b his sky racer(汤姆·史威夫特和他的空中赛艇)-第8节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
to the house and see how dad is； and while I'm gone； Rad； you get out the
Butterfly。 I can make the trip in that。 If Dr。 Kurtz had a 'phone I could get
him； but he lives over on the back road； where there isn't a line。 Hurry；
Rad！〃
30
… Page 31…
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER or The Quickest Flight on Record
〃Yes； sah； Massa Tom； I'll hurry！〃
The colored man knew how to get the monoplane in shape for a flight；
as he had often done it。
Tom found his father in no immediate danger； but Mr。 Swift had had a
slight recurrence of his heart trouble； and it was thought best to have a
doctor。 So Tom started off in his air craft； rising swiftly above the
housetop； and sailed off toward the old…fashioned residence of Dr。 Kurtz； a
sturdy； elderly German physician； who sometimes attended Mr。 Swift。
Tom decided that as long as Dr。 Gladby did not answer his 'phone； he
could not be at home； and this； he learned later； was the case； the physician
being in a distant town on a consultation。
〃My； this Butterfly seems big and clumsy beside my Humming…Bird；〃
mused Tom as he slid along through the air； now flying high and now low；
merely for practice。 〃This machine can go； hut wait until I have my new
one in the air！ Then I'll show 'em what speed is！〃
He was soon at the physician's house； and found him in。
〃Won't you ride back with me in the monoplane？〃 asked Tom。 〃I'm
anxious to have you see dad as soon as you can。
〃Vot！ Me drust mineself in one ob dem airships？ I dinks not！〃
exclaimed Dr。 Kurtz ponderously。 〃Vy； I vould not efen ride in an outer…
mobile； yet； so vy should I go in von contrivance vot is efen more
dangerous？ No； I gomes to your fader in der carriage； mit mine old
Dobbin horse。 Dot vill not drop me to der ground； or run me up a tree； yet！
Vot？〃
〃Very well；〃 said Tom； 〃only hurry； please。〃
The young inventor； in his airship； reached home some time before the
slow…going doctor got there in his carriage。 Mr。 Swift was no worse； Tom
was glad to find； though he was evidently quite ill。
〃So； ve must take goot care of him；〃 said the doctor； when he had
examined the patient。 〃Dr。 Gladby he has done much for him； und I can do
little more。 You must dake care of yourself； Herr Swift； or you villbut
den； vot is der use of being gloomy…minded？ I am sure you vill go more
easy； und not vork so much。〃
〃I haven't worked much；〃 replied the aged inventor。 〃I have only been
31
… Page 32…
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER or The Quickest Flight on Record
helping my son on a new airship。〃
〃Den dot must stop；〃 insisted the doctor。 〃You must haf gomplete rest
dot's itgomplete rest。〃
〃We'll do just as you say； doctor；〃 said Tom。 〃We'll give up the
aeroplane matters； dad； and go away； you and I； where we can t see a
blueprint or a pattern； or hear the sound of machinery。 We'll cut it all out。〃
〃Dot vould he goot；〃 said Dr。 Kurtz ponderously。
〃No； I couldn't think of it；〃 answered Mr。 Swift。 〃I want you to go in
that race； Tomand win！〃
〃But I'll not do it； dad； if you're going to be ill。〃
〃He is ill now；〃 interrupted the doctor。 〃Very ill； Dom Swift。〃
〃That settles it。 I don't go in the race。 You and I'll go away； dadto
California； or up in Canada。 We'll travel for your health。〃
〃No！ no！〃 insisted the old inventor gently。 〃I will be all right。 Most of
the work on the monoplane is done now； isn't it； Tom？〃
〃Yes； dad。〃
〃Then you go on； and finish it。 You and Mr。 Jackson can do it without
me now。 I'll take a rest； doctor； but I want my son to enter that race； and；
what's more； I want him to win！〃
〃Vell； if you don't vork； dot is all I ask。 I must forbid you to do any
more。 Mit Dom； dot is different。 He is young und strong； und he can vork。
But younot； Herr Swift； or I doctor you no more。〃 And the physician
shook his big head。
〃Very well。 I'll agree to that if Tom will promise to enter the race；〃 said
the inventor。
〃I will；〃 said Tom。
The physician took his leave shortly after that； the medicine he gave to
Mr。 Swift somewhat relieving him。 Then the young inventor； who felt in a
little better spirits； went back to his workshop。
〃Poor dad；〃 he mused。 〃He thinks more of me and this aeroplane than
he does of himself。 Well； I will go in the race； and I'llyes； I'll win！〃 And
Tom looked very determined。
He was about to resume work on his craft when something about the
way one of the forward planes was tilted attracted his attention。
32
… Page 33…
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER or The Quickest Flight on Record
〃I never left it that way；〃 mused Tom。 〃Some one has been in here。 I
wonder if it was Mr。 Jackson？〃
Tom stepped to the door and called for Eradicate。 The colored man
came from the direction of the garden； which he was still weeding。
〃Has Mr。 Jackson been around； Rad？〃 asked the lad。
〃No； sah。 I ain't seed him。〃
〃Have you been in here； looking at the Humming…Bird？〃
〃No； Massa Tom。 I nebber goes in dere； lessen as how yo' is dere。
Dem's yo' orders。〃
〃That's so； Rad。 I might have known you wouldn't go in。 But did you
see any one enter the shop？〃
〃Not a pusson； sab。〃
〃Have you been here all the while？〃
〃All but jes' a few minutes； when I went to de barn to put some
liniment on Boomerang's So' foot。〃
〃H'm！ Some one might have slipped in here while I was away；〃 mused
Tom。 〃I ought to have locked the doors； but I was in a hurry。 This thing is
getting on my nerves。 I wonder if it's Andy Foger； or some one else； who
is after my secret？〃
He made a hasty examination of the shop； but could discover nothing
more wrong； except that one of the planes of the Humming…Bird had been
shifted。
〃It looks as if they were trying to see how it was fastened on； and how
it worked；〃 mused Tom。 〃But my plans haven't been touched； and no
damage has been done。 Only I don't like to think that people have been in
here。 They may have stolen some of my ideas。 I must keep this place
locked night and day after this。〃
Tom spent a busy week in making improvements on his craft。 Mr。
Swift was doing well； and after a consultation by Dr。 Kurtz and Dr。 Gladby
it was decided to adopt a new style of treatment。 In the meanwhile； Mr。
Swift kept his promise； and did no work。 He sat in his easy…chair； out in
the garden； and dozed away； while Tom visited him frequently to see if he
needed anything。
〃Poor old dad！〃 mused the young inventor。 〃I hope he is well enough
33
… Page 34…
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER or The Quickest Flight on Record
to come and see me try for the ten…thousand… dollar prizeand win it！ I
hope I do； but if some one builds； from my stolen plans； a machine on this
model； I'll have my work cut out for me。〃 And he gazed with pride on the
Humming…Bird。
For the past two weeks Tom had seen nothing of Andy Foger。 The red…
haired bully seemed to have dropped out of sight； and even his cronies；
Sam Snedecker and Pete Bailey； did not know where he had gone。
〃I hope he has gone for good；〃 said Ned Newton； who lived near Andy。
〃He's an infernal nuisance。 I wish he'd never come back to Shopton。〃
But Andy was destined to come back。
One day； when Tom was busy installing a wireless apparatus on his
new aeroplane； he heard Eradicate hurrying up the path that led to the
shop。
〃I wonder if dad is worse？〃 thought Tom； that always being his first
idea when he knew a summons was coming for him。 Quickly be opened
the door。
〃Some one's comin' out to see you； Massa Tom；〃 said the colored man。
〃Who is it？〃 asked the lad； taking the precaution to put his precious
plans out of sight。
〃I dunno； sah； but yo' father knows him； an' he said fo' me to come out
heah； ahead ob de gen'man； an' tell yo' he were comin'。 He'll be right
heah。〃
〃Oh； well； if dad knows him； it's all right。 Let h
