r a contingency, in case my protest was
overruled," remarked Tom. "But I'm glad the Humming-Bird did so well on
her first trial. I know she'll do better the more I run her. Now we'll
get her back in her 'nest,' and I'll look her over, when she cools
down, and see if anything has worked loose."

But the trim little craft needed only slight adjustments after her
tryout, for Tom had built her to stand up under a terrific strain.

"We'll soon be in shape for the big race," he announced, "and when I
bring home that ten thousand dollars I'm going to abandon this
sky-scraping business, except for occasional trips."

"What will you do to occupy your mind?" asked Mr. Damon.

"Oh, I'm going to travel," announced Tom. "Then there's my new electric
rifle, which I have not perfected yet. I'll work on that after I win
the big race."

For several days after the first real trial of his sky racer Tom was
busy going over the Humming-Bird, making slight changes here and there.
He was the sort of a lad who was satisfied with nothing short of the
best, and though neither his father nor Mr. Jackson could see where
there was room for improvement, Tom was so exacting that he sat up for
several nights to perfect such little details as a better grip for the
steering-lever, a quicker way of making the automatic equilibriumizer
take its position, or an improved transmitter for the wireless
apparatus.

That was a part of his monoplane of which Tom was justly proud, for
though many aeroplanes to-day are equipped with the sending device, few
can receive wireless messages in mid-air. But Tom had seen the
advantage of this while making a trip in the ill-fated Red Cloud to the
cave of the diamond makers, and he determined to have his new craft
thus provided against emergencies. The wireless outfit of the
Humming-Bird was a marvel of compactness.

Thus the days passed, with Tom very busy; so busy, in fact, that he
hardly had time to call on Miss Nestor. As for Andy Foger, he heard no
more from him, and the bully was not seen around Shopton. Tom concluded
that he was at his uncle's place, working on his racing craft.

The young inventor sent a formal protest to the aviation committee, to
be used in the event of Andy entering a craft which infringed on the
Humming-Bird, and received word from Mr. Sharp that the interests of
the young inventor would be protected. This satisfied Tom.

Still, at times, he could not help wondering how the first plans