three days and just gotback."
"Yes, I know you have. You took my boat with you, too."
"Are you crazy?" demanded Pete Bailey.
"No, but you fellows must have been to think you could take my boat andme not know it," and Tom, filled with wrath, grasped the gunwale of theRED STREAK as if he feared it would suddenly shoot away.
"Look here!" burst out Andy, and he spoke sincerely, "we didn't touchyour boat. Did we, fellows?"
"No!" exclaimed Sam and Pete at once, and they were very much inearnest.
"We didn't even know it was stolen, did we?" went on Andy.
"No," agreed his chums. Tom looked unconvinced.
"We haven't taken your boat and we can prove it," continued the bully."I know you and I have had quarrels, but I'm telling you the truth, TomSwift. I never touched your boat."
There was no mistaking the sincerity of Andy. He was not a skilfuldeceiver, and Tom, looking into his squint-eyes, which were openedunusually wide, could not but help believing the fellow.
"We haven't seen it since the day we had the collision," added Andy,and his chums confirmed this statement.
"We went off on a little cruise," continued the red-haired bully, "andbroke down several times. We had bad luck. Just as we were nearinghome something went wrong with the engine again. I never saw such apoor motor. But we never took your boat, Tom Swift, and we can proveit."
Tom was in despair. He had been so sure that Andy was the thief, thatto believe otherwise was difficult. Yet he felt that he must. Helooked at the disabled motor of the RED STREAK and viewed it with theinterested and expert eye of a machinist, no matter if the owner of itwas his enemy. Then suddenly a brilliant idea came into Tom's head.