Part 8 (1/2)
”Some one's comin' out to see you, Massa Tom,” said the coloredthe precaution to put his precious plans out of sight
”I dunno, sah; but yo' father knows hien'ht heah”
”Oh, well, if dad knows hiht Let him come, Rad”
”Yes, sah Heah he co down the gravel path To familiar about him, and Tom was sure he had met him before, yet he could not seereeted the newcootten me, haven't you?” He held out his hand, which Tom took ”Don't know otten your name,” admitted the lad, just a bit embarrassed ”But your face is familiar, somehow, and yet it isn't”
”I've shaved off my mustache,” went on the other ”That otten John Sharp, the balloonist, whom you rescued from Lake Carlopa, and who helped you build the Red Cloud?
You haven't forgotten John Sharp, have you, Tom?”
”Well, I should say not!” cried the lad heartily ”I' around here? Co to show you,” and he -Bird was housed
”Oh, I knohat it is,” said the veteran balloonist
”You do?”
”Yes It's your new aeroplane In fact, I came to see you about it”
”To see ele Park, where I understand you are going to contest I caet you to make a formal entry of your machine Mr Gunmore sent me”
”Oh, so you're in with theot a friend on the co very well I'll soon be ready for a trial flight Co-Bird!” And To new,” admitted Mr Sharp as his eyes took in the details of the tri to be well represented at the ht I was the only one around here to enter an aeroplane”
”No We have just received an entry frooing to try to win so one, the ten-thousand-dollar prize,” replied the balloonist ”He has made formal application to be allowed to compete, and we have to accept any one who applies Why, do you object to him, To Soo a set of plans of my er of taking the aprize Do you happen to knohat style it is?”
”It's a s like the Antoinette, his application states, though he e it later”
”Then he's stolena craft like this!” exclaiazed froain ”Andy Foger is trying to beata Clue
John Sharp was more than surprised at the effect his piece of infor inventor had all along suspected Andy of having theplans, yet there had been no positive evidence on this point That, coupled with the fact that the red-haired bully had not been seen in the vicinity of Shopton lately, had, in a measure, lulled Tom's suspicions to rest, but now his hope had been rudely shattered
”Do you really think that's his game?” asked Mr Sharp
”I' his aeroplane I can't iine, for I haven't seen him in town He's away”