Tom Swift and His Wireless Message | Page 9

and the bully continued to write with tantalizing slowness.
"Look here!" exclaimed Tom Swift, with sudden energy. "I'm not going
to stand for this! Either you pull to one side and let me pass, or--"
"Well, what will you do?" demanded the bully.
"I'll shove you to one side, and you can take the consequences!"
"You won't dare to!"
"I won't, eh? Just you watch."
Tom threw forward the lever of his car. There was a hum of the motor,

and the electric moved ahead. Andy had continued to write in the book,
but at this sound he glanced up.
"Don't you dare to bunk into me!" yelled Andy. "If you do I'll sue you
for damages!"
"Get out of the way, or I'll shove you off the road!" threatened Tom,
calmly.
"I'll not go until I get ready."
"Oh, yes you will," responded our hero quietly. He sent his car ahead
slowly but surely. It was within a few feet of the carriage containing
Andy. The bully had dropped his notebook, and was shaking his fist at
Tom.
As for the young inventor he had his plans made. He saw that the horse
was a quiet, sleepy one, that would not run away, no matter what
happened, and Tom only intended to gently push the carriage to one
side, and pass on.
The front of his auto came up against the other vehicle.
"Here, you stop!" cried Andy, savagely.
"It's too late now," answered Tom, grimly.
Andy reached for the horsewhip. Tom put on a little more power, and
the carriage began to slide across the road, but the old horse never
opened his eyes.
"Take that!" cried Andy, raising his whip, with the intention of slashing
Tom across the face, for the front of the auto was open. But the blow
never fell, for, the next instant, the carriage gave a lurch as one of the
wheels slid against a stone, and, as Andy was standing up, and leaning
forward, he was pitched head first out into the road.
"By Jove! I hope I haven't hurt him!" gasped Tom, as he leaped from
his auto, which he had brought to a stop.

The young inventor bent over the bully. There was a little cut on
Andy's forehead, and his face was white. He had been most effectually
knocked out entirely by his own meanness and fault, but, none the less,
Tom was frightened. He raised up Andy's head on his arm, and brushed
back his hair. Andy was unconscious.
CHAPTER IV
MR. DAMON WILL GO ALONG
At first Tom was greatly frightened at the sight of Andy's pale face. He
feared lest the bully might be seriously hurt. But when he realized that
the fall from the carriage, which was a low one, was not hard, and that
Andy had landed on his outstretched hands before his head came in
contact with the earth, our hero was somewhat reassured.
"I wish I had some water, with which to bathe his head," Tom
murmured, and he looked about in vain for some. But it was not needed,
for, a moment later, Andy opened his eyes, and, when he saw Tom
bending over, and holding him, the bully exclaimed:
"Here! You let me go! Don't you hit me again, Tom Swift, or I'll punch
you!"
"I didn't hit you," declared Tom, while Andy tore himself away, and
struggled to his feet.
"Yes, you did, too, hit me!"
"I did not! You tried to strike me with your whip, as I was shoving your
carriage out of the way, which I had a perfect right to do, as you were
blockading the highway. You lost your balance and fell. It was your
own fault."
"Well, you'll suffer for it, just the same, snarled Andy, and then, putting
his hand to his head, and bringing it away, with some drops of blood on
it, he cried out:"

"Oh, I'm hurt! I'm injured! Get a doctor, or maybe I'll bleed to death!"
He began blubbering, for Andy, like all bullies, was a coward.
"You're not hurt," asserted Tom, trying not to laugh. "It's only a scratch.
Next time don't try to blockade the whole street, and you won't get into
trouble. Are you able to drive home; or shall I take you in my car?"
"I wouldn't ride in your car!" snapped the ugly lad. "You go on, and
mind your business now, and I'll pay you back for this, some day. I
could have you arrested!"
"And so could I have you locked up for obstructing traffic. But I'll not.
Your rig isn't damaged, and you'd better drive home."
The old white horse had not moved, and was evidently glad of the rest.
A glance satisfied Tom that the carriage had not been damaged, and,