第49章

WINNING THE PRIZE

After making two circuits of the track at moderate speed, Tom turned on more power, deciding to see how the machine would behave on the turns, going at a fast speed.As it happened he forged ahead just as the big red car was coming up behind him.The driver of it took this for a challenge and threw his controller handle forward.

"Come on!" he cried to our hero, when even with him.

Tom did not want to decline the invitation, and the impromptu race was under way.Soon the green car came rushing up, and for two miles the three kept almost in line.It was evident that neither the green nor the red car drivers wanted to "open out," until they saw Tom do so.

He was willing to oblige them, and suddenly increased his speed.They did the same, and went ahead of him.Then Tom turned on a little more juice and got the lead, but the two men were right after him, and they see- sawed like this for two more miles.Then, with a cry the man in the red car, with a sudden burst of speed, left Tom and the green car behind.The green car was soon up to its rival, but Tom decided he would not spurt.

The lad and his friends spent the early part of the night in making a final inspection of the machinery, finding it in good order.Then, with his head filled with visions of the race on the morrow Tom went to bed.He had made inquiries, by telephone, of the friends of Miss Nestor, and learned that she had not arrived.Tom felt a distinct sense of disappointment.

The day of the race could not have been better.It was ideal weather, and conditions at the track were just right.Tom was up early, and went over every inch of his car with a nervous dread that he might find something the matter.

The final details of the race were completed, and the entrants given their numbers and places.Tom drew a good position, not the best, but he had no reason to complain.Half an hour before the start he again telephoned to see if Miss Nestor had arrived, but she had not, and it waswith rather gloomy thoughts that the lad entered his car, in which Mr.Sharp had already taken his place.Mr.Damon went to the grandstand to watch the race.

"I wanted Mary to see me win," thought our hero, for he had grimly set his mind on coming in ahead.

There was a great crowd in the grandstand and scattered about the big track, which took in a large extent of territory.In spite of its size--five miles around--it seemed solidly packed for the entire length with autos, containing gay parties who had come to see the electric contest.There was a band playing gay airs, as Tom guided his machine through the entrance gate, and onto the track.

The judges made their final inspection.There were twenty cars entered, but it was obvious that some of them would not last long, as their battery capacity was not large enough.Their owners might have relied on recharging, but how they could do this under the usual slow system, and hope to win, Tom could not see.He hoped to run the entire distance on the single charge, but, if by some accident part of his current should leak away, his battery could be charged in a short time, by means of his new system, to run for a considerable distance, or he could install a new one already charged, for he had two sets on hand.Tom glanced over the cars of his competitors.They were to be sent away in batches, the affair being a handicap one, with time allowance for the smaller powered cars.Tom noted that his car and the red and the green ones were in the same bunch.Tom's car was purple.

"Are you all ready?" asked the starter of the first group of races."Ready," was the low-voiced response.

"Crack!" went the pistol, and there followed the hum of the motors as the current set the mechanism to work.Forward went the cars, amid the crash of the band and the cheers of the crowd.The big race was under way.

"Do you feel nervous, Tom?" asked Mr.Sharp."Not a bit," replied the lad.

Around and around the track flew the speedy electrics.It was evident that the holding of a meet solely for cars of this character had broughtout many new ideas that would be to the benefit of the industry.Some cars were "freaks" and others, like Tom's, showed a distinct advance over previous styles of construction.

A five-hundred mile race around a track is rather a monotonous affair, except for what happens, and things very soon began to happen at this race.

As Tom had expected, several of the machines were forced to withdraw.Tire troubles beset some, and others found that they were hopelessly out of it because of low power, or lack of battery capacity.

Tom determined not to let the red or the green car gain any advantage over him, and so he watched those two vehicles narrowly.On the other hand, the red and the green electrics were evidently afraid of one another and of Tom.

They all three kept pretty much together for the first thirty miles.By this time the race had settled down into a steady grind.There was some excitement when the steering gear of one car broke, and it crashed Into the fence, injuring the driver, but the race went on.

The young inventor was holding his own with his two chief rivals, and was feeling rather proud of his car, when there came from it a report like a pistol shot.

"Blow out!" yelled Tom desperately, steering to one of the several repair stations on the inner side of the track."Be ready with the extra wheel, Mr.Sharp!""Right you are!" cried the balloonist.The car was scarcely stopped when he had leaped out, and had the lifting jack under the left rear wheel, where the tire had gone to the bad.He and Tom labored like Trojans to take off the wheel, and put on the other.They lost five minutes, and when they got under way again the red and the green cars were three quarters of a lap ahead.

"You've got to catch them!" declared Sharp firmly.