“You’re the only person we brought a gift to,” Tom replied. “Your dust collector is full of mineral particles from space-every color of the rainbow.”
At this moment Mr. Hopkins and two other members of the Rocket Commission walked up to claim their sealed instruments. Though much of the data enclosed would not be made public for some time, Mr. Hopkins confirmed that the Star Spear had indeed made an orbital flight around the earth.
As the commissioners congratulated the boys, a reporter came running to the group with a double news flash. Rotzog had been apprehended in Lower California. And secondly, the rival rocket had been unable to finish the race because of a fuel shortage. It had landed on a small island off Bermuda.
“Too bad,” Tom remarked, but his friends did not agree.
Mr. Hopkins stepped forward. Clasping Tom’s hand, he said over a microphone:
“That means you win the race! … The prize of one hundred thousand dollars, and the honor that goes with it, is awarded to eighteen-year-old Tom Swift!”
THE END