按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
savage anger in his tones。
〃Keep quiet！〃 urged Morse。
〃No； I'll not keep quiet！ It's a shame that we have to take our
medicine while that trimmer； Tod Boreck； goes free。 He ought to have
been with us； and he would be； only he's trying to get away with that
sparkler！〃
〃Keep quiet；〃 again urged Morse。
Tom was all attention。 He had caught the word 〃sparkler；〃 and he at
once associated it with the occasion he had heard the men use it before。
He felt that he was on the track of solving the mystery connected with his
boat。
He looked at the men。 They were the same four who had been
involved in the former theft…Appleson； Featherton； Morse and Burke。
Were there five of them？ He recalled the man who had been caught
tampering with his boat…the man who had tried to bid on the ARROW at
the auction。 Where was he？
〃Boreck didn't get what he was after；〃 resumed Happy Harry； 〃and I'm
going to spoil his game for him。 Say； kid；〃 he went on to Tom； 〃look in
the front part of your boat…where the gasoline tank is。〃
Tom felt his heart beating fast。 At last he felt that he would solve the
puzzle。 He opened the forward compartment。 To his disappointment it
seemed as usual。 Morse and the others were making a vain effort to
silence Happy Harry。
〃I don't see anything here；〃 said Tom。
〃No； because it's hidden in one of those blocks of wood you use for a
brace；〃 continued the man。 〃Which one it is； Boreck didn't know； so he
pulled out two or three； only to be fooled each time。 You must have shifted
them； kid； from the way they were when we had the boat。〃
〃I did；〃 answered the young inventor； recollecting how he had taken
out some of the braces and inserted new ones； then painted the interior of
the compartment。 〃What is in the braces； anyhow？〃
〃The sparkler…a big diamond…in a hollow place in the wood； kid！〃
121
… Page 122…
TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR…BOAT（Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa）
exclaimed Happy Harry； blurting out the words。 〃I'm not going to let Tod
Boreck get away with it while we stay in jail。〃
〃Take out all the braces that haven't been moved and have a look；〃
suggested Mr。 Sharp。 Tom only had to remove two； those farthest back；
for all the others had； at one time or another； been changed or taken away
by the thief。
One of the blocks did not seem to have anything unusual about it； but
at the sight of the other Tom could not repress a cry。 It was the one that
seemed to have had a hole bored in it and then plugged up again。 He
remembered his father noticing it on the occasion of overhauling the boat。
〃The sparkler's in there；〃 said the tramp as he saw the brace。 〃Boreck
was after it several times； but he never pulled out the right one。〃
With his knife Tom dug out the putty that covered the round hole in the
block。 No sooner had he done so than there rolled out into his hand a
white object。 It was something done up in tissue paper； and as he
removed the wrapper； there was a flash in the sunlight and a large；
beautiful diamond was revealed。 The mystery had been solved。
122
… Page 123…
TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR…BOAT（Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa）
CHAPTER XXV
WINNING A RACE
〃Where did this diamond come from？〃 demanded Mr。 Sharp of the
quartette of criminals。
〃That's for us to know and you to find out；〃 sneered Happy Harry。 〃I
don't care as long as that trimmer Boreck didn't get it。 He tried to do us
out of our share。〃
〃Well； I guess the police will make you tell；〃 went on the balloonist。
〃Go for the constable； Tom。〃
Leaving his friend to guard the ugly men； who for a time at least were
beyond the possibility of doing harm； Tom hurried off through the woods
to the nearest village。 There he found an officer and the gang was soon
lodged in jail。 The diamond was turned over to the authorities； who said
they would soon locate the owner。
Nor were they long in doing it； for it appeared the gem was part of a
large jewel robbery that had taken place some time before in a distant city。
The Happy Harry gang； as the men came to be called； were implicated in it；
though they got only a small share of the plunder。 Search was made for
Tod Boreck and he was captured about a week after his companions。
Seeing that their game was up； the men made a partial confession； telling
where Mr。 Swift's goods had been secreted； and the inventor's valuable
tools； papers and machinery were recovered； no damage having been done
to them。
It developed that after the diamond theft； and when the gang still had
possession of Mr。 Hastings' boat； Boreck； sometimes called Murdock by
his cronies； unknown to them； had secreted the jewel in one of the braces
under the gasoline tank。 He expected to get it out secretly； but the
capture of the gang and the sale of the boat prevented this。 Then he tried
to buy the craft to take out the diamond； but Tom overbid him。 It was
Boreck who found Andy's bunch of keys and used one to open the
compartment lock when Tom surprised him。 The man did manage to
remove some of the blocks； thinking he had the one with the diamond in it；
but the fact of Tom changing them； and painting the compartment
123
… Page 124…
TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR…BOAT（Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa）
deceived him。 The gang hoped to get some valuables from Mr。 Swift's
shops； and； to a certain extent； succeeded after hanging around for several
nights and following him to Sandport； but Tom eventually proved too
much for them。 Even stealing the Arrow； which was taken to aid the
gang in robbing Mr。 Swift； did not succeed； and Boreck's plan then to get
possession of the diamond fell through。
It was thought that the gang would get long terms in prison； but one
night； during a violent storm； they escaped from the local jail and that was
the last seen of them for some time。
A few days after the capture as Tom was in the boathouse making
some minor repairs to the motor he heard a voice calling：
〃Mistah Swift； am yo' about？〃
〃Hello； Rad； is that you？〃 he inquired； recognizing the voice of the
colored owner of the mule Boomerang。
〃Yais； sa； dat's me。 I got a lettah fo' yo'。 I were passin' de post…
office an' de clerk asted me to brung it to yo' 'case as how it's marked
'hurry；' an' he said he hadn't seen yo' to…day。〃
〃That's right。 I've been so busy I haven't had time to go for the mail；〃
and Tom took the letter； giving Eradicate ten cents for his trouble。
〃Ha； that's good！〃 exclaimed Tom as he read it。
〃Hab some one done gone an' left yo' a fortune； Mistah Swift？〃 asked
the negro。
〃No； but it's almost as good。 It's an invitation to take part in the
motor…boat races next week。 I'd forgotten all about them。 I must get
ready。〃
〃Good land！ Dat's all de risin' generation t'inks about now；〃 observed
Eradicate； 〃racin' an' goin' fast。 Mah ole mule Boomerang am good
enough fo' me；〃 and； shaking his head in a woeful manner； Eradicate went
on his way。
Tom told Mr。 Sharp and his father of the proposed races of the Lanton
Motor…boat Club； and； as it was required that two persons be in a craft the
size of the ARROW； the young inventor arranged for the balloonist to
accompany him。 Our hero spent the next few days in tuning up his motor
and in getting the ARROW ready for the contest。
124
… Page 125…
TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR…BOAT（Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa）
The races took place on that side of Lake Carlopa near where Mr。
Hastings lived； and he was one of the officials of the club。 There were
several classes； grade