THE RACE
The House on Wheels was half way up a steep slope when the motor
stopped and the heavy, and somewhat clumsy car--clumsy because of
its bulk--began to go backward. Of course there were brakes. Tom had
provided a double set, and they would hold. He had tested them under
severe strains. But it took a moment for both the young men to realize
what had happened and to decide what to do.
Of course there was only one course of action after Tom had quickly
discovered that the stoppage of the motor was not momentary, and that
it could not be galvanized into action by the self-starter. The thing
to do was to jam on the brakes, which the young inventor did before the
backward motion of the House had gained it such momentum that it could
not be checked.
"Whew!" whistled Ned, as he felt the machine come to what seemed like
a reluctant stop. "That was a close call!"
"Oh, no," said Tom, half smiling. "I could have let her get up even
more speed than she had, rolling backward, and yet have brought her to
a stop with the one set of brakes."
"On this hill?" Ned was a bit incredulous.
"Yes, or on a steeper one. I want to try her on some mountain."
"Maybe you'll get the chance," Ned remarked.
"What do you mean?" asked Tom, for there seemed to be something his
chum was holding back. But as, just then, a peculiar buzzing sounded
from beneath the motor hood, Tom decided to investigate that before
asking any questions.
The brakes were holding the House on Wheels midway up the rather steep
hill, but on getting out of the driver's seat, which the two young
men did very soon after the accident, their first care was to block
the rear wheels with a log of wood which they dragged from a near-by
thicket. After seeing that this would keep the car from rolling back
downhill, even if the brakes should let go, Tom fastened a rope to the
log and the other end of the cable to the rear of the House on Wheels.
"What's the idea?" asked Ned. "Going to use that as a drag going
downhill on the other side?"
"No. But haven't you often noticed that where motorists have to stop on
a hill, and use rocks or logs to block them, they go away after getting
a new start and leave the obstructions in the road?"
"I've seen that many a time," agreed Ned, "and I've bawled 'em out for
it more than once. The trouble is that they aren't there to hear what I
think about 'em."
"That's just it. Well, I may want to start up without having to release
my brakes suddenly, hence the log of wood. And as I don't want to leave
you behind to roll the log out of the way, I fastened on this rope.
We'll pull the log behind us up to the top of the hill, where it is
level, and then we can stop and take it off."
"Good idea!" commented Ned. "Now let's see what's wrong. I do hope it
isn't anything serious."
"No, it can't be," decided Tom. "The motor was too severely tested for
that. It's just some little dingus that's out of order--maybe a broken
oil pipe or a loose wire."
It was the latter that proved to be the seat of the trouble when a
careful check-up had been made. In the haste with which the House on
Wheels had been assembled, this little item was overlooked. It required
but a short time to put the ignition cable back in place, and then,
having run the motor for some time, listening to the smooth purr of it,
Tom announced that he was satisfied there would be no further trouble.
It was when they were ready to start on again that Tom's wisdom in
blocking the wheels was demonstrated. For there was no need of a sudden
letting in of the clutch, after racing the engine in gear to get
momentum and speed enough to make a flying start uphill. The brakes
were already released. The log prevented the House on Wheels from
rolling backward, and the machine started slowly up the grade as if
taking off from a level. The log was pulled along by means of the rope,
and did not remain in the road a menace to following travelers.
"She's coming up in good style," commented Ned, as he observed the
increasing speed of the machine even though the grade of the hill grew
greater.
"Couldn't be better," agreed Tom, with a satisfied smile. "All the
power I need and then some! When she gets broken in I expect great
things of her."
"Looks so," murmured Ned.
In a short time they were at the top of the hill and a long, level road
lay before them. They made a momentary stop to cast off the blocking
log and then went on.
"I'm going back and take a look inside," said Ned after a while. "I
want to see how she rides."
There was a passage leading from the driver's seat to the interior of
the House, and Ned was soon making his way through the various "rooms"
as they might be called, though compartments would probably be the
better term. He sat in the small chairs, let down one of the cots and
stretched out on it and sat at the table, pretending to eat, though, as
yet, there was no food aboard.
"How is it?" asked Tom, as his chum reappeared in the communicating
passage.
"Slick as oil!" was the enthusiastic comment. "Rides like an ocean
liner."
"That's good. Then there's nothing wrong in the construction. I was
afraid she might sway too much."
"There is a little swaying," admitted Ned. "But I think that will be
smoothed out when you get a load in."
"I guess so," agreed Tom. "Well, come out here and try your hand at
it."
"What do you mean?" Ned wanted to know.
"I want you to drive for a while. You've driven lots of cars, and I
want you to get the feel of this. It seems a trifle stiff to me, and I
want to see if you get the same impression. I can loosen the gear up a
bit if it is."
"You mean you want me to drive your House on Wheels?" asked Ned.
"Sure! Why not?"
"I may wreck her."
"So might I. Accidents are always likely to happen. But I've got to get
some other impression than my own as to how she holds the road, takes
corners, and the like, and you're the best one I know to give me the
information I need. Besides, you'll be coming on trips with me, and I
can't always be at the wheel."
"Me come on a trip with you in this?" chuckled Ned. "Well, I like that!"
"What do you mean? Why wouldn't you come?"
"On yours and Mary's honeymoon trip? Excuse me!"
"Say, cut that stuff out!" and Tom seemed serious. "Who's said anything
about a honeymoon?"
"Nobody--nobody's said a word. At least, you and Mary haven't,"
admitted the financial manager. "But actions speak louder than words.
And I thought that's why you were getting this canal boat in shape."
"Nothing of the sort!" exclaimed Tom sharply. "I mean--of course--that
is, I--Oh, heck! Come on out here and take the wheel!"
"All right!" agreed Ned. "But don't blame me for what happens."
"I won't," and Tom steered the machine over to the side of the road to
bring it to a stop out of possible traffic while he changed places with
his chum.
After proceeding at a moderate rate for a mile or two, in order to
familiarize himself with the brakes and controls, Ned let out a little
more gas and the House on Wheels shot ahead on the smooth, level
concrete highway which the two had practically to themselves.
"How does she feel, Ned?" asked Tom, as they sped along.
"Fine."
"And how does she handle?"
"Light as a cork! There's no steering strain at all."
"I'm glad of that. I wanted to make sure of it."
"But take her yourself," urged Ned, guiding the House to the side of
the road in case any motorists were following. "You haven't had the
wheel when you had a chance to let out. Go ahead."
"All right," agreed Tom Swift.
He had not long been in the driver's seat, and was working up speed,
when from behind came a long, shrill whistle. For a moment the young
men thought it might be one of those signals connected to the exhaust
pipe of some speeding motorist. But a look into the rear vision mirror
showed a fast freight train approaching. Then, for the first time, Tom
and Ned noticed that they were running parallel to railroad tracks and
close to them.
On came the fast freight, and the engineer seemed either to be trying
to attract the attention of the occupants of the peculiar car or else
saluting them. Then Tom cried suddenly:
"I know what he wants!"
"What?" asked Ned.
"A race! And he's going to get it. Come on, steam baby!" yelled Tom,
noting that he was now even with the locomotive. "We'll see what you
can do against the House on Wheels!"