tom swift & his electric runabout(汤姆史威特和他的电力小轿车)-第2节
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charging of the battery！ That's much better than I expected。 I thought if I
got a hundred out of it I'd be doing well。 Dad； I believe； after I improve
my battery a bit； that I'll have the very thing I want！ I'll install a set of
them in a car； and it will go like the wind。 I'll 〃 Tom's enthusiastic
remarks were suddenly interrupted by a low； rumbling sound。
〃Thunder！〃 exclaimed Mr。 Swift。 〃The storm is coming； and Mr。 Sharp
and Mr。 Damon in the airship〃
Hardly had he spoken than there sounded a crash on the roof of the
Swift house； not far away。 At the same time there came cries of distress；
and the crash was repeated。
〃Come on； Dad！ Something has happened！〃 yelled Tom； dashing
from the shop； followed by his parent。 They found themselves in the midst
of a rain storm； as they raced toward the house； on the roof of which the
smashing noise was again heard。
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TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT or The Speediest Car on the Road
CHAPTER II
MR。 DAMON'S STEERING
Tom Swift was a lad of action； and his quickness in hurrying out to
investigate what had happened when he was explaining about his new
battery； was characteristic of him。 Those of my readers who know him；
through having read the previous books of this series； need not be told this；
but you who； perhaps； are just making his acquaintance； may care to know
a little more about him。
As told in my first book； 〃Tom Swift and His Motor…Cycle〃 the young
inventor lived with his father； Barton Swift； a widower； in the town of
Shopton； New York。 Mr。 Swift was also an inventor of note。
In my initial volume of this series； Tom became possessed of a motor…
cycle in a peculiar way。 It was sold to him by a Mr。 Wakefield Damon； a
wealthy gentleman who was unfortunate in riding it。 On his speedy
machine； which Tom improved by several inventions； he had a number of
adventures。 The principal one was being attacked by a number of bad men；
known as the 〃Happy Harry Gang；〃 who wished to obtain possession of a
valuable turbine patent model belonging to Mr。 Swift。 Tom was taking it to
a lawyer； when he was waylaid； and chloroformed。 Later he traced the
gang； and； with the assistance of Mr。 Damon and Eradicate Sampson； an
aged colored man who made a living for himself and his mule； Boomerang；
by doing odd jobs； the lad found the thieves and recovered a motor…boat
which had been stolen。 But the men got away。
In the second volume； called 〃Tom Swift and His Motor…Boat；〃 Tom
bought at auction the boat stolen by； and recovered from； the thieves； and
proceeded to improve it。 While he was taking his father out on a cruise for
Mr Swift's health； the Happy Harry Gang made a successful attempt to
steal some valuable inventions from the Swift house。 Tom started to trace
them； and incidentally he raced and beat Andy Foger； a rich bully。 On their
way down the lake； after the robbery； Tom； his father and Ned Newton；
Tom's chum； saw a man hanging from the trapeze of a blazing balloon
over Lake Carlopa。 The balloonist was Mr。 John Sharp and he was rescued
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TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT or The Speediest Car on the Road
by Tom in a thrilling fashion。 In his motor…boat； Tom had much pleasure；
not the least of which was taking out a young lady named Miss Mary
Nestor； whose acquaintance he had made after stopping her runaway horse；
which his bicycle had frightened。 Tom's association with Miss Nestor
soon ripened into something deeper than mere friendship。
It developed that Mr Sharp； whom Tom had saved from the burning
balloon； was an aeronaut of note； and had once planned to build an airship。
After his recovery from his thrilling experience； he mentioned the matter
to Mr。 Swift and his son； with whom he took up his residence。 This fitted
right in with Tom's ideas； and soon father； son and the balloonist were
constructing the Red Cloud； as they named their airship。 It was finally
completed； as related in 〃Tom Swift and His Airship；〃 made a successful
trial trip； and won a prize。 It was planned to make a longer journey； and
Tom； Mr。 Sharp and Mr。 Damon agreed to go together。 Mr。 Damon was an
odd individual； who was continuously blessing some part of his anatomy；
his clothing or some inanimate object but； for all that； he was a fine man。
The night before Tom and his friends started off in their airship； the
Shopton Bank vault was blown open and seventy…five thousand dollars
was taken。 Tom and his friends did not know of this； but； no sooner had
the young inventor； Mr。 Sharp and Mr。 Damon sailed away； than the police
arrived at Mr。 Swift's house to arrest them。 They were charged with the
robbery； and with having sailed away with the booty。
It appeared that Andy Foger said he had seen Tom hanging around the
bank the night of the robbery； with a bag of burglar tools in his possession。
Search was immediately begun for the airship； the occupants of which
were； meanwhile； speeding on。
Tom and his two friends had trouble。 They were nearly burned up in a
forest fire； and were fired upon by a crowd of people with rifles； who；
reading of the bank robbery and the reward offered for the capture of the
thieves； hoped to bring down the airship。 The fact that they were fired
upon caused Tom and the two aeronauts to descend to make an
investigation； and for the first time they learned of the bank theft。 How
they got track of the real robbers； took the sheriff with them in the airship；
and raided the gang will be found set down at length in the book。 Also
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TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT or The Speediest Car on the Road
how Tom administered well…deserved thrashing to Andy Foger。
Mr。 Swift did not accompany his son in the airship； and when asked
why he did not care to make the trip； said he was working on a new type
of submarine boat； which he hoped to enter in the government trials； to
win a prize。 In the fourth volume of the series； called 〃Tom Swift and his
Submarine；〃 you may read how successful Mr。 Swift was。
When the submarine； called the Advance； was finished； the party made
a trip to recover three hundred thousand dollars in gold from a sunken
treasure ship； off the coast of Uruguay； South America。 They sailed
beneath the seas for many miles； and were in great peril at times。 One
reason for this was that a rival firm of submarine builders got wind of the
treasure； and tried to get ahead of the Swifts in recovering it。 How Tom
and his friends succeeded in their quest； how they nearly perished at the
bottom of the sea； how they were captured by a foreign war vessel； and
sentenced to death； how they fought with a school of giant sharks and how
they blew up the wreck to recover the money is all told of in the book。
On their return to civilization with the gold； Mr。 Swift； Tom； and their
friends deposited the money in the Shopton Bank； where Ned Newton
worked。 Ned was a bright lad； but had not been advanced as rapidly as he
deserved； and Tom knew this。 He asked his father to speak to the president；
Mr。 Pendergast； in Ned's behalf； and； as a result the lad was made assistant
cashier； for the request of a man who controlled a three hundred thousand
dollar deposit was not to be despised。
In building the submarine Tom and his father rented a large cottage on
the New Jersey seacoast； but； on returning from their treasure…quest they
went back to Shopton； leaving the submarine at the boathouse of the shore
cottage； which was near the city of Atlantis。 That was in the fall of the year；
and all that winter the young inventor had been busy on many things； not
the least of which was his storage battery。 It was now spring； and seeing
the item in the paper； about the touring club prize for an electric auto； had
given him a new idea。
But all thoughts of electric cars； and everything else； were driven from
the mind of the young man； when； with his father； he
