This was a different matter, and one to which Mr. Sharp did not
object, so it was arranged that a trial should take place after the
regular affairs.

That night was spent in getting the Red Cloud in shape for the
contests of the next day. She was "groomed" until every wire was taut
and every cog, lever and valve working perfectly. Ned Newton helped
all he could. So much has appeared in the newspapers of the races at
Blakeville that I will not devote much space here to them. Suffice it
to say that the Red Cloud easily distanced the big dirigible from
which much was expected. It was a closer contest with the large
triplane, but Tom's airship won, and was given the prize, a fine
silver cup.

As the carnival was a small one, no other craft in a class with the
Red Cloud had been entered, so Tom and Mr. Sharp had to be content
with the one race they won. There were other contests among monoplanes
and biplanes, and the little Frenchman won two races.

"Now for ze affaire wis ze monstaire balloon of ze rouge color!" he
cried, as he alighted from his monoplane while an assistant filled the
gasolene tank. "I will in circles go around you, up and down, zis side
zen ze ozzer, and presto! I am back at ze starting place, before you
have begun. Zen charity shall be ze richair!"

"All right, wait and see," said Tom, easily. But, though he showed
much confidence he asked Mr. Sharp in private, just before the
impromptu contest: "Do you think we can beat him?"

"Well," said the aeronaut, shrugging his shoulders, "you can't tell