"She's moving!" he cried.

"But not much faster than a wheelbarrow," said his father, who
sometimes teased his son.

"Wait!" cried the youth.

Tom turned more current into the motor. The purring and humming
increased, and the car seemed to leap forward. It was in the road now,
and, once assured that the steering apparatus was working well, Tom
suddenly turned on much more speed.

So quickly did the electric auto shoot forward that Mr. Damon and Mr.
Sharp were jerked back against the cushions of the rear seats.

"Here! What are you doing?" inquired Mr. Sharp.

"I'm going to show you a little speed," answered Tom.

The car was now moving rapidly, and there was a smoothness and
lightness to its progress that was absent from a gasolene auto. There
was no vibration from the motor. Faster and faster it ran, until it was
moving at a speed scarcely less than that of Mr. Damon's car, when it
was doing its best. Of course that was not saying much, for the car
owned by the odd gentleman was not a very powerful one, but it could
make fast time occasionally.

"Is this the best you can do?" asked Mr. Damon. "Not that it isn't
fast," he hastened to add, "and I was wondering if it was your limit."

"Not half!" cried Tom, as he turned on a little more power. "I'm not
trying for a record to-day. I just want to see how the battery and
motor behaves."

"Pretty well, I should say," commented Mr. Sharp.

"I'm satisfied--so far," agreed the lad.

They were now moving along the highway at a good speed--moving almost
silently, too, for the motor, save for a low hum, made no noise. So
quiet was the car, in fact, that it was nearly the cause of a disaster.
Tom was so interested in the performance of his latest invention, that,
before he knew it, he had come up behind a farmer, driving a team of
skittish horses. As the big machine went past them, giving no warning
of its approach, the steeds reared up, and would have bolted, but for
the prompt action of the driver.

"Hey!" he cried, angrily, as Tom speeded past, "don't you know you got
to give warnin' when you're comin' with one of them ther gol-swizzled
things! By Jehossephat I'll have th' law on ye ef ye do thet ag'in!"

"I forgot to ring the bell," apologized Tom, as he sent out a peal from
the gong, and then, he let out a few more amperes, and the speed
increased.

"Hold on! I guess this is fast enough!" cried Mr. Damon, as his hat
blew off.

"Fast?" answered Tom. "This