A Bag of Tools
Wakefield Damon glanced at Mr. Swift. The inventor was oblivious to his
surroundings, and was busy figuring away on some paper. He seemed even
to have forgotten the presence of the eccentric autoist.
"I don't want father to hear about the men," went on Tom, in a low
tone. "If he hears that Happy Harry and his confederates are in this
vicinity, he'll worry, and that doesn't agree with him. But are you
sure the men you saw are the same ones who stole the turbine model?"
"Very certain," replied Mr. Damon. "I had a good view of them as I came
from the bank, and I was surprised to see them, until I remembered that
they were out of jail."
"But why do you think they pursued you?"
"Bless my eyes! I can't say. Perhaps they weren't after me at all. I
may have imagined it, but they certainly hurried off in their auto as
soon as I left the bank, after leaving my money there. I'm glad I
deposited it before I saw them. I was so nervous, as it was, that I
couldn't steer straight. It's too bad, the way I've damaged your house."
"That doesn't matter. But how about the trip in the airship? I hope you
meant it when you said you would go."
"Of course I did. I've never traveled in the air, but it can't be much
worse than my experience with my motor-cycle and the auto. At least I
can't run up any stoop, can I?" and Mr. Damon looked at Mr. Sharp.
"No," replied the aeronaut, as he scratched his head, "I guess you'll
be safe on that score. But I hope you won't get nervous when we reach a
great height."
"Oh, no. I'll just calm myself with the reflection that I can't die but
once," and with this philosophical reflection Mr. Damon went back to
look at the auto, which certainly looked odd, stuck up on the veranda.
"Well, you'd better make arrangements to go with us then," went on Tom.
"Meanwhile I'll see to getting your car down. You'll want to send it
home, I suppose?"
"No, not if you'll keep it for me. The fact is that all my folks are
away, and will be for some time. I don't have to go home to notify
them, and it's a good thing, as my wife is very nervous, and might
object, if she heard about the airship. I'll just stay here, if you've
no objection, until the Red Cloud sails, if sails is the proper term."
"'Sails' will do very well," answered Mr. Sharp. "But, Tom, let's see
if you and I can't get that car down. Perhaps Mr. Damon would like to
go in the house and talk to your father," for Mr. Swift had left the
piazza.
The eccentric individual was glad enough not to be on hand when his car
was eased down from the veranda and disappeared into the house. Tom
and Mr. Sharp, with the aid of Garret Jackson, then released the auto
from its position. They had to take down the rest of the broken
railing, and their task was easy enough. The machine was stored in a
disused shed, and Mr. Damon had no further concern until it was time to
undertake the trip through the air.
"It will fool those men if I mysteriously disappear," he said, with a
smile. "Bless my hat band, but they'll wonder what became of me. We'll
just slip off in the Red Cloud, and they'll never be the wiser."
"I don't know about that," commented Tom. "I fancy they are keeping
pretty close watch in this vicinity, and I don't like it. I'm afraid
they are up to some mischief. I should think the bank authorities would
have them locked upon suspicion. I think I'll telephone Ned about it."
He did so, and his chum, in turn, notified the bank watchman. But the
next day it was reported that no sign of the men had been seen, and,
later it was learned that an auto, answering the description of the one
they were in, had been seen going south, many miles from Shopton.
The work of preparing the Red Cloud for the long trip was all but
completed. It had been placed back in the shed while a few more
adjustments were made to the machinery.
"Bless my eyelashes!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, a few days before the one
set for the start, "but I haven't asked where we are bound for. Where
are we going, anyhow, Mr. Sharp?"
"We're going to try and reach Atlanta, Georgia," replied the
balloonist. "That will make a fairly long trip, and the winds at this
season are favorable in that direction."
"That suits me all right," declared Mr. Damon. "I'm all ready and
anxious to start."
It was decided to give the airship a few more trials around Shopton
before setting out, to see how it behaved with the car heavier loaded
than usual. With this in view a trip was made to Rocksmond, with Mr.
Swift, Mr. Damon and Ned, in addition to Mr. Sharp and Tom, on board.
Then, at Tom's somewhat blushing request, a stop was made near the
Seminary, and, when the pupils came trooping out, the young inventor
asked Miss Nestor if she didn't want to take a little flight. She
consented, and with two pretty companions climbed rather hesitatingly
into the car. No great height was attained, but the girls were fully
satisfied and, after their first alarm really enjoyed the spin in the
air, with Tom proudly presiding at the steering wheel, which Mr. Sharp
relinquished to the lad, for he understood Tom's feelings.
Three days later all was in readiness for the trip to Atlanta. Mr.
Swift was earnestly invited to undertake it, both Tom and Mr. Sharp
urging him, but the veteran inventor said he must stay at home, and
work on his submarine plans.
The evening before the start, when the aeronaut and Tom were giving a
final inspection to the craft in the big shed, Mr. Sharp exclaimed "I
declare Tom, I believe you'll have to take a run into town."
"What for?"
"Why to get that kit of special tools I ordered, which we might need to
make repairs. There are some long-handled wrenches, some spare levers,
and a couple of braces and bits. Harrison, the hardware dealer, ordered
them for me from New York, and they were to be ready this afternoon,
but I forgot them. Take an empty valise with you, and you can carry
them on your motorcycle. I'm sorry to have forgotten it, but--"
"That's all right, Mr. Sharp, I'd just as soon go as not. It will make
the time pass more quickly. I'll start right off."
An hour later, having received the tools, which made quite a bundle,
the lad put them in the valise, and started back toward home. As he
swung around the corner on which the bank was located--the same bank in
which Ned Newton worked--one of the valves on the motor-cycle began to
leak. Tom dismounted to adjust it, and had completed the work, being
about to ride on, when down the street came Andy Foger and Sam
Snedecker. They started at the sight of our hero.
"There he is now!" exclaimed Sam, as if he and the red-haired bully had
been speaking of the young inventor.
"Let's lick him!" proposed Andy. "Now's our chance to get even for
throwing that paint and soot on us."
Tom heard their words. He was not afraid of both the lads, for, though
each one matched him in size and strength, Tom knew they were cowards.
"If you're looking for anything I guess I can accommodate you," he
said, coolly.
"Come on, Andy," urged Sam. But, somehow Andy hung back. Perhaps he
didn't like the way Tom squared off. The young inventor had let down
the rear brace of his motor-cycle, and was not obliged to hold it, so
he had both hands free.
"We ought to lick him good and proper," growled the squint-eyed lad.
"Well, why don't you?" invited Tom.
He moved to one side, so as not to be hampered by his wheel. As he did
so he knocked from the handle bars the valise of tools. They fell with
a clatter and a thud to the pavement, and the satchel came open. It was
under a gas lamp, and the glitter of the long-handled wrenches and
other implements caught the eyes of Andy and his crony.
"Huh! If we fought you, maybe you'd use some of them on us," sneered
Andy, glad of an excuse not to fight.
Tom quickly picked up his valise, shutting it, but he was aware of the
close scrutiny of the two vindictive lads.
"I don't fight with such things," he said, somewhat annoyed, and he
hung the tools back on the handle bars.
"What you doing around the bank at this hour?" asked Sam, as if to
change the subject. "First thing you know the watchman will order you
to move on. He might think you were a suspicious character."
"The same to you," retorted Tom, "but I'm going to ride on now, unless
you want to have a further argument with me."
"You'd better be careful how you hang around a bank," added Andy. "The
police are on the lookout here. There's been some mysterious men seen
about."
Tom did not care to go into that, and, seeing that the two bullies had
lost all desire to attack him, he put up the brace and mounted his
wheel.
"Good-by," he called to Andy and Sam, as he rode off, the tools
rattling and jingling in the valise, but it was a sarcastic farewell,
and the two cronies did not reply.
"I hope I didn't damage any of the tools when I let them fall that
time," mused the young inventor. "My, the way Sam and Andy stared at
them it would make it seem as if I had a lot of weapons in the bag!
They certainly took good note of them."
The time was to come, and very shortly, when Andy's and Sam's
observation of the tools was to prove disastrous for our hero. As Tom
turned the corner he looked back, and saw, still standing in front of
the bank, the two cronies.