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the boat。
〃I don't know。 Some man who bid on the boat at the auction； but who
didn't go high enough；〃 answered the lad。 As he neared the craft the man
sprang out； ran along the lakeshore for a short distance and then
disappeared amid the bushes which bordered the estate of Mr。 Hastings。
Tom hurriedly entered the ARROW。
Did he do any damage？〃 asked Mr。 Hastings。
I guess he didn't have time；〃 responded Tom。 〃But he was tampering
with the lock on the door of the forward compartment。 What's in there？〃
〃Nothing but the gasoline tank。 I keep the bulkhead sliding door
locked on general principles。 I can't imagine what the fellow would want
to open it for。 There's nothing of value in there。 Perhaps he isn't right in
his head。 Was he a tramp？〃
〃No； he was well dressed but he seemed very nervous during the
auction； as if he was disappointed not to have secured the boat。 Yet what
could he want in that compartment？ Have you the key to the lock； Mr。
Hastings？〃
〃Yes； it belongs to you now； Mr。 Swift；〃 and the former owner handed
it to Tom； who quickly unlocked the compartment。 He slid back the door
and peered within； but all he saw was the big galvanized tank。
〃Nothing in there he could want；〃 commented the former owner of the
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TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR…BOAT（Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa）
craft。
〃No；〃 agreed Tom in a low voice。 〃I don't see what he wanted to
open the door for。〃 But the time was to come； and not far off； when Tom
was to discover quite a mystery connected with the forward compartment
of his boat； and the solution of it was fated to bring him into no little
danger。
〃It certainly is odd；〃 went on Mr。 Hastings when； after Tom had
secured the screw driver from his motor…cycle tool bag； he aided the lad in
removing the letters from the bow of the boat 〃Are you sure you don't
know the man？〃
〃No； I never saw him before。 At first I thought his voice sounded like
one of the members of the Happy Harry gang； but when I looked squarely
at him I could not see a bit of resemblance。 Besides； that gang would not
venture again into this neighborhood。〃
〃No； I imagine not。 Perhaps he was only a curious； meddlesome
person。 I have frequently been bothered by such individuals。 They want
to see all the working parts of an automobile or motor… boat； and they don't
care what damage they do by investigating。〃
Tom did not reply； but he was pretty certain that the man in question
had more of an object than mere curiosity in tampering with the boat。
However； he could discover no solution just then； and he proceeded with
the work of taking off the letters。
〃What are you going to do with your boat； now that you have it？〃
asked Mr。 Hastings。 〃Can you run it down to your dock in the condition
in which it is now？〃
〃No； I shall have to go back home； get some tools and fix up the motor。
It will take half a day； at least。 I will come back this afternoon and； have
the boat at my house by night。 That is if I may leave it at your dock
here。〃
〃Certainly； as long as you like。〃
The young inventor had many things to think about as he rode toward
home； and though he was somewhat puzzled over the actions of the
stranger； he forgot about that in anticipating the pleasure he would have
when the motor…boat was in running order。
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TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR…BOAT（Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa）
〃I'll take dad off on a cruise about the lake；〃 he decided。 〃He needs a
rest； for he's been working hard and worrying over the theft of the turbine
motor model。 I'll take Ned Newton for some rides； too； and he can bring
his camera along and get a lot of pictures。 Oh； I'll have some jolly sport
this summer！〃
Tom was riding swiftly along a quiet country road and was
approaching a steep hill； which he could not see until he was close to it；
owing to a sharp turn。
As he was about to swing around it and coast swiftly down the steep
declivity he was startled by hearing a voice calling to him from the bushes
at the side of the road。
〃Hold on； dar I Hold on； Mistah Swift！〃 cried a colored man； suddenly
popping into view。 〃Doan't go down dat hill。〃
〃Why； it's Eradicate Sampson！〃 exclaimed Tom； quickly shutting off
the power and applying the brakes。 〃What's the matter； Rad？ Why
shouldn't I go down that hill？〃
〃Beca'se； Mistah Swift； dere's a pow'ful monstrous tree trunk right
across de road at a place whar yo' cain't see it till yo' gits right on top ob it。
Ef yo' done hit dat ar tree on yo' lickity…split machine； yo' suah would land
in kingdom come。 Doan't go down dat hill！〃
Tom leaped off his machine and approached the colored man。
Eradicate Sampson did odd jobs in the neighborhood of Shopton； and
more than once Tom had done him favors in repairing his lawn mower or
his wood…sawing machine。 In turn Eradicate had given Tom a valuable
clue as to the hiding place of the model thieves。
〃How'd the log get across the road； Rad？〃 asked Tom。
〃I dunno； Mistah Swift。 〃I see it when I come along wid mah mule；
Boomerang； an' I tried t' git it outer de way； but I couldn't。 Den I left
Boomerang an' mah wagon at de foot ob de hill an' I come up heah t' git a
long pole t' pry de log outer de way。 I didn't t'ink nobody would come
along； case dis road ain't much trabeled。〃
〃I took it for a short cut；〃 said the lad。 〃Come on； let's take a look at
the log。〃
Leaving his machine at the top of the slope； the young inventor
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TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR…BOAT（Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa）
accompanied the colored man 'down the hill。 At the foot of it； well
hidden from sight of any one who might come riding down； was a big log。
It was all the way across the road。
〃That never fell there；〃 exclaimed Tom in some excitement。 〃That
never rolled off a load of logs； even if there had been one along； which
there wasn't。 That log was put there！〃
〃Does yo' t'ink dat； Mistah Swift？〃 asked Eradicate； his eyes getting
big。
〃I certainly do； and； if you hadn't warned me； I might have been
killed。〃
〃Oh； I heard yo' lickity…split machine chug…chuggin' along when I were
in de bushes； lookin' for a pryin' pole； an' I hurried out to warn yo。 I
knowed I could leave Boomerang safe； 'case he's asleep。〃
〃I'm glad you did warn me；〃 went on the youth solemnly。 Then； as he
went closer to the log； he uttered an exclamation。
〃That has been dragged here by an automobile！〃 he cried。 〃It's been
done on purpose to injure some one。 Come on； Rad； let's see if we can't
find out who did it。〃
Something on the ground caught Tom's eye。 He stooped and picked
up a nickle…plated wrench。
〃This may come in handy as evidence；〃 he murmured。
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TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR…BOAT（Or The Rivals of Lake Carlopa）
CHAPTER IV
TOM AND ANDY CLASH
Even a casual observer could have told that an auto had had some part
in dragging the log to the place where it blockaded the road。 In the dust
were many marks of the big rubber tires and even the imprint of a rope；
which had been used to tow the tree trunk。
〃What fo' yo' t'ink any one put dat log dere？〃 asked the colored man as
he followed Tom。 Boomerang； the mule； so called because Eradicate
said you never could tell what he was going to do； opened his eyes lazily
and closed them again。 〃I don't know why； Rad； unless they wanted to
wreck an automobile or a wagon。 Maybe tramps did it for spite。〃
〃Maybe some one done it to make yo' hab trouble； Mistah Swif