“start the engine! give me some speed!” tom yelled desperately. “i’ve got to zoom!”
he meant, by this, a sudden and sharp lifting of the airship over the whale, as a birdman often zooms to avoid crashing into trees or some obstruction.
luckily, peltok was on duty in the engine compartment. he had shut off power but a short time before, and the cylinders were still hot. in a second the machinist switched on the spark, hoping to start the motors on compression as can sometimes be done. to his delight it happened this time.
with a roar the powerful engines started up, whirring the propellers and giving the craft enough momentum for tom to lift her over the whale’s back.
but so little room was there to spare that afterward, observers in near-by boats declared that the spouting of the whale wet the lower portion of the monarch.
tom could well believe this, for when the big creature, alarmed by the near approach of the air craft, raised its flukes and slammed them down on the surface of the sea, preparatory to sounding, the water was washed in a big wave over the rudders of the air monarch tearing loose some of the stays and guy wires of the elevating surfaces.
it was a narrow escape, and tom realized this as, a little farther on, he brought his craft safely to the calm surface of the bay while behind him the waves were ruffled by the sinking of the whale that was soon lost to sight.
“if this keeps us,” remarked ned whimsically, as he sat on a locker, “i’ll be a nervous wreck after this race. it’s just one bit of excitement and narrow squeak after another.”
“we have had a little more than our share,” admitted tom. “but i think the worst is over now.”
“you sure handled your ship like a veteran!” commended the two shipwrecked sailors.
tom’s arrival at honolulu was greeted with a great demonstration on the part of officials and the populace, some of whom had expected that one or more of the world racers might pass over their islands. so when word came that tom had stopped to take on gasoline and oil, arrangements were made to fête him. but he had little time for any ceremonies although he did consent to be decked with a wreath of flowers—a native custom.
“i want to hop off again as soon as i can,” he told the welcoming delegation, though as politely as possible. “you understand how it is.”
“oh, yes, we understand,” was the reply. “but one of your rivals is here, and he seems to be taking his time.”
“who is it?” asked tom, though he was almost prepared for the answer that came.
“dan kilborn in the red arrow.”
“here ahead of us!” exclaimed ned.
“that isn’t to be wondered at!” remarked tom. “the thing for us to do is to leave ahead of him and keep him at a distance.”
they learned that the red arrow had arrived two days before with a broken cam shaft and that the repairs were nearly completed. on hearing this tom hastened as much as he could the taking on of gas, oil, and other necessities. but when it seemed that they might get under way again a few hours after landing in honolulu, peltok discovered another small burned-out bearing that must be replaced.
“it will not take long,” he said, “as we have spare parts for that. by night we can be moving again.”
“i hope so,” murmured tom.
the two shipwrecked sailors were taken in charge by the captain of a vessel who promised them berths, and tom and ned sent home radiograms telling of their progress up to date.
in spite of peltok’s assertion that it would not take long to replace the burned-out bearing, it did, and he had to amend his calculation so that it would be midnight before the air monarch could take off again.
tom and ned occupied their time by visiting places of interest, and it was when they were coming out of a restaurant that they saw a crowd approaching them. thinking it was only curious ones who wanted to look at the “world fliers,” the two young men paid little heed until they heard a voice they knew saying:
“there’s tom swift now! arrest him! i’ll make the charge!”
tom and ned wheeled about to see dan kilborn facing them. the pilot of the red arrow was in company with a police officer, and again he exclaimed:
“arrest tom swift!”
“on what charge?” asked the officer.
“he tried to kill me!”
“kill you!” shouted tom. “are you crazy?”
“no, i’m perfectly rational!” sneered kilborn. “but i make that charge. a charge of attempting my life! tom swift dropped from his airship a chinaman on my head, severely injuring me.”
and then it came to tom and ned what the rascal meant. he was referring to the time he had set the chinese bandits on to wreck the air monarch. one of the bandits had been carried up by catching hold of a rope as tom sent his craft aloft, but the frightened fellow had loosed his hold and dropped on kilborn’s head.
“arrest tom swift!” again demanded the red arrow pilot.
as he hastened forward, so did the police officer, accompanied by a number of others.
“i am sorry,” said the officer to tom, “that i shall have to take you into custody. there must be a hearing, but probably, since no one was really killed, you will be admitted to bail.”
“you mean that i must submit to arrest and probably lose a day, if not more, arranging for bail on this untrue charge?” asked tom indignantly.
“such is the law,” was the answer.
“it’s a foolish law!” cried ned. “it was kilborn’s own fault that the chinese bandit dropped on him. he sent them to attack us!”
“i did nothing of the sort!” declared kilborn brazenly.
“i must take you into custody, young man,” said the officer. “i am sorry, but this gentleman,” and he pointed to kilborn, “has sworn out a warrant against you, charging you with assault with intent to kill. i must do my duty.”
“all right,” assented tom, with such seeming cheerfulness that ned looked at him curiously. “if i have to go with you i suppose i must. but this is your last trick, kilborn!” the young inventor suddenly cried. “i’m going to play trumps from now on! follow me, ned!”
with a sudden motion tom tripped the officer who had reached out a hand to apprehend him. he pushed the man backward into the midst of his fellows, and then sent a fist full into kilborn’s face, whirling him aside.
then, like a football player, tom turned and ran back into the restaurant, followed by ned, who did not know what to make of it.
“they’ll trap us in here, tom!” panted his chum.
“no, there’s a back way out that leads directly to the beach!” whispered tom. “i noticed that when we were in there. come on. we can beat kilborn yet!”
on they rushed, through the midst of the astonished waiters and patrons in the dining room. out through the kitchen they went and into a back alley. tom had marked the way well, and in a few minutes, leaving a confused and yelling crowd of men behind them, the two reached the harbor, and, engaging a motor launch by the simple but effective method of shoving gold coin into the owner’s hand, were soon aboard the air monarch.
“how about it?” gasped tom to the workmen. “can we start?”
“at once, if there is need!” answered peltok.
“there’s the greatest need in the world if i’m going to win the race!” cried tom.
a minute later the air monarch rose.
