Will you let me go, dad?"
Mr. Swift appeared to hesitate.
"It will be fine!" went on Tom. "I would enjoy the trip, and there's
another thing. If we want to keep this matter secret the best plan
would be to let me go on my machine. If those men are on the watch,
they will not think that I have the model. They will think I'm just
going for a pleasure jaunt."
"There's something in that," admitted Mr. Swift, and Tom, seeing
that his father was favorably inclined, renewed his arguments, until
the inventor finally agreed.
"It will be a great trip!" exclaimed Tom. "I'll go all over my machine
now, to see that it's in good shape. You get your papers and model
ready, dad, and I'll take them to Albany for you. The motor-cycle will
come in handy."
But had Tom only known the dangers ahead of him, and the risks he
was to run, he would not have whistled so light heartedly as he went
over every nut and bolt on his machine.
Two days later, the valuable model, having been made into a
convenient package, and wrapped in water-proof paper, was fastened
back of the saddle on the motor-cycle. Tom carefully pinned in an
inside pocket the papers which were to be handed to Mr. Crawford. He
was to meet the lawyer at a hotel in Albany.
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