The silence after the terrific racket was almost startling. For a moment
neither of the aviators spoke. Then Mr. Damon said:
"Do you think you did it, Tom?"
"I don't know. We'll soon find out. They'll have the record." And he
motioned toward the earth, which they were rapidly nearing.
Chapter Fifteen
A Noise in the Night
"Well, did I make it? Make any kind of a record?" asked Tom eagerly, as
he brought the trim little craft to a stop, after it had rolled along
the ground on the bicycle wheels.
"What do you think you did?" asked Mr. Jackson, who had been busy
figuring on a slip of paper.
"Did I get her up to ninety miles an hour?" inquired Tom eagerly. "If I
did, I know when the motor wears down a bit smoother that I can make her
hit a hundred in the race, easily. Did I touch ninety, Mr. Jackson?"
"Better than that, Tom! Better than that!" cried his father.
"Yes," joined in Mr. Jackson. "Allowing for the difference in our
watches, Tom, your father and I figure that you did the course at the
rate of one hundred and twelve miles an hour!"
"One hundred and twelve!" gasped the young inventor, hardly able to
believe it.
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