ne shops, in which
father and son, aided by Garret Jackson, the engineer, did their
experimental and constructive work. Their house was not far from Lake
Carlopa, a fairly large body of water, on which Tom often speeded his
motor-boat.

In the first volume of this series, entitled "Tom Swift and His
Motor-Cycle," it was told how he became acquainted with Mr. Wakefield
Damon, who suffered an accident while riding one of the speedy
machines. The accident disgusted Mr. Damon with motor-cycles, and Tom
secured it for a low price. He had many adventures on it, chief among
which was being knocked senseless and robbed of a valuable patent model
belonging to his father, which he was taking to Albany. The attack was
committed by a gang known as the Happy Harry gang, who were acting at
the instigation of a syndicate of rich men, who wanted to secure
control of a certain patent turbine engine which Mr. Swift had invented.

Tom set out in pursuit of the thieves, after recovering from their
attack, and had a strenuous time before he located them.

In the second volume, entitled "Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat," there
was related our hero's adventures in a fine craft which was recovered
from the thieves and sold at auction. There was a mystery connected
with the boat, and for a long time Tom could not solve it. He was
aided, however, by his chum, Ned Newton, who worked in the Shopton
Bank, and also by Mr. Damon and Eradicate Sampson, an aged colored
whitewasher, who formed quite an attachment for Tom.

In his motor-boat Tom had more than one race with Andy Foger, a rich
lad of Shopton, who was a sort of bully. He had red hair and squinty
eyes, and was as mean in character as he was in looks. He and his
cronies, Sam Snedecker and Pete Bailey, made trouble for Tom, chiefly
because Tom managed to beat Andy twice in boat races.

It was while in his motor-boat, Arrow, that Tom formed the acquaintance
of John Sharp, a veteran balloonist. While coming down Lake Carlopa on
the way to the Swift home, which had been entered by thieves, Tom, his
father and Ned Newton, saw a balloon on fire over the lake. Hanging
from a trapeze on it was Mr. Sharp, who had made an ascension from a
fair ground. By hard work on the part of Tom and his friends the
aeronaut was saved, and took up his residence with the Swifts.

His advent was most auspicious, for Tom and his father were then
engaged in perfecting an airship, and Mr. Sharp was able to lend them