ch was across the tent, painted in gay
colors, were the words:

THE FOGER AEROPLANE

"Bless my elevation rudder!" cried Mr. Damon. "Andy's here at last! I
must tell Tom!"

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Great Race

"Well," remarked Mr. Sharp, when Tom and Mr. Damon had called on him,
to state that Andy Foger's machine was now on the grounds, and
demanding to be allowed to view it, to see if it was an infringement on
the one entered by the young inventor, "I'll do the best I can for you.
I'll lay the case before the committee. It will meet at once, and I'll
let you know what they say."

"Understand," said Tom, "I don't want to interfere unless I am
convinced that Andy is trying an underhand trick. My plans are missing,
and I think he took them. If his machine is made after those plans, it
is, obviously, a steal, and I want him ruled out of the meet."

"And so he shall be!" exclaimed Mr. Sharp. "Get the evidence against
him, and we'll act quickly enough."

The committee met in about an hour, and considered the case. Meanwhile,
Tom and Mr. Damon strolled past the tent with its flaring sign. There
was a man on guard, but Andy was not in sight.

Then Tom was sent for, and Mr. Sharp told him what conclusion had been
arrived at. It was this:

"Under the rules of the meet," said the balloonist, "we had to
guarantee privacy to all the contestants until such time as they choose
to exhibit their machines. That is, they need not bring them out until
just before the races," he added. "This is not a handicap affair, and
the speediest machine, or the one that goes to the greatest height,
according to which class it enters, will win. In consequence we cannot
force any contestant to declare what kind of a machine he will use
until he gets ready.

"Some are going to use the familiar type of biplanes and, as you can
see, there is no secret about them. They are trying them out now." This
was so, for several machines of this type were either in the air,
circling about, or were being run over the ground.

"But others," continued Mr. Sharp, "will not even take the committee
into their confidence until just before the race. They want to keep
their craft a secret. We can't compel them to do otherwise. I'm sorry,
Tom, but the only thing I see for you to do is to wait until the last
minute. Then, if you find Andy has infringed on your machine, lodge a
protest--that is unless you can get evidence against him before that
tim