Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle; Or, Fun and Adventures on the Road

! Shove the spark lever over, and turn on mo

at the steering wheel. The latter was a red-haired youth, with somewhat squinty eyes, and not a very pleasant face,

the lad on the seat beside t

Foger, as he turned the car to avoid a stone in

" commented the lad beside him. "My ea

speed at which the car was traveling, lifted

glance behind. Then he opened the t

ant to see what time I can make to Mansb

ied a lad on the rear seat. "There's a fellow

rate. The youth on the bicycle was riding slowly along, and did not see the approaching automobile until it was nearly upon him. T

Sam Snedecker. "Look out

of my way," reto

that in very terror Andy Foger shut off the power, jammed down the brakes and steered to one side. So suddenly was he obliged to swe

d regarding the automobile. As for the occupants of that machine, from Andy Foger, the ow

aged any, Andy?" a

ndy. "If my car's hurt

matter, though it was more from good luck than good management. Then Andy turned and looked

like that?" demanded Andy with a scowl.

rly running me down? Why didn't you sound your horn? You automobilists tak

eh?" sne

ick, not you. You came pretty near hitting me. Me gettin

ould think of nothing else to say.

one," retorted Tom. "First you fellows

Andy," advised Sam in a low voic

" he threatened Tom. "Come on, fellows, we're late now, and can't make a record run, all on account of him,"

'll wish you hadn't," declared Tom, and

back Andy, and he laughed

dy was the son of a wealthy man of the town, and his good fortune in the matter of money seemed to have spoiled him, for he was a bully and a c

Tom aloud as he rode on. "He'll have a smash-up some day, if he isn't care

wift, a wealthy inventor, and the latter's housekeeper, Mrs. Baggert. Approaching a machine shop, one of several buil

sked Mr. Swift. "You look a

answered the youth, and relat

are off on their trip. I remember Mr. Foger speaking to me about it the other day. He said Andy and some companions we

pleasure, and if you want m

it registered, and I don't wish to mail it in the Shopton post-

turbine m

ou'd stop in Merton's machine shop a

" and Tom extended his hand

about not wanting it mailed here. Several times before I have posted letters here, only to have the information contained in them leak out before my attorne

gave out information

me the other day that some strangers were making inqui

d he tel

o know why the men were asking such questions, and one of them said they expected to open a machine shop soon, an

you think

to take no risks. That's why I send this letter to Mansburg. Don't lose it, and don't forget abo

heel, and was soon sp

e and I always seem to get into trouble when we meet." Tom was not destined to meet Andy again that day, but the time was to come when the red-haired bully was t

hat the windmill would operate the churn in the old farmhouse where he was born. The fact that the mill went so fast that it broke the churn all to pieces did not discourage him, and he a

s many patents. He grew up, married and had one son, Tom. Mrs. Barton died when Tom was three years old, and since then he had lived with his father and a succession of nurses and housekeepers. The last woman to have c

shall call Lake Carlopa, and there Tom and his father used to spend many pleasant days boating, for Tom and the inventor were better chums than many boys are, and

he had built near his home several machine shops, with engines, lathes and apparatus for various kinds of wo

his way to Mansburg to register the letter. As he descended a little hil

"I hope they don't get in my way, or, rather, I hope I don't get in their

o dense that whoever or whatever was

houldn't think they'd trot them so on a warm day like this. Maybe they're s

e. Tom kept on, taking care to get as far to the side of the road as he could. T

open, and that's kicking up as much dust as the wheels do. Whew! But

ht of the rider, but the explosions of the motor were louder. Suddenly, when the first advancing particles of dust reached him, almost making him sneez

yes from the road ahead for just a moment, and he did not see a large stone directly in his path. His front wheel hit it, and the heavy machine, which he could not

ed Tom. "You'll

were the words that were ratt

way. He came straight for Tom, and a disastrous collision might have resulted had not another stone been in the way. The front wheel hit this, and was swerved

efore you come out on the road

dust-cloud came floa

en the sound of the exp

pect I'd better look out for the third time. They say that's always fatal," and the lad leaped from his