in vain for his chum among the throng on the streets. "I've
got time to take a stroll down to his house."

Tom was about to cross the street when he was startled by
the sound of an automobile horn loudly blown just at his
side. Then a voice called:

"Hey, there! Git out of the way if you don't want to be
run over!"

He looked up, and saw a car careening along. At the wheel
was the red-haired bully, Andy Foger, and in the tonneau
were Sam Snedecker and Pete Bailey.

"Git out of the way," added Sam, and he grinned
maliciously at Tom.

The latter stepped back, well out of the path of the car,
which was not moving very fast. Just in front of Tom was a
puddle of muddy water. There was no necessity for Andy
steering into it, but he saw his opportunity, and a moment
later one of the big pneumatic tires had plunged into the
dirty fluid, spattering it all over Tom, some even going as
high as his face.

"Ha! ha!" laughed Andy. "Maybe you'll get out of my way
next time, Tom Swift."

The young inventor was almost speechless from righteous
anger. He wiped the mud from his face, glanced down at his