CHAPTER XIII
TOM IN DANGER
"Garret! Garret Jackson!" cried Tom as he struggled through the hedgeof bushes and ran after the men. "Where are you, Garret? Come on andhelp me chase these men!"
But there came no answer to Tom's hail. He could not hear the sound ofthe retreating footsteps of the men now and concluded that they hadmade their escape. Still he would not give up, but dashed on, slippingand stumbling, now and then colliding with a tree.
"What can they be doing here?" thought Tom in great anxiety. "Are theyafter some more of dad's inventions because they didn't get his turbinemotor?"
"Hello! Who's there? Who are you?" called a voice suddenly.
"Oh, Garret! Where have you been?" asked the young inventor,recognizing the tones of his father's keeper. "I've been calling you.Some of those scoundrels are around again!"
"Why if it isn't Tom!" ejaculated the engineer. "However in the worlddid you get here? I thought you were at Sandport."
"I'll explain later, Garret. Just now I want to catch those men, if Ican."
"Which men?"
"Happy Harry and another one. I saw them hiding down by the orchardpath. Come on, they're right ahead of us."
But though they hunted as well as they were able to in thefast-gathering darkness, there was no trace of the intruders. They hadto give up, and Tom, after going to the boathouse to see that the ARROWwas all right, returned to the house, where he told the engineer andhousekeeper what had brought him back and how he had surprised the twomen.
"Is everything all right, Garret?" he concluded. "Dad is nervous andfrightened. I must telephone him at the hotel to-night and let himknow, for I promised to come back. I can't, though, until to-morrow."
"Everything is all right as far as I know," answered Jackson. "I'vekept a careful watch and the burglar alarm has been in working order.Mrs. Baggert and I haven't been disturbed a single night since you wentaway. It's curious that the men should be here the very night you comeback. Maybe they followed you."
"I hardly think so, for they didn't know I was coming."
"You can't tell what those fellows know," commented the engineer."But, anyhow, I don't suppose they could have gotten here from Sandportas soon as you did."
"Oh, yes they could, in their automobile," declared Tom. "But I don'tbelieve they knew I was coming. They knew we were away, however, andthought it would be a good time to steal something, I guess. Are yousure nothing has been taken?"
"Perfectly sure, but you and I will take a look around the shop."
They made a hasty examination, but found nothing disturbed and no signsthat anyone had tried to break in.
"I think I'll telephone dad that everything is all right," decided Tom."It is as far as his inventions are concerned, and if I tell aboutseeing the men it will only worry him. I can explain that part betterwhen I see him. But when I go back, Garret, you will have to be onyour guard, since those men are in the neighborhood."
"I will, Tom. Don't worry."
Mr. Swift was soon informed by his son over the telephone that nothingin the shops had been disturbed, and the inventor received the newswith evident satisfaction. He requested Tom to come back to the hotelin the morning, in order that the three of them might go for a rideabout the lake in the afternoon, and Tom decided to make an early start.
The night passed without incident, though Tom, who kept the gun Mr.Duncan had given him in readiness for use, got up several times,thinking he heard suspicious noises. After an early breakfast, andhaving once more cautioned the engineer and housekeeper to be on theirguard, Tom started back in the ARROW.
As it would not be much out of his way, the young inventor decided tocut across the lake and stop at the sanitarium, that he might inquireabout Mr. Duncan. He thought he could speed the ARROW up sufficientlyto make up for any time he might lose, and, with this in mind, heheaded out toward the middle of Lake Carlopa. The engine was workingsplendidly with the new spark plugs, and Tom was wondering if there wasany possible method of getting more revolutions out of the motor. Hehad about come to the conclusion that a new propeller might answer hispurpose when he heard the noise of an approaching boat. He looked upquickly and exclaimed:
"Andy Foger again, and Pete and Sam are with him. It's a wonder hewouldn't go off on a trip instead of cruising around so near home.Guess he's afraid he'll get stuck."
Idly Tom watched the RED STREAK. It was cutting through the water at afast rate, throwing up curling foam on either side of the sharp bow."He seems to be heading this way," mused Tom. "Well, I'm not going torace with him to-day."
Nearer and nearer came the speedy craft, straight for the ARROW. Theyoung inventor shifted his helm in order to get out of Andy's course,but to his surprise he saw that the red haired lad changed thedirection of his own boat.
"Guess he wants to see how close he can come to me," thought our hero."Maybe he wants to show how fast he's going."
The RED STREAK was now so close that the features of the occupantscould easily be distinguished. There were grins on the faces of Andyand his cronies.
"Get out of the way or we'll run you down!" cried the bully. "We'vegot the right of way."
"Don't you try anything like that!" shouted Tom in some alarm, not thathe was afraid of Andy, but the RED STREAK was getting dangerously near,and he knew Andy was not a skillful helmsman. The auto-boat was nowheaded directly at the ARROW and coming on speedily. Andy was bendingover the wheel and Tom had begun to turn his, in order to get well outof the way of the insolent, squint-eyed lad and his friends.
Suddenly Andy uttered a cry and leaped up.
"Look out! Look out!" he yelled. "My steering gear has broken! Ican't change my course. Look out!"
The RED STREAK was bearing right down on Tom's boat.
"Shut off your power! Reverse!" shouted Tom.
Andy seemed confused and did not know what to do. Sam Snedecker sprangto the side of his crony, but he knew even less about a motor-boat. Itlooked as if Tom would be run down, and he was in great danger.
But the young inventor did not lose his head. He put his wheel hardover and then, leaping to his motor, sent it full speed forward. Not amoment too soon had he acted, for an instant later the other boat shotpast the stern of the ARROW, hitting it a severe but glancing blow.Tom's boat quivered from end to end and he quickly shut off the power.By this time Andy had succeeded in slowing down his craft. The younginventor hastily looked over the side of the ARROW. One of the rudderfastenings had been torn loose.
"What do you mean by running me down?" shouted Tom angrily.
"I--I didn't do it on purpose," returned Andy contritely. "I wasseeing how near I could come to you when my steering gear broke. Ihope I haven't damaged you."
"My rudder's broken," went on Tom "and I've got to put back to repairit. I ought to have you arrested for this!"
"I'll pay for the damage," replied Andy, and he was so frightened thathe was white, in spite of his tan and freckles.
"That won't do me any good now," retorted Tom. "It will delay me acouple of hours. If you try any tricks like that again, I'll complainto the authorities and you won't be allowed to run a boat on this lake."
Andy knew that his rival was in the right and did not reply. The bullyand his cronies busied themselves over the broken steering gear, andthe young inventor, finding that he could make a shift to get back tohis boathouse, turned his craft around and headed for there, in orderto repair the damage.