Part 1 (1/2)
Tom Swift and his Sky Racer
by Victor Appleton
Chapter One
The Prize Offer
”Is this Tom Swift, the inventor of several airshi+ps?”
The lanced at the youth who answered his summons
”Yes, I'm Tom Swift,” was the reply ”Did you wish to see le Park Aviation association I had so to hold I believe--”
”Oh, yes, I re inventor smiled pleasantly as he opened wider the door of his holad to see you He is as much interested in airshi+ps as I am”
And Tom led the way to the library, where the secretary of the aviation society was soon seated in a big, coht we could do better, and perhaps come to some decision more quickly, if I came to see you, than if we corresponded,” went on Mr
Gunmore ”I hope I haven't disturbed you at any of your inventions,”
and the secretary sh for to-day,” replied Toht at first it was ”
”Our society, as I wrote you, Mr Swift, is planning to hold a very large and ile Park, which is a suburb of Westville, New York State We expect to have all the prominent 'bird-men' there, to compete for prizes, and your name wasif you did not care to enter”
”And I think I wrote you that ible, the Red Cloud, was destroyed in Alaska, during a recent trip we old,” replied Tom
”Yes, you did,” admitted Mr Gunmore, ”and while our coht have some other air craft that you could enter at our meet We want to make it as complete as possible, and we all feel that it would not be so unless we had a Swift aeroplane there”
”It's very kind of you to say so,” re craft was destroyed I really have nothing I could enter”
”Haven't you an aeroplane of any kind? I et you to enter Haven't you anything in which you could compete for the prizes? There are several to be offered, soest, ten thousand dollars, for the speediest craft Ten thousand dollars is the grand prize, to be awarded for the quickest flight on record”
”I surely would like to try for that,” said Tom, ”but the only craft I have is a small monoplane, the butterfly, I call it, and while it is very speedy, there have been such advances made in aeroplane construction since I made mine that I fear I would be distanced if I raced in her And I wouldn't like that”
”No,” agreed Mr Gunmore ”I suppose not Still, I do e could induce you to enter I don't -card Can't we induce you, some way?”
”I'm afraid not I haven't any machine which--”
”Look here!” exclaierly ”Why can't you build a special aeroplane to enter in the next meet? You'll have plenty of time, as it doesn't co the preliements It is now June, and the meet is scheduled for early in September Couldn't you build a new and speedy aeroplane in that tierly Mr Gun it There was an increased brightness to his eyes, and one could tell that he was thinking deeply The secretary sought to clinch his argument
”I believe, from what I have heard of your work in the past, that you could build an aeroplane which would win the ten-thousand-dollar prize,” he went on ”I would be very glad if you did win it, and, so I think, would be the gentlemen associated with me in this enterprise It would be fine to have a New York State youth win the grand prize Come, Tom Swift, build a special craft, and enter the contest!”
As he paused for an answer footsteps were heard coentleman opened the door of the library
”Oh! Excuse me, Tom,” he said, ”I didn't know you had coo, father,” said Tom ”You will be as much interested in this as I ale Park Aviation association