"All right, dad. I guess you'll find I have my lessons."

Tom had graduated with honors from a local academy, and when it came
to a question of going further in his studies, he had elected to
continue with his father for a tutor, instead of going to college.
Mr. Swift was a very learned man, and this arrangement was
satisfactory to him, as it allowed Tom more time at home, so he
could aid his father on the inventive work and also plan things for
himself. Tom showed a taste for mechanics, and his father wisely
decided that such training as his son needed could be given at home
to better advantage than in a school or college.

Lessons over, Tom hurried to his own particular shop, and began
taking apart the damaged motor-cycle.

"First I'll straighten the handle-bars, and then I'll fix the motor
and transmission," he decided. "The front wheel I can buy in town,
as this one would hardly pay for repairing." Tom was soon busy with
wrenches, hammers, pliers and screw-driver. He was in his element,
and was whistling over his task. The motor he found in good
condition, but it was not such an easy task as he had hoped to
change the transmission. He had finally to appeal to his father, in
order to get the right proportion between the back and front gears,
for the motor-cycle was operated by a sprocket chain, instead of a
belt drive, as is the case with some.

Mr. Swift showed Tom how to figure out the number of teeth needed on
each sprocket, in order to get an increase of speed, and as there
was a sprocket wheel from a disused piece of machinery available,