“Well, then, the sooner we get away from here the better!” suggested the financial manager, and his chum agreed with him.
The work of taking on the gas, oil and other supplies was hastened, and at last the Air Monarch was again ready to hop off. The mechanics had gone carefully over every part of the motors, and they were tuned up to the highest notch of efficiency.
“Well, let’s go!” called Tom when, about three hours after landing in the Lisbon harbor, they were ready to leave again.
The motors roared as the gas was turned on when the starters had turned the flywheels over, and Tom was about to guide his craft down a long, wide lane of water in the bay when Ned exclaimed:
“There goes the Red Arrow!”
Tom turned to see the rival craft making ready to take off, and then he suddenly shut down the motors and let his craft come to a slow stop while the other increased her speed and was ready to take the air.
“What’s the idea?” cried Ned. “Has anything happened?”
“No. But something might if I tried to take off just when Kilborn did,” said Tom quietly. “There’s too much chance of a collision—planned or accidental. Let him get up—I’ll follow. I can do as I please then. Let him go!”
It was evident that the Red Arrow had been waiting for the Air Monarch to lead the way, for just as soon as Tom started the other craft had followed, and when Tom shut down it appeared to puzzle Kilborn and his men. However, they must have imagined that it was only a temporary halt, for they roared on their way, finally leaping into the air from a foam-crested wave and speeding off ahead of Tom Swift.
“Let him go!” the young inventor said. “I can pass him when I need to. But I want a clear field.”