into bays and inlets was it.

In about an hour Tom was at Lanton, and as he neared the home of Mr.
Hastings, which was on the shore of the lake, he saw quite a throng
going down toward the boathouse.

"There'll be some lively bidding," thought Tom as he got off his
machine and pushed it ahead of him through the drive and down toward
the river. "I hope they don't go above two hundred dollars, though."

"Get out the way there!" called a sudden voice, and looking back, Tom
saw that an automobile had crept up silently behind him. In it were
Andy Foger and Sam Snedecker. "Why don't you get out the way?"
petulantly demanded the red-haired lad.

"Because I don't choose to," replied Tom calmly, knowing that Andy
would never dare to speed up his machine on the slope leading down to
the lake.

"Go ahead, bump him!" the young inventor heard Sam whisper.

"You'd better try it, if you want to get the best trouncing you ever
had!" cried Tom hotly.

"Hu! I s'pose you think you're going to bid on the boat?" sneered Andy.

"Is there any law against it?" asked Tom.

"Hu! Well, you'll not get it. I'm going to take that boat," retorted
the squint-eyed bully. "Dad gave me the money to get it."

"All right," answered Tom non-committally. "Go ahead. It's a free
country."

He stood his motor-cycle up against a tree and went toward a group of
persons who were surrounding the auctioneer. The time had arrived to
start the sale. As Tom edged in closer he brushed against a man who
looked at him sharply. The lad was just wondering if he had ever seen
the individual before, as there seemed to be something strangely
familiar about him, when the man turned quickly away, as if afraid of
being recognized.

"That's odd," thought Tom, but he had no further time for speculation,
as the auctioneer was mounting on a soapbox and had begun to address
the gathering.

CHAPTER II

SOME LIVELY BIDDING

"Attention, people!" cried the auctioneer. "Give me your attention for
a few minutes, and we will proceed with the business in hand. As you
all know, I am about to dispose of a fine motor-boat, the property of
Mr. Bently Hastings. The reason for disposing of it at auction is
known to most of you, but for the benefit of those who do not, I will
briefly state them. The boat was stolen by a gang of thieves and
recovered recently through the efforts of a young man, Thomas Swift,
son of Barton Swift, our fellow-townsman, of Shopto