登陆注册
5146100000044

第44章

IN A DITCH

Through the streets of Shopton went Tom Swift and his friends.News of the big contest the young inventor was about to take part in, had circulated around town, and there were not wanting many to wish him good luck.The lad responded smilingly to the farewells he received.As they passed the bank, Ned Newton came out on the steps.

"Wish I was going along," he called.

"So do I," replied Tom."How's everything? Is the bank all right since the run?" for he had not had time to pay much attention to the institution since his memorable race against time, to get the money.

"Stronger and better than ever," was Ned's answer, as he came to the curb, where Tom slowed up."I hear," he added in a whisper, "that the other fellows are going out of business--Foger and his crowd you know.They loaned money on unsecured notes to make a good showing, and now they can't get it back But we're all right.Hope you win the race.""So do I."

"What will a certain person do while you're away?" went on Ned, with a wink.

"I don't know what you mean," replied Tom, trying not to blush."Do you mean my dad or Mrs.Baggert?""Neither, you old hypocrite you! I meant Miss Mary Nestor.""Oh, hadn't you heard?" inquired Tom innocently."She is going to Long Island to visit some friends, and she'll be at the race.""You lucky dog," murmured Ned with a laugh, as he went into the bank.

Once more the electric auto started off, and was soon on the quiet country road, where Tom speeded it up moderately.He hoped to be able to make the entire distance to the shore cottage on the single charge of current he had put into the battery at home, and, as there was no special need for haste, he wanted to save his power.The machine was running smoothly, and seemed able to make a long race against timeThe travelers ate lunch that day at Pendleton, a town some distance from Shopton.They had covered a substantial part of their trip.After a brief rest they started on again.Tom had planned to spend two days and one night on the road, hoping to be able to reach the shore cottage on the evening of the second day.There, after recharging the battery, he would spend a night, or two, and proceed to the track, ready for the race.

They found the roads fairly good, with bad stretches here and there, which made it necessary for them to slow down.This delayed them, and they found the shadows lengthening, and darkness approaching, when they were still several miles from Burgfield, where they intended to sleep.

"Will it be all right to travel at night?" asked Mr.Damon, a bit nervously.

"Why, are you thinking of hold-up men?" inquired Mr.Sharp.

"No, but I was wondering about the condition of the roads," replied the eccentric man."We don't want to run into a rock, or collide with something.""I guess this will light up the road far enough in advance, so that we can see where we are going," suggested Tom, as he switched on the powerful electric search-light.Though it was not dark enough to illuminate the highway to the best advantage, the powerful gleam shone dazzlingly in front of the swiftly moving auto.

"I guess that will show up every pebble in the road," commented the balloonist.It's very powerful."Tom turned off the light, as, until it was darker, he could see to better advantage unaided by it.He slowed down the speed somewhat, but was still going at a good rate.

"There's a bridge somewhere about here," remarked the lad, when they had gone on a mile further.I remember seeing it on my road map.It's not very strong, and we'll have to run slow over it.""Bless my gizzard, I hope we don't go through it!" cried Mr.Damon."Is your car very heavy, Tom?""Not heavy enough to break the bridge.Ah, there it is.Guess I'll turn on the light so we can see what we're doing."Just ahead of them loomed up the super-structure of a bridge, and Tomturned the searchlight switch.At the instant he did so, whether he did not keep a steady hand on the steering wheel, or whether the auto went into a rut from which it could not be turned, did not immediately develop, but the car suddenly shot from the straight road, and swerved to one side.There was a lurch, and the front wheels sank down.

"Look out! We're going into the river!" yelled Mr.Damon.

Tom jammed on the brakes and shut off the current.The auto came to a sudden stop.The young inventor turned the searchlight downward, to illuminate the ground directly in front of the car.

"Are we in the river?" asked Mr.Sharp.

"No," replied Tom in great chagrin."We're in a muddy ditch.One at the side of the road.Wheels in over the hubs! There should have been a guard rail here.We're stuck for fair!"

同类推荐
  • 六十种曲玉环记

    六十种曲玉环记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说大乘庄严宝王经

    佛说大乘庄严宝王经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Age Of Reason

    The Age Of Reason

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 铜符铁卷

    铜符铁卷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Philosophy 4

    Philosophy 4

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 金光明经玄义拾遗记

    金光明经玄义拾遗记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 凤帐暖:唇情帝王宠上瘾

    凤帐暖:唇情帝王宠上瘾

    狗血!首席鬼医穿成为刺史府庶女,欲火焚身且流落军营;可恶!战神皇帝竟然被蒙住眼睛强了,他颜面何在!她咬牙发誓要杀回刺史府、有仇报仇!他切齿发誓要找出羞辱他的女人,折磨再折磨!结果,她扶着快要被折断的腰,怒踹男人下床,男人一脸得意,“你说我雏鸡技术,这不是让你再验证验证么!再来!”
  • 野秧子

    野秧子

    金钱、美色、权力、良心、正义?同样在农村中浸泡着男人、女人的生活,奇事、嘎事、怪事、趣事也成筐成箩,所不同的是,乡间的那些事比城市的柔媚、嗲气,少了些羞赧和虚伪,更多的是率真和粗犷,甚至是野性,那“一亩三分地儿”里的故事让你想也想不到……
  • 最强商女

    最强商女

    一入战场三载,绣针换大刀。她以面具掩饰恐惧,以沉默咽下痛苦,以鲜血换来安宁,以生死置之度外换来名扬天下。她悔过,怨过,最后却只能抽出大刀挡住敌人的侵犯,护住她身后的五十万百姓,护住她的亲人。可当敌国求和,在她以为一切结束之时,却迷茫了。她是敌人畏惧的哑将军,还是弱质女流商家长女?神秘的杨瑾瑜几番相助是否有何用意?双生之子两不知,是别有用心还是巧合,出言求娶是何居心?谁又是她的良人?王后之弟?商人之子?靖世子?又或者,她要孤老一生,惨死战场?片段一。“你这人心中有魔,折磨自己,也折磨别人,若今个不是我心里不安来瞧瞧你……”杀了我吧。商幼薇一饮而尽,杯子随手一撇,躺回了床上,面朝里,死死盯着黑暗中的虚无,“我杀了他。”杨瑾瑜一愣,下意识问道:“谁?”商幼薇没有说话,闭上了眼睛。杨瑾瑜叹气,眼中皆是怜惜,他凑近,轻轻地吻了一下商幼薇的发丝上一吻,“今个的罪让你背,明个的罪让你背,那不得累死?那男人手没比你干净到哪去,死了倒是除了祸害。”商幼薇默默地流着眼泪,没发出一点声音,可那男人偏偏又是知晓了,搂上商幼薇,轻声的哄着,“人这一辈子,眼泪就那些,可变数何其多,你若为那人流干了眼泪,回头如何和我交代?别去拿别人的错惩罚自己。”“你且安睡,万事有我,反正我比你高,天塌下,我顶着。”片段二闫子悠慢悠悠的走上长廊,一脸的从容不迫,言语中带着调笑的意味,“若是我死了,谁还与你谈婚论嫁?”他瞧见商幼薇渐有冰山便冰川的架势,连忙道:“我现在好歹也是个举人,在加上先前的传言……”还未说完,就被商幼薇打断,“那传言你也有份?”闫子悠笑眯眯道:“不过是推波助澜而已,又不是只有我一人。”商幼薇若有所感,“说交易。”闫子悠立刻收起漫不经心的样子,正色道:“我们来做一个交易,我在考上进士之后向你家提亲,别误会,假成亲而已,之后你所做之事我全不干涉。”商幼薇眼皮子都不抬,倒是有自信,这么有自信的原因是因为自己有本事,还是有人相护。“听起来我占了很大的便宜。”“自然,我也不是全无所图,只是,现在并非说话的时间,你若有兴趣,日后详谈。”说着,闫子悠用眼神示意那边来人了。
  • 莫失莫忘

    莫失莫忘

    打动300000人的告别笔记,秋微销量与口碑齐赞之作。如何遇见不要紧,要紧的是,如何告别。有些人,没有在一起,也好。学会与亲人、挚爱告别是我们一生的功课。十年爱念,四次分离。这是一本关于告别的笔记,写给我们在心底日夜牵挂的人,没有好好说再见的人,还有生命里不能触碰的痛。写尽了温柔的、漫长的、闷声不响的、没有好好准备的告别。总有些人,虽已不在身旁,却给你力量。在绝望、无助、迷茫的日子里,是他们让我们没有放弃希望,不再孤独地行走,这也是他们离开的意义。爱是一生的修行,能安放好感情,就能安放好人生。我们离开了彼此,我们成全了爱。
  • 谁耗尽了谁的青春

    谁耗尽了谁的青春

    五年的时间,让她从一个平凡的女人变成了铁血无情却又优雅高贵的女人,只出现于黑夜,隐藏于暗中,进行着属于自己的报复,一个身份,两个人。手术台上,她生下孩子却连看都没有看一眼,就此失踪,所有人都觉得她已经死了,五年之后,再一次出现在众人的眼中,她是所有人眼中的成功者,优雅美丽,高高在上,但是她却已经是另外的身份,带着属于自己的伪装在形形色色的人中游刃有余的周旋。只是这一份淡定在见到那长的一模一样的一大一小的时候彻底的破裂了。
  • 在路上:生活和思想

    在路上:生活和思想

    人生所有的一切,都在我们必经的路上。我们从远古走来,就如我们必然走向未来一样。没有人能够从摇篮就看到坟墓,却有人能够从自我看到世界、从相对接近绝对、从偶然和有限走向必然和无限,更有人能够从渺小走向伟大、从卑贱走向高尚、从繁芜和浑浊归真于清明和素朴。虽然鲜有生活中的先见之明,却不乏思想中的先知先觉。
  • 无法逃离的宿命

    无法逃离的宿命

    阴谋、冒险、族斗、战争、复仇,背叛……全新的世界观,带着你进行一场玄幻冒险之旅!
  • 万年的还情史

    万年的还情史

    欠债还钱,天经地义。如今欠的却是情债,让这个上辈子的情债,今生偿还。今生也因此成了不死的存在……
  • 王牌设计师:萌妃霓裳天下

    王牌设计师:萌妃霓裳天下

    莫名的穿越,是前世未了情,亦或是今生不解缘?幽幽宫庭,风花雪月的背后是阳谋阴谋,亦或是爱恨离仇。是谁运筹帷幄,掌他人生死大权;又是谁笑颜如初,堪比这万里山河?情丝三千,与君相守。冥冥之中,他与她又该何去何从?且看时尚萌妃,如何玩转大唐天下,如何演绎旷世奇缘。