Tom and Ned made some inquiries of Koku and Eradicate as
to whether or not there had been any unusual sights or
sounds about the place. They feared Simpson might have come
to the shop to try to get possession of important drawings
or data.
But all had been quiet, Koku reported Nor had Eradicate
seen or heard anything out of the ordinary.
"Then I guess we'll lock up and turn in," decided Tom.
"Come over to-morrow, Ned."
"I will," promised the young bank clerk. "I want to see
more of what makes the wheels go round." And he laughed at
his own ingenuousness.
The next day Tom showed his friends as much as they cared
to see about the workings of the tank. They inspected the
powerful gasolene engines, saw how they worked the endless
belts made of plates of jointed steel, which, running over
sprocket wheels, really gave the tank its power by providing
great tractive force.
Any self-propelled vehicle depends for its power, either
to move itself or to push or to pull, on its tractive
force--that is, the grip it can get on the ground.
In the case of a bicycle little tractive power is needed,
and this is provided by the rubber tires, which grip the
ground.
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