alled the time when he and Ned Newton had endeavored to look into
Andy's shed, with somewhat disastrous results to themselves; but Tom
knew that the matter at stake justified a risk, and he was willing to
take it.

"Well, now that's settled," said Mr. Sharp, "tell me more about
yourself and your aeroplane. My! To think that the Red Cloud was
destroyed! That was a fine craft."

"Indeed she was," agreed Tom. "I'm going to make another on similar
lines, some day, but now all my time is occupied with the Humming Bird."

"She is a hummer, too," complimented Mr. Sharp. "But I almost forgot
the real object of my trip here. There is no doubt about you going in
the race, is there?"

"I fully expect to," replied Tom. "The only thing that will prevent me
will be--"

"Don't say you're worried on account of what Andy Foger may do,"
interrupted Mr. Sharp.

"I'm not. I'll attend to Andy, all right. I was going to say that my
father's illness might interfere. He's not well at all. I'm quite
worried about him."

"Oh, I sincerely hope he'll be all right," remarked the balloonist. "We
want you in this race. In fact, we're going to feature you, as they say
about the actors and story-writers. The committee is planning to do
considerable advertising on the strength of Tom Swift, the well-known
young inventor, being a contestant for the ten-thousand-dollar prize."

"That's very nice, I'm sure," replied Tom, "and I'm going to do my
best. Perhaps dad will take a turn for the better. He wants me to win
as much as I want to myself. Well, we'll not worry about it, anyhow,
until the time comes. I want to show you some new features of my latest
aeroplane."

"And I want to see them, Tom. Don't you think you're making a mistake,
though, in equipping it with a wireless outfit?"

"Why so?"

"Well, because it will add to the weight, and you want such a small
machine to be as light as possible."

"Yes, but you see I have a very light engine. That part my father
helped me with. In fact, it is the lightest air-cooled motor made, for
the amount of horsepower it develops, so I can afford to put on the
extra weight of the wireless outfit. I may need to signal when I am
flying along at a hundred miles an hour."

"That's so. Well, show me some of the other good points. You've
certainly got a wonderful craft here."

Tom and Mr. Sharp spent some time going over the Humming-Bird and in
talking over old times. The balloonist paid another visit to