Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat | Page 3

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TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR-BOAT Or The Rivals of Lake
Carlopa
By VICTOR APPLETON
CONTENTS
I ----- A Motor-boat Auction II ---- Some Lively Bidding III --- A
Timely Warning IV ---- Tom And Andy Clash V ----- A Test Of Speed

VI ---- Towing Some Girls VII --- A Brush With Andy VIII -- Off On
A Trip IX ---- Mr. Swift Is Alarmed X ----- A Cry For Help XI ---- A
Quick Run XII --- Suspicious Characters XIII -- Tom In Danger XIV
--- The ARROW Disappears XV ---- A Damaging Statement XVI ---
Still On The Search XVII -- "There She Is!" XVIII - The Pursuit XIX
--- A Quiet Cruise XX ---- News Of A Robbery XXI --- The Balloon
On Fire XXII -- The Rescue XXIII - Plans For An Airship XXIV --
The Mystery Solved XXV --- Winning A Race
CHAPTER I
A MOTOR-BOAT AUCTION
"Where are you going, Tom?" asked Mr. Barton Swift of his son as the
young man was slowly pushing his motor-cycle out of the yard toward
the country road. "You look as though you had some object in view."
"So I have, dad. I'm going over to Lanton."
"To Lanton? What for?"
"I want to have a look at that motor-boat."
"Which boat is that, Tom? I don't recall your speaking about a boat
over at Lanton. What do you want to look at it for?"
"It's the motor-boat those fellows had who tried to get away with your
turbine model invention, dad. The one they used at the old General
Harkness mansion, in the woods near the lake, and the same boat that
fellow used when he got away from me the day I was chasing him
here."
"Oh, yes, I remember now. But what is the boat doing over at Lanton?"
"That's where it belongs. It's the property of Mr. Bently Hastings. The
thieves stole it from him, and when they ran away from the old
mansion, the time Mr. Damon and I raided the place, they left the boat
on the lake. I turned it over to the county authorities, and they found

out it belonged to Mr. Hastings. He has it back now, but I understand
it's somewhat damaged, and he wants to get rid of it. He's going to sell
it at auction today, and I thought I'd go over and take a look at it. You
see---"
"Yes, I see, Tom," exclaimed Mr. Swift with a laugh. "I see what you're
aiming at. You want a motor-boat, and you're going all around Robin
Hood's barn to get at it."
"No, dad, I only---"
"Oh, I know you, Tom, my lad!" interrupted the inventor, shaking his
finger at his son, who seemed somewhat confused. "You have a nice
rowing skiff and a sailboat, yet you are hankering for a motor-boat.
Come now, own up. Aren't you?"
"Well, dad, a motor-boat certainly would go fine on Lake Carlopa.
There's plenty of room to speed her, and I wonder there aren't more of
them. I was going to see what Mr. Hastings' boat would sell for, but I
didn't exactly think of buying it' Still---"
"But you wouldn't buy a damaged boat, would you?"
"It isn't much damaged," and in his eagerness the young inventor (for
Tom Swift had taken out several patents) stood his motor- cycle up
against the fence and came closer to his father. "It's only slightly
damaged," he went on. "I can easily fix it. I looked it all over before I
gave it in charge of the authorities, and it's certainly a fine boat. It's
worth nine hundred dollars--