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

e men at the table behind him, all he could catch was an indistinct murmur. The strangers

he table where the men sat they looked up quickly at him. Two of them gave Tom but a passing glan

he sees me," thought Tom, and he bold

started for home at a fast pace, and was just turning from a cross road into the main highway when he saw ahead of him a woman driving a light wagon. As the sun fl

d Tom; "and partl

bars and pedaled with all his force. His bicycle see

. "I'll try to catch him!" for the woman was standing up in front

hought Tom. "No wonder!

o side, and more than once the woman just saved herself from being thrown out by grasping the edge of the sea

r the rattling of the wagon and the hoofbeats of the horse drowned al

to greater speed, Tom continued on. He was now even with the tail-board of

ins!" shouted Tom. "Saw on t

lad. Tom saw that she was a handsome young lad

. "They have dropped down! Oh, do pleas

d. Then he saw the reason the fair driver could not grasp the lines.

one hand, with the other the lad made a grab for the reins near the bit. The horse swerved frightenedly to one side, but Tom swung in the same direction. He grasped the leather and then,

g woman, who had arisen to the seat. "I'l

grip of Tom, began to slow from a gallop to a trot, then to a canter, and finally t

fellow. I hope you're not hurt"--this to the young lady--and Tom m

'm more fright

entor. "I should not have swung into the road

ed the fair driver. "I can't thank you enough fo

ded up the dangling reins. "I think Dobbin, as you call him, has

l is not damaged. If it is, my father, Mr. Amos Ne

only damage to the bicycle was a few bent spokes, and, straightening them and having again apologized to the young woman, receiving in turn her pardon and thanks, and l

mused Tom as he pedaled on. "That might have been a s

n the innocent cause of starting the runaway, but Tom was ever a modest lad. His arms were wrenched from j

along when, just ahead of him, he saw a cloud of dust, very similar to the

it is I'm going to hang back until I see which

some of the dust to one side. Tom had a

up to him. I wonder what he's been doing all this while, that he hasn't gotten any farther than this? E

ly to the handle-bars. The rider was almost in front of Tom's house now, when, with a suddenness that cau

ink he can climb that, or is he giving an exhibitio

er the handle-bars, the machine was shunted to the ditch along the road, and falling ove

must be killed!" and bending forward, h