第12章

"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 enoughto come and see me try for the ten-thousand- dollar prize--and 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 preciousplans 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 him come, Rad.""Yes, sah.Heah he comes." And the colored man pointed to a figure advancing down the gravel path.Tom watched the stranger curiously.There was something familiar about him, and Tom was sure he had met him before, yet he could not seem to place him.

"How are you, Tom Swift?" greeted the newcomer pleasantly."I guess you've forgotten me, haven't you?" He held out his hand, which Tom took."Don't know me, do you?" he went on.

"Well, I'm afraid I've forgotten your name," admitted the lad, just a bit embarrassed."But your face is familiar, somehow, and yet it isn't""I've shaved off my mustache," went on the other."That makes a difference.But you haven't forgotten John Sharp, the balloonist, whomyou rescued from Lake Carlopa, and who helped you build the Red Cloud? You haven't forgotten John Sharp, have you, Tom?""Well, I should say not!" cried the lad heartily."I'm real glad to see you.What are you doing around here? Come in.I've got something to show you," and he motioned to the shop where the Humming-Bird was housed.

"Oh, I know what it is," said the veteran balloonist."You do?""Yes.It's your new aeroplane.In fact, I came to see you about it." "To see me about it?""Yes.I'm one of the committee of arrangements for the meet to be held at Eagle Park, where I understand you are going to contest.I came to see how near you were ready, and to get you to make a formal entry of your machine.Mr.Gunmore sent me.""Oh, so you're in with them now, eh?" asked Tom."Well, I'm glad to know I've got a friend on the committee.Yes, my machine is getting along very well.I'll soon be ready for a trial flight.Come in and look at it.I think it's a bird--a regular Humming-Bird!" And Tom laughed.

"It certainly is something new," admitted Mr.Sharp as his eyes took in the details of the trim little craft."By the way, Shopton is going to be well represented at the meet.""How is that? I thought I was the only one around here to enter an aeroplane.""No.We have just received an entry from Andy Foger.""From Andy Foger!" gasped Tom."Is he going to try to win some of the prizes?""He's entered for the big one, the ten-thousand-dollar prize," replied the balloonist."He has made formal application to be allowed to compete, and we have to accept any one who applies.Why, do you object to him, Tom?""Object to him? Mr.Sharp, let me tell you something.Some time ago a set of plans of my machine here were stolen from my house.I suspected Andy Foger of taking them, but I could get no proof.Now you say he is building a machine to compete for the big prize.Do you happen to knowwhat style it is?"

"It's a small monoplane, something like the Antoinette, his application states, though he may change it later.""Then he's stolen my ideas, and is making a craft like this!" exclaimed Tom, as he sank upon a bench, and gazed from the balloonist to the Humming-Bird, and hack to Mr.Sharp again."Andy Foger is trying to beat me with my own machine!"