Part 25 (2/2)

”Well,” remarked Mr Sharp, when Toer'sto be allowed to view it, to see if it was an infringe inventor, ”I'll do the best I can for you

I'll lay the case before the committee It will meet at once, and I'll let you knohat they say”

”Understand,” said Tom, ”I don't want to interfere unless I a an underhand trick My plans are , and I think he took them If his machine is made after those plans, it is, obviously, a steal, and I want him ruled out of the meet”

”And so he shall be!” exclaiainst hih”

The committee met in about an hour, and considered the case Meanwhile, Ton There was a ht

Then Tom was sent for, and Mr Sharp told him what conclusion had been arrived at It was this:

”Under the rules of the uarantee privacy to all the contestants until such time as they choose to exhibit theirthem out until just before the races,” he added ”This is not a handicap affair, and the speediest ht, according to which class it enters, in In consequence we cannot force any contestant to declare what kind of ato use the familiar type of biplanes and, as you can see, there is no secret about the them out now” This was so, for severalabout, or were being run over the ground

”But others,” continued Mr Sharp, ”will not even take the committee into their confidence until just before the race They want to keep their craft a secret We can't co I see for you to do is to wait until the last ed on your et evidence against him before that time”

Tom well knew the uselessness of the latter plan He and Mr Dalimpse of the craft Andy had made, but without success As to the other alternative--that of waiting until the last moment--Tom feared that, too, would be futile

”For,” he reasoned, ”just before the race there will be a lot of confusion, officials will be here and there, scattered over the ground, they will be hard to find, and it will be almost useless to protest then Andy will enter the race, and there is a possibility that he -Bird It's the machine almost as much as the operator, in a case like this”

”But you can protest after the race,” suggested Mr Daood, in case Andy beat me The public would say I was a sorehead, and jealous No, I've either got to stop Andy before the race, or not at all I will try to think of a plan”

Tom did think of several, but abandoned thelier aeroplane was housed, but it was too closely guarded Andy hiliether with their machinist, were kept busy As Tom's craft was fully protected by patents now, he had no hesitation in taking it out, and it was given several severe tests around the aerial course It did even better than Toh, there were two things that worried him One was his father's illness, and the other the uneasiness he felt as to what Andy Foger ht do As to the for as well as could be expected, but his i the latter worry, Toot to wait, that's all,” he thought

The day before the opening of thetryout They had taken her high up--so high that no prying eyes could time them, and there Tom had opened the h space at the rate of one hundred and twenty miles an hour

”If we can only do that in the race, the ten thousand dollars is mine!”

exulted Tom, as he slanted the nose of the aeroplane toward the earth

The day of the race dawned clear and beautiful Tos to do to get his craft in final trim for the contest Then, too, he wanted to be ready to act promptly as soon as Andy's e from home

The wireless arrived soon after breakfast, and did not contain very cheering news

”Your father not so well,” Mr Jackson sent ”Poor night, but doctor thinks day will show improvement Don't worry”

”Don't worry! I wonder who could help it,” mused poor Tom ”Well, I'll hope for the best,” and he wired back to tell the engineer in Shopton to keep in touch with hi-Bird in the air, after the big race started

”Now I'll go out and see if I can catch a gliainst me,” said Tom