The mule lazily flicked his ears, but did not stir, and Tom, knowing the process of arousing the animal would take some time, hurried up the hill to where he had left his motor-cycle.  Eradicate was still engaged on the task of trying to arouse his steed to a sense of its duty when the young inventor flashed by on his way home.

“So now you own a broken motor-boat,” observed Mr. Swift when Tom had related the circumstances of the auction.  “Well, now you have it, what are you going to do with it?”

“Fix it, first of all,” replied his son.  “It needs considerable tinkering up, but nothing but what I can do, if you’ll help me.”

“Of course I will.  Do you think you can get any speed out of it?”

“Well, I’m not so anxious for speed.  I wart a good, comfortable boat, and the arrow will be that.  I’ve named it, you see.  I’m going back to Lanton this afternoon, take some tools along, and repair it so I can run the boat over to here.  Then I’ll get at it and fix it up.  I’ve got a plan for you, dad.”

“What is it?” asked the inventor, his rather tired face lighting up with interest.

“I’m going to take you on a vacation trip.”

“A vacation trip?”

“Yes, you need a rest.  You’ve been working, too hard over that gyroscope invention.”

“Yes, Tom, I think I have,” admitted Mr. Swift.  “But I am very much interested in it, and I think I can get it to work.  If I do it will make a great difference in the control of aeroplanes.  It will make them more stable able to fly in almost any wind.  But I certainly have puzzled my brains over some features of it.  However, I don’t quite see what you mean.”

“You need a rest, dad,” said Mr. Swift’s son kindly.  “I want you to forget all about patents, invention, machinery and even the gyroscope for a week or two.  When I get my motor-boat in shape I’m going to take you and Ned Newton up the lake for a cruise.  We can camp out, or, if we had to, we could sleep in the boat.  I’m going to put a canopy on it and arrange some bunks.  It will do you good and perhaps new ideas for your gyroscope may come to you after a rest.”

“Perhaps they will, Tom.  I am certainly tired enough to need a vacation.  It’s very kind of you to think of me in connection with your boat.  But if you’re going to get it this afternoon you’d better start if you expect to get back by night.  I think Mrs. Baggert has dinner ready.”

After the meal Tom selected a number of tools from his, own particular machine shop and carried them down to the dock on the lake, where his two small boats were tied.

“Aren’t you going back on your motor-cycle” asked his father.  “No, Dad, I’m going to row over to Lanton, and, if I can get the arrow fixed, ’I’ll tow my rowboat back.”

“Very well, then you won’t be in any danger from Andy Foger.  I must speak to his father about him.”