ever saw, while they were very nice cars, didn't
seem able to go so very fast, or very far."

"That's true, but it's because they didn't have the right kind of a
battery. You know an electric locomotive can make pretty good speed,
Dad. Over a hundred miles an hour in tests."

"Yes, but they don't run by storage batteries. They have a third rail,
and powerful motors," and Mr. Swift looked quizzically at his son. He
loved to argue with him, for he said it made Tom think, and often the
two would thus thresh out some knotty point of an invention, to the
interests of both.

"Of course, Dad, there is a good deal of theory in what I'm thinking
of," the lad admitted. "But it does seem to me that if you put the
right kind of a battery into an automobile, it could scoot along pretty
lively. Look what speed a trolley car can make."

"Yes, Tom, but there again they get their power from an overhead wire."

"Some of them don't. There's a new storage battery been invented by a
New Jersey man, which does as well as the third rail or the overhead
wire. It was after reading about his battery that I thought of a plan
for mine. It isn't anything like his; perhaps not as good in some ways,
but, for what I want, it is better in some respects, I think. For one
thing it can be recharged very quickly."

"Now Tom, look here," said Mr. Swift earnestly, laying aside his
papers, and coming over to where his son sat. "You know I never
interfere with your inventions. In fact, the more you think of the
better I like it. The airship you helped build certainly did all that
could be desired, and--"

"That reminds me. Mr. Sharp and Mr. Damon are out in it now,"
interrupted Tom. "They ought to be back soon. Yes, Dad, the airship Red
Cloud certainly scooted along."

"And the submarine, too," continued the aged inventor. "Your ideas
regarding that were of service to me, and helped in our task of
recovering the treasure, but I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed
in the storage battery. You may get it to work, but I don't believe you
can make it powerful enough to attain any great speed. Why don't you
confine yourself to making a battery for stationary work?"

"Because, Dad, I believe I can build a speedy car, and I'm going to try
it. Besides I want to race Andy Foger, and beat him, even if I don't
win the prize. I'm going to build that car, and it will make fast time."

"Well, go ahead, Tom," responded his father, after a pause. "Of course
y