CHAPTER IX
MR. SWIFT IS ALARMED
"Don't you feel better already, dad?" asked Tom that noon as theystopped under a leaning, overhanging tree for lunch on the shore of thelake. "I'll leave it to Ned if you don't look more contented and lessworried."
"I believe he does," agreed the other lad. "Well, I must say Icertainly have enjoyed the outing so far," admitted the inventor with asmile. "And I haven't been bothering about my gyroscope. I think I'lltake another sandwich, Tom, and a few more olives."
"That's the way to talk!" cried the son. "Your appetite is improving,too. If Mrs. Baggert could see you she'd say so."
"Oh, yes, Mrs. Baggert. I do hope she and Garret will look after thehouse and shops well," said Mr. Swift, and the old, worried look camelike a shadow over his face.
"Now don't be thinking of that, dad," advised Tom, "Of courseeverything will be all right. Do you think some of those model thieveswill return and try to get some of your other inventions?"
"I don't know, Tom. Those men were unscrupulous scoundrels, and youcan never tell what they might do to revenge themselves on us fordefeating their plans."
"Well, I guess Garret and Mrs. Baggert will look out for them,"remarked his son. "Don't worry."
"Yes, it's bad for the digestion," added Ned. "If you don't mind, Tom,I'll have some more coffee and another sandwich myself."
"Nothing the matter with your appetite, either," commented the younginventor as he passed the coffee pot and the plate.
They were soon on their way again, the ARROW making good time up thelake. Tom was at the engine, making several minor adjustments to it,while Ned steered. Mr. Swift reclined on one of the cushioned seatsunder the shade of the canopy. The young owner of the ARROW lookedover the stretch of water from time to time for a possible sight ofAndy Foger, but the RED STREAK was not to be seen. The Lakeview Hotelwas reached late that afternoon and the boat was tied up to the dock,while Tom and Ned accompanied Mr. Swift to see him comfortablyestablished in his room.
"Won't you stay to supper with me?" invited the inventor to his son andthe latter's chum. "Or do you want to start right in on camp life?"
"I guess we'll stay to supper and remain at the hotel to-night,"decided Tom. "We got here a little later than I expected, and Ned andI hardly have time to go very far and establish a temporary camp.We'll live a life of luxurious ease to-night and begin to be'wanderlusters' and get back to nature to-morrow."
In the morning Tom and his chum, full of enthusiasm for the pleasuresbefore them, started off, promising to come back to the hotel in a fewdays to see how Mr. Swift felt. The trip had already done the man goodand his face wore a brighter look.
Tom and Ned, in the speedy ARROW, cruised along the lakeshores all thatmorning. At noon they went ashore, made a temporary camp and arrangedto spend the night there in the tent. After this was erected they gotout their fishing tackle and passed the afternoon at that sport, havingsuch good luck that they provided their own supper without having todepend on canned stuff.
They lived this life for three days, making a new camp each night,being favored with good weather, so that they did not have to sleep inthe boat to keep dry. On the afternoon of the third day Tom, with acritical glance at the sky, remarked:
"I shouldn't be surprised if it rained to-morrow, Ned."
"Me either. It does look sort of hazy, and the wind is in a badquarter."
"Then what do you say to heading for the hotel? I fancy dad will be gladto see us."
"That suits me. We can start camp life again after the storm passes."
They started for Sandport that afternoon. When within about two milesof the hotel dock Tom saw, just ahead of them, a small motor-boat. Nedobserved it too and called out:
"S'pose that's Andy looking for another race?"
"No, the boat's too small for his. We'll put over that way and see whoit is."
The other craft did not appear to be moving very rapidly and the ARROWwas soon overhauling it. As the two chums came nearer they could hearthe puffing of the motor. Tom listened with critical ears.
"That machine isn't working right," he remarked to his chum.
At that moment there sounded a loud explosion from the other boat andat the same time there came over the water a shrill cry of alarm."That's a girl in that boat!" exclaimed Ned. "Maybe she's hurt."
"No, the motor only backfired," observed Tom. "But we'll go over andsee if we can help her. Perhaps she doesn't understand it. Girlsdon't know much about machinery."
A little later the ARROW shot up alongside the other craft, which hadcome to a stop. The two lads could see a girl bending over the motor,twirling the flywheel and trying to get it started. "Can I help you?"asked Tom, shutting off the power from his craft.
The young lady glanced up. Her face was red and she seemed ill atease. At the sight of the young inventor she uttered an exclamation ofrelief.
"Why, Mr. Swift!" she cried. "Oh, I'm in such trouble. I can't makethe machine work, and I'm afraid it's broken; it exploded."
"Miss Nestor!" blurted out Tom, more surprised evidently to see hisacquaintance of the runaway again than she was at beholding him. "Ididn't know you ran a motor-boat," he added. "I don't," said shesimply and helplessly. "That's the trouble, it won't run."
"How comes it that you are up here?" went on Tom.
"I am stopping with friends, who have a cottage near the LakeviewHotel. They have a motor-boat and I got Dick Blythe--he's the owner ofthis--to show me how to run it. I thought I knew, and I started out alittle while ago. At first it went beautifully, but a few minutes agoit blew up, or--or something dreadful happened."
"Nothing very dreadful, I guess," Tom assured her. "I think I can fixit." He got into the other boat and soon saw what the trouble was.The carburetor had gotten out of adjustment and the gasoline was notfeeding properly. The young inventor soon had it in order, and,testing the motor, found that it worked perfectly.
"Oh, I can't thank you enough," cried Miss Nestor with a flash from herbrown eyes that made Tom's heart beat double time. "I was afraid I haddamaged the boat, and I knew Dick, who is a sort of second cousin ofmine, would never forgive me."
"There's no harm done," Tom assured her. "But you had better keep nearus on your way back, that is, if you are going back."
"Oh, indeed I am. I was frightened when I found I'd come so far awayfrom shore, and then, when that explosion took place--well, you canimagine how I felt. Indeed I will keep near you. Are you stoppingnear here? If you are, I wish you'd come and see me, you and Mr.Newton," she added, for Tom had introduced his chum.
"I'll be very glad to," answered our hero, and he told how he happenedto be in the neighborhood. "I'll give you a few lessons in managing aboat, if you like," he added.
"Oh, will you? That will be lovely! I won't tell Dick about it, andI'll surprise him some day by showing him how well I can run his boat."
"Good idea," commented Tom.
He started the motor for Miss Nestor, having stopped it after his firsttest, and then, with the DOT, which was the name of the small boat MissNestor was in, following the larger ARROW, the run back to the hotelwas made. The young lady turned off near the Lakeview dock to go tothe cottage where she was stopping and the lads tied up at the hotelboathouse.
"Yes, we are in for a storm," remarked Tom as he and his chum walked uptoward the hotel. "I wonder how dad is? I hope the outing is doinghim good."
"There he comes now," observed Ned, and, looking up, Tom saw his fatherapproaching. The young inventor was at once struck by the expressionon his parent's face. Mr. Swift looked worried and Tom anxiouslyhastened forward to meet him.
"What's the matter dad?" he asked as cheerfully as he could. "Have youbeen figuring over that gyroscope problem again, against my expressorders?" and he laughed a little.
"No, Tom, it's not the gyroscope that's worrying me."
"What is it then?"
"Those scou
ndrels are around again, Tom!" and Mr. Swift lookedapprehensively about him.
"You mean the men who stole the turbine model?"
"Yes. I was walking in the woods near the hotel yesterday and I sawAnson Morse. He did not see me, for I turned aside as quickly as I hada glimpse of him. He was talking to another man."
"What sort of a man?"
"Well, an ordinary enough individual, but I noticed that he hadtattooed on the little finger of his left hand a blue ring."
"Happy Harry, the tramp!" exclaimed Tom. "What can he and Morse bedoing here?"
"I don't know, Tom, but I'm worried. I wish I was back home. I'mafraid something may happen to some of my inventions. I want to goback to Shopton, Tom."
"Nonsense, dad. Don't worry just because you saw some of your formerenemies. Everything is all right at home. Mrs. Baggert and GarretJackson will look after things. But, if you like, I, can find out foryou how matters are."
"How, Tom?"
"By taking a run down there in my motor-boat. I can do it to-morrowand get back by night, if I start early. Then you will not worry."
"All right, Tom; I wish you would. Come up to my room and we will talkit over. I'd rather leave you go than telephone, as I don't like totalk of my business over the wire if I can avoid it."