Part 5 (1/2)

”Oh, I fancy we have seen the last of him for some time,” said Tom, but he looked worried. It was evident that the Happy Harry gang was still hanging around the neighborhood of Shopton, and the fact that Morse was bold enough to attack our hero in broad day-light argued that he felt little fear of the authorities.

”Ef yo' wants t' catch him, Mistah Swift,” went on Eradicate, ”yo' kin trace him by de whitewash what drops offen him,” and he pointed to a trail of white drops which showed the path Morse had taken.

”No, the less I have to do with him the better I like it,” answered the lad. ”But I can't thank you enough, Rad. You have helped me out of difficulties several times now. You put me on the trail of the men in the deserted mansion, you warned me of the log Andy Foger placed across the road, and now you have saved me from Morse.”

”Oh, dat's nuffin, Mistah Swift. Yo' has suah done lots fo' me.

'Sides, mah mule, Boomerang, am ent.i.tled t' de most credit dish yeah time. I were comin' down de street, on mah way t' a whitewas.h.i.+n' job, when I seen yo', an yo' lickitysplit machine,” for so Eradicate designated a motorcycle. ”I knowed it were yo', an' I didn't laik de looks ob dat man. Den I see he had hold ob you, an' I t'ought he were a burglar. So I yelled t' Boomerang t' hurry up. Now, mostly, when I wants Boomerang t' hurry, he goes slow, an' when I wants him t' go slow, he runs away. But dish yeah time he knowed he were comin' t' help yo', an' he certainly did leg it, dat's what he done! He run laik he were goin' home t' a stable full ob oats, an' dat's how I got heah so quick. Den I t'ought ob de whitewash, an' I jest used it.”

”It was the most effective weapon you could have used,” said Tom, gratefully.

”Deed no, Mistah Swift, I didn't hab no weapon,” spoke Eradicate earnestly. ”I ain't eben got mah razor, 'case I left it home. I didn't hab no weapon at all. I jest used de whitewash, laik yo' seen me.”

”That's what I meant,” answered Tom, trying not to laugh at the simple negro's misunderstanding. ”I'm ever so much obliged to you, just the same, and here's a half dollar to pay for the whitewash.”

”Oh, no, Mistah Swift, I doan't want t' take it. I kin make mo'

whitewash.”

But Tom insisted, and picked up his machine to sprint for home.

Eradicate started to tell over again, how he urged Boomerang on, but the lad had no time to listen.

”But I didn't hab no weapon, Mistah Swift, no indeedy, none at all, not even mah razor,” repeated Eradicate. ”Only de pail ob whitewash. That is, lessen yo' calls mah bresh a weapon.”

”Well, it's a sort of one,” admitted Tom, with a laugh as he started his machine. ”Come around next week, Rad. We have some dirt eradicating for you to attend to.”

”Deed an' I will, Mistah Swift. Eradicate is mah name, an' I eradicates de dirt. But dat man such did look odd, wif dat pail ob whitewash all ober him. He suah did look most extraordinarily. Gidap, Boomerang. See if yo' can break some mo' speed records now.”

But the mule appeared to be satisfied with what he had done, and, as he rode off, Tom looked back to see the colored man laboring to get the sleepy, animal started.

The lad did not tell his father of the adventure with Morse, but he related the occurrence to Mr. Sharp.

”I'd like to get hold of that scoundrel, and the others in the gang!”

exclaimed the balloonist. ”I'd take him up in the airs.h.i.+p, and drop him down into the lake. He's a bad man. So are the others. Wonder what they want around here?”

”That's what's puzzling me,” admitted Tom. ”I hope dad doesn't hear about them or he will be sure to worry; and maybe it will interfere with his new ideas.”

”He hasn't told you yet what he's engaged in inventing; has he?”

”No, and I don't like to ask him. He said the other day, though, that it would rival our airs.h.i.+p, but in a different way.”

”I wonder what he meant?”

”It's hard to say. But I don't believe he can invent anything that will go ahead of our craft, even if he is my own father, and the best one in the world,” said Tom, half jokingly. ”Well, I got the bolts, now let's get to work. I'm anxious for a trial trip.”

”No more than I am. I want to see if my ideas will work out in practice as well as they do in theory.”

For a week or more Tom and Mr. Sharp labored on the airs.h.i.+p, with Mr.

Jackson to help them. The motor, with its twenty cylinders, was installed, and the big aluminum holder fastened to the frame of the planes. The rudders, one to control the elevation and depression of the craft, and the other to direct its flight to the right or left, were attached, and the steering wheel, as well as the levers regulating the motor were put in place.