Tom Swift and His Airship

by

Victor Appleton

Contents

 I An Explosion II Ned Sees Mysterious Men III Whitewashed IV A Trial Trip V Colliding With A Tower VI Getting Off The Roof VII Andy Tries A Trick VIII Winning a Prize IX The Runaway Auto X A Bag of Tools XI The "Red Cloud" Departs XII Some Startling News XIII Mr. Damon in Danger XIV Andy Gives the Clue XV Fired Upon XVI Over a Fiery Furnace XVII "Wanted--For Robbery!" XVIII Back for Vindication XIX Wrecked XX Tom Gets a Clue XXI On the Trail XXII The Sheriff on Board XXIII On To the Camp XXIV The Raid XXV Andy Gets His Reward

Chapter 1

An Explosion

"Are you all ready, Tom?"

"All ready, Mr. Sharp, " replied a young man, who was stationed nearsome complicated apparatus, while the questioner, a dark man, with anervous manner, leaned over a large tank. 

"I'm going to turn on the gas now, " went on the man. "Look out foryourself. I'm not sure what may happen. "

"Neither am I, but I'm ready for it. If it does explode it can't domuch damage. "

"Oh, I hope it doesn't explode. We've had so much trouble with theairship, I trust nothing goes wrong now. "

"Well, turn, on the gas, Mr. Sharp, " advised Tom Swift. "I'll watch thepressure gauge, and, if it goes too high, I'll warn you, and you canshut it off. "

The man nodded, and, with a small wrench in his hand, went to one endof the tank. The youth, looking anxiously at him, turned his gaze nowand then toward a gauge, somewhat like those on steam boilers, whichgauge was attached to an aluminum, cigar-shaped affair, about five feetlong. 

Presently there was a hissing sound in the small frame building wherethe two were conducting an experiment which meant much to them. Thehissing grew louder. 

"Be ready to jump, " advised Mr. Sharp. 

"I will, " answered the lad. "But the pressure is going up very slowly. Maybe you'd better turn on more gas. "

"I will. Here she goes! Look out now. You can't tell what is going tohappen. "

With a sudden hiss, as the powerful gas, under pressure, passed fromthe tank, through the pipes, and into the aluminum container, the handon the gauge swept past figure after figure on the dial. 

"Shut it off!" cried Tom quickly. "It's coming too fast! Shut her off!"

The man sprang to obey the command, and, with nervous fingers, soughtto fit the wrench over the nipple of the controlling valve. Then hisface seemed to turn white with fear. 

"I can't move it!" Mr. Sharp yelled. "It's jammed! I can't shut off thegas! Run! Look out! She'll explode!"

Tom Swift, the young inventor, whose acquaintance some of you havepreviously made, gave one look at the gauge, and seeing that thepressure was steadily mounting, endeavored to reach, and open, astop-cock, that he might relieve the strain. One trial showed him thatthe valve there had jammed too, and catching up a roll of blue printsthe lad made a dash for the door of the shop. He was not a secondbehind his companion, and hardly had they passed out of the structurebefore there was a loud explosion which shook the building, andshattered all the windows in it. 

Pieces of wood, bits of metal, and a cloud of sawdust and shavings flewout of the door after the man and the youth, and this was followed by acloud of yellowish smoke. 

"Are you hurt, Tom?" cried Mr. Sharp, as he swung around to look backat the place where the hazardous experiment had been conducted. 

"Not a bit! How about you?"

"I'm all right. But it was touch and go! Good thing you had the gaugeon or we'd never have known when to run. Well, we've made anotherfailure of it, " and the man spoke somewhat bitterly. 

"Never mind, Mr. Sharp, " went on Tom Swift. "I think it will be thelast mistake. I see what the trouble is now; and know how to remedy it. Come on back, and we'll try it again; that is if the tank hasn't blownup. "

"No, I guess that's all right. It was the aluminum container that wentup, and that's so light it didn't do much damage. But we'd better waituntil some of those fumes escape. They're not healthy to breathe. "

The cloud of yellowish smoke was slowly rolling away, and the man andlad were approaching the shop, which, in spite of the explosion thathad taken place in it, was still intact, when an aged man, coming froma handsome house not far off, called out, "Tom, is anyone hurt?"

"No, dad. We're all right. "

"What happened?"

"Well, we had another explosion. We can't seem to get the right mixtureof the gas, but I think we've had the last of our bad luck. We'regoing to try it again. Up to now the gas has been too strong, the tanktoo weak, or else our valve control is bad. "

"Oh dear, Mr. Swift! Do tell them to be careful!" a woman's voicechimed in. "I'm sure something dreadful will happen! This is about thetenth time something has blown up around here, and--"

"It's only the ninth, Mrs. Baggert, " interrupted Tom, somewhatindignantly. 

"Well, goodness me! Isn't nine almost as bad as ten? There I was, justputting my bread in the oven, " went on Mrs. Baggert, the housekeeper, "and I was so startled that I dropped it, and now the dough is all overthe kitchen floor. I never saw such a mess. "

"I'm sorry, " answered the youth, trying not to laugh. "We'll see thatit doesn't happen again. "

"Yes; that's what you always say, " rejoined the motherly-looking woman, who looked after the interests of Mr. Swift's home. 

"Well, we mean it this time, " retorted the lad. "We see where ourmistake was; don't we. Mr. Sharp?"

"I think so, " replied the other seriously. 

"Come on back, and we'll see what damage was done, " proposed Tom. "Maybe we can rig up another container, mix some fresh gas, and makethe final experiment this afternoon. "

"Now do be careful, " cautioned Mr. Swift, the aged inventor, once more. "I'm afraid you two have set too hard a task for yourselves this time. "

"No we haven't, dad, " answered his son. "You'll see us yet skimmingalong above the clouds. "

"Humph! If you go above the clouds I shan't be very likely to see you. But go slowly, now. Don't blow the place up again. "

Mr. Swift went into the house, followed by Mrs. Baggert, who was loudlybewailing the fate of her bread. Tom and Mr. Sharp started toward theshop where they had been working. It was one of several buildings, built for experimental purposes and patent work by Mr. Swift, near hishome. 

"It didn't do so very much damage, " observed Tom, as he peered inthrough a window, void of all the panes of glass. "We can start rightin. "

"Hold on! Wait! Don't try it now!" exclaimed Mr. Sharp, who talked inshort, snappy sentences, which, however, said all he meant. "The fumesof that gas aren't good to breathe. Wait, until they have blown away. It won't be long. It's safer. "

He began to cough, choking from the pungent odor, and Tom felt anunpleasant tickling sensation in his throat. 

"Take a walk around, " advised Mr. Sharp. "I'll be looking over the blueprints. Let's have 'em. "

Tom handed over the roll he had grabbed up when he ran from the shop, just before the explosion took place, and, while his companion spreadthem out on his knee, as he sat on an upturned barrel, the lad walkedtoward the rear of the large yard. It was enclosed by a high boardfence, with a locked gate, but Tom, undoing the fastenings, stepped outinto a broad, green meadow at the rear of his father's property. As hedid so he saw three boys running toward him. 

"Hello!" exclaimed our hero. "There are Andy Foger, Sam Snedecker andPete Bailey. I wonder what they're heading this way for?"

On the trio came, increasing their pace as they caught sight of Tom. Andy Foger, a red-haired and squint-eyed lad, a sort of town bully, with a rich and indulgent father, was the first to reach the younginventor. 

"How--how many are killed?" panted Andy. 

"Shall we go for doctors?" asked Sam. 

"Can we see the place?" blurted out Pete, and he had to sit down on thegrass, he was so winded. 

"Killed? Doctors?" repeated Tom, clearly much puzzled. "What are youfellows driving at, anyhow?"

"Wasn't there a lot of people killed in the explosion we heard?"demanded Andy, in eager tones. 

"Not a one, " replied Tom. 

"There was an explosion!" exclaimed Pete. "We heard it, and you can'tfool us!"

"And we saw the smoke, " added Snedecker. 

"Yes, there was a small explosion, " admitted Tom, with a smile, "but noone was killed; or even hurt. We don't have such things happen in ourshops. "

"Nobody killed?" repeated Andy questioningly, and the disappointmentwas evident in his tones. 

"Nobody hurt?" added Sam, his crony, and he, too, showed his chagrin. 

"All our run for nothing, " continued Pete, another crony, in disgust. 

"What happened?" demanded the red-haired lad, as if he had a right toknow. "We were walking along the lake road, and we heard an awfulracket. If the police come out here, you'll have to tell what it was, Tom Swift. " He spoke defiantly. 

"I've no objection to telling you or the police, " replied Tom. "Therewas an explosion. My friend, Mr. Sharp, the balloonist, and I wereconducting an experiment with a new kind of gas, and it was too strong, that's all. An aluminum container blew up, but no particular damage wasdone. I hope you're satisfied. "

"Humph! What you making, anyhow?" demanded Andy, and again he spoke asif he had a right to know. 

"I don't know that it's any of your business, " Tom came back at himsharply, "but, as everyone will soon know, I may as well tell you. We're building an airship. "

"An airship?" exclaimed Sam and Pete in one breath. 

"An airship?" queried Andy, and there was a sneer in his voice. "Well, I don't think you can do it, Tom Swift! You'll never build an airship;even if you have a balloonist to help you!"

"I won't, eh?" and Tom was a trifle nettled at the sneering manner ofhis rival. 

"No, you won't! It takes a smarter fellow than you are to build anairship that will sail. I believe I could beat you at it myself. "

"Oh, you think you could?" asked Tom, and this time he had mastered hisemotions. He was not going to let Andy Foger make him angry. "Maybeyou can beat me at racing, too?" he went on. "If you think so, bringout your Red Streak and I'll try the Arrow against her. I beat youtwice, and I can do it again!"

This unexpected taunt disconcerted Andy. It was the truth, for, morethan once had Tom, in his motor-boat, proved more than a match for thesquint-eyed bully and his cronies. 

"Go back at him, Andy, " advised Sam, ire low voice. "Don't take any ofhis guff!"

"I don't intend to, " spluttered Andy. "Maybe you did beat me in theraces, because my motor wasn't working right, " he conceded, "but youcan't do it again. Anyhow, that's got nothing to do with an airship. I'll bet you can't make one!"

"I don't bet, " replied Tom calmly, "but if you wait a few weeks you'llsee me in an airship, and then, if you want to race the Red Streakagainst that, I'll accommodate you. Or, if you want to enter into acompetition to build a dirigible balloon or an aeroplane I'm willing. "

"Huh! Think you're smart, don't you? Just because you helped save thatballoonist from being killed when his balloon caught fire, " went onAndy, for want of something better to say. "But you'll never build anairship!"

"Of course he won't!" added Sam and Pete, bound to side with theircrony, to whom they were indebted for many automobile and motor-boatrides. 

"Just wait, " advised Tom, with a tantalizing smile. "Meanwhile, if youwant to try the Red Streak against the Arrow, I'm willing. I have anhour or so to spare. "

"Aw, keep still!" muttered Andy, much discomfited, for the defeat ofhis speedy boat, by a much smaller and less powerful one, was a sorepoint with him. "You just wait, that's all. I'll get even with you!"

"Look here!" cried Tom, suddenly. "You always say that whenever I getthe best of you. I'm sick of hearing it. I consider that a threat, andI don't like it. If you don't look out, Andy Foger, you'll have troublewith me, and at no very distant date!"

Tom, with flashing eyes, and clenched fists, took a step forward. Andyshrank back. 

"Don't be afraid of him, " advised Sam. "We'll stand by you, Andy. "

"I ain't afraid, " muttered the red-haired lad, but it was noticed thathe shuffled off. "You just wait, I'll fix you, " he added to Tom. Thebully was plainly in a rage. 

The young inventor was about to reply, and, possibly would have made amore substantial rejoinder to Andy than mere words, when the gateopened, and Mr. Sharp stepped out. 

"The fumes have all cleared away, Tom, " he said. "We can go in theshop, now. "

Without further notice of Andy Foger, Tom Swift turned aside, andfollowed the aeronaut into the enclosed yard. 

Chapter 2

Ned Sees Mysterious Men

"Who were those fellows?" asked the balloonist, of his companion. 

"Oh, some chaps who think we'll never build our airship, Mr. Sharp. Andy Foger, and his crowd. "

"Well, we'll show them whether we will or not, " rejoined the man. "I've just thought of one point where we made a mistake. Your fathersuggested it to me. We need a needle valve in the gas tank. Then we cancontrol the flow of vapor better. "

"Of course!" cried Tom. "Why didn't I think of that? Let's try it. " Andthe pair hurried into the machine shop, eager to make another test, which they hoped would be more successful. 

The young inventor, for Tom Swift was entitled to that title, havingpatented several machines, lived with his father, Barton Swift, on theoutskirts of the small town of Shopton, in New York State. Mr. Swiftwas quite wealthy, having amassed a considerable fortune from severalof his patents, as he was also an inventor. Tom's mother had been deadsince he was a small child, and Mrs. Baggert kept house for the widowerand his son. There was also, in their household, an aged engineer, named Garret Jackson, who attended to the engine and boilers thatoperated machinery and apparatus in several small shops that surroundedthe Swift homestead; for Mr. Swift did most of his work at home. 

As related in the first volume of this series, entitled "Tom Swift andHis Motor-Cycle, " the lad had passed through some strenuous adventures. A syndicate of rich men, disappointed in a turbine motor they hadacquired from a certain inventor, hired a gang of scoundrels to getpossession of a turbine Mr. Swift had invented. Just before they madethe attempt, however, Tom became possessed of a motor-cycle. It hadbelonged to a wealthy man, Mr. Wakefield Damon, of Waterford, near LakeCarlopa, which body of water adjoined the town of Shopton; but Mr. Damon had two accidents with the machine, and sold it to Tom cheap. Tomwas riding his motorcycle to Albany, to deliver his father's model ofthe turbine motor to a lawyer, in order to get a patent on it, when hewas attacked by the gang of bad men. These included Ferguson Appleson, Anson Morse, Wilson Featherton, alias Simpson, Jake Burke, alias HappyHarry, who sometimes masqueraded as a tramp, and Tod Boreck, aliasMurdock. These men knocked Tom unconscious, stole the valuable modeland some papers, and carried the youth away in their automobile. 

Later the young inventor, following a clue given him by EradicateSampson, an aged colored man, who, with his mule, Boomerang, went aboutthe country doing odd jobs, got on the trail of the thieves in adeserted mansion in the woods at the upper end of the lake. Our hero, with the aid of Mr. Damon, and some friends of the latter, raided theold house, but the men escaped. 

In the second book of the series, called "Tom Swift and HisMotor-Boat, " there was related the doings of the lad, his father andhis chum, Ned Newton, on Lake Carlopa. Tom bought at auction, amotor-boat the thieves had stolen and damaged, and, fixing it up, madea speedy craft of it so speedy, in fact that it beat the racing-boatRed Streak--owned by Andy Foger. But Tom did more than race in hisboat. He took his father on a tour for his health, and, during Mr. Swift's absence from home, the gang of bad men stole some of theinventor's machinery. Tom set out after them in his motor boat, but thescoundrels even managed to steal that, hoping to get possession of apeculiar and mysterious treasure in it, and Tom had considerabletrouble. 

Among other things he did when he had his craft, was to aid a Miss MaryNestor, who, in her cousin's small boat, the Dot, was having troublewith the engine, and you shall hear more of Miss Nestor presently, forshe and Tom became quite friendly. Events so shaped themselves thatAndy Foger was glad to loan Tom the Red Streak in which to search forthe stolen Arrow, and it was in the later craft that Tom, his fatherand Ned Newton had a most thrilling adventure. 

They were on their way down the lake when, in the air overhead they sawa balloon on fire, with a man clinging to the trapeze. They managed tosave the fellow's life, after a strenuous endeavor. The balloonist, John Sharp, was destined to play quite a part in Tom's life. 

Mr. Sharp was more than an aeronaut--he was the inventor of anairship--that is, he had plans drawn for the more important parts, buthe had struck a "snag of clouds, " as he expressed it, and could notmake the machine work. His falling in with Mr. Swift and his son seemedprovidential, for Tom and his father were at once interested in theproject for navigating the upper air. They began a study of Mr. Sharp'splans, and the balloonist was now in a fair way to have the difficultysolved. 

His airship was, primarily an aeroplane, but with a sustaining aluminumcontainer, shaped like a cigar, and filled with a secret gas, madepartly of hydrogen, being very light and powerful. It was testing theeffect of this gas on a small model of the aluminum container that theexplosion, told of in the first chapter, occurred. In fact it was onlyone of several explosions, but, as Tom said, all the while they wereeliminating certain difficulties, until now the airship seemed almost afinished thing. But a few more details remained to be worked out, andMr. Swift and his son felt that they could master these. 

So it was with a feeling of no little elation, that the young inventorfollowed Mr. Sharp into the shop. The balloonist, it may be explained, had been invited to live with the Swifts pending the completion of theairship. 

"Do you think we'll get on the right track if we put the needle valvein?" asked Tom, as he noted with satisfaction that the damage from theexplosion was not great. 

"I'm sure we will, " answered the aeronaut. "Now let's make anothermodel container, and try the gas again. "

They set to work, with Mr. Swift helping them occasionally, and GarretJackson, the engineer, lending a hand whenever he was needed. All thatafternoon work on the airship progressed. The joint inventors of itwanted to be sure that the sustaining gas bag, or aluminum container, would do its work properly, as this would hold them in the air, andprevent accidents, in case of a stoppage of the engine or propellers. 

The aeroplane part of the airship was all but finished, and the motor, a powerful machine, of new design, built by Mr. Swift, was ready to beinstalled. 

All that afternoon Tom, his father and Mr. Sharp labored in the shop. As it grew dusk there sounded from the house the ringing of a bell. 

"Supper time, " remarked Tom, laying aside a wrench. "I wish Mrs. Baggert would wait about an hour. I'd have this valve nearly done, then. "

But the housekeeper was evidently not going to wait, for her voicesupplemented the bell. 

"Supper! Sup-per!" she called. "Come now, Mr. Swift; Tom, Mr. Sharp! Ican't wait any longer! The meat and potatoes will be spoiled!"

"I s'pose we'd better go in, " remarked Mr. Sharp, with something of asigh. "We can finish to-morrow. "

The shop, where certain parts of the airship were being made, wasdoubly locked, and Jackson, the engineer, who was also a sort ofwatchman, was bidden to keep good guard, for the fear of the gang ofunscrupulous men, who had escaped from jail during a great storm, wasstill in the minds of Mr. Swift and his son. 

"And give an occasional look in the shed, where the aeroplane is, "advised Mr. Sharp. "It wouldn't take much to damage that, now. "

"I'll pay particular attention to it, " promised the engineer. "Don'tworry, Mr. Sharp. "

After supper the three gathered around the table on which were spreadout sheets of paper, covered with intricate figures and calculations, which Mr. Swift and the balloonist went over with care. Tom wasexamining some blue prints, which gave a sectional view of the proposedship, and was making some measurements when the bell rang, and Mrs. Baggert ushered in Ned Newton, the most particular chum of the younginventor. 

"Hello, Ned!" exclaimed Tom. "I was wondering what had become of you. Haven't seen you in a dog's age. "

"That's right, " admitted Ned. "We've been working late nights at thebank. Getting ready for the regular visit of the examiner, who usuallycomes along about this time. Well, how are things going; and how is theairship?" for, of course, Ned had heard of that. 

"Oh, pretty good. Had another explosion today, I s'pose you heard. "

"No, I hadn't. "

"I thought everyone in town had, for Andy Foger and his two cronieswere on hand, and they usually tell all they know. "

"Oh, Andy Foger! He makes me sick! He was scooting up the street in hisauto just as I was coming in, 'honking-honking' his horn to beat theband! You'd think no one ever had an auto but him. He certainly wasgoing fast. "

"Wait until I get in our airship, " predicted Tom. "Then I'll show youwhat speed is!"

"Do you really think it will go fast?"

"Of course it will! Fast enough to catch Anson Morse and his crowd ofscoundrels if we could get on their track. "

"Why, I thought they were in jail, " replied Ned, in some surprise. "Weren't they arrested after they stole your boat?"

"Yes, and put in jail, but they managed to get out, and now they'refree to make trouble for us again. "

"Are you sure they're out of jail?" asked Ned, and Tom noted that hischum's face wore an odd look. 

"Sure? Of course I am. But why do you ask?"

Ned did not answer for a moment. He glanced at Tom's father, and theyoung inventor understood. Mr. Swift was getting rather along in age, and his long years of brain work had made him nervous. He had a greatfear of Morse and his gang, for they had made much trouble for him inthe past. Tom appreciated his chum's hesitancy, and guessed that Nedhad something to say that he did not want Mr. Swift to hear. 

"Come on up to my room, Ned. I've got something I want to show you, "exclaimed Tom, after a pause. 

The two lads left the room, Tom glancing apprehensively at his father. But Mr. Swift was so engrossed, together with the aeronaut, in makingsome calculations regarding wind pressure, that it is doubtful ifeither of the men were aware that the boys had gone. 

"Now what is it, Ned?" demanded our hero, when they were safe in hisapartment. "Something's up. I can tell by your manner. What is it?"

"Maybe it's nothing at all, " went on his chum. "If I had known, thoughthat those men had gotten out of jail, I would have paid more attentionto what I saw to-night, as I was leaving the bank to come here. "

"What did you see?" demanded Tom, and his manner, which had been calm, became somewhat excited. 

"Well, you know I've been helping the paying-teller straighten up hisbooks, " went on the young bank employee, "and when I came out tonight, after working for several hours, I was glad enough to hurry away fromthe 'slave-den, ' as I call it. I almost ran up the street, not lookingwhere I was going, when, just as I turned the corner, I bumped into aman. "

"Nothing suspicious or wonderful in that, " commented Tom. "I've oftenrun into people. "

"Wait, " advised Ned. "To save myself from falling I grabbed the man'sarm. He did the same to me, and there we stood, for a moment, rightunder a gas lamp. I looked down at his hands, and I saw that on thelittle finger of the left one there was tattooed a blue ring, and--"

"Happy Harry--the tramp!" exclaimed Tom, now much excited. "That'swhere he wears a tattooed ring!"

"That's what I thought you had told me, " resumed Ned, "but I didn't payany attention to it at the time, as I had no idea that the men were outof jail. "

"Well, what else happened?" inquired Tom

"Not much more. I apologized to the man, and he to me, and we let go ofeach other. "

"Are you sure about the ring on his finger?"

"Positive. His hand was right in the light. But wait, that isn't all. I hurried on, not thinking much about it, when, I saw another man stepout of the dark shadows of Peterby's grocery, just beyond the bank. The man must have mistaken me for some one else, for he spoke to me. "

"What did he say?"

"He asked me a question. It was: 'Is there any chance to-night?'"

"What did you tell him?"

"Well, I was so surprised that I didn't know what to say, and, before Icould get my wits together the man had seen his mistake and hurried on. He joined the man I had collided with, and the two skipped off in thedarkness. But not before a third man had come across the street, fromin front of the bank, and hurried off with them. "

"Well?" asked Tom, as his chum paused. 

"I don't know what to think, " resumed Ned. "These men were certainlyacting suspiciously, and, now that you tell me the Anson Morse gang isnot locked up--well, it makes me feel that these must be some of theircrowd. "

"Of course they are!" declared Tom positively. "That blue ring provesit!"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that, " declared Ned. "The man certainlyhad a blue ring tattooed on his finger--the same finger where you sayHappy Harry had his. But what would the men be doing in thisneighborhood? They certainly have had a lesson not to meddle with anyof your things. "

"No, I don't believe they are after any of dad's inventions this time. But I tell you what I do believe. "

"What?"

"Those men are planning to rob the Shopton Bank, Ned! And I advise youto notify the officers. That Morse gang is one of the worst in thecountry, " and Tom, much excited, began to pace the room, while Ned, whohad not dreamed of such an outcome to his narrative, looked startled. 

Chapter 3

Whitewashed

"Let's tell your father, Tom, " suggested Ned, after a pause. "He'llknow what to do. "

"No, I'd rather not, " answered the young inventor quickly. "Dad has hadtrouble enough with these fellows, and I don't want him to worry anymore. Besides, he is working on a new invention, and if I tell himabout the Happy Harry gang it will take his attention from it. "

"What invention is he planning now?"

"I don't know, but it's something important by the way he keeps at it. He hardly spares time to help Mr. Sharp and me on the airship. No, we'll keep this news from dad. "

"Then I'll inform the bank officials, as you suggest. If the place wasrobbed they might blame me; if they found out I had seen the men afailed to tell them. "

"Well, that gang would only be too glad to have the blame fall on someone else. "

Tom little knew how near the truth he had come in his chanceexpression, or how soon he himself was to fall under suspicion inconnection with this same band of bad men. 

"I'll telephone to the president on my way home, " decided Ned, "and hecan notify the watchman at the bank. But do you really expect to haveyour airship in shape to fly soon?"

"Oh, yes. Now that we have found out our mistake about the gas, therest will be easy. "

"I think I'd like to take a trip in one myself, if it didn't go toohigh, " ventured Ned. 

"I'll remember that, when we have ours completed, " promised his chum, "and I'll take you for a spin. "

The boys talked for perhaps an hour longer, mostly about the airship, for it was the latest mechanical affair in which Tom was interested, and, naturally, foremost in his thoughts. Then Ned went home first, however, telephoning from Tom's house to the bank president abouthaving seen the suspicious men. That official thanked his youngemployee, and said he would take all necessary precautions. Thetelephone message was not sent until Mr. Swift was out of hearing, asTom was determined that his father should have no unnecessary worryabout the unscrupulous men. As it was, the news that the gang was outof jail had caused the aged inventor some alarm. 

It was not without some anxiety that Tom arose the next morning, fearing he would hear news that the bank had been broken into, but nosuch alarming report circulated in Shopton. In fact having made someinquiries that day of Ned, he learned that no trace had been seen ofthe mysterious men. The police had been on the lookout, but they hadseen nothing of them. 

"Maybe, after all, they weren't the same ones, " suggested Ned, when hepaid Tom another visit the next night. 

"Well, of course it's possible that they weren't, " admitted the younginventor. "I'd be very glad to think so. Even if they were, yourencounter with them may have scared them off; and that would be a goodthing. "

The next two weeks were busy ones for Tom and Mr. Sharp. Aidedoccasionally by Mr. Swift, and with Garret Jackson, the engineer, tolend a hand whenever needed, the aeronaut and the owner of the speedyArrow made considerable progress on their airship. 

"What is your father so busy over?" asked Mr. Sharp one day, when thenew aluminum gas holder was about completed. 

"I don't know, " answered Tom, with a somewhat puzzled air. "He doesn'tseem to want to talk about it, even to me. He says it willrevolutionize travel along a certain line, but whether he is working onan airship that will rival ours, or a new automobile, I can't make out. He'll tell us in good time. But when do you think we will finishthe--well, I don't know what to call it--I mean our aeroplane?"

"Oh, in about a month now. That's so, though, we haven't a name for it. But we'll christen it after it's completed. Now if you'll tighten upsome of those bolts I'll get the gas generating apparatus in readinessfor another test. "

A short description of the new airship may not be out of place now. Itwas built after plans Mr. Sharp had shown to Tom and his father soonafter the thrilling rescue of the aeronaut from the blazing balloonover Lake Carlopa. The general idea of the airship was that of thefamiliar aeroplane, but in addition to the sustaining surfaces of theplanes, there was an aluminum, cigar-shaped tank, holding a new andvery powerful gas, which would serve to keep the ship afloat even whennot in motion. 

Two sets of planes, one above the other, were used, bringing theairship into the biplane class. There were also two large propellers, one in front and the other at the rear. These were carefully made, ofdifferent layers of wood "built up" as they are called, to make themstronger. They were eight feet in diameter, and driven by atwenty-cylinder, air-cooled, motor, whirled around at the rate offifteen hundred revolutions a minute. When operated at full speed theairship was capable of making eighty miles an hour, against a moderatewind. 

But if the use of the peculiarly-shaped planes and the gas container, with the secret but powerful vapor in it were something new in airshipconstruction, so was the car in which the operator and travelers wereto live during a voyage. It was a complete living room, with the engineand other apparatus, including that for generating the gas, in aseparate compartment, and the whole was the combined work of Tom andMr. Sharp. There were accommodations for five persons, with sleepingberths, a small galley or kitchen, where food could be prepared, andseveral easy chairs where the travelers could rest in comfort whileskimming along high in the air, as fast as the fastest railroad train. 

There was room enough to carry stores for a voyage of a week or more, and enough gas could be manufactured aboard the ship, in addition tothat taken in the aluminum case before starting, to sustain the shipfor two weeks. The engine, steering apparatus, and the gas machine werewithin easy reach and control of the pilot, who was to be stationed ina small room in the "bow" of the ship. An electric stove served to warmthe interior of the car, and also provided means for cooking the food. 

The airship could be launched either by starting it along the ground, on rubber-tired wheels, as is done in the case of the ordinaryaeroplane, or it could be lifted by the gas, just as is done with aballoon. In short there were many novel features about the ship. 

The gas test, which took place a few days later, showed that the younginventor and Mr. Sharp had made no mistake this time. No explosionfollowed, the needle valve controlling the powerful vapor perfectly. 

"Well, " remarked Mr. Sharp, one afternoon, "I think we shall put theship together next week, Tom, and have a trial flight. We shall need afew more aluminum bolts, though, and if you don't mind you might jumpon your motor-cycle and run to Mansburg for them. Merton's machine shopought to have some. "

Mansburg was the nearest large city to Shopton, and Merton was amachinist who frequently did work for Mr. Swift. 

"All right, " agreed Tom. "I'll start now. How many will you need?"

"Oh, a couple of dozen. "

Tom started off, wheeling his cycle from the shed where it was kept. As he passed the building where the big frame of the airship, with theplanes and aluminum bag had been assembled, he looked in. 

"We'll soon be flying through the clouds on your back, " he remarked, speaking to the apparatus as if it could understand. "I guess we'llsmash some records, too, if that engine works as well when it'sinstalled as it does now. "

Tom had purchased the bolts, and was on his way back with them, when, as he passed through one of the outlying streets of Mansburg, somethingwent wrong with his motor-cycle. He got off to adjust it, finding thatit was only a trifling matter, which he soon put right, when he wasaware of a man standing, observing him. Without looking up at the man'sface, the young inventor was unpleasantly aware of a sharp scrutiny. Hecould hardly explain it, but it seemed as if the man had evilintentions toward him, and it was not altogether unexpected on Tom'spart, when, looking up, he saw staring at him, Anson Morse, the leaderof the gang of men who had caused such trouble for him. 

"Oh, it's you; is it?" asked Morse, an ugly scowl on his face. "Ithought I recognized you. " He moved nearer to Tom, who straightened up, and stood leaning on his wheel. 

"Yes; it's me, " admitted the lad. 

"I've been looking for you, " went on Morse. "I'm not done with you yet, nor your father, either. "

"Aren't you?" asked Tom, trying to speak coolly, though his heart wasbeating rather faster than usual. Morse had spoken in a threateningmanner, and, as the youth looked up and down the street he saw that itwas deserted; nor were there any houses near. 

"No, I'm not, " snapped the man. "You got me and my friends in a lot oftrouble, and--"

"You didn't get half what you deserved!" burst out Tom, indignant atthe thought of what he and his father had suffered at the hands of thegang. "You ought to be in jail now, instead of out; and if I could seea policeman, I'd have you arrested for threatening me! That's againstthe law!"

"Huh! I s'pose you think you know lots about the law, " sneered Morse. "Well, I tell you one thing, if you make any further trouble for me, I'll--"

"I'll make all the trouble I can!" cried Tom, and he boldly faced theangry man. "I'm not afraid of you!"

"You'd better be!" and Morse spoke in a vindictive manner. "We'll geteven with you yet, Tom Swift. In fact I've a good notion now to giveyou a good thrashing for what you've done. "

Before Tom was aware of the man's intention, Morse had stepped quicklyinto the street, where the lad stood beside his wheel, and grasped himby the shoulder. He gave Tom a vicious shake. 

"Take your hand off me!" cried Tom, who was hampered by having to holdup his heavy machine. 

"I will when I've given you what I owe you!" retorted the scoundrel. "I'm going to have satisfaction now if I never--"

At that instant there came from down the street the sound of a rattlingand bumping. Tom looked up quickly, and saw approaching a rattletrap ofa wagon, drawn by a big, loose-jointed mule, the large ears of whichwere flapping to and fro. The animal was advancing rapidly, in responseto blows and words from the colored driver, and, before the upliftedfist of Morse could fall on Tom's head, the outfit was opposite them. 

"Hold on dar, mistah! Hold on!" cried the colored man in the wagon. "What are yo' doin' to mah friend, Mistah Swift?"

"None of your business!" snapped Morse. "You drive on and let me managethis affair if you don't want trouble! Who are you anyhow?"

"Why doan't yo' know me?" asked the colored man, at whom Tom lookedgratefully. "I's Eradicate Sampson, an' dish yeah am mah mule, Boomerang. Whoa, Boomerang! I reckon yo' an' I better take a hand indish yeah argument. "

"Not unless you want trouble!" cried Morse. 

"I doan't mind trouble, not in de leastest, " answered Eradicatecheerfully. "Me an' Boomerang has had lots of trouble. We's used to it. No, Mistah Man, you'd better let go ob mah friend, Mistah Swift, if yo'doan't want trouble yo' ownse'f. "

"Drive on, and mind your business!" cried Morse, now unreasoninglyangry. "This is my affair, " and he gave Tom a shake. 

Our hero was not going to submit tamely, however. He had one hand free, and raised to strike Morse, but the latter, letting go his hold on thelad's shoulder, grasped with that hand, the fist which the younginventor had raised. Then, with his other hand, the scoundrel was aboutto hit Tom. 

"Break away four him, Mistah Swift!" directed the colored man. "Yo' canfight him, den!"

"I guess he'll have his own troubles doing that, " sneered Morse. 

"Not ef I help him, " answered Eradicate promptly, as he climbed backoff the seat, into the body of his ramshackle vehicle. 

"Don't you interfere with me!" stormed the man. 

An instant later Tom broke away from his tormentor, and laid hismotor-cycle on the ground, in order to have both hands free for theattack he felt would follow. 

"Ha! You think you're going to escape, do you?" cried Morse, as hestarted toward Tom, his eyes blazing. "I'll show you who you're dealingwith!"

"Yes, an' I reckon I'll show yo' suffin yo' ain't lookin' fer!"suddenly cried Eradicate. 

With a quick motion he picked up a pail of white-wash from his wagon, and, with sure aim, emptied the contents of the bucket over Morse, whowas rushing at Tom. The white fluid spread over the man from head tofoot, enveloping him as in a white shroud, and his advance wasinstantly checked. 

"Dar! I reckon dat's de quickest white-washin' job I done in sometime!" chuckled Eradicate, as he grasped his long handled brush, andclambered down from the wagon, ready for a renewal of the hostilitieson the part of Morse. "De bestest white-washin' job I done in sometime; yais, sah!"

Chapter 4

A Trial Trip

There was no fear that Anson Morse would return to the attack. Blindedby the whitewash which ran in his eyes, but which, being slaked, didnot burn him, he grouped blindly about, pawing the air with hisoutstretched hands. 

"You wait! You wait! You'll suffer for this!" he spluttered, as soon ashe could free his mouth from the trickling fluid. Then, wiping it fromhis face, with his hands, as best he could, he shook his fist at Tom. "I'll pay you and that black rascal back!" he cried. "You wait!"

"I hopes yo' pays me soon, " answered Eradicate, "'case as how datwhitewash was wuff twenty-five cents, an' I got t' go git mo' to finishdoin' a chicken coop I'm wurkin' on. Whoa, oar Boomerang. Dere ain'tgoin' t' be no mo' trouble I reckon. "

Morse did not reply. He had been most unexpectedly repulsed, and, withthe white-wash dripping from his garments, he turned and fairly rantoward a strip of woodland that bordered the highway at that place. 

Tom approached the colored man, and held out a welcoming hand. 

"I don't know what I'd done if you hadn't come along, Rad, " the ladsaid. "That fellow was desperate, and this was a lonely spot to beattacked. Your whitewash came in mighty handy. "

"Yais, sah, Mistah Swift, dat's what it done. I knowed I could use iton him, ef he got too obstreperous, an' dat's what he done. But I weregoin' to fight him wif mah bresh, ef he'd made any more trouble. "

"Oh, I fancy we have seen the last of him for some time, " said Tom, buthe looked worried. It was evident that the Happy Harry gang was stillhanging around the neighborhood of Shopton, and the fact that Morse wasbold enough to attack our hero in broad day-light argued that he feltlittle fear of the authorities. 

"Ef yo' wants t' catch him, Mistah Swift, " went on Eradicate, "yo' kintrace him by de whitewash what drops offen him, " and he pointed to atrail of white drops which showed the path Morse had taken. 

"No, the less I have to do with him the better I like it, " answered thelad. "But I can't thank you enough, Rad. You have helped me out ofdifficulties several times now. You put me on the trail of the men inthe deserted mansion, you warned me of the log Andy Foger placed acrossthe road, and now you have saved me from Morse. "

"Oh, dat's nuffin, Mistah Swift. Yo' has suah done lots fo' me. 'Sides, mah mule, Boomerang, am entitled t' de most credit dish yeahtime. I were comin' down de street, on mah way t' a whitewashin' job, when I seen yo', an yo' lickitysplit machine, " for so Eradicatedesignated a motorcycle. "I knowed it were yo', an' I didn't laik delooks ob dat man. Den I see he had hold ob you, an' I t'ought he were aburglar. So I yelled t' Boomerang t' hurry up. Now, mostly, when Iwants Boomerang t' hurry, he goes slow, an' when I wants him t' goslow, he runs away. But dish yeah time he knowed he were comin' t' helpyo', an' he certainly did leg it, dat's what he done! He run laik hewere goin' home t' a stable full ob oats, an' dat's how I got heah soquick. Den I t'ought ob de whitewash, an' I jest used it. "

"It was the most effective weapon you could have used, " said Tom, gratefully. 

"Deed no, Mistah Swift, I didn't hab no weapon, " spoke Eradicateearnestly. "I ain't eben got mah razor, 'case I left it home. I didn'thab no weapon at all. I jest used de whitewash, laik yo' seen me. "

"That's what I meant, " answered Tom, trying not to laugh at the simplenegro's misunderstanding. "I'm ever so much obliged to you, just thesame, and here's a half dollar to pay for the whitewash. "

"Oh, no, Mistah Swift, I doan't want t' take it. I kin make mo'whitewash. "

But Tom insisted, and picked up his machine to sprint for home. Eradicate started to tell over again, how he urged Boomerang on, butthe lad had no time to listen. 

"But I didn't hab no weapon, Mistah Swift, no indeedy, none at all, noteven mah razor, " repeated Eradicate. "Only de pail ob whitewash. Thatis, lessen yo' calls mah bresh a weapon. "

"Well, it's a sort of one, " admitted Tom, with a laugh as he startedhis machine. "Come around next week, Rad. We have some dirt eradicatingfor you to attend to. "

"Deed an' I will, Mistah Swift. Eradicate is mah name, an' I eradicatesde dirt. But dat man such did look odd, wif dat pail ob whitewash allober him. He suah did look most extraordinarily. Gidap, Boomerang. Seeif yo' can break some mo' speed records now. "

But the mule appeared to be satisfied with what he had done, and, as herode off, Tom looked back to see the colored man laboring to get thesleepy, animal started. 

The lad did not tell his father of the adventure with Morse, but herelated the occurrence to Mr. Sharp. 

"I'd like to get hold of that scoundrel, and the others in the gang!"exclaimed the balloonist. "I'd take him up in the airship, and drop himdown into the lake. He's a bad man. So are the others. Wonder what theywant around here?"

"That's what's puzzling me, " admitted Tom. "I hope dad doesn't hearabout them or he will be sure to worry; and maybe it will interferewith his new ideas. "

"He hasn't told you yet what he's engaged in inventing; has he?"

"No, and I don't like to ask him. He said the other day, though, thatit would rival our airship, but in a different way. "

"I wonder what he meant?"

"It's hard to say. But I don't believe he can invent anything that willgo ahead of our craft, even if he is my own father, and the best one inthe world, " said Tom, half jokingly. "Well, I got the bolts, now let'sget to work. I'm anxious for a trial trip. "

"No more than I am. I want to see if my ideas will work out in practiceas well as they do in theory. "

For a week or more Tom and Mr. Sharp labored on the airship, with Mr. Jackson to help them. The motor, with its twenty cylinders, wasinstalled, and the big aluminum holder fastened to the frame of theplanes. The rudders, one to control the elevation and depression of thecraft, and the other to direct its flight to the right or left, wereattached, and the steering wheel, as well as the levers regulating themotor were put in place. 

"About all that remains to be done now, " said the aeronaut one night, as he and Tom stood in the big shed, looking at their creation, "is tofit up the car, and paint the machine. "

"Can't we make a trial trip before we fit up the car ready for a longflight?" asked the young inventor. 

"Yes, but I wouldn't like to go out without painting the ship. Someparts of it might rust if we get into the moist, cloudy, upper regions. "

"Then let's paint it to-morrow, and, as soon as it's dry we'll have atest. "

"All right. I'll mix the paint the first thing in the morning. "

It took two days to paint the machine, for much care had to be used, and, when it was finished Tom looked admiringly up at it. 

"We ought to name it, " suggested Mr. Sharp, as he removed a bit ofpaint from the end of the nose. 

"To be sure, " agreed Tom. "And hold on, I have the very name forit--Red Cloud!"

"Red Cloud?" questioned Mr. Sharp. 

"Yes!" exclaimed Tom, with enthusiasm. "It's painted red--at least thebig, aluminum gas container is--and we hope to go above the clouds init. Why not Red Cloud?"

"That's what it shall be!" conceded the balloonist. "If I had a bottleof malted milk, or something like that, I'd christen it. "

"We ought to have a young lady to do that part, " suggested Tom. "Theyalways have young ladies to name ships. "

"Were you thinking of any particular young lady?" asked Mr. Sharpsoftly, and Tom blushed; as he replied:

"Oh no--of course that is--well--Oh, hang it, christen it yourself, andlet me alone, " he finished. 

"Well, in the absence of Miss Mary Nestor, who, I think, would be thebest one for the ceremony, " said Mr. Sharp, with a twinkle in his eyes, "I christen thee Red Cloud, " and with that he sprinkled some water onthe pointed nose of the red aluminum gas bag, for the aeronaut and Tomwere on a high staging, on a level with the upper part of the airship. 

"Red Cloud it is!" cried Tom, enthusiastically. "Now, to-morrow we'llsee what it can do. "

The day of the test proved all that could be desired in the way ofweather. The fact that an airship was being constructed in the Swiftshops had been kept as secret as possible, but of course many inShopton knew of it, for Andy Foger had spread the tidings. 

"I hope we won't have a crowd around to see us go up, " said Tom, as heand Mr. Sharp went to the shed to get the Red Cloud in readiness forthe trial. "I shouldn't want to have them laugh at us, if we fail torise. "

"Don't worry. We'll go up all right, " declared Mr. Sharp. "The onlything I'm at all worried about is our speed. I want to go fast, but wemay not be able to until our motor gets 'tuned-up'. But we'll rise. "

The gas machine had already been started, and the vapor was hissinginside the big aluminum holder. It was decided to try to go up underthe lifting power of the gas, and not use the aeroplane feature forsending aloft the ship, as there was hardly room, around the shops, fora good start. 

When enough of the vapor had been generated to make the airshipbuoyant, the big doors of the shed were opened, and Tom and Mr. Sharp, with the aid of Garret and Mr. Swift, shoved it slowly out. 

"There it is! There she comes!" cried several vices outside the highfence that surrounded the Swift property. "They're going up!"

"Andy Foger is in that bunch, " remarked Tom with a grim smile. "I hopewe don't fail. "

"We won't. Don't worry, " advised Mr. Sharp. 

The shouts outside the fence increased. It was evident that quite acrowd of boys, as well as men, had collected, though it was early inthe morning. Somehow, news of the test had leaked out. 

The ship continued to get lighter and lighter as more gas wasgenerated. It was held down by ropes, fastened to stakes driven in theground. Mr. Sharp entered the big car that was suspended, below theaeroplanes. 

"Come on, Tom, " the aeronaut called. "We're almost ready to fly. Willyou come too, Mr. Swift, and Garret?"

"Some other time, " promised the aged inventor. "It looks as though youwere going to succeed, though. I'll wait, however, until after the testbefore I venture. "

"How about you, Garret?" asked Tom of the engineer, as the younginventor climbed into the car. 

"The ground is good enough for me, " was the answer, with a smile. "Broken bones don't mend so easily when you're past sixty-five. "

"But we're not going to fall!" declared Mr. Sharp. "All ready, Tom. Cast off! Here we go!"

The restraining ropes were quickly cast aside. Slowly at first, andthen with a rush, as though feeling more and more sure of herself, theRed Cloud arose in the air like a gigantic bird of scarlet plumage. Upand up it went, higher than the house, higher than the big shed whereit had been built, higher, higher, higher!

"There she is!" cried the shrill voices of the boys in the meadow, andthe hoarser tones of the men mingled with them. 

"Hurrah!" called Tom softly to the balloonist. "We're off!" and hewaved his hand to his father and Garret. 

"I told you so, " spoke Mr. Sharp confidently. "I'm going to start thepropellers in a minute. "

"Oh, dear me, goodness sakes alive!" cried Mrs. Baggert, thehousekeeper, running from the house and wringing her hands. "I'm surethey'll fall!"

She looked up apprehensively, but Tom only waved his hand to her, andthrew her a kiss. Clearly he had no fears, though it was the first timehe had ever been in an airship. Mr. Sharp was as calm and collected asan ocean captain making his hundredth trip across the Atlantic. 

"Throw on the main switch, " he called to our hero, and Tom, moving toamidships in the car, did as directed. Mr. Sharp pulled several levers, adjusted some valves, and then, with a rattle and bang, the huge, twenty-cylinder motor started. 

Waiting a moment to see that it was running smoothly, Mr. Sharp graspedthe steering wheel. Then, with a quick motion he threw the twopropellers in gear. They began to whirl around rapidly. 

"Here we go!" cried Tom, and, sure enough, the Red Cloud, now fivehundred feet in the air, shot forward, like a boat on the water, onlywith such a smooth, gliding, easy motion, that it seemed like beingborne along on a cloud. 

"She works! She works!" cried the balloonist. "Now to try our elevationrudder, " and, as the Red Cloud gathered speed, he tilted the smallplanes which sent the craft up or down, according to the manner inwhich they were tilted. The next instant the airship was pointed at anangle toward the clouds, and shooting along at swift speed, while, frombelow came the admiring cheers of the crowd of boys and men. 

Chapter 5

Colliding With A Tower

"She seems to work, " observed Tom, looking from where he was stationednear some electrical switches, toward Mr. Sharp. 

"Of course she does, " replied the aeronaut. "I knew it would, but Iwasn't so sure that it would scoot along in this fashion. We're makingpretty good speed, but we'll do better when the motor gets to runningsmoother. "

"How high up are we?" asked Tom. 

The balloonist glanced at several gauges near the steering wheel. 

"A little short of three thousand feet, " he answered. "Do you want togo higher?"

"No--no--I--I guess not, " was Tom's answer. He halted over the works, and his breath came in gasps. 

"Don't get alarmed, " called Mr. Sharp quickly, noting that hiscompanion was in distress because of the high altitude. "That alwayshappens to persons who go into a thin air for the first time; just asif you had climbed a high mountain. Breathe as slowly as you can, andswallow frequently. That will relieve the pressure on your ear drums. I'll send the ship lower. "

Tom did as he was advised, and the aeronaut, deflecting the rudder, sent the Red Cloud on a downward slant. Tom at once felt relieved, bothbecause the action of swallowing equalized the pressure on the eardrums, and because the airship was soon in a more dense atmosphere, more like that of the earth. 

"How are you now?" asked the man of the lad, as the craft was again onan even keel. 

"All right, " replied Tom, briskly. "I didn't know what ailed me atfirst. "

"I was troubled the same way when I first went up in a balloon, "commented Mr. Sharp. "We'll run along for a few miles, at an elevationof about five hundred feet, and then we'll go to within a hundred feetof the earth, and see how the Red Cloud behaves under differentconditions. Take a look below and see what you think of it. "

Tom looked low, through one of several plate glass windows in the floorof the car. He gave a gasp of astonishment. 

"Why! We're right over Lake Carlopa!" he gasped. 

"Of course, " admitted Mr. Sharp with a laugh. "And I'm glad to say thatwe're better off than when I was last in the air over this same body ofwater, " and he could scarcely repress a shudder as he thought of hisperilous position in the blazing balloon, as related in detail in "TomSwift and His Motor-Boat. "

The lake was spread out below the navigators of the air like somemirror of silver in a setting of green fields. Tom could see a windingriver, that flowed into the lake, and he noted towns, villages, andeven distant cities, interspersed here and there with broad farms orpatches of woodlands, like a bird's-eye view of a stretch of country. 

"This is great!" he exclaimed, with enthusiasm. "I wouldn't miss thisfor the world!"

"Oh, you haven't begun to see things yet, " replied Mr. Sharp. "Waituntil we take a long trip, which we'll do soon, as this ship isbehaving much better than I dared to hope. Well, we're five hundredfeet high now, and I'll run along at that elevation for a while. "

Objects on the earth became more distinct now, and Tom could observeexcited throngs running along and pointing upward. They were severalmiles from Shopton, and the machinery was running smoothly; the motor, with its many cylinders purring like a big cat. 

"We could have lunch, if we'd brought along anything to eat, " observedTom. 

"Yes, " assented his companion. "But I think we'll go back now. Yourfather may be anxious. Just come here, Tom, and I'll show you how tosteer. I'm going down a short distance. "

He depressed the rudder, and the Red Cloud shot earthward. Then, as theairship was turned about, the young inventor was allowed to try hishand at managing it. He said, afterward, that it was like guiding afleecy cloud. 

"Point her straight for Shopton, ". Counseled Mr. Sharp, when he hadexplained the various wheels and levers to the lad. 

"Straight she is, " answered the lad, imitating a sailor's reply. "Oh, but this is great! It beats even my motor-boat!"

"It goes considerably faster, at all events, " remarked Mr. Sharp. "Keep her steady now, while I take a look at the engine. I want to besure it doesn't run hot. "

He went aft, where all the machinery in the car was located, and Tomwas left alone in the small pilot house. He felt a thrill as he lookeddown at the earth beneath him, and saw the crowds of wonder-gazerspointing at the great, red airship flying high over their heads. Rapidly the open fields slipped along, giving place to a large city. 

"Rocksmond, " murmured Tom, as he noted it. "We're about fifty milesfrom home, but we'll soon be back in the shed at this rate. Wecertainly are slipping along. A hundred and fifty feet elevation, " hewent on, as he looked at a gauge. "I wonder if I'll ever get used togoing several miles up in the air?"

He shifted the rudder a bit, to go to the left. The Red Cloud obeyedpromptly, but, the next instant something snapped. Tom, with a startledair, looked around. He could see nothing wrong, but a moment later, theairship dipped suddenly toward the earth. Then it seemed to increaseits forward speed, and, a few seconds later, was rushing straight at atall, ornamental tower that rose from one corner of a large building. 

"Mr. Sharp! Mr. Sharp!" cried the lad. "Something has happened! We'reheading for that tower!"

"Steer to one side!" called the balloonist. 

Tom tried, but found that the helm had become jammed. The horizontalrudder would not work, and the craft was rushing nearer and nearer, every minute, to the pile of brick and mortar. 

"We're going to have a collision!" shouted Tom. "Better shut off thepower!"

The two propellers were whirling around so swiftly that they lookedlike blurs of light. Mr. Sharp came rushing forward, and Tomrelinquished the steering wheel to him. In vain did the aeronaut try tochange the course of the airship. Then, with a shout to Tom todisconnect the electric switch, the man turned off the power from themotor. 

But it was too late. Straight at the tower rushed the Red Cloud, and, amoment later had hit it a glancing blow, smashing the forwardpropeller, and breaking off both blades. The nose of the aluminum gascontainer knocked off a few bricks from the tower, and then, the shiplosing way, slowly settled to the flat roof of the building. 

"We're smashed!" cried Tom, with something like despair in his voice. 

"That's nothing! Don't worry! It might be worse! Not the first timeI've had an accident. It's only one propeller, and I can easily makeanother, " said Mr. Sharp, in his quick, jerky sentences. He had allowedsome of the gas to escape from the container, making the ship lessbuoyant, so that it remained on the roof. 

The aeronaut and Tom looked from the windows of the car, to note if anyfurther damage had been done. They were just congratulating themselvesthat the rudder marked the extent, when, from a scuttle in the roofthere came a procession of young ladies, led by an elderly matron, wearing spectacles and having a very determined, bristling air. 

"Well, I must say, this is a very unceremonious proceeding!" exclaimedthe spectacled woman. "Pray, gentlemen, to what are we indebted forthis honor?"

"It was an accident, ma'am, " replied Mr. Sharp, removing his hat, andbowing. "A mere accident!"

"Humph! I suppose it was an accident that the tower of this buildingwas damaged, if not absolutely loosened at the foundations. You willhave to pay the damages!" Then turning, and seeing about two score ofyoung ladies behind her on the flat roof, each young lady eying withastonishment, not unmixed with admiration, the airship, the elderly oneadded: "Pupils! To your rooms at once! How dare you leave withoutpermission?"

"Oh, Miss Perkman!" exclaimed a voice, at the sound of which Tomstarted. "Mayn't we see the airship? It will be useful in our naturalphilosophy study!"

Tom looked at the young lady who had spoken. "Mary Nestor!" heexclaimed. 

"Tom--I mean Mr. Swift!" she rejoined. "How in the world did you gethere?"

"I was going to ask you the same question, " retorted the lad. "We flewhere. "

"Young ladies! Silence!" cried Miss Perkman, who was evidently theprincipal of the school. "The idea of any one of you daring to speak tothese--these persons--without my permission, and without anintroduction! I shall make them pay heavily for damaging my seminary, "she added, as she strode toward Mr. Sharp, who, by this time, was outof the car. "To your rooms at once!" Miss Perkman ordered again, butnot a young lady moved. The airship was too much of an attraction forthem. 

Chapter 6

Getting Off The Roof

For a few minutes Mr. Sharp was so engrossed with looking underneaththe craft, to ascertain in what condition the various planes and braceswere, that he paid little attention to the old maid school principal, after his first greeting. But Miss Perkman was not a person to beignored. 

"I want pay for the damage to the tower of my school, " she went on. "Icould also demand damages for trespassing on my roof, but I willrefrain in this case. Young ladies, will you go to your rooms?" shedemanded. 

"Oh, please, let us stay, " pleaded Mary Nestor, beside whom Tom nowstood. "Perhaps Professor Swift will lecture on clouds and air currentsand--and such things as that, " the girl went on slyly, smiling at thesomewhat embarrassed lad. 

"Ahem! If there is a professor present, perhaps it might be a good ideato absorb some knowledge, " admitted the old maid, and, unconsciously, she smoothed her hair, and settled her gold spectacles straighter onher nose. "Professor, I will delay collecting damages on behalf of theRocksmond Young Ladies Seminary, while you deliver a lecture on aircurrents, " she went on, addressing herself to Mr. Sharp. 

"Oh, I'm not a professor, " he said quickly. "I'm a professionalballoonist, parachute jumper. Give exhibitions at county fairs. Leapfor life, and all that sort of thing. I guess you mean my friend. He'ssmart enough for a professor. Invented a lot of things. How much is thedamage?"

"No professor?" cried Miss Perkman indignantly. "Why I understood fromMiss Nestor that she called some one professor. "

"I was referring to my friend, Mr. Swift, " said Mary. "His father's aprofessor, anyhow, isn't he, Tom? I mean Mr. Swift!"

"I believe he has a degree, but he never uses it, " was the lad's answer. 

"Ha! Then I have been deceived! There is no professor present!" andthe old maid drew herself up as though desirous of punishing some one. "Young ladies, for the last time, I order you to your rooms, " and, witha dramatic gesture she pointed to the scuttle through which theprocession had come. 

"Say something, Tom--I mean Mr. Swift, " appealed Mary Nestor, in awhisper, to our hero. "Can't you give some sort of a lecture? The girlsare just crazy to hear about the airship, and this ogress won't let us. Say something!"

"I--I don't know what to say, " stammered Tom. 

But he was saved the necessity for just then several women, evidentlyother teachers, came out on the roof. 

"Oh, an airship!" exclaimed one. "How lovely! We thought it was anearthquake, and we were afraid to come up for quite a while. But anairship! I've always wanted to see one, and now I have an opportunity. It will be just the thing for my physical geography and natural historyclass. Young ladies, attention, and I will explain certain things toyou. "

"Miss Delafield, do you understand enough about an airship to lectureon one?" asked Miss Perkman smartly. 

"Enough so that my class may benefit, " answered the other teacher, whowas quite pretty. 

"Ahem! That is sufficient, and a different matter, " conceded MissPerkman. "Young ladies, give your undivided attention to MissDelafield, and I trust you will profit by what she tells you. Meanwhile I wish to have some conversation concerning damages with thepersons who so unceremoniously visited us. It is a shame that thepupils of the Rocksmond Seminary should be disturbed at their studies. Sir, I wish to talk with you, " and the principal pointed a long, straight finger at Mr. Sharp. 

"Young ladies, attention!" called Miss Delafield. "You will observe thelarge red body at the top, that is--"

"I'd rather have you explain it, " whispered Mary Nestor to Tom. "Comeon, slip around to the other side. May I bring a few of my friends withme? I can't bear Miss Delafield. She thinks she knows everything. Shewon't see us if we slip around. "

"I shall be delighted, " replied Tom, "only I fear I may have to helpMr. Sharp out of this trouble. "

"Don't worry about me, Tom, " said the balloonist, who overheard him. "Let me do the explaining. I'm an old hand at it. Been in troublebefore. Many a time I've had to pay damages for coming down in afarmer's corn field. I'll attend to the lady principal, and you canexplain things to the young ones, " and, with a wink, the jolly aeronautstepped over to where Miss Perkman, in spite of her prejudice againstthe airship, was observing it curiously. 

Glad to have the chance to talk to his young lady friend, Tom slippedto the opposite side of the car with her and a few of her intimatefriends, to whom she slyly beckoned. There Tom told how the Red Cloudcame to be built, and of his first trip in the air, while, on theopposite side, Miss Delafield lectured to the entire school onaeronautics, as she thought she knew them. 

Mr. Sharp evidently did know how to "explain" matters to the irateprincipal, for, in a short while, she was smiling. By this time Tom hadabout finished his little lecture, and Miss Delafield was at the end ofhers. The entire school of girls was grouped about the Red Cloud, curiously examining it, but Mary Nestor and her friends probablylearned more than any of the others. Tom was informed that his friendhad been attending the school in Rocksmond since the fall term opened. 

"I little thought, when I found we were going to smash into that tower, that you were below there, studying, " said the lad to the girl. 

"I'm afraid I wasn't doing much studying, " she confessed. "I had just aglimpse of the airship through the window, and I was wondering who wasin it, when the crash came. Miss Perkman, who is nothing if not brave, at once started for the roof, and we girls all followed her. However, are you going to get the ship down?"

"I'm afraid it is going to be quite a job, " admitted Tom ruefully. "Something went wrong with the machinery, or this never would havehappened. As soon as Mr. Sharp has settled with your principal we'llsee what we can do. "

"I guess he's settled now, " observed Miss Nestor. "Here he comes. "

The aeronaut and Miss Perkman were approaching together, and the oldmaid did not seem half so angry as she had been. 

"You see, " Mr. Sharp was saying, "it will be a good advertisement foryour school. Think of having the distinction of having harbored thepowerful airship, Red Cloud, on your roof. "

"I never thought of it in that light, " admitted the principal. "Perhaps you are right. I shall put it in my next catalog. "

"And, as for damages to the tower, we will pay you fifty dollars, "continued the balloonist. "Do you agree to that, Mr. Swift?" he askedTom. "I think your father, the professor, would call that fair. "

"Oh, as long as this airship is partly the property of a professor, perhaps I should only take thirty-five dollars, " put in Miss Perkman. "I am a great admirer of professors--I mean in a strictly educationalsense, " she went on, as she detected a tendency on the part of some ofthe young ladies to giggle. 

"No, fifty dollars will be about right, " went on Mr. Sharp, pulling outa well-filled wallet. "I will pay you now. "

"And if you will wait I will give you a receipt, " continued theprincipal, evidently as much appeased at the mention of a professor'stitle, as she was by the money. 

"We're getting off cheap, " the balloonist whispered to Tom, as the headof the seminary started down the scuttle to the class-rooms below. 

"Maybe it's easier getting out of that difficulty than it will be toget off the roof, " replied the lad. 

"Don't worry. Leave that to me, " the aeronaut said. It tookconsiderable to ruffle Mr. Sharp. . 

With a receipt in full for the damage to the tower, and expressing thehope that, some day, in the near future, Professor Swift would do theseminary the honor of lecturing to the young lady pupils, Miss Perkmanbade Mr. Sharp and Tom good-by. 

"Young ladies, to your rooms!" she commanded. "You have learned enoughof airships, and there may be some danger getting this one off theroof. "

"Wouldn't you like to stay and take a ride in it?" Tom asked MissNestor. 

"Indeed I would, " she answered daringly. "It's better than amotor-boat. May I?"

"Some day, when we get more expert in managing it, " he replied, as heshook hands with her. 

"Now for some hard work, " went on the young inventor to Mr. Sharp, whenthe roof was cleared of the last of the teachers and pupils. But thewindows that gave a view of the airship in its odd position on the roofwere soon filled with eager faces, while in the streets below was agreat crowd, offering all manner of suggestions. 

"Oh, it's not going to be such a task, " said Mr. Sharp. "First we willrepair the rudder and the machinery, and then we'll generate some moregas, rise and fly home. "

"But the broken propeller?" objected Tom. 

"We can fly with one, as well as we can with two, but not so swiftly. Don't worry. We'll come out all right, " and the balloonist assumed aconfident air. 

It was not so difficult a problem as Tom had imagined to put themachinery in order, a simple break having impaired the working of therudder. Then the smashed propeller was unshipped and the gas machinestarted. With all the pupils watching from windows, and a crowdobserving from the streets and surrounding country, for word of thehappening had spread, Tom and his friend prepared to ascend. 

They arose as well as they had done at the shed at home, and in alittle while, were floating over the school. Tom fancied he couldobserve a certain hand waving to him, as he peered from the window ofthe car--a hand in one of the school casements, but where there were somany pretty girls doing the same thing, I hardly see how Tom could pickout any certain one, though he had extraordinarily good eyesight. However, the airship was now afloat and, starting the motor, Mr. Sharpfound that even with one propeller the Red Cloud did fairly well, making good speed. 

"Now for home, to repair everything, and we'll be ready for a longertrip, " the aeronaut said to the young inventor, as they turned around, and headed off before the wind, while hundreds below them cheered. 

"We ought to carry spare propellers if we're going to smash into schooltowers, " remarked Tom. "I seem to be a sort of hoodoo. "

"Nonsense! It wasn't your fault at all, " commented Mr. Sharp warmly. "It would have happened to me had I been steering. But we will take anextra propeller along after this. "

An hour later they arrived in front of the big shed and the Red Cloudwas safely housed. Mr. Swift was just beginning to get anxious abouthis son and his friend, and was glad to welcome them back. 

"Now for a big trip, in about a week!" exclaimed Mr. Sharpenthusiastically. "You'll come with us, won't you, Mr. Swift?"

The inventor slowly shook his head. 

"Not on a trip, " he said. "I may go for a trial spin with you, but I'vegot too important a matter under way to venture on a long trip, " and heturned away without explaining what it was. But Tom and Mr. Sharp weresoon to learn. 

Chapter 7

Andy Tries a Trick

Without loss of time the young inventor and the aeronaut began torepair the damage done to the Red Cloud by colliding with the tower. The most important part to reconstruct was the propeller, and Mr. Sharpdecided to make two, instead of one, in order to have an extra one incase of future accidents. 

Tom's task was to arrange the mechanism so that, hereafter, the ruddercould not become jammed, and so prevent the airship from steeringproperly. This the lad accomplished by a simple but effective devicewhich, when the balloonist saw it, caused him to compliment Tom. 

"That's worth patenting, " he declared. "I advise you to take out paperson that. "

"It seems such a simple thing, " answered the youth. "And I don't seemuch use of spending the money for a patent. Airships aren't likely tobe so numerous that I could make anything off that patent. "

"You take my advice, " insisted Mr. Sharp. "Airships are going to beused more in the future than you have any idea of. You get that devicepatented. "

Tom did so, and, not many years afterward he was glad that he had, asit brought him quite an income. 

It required several days' work on the Red Cloud before it was in shapefor another trial. During the hours when he was engaged in the bigshed, helping Mr. Sharp, the young inventor spent many minutes callingto mind the memory of a certain fair face, and I think I need notmention any names to indicate whose face it was. 

"She promised to go for a ride with me, " mused the lad. "I hope shedoesn't back out. But I'll want to learn more about managing the shipbefore I venture with her in it. It won't do to have any accidentsthen. There's Ned Newton, too. I must take him for a skim in theclouds. Guess I'll invite him over some afternoon, and give him aprivate view of the machine, when we get it in shape again. "

About a week after the accident at the school Mr. Sharp remarked to Tomone afternoon:

"If the weather is good to-morrow, we'll try another flight. Do yousuppose your father will come along?"

"I don't know, " answered the lad. "He seems much engrossed insomething. It's unusual, too, for he most generally tells me what he isengaged upon. However, I guess he will say something about it when hegets ready. "

"Well, if he doesn't feel just like coming, don't argue him. He mightbe nervous, and, while the ship is new, I don't want any nervouspassengers aboard. I can't give them my attention and look after therunning of the machinery. "

"I was going to propose bringing a friend of mine over to see us makethe trip to-morrow, " went on the young inventor. "Ned Newton, you knowhim. He'd like a ride. "

"Oh, I guess Ned's all right. Let him come along. We won't go very highto-morrow. After a trial rise by means of the gas, I'm going to lowerthe ship to the ground, and try for an elevation by means of theplanes. Oh, yes, bring your friend along. "

Ned Newton was delighted the next day to receive Tom's invitation, and, though a little dubious about trusting himself in an airship for thefirst time, finally consented to go with his chum. He got a halfholiday from the bank, and, shortly after dinner went to Tom's house. 

"Come on out in the shed and take a look at the Red Cloud, " proposedthe young inventor. "Mr. Sharp isn't quite ready to start yet, and I'llexplain some things to you. "

The big shed was deserted when the lads entered, and went to the loftwhere they were on a level with the big, red aluminum tank. Tom beganwith a description of the machinery, and Ned followed him with interest. 

"Now we'll go down into the car or cabin, " continued the youngnavigator of the air, "and I'll show you what we do when we're touringamid the clouds. "

As they started to descend the flight of steps from the loft platform, a noise on the ground below attracted their attention. 

"Guess that's Mr. Sharp coming, " said Ned. 

Tom leaned over and looked down. An instant later he grasped the arm ofhis chum, and motioned to him to keep silent. 

"Take a look, " whispered the young inventor. 

"Andy Foger!" exclaimed Ned, peering over the railing. 

"Yes, and Sam Snedecker and Pete Bailey are with him. They sneaked inwhen I left the door open. Wonder what they want?"

"Up to some mischief, I'll wager, " commented Ned. "Hark! They'retalking. "

The two lads on the loft listened intently. Though the cronies on theground below them did not speak loudly, their voices came plainly tothe listeners. 

"Let's poke a hole in their gas bag, " proposed Sam. "That will makethem think they're not so smart as they pretend. "

"Naw, we can't do that, " answered Andy. 

"Why not?" declared Pete. 

"Because the bag's away up in the top part of the shed, and I'm notgoing to climb up there. "

"You're afraid, " sneered Sam. 

"I am not! I'll punch your face if you say that again! Besides thething that holds the gas is made of aluminum, and we can't make a holein it unless we take an axe, and that makes too much noise. "

"We ought to play some sort of a trick on Tom Swift, " proposed Pete. "He's too fresh!"

Tom shook his fist at the lads on the ground, but of course they didnot see him. 

"I have it!" came from Andy. 

"What?" demanded his two cronies. 

"We'll cut some of the guy wires from the planes and rudders. That willmake the airship collapse. They'll think the wires broke from thestrain. Take out your knives and saw away at the wires. Hurry, too, orthey may catch us. "

"You're caught now, " whispered Ned to Tom. "Come on down, and give 'ema trouncing. "

Tom hesitated. He looked quickly about the loft, and then a smilereplaced the frown of righteous anger on his face. 

"I have a better way, " he said. 

"What is it?"

"See that pile of dirt?" and he pointed to some refuse that had beenswept up from the floor of the loft. Ned nodded. "It consists of a lotof shavings, sawdust and, what's more, a lot of soot and lampblack thatwe used in mixing some paint. We'll sweep the whole pile down on theirheads, and make them wish they'd stayed away from this place. "

"Good!" exclaimed Ned, chuckling. "Give me a broom. There's another onefor you. "

The two lads in the loft peered down. The red-headed, squint-eyed bullyand his chums had their knives out, and were about to cut some of theimportant guy wires, when, at a signal from Tom, Ned, with a sweep ofhis broom, sent a big pile of the dirt, sawdust and lampblack down uponthe heads of the conspirators. The young inventor did the same thing, and for an instant the lower part of the shed looked as if a dirtstormhad taken place there. The pile of refuse went straight down on theheads of the trio, and, as they were looking up, in order to see to cutthe wires, they received considerable of it in their faces. 

In an instant the white countenances of the lads were changed toblack--as black as the burnt-cork performers in a minstrel show. Thencame a series of howls. 

"Wow! Who did that!"

"I'm blinded! The shed is falling down!"

"Run fellows, run!" screamed Andy. "There's been an explosion. We'll bekilled!"

At that moment the big doors of the shed were thrown open, and Mr. Sharp came in. He started back in astonishment at the sight of thethree grotesque figures, their faces black with the soot, and theirclothes covered with sawdust and shavings, rushing wildly around. 

"That will teach you to come meddling around here. Andy Roger!" criedTom. 

"I--I--you--you--Oh, wait--I--you--" spluttered the bully, almostspeechless with rage. Sam and Pete were wildly trying to wipe the stufffrom their faces, but only made matters worse. They were so startledthat they did not know enough to run out of the opened doors. 

"Wish we had some more stuff to put on 'em, " remarked Ned, who washolding his sides that ached from laughter. 

"I have it!" cried Tom, and he caught up a bucket of red paint, thathad been used to give the airship its brilliant hue. Running to the endof the loft Tom stood for an instant over the trio of lads who werethreatening and imploring by 'turns. 

"Here's another souvenir of your visit, " shouted the young inventor, ashe dashed the bucket of red paint down on the conspirators. Thiscompleted the work of the dirt and soot, and a few seconds later, eachface looking like a stage Indian's ready for the war-path, the triodashed out. They shed shavings, sawdust and lampblack at every step, and from their clothes and hands and faces dripped the carmine paint. 

"Better have your pictures taken!" cried Ned, peering from an upperwindow. 

"Yes, and send us one, " added Tom, joining his chum. Andy looked up atthem. He dug a mass of red paint from his left ear, removed a mass ofsoot from his right cheek, and, shaking his fist, which was alternatelystriped red and black, cried out in a rage:

"I'll get even with you yet, Tom Swift!"

"You only got what was coming to you, " retorted the young inventor. "The next time you come sneaking around this airship, trying to damageit, you'll get worse, and I'll have you arrested. You've had yourlesson, and don't forget it. "

The red-haired bully, doubly red-haired now, had nothing more to say. There was nothing he could say, and, accompanied by his companions, hemade a bee-line for the rear gate in the fence, and darted across themeadow. They were all sorry enough looking specimens, but solelythrough their own fault. 

Chapter 8

Winning a Prize

"Well, Tom, what happened?" asked Mr. Sharp, as he saw the trio runningaway. "Looks as if you had had an exciting time here. "

"No, those fellows had all the excitement, " declared Ned. "We had thefun. " And the two lads proceeded to relate what had taken place. 

"Tried to damage the airship, eh?" asked Mr. Sharp. "I wish I'd caughtthem at it; the scoundrels! But perhaps you handled them as well as Icould have done. "

"I guess so, " assented Tom. "I must see if they did cut any of thewires. "

But the young inventor and his chum had acted too quickly, and it wasfound that nothing, had been done to the Red Cloud. 

A little later the airship was taken out of the shed, and made readyfor a trip. The gas ascension was first used, and Ned and Mr. Swiftwere passengers with Tom and Mr. Sharp. The machine went about athousand feet up in the air, and then was sent in various directions, to the no small delight of a large crowd that gathered in the meadowback of the Swift property; for it only required the sight of theairship looming its bulk above the fence and buildings, to attract athrong. It is safe to say this time, however, that Andy Foger and hiscronies were not in the audience. They were probably too busy removingthe soot and red paint. 

Although it was the first time Mr. Swift had ever been in an airship, he evinced no great astonishment. In fact he seemed to be thinkingdeeply, and on some subject not connected with aeronautics. Tom noticedthe abstraction of his father, and shook his head. Clearly the agedinventor was not his usual self. 

As for Ned Newton his delight knew no bounds, At first he was a bitapprehensive as the big ship went higher and higher, and swung about, but he soon lost his fear, and enjoyed the experience as much as didTom. The young inventor was busy helping Mr. Sharp manage themachinery, rudders-planes and motor. 

A flight of several miles was made, and Tom was wishing they might payanother visit to the Rocksmond Seminary, but Mr. Sharp, aftercompleting several evolutions, designed to test the steering qualitiesof the craft, put back home. 

"We'll land in the meadow and try rising by the planes alone, " he said. In this evolution it was deemed best for Mr. Swift and Ned to alight, as there was no telling just how the craft would behave. Tom's fatherwas very willing to get out, but Ned would have remained in, only forthe desire of his friend. 

With the two propellers whirring at a tremendous speed, and all the gasout of the aluminum container, the Red Cloud shot forward, running overthe level ground of the meadow, where a starting course had been laidout. 

"Clear the track!" cried Mr. Sharp, as he saw the crowd closing up infront of him. The men, boys, several girls and women made a livinglane. Through this shot the craft, and then, when sufficient momentumhad been obtained, Tom, at a command from the aeronaut, pulled thelever of the elevation rudder. Up into the air shot the nose of the RedCloud as the wind struck the slanting surface of the planes, and, amoment later it was sailing high above the heads of the throng. 

"That's the stuff!" cried Mr. Sharp. "It works as well that way as itdoes with the gas!"

Higher and higher it went, and then, coming to a level keel, the craftwas sent here and there, darting about like a bird, and going about inhuge circles. 

"Start the gas machine, and we'll come to rest in the air, " said theballoonist, and Tom did so. As the powerful vapor filled the containerthe ship acquired a buoyancy, and there was no need of going at highspeed in order to sustain it. The propellers were stopped, and the RedCloud floated two thousand feet in the air, only a little distancebelow some fleecy, white masses from which she took her name. Thedemonstration was a great success. The gas was again allowed to escape, the propellers set in motion, and purely as an aeroplane, the ship wasagain sent forward. By means of the planes and rudders a perfectlanding was made in the meadow, a short distance from where the starthad been made. The crowd cheered the plucky youth and Mr. Sharp. 

"Now I'm ready to go on a long trip any time you are, Tom, " said theaeronaut that night. 

"We'll fit up the car and get ready, " agreed the 'youth. "How aboutyou, dad?"

"Me? Oh, well--er--that is, you see; well, I'll think about it, " andMr. Swift went to his own room, carrying with him a package of papers, containing intricate calculations. 

Tom shook his head, but said nothing. He could not understand hisfather's conduct. 

Work was started the next day on fitting up the car, or cabin, of theairship, so that several persons could live, eat and sleep in it fortwo weeks, if necessary. The third day after this task had beencommenced the mail brought an unusual communication to Tom and Mr. Sharp. It was from an aero club of Blakeville, a city distant about ahundred miles, and stated that a competition for aeroplanes anddirigible balloons was to be held in the course of two weeks. Theaffair was designed to further interest in the sport, and also todemonstrate what progress had been made in the art of conquering theair. Prizes were to be given, and the inventors of the Red Cloud, theachievements of which the committee of arrangements had heard, wereinvited to compete. 

"Shall we go in for it, Tom?" asked the balloonist. 

"I'm willing if you are. "

"Then let's do it. We'll see how our craft shows up alongside ofothers. I know something of this club. It is all right, but thecarnival is likely to be a small one. Once I gave a balloon exhibitionfor them. The managers are all right. Well, we'll have a try at it. Won't do us any harm to win a prize. Then for a long trip!"

As it was not necessary to have the car, or cabin, completely fitted upin order to compete for the prize, work in that direction was suspendedfor the time being, and more attention was paid to the engine, theplanes and rudders. Some changes were made and, a week later the RedCloud departed for Blakeville. As the rules of the contest requiredthree passengers, Ned Newton was taken along, Mr. Swift having arrangedwith the bank president so that the lad could have a few days off. 

The Red Cloud arrived at the carnival grounds in the evening, havingbeen delayed on the trip by a broken cog wheel, which was mended inmid-air. As the three navigators approached, they saw a small machineflying around the grounds. 

"Look!" cried Ned excitedly. "What a small airship. "

"That's a monoplane, " declared Tom, who was getting to be quite anexpert. 

"Yes, the same kind that was used to cross the English Channel, "interjected Mr. Sharp. "They're too uncertain for my purposes, though;they are all right under certain conditions. "

Hardly had he spoken than a puff of wind caused the daring manipulatorof the monoplane to swerve to one side. He had to make a quickdescent--so rapid was it, in fact, that the tips of one of his planeswas smashed. 

"It'll take him a day to repair that, " commented the aeronaut dryly. 

The Red Cloud created a sensation as she slowly settled down in frontof the big tent assigned to her. Tom's craft was easily the best one atthe carnival, so far, though the managers said other machines were onthe way. 

The exhibition opened the next day, but no flights were to be attempteduntil the day following. Two more crafts arrived, a large triplane, anda dirigible balloon. There were many visitors to the ground, and Tom, Ned and Mr. Sharp were kept busy answering questions put by those whocrowded into their tent. Toward the close of the day a fussy littleFrenchman entered, and, making his way to where Tom stood, asked:

"Air you ze ownair of zis machine?"

"One of them, " replied the lad. 

"Ha! Sacre! Zen I challenge you to a race. I have a monoplane zat is zeswiftest evaire! One thousand francs will I wager you, zat I can flyhigher and farther zan you. "

"Shall we take him up, Mr. Sharp?" asked Tom. 

"We'll race with him, after we get through with the club entries. "decided the aeronaut. "But not for money. It's against my principles, and I don't believe your father would like it. Racing for prizes is adifferent thing. "

"Well, we will devote ze money to charity, " conceded the Frenchman. 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 regularaffairs. 

That night was spent in getting the Red Cloud in shape for the contestsof the next day. She was "groomed" until every wire was taut and everycog, lever and valve working perfectly. Ned Newton helped all he could. So much has appeared in the newspapers of the races at Blakeville thatI will not devote much space here to them. Suffice it to say that theRed Cloud easily distanced the big dirigible from which much wasexpected. It was a closer contest with the large triplane, but Tom'sairship 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 RedCloud had been entered, so Tom and Mr. Sharp had to be content with theone race they won. There were other contests among monoplanes andbiplanes, and the little Frenchman won two races. 

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

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

"Well, " said the aeronaut, shrugging his shoulders, "you can't tellmuch about the air. His machine certainly goes very fast, but too muchwind will be the undoing of him, while it will only help us. And Ithink, " he added, "that we're going to get a breeze. "

It was arranged that the Red Cloud would start from the ground, withoutthe use of the gas, so as to make the machines more even. At the signaloff they started, the motors making a great racket. The monoplane withthe little Frenchman in the seat got up first. 

"Ah, ha!" he cried gaily, "I leave you in ze rear! Catch me if you can!"

"Don't let him beat us, " implored Ned. 

"Can't you speed her up any more?" inquired Tom of Mr. Sharp. 

The aeronaut nodded grimly, and turned more gasolene into thetwenty-cylindered engine. Like a flash the Red Cloud darted forward. But the Frenchman also increased his speed and did, actually, at first, circle around the bigger machine, for his affair was much lighter. Butwhen he tried to repeat that feat he found that he was being leftbehind. 

"That's the stuff! We're winning!" yelled Tom, Ned joining in the shout. 

Then came a puff of wind. The monoplane had to descend, for it was indanger of turning turtle. Still the navigator was not going to give up. He flew along at a lower level. Then Mr. Sharp opened up the RedCloud's engine at full speed, and it was the big machine which nowsailed around the other. 

"I protest! I protest!" cried the Frenchman, above the explosions ofhis motor. "Ze wind is too strong for me!"

Mr. Sharp said nothing, but, with a queer smile on his face he sent theairship down toward the earth. A moment later he was directly under themonoplane. Then, quickly rising, he fairly caught the Frenchman'smachine on top of a square platform of the gas container, the bicyclewheels of the monoplane resting on the flat surface. And, so swiftlydid the Red Cloud fly along that it carried the monoplane with it, tothe chagrin of the French navigator. 

"A trick! A trick!" he cried. "Eet is not fair!"

Then, dropping down, Mr. Sharp allowed the monoplane to proceed underits own power, while he raced on to the finish mark, winning, ofcourse, by a large margin. 

"Ha! A trick! I race you to-morrow and again to-morrow!" cried thebeaten Frenchman as he alighted. 

"No, thanks, " answered Tom. "We've had enough. I guess charity will besatisfied. "

The little Frenchman was a good loser, and paid over the money, whichwas given to the Blakeville Hospital, the institution receiving itgladly. 

At the request of the carnival committee, Mr. Sharp and Tom gave anexhibition of high and long flights the next day, and created no littleastonishment by their daring feats. 

"Well, I think we have reason to be proud of our ship, " remarked Mr. Sharp that night. "We won the first contest we were ever in, and beatthat speedy monoplane, which was no small thing to do, as they are veryfast. "

"But wait until we go on our trip, " added Tom, as he looked at the cupthey had won. He little realized what danger they were to meet with inthe flight that was before them. 

Chapter 9

The Runaway Auto

Had the inventors of the Red Cloud desired, they could have madeconsiderable money by giving further exhibitions at the Blakeville AeroCarnival, and at others which were to be held in the near future atadjoining cities. The fame of the new machine had spread, and therewere many invitations to compete for prizes. 

But Tom and Mr. Sharp wished to try their skill in a long flight, andat the close of the Blakeville exhibition they started for Shopton, arriving there without mishap, though Tom more than half hoped thatthey might happen to strike the tower of a certain school. I needn'tspecify where. 

The first thing to be done was to complete the fitting-up of the car, or cabin. No berths had, as yet, been put in, and these were firstinstalled after the Red Cloud was in her shed. Then an electricalheating and cooking apparatus was fitted in; some additional machinery, tanks for carrying water, and chemicals for making the gas, boxes ofprovisions, various measuring instruments and other supplies were putin the proper places, until the cabin was filled almost to itscapacity. Of course particular attention had been paid to the shipproper, and every portion was gone over until Mr. Sharp was sure it wasin shape for a long flight. 

"Now the question is, " he said to Tom one evening, "who shall we takewith us? You and I will go, of course, but I'd like one more. I wonderif your father can't be induced to accompany us? He seemed to like thetrial trip. "

"I'll ask him to-morrow, " said the lad. "He's very busy to-night. If hedoesn't care about it, maybe Garret Jackson will go. "

"I'm afraid not. He's too timid. "

"I'd like to take Ned Newton, but he can't get any more time away fromthe bank. I guess we'll have to depend on dad. "

But, to the surprise of Tom and Mr. Sharp, the aged inventor shook hishead when the subject was broached to him next day. 

"Why won't you go, dad?" asked his son. 

"I'll tell you, " replied Mr. Swift. "I was keeping it a secret until Ihad made some advance in what I am engaged upon. But I don't want to gobecause I am on the verge of perfecting a new apparatus for submarineboats. It will revolutionize travel under the water, and I don't wantto leave home until I finish it. There is another point to beconsidered. The government has offered a prize for an under-water boatof a new type, and I wish to try for it. "

"So that's what you've been working on, eh, dad?" asked his son. 

"That's it, and, much as I should like to accompany you, I don't feelfree to go. My mind would be distracted, and I need to concentratemyself on this invention. It will produce the most wonderful results, I'm sure. Besides, the government prize is no small one. It is fiftythousand dollars for a successful boat. "

Mr. Swift told something more about his submarine, but, as I expect totreat of that in another book, I will not dwell on it here, as I knowyou are anxious to learn what happened on the trip of the Red Cloud. 

"Well, " remarked Mr. Sharp, somewhat dubiously, "I wonder who we canget to go? We need someone besides you and I, Tom. "

"I s'pose I could get Eradicate Sampson, and his mule Boomerange, "replied the lad with a smile. "Yet I don't know--"

At that instant there was a tremendous racket outside. The loud puffingof an automobile could be heard, but mingled with it was the crash ofwood, and then the whole house seemed jarred and shaken. 

"Is it an earthquake?" exclaimed Mr. Swift, springing to his feet, andrushing to the library windows. 

"Something's happened!" cried Tom. 

"Maybe an explosion of the airship gas!" yelled Mr. Sharp, making readyto run to the balloon shed. But there was no need. The crashing of woodceased, and, above the puffing of an auto could be heard a voiceexclaiming:

"Bless my very existence! Bless my cats and dogs! Good gracious! But Inever meant to do this!"

Tom, his father and Mr. Sharp rushed to the long, low windows thatopened on the veranda. There, on the porch, which it had mounted by wayof the steps, tearing away part of the railing, was a large touringcar; and, sitting at the steering wheel, in a dazed sort of manner, wasMr. Wakefield Damon. 

"Bless my shirt studs!" he went on feebly. "But I have done it now!"

"What's the matter?" cried Tom, hastening up to him. "What happened?Are you hurt?"

"Hurt? Not a bit of it! Bless my moonstone! It's the most lucky escapeI ever had! But I've damaged your porch, and I haven't done my machineany good. Do you see anything of another machine chasing me?"

Tom looked puzzled, but glanced up and down, the road. Far down thehighway could be discerned a cloud of dust, and, from the midst of itcame a faint "chug-chug. "

"Looks like an auto down there, " he said. 

"Thank goodness! Bless my trousers, but I've escaped 'em!" cried theeccentric man from whom Tom had purchased his motor-cycle. 

"Escaped who?" asked Mr. Swift. 

"Those men. They were after me. But I may as well get out and explain. Dear me! However will I ever get my car off your porch?" and Mr. Damonseemed quite distressed. 

"Never mind, " answered Tom. "We can manage that. Tell us what happened. "

"Exactly, " replied Mr. Damon, growing calmer, "Bless my shoe buttons, but I had a fright, two of them, in fact. 

"You see, " he went on, "I was out partly on pleasure and partly onbusiness. The pleasure consisted in riding in my auto, which myphysician recommended for my health. The business consisted in bringingto the Shopton Bank a large amount of cash. Well, I deposited it allright, but, as I came out I saw some men hanging around. I didn't liketheir looks, and I saw them eyeing me rather sharply. I thought I hadseen them before and, sure enough I had. Two of the men belonged tothat Happy Harry gang!"

Tom made a quick motion of a caution, pointing to his father, but itwas not necessary, as Mr. Swift was absently-mindedly calculating an apiece of paper he had taken from his pocket, and had not heard what Mr. Damon said. The latter, however, knew what Tom meant, and went on. 

"Well, I didn't like the looks of these men, and when I saw them sizingme up, evidently thinking I had drawn money out instead of putting itin, I decided to give them the slip. I got in my auto, but I wasstartled to see them get in their car. I headed for here, as I wascoming to pay you a visit, anyhow, and the mysterious men kept afterme. It became a regular race. I put on all the speed I could and headedfor your house, Tom, for I thought you would help me. I went faster andfaster, and so did they. They were almost up to me, and I was justthinking of slowing down to turn in here, when I lost control of mymachine, and--well, I did turn in here, but not exactly as I intended. Bless my gaiters! I came in with rather more of a rush than I expected. It was awful--positively awful, I assure you. You've no idea hownervous I was. But I escaped those scoundrels, for they rushed on whenthey saw what I had done--smashed the porch railing. "

"Probably they thought you'd smash them, " observed Tom with a laugh. "But why did they follow you?"

"Can't imagine! Haven't the least idea. Bless my spark-plug, but theymight have imagined I had money. Anyhow I'm glad I escaped them!"

"It's lucky you weren't hurt, " said Mr. Sharp. 

"Oh, me? Bless my existence! I'm always having narrow escapes. " Mr. Damon caught sight of the Red Cloud which was out in front of the bigshed. "Bless my heart! What's that?" he added. 

"Our new airship, " answered Tom proudly. "We are just planning a longtrip in it, but we can't find a third member of the party to go along. "

"A third member!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Do you really mean it?"

"We do. "

"Bless my shoe laces! Will you take me along?"

"Do you mean that?" asked Tom in turn, foreseeing a way out of theirdifficulties. 

"I certainly do, " answered the eccentric man. "I am much interested inairships, and I might as well die up in the clouds as any other way. Certainly I prefer it to being smashed up in an auto. Will you take me?"

"Of course!" cried Tom heartily, and Mr. Sharp nodded an assent. ThenTom drew Mr. Damon to one side. "We'll arrange the trip in a fewminutes, " the lad said. "Tell me more about those mysterious men, please. "

Chapter 10

A Bag of Tools

Wakefield Damon glanced at Mr. Swift. The inventor was oblivious to hissurroundings, and was busy figuring away on some paper. He seemed evento have forgotten the presence of the eccentric autoist. 

"I don't want father to hear about the men, " went on Tom, in a lowtone. "If he hears that Happy Harry and his confederates are in thisvicinity, he'll worry, and that doesn't agree with him. But are yousure the men you saw are the same ones who stole the turbine model?"

"Very certain, " replied Mr. Damon. "I had a good view of them as I camefrom the bank, and I was surprised to see them, until I remembered thatthey were out of jail. "

"But why do you think they pursued you?"

"Bless my eyes! I can't say. Perhaps they weren't after me at all. Imay have imagined it, but they certainly hurried off in their auto assoon as I left the bank, after leaving my money there. I'm glad Ideposited it before I saw them. I was so nervous, as it was, that Icouldn't steer straight. It's too bad, the way I've damaged your house. "

"That doesn't matter. But how about the trip in the airship? I hope youmeant it when you said you would go. "

"Of course I did. I've never traveled in the air, but it can't be muchworse than my experience with my motor-cycle and the auto. At least Ican't run up any stoop, can I?" and Mr. Damon looked at Mr. Sharp. 

"No, " replied the aeronaut, as he scratched his head, "I guess you'llbe safe on that score. But I hope you won't get nervous when we reach agreat height. "

"Oh, no. I'll just calm myself with the reflection that I can't die butonce, " and with this philosophical reflection Mr. Damon went back tolook at the auto, which certainly looked odd, stuck up on the veranda. 

"Well, you'd better make arrangements to go with us then, " went on Tom. "Meanwhile I'll see to getting your car down. You'll want to send ithome, I suppose?"

"No, not if you'll keep it for me. The fact is that all my folks areaway, and will be for some time. I don't have to go home to notifythem, and it's a good thing, as my wife is very nervous, and mightobject, if she heard about the airship. I'll just stay here, if you'veno objection, until the Red Cloud sails, if sails is the proper term. "

"'Sails' will do very well, " answered Mr. Sharp. "But, Tom, let's seeif you and I can't get that car down. Perhaps Mr. Damon would like togo in the house and talk to your father, " for Mr. Swift had left thepiazza. 

The eccentric individual was glad enough not to be on hand when his carwas eased down from the veranda and disappeared into the house. Tomand Mr. Sharp, with the aid of Garret Jackson, then released the autofrom its position. They had to take down the rest of the brokenrailing, and their task was easy enough. The machine was stored in adisused shed, and Mr. Damon had no further concern until it was time toundertake the trip through the air. 

"It will fool those men if I mysteriously disappear, " he said, with asmile. "Bless my hat band, but they'll wonder what became of me. We'lljust slip off in the Red Cloud, and they'll never be the wiser. "

"I don't know about that, " commented Tom. "I fancy they are keepingpretty close watch in this vicinity, and I don't like it. I'm afraidthey are up to some mischief. I should think the bank authorities wouldhave them locked upon suspicion. I think I'll telephone Ned about it. "

He did so, and his chum, in turn, notified the bank watchman. But thenext day it was reported that no sign of the men had been seen, and, later it was learned that an auto, answering the description of the onethey were in, had been seen going south, many miles from Shopton. 

The work of preparing the Red Cloud for the long trip was all butcompleted. It had been placed back in the shed while a few moreadjustments were made to the machinery. 

"Bless my eyelashes!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, a few days before the oneset for the start, "but I haven't asked where we are bound for. Whereare we going, anyhow, Mr. Sharp?"

"We're going to try and reach Atlanta, Georgia, " replied theballoonist. "That will make a fairly long trip, and the winds at thisseason are favorable in that direction. "

"That suits me all right, " declared Mr. Damon. "I'm all ready andanxious to start. "

It was decided to give the airship a few more trials around Shoptonbefore setting out, to see how it behaved with the car heavier loadedthan usual. With this in view a trip was made to Rocksmond, with Mr. Swift, Mr. Damon and Ned, in addition to Mr. Sharp and Tom, on board. Then, at Tom's somewhat blushing request, a stop was made near theSeminary, and, when the pupils came trooping out, the young inventorasked Miss Nestor if she didn't want to take a little flight. Sheconsented, and with two pretty companions climbed rather hesitatinglyinto the car. No great height was attained, but the girls were fullysatisfied and, after their first alarm really enjoyed the spin in theair, with Tom proudly presiding at the steering wheel, which Mr. Sharprelinquished to the lad, for he understood Tom's feelings. 

Three days later all was in readiness for the trip to Atlanta. Mr. Swift was earnestly invited to undertake it, both Tom and Mr. Sharpurging him, but the veteran inventor said he must stay at home, andwork on his submarine plans. 

The evening before the start, when the aeronaut and Tom were giving afinal inspection to the craft in the big shed, Mr. Sharp exclaimed "Ideclare Tom, I believe you'll have to take a run into town. "

"What for?"

"Why to get that kit of special tools I ordered, which we might need tomake repairs. There are some long-handled wrenches, some spare levers, and a couple of braces and bits. Harrison, the hardware dealer, orderedthem for me from New York, and they were to be ready this afternoon, but I forgot them. Take an empty valise with you, and you can carrythem on your motorcycle. I'm sorry to have forgotten it, but--"

"That's all right, Mr. Sharp, I'd just as soon go as not. It will makethe time pass more quickly. I'll start right off. "

An hour later, having received the tools, which made quite a bundle, the lad put them in the valise, and started back toward home. As heswung around the corner on which the bank was located--the same bank inwhich Ned Newton worked--one of the valves on the motor-cycle began toleak. Tom dismounted to adjust it, and had completed the work, beingabout to ride on, when down the street came Andy Foger and SamSnedecker. They started at the sight of our hero. 

"There he is now!" exclaimed Sam, as if he and the red-haired bully hadbeen speaking of the young inventor. 

"Let's lick him!" proposed Andy. "Now's our chance to get even forthrowing that paint and soot on us. "

Tom heard their words. He was not afraid of both the lads, for, thougheach one matched him in size and strength, Tom knew they were cowards. 

"If you're looking for anything I guess I can accommodate you, " hesaid, coolly. 

"Come on, Andy, " urged Sam. But, somehow Andy hung back. Perhaps hedidn't like the way Tom squared off. The young inventor had let downthe rear brace of his motor-cycle, and was not obliged to hold it, sohe had both hands free. 

"We ought to lick him good and proper, " growled the squint-eyed lad. 

"Well, why don't you?" invited Tom. 

He moved to one side, so as not to be hampered by his wheel. As he didso he knocked from the handle bars the valise of tools. They fell witha clatter and a thud to the pavement, and the satchel came open. It wasunder a gas lamp, and the glitter of the long-handled wrenches andother implements caught the eyes of Andy and his crony. 

"Huh! If we fought you, maybe you'd use some of them on us, " sneeredAndy, glad of an excuse not to fight. 

Tom quickly picked up his valise, shutting it, but he was aware of theclose scrutiny of the two vindictive lads. 

"I don't fight with such things, " he said, somewhat annoyed, and hehung the tools back on the handle bars. 

"What you doing around the bank at this hour?" asked Sam, as if tochange the subject. "First thing you know the watchman will order youto move on. He might think you were a suspicious character. "

"The same to you, " retorted Tom, "but I'm going to ride on now, unlessyou want to have a further argument with me. "

"You'd better be careful how you hang around a bank, " added Andy. "Thepolice are on the lookout here. There's been some mysterious men seenabout. "

Tom did not care to go into that, and, seeing that the two bullies hadlost all desire to attack him, he put up the brace and mounted hiswheel. 

"Good-by, " he called to Andy and Sam, as he rode off, the toolsrattling and jingling in the valise, but it was a sarcastic farewell, and the two cronies did not reply. 

"I hope I didn't damage any of the tools when I let them fall thattime, " mused the young inventor. "My, the way Sam and Andy stared atthem it would make it seem as if I had a lot of weapons in the bag!They certainly took good note of them. "

The time was to come, and very shortly, when Andy's and Sam'sobservation of the tools was to prove disastrous for our hero. As Tomturned the corner he looked back, and saw, still standing in front ofthe bank, the two cronies. 

Chapter 11

The Red Cloud Departs

"Well, dad, I wish you were going along with us, " said Tom to hisfather next morning. "You don't know what you're going to miss. A finetrip of several hundred miles through the air, seeing strange sights, and experiencing new sensations. "

"Yes, I wish you would reconsider your determination, and accompanyus, " added Mr. Damon. "I would enjoy your company. "

"There's plenty of room. We can carry six persons with ease, " said Mr. Sharp. 

Mr. Swift shook his head, and smiled. 

"I have too much work to do here at home, " he replied. "Perhaps I mayastonish you with something when you come back. I have nearly perfectedmy latest invention. "

There was no combating such a resolution as this, and Tom and theothers considered the decision of the aged inventor as final. Theairship was ready for the start, and every one had arisen earlier thanusual on this account. The bag of tools, for which Tom had gone totown, were put in their proper place, the last of the supplies weretaken abroad, final tests were made of the various apparatus, the motorhad been given a trial spin, disconnected from the propellers, and thenthe balloonist announced:

"Well, Tom and Mr. Damon, you had better begin to think of starting. We've had breakfast here, but there's no telling where we will eatdinner. "

"Bless my soul! Don't you talk that way!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Youmake me exceedingly nervous. Why shouldn't we know where we are goingto eat dinner?"

"Oh, I meant we couldn't tell over just what part of the United Stateswe would be when dinner time came, " explained the aeronaut. 

"Oh, that's different. Bless my pocket knife, but I thought you meantwe might be dashed to pieces, and incapable of eating any dinner. "

"Hardly, " remarked Mr. Sharp. "The Red Cloud is not that kind of anairship, I hope. But get aboard, if you please. "

Tom and Mr. Damon entered the car. It was resting on the ground, on thesmall wheels used to start the airship when the gas inflation methodwas not used. In this case, however, it had been decided to rise in theair by means of the powerful vapor, and not to use the wings and planesuntil another time. Consequently the ship was swaying slightly, andtugging at the restraining cables. 

As Tom and Mr. Damon entered the cabin there drove into the Swift yarda dilapidated wagon, drawn by a bony mule, and it did not need theaddition of a colored man's voice, calling: "Whoa, dar, Boomerang!" totell Tom that his friend Eradicate Sampson was on hand. As forEradicate, as soon as he saw the great airship, which he had neverbefore beheld fully rigged, all ready for a flight, his eyes became bigwith wonder. 

"Is dat yo' flyin' machine, Mistah Swift?" he asked. 

"That's it, Rad, " answered Tom. "Don't you want to come and take a ridewith us?"

"Me? Good land a' massy! No indeedy, Mistah Swift, " and thewhitewasher, who had descended from his wagon, edged away, as if theairship might suddenly put out a pair of hands and grab him. "Noindeedy I doant! I come t' do a little whitewashin' an' when I do datI'se gwine on mah way. But dat's a pow'ful fine ship; it suah am!"

"Better come and try a flight, Rad, " added Mr. Damon. "I'll look afteryou. "

"No, sag, an' I doan't take it kind ob yo' all t' tempt me dat way, nuther, " spoke Eradicate. But, when he saw that the craft wasstationary, he ventured to approach closer. Gingerly he put out onehand and touched the framework of the wheels, just forward of thecabin. The negro grasped the timber, and lifted it slightly. To hisastonishment the whole front of the airship tilted up, for it was aboutready to fly, and a child might have lifted it, so buoyant was it. ButEradicate did not know this. Wonderingly he looked at the great bulk ofthe ship, looming above him, then he glanced at his arm. Once more, noting that the attention of his friends was elsewhere, he lifted thecraft. Then he cried "Look yeah, Mistah Swift! Look yeah! No wonderday calls me Sampson. I done lifted dis monstrousness airship wif onehand, See, I kin do it! I kin do it!"

Once more he raised the Red Cloud slightly, and a delighted grin, notunmixed with a look of awe, spread over his honest countenance. 

"I suppose you'll give up whitewashing and join a circus as a strongman, now, " observed Mr. Sharp, with a wink at his companions. 

"Days what I will!" announced Eradicate proudly. "I neber knowed I wasdat strong, but ob course I allers knowed I had some muscle. Golly, Imust hab growed strong ober night! Now, Boomerang, yo' suah has got t'look out fo' yo' sef. No mo' ob yo' cuttin' up capers, or I'll jestlift you up, an' sot yo' down on yo' back, I suah will, " and the negrofeeling of his biceps walked over to where the mule stood, with itseyes closed. 

"I guess you can cast off, Tom, " called Mr. Sharp, as he entered thecar, having seen that everything was all right. "We'll not go up veryfar at first, until Mr. Damon gets used to the thin air. "

"Bless my soul, I believe I'm getting nervous, " announced the eccentricman. "Bless my liver, but I hope nothing happens. "

"Nothing will happen, " Mr. Sharp assured him. "Just keep calm, when itfeels as if the bottom was dropping out of everything and you'll soonget over it. Are you casting off those ropes, Tom? Is all clear?"

"All but the bow and stern lines. "

"You attend to the bow line, and I'll go to the stern, " and, going overto the gas generator, Mr. Sharp started it so as to force more vaporinto the red aluminum container. This had the effect of rendering theairship more buoyant, and it tugged and strained harder than ever atthe ropes. 

"Good-by, Tom, " called Mr. Swift, reaching up to shake hands with hisson. "Drop me a line when you get a chance. "

"Oh, Tom, do be careful, " implored Mrs. Baggert, her kind face showingher anxiety. "May I kiss you good-by?"

"Of course, " answered the young inventor, though the motherlyhousekeeper had not done this since he was a little chap. She had tostand on a soap box, which Eradicate brought in order to reach Tom'sface, and, when she had kissed him she said:

"Oh, I'm so worried! I just know you'll be killed, risking your livesin that terrible airship!"

"Ha! Not a very cheerful view to take, madam, " observed Mr. Damon. "Don't hold that view, I beg of you. Bless my eyelashes, but you'll seeus coming home, covered with glory and star dust. "

"I'm sure I hope so, " answered Mrs. Baggert, laughing a little in spiteof herself. 

The last ropes were cast off. Good-bys were shouted as the airship shotinto the air, and Mr. Sharp started the motor, to warm it up before thepropellers were thrown into gear. The twenty cylinders began explodingwith a terrific racket, as the muffler was open, and Tom, looking down, saw Boomerang awaken with a jump. The mule was so frightened that hestarted off on a dead run, swinging the rickety, old wagon along behindhim. 

Eradicate Sampson, who had been feeling his muscle since he discoveredwhat he thought was his marvelous strength, saw what was happening. 

"Whoa, dar, Boomerang!" he shouted. Then, as the tailboard of the wagonswung past him, he reached out and grabbed it. Perhaps he thought hecould bring the runaway mule up standing, but, if he did, he wasgrievously disappointed. Boomerang pulled his master along the gravelwalk, and kept running in spite of Eradicate's command to "whoa, dar!"

It might have gone hard with him, had not Garret Jackson, the engineer, running in front of Boomerang, caught the animal. Eradicate pickedhimself up, and gazed sadly at his arms. The navigators of the aircould not hear what he said, but what he thought was evident to them. 

Then, as Mr. Sharp deadened the explosions of the powerful motor. Tom, looking at a gauge, noted that their height was seven hundred feet. "High enough!" called Mr. Sharp, and it was time, for Mr. Damon, inspite of his resolution, was getting pale. 

The gas was shut off, the propellers thrown into gear, and, with a rushthe Red Cloud shot toward the south, passing over the Swift homestead, and high above the heads of the crowd that had gathered to witness thestart. The eventful voyage of the air had begun. 

Chapter 12

Some Startling News

"Well, there they go, " remarked Mrs. Baggert to Mr. Swift, as shestrained her eyes toward the sky, against the blue of which the airshipwas now only a large, black ball. 

"Yes, and a fine start they made, " replied the inventor. "I almost wishI had accompanied them, but I must not stop work on my submarineinvention. "

"I do hope nothing will happen to them, " went on the housekeeper. "Ideclare, though, I feel just as if something was going to happen. "

"Nervousness, pure nervousness, " commented Mr. Swift. "Better take alittle--er--I suppose catnip tea would be good. "

"Catnip tea! The very idea!" exclaimed Mrs. Baggert. "That shows howmuch you know about nervousness, Mr. Swift, " and she seemed a littleindignant. 

"Ha! Hum I Well, maybe catnip tea wouldn't be just the thing. But don'tworry about Tom. I'm sure he can look after himself. As for Mr. Sharphe has made too many ascensions to run into any unnecessary danger. "

"Nervous!" went on the housekeeper, who seemed to resent this statebeing applied to her. "I'm sure I'm not half as nervous as that Mr. Damon. He gives me the fidgets. "

"Of course. Well, I must get back to my work, " said the inventor. "Ah, are you hurt, Eradicate?" he went on, as the colored man came back, driving Boomerang, who had been stopped just before reaching the road. 

"No, Mistah Swift, I ain't exactly damaged, but mah feelin's am suahhurted. "

"How's that?"

"Well, I thought I had growed strong in de night, when I lifted datairship, but when I went to stop mah mule I couldn't do it. He won'thab no respect fo' me now. "

"Oh, I wouldn't let that worry me, " commented Mr. Swift, and heexplained to Eradicate how it was that he had so easily lifted the endof the buoyant ship, which weighed very little when filled with gas. 

The colored man proceeded with his work of whitewashing, the inventorwas in his library, puzzling over tables of intricate figures, and Mrs. Baggert was in the kitchen, sighing occasionally as she thought of Tom, whom she loved almost as a son, high in the air, when two men came upthe walk, from the street, and knocked at the side door. Mrs. Baggert, who answered the summons, was somewhat surprised to see Chief of PoliceSimonson and Constable Higby. 

"They probably came to see the airship start, " she thought, "butthey're too late. "

"Ah, good morning, Mrs. Baggert, " greeted the chief. "Is Mr. Swift andhis son about this morning?"

"Mr. Swift is in his library, but Tom is gone. "

"He'll be back though, won't he?" asked Constable Higbyquickly--anxiously, Mrs. Baggert thought. 

"Oh, yes, " she replied. "He and--"

"Just take us to see Mr. Swift, " interrupted the chief, with a look ofcaution at his aide. "We'll explain matters to him. "

Wondering what could be the mission of the two officers, Mrs. Baggertled them to the library. 

"It's queer, " she thought, "that they don't ask something about theairship. I suppose that was what they came for. But maybe it's aboutthe mysterious men who robbed Mr. Swift. "

"Ah, gentlemen, what can I do for you?" asked the inventor, as he roseto greet the officials. 

"Ahem, Mr. Swift. Ahem--er--that is--well, the fact is, Mr. Swift, "stammered the chief, "we have come upon a very painful errand. "

"What's that?" cried Tom's father. "I haven't been robbed again, haveI?'

"There has been a robbery committed, " spoke the constable quickly. 

"But you are not the victim, " interposed the chief. 

"I'm glad of that, " said Mr. Swift. 

"Where is your son, Tom?" asked the head of the Shopton police force, sharply. 

"What do you want with him?" inquired the inventor, struck by somestrange tone in the other's voice. 

"Mr. Swift, " went on the chief, solemnly, "I said we came upon a verypainful errand. It is painful, as I have known Tom since he was alittle lad. But I must do my duty, no matter how painful it is. I havea warrant for the arrest of your son, Thomas Swift, and I have come toserve it. I need not tell you that it is your duty to give him up tous--the representatives of the law. I call upon you to produce yourson. "

Mr. Swift staggered to his feet. 

"My son! You have come to arrest my son?" he stammered. 

The chief nodded grimly. 

"Upon what charge?" faltered the father. 

"On a charge of breaking into the Shopton National Bank last night, andstealing from the vault seventy-five thousand dollars in currency!"

"Seventy-five thousand dollars! Tom accused of robbing the bank!"faltered Mr. Swift. 

"That is the charge, and we've come to arrest him, " broke in ConstableHigby. 

"Where is he?" added the chief. 

"This charge is false! Absolutely false!" shouted the aged inventor. 

"That may be, " admitted the chief shaking his head. "But the charge hasbeen made, and we hold the warrant. The courts will settle it. We mustnow arrest Tom. Where is he?"

"He isn't here!" cried Mr. Swift, and small blame to him if there was anote of triumph in his voice. "Tom sailed away not half an hour ago inthe airship Red Cloud! You can't arrest him!"

"He's escaped!" shouted the constable. "I told you, chief, that he wasa slippery customer, and that we'd better come before breakfast!"

"Dry up!" commanded the chief testily. "So he's foiled us, eh? Run awaywhen he knew we were coming? I think that looks like guilt, Mr. Swift. "

"Never!" cried the inventor. "Tom would never think of robbing thebank. Besides, he has all the money he wants. The charge ispreposterous! I demand to be confronted with the proof. "

"You shall be, " answered Chief Simonson vindictively. "If you will cometo the bank you can see the rifled vault, and hear the testimony of awitness who saw your son with burglar tools in his possession lastnight. We also have a warrant for Mr. Wakefield Damon. Do you knowanything of him?"

"He has gone with my son in the airship. "

"Ha! The two criminals with their booty have escaped together!" criedthe chief. "But we'll nab them if we have to scour the whole country. Come on, Higby! Mr. Swift, if you'll accompany me to the bank, I thinkI can give you all the proof you want, " and the officials, followed bythe amazed and grief-stricken inventor, left the house. 

Chapter 13

Mr. Damon In Danger

The sensations of the voyagers in the airship, who meanwhile, wereflying along over the country surrounding Shopton, were not verydifferent than when they had undertaken some trial flights. In fact Mr. Damon was a little disappointed after they had waved their farewells toMr. Swift and Mrs. Baggert. 

"I declare I'm not at all nervous, " he remarked, as he sat in an easychair in the enclosed car or cabin, and looked down at the earththrough the plate-glass windows in the floor. 

"I thought you'd be all right once we got started, " commented Mr. Sharp. "Do you think you can stand going a trifle higher?"

"Try it, " suggested the eccentric man. "Bless my watch chain, but, as Isaid, I might as well die this way as any other. Hitting a cloud-bankis easier than trying to climb a tree on a motorcycle, eh, Tom?"

"Very much so, Mr. Damon, " conceded the young inventor, with a laugh. 

"Oh, we'll not attempt any cloud heights for a day or two, " went on Mr. Sharp. "I want you, to gradually get used to the rarefied atmosphere, Mr. Damon. Tom and I are getting to be old hands at it. But, if youthink you can stand it, I'll go up about a thousand feet higher. "

"Make it two thousand, while you're at it, " proposed the odd character. "Might as well take a long fall as a short one. "

Accordingly, the elevation rudder was used to send the Red Cloud to agreater height while she was still skimming along like some great bird. Of course the desired elevation could have been obtained by forcingmore gas from the machine into the big, red container overhead, but itwas decided to be as sparing of this vapor as possible, since thevoyagers did not want to descend to get more material, in case theyused up what they had. It was just as easy to rise by properly workingthe rudders, when the ship was in motion, and that was the method nowemployed. 

With the great propellers, fore and aft, making about a thousandrevolutions a minute the craft slanted up toward the sky. 

The ship was not being run at top speed as Mr. Sharp did not care toforce it, and there was no need for haste. Long distance, rather thanhigh speed was being aimed at on this first important flight. 

Tom was at the steering wheel, and, with his I hand on the levercontrolling the elevation rudder, kept watch of the face of Mr. Damon, occasionally noting what height the hand on the gauge registered. Hefancied he saw the cheeks of his friend growing pale, and, when aheight of thirty-five hundred feet was indicated, with a yank the younginventor put the airship on a level keel. 

"Are you distressed, Mr. Damon?" he asked. 

"Ye--yes, I--I have--some--some difficulty in breathing, " was theanswer. 

Tom gave his friend the same advice the aeronaut had given the lad onhis first trip, and the eccentric man soon felt better. 

"Bless my buttons!" he ventured to explain. "But I feel as if I hadlost several pounds of flesh, and I'm glad of it. "

Mr. Sharp was busy with the motor, which needed some slightadjustments, and Tom was in sole charge of navigating the airship. Hehad lost the nervous feeling that first possessed him, and was becomingquite an expert at meeting various currents of wind encountered in theupper regions. 

Below, the voyagers could see the earth spread out like a great map. They could not tell their exact location now, but by calculating theirspeed, which was about thirty miles an hour, Tom figured out that theywere above the town of Centreford, near where he had been attacked onceby the model thieves. 

For several hours the airship kept on her way, maintaining a height ofabout a mile, for when it was found that Mr. Damon could accommodatehimself to thirty-five hundred feet the elevation rudder was againshifted to send the craft upward. 

By using glasses the travelers could see crowds on the earth watchingtheir progress in the air, and, though airships, dirigible balloons andaeroplanes are getting fairly common now, the appearance of one asnovel and as large as the Red Cloud could always be depended upon toattract attention. 

"Well, what do you say to something to eat?" proposed Mr. Sharp, cominginto the main cabin, from the motor compartment. "It's twelve o'clock, though we can't hear the factory whistles up, here. "

"I'm ready, any time you are, " called Tom, from the pilot house. "Shall I cook grub, Mr. Sharp?"

"No, you manage the ship, and I'll play cook. We'll not get a veryelaborate meal this time, as I shall have to pay occasional visits tothe motor, which isn't running just to suit me. "

The electrical stove was set going, and some soup and beefsteak fromamong the stores, was put on the fire. In spite of the fact that theday was a warm one in October, it was quite cool in the cabin, untilthe stove took off the chill. The temperature of the upper regions wasseveral degrees below that of the earth. At times the ship passedthrough little wisps of vapor-clouds in the making. 

"Isn't this wonderful!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, as he sat in an easychair, partaking of some of the food. "To think that I have lived tosee the day when I can take my lunch a mile in the air, with a craftflying along like a bird. Bless my knife and fork but it certainly iswonderful. "

Mr. Sharp relieved Tom at the wheel, while the young inventor ate, andthen, with the airship heading southwest, the speed was increased atrifle, the balloonist desiring to see what the motor could accomplishunder a heavy load. 

A drop of several hundred feet was made about an hour later, and, asthis made it warmer, Mr. Damon, who was a great lover of fresh air, decided to go out on the platform in front of the cabin. This platform, and a similar one at the rear, was railed about, to prevent accidents. A fine view could be had from them much better than through the floorwindows of the car. 

"Be careful of the propeller, " advised Tom, as his friend went outside. "I don't believe you're tall enough to be hit by the blades, but don'ttake any chances of standing on your tiptoes. "

"Bless my pocket handkerchief, indeed I'll not, " came the answer. "ButI think I shall wrap up my throat in the scarf I brought along. I amsubject to neuralgia, and the breeze may bring on an attack of it. "

Wrapping along, woolen scarf about his neck, the eccentric man venturedout on the open platform. About the middle of it, but sufficiently highto be above a person's head, was the forward propeller, whirring aroundat swift speed. 

Tom, with his eye on the various gauges and the compass, was steeringthe airship. He glanced at Mr. Damon, who appeared to be enjoying theview from the platform. For an instant the eyes of the lad were takenfrom the form of his friend. He looked back suddenly, however, hisattention attracted by a smothered cry. He was horrified by what he saw. 

Mr. Damon was leaning far over the edge of the railing, with nothingbetween him and the earth a thousand feet below. He seemed to have losthis balance and had toppled forward, being doubled up on the iron piperailing, his hands hanging limply over. Then, as Tom cried to Mr. Sharpto shut off the motor, the lad saw that, hanging to the blade of thepropeller, and being whirled around in its revolutions, was a part ofMr. Damon's red scarf. 

"Hurry! Hurry, Mr. Sharp!" yelled Tom, not daring to let go thesteering wheel, for fear the ship would encounter a treacherous currentand tilt. "Hurry to Mr. Damon!"

"What's the matter?" asked the balloonist. 

"He's dead--or unconscious--hanging over the railing. He seems to beslipping! Hurry, or it will be too late!"

Chapter 14

Andy Gives The Clue

When Mr. Swift followed the chief of police and the constable to thetown hall his mind was filled with many thoughts. All his plans forrevolutionizing submarine travel, were, of course, forgotten, and hewas only concerned with the charge that had been made against his son. It seemed incredible, yet the officers were not ones to perpetrate ajoke. The chief and constable had driven from town in a carriage, andthey now invited the inventor to ride back with them. 

"Do you mean to tell me a warrant has actually been sworn out againstmy son, Chief?" asked the father, when they were near the town hall. 

"That's just what I mean to say, Mr. Swift, and, I'm sorry, on youraccount, that I have to serve it. "

"Hub! Don't look like you was goin' to serve it, " remarked theconstable. "He's skipped out. "

"That's all right, Higby, " went on the chief. "I'll catch em both. Even if they have escaped in an airship with their booty, I'll nab 'em. I'll have a general alarm out all over the country in less than anhour. They can't stay up in the air forever. "

"A warrant for Tom--my son, " murmured Mr. Swift, as if he could notbelieve it. 

"Yes, and for that Damon man, too, " added the chief. "I want him aswell as Tom, and I'll get 'em. "

"Would you mind letting me see the warrants?" asked the inventor, andthe official passed them over. The documents were made out in regularform, and the complaints had been sworn to by Isaac Pendergast, thebank president. 

"I can't understand it, " went on Tom's father. "Seventy-five thousanddollars. It's incredible! Why!" he suddenly exclaimed, "it can't betrue. Just before he left, Mr. Damon--"

"Yes, what did he do?" asked the chief eagerly, thinking he mightsecure some valuable evidence. 

"I guess I'll say nothing until I have seen the bank president, "replied Mr. Swift, and the official was obviously disappointed. 

The inventor found Mr. Pendergast, and some other bank officials in thetown hall. The financiers were rather angry when they learned that theaccused persons had not been caught, but the chief said he would soonhave them in custody. 

"In the meanwhile will you kindly explain, what this means?" asked Mr. Swift of the president. 

"You may come and look at the looted vault, if you like, Mr. Swift, "replied Mr. Pendergast. "It was a very thorough job, and will seriouslycripple the bank. "

There was no doubt that the vault had been forced open, for the locksand bars were bent and twisted as if by heavy tools. Mr. Swift made acareful examination, and was shown the money drawers that had beensmashed. 

"This was the work of experts, " he declared. 

"Exactly what we think, " said the president. "Of course we don'tbelieve your son was a professional bank robber, Mr. Swift. We have atheory that Mr. Damon did the real work, but that Tom helped him withthe tools he had. There is no doubt about it. "

"What right have you to accuse my son?" burst out the aged inventor. "Why have you any more cause to suspect him than any other lad in town?Why do you fix on him, and Mr. Damon? I demand to know. "

"Mr. Damon's eccentric actions for a few days past, and his well-knownoddity of character make him an object of suspicion, " declared thepresident in judicial tones. "As for Tom, we have, I regret to say, even better evidence against him. "

"But what is it? What? Who gave you any clues to point to my son?"

"Do you really wish to know?"

"I certainly do, " was the sharp reply. Mr. Swift, the police andseveral bank officials were now in the president's office. The latterpressed an electric bell, and, when a messenger answered, he said:

"Send young Foger here. "

At the mention of this name, Mr. Swift started. He well knew thered-haired bully was an enemy of his son. Andy entered, walking ratherproudly at the attention he attracted. 

"This is Mr. Swift, " said the president. 

"Aw, I know him, " blurted out Andy. 

"You will please tell him what you told us, " went on Mr. Pendergast. 

"Well, I seen Tom Swift hanging around this bank with burglar tools inhis possession last night, just before it was robbed, " exclaimed thesquint-eyed lad triumphantly. 

"Hanging around the bank last night with burglar tools?" repeated Mr. Swift, in dazed tones. 

"That's right, " from Andy. 

"How do you know they were burglar tools?"

"Because I saw 'em!" cried Andy. "He had 'em in a valise on hismotor-cycle. He was standing at the corner, waiting for a chance tobreak into the bank, and when me and Sam Snedecker saw him, hepretended to be fixin' his machine. Then the bag of burglar tools felloff, the satchel came open, and I seen 'em! That's how I know. "

"And you're sure they were burglar tools?" asked the chief, for hedepended on Andy to be his most important witness. 

"Sure I am. I seen a picture of burglar tools once, and the ones Tomhad was just like 'em. Long-handled wrenches, brace an' bits, an' all. He tried to hide 'em, but me an' Sam was too quick for him. He wantedto lick me, too. "

"No doubt you deserved it, " murmured Mr. Swift. "But how do you know myson was waiting for a chance to break into the bank?"

"'Cause, wasn't it robbed right after he was hangin' around here withthe burglar tools?" inquired Andy, as if that was unanswerable. 

"What were you hanging around here for?" Mr. Swift demanded quickly. 

"Me? Oh, well, me an' Sam Snedecker was out takin' a walk. That's all. "

"You didn't want to rob the bank, did you?" went on the inventor, keenly. 

"Of course not, " roared the bully, indignantly. "I ain't got no burglartools. "

Andy told more along the same line, but his testimony of having seenTom near the bank, with a bag of odd tools could not be shaken. In factit was true, as far as it went, but, of course, the tools were onlythose for the airship; the same ones Mr. Sharp had sent the lad after. Sam Snedecker was called in after Andy, and told substantially the samestory. 

Mr. Swift could not understand it, for he knew nothing of Tom beingsent for the tools, and had not heard any talk at home of the bag ofimplements ordered by the balloonist. Still, of course, he knew Tom hadnothing to do with the robbery, and he knew his son had been at homeall the night previous. Still this was rather negative evidence. Butthe inventor had one question yet to ask. 

"You say you also suspect Mr. Damon of complicity in this affair?" hewent on, to the chief of police. 

"We sure do, " replied Mr. Simonson. 

"Then can you explain?" proceeded the inventor, "how it is that Mr. Damon has on deposit in this bank a large sum. Would he rob the bankwhere his own funds were?"

"We are prepared for that, " declared the president. "It is true thatMr. Damon has about ten thousand dollars in our bank, but we believe hedeposited it only as a blind, so as to cover up his tracks. It is adeep-laid scheme, and escaping in the airship is part of it. I amsorry, Mr. Swift, that I have to believe your son and his accompliceguilty, but I am obliged to. Chief, you had better send out a generalalarm. The airship ought to be easy to trace. "

"I'll telegraph at once, " said the official. 

"And you believe my son guilty, solely on the testimony of these twoboys, who, as is well known, are his enemies?" asked Mr. Swift. 

"The clue they gave us is certainly most important, " said thepresident. "Andy came to us and told what he had seen, as soon as itbecame known that the bank had been robbed. "

"And I'm going to get the reward for giving information of the robbers, too!" cried the bully. 

"I'm going to have my share!" insisted Sam. 

"Ah, then there is a reward offered?" inquired Mr. Swift. 

"Five thousand dollars, " answered Mr. Pendergast. "The directors, allof whom are present save Mr. Foger, Andy's father, met early thismorning, and decided to offer that sum. "

"And I'm going to get it, " announced the red-haired lad again. 

Mr. Swift was much downcast. There seemed to be nothing more to say, and, being a man unversed in the ways of the world, he did not knowwhat to do. He returned hone. When Mrs. Baggert was made acquaintedwith the news, she waxed indignant. 

"Our Tom a thief!" she cried. "Why don't they accuse me and Mr. Jacksonand you? The idea! You ought to hire a lawyer, Mr. Swift, and prosecutethose men for slander. "

"Do you think it would be a good plan?"

"I certainly do. Why they have no evidence at all! What does that mean, sneaking Andy Foger amount to? Get a lawyer, and have Tom's interestslooked after. "

Mr. Swift, glad to have sane one share the responsibility with, feltsomewhat better when a well-known Shopton attorney assured him that theevidence against Tom was of such a flimsy character that it wouldscarcely hold in a court of justice. 

"But they have warrants for him and Mr. Damon, " declared the inventor. 

"Very true, but it is easy to swear out a warrant against any one. It's a different matter to prove a person guilty. "

"But they can arrest my son. "

"Yes--if they catch him. However, we can soon have him released onbail. "

"It's disgraceful, " said Mrs. Baggert. 

"Not at all, my dear madam, not at all. Good and innocent persons havebeen arrested. "

"They are going to send out a general alarm for my son, " bewailed Mr. Swift. 

"Yes, but I fancy it will be some time before they catch him and Mr. Damon, if the airship holds together. I can't think of a better way tokeep out of the clutches of the police, and their silly charge, "chuckled the lawyer. "Now don't worry, Mr. Swift. It will all come outright. "

The inventor tried to believe so, but, though he knew his son wasinnocent, it was rather hard to see, within the next few days, bigposters on all the vacant walls and fences, offering a reward of fivethousand dollars for the arrest of Tom Swift and Wakefield Damon, whowere charged with having flown away in an airship with seventy-fivethousand dollars of the bank's money. 

"I guess Tom Swift will wish he'd been more decent to me when I collectthat money for his arrest, " said Andy to his crony, Sam, the day thebills were posted. 

"Yes, but I get my share, don't I?" asked Sam. 

"Sure, " answered the bully. "I wish they'd hurry up and arrest him. "

Within the next few days the country was covered with posters tellingof the robbery and the reward, and police officials in cities large andsmall, and in towns and villages, were notified by telegraph to arrestand capture, at any cost the occupants of a certain large, red airship. 

Mr. Swift, on the advice of his lawyer, sent several telegrams to Tom, apprising him of what had happened. The telegraph company was asked torush the telegrams to the first city when word came in that the RedCloud had landed. 

Chapter 15

Fired Upon

Tom's excited call to the aeronaut, telling of the mishap to Mr. Damon, was answered immediately. Mr. Sharp jumped forward from the motorcompartment, and, passing on his way the electric switch, he yanked itout, stopping the machinery, and the great propellers. Then he leapedout on the platform. 

But something else happened. Just before the accident to the eccentricman, desiring to give a further test to the planes, the gas had beenshut off, making the airship an aeroplane instead of a dirigibleballoon. Consequently, as soon as the forward motion ceased the greatship began falling. 

"We're sinking! We're sinking!" cried Tom, forgetting for a moment thathe was not in his motor-boat. 

"Slant your rudder up, and glide downward as slowly as you can!"directed Mr. Sharp. "I'll start the engine again as soon as I rescuehim, " for it was risky to venture out on the platform with thepropeller whirring, as the dangling piece of scarf might whip aroundthe balloonist and toss him off. 

Mr. Sharp was soon at Mr. Damon's side. He saw that the man wasunconscious, whether from fright or some injury could not then bedetermined. There was, however, no sign of a wound. 

It was no easy task to carry, half dragging it, the heavy body of Mr. Damon off the platform, but the aeronaut was a muscular individual, andlong hanging from a trapeze, at great heights, stood him in good stead. 

He brought the unconscious man into the cabin, and then, quicklyreturning to the platform, he detached the piece of scarf from thepropeller blade. Next he started the motor, and also turned on the gastank, so that the airship, in a few minutes, could float in spacewithout motion. 

"You needn't steer now, Tom, " said the balloonist. "Just give me a handhere. "

"Is--is he dead?" inquired the lad, his voice faltering. 

"No, his heart's beating. I can't understand what happened. "

Mr. Sharp was something of a rough and ready surgeon and doctor, and asmall box of medicines had been brought along in case of emergencies. With the Red Cloud now lazily floating in the air, for, once thefalling motion had been checked by the engine, the motor had beenstopped again, Mr. Sharp set about restoring Mr. Damon to consciousness. 

It was not long before the man opened his eyes. The color that had lefthis cheeks came back, and, after a drink of cold water he was able tosit up. 

"Did I fall?" he asked. "Bless my very existence, but did I tumble offthe airship?"

"No indeed, " replied Tom, "though you came pretty near it. How do youfeel? Were you hurt?"

"Oh, I'm all right now--just a trifle dizzy. But I thought sure I was agoner when I fell over the platform railing, " and Mr. Damon could notrepress a shudder. Mr. Sharp administered some more medicine and hispatient was soon able to stand, and move about. 

"How did it happen?" inquired the balloonist. 

"I hardly know, " answered Mr. Damon. "I was out on the platform, looking at the view, and thinking how much better my neuralgia was, with the scarf on. Suddenly the wind whipped loose one end of thescarf, and, before I knew it the cloth had caught on the propellerblade. I was blown, or drawn to one side, tossed against the railing, which I managed to grab, and then I lost my senses. It's a good thing Iwasn't whirled around the propeller. "

"It's a good thing you weren't tossed down to the earth, " commentedTom, shivering as he thought of his friend's narrow escape. 

"I became unconscious, partly because the wind was knocked from me as Ihit the platform railing, " went on Mr. Damon, "and partly from fright, I think. But I'm all right now, and I'm not going out on that platformagain with a loose scarf on. "

"I wouldn't go out at all again, if I were you, though, of course, I'mused to dizzy heights, " spoke Mr. Sharp. 

"Oh, I'm not so easily frightened, " declared Mr. Damon. "If I'm goingto be a balloonist, or an aeroplanist I've got to get used to certainthings. I'm all right now, " and the plucky man was, for the blow to hisside did not amount to much. It was some time, however, before Tom gotover the fright his friend had caused him. 

They spent that night moving slowly south, and in the morning foundthey had covered about a hundred miles, not having run the ship toanything like its maximum speed. Breakfast was served above the clouds, for a change, Mr. Damon finding that he could stand the great heightwith comfort. 

It was three days after the start, and the travelers were proceedingslowly along. They were totally unaware, of course, of the sensationwhich their leaving, conjointly with the bank robbery, had caused, notonly in Shopton but in other places. 

"We're over a good-sized city, " announced Tom, on the noon of the thirdday. "Suppose we drop down, and leave some message? Dad will be anxiousto hear from us. "

"Good idea, " commented Mr. Sharp. "Down it is. Shift the rudder. "

Tom proceeded to do so, and, while Mr. Damon relieved him at the wheelthe young inventor prepared a message to his father. It was placed in aweighted envelope, together with a sum of money, and the person pickingit up was requested to send the letter as a telegram, retaining somemoney for his trouble. 

As the ship got lower and lower over the city the usual crowds could beseen congregating in the streets, pointing and gazing upward. 

"We're creating quite a stir, " observed Tom. 

"More than usual, it seems, " added Mr. Sharp, peering down. "I declare, there seems to be a police parade under way. "

"That's right, " put in Mr. Damon, for, looking down, a squad ofuniformed officers, some on horseback, could be seen hurrying along themain street, trying to keep pace with the airship, which was movingslowly. 

"They're looking at us through telescopes, " called Tom. "Guess theynever saw a balloon down this way. "

Nearer and nearer to the city dropped the Red Cloud. Tom was about tolet go the weighted envelope, when, from the midst of the police cameseveral puffs of white smoke. It was followed by vicious, zippingsounds about the cabin of the ship, the windows of which were open. Then came the reports of several rifles. 

"They're firing at us!" yelled Tom. 

"So they are!" cried Mr. Sharp. "They must be crazy! Can't they seethat we're not a bird. "

"Maybe they take us for a war balloon, " suggested Mr. Damon. 

Another volley was directed at the airship, and several bullets struckthe big aluminum gas holder glancing blows. 

"Here! Quit that!" yelled Tom, leaning out of the window. "Are youcrazy? You'll damage us!"

"They can't hear you, " called Mr. Sharp. 

A third volley was fired, and this time several persons other thanpolice officers seemed to be shooting at the airship. Revolvers as wellas rifles were being used. 

"We're got to get out of this!" shouted Mr. Sharp, as a bullet sanguncomfortably close to his head. "I can't imagine what's gotten intothe people. Send her up, Tom!"

The lad quickly shifted the elevation rudder, and the Red Cloud sailedmajestically aloft. The young inventor had not dropped his message, concluding that citizens who would fire on travelers of the air for noreason, would not be likely to accommodate them in the matter ofsending messages. 

The craft mounted rapidly upward, but before it was beyond rifle shotanother volley was fired, one bullet sending some splinters flying fromthe wooden framework. 

"Whew! That was a narrow escape!" exclaimed Mr. Sharp. "What in theworld can those people be up to, anyhow?"

Chapter 16

Over a Fiery Furnace

Down below, the aeronauts could see the crowd, led by the police, scurrying to and fro. Many individuals beside the officers appeared tobe holding weapons, and, from the puffs of smoke that spurted out, itwas evident that more shots were being fired. But the bullets could dono harm, and the Red Cloud, under the force of the rapidly revolvingpropellers, was soon beyond the center of the city. 

"Well, if that isn't the limit!" cried Tom. "They must have taken usfor a German war balloon, about to drop explosives on them. "

"Bless my liver!" ejaculated Mr. Damon, "I believe you're right. Eh, Mr. Sharp?"

The veteran balloonist took a careful look over the craft beforereplying. Then he spoke:

"It couldn't be that, " and he shook his head, as if puzzled. "Theywould know no foreign airship would try any trick like that. Beside, ifby some remote possibility they did imagine it, there would be soldiersshooting at us, instead of the police. As it was, the whole populationseemed anxious to bring us down. "

"And they nearly did, " added Mr. Damon. "If they had shot a few holesin the gas bag where would we be?"

"Right in the air, " answered the balloonist. "It would take severalvolleys of bullets to damage our aluminum container. It is in sectionsand when one, or even five compartments, for that matter, are pierced, there is enough gas in the others to sustain us. So they could not havedamaged us much, even if they had shot a lot of holes in us. Evenwithout the gas container we can keep afloat by constantly moving, forthe planes will serve their purpose. Of course they could damage us, and maybe put some of our machinery out of business, and that would bea serious thing. But what puzzles me is why they fired at us at all. "

"It couldn't be out of pure mischief; could it?" asked the younginventor. 

"Hardly. If we were in a savage country I could understand the nativesfiring at some such object as this airship, but the people of that citymust have known what our craft was. They probably have read somethingabout it in the news papers, and to deliberately fire on us, with thechance of disabling us, seems worse than barbarous. "

"Well, we won't give 'em another opportunity, " commented Mr. Damon. 

"No, indeed, not this city, but who knows but what the example mayspread? We may be fired at the next town we sail over. "

"Then steer clear of the towns, " advised Tom. 

"Impossible. We must pass over some, but I'd like to solve thismystery. "

The day passed without further incident, though they did not go lowenough down over any city to drop any messages. It was decided that itwould not be safe. 

"We'll take a chance at night, " suggested Tom, and that evening, approaching a good-sized town in the dusk, several of the weightedenvelopes were dropped overboard. Doubtless persons walking along thestreet, who were startled by hearing something fall with a "thud" attheir feet, were much startled to look up and see, dimly, a great, ghostly shape moving in the air. But there was no shooting, and, eventually, some of the messages reached Mr. Swift, in Shopton. But hecould not answer them for the airship kept on the move. 

The night was spent floating in the air, with the engine stopped, andthe Red Cloud floating lazily this way and that as the gentle windsshifted, for it was calm. The "anchorage" if such it may be called, wasabove a sparsely settled part of the country, and if the lights of theairship were seen from below, the farmers doubtless took them for somenew stars or, possibly, a comet. 

"Now then for a fast, straight run!" cried Tom, after breakfast hadbeen served, and the big motor, with its twenty cylinders, started. "We'll be able to make the turn to-day, and then make for home, won'twe, Mr. Sharp?"

"Well, we could do it, Tom, " was the answer, "but I like this mode oftraveling so that I think I'll lengthen the voyage. Instead of turningat Atlanta, what do you say to making for Key West, and then startingback? That will be something of a trip. The Red Cloud is behaving muchbetter than I hoped she would. "

"I'm willing to go further if Mr. Damon is. "

"Oh, bless my shoe strings, I'm game!" exclaimed the eccentric man. "Ialways did want to go to Key West, anyhow. "

The craft was speeding along at a fast clip, and dinner that day wasserved about three miles in the air. Then, desiring to test the glidingabilities of the airship, it was sent down on a long slant, with thepropellers stationary, the shifting planes and rudders alone guiding it. 

As the craft fairly slid down out of the sky, like a sled on a bank offleecy snow, Tom, who was peering ahead, with his hand on the steeringwheel, cried out "I say! It looks as if we were going to run into athunder storm!"

"How's that?" inquired Mr. Sharp, poking his head from the motorcompartment. 

"He says there's a big storm ahead, " repeated Mr. Damon, "and I guesshe's right. I see a big bank of dark clouds, and there is a roaring inthe air. "

Mr. Sharp, who had been making some adjustments to the motor wentforward to take a look. The Red Cloud was swiftly gliding downward on aslant, straight toward a dark mass of vapor, that seemed to be rollingfirst one way, and then another, while as Mr. Damon had said, there wasa low rumbling proceeding from it. 

"That doesn't seem to be a thunder storm, " spoke the balloonist, with apuzzled air. 

They all regarded the dark mass of vapor intently for a few seconds. Tom had brought the airship to a more level keel, and it was nowspinning along under its own momentum, like a flat piece of tin, scaledby some lead. But it was headed for the clouds, if such they were, though losing speed by degrees. 

"I'll have to start the motor!" exclaimed Mr. Sharp. "We don't want torun into a storm, if we can help it, though I don't ever rememberseeing a thunder disturbance like that. "

"Whew! It's getting warm, " suddenly announced the youth, and he let goof the steering wheel for a moment, while he took off his coat. 

"That's what it is, " agreed Mr. Damon, who also divested himself of hisgarments. "Bless my spark plug, but it's like a July day. No wonderthere's a thunderstorm ahead. "

Then Mr. Sharp uttered a cry. "That's no storm!" he fairly shouted. "It's a big forest fire! That's smoke we see! We must get out of this. Turn around Tom, while I start the engine. We must rise above it!"

He fairly leaped for the motor, and Tom and Mr. Damon could hear himturning the levers and wheels, ready to start. But before theexplosions came something happened. There was a sound as of some great, siren whistle blowing, and then, with a howl of the on rushing air, theRed Cloud, the propellers of which hung motionless on their shafts, wasfairly sucked forward toward the fire, as the current sucks a boat overa water fall. 

"Start the motor! Start the motor, Mr. Sharp!" cried Tom. 

"I'm trying to, but something seems to be the matter. "

"We're being drawn right over the fire!" yelled Mr. Damon. "It'sgetting hotter every minute! Can't you do something?"

"You take the wheel, " called the balloonist to Mr. Damon. "Steeraround, just as if it was an auto when we start the engine. Tom, comehere and give me a hand. The motor has jammed!"

The young inventor sprang to obey. Mr. Damon, his face showing some ofthe fear he felt, grasped the steering wheel. The airship was now abouta quarter of a mile high, but instead of resting motionless in the air, sustained by the gas in the container, she was being pulled forward, right toward the heart of the mass of black vapor, which it could nowbe seen was streaked with bright tongues of flame. 

"What's making us go ahead, if the motor isn't going?" asked Tom, as hebent over the machine, at which the aeronaut was laboring. 

"Suction--draught from the fire!" explained Mr. Sharp. "Heated airrises and leaves a vacuum. The cold air rushes in. It's carrying uswith it. We'll be right in the fire in a few minutes, if we can't getstarted with this motor! I don't see what ails it. "

"Can't we steer to one side, as it is?"

"No. We're right in a powerful current of air, and steering won't doany good, until we have some motion of our own. Turn the gasolene leveron a little more, and see if you can get a spark. "

Tom did so, but no explosion resulted. The twenty cylinders of the bigengine remained mute. The airship, meanwhile, was gathering speed, sucked onward and downward as it was by the draught from the fire. Theroaring was plainer now, and the crackling of the flames could be heardplainly. The heat, too, grew more, intense. 

Frantically Tom and Mr. Sharp labored over the motor. With theperverseness usual to gas engines, it had refused to work at a criticalmoment. 

"What shall I do?" cried Mr. Damon from his position in the pilothouse. "We seem to be heading right for the midst of it?"

"Slant the elevation rudder, " called Tom. "Send the ship up. It will becooler the higher we go. Maybe we can float over it!"

"You'd better go out there, " advised Mr. Sharp. "I'll keep at thismotor. Go up as high as you can. Turn on more gas. That will elevateus, but maybe not quick enough. The gas doesn't generate well in greatheat. I'm afraid we're in for it, " he added grimly. 

Tom sprang to relieve Mr. Damon. The heat was now intense. Nearer andnearer came the Red Cloud to the blazing forest, which seemed to coverseveral square miles. Great masses of smoke, with huge pieces ofcharred and blazing wood carried up by the great draught, circledaround the ship. The Red Cloud was being pulled into the midst of thefire by the strong suction. Tom yanked over the elevation rudder, andthe nose of the craft pointed upward. But it still moved downward, and, a moment later the travelers of the air felt as if they were over afiery furnace. 

Chapter 17

"Wanted For Robbery!"

Choking and gasping for breath, feeling as if they could not stand theintense heat more than a moment longer, the young inventor and hiscompanions looked at each other. Death seemed ready to reach out andgrasp them. The mass of heated air was so powerful that it swung andtossed the Red Cloud about as if it were a wisp of paper. 

"We must do something!" cried Mr. Damon, beginning to take off hiscollar and vest. "I'm choking!"

"Lie down in the bottom of the car, " suggested Mr. Sharp. "The smokewon't trouble you so much there. "

The eccentric man, too startled, now, to use any of his "blessing"expressions, did so. 

"Can't you start the motor?" asked Tom frantically, as he stuck to hispost, with his hand on the steering wheel, the elevation lever jammedback as far as it would go. 

"I've done my best, " answered the balloonist, gasping as he swallowedsome smoke. "I'm afraid--afraid it's all up with us. We should havesteered clear of this from the first. My, how it roars!"

The crackling and snapping of the flames below them, as they fed on thedry wood, which no rain had wet for weeks, was like the rush of somegreat cataract. Up swirled the dark smoke-clouds, growing hotter andhotter all the while as the craft came nearer and nearer to the centerof the conflagration. 

"We must rise higher!" cried Tom. "It's our only chance. Turn on thegas machine full power, and fill the container. That will carry us up!"

"Yes, it's our only hope, " muttered Mr. Sharp. "We must go up, but thetrouble is the gas doesn't generate so fast when there's too much heat. We're bound to have to stay over this fiery pit for some time yet. "

"We're going up a little!" spoke Tom hopefully, as he glanced at agauge near him. "We're fifteen hundred feet now, and we were onlytwelve a while ago. "

"Good! Keep the elevation rudder as it is, and I'll see what I can dowith the gas, " advised the balloonist. "It's our only hope, " and hehurried into the engine room, which, like the other parts of the cabin, was now murky with choking vapor and soot. 

Suddenly the elevation gauge showed that they were falling. The airshipwas going down. 

"What's the matter?" called Mr. Damon, from the cabin floor. 

"I don't know, " answered Tom, "unless the rudder has broken. "

He peered through the haze. No, the big elevation rudder was still inplace, but it seemed to have no effect on the shim. 

"It's a down draught!" cried Mr. Sharp. "We're being sucked down. Itwon't last but a few seconds. I've been in 'em before. "

He seemed to have guessed rightly, for, the next instant the airshipwas shooting upward again, and relief came to the aeronauts, though itwas not much, for the heat was almost unbearable, and they had takenoff nearly all their clothing. 

"Lighten ship!" sung out Mr. Sharp. "Toss over all the things you thinkwe can spare, Tom. Some of the cases of provisions--we can get more--ifwe need 'em. We must rise, and the gas isn't generating fast enough!"

There was no need for the young inventor at the steering wheel now, forthe craft simply could not be guided. It was swirled about, now thisway, now that, by the currents of heated air. At times it would rise aconsiderable distance, only to be pulled down again, and, just beforeTom began to toss overboard some boxes of food, it seemed that the endhad come, for the craft went down so low that the upward leapingtongues of flame almost reached the lower frame. 

"I'll help you, " gasped Mr. Damon, and while he and Tom tossed from thecabin windows some of their stores, Mr. Sharp was franticallyendeavoring to make the gas generate faster. 

It was slow work, but with the lightening of the ship their situationimproved. Slowly, so slowly that it seemed an age, the elevationpointer went higher and higher on the dial. 

"Sixteen hundred feet!" sung out Tom, pausing for a look at the gauge. "That's the best yet!"

The heat was felt less, now, and every minute was improving theirsituation. Slowly the hand moved. The gas was being made in largerquantities now that the heat was less. Ten minutes more of agony, andtheir danger was over. They were still above the burning area, butsufficiently high so that only stray wisps of smoke enveloped them. 

"Whew! But that was the worst ever!" cried Tom, as he sank exhausted ona bench, and wiped his perspiring face. "We sure were in a bad way!"

"I should say so, " agreed Mr. Sharp. "And if we don't get a breeze wemay have to stay here for some time. "

"Why, can't you get that motor to work yet?" asked Mr. Damon. "Bless mygaiters, but I'm all in, as the boys say. "

"I'll have another try at the machine now, " replied Mr. Sharp. "Probably it will work now, after we're out of danger without the aidof it. "

His guess proved correct, for, in a few minutes, with the aid of Tom, the motor started, the propellers revolved, and the Red Cloud was sentswiftly out of the fire zone. 

"Now we'd better take account of ourselves, our provisions, and theship, " said Mr. Sharp, when they had flown about twenty miles, and weremuch refreshed by the cooler atmosphere. "I don't believe the craft isdamaged any, except some of the braces may be warped by the heat. Asfor the provisions, you threw over a lot; didn't you, Tom?"

"Well, I had to. "

"Yes, I guess you did. Well, we'll make a landing. "

"Do you think it will be safe?" asked Mr. Damon anxiously. "We might befired upon again. "

"Oh, there's no danger of that. But I'll take precautions. I don't wanta big crowd around when we come down, so we'll pick out a secludedplace and land just at dusk. Then in the morning we can look over theship, and go to the nearest town to buy provisions. After that we cancontinue our journey, and we'll steer clear of forest fires after this. "

"And people who shoot at us, " added Mr. Damon. 

"Yes. I wish I knew what that was done for, " and once again came thatpuzzled look to the face of the balloonist. 

The airship gently descended that evening in a large level field, agood landing being made. Just before the descent Tom took anobservation and located, about two miles from the spot they selectedfor an "anchorage, " a good-sized village. 

"We can get provisions there, " he announced. 

"Yes, but we must not let it be known what they are for, " said Mr. Sharp, "or we'll have the whole population out here. I think this willbe a good plan: Tom, you and Mr. Damon go into town and buy the thingswe need. I'll stay here with the airship, and look it all over. You canarrange to have the stuff carted out here in the morning, and left at apoint say about a quarter of a mile away. Then we can carry it to theship. In that way no one will discover us, and we'll not be botheredwith curiosity-seekers. "

This was voted a good idea, and, when the landing had been made, and ahasty examination showed that the ship had suffered no great damagefrom the passage over the fire, the young inventor and Mr. Damonstarted off. 

They soon found a good road, leading to town, and tramped along it inthe early evening. The few persons they met paid little attention tothem, save to bow in a friendly fashion, and, occasionally wish themgood evening. 

"I wonder where we are?" asked Tom, as they hurried along. 

"In some southern town, to judge by the voices of the people, and thenumber of colored individuals we've met, " answered Mr. Damon. 

"Let's ask, " suggested Tom. 

"No, if you do they'll know we're strangers, and they may ask a lot ofquestions. "

"Oh, I guess if it's a small place they'll know we're strangers soonenough, " commented Tom. "But when we get to the village itself we canread the name on the store windows. "

A few minutes later found them in the midst of a typical southern town. It was Berneau, North Carolina, according to the signs, they saw. 

"Here's a restaurant, " called Tom, as they passed a neat-appearing one. "Let's go inside and get some supper before we buy our supplies. "

"Good!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Bless my flapjacks, but I am beginning tofeel hungry. "

The eating place was a good one, and Tom's predictions about theirbeing taken for strangers was verified, for, no sooner had they giventheir orders than the pretty, white girl, who waited on the tableremarked:

"Ah reckon yo' all are from th' no'th; aren't yo'?" She smiled, as shespoke, and Tom smiled back as he acknowledged it. 

"Have you a paper--a newspaper I could look at?" he asked. 

"Ah guess Ah can find one, " went on the girl. "Ah reckon yo' all arefrom N' York. N' Yorkers are so desperant bent on readin' th' news. "Her tones were almost like those of a colored person. 

"Yes, we're from a part of New York, " was Tom's reply. 

When a newspaper was brought to him, after they had nearly finishedtheir meal, the young inventor rapidly scanned the pages. Something onthe front sheet, under a heading of big, black type caught his eye. Hestarted as he read it. 

 WANTED FOR ROBBERY! BANK LOOTERS ESCAPE IN RED AIRSHIP--FIRED AT BUT DISAPPEAR

"Great Jehosophat!" exclaimed Tom, in a low voice. "What on earth canthis mean?"

"What?" inquired Mr. Damon. "Has anything happened?"

"Happened? I should say there had, " was the answer. "Why, we're accusedof having robbed the Shopton Bank of seventy-five thousand dollars thenight before we left, and to have taken it away in the Red Cloud. There's a general alarm out for us! Why this is awful!"

"It's preposterous!" burst out Mr. Damon. "I'll have my lawyers suethis paper. Bless my stocks and bonds, I!"

"Hush! Not so loud, " cautioned Tom, for the pretty waitress waswatching them curiously. "Here, read this, and then we'll decide whatto do. But one thing is certain, we must go back to Shopton at once toclear ourselves of this accusation. "

"Ha!" murmured Mr. Damon, as he read the article rapidly. "Now I knowwhy they fired at us. They hoped to bring us down, capture us, and getthe five thousand dollars reward!"

Chapter 18

Back For Vindication

Tom glanced around the restaurant. There were few persons in it savehimself and Mr. Damon. The pretty waitress was still regarding the twocuriously. 

"We ought to take that paper along with us, to show to Mr. Sharp, " saidTom, in a low voice to his friend. "I haven't had time to take it allin myself, yet. Let's go. I've had enough to eat, haven't you?"

"Yes. My appetite is gone now. "

As they arose, to pay their checks the girl advanced. 

"Can you tell me where I can get a copy of this paper?" asked Tom, ashe laid down a generous tip on the table, for the girl. Her eyes openedrather wide. 

"Yo' all are fo'gettin' some of yo' money. " she said, in her broad, southern tones. Tom thought her the prettiest girl he ever seen, excepting Mary Nestor. 

"Oh, that's for you, " replied the young inventor. "It's a tip. Aren'tyou in the habit of getting them down here?"

"Not very often. Thank yo' all. But what did yo' all ask about thatpaper?"

"I asked where I could get a copy of it. There is something in it thatinterests me. "

"Yes, an' Ah reckon Ah knows what it is, " exclaimed the girl. "It'sabout that airship with th' robbers in it!"

"How do you know?" inquired Tom quickly, and he tried to seem cool, though he felt the hot blood mounting to his cheeks. 

"Oh, Ah saw yo' all readin' it. Everybody down heah is crazy about it. We all think th' ship is comin' down this way, 'cause it says th'robbers was intendin' to start south befo' they robbed th' bank. Ahwish Ah could collect thet five thousand dollars. If Ah could see thatairship, I wouldn't work no mo' in this eatin' place. What do yo' allreckon thet airship looks like?" and the girl gazed intently at Tom andMr. Damon. 

"Why, bless my--" began the eccentric man, but Tom broke in hurriedly:

"Oh, I guess it looks like most any other airship, " for he feared thatif his companion used any of his odd expressions he might berecognized, since our hero had not had time to read the article in thepaper through, and was not sure whether or not a description ofhimself, Mr. Damon and Mr. Sharp was given. 

"Well, Ah suah wish I could collect thet reward, " went on the girl. "Everybody is on th' lookout. Yo' all ain't see th' airship; have yo'all?"

"Where can we get a paper like this?" asked Tom, again, not wanting toanswer such a leading question. 

"Why, yo' all is suah welcome to that one, " was the reply. "Ah guess Ahcan affo'd to give it to yo' all, after th' generous way yo' allbehaved to me. Take it, an' welcome. But are yo' all suah yo' are doneeatin'? Yo' all left lots. "

"Oh, we had enough, " replied Tom hurriedly. His sole aim now was to getaway--to consult with Mr. Sharp, and he needed the paper to learnfurther details of the astonishing news. He and his friends accused oflooting the bank, and taking away seventy-five thousand dollars in theairship! It was incredible! A reward of five thousand dollars offeredfor their capture! They might be arrested any minute, yet they couldnot go on without buying some provisions. What were they to do?

Once outside the restaurant, Mr. Damon and Tom walked swiftly on. Theycame to a corner where there was a street lamp, and there the younginventor paused to scan the paper again. It was the copy of a journalpublished in the nearby county seat, and contained quite a full accountof the affair. 

The story was told of how the bank had been broken into, the vaultrifled and the money taken. The first clue, it said, was given by ayouth named Andy Foger, who had seen a former acquaintance hangingaround the bank with burglar tools. Tom recognized the description ofhimself as the "former acquaintance, " but he could not understand therest. 

"Burglar tools? I wonder how Andy could say that?" he asked Mr. Damon. 

"Wait until we get back, and we'll ask John Sharp, " suggested hiscompanion. "This is very strange. I am going to sue some one forspreading false reports about me! Bless my ledgers, why I have money ondeposit in that bank! To think that I would rob it!"

"Poor dad!" murmured Tom. "This must be hard for him. But what aboutordering food? Maybe if we buy any they will trail us, find the airshipand capture it. I don't want to be arrested, even if I am innocent, andI certainly don't want the airship to fall into the hands of thepolice. They might damage it. "

"We must go see Mr. Sharp, " declared Mr. Damon, and back to where theRed Cloud was concealed they went. 

To say that the balloonist was astonished is putting it mildly. He waseven more excited than was Mr. Damon. 

"Wait until I get hold of that Andy Foger!" he cried. "I'll make himsweat for this! I see he's already laid claim to the reward, " he added, reading further along in the article. "He thinks he has put the policeon our trail. "

"So he seems to have done, " added Tom. "The whole country has beennotified to look out for us, " the paper says. "We're likely to be firedupon whenever we pass over a city or a town. "

"Then we'll have to avoid them, " declared the balloonist. 

"But we must go back, " declared Tom. 

"Of course. Back to be vindicated. We'll have to give up our trip. My, my! But this is a surprise!"

"I don't see what makes Andy say he saw me with burglar tools, "commented Tom, with a puzzled air. 

Mr. Sharp thought for a moment. Then he exclaimed "It was that bag oftools I sent you after--the long wrenches, the pliers, and the braceand bits. You--"

"Of course!" cried Tom. "I remember now. The bag dropped and opened, and Andy and Sam saw the tools. But the idea of taking them for burglartools!"

"Well, I suppose the burglars, whoever they were, did use tools similarto those to break open the vault, " put in Mr. Damon. "Andy probablythought he was a smart lad to put the police on our track. "

"I'll put him on the track, when I return, " declared Mr. Sharp. "Well, now, what's to be done?"

"We've got to have food, " suggested Tom. 

"Yes, but I think we can manage that. I've been looking over the ship, as best I could in the dark. It seems to be all right. We can startearly in the morning without anyone around here knowing we paid theirtown a visit. You and Mr. Damon go back to town, Tom, and order somestuff. Have the man leave it by the roadside early to-morrow morning. Tell him it's for some travelers, who will stop and pick it up. Pay himwell, and tell him to keep quiet, as it's for a racing party. That'strue enough. We're going to race home to vindicate our reputations. Ithink that will be all right. "

"The man may get suspicious, " said Mr. Damon. 

"I hope not, " answered the balloonist. "We've got to take a chance, anyhow. "

The plan worked well, however, the store keeper promising to have thesupplies on hand at the time and place mentioned. He winked as Tomasked him to keep quiet about it. 

"Oh, I know yo' automobile fellers, " he said with a laugh. "You want toget some grub on the fly, so you won't have to stop, an' can beat th'other fellow. I know you, fer I see them automobile goggles stickin'out of your pocket. "

Tom and Mr. Damon each had a pair, to use when the wind was strong, butthe young inventor had forgotten about his. They now served him a goodturn, for they turned the thoughts of the storekeeper into a newchannel. The lad let it go at that, and, paying for such things as heand Mr. Damon could not carry, left the store. 

The aeronauts passed an uneasy night. They raised their ship high inthe air, anchoring it by a rope fast to a big tree, and they turned onno lights, for they did not want to betray their position. Theydescended before it was yet daylight, and a little later hurried to theplace where the provisions were left. They found their supplies safelyon hand, and, carrying them into the airship, prepared to turn back toShopton. 

As the ship rose high in the air a crowd of negro laborers passingthrough a distant field, saw it. At once they raised a commotion, shouting and pointing to the wonderful sight. 

"We're discovered!" cried Tom. 

"No matter, " answered Mr. Sharp. "We'll soon be out of sight, and we'llfly high the rest of this trip. "

Tom looked down on the fast disappearing little hamlet, and he thoughtof the pretty girl in the restaurant. 

Chapter 19

Wrecked

With her nose headed north, the Red Cloud swung along through the air. Those on board were thinking of many things, but chief among them wasthe unjust accusation that had been made against them, by anirresponsible boy--the red-haired Andy Foger. They read the account inthe paper again, seeking to learn from it new things at each perusal. 

"It's just a lot of circumstantial evidence that's what it is, " saidTom. "I admit it might look suspicious to anyone who didn't know us, but Andy Foger has certainly done the most mischief by his conclusions. Burglar tools! The idea!"

"I think I shall sue the bank for damages, " declared Mr. Damon. "Theyhave injured my reputation by making this accusation against me. Anyhow, I'll certainly never do any more business with them, and I'llwithdraw my ten thousand dollars deposit, as soon as we get back. "

"Mr. Sharp doesn't seem to be accused of doing anything at all, "remarked Tom, reading the article for perhaps the tenth time. 

"Oh, I guess I'm a sort of general all-around bad man, who helped youburglars to escape with the booty, " answered the balloonist, with alaugh. "I expect to be arrested along with you two. "

"But must we be arrested?" inquired Tom anxiously. "I don't like thatidea at all. We haven't done anything. "

"This is my plan, " went on Mr. Sharp. "We'll get back to Shopton asquickly as we can. We'll arrive at night, so no one will see us, and, leaving the airship in some secluded spot, we'll go to the police andexplain matters. We can easily prove that we had nothing to do with therobbery. Why we were all home the night it happened! Mr. Swift, Mr. Jackson and Mrs. Baggert can testify to that. "

"Yes, " agreed Mr. Damon. "I guess they can. Bless my bank book, butthat seems a good plan. We'll follow it. "

Proceeding on the plan which they had decided was the best one, the RedCloud was sent high into the air. So high up was it that, at tunes, awas above the clouds. Though this caused some little discomfort atfirst, especially to Mr. Damon, he soon became used to it, as did theothers. And it had the advantage of concealing them from the personsbelow who might be on the lookout. 

"For we don't want to be shot at again, " explained Mr. Sharp. "It isn'taltogether healthy, and not very safe. If we keep high up they can'tsee us; much less shoot at us. They'll take us for some big bird. Then, too, we can go faster. "

"I suppose there will be another alarm sent out, from those negroeshaving sighted us, " ventured Tom. 

"Oh, yes, but those colored fellows were so excited they may describeus as having horns, hoofs and a tail, and their story may not bebelieved. I'm not worrying about them. My chief concern is to drive theRed Cloud for all she is worth. I want to explain some things backthere in Shopton. "

As if repenting of the way it had misbehaved over the forest fire, theairship was now swinging along at a rapid rate. Seated in the cabin thetravelers would have really enjoyed the return trip had it not been forthe accusation hanging over them. The weather was fine and clear, andas they skimmed along, now and then coming out from the clouds, theycaught glimpses below them of the earth above which they weretraveling. They had a general idea of their location, from knowing thetown where the paper had given them such astounding news, and it waseasy to calculate their rate of progress. 

After running about a hundred miles or so, at high speed Mr. Sharpfound it necessary to slow down the motor, as some of the new bearingswere heating. Still this gave them no alarm, as they were making goodtime. They came to a stop that night, and calculated that by the nextevening, or two at the latest, they would be back in Shopton. But theydid not calculate on an accident. 

One of the cylinders on the big motor cracked, as they started up nextmorning, and for some hours they had to hang in the air, suspended bythe gas in the container, while Mr. Sharp and Tom took out the damagedpart, and put in a spare one, the cylinders being cast separately. Itwas dusk when they finished, and too late to start up, so they remainedabout in the same place until the next day. 

Morning dawned with a hot humidness, unusual at that time of the year, but partly accounted for by the fact that they were still within theinfluence of the southern climate. With a whizz the big propellers wereset in motion, and, with Tom at the wheel, the ship being about threemiles in the air, to which height it had risen after the repairs weremade, the journey was recommenced. 

"It's cooler up here than down below, " remarked Tom, as he shifted thewheel and rudder a bit, in response to a gust of wind, that heeled thecraft over. 

"Yes, I think we're going to have a storm, " remarked Mr. Sharp, eyeingthe clouds with a professional air. "We may run ahead of it, or rightinto it. We'll go down a bit, toward night, when there's less danger ofbeing shot. "

So far, on their return trip, they had not been low enough, in the daytime, to be in any danger from persons who hoped to earn the fivethousand dollars reward. 

The afternoon passed quickly, and it got dark early. There was acurious hum to the wind, and, hearing it, Mr. Sharp began to go aboutthe ship, seeing that everything was fast and taut. 

"We're going to have a blow, " he remarked, "and a heavy one, too. We'll have to make everything snug, and be ready to go up or down, asthe case calls for. "

"Up or down?" inquired Mr. Damon. 

"Yes. By rising we may escape the blow, or, by going below the strataof agitated air, we may escape it. "

"How about rain?"

"Well, you can get above rain, but you can't get below it, with the lawof gravitation working as it does at present. How's the gas generator, Tom?"

"Seems to be all right, " replied the young inventor, who hadrelinquished the wheel to the balloonist. 

They ate an early supper, and, hardly had the dishes been put away, when from the west, where there was a low-flying bank of clouds, therecame a mutter of thunder. A little later there was a dull, redillumination amid the rolling masses of vapor. 

"There's the storm, and she's heading right this way, " commented Mr. Sharp. 

"Can't you avoid it?" asked Mr. Damon, anxiously. 

"I could, if I knew how high it was, but I guess we'll wait and see howit looks as we get closer. "

The airship was flying on, and the storm, driven by a mighty wind, wasrushing to meet it. Already there was a sighing, moaning sound in thewire and wooden braces of the Red Cloud. 

Suddenly there came such a blast that it heeled the ship over on herside. 

"Shift the equilibrium rudders!" shouted Mr. Sharp to Tom, turning thewheel and various levers over to the lad. "I'm going to get more speedout of the motor!"

Tom acted just in time, and, after bobbing about like a cork on thewater, the ship was righted, and sent forging ahead, under theinfluence of the propellers worked at top speed. Nor was this any toomuch, for it needed all the power of the big engine to even partiallyovercome the force of the wind that was blowing right against the RedCloud. Of course they might have turned and flown before it, but theywanted to go north, not south--they wanted to face their accusers. 

Then, after the first fury of the blast had spent itself, there came adeluge of rain, following a dazzling glare of lightning and a burstingcrash of thunder. 

In spite of the gale buffeting her, the airship was making goodprogress. The skill of Tom and the balloonist was never shown to betteradvantage. All around them the storm raged, but through it the craftkept on her way. Nothing could be seen but pelting sheets of water andswirling mist, yet onward the ship was driven. 

The thunder was deafening, and the lightning nearly blinded them, untilthe electrics were switched on, flooding the cabin with radiance. Inside the car they were snug and dry, though the pitching of the craftwas like that of a big liner in the trough of the ocean waves. 

"Will she weather it, do you think?" called Mr. Damon, in the ear ofMr. Sharp, shouting so as to be heard above the noise of the elements, and the hum of the motor. 

The balloonist nodded. 

"She's a good ship, " he answered proudly. 

Hardly had he spoken when there came a crash louder than any that hadpreceded, and the flash of rosy light that accompanied it seemed to setthe whole heavens on fire. At the same time there was violent shock tothe ship. 

"We're hit! Struck by lightning!" yelled Tom. 

"We're falling!" cried Mr. Damon an instant later. 

Mr. Sharp looked at the elevation gauge. The hand was slowly swingingaround. Down, down dropped the Red Cloud. She was being roughly treatedby the storm. 

"I'm afraid we're wrecked!" said the balloonist in a low voice, scarcely audible above the roar of the tempest. Following the greatcrash had come a comparatively light bombardment from the sky artillery. 

"Use the gliding rudder, Tom, " called Mr. Sharp, a moment later. "Wemay fall, but we'll land as easily as possible. "

The wind, the rain, the lightning and thunder continued. Down, downsank the ship. Its fall was somewhat checked by the rudder Tom swunginto place, and by setting the planes at a different angle. The motorhad been stopped, and the propellers no longer revolved. In theconfusion and darkness it was not safe to run ahead, with the danger ofcolliding with unseen objects on the earth. 

They tried to peer from the windows, but could see nothing. A momentlater, as they stared at each other with fear in their eyes, there camea shock. The ship trembled from end to end. 

"We've landed!" cried Tom, as he yanked back on the levers. The airshipcame to a stop. 

"Now to see where we are, " said Mr. Sharp grimly, "and how badly we arewrecked. "

Chapter 20

Tom Gets A Clue

Out of the cabin of the now stationary airship hurried the threetravelers; out into the pelting rain, which was lashed into their facesby the strong wind. Tom was the first to emerge. 

"We're on something solid!" he cried, stamping his feet. "A rock, Iguess. "

"Gracious, I hope we're not on a rock in the midst of a river!"exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Bless my soul, though! The water does seem to berunning around my ankles. "

"There's enough rain to make water run almost up to our necks, " calledMr. Sharp, above the noise of the storm. "Tom, can you make out wherewe are?"

"Not exactly. Is the ship all right?"

"I can't see very well, but there appears to be a hole in the gascontainer. A big one, too, or we wouldn't have fallen so quickly. "

The plight of the travelers of the air was anything but enviable. Theywere wet through, for it needed only a few minutes exposure to thepelting storm to bring this about. They could not tell, in the midst ofthe darkness, where they were, and they almost feared to move for fearthey might be on top of some rock or precipice, over which they mighttumble if they took a false step. 

"Let's get back inside the ship, " proposed Mr. Damon. "It's warm anddry there, at all events. Bless my umbrella, I don't know when I'vebeen so wet!"

"I'm not going in until I find out where we are, " declared Tom. "Wait aminute, and I'll go in and get an electric flash lantern. That willshow us, " for the lightning had ceased with the great crash that seemedto have wrecked the Red Cloud. The rain still kept up, however, andthere was a distant muttering of thunder, while it was so black thathad not the lights in the cabin of the airship been faintly glowingthey could hardly have found the craft had they moved ten feet awayfrom it. 

Tom soon returned with the portable electric lamp, operated by drybatteries. He flashed it on the surface of where they were standing, and uttered an exclamation. 

"We're on a roof!" he cried. 

"A roof?" repeated Mr. Damon. 

"Yes; the roof of some large building, and what you thought was a riveris the rain water running off it. See!"

The young inventor held the light down so his companions could observethe surface of that upon which the airship rested. There was no doubtof it. They were on top of a large building. 

"If we're on a roof we must be in the midst of a city, " objected Mr. Damon. "But I can't see any lights around, and we would see them if wewere in a city, you know. "

"Maybe the storm put the lights out of business, " suggested Mr. Sharp. "That often occurs. "

"I know one way we can find out for certain, " went on Tom. 

"How?"

"Start up our search lamp, and play it all around. We can't make surehow large this roof is in the dark, and it's risky trying to trace theedges by walking around. "

"Yes, and it would be risky to start our searchlight going, " objectedMr. Sharp. "People would see it, and there'd be a crowd up here in lessthan no time, storm or no storm. No, we've got to keep dark until I cansee what's the matter. We must leave here before daylight. "

"Suppose we can't?" asked Mr. Damon. "The crowds will be sure to see usthen, anyhow. "

"I am pretty sure we can get away, " was the opinion of the balloonist. "Even if our gas container is so damaged that it will not sustain us, we are still an aeroplane, and this roof being flat will make a goodplace to start from. No, we can leave as soon as this storm lets up alittle. "

"Then I'm going to have a look and find out what sort of a buildingthis is, " declared Tom, and, while Mr. Sharp began a survey, as well ashe could in the dark, of the airship, the young inventor proceededcautiously to ascertain the extent of the roof. 

The rain was not coming down quite so hard now, and Tom found it easierto see. Mr. Damon, finding he could do nothing to help, went back intothe cabin, blessing himself and his various possessions at the queerpredicament in which they found themselves. 

Flashing his light every few seconds, Tom walked on until he came toone edge of the roof. It was very large, as he could judge by the timeit took him to traverse it. There was a low parapet at the edge. Hepeered over, and an expanse of dark wall met his eyes. 

"Must have come to one side, " he reasoned. "I want to get to the front. Then, maybe, I can see a sign that will tell me what I want to know. "

The lad turned to the left, and, presently came to another parapet. Itwas higher, and ornamented with terra-cotta bricks. This, evidently, was the front. As Tom peered over the edge of the little raised ledge, there flashed out below him hundreds of electric lights. The cityilluminating plant was being repaired. Then Tom saw flashing below himone of those large signs made of incandescent lights. It was in frontof the building, and as soon as our hero saw the words he knew wherethe airship had landed. For what he read, as he leaned over, was this:

MIDDLEVILLE ARCADE

Tom gave a cry. 

"What's the matter?" called Mr. Sharp. 

"I've discovered something, " answered Tom, hurrying up to his friend. "We're on top of the Middleville Arcade building. "

"What does that mean?"

"It means that we're not so very far from home, and in the midst of afairly large city. But it means more than that. "

"What?" demanded the balloonist, struck by an air of excitement aboutthe lad, for, as Tom stood in the subdued glow of the lights from oneof the airship's cabin windows, all the others having been darkened asthe storm slackened, his, eyes shone brightly. 

"This is the building where Anson Morse, one of the gang that robbeddad, once had an office, " went on Tom eagerly. "That was brought out atthe trial. And it's the place where they used to do some of theirconspiring. Maybe some of the crowd are here now laying low. "

"Well, if they are, we don't want anything to do with that gang, " saidMr. Sharp. "We can't arrest them. Besides I've found out that our shipis all right, after all. We can proceed as soon as we like. There isonly a small leak in the gas container. It was the generator machinethat was put out of business by the lightning, and I've repaired it. "

"I want to see if I can get any trace of the rascals. Maybe I couldlearn something from the janitor of the Arcade about them. The janitoris probably here. "

"But why do you want to get any information about that gang?"

"Because, " answered Tom, and, as Mr. Damon at that moment started tocome from the cabin of the airship, the lad leaped forward andwhispered the remainder of the sentence into the ear of the balloonist. 

"You don't mean it!" exclaimed Mr. Sharp, in a tense whisper. Tomnodded vigorously. 

"But how can you enter the building?" asked the other. "You can't dropover the edge. "

"Down the scuttle, " answered Tom. "There must be one on the roof, forthey have to come up here at times. We can force the lock, ifnecessary. I want to enter the building and see where Morse had hisoffice. "

"All right. Go ahead. I'll engage Mr. Damon here so he won't followyou. It will be great news for him. Go ahead. "

Under pretense of wanting the help of the eccentric man in completingthe repairs he had started, Mr. Sharp took Mr. Damon back into thecabin. Tom, getting a big screwdriver from an outside toolbox, approached the scuttle on the roof. He could see it looming up in thesemidarkness, a sort of box, covering a stairway that led down into thebuilding. The door was locked, but Tom forced it, and felt justified. Afew minutes later, cautiously flashing his light, almost like a burglarhe thought, he was prowling around the corridors of the officestructure. 

Was it deserted? That was what he wanted to know. He knew the officeMorse had formerly occupied was two floors from the top. Tom descendedthe staircase, trying to think up some excuse to offer, in case he metthe watchman or janitor. But he encountered no one. As he reached thefloor where he knew Morse and his gang were wont to assemble, he pausedand listened. At first he heard nothing, then, as the sound of thestorm became less he fancied he heard the murmur of voices. 

"Suppose it should be some of them?" whispered Tom. 

He went forward, pausing at almost every other step to listen. Thevoices became louder. Tom was now nearly at the office, where Morse hadonce had his quarters. Now he could see it, and his heart gave a greatthump as he noticed that the place was lighted. The lad could read thename on the door. "Industrial Development Company. " That was the nameof a fake concern headed by Morse. As our hero looked he saw theshadows of two men thrown on the ground glass. 

"Some one's in there!" he whispered to himself. He could now hear thevoices much plainer. They came from the room, but the lad could notdistinguish them as belonging to any of the gang with whom he had comein contact, and who had escaped from jail. 

The low murmur went on for several seconds. 

The listener could make out no words. Suddenly the low, even mumble wasbroken. Some one cried out "There's got to be a divvy soon. There's nouse letting Morse hold that whole seventy-five thousand any longer. I'mgoing to get what's coming to me, or--"

"Hush!" some one else cried. "Be quiet!"

"No, I won't! I want my share. I've waited long enough. If I don't getwhat's coming to me inside of a week, I'll go to Shagmon myself andmake Morse whack up. I helped on the job, and I want my money!"

"Will you be quiet?" pleaded another, and, at that instant Tom heardsome one's hand on the knob. The door opened a crack, letting out apencil of light. The men were evidently coming out. The young inventordid not wait to hear more. He had a clue now, and, running on tiptoes, he made his way to the staircase and out of the scuttle on the roof. 

Chapter 21

On The Trail

"What's the matter, Tom?" asked Mr. Sharp, as the lad came hurryingalong the roof, having taken the precaution to fasten the scuttle dooras well as he could. "You seem excited. " "So would you, if you hadheard what I did. "

"What? You don't mean that some of the gang is down there?"

"Yes, and what's more I'm on the trail of the thieves who robbed theShopton Bank of the seventy-five thousand dollars!"

"No! You don't mean it!"

"I certainly do. "

"Then we'd better tell Mr. Damon. He's in the cabin. "

"Of course I'll tell him. He's as much concerned as I am. He wants tobe vindicated. Isn't it great luck, though?"

"But you haven't landed the men yet. Do you mean to say that the samegang--the Happy Harry crowd--robbed the bank?"

"I think so, from what I heard. But come inside and I'll tell you allabout it. "

"Suppose we start the ship first? It's ready to run. There wasn't asmuch the matter with it as I feared. The storm is over now, and we'llbe safer up in the air than on this roof. Did you get all theinformation you could?"

"All I dared to. The men were coming out, so I had to run. They werequarreling, and when that happens among thieves--"

"Why honest men get their dues, everyone knows that proverb, "interrupted Mr. Damon, again emerging from the cabin. "But bless myquotation marks, I should think you'd have something better to do thanstand there talking proverbs. "

"We have, " replied Mr. Sharp quickly. "We're going to start the ship, arid then we have some news for you. Tom, you take the steering wheel, and I'll start the gas machine. We'll rise to some distance beforestarting the propellers, and then we won't create any excitement. "

"But what news are you going to tell me?" asked Mr. Damon. "Bless myvery existence, but you get me all excited, and then you won't gratifymy curiosity. "

"In a little while we will, " responded Mr. Sharp. "Lively now, Tom. Some one may see this airship on top of the building, as it's gettingso much lighter now, after the storm. "

The outburst of the elements was almost over and Tom taking anotherlook over the edge of the roof, could see persons moving about in thestreet below. The storm clouds were passing and a faint haze showedwhere a moon would soon make its appearance, thus disclosing the craftso oddly perched upon the roof. There was need of haste. 

Fortunately the Red Cloud could be sent aloft without the use of thepropellers, for the gas would serve to lift her. It had been found thatlightning had struck the big, red aluminum container, but the shock hadbeen a comparatively slight one, and, as the tank was insulated fromthe rest of the ship no danger resulted to the occupants. A rent wasmade in two or three of the gas compartments, but the others remainedintact, and, when an increased pressure of the vapor was used the shipwas almost as buoyant as before. 

Into the cabin the three travelers hurried, dripping water at everystep, for there was no time to change clothes. Then, with Tom and Mr. Sharp managing the machinery, the craft slowly rose. It was well thatthey had started for, when a few hundred feet above the roof, the moonsuddenly shone from behind a bank of clouds and would most certainlyhave revealed their position to persons in the street. As it wasseveral were attracted by the sight of some great object in the air. They called the attention of others to it, but, by the time glasses andtelescopes had been brought to bear, the Red Cloud was far away. 

"Dry clothes now, some hot drinks, and then Tom will tell us hissecret, " remarked Mr. Sharp, and, with the great ship swaying highabove the city of Middleville Tom told what he had heard in the officebuilding. 

"They are the thieves who looted the bank, and caused us to be unjustlyaccused, " he finished. "If we can capture them we'll get the reward, and turn a neat trick on Andy Foger and his cronies. "

"But how can you capture them?" asked Mr. Damon. "You don't know wherethey are. "

"Perhaps not where Morse and the men who have the money are. But I havea plan. It's this: We'll go to some quiet place, leave the airship, andthen inform the authorities of our suspicions. They can come here andarrest the men who still seem to be hanging out in Morse's office. Thenwe can get on the trail of this Shagmon, who seems to be the person inauthority this time, though I never heard of him before. "

"He seems to have the money, according to what one of the men in theoffice said, and he's the man we want. "

"Shagmon!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Yes, Shagmon. The fellow I heardtalking 'said he'd go to Shagmon and make Morse whack up. Shagmon maybe the real head of the gang. "

"Ha! I have it!" cried Mr. Damon suddenly. "I wonder I didn't think ofit before. Shagmon is the headquarters, not the head of the gang!"

"What do you mean?" asked Tom, much excited. 

"I mean that there's a town called Shagmon about fifty miles from here. That's what the fellow in the office meant. He is going to the town ofShagmon and make Morse whack up. That's where Morse is! That's wherethe gang is hiding! That's where the money is! Hurrah, Tom, we're onthe trail!"

Chapter 22

The Sheriff On Board

The announcement of Mr. Damon came as a great surprise to Tom and Mr. Sharp. They had supposed that the reference to Shagmon was to a person, and never dreamed that it was to a locality. But Mr. Damon's knowledgeof geography stood them in good stead. 

"Well, what's the first thing to do?" asked Tom, after a pause. 

"The first thing would be to go to Shagmon, or close to it, I shouldsay, " remarked Mr. Sharp. "In what direction is it, Mr. Damon?"

"Northwest from where we were. It's a county seat, and that will suitour plans admirably, for we can call on the sheriff for help. "

"That is if we locate the gang, " put in Tom. "I fancy it will be noeasy job, though. How are we going about it?"

"Let's first get to Shagmon, " suggested the balloonist. "We'll selectsome quiet spot for a landing, and then talk matters over. We maystumble on the gang, just as you did, Tom, on the men in the office. "

"No such good luck, I'm afraid. "

"Well, I think we'll all be better for a little sleep, " declared theeccentric man. "Bless my eyelids but I'm tired out. "

As there was no necessity for standing watch, when the airship was sohigh up as to be almost invisible, they all turned in, and were soonsleeping soundly, though Tom had hard work at first to compose himself, for he was excited at the prospect of capturing the scoundrels, recovering the money for the bank, and clearing his good name, as wellas those of his friends. 

In the morning careful calculations were made to enable the travelersto tell when they had reached a point directly over the small city ofShagmon, and, with the skill of the veteran balloonist to aid them, this was accomplished. The airship was headed in the proper direction, and, about ten o'clock, having made out by using telescopes, that therewas plenty of uninhabited land about the city, the craft was sent aloftagain, out of a large crowd that had caught sight of it. For it wasthe intention of the travelers not to land until after dark, as theywanted to keep their arrival quiet. There were two reasons for this. One was that the whole country was eager to arrest them, to claim thereward offered by the bank, and they did not want this to happen. Theother reason was that they wanted to go quietly into town, tell thesheriff their story, and enlist his aid. 

All that day the Red Cloud consorted with the masses of fleecy vapor, several miles above the earth, a position being maintained, as nearlyas could be judged by instruments, over a patch of woodland where Mr. Sharp had decided to land, as there were several large clearings in it. Back and forth above the clouds, out of sight, the airship driftedlazily to and fro; sometimes, when she got too far off her course, being brought back to the right spot by means of the propellers. 

It was tedious waiting, but they felt it was the only thing to do. Mr. Sharp and Tom busied themselves making adjustments to several parts ofapparatus that needed it. Nothing could be done toward repairing thehole in the aluminum container until a shop or shed was reached, butthe ship really did not need these repairs to enable it to be used. Mr. Damon was fretful, and "blessed" so many things during the courseof the day that there seemed to be nothing left. Dinner and supper tookup some time, really good meals being served by Tom, who wastemporarily acting as cook. Then they anxiously waited for darkness, when they could descend. 

"I hope the moon isn't too bright, " remarked Mr. Sharp, as he wentcarefully over the motor once more, for he did not want it to balkagain. "If it shines too much it will discover us. "

"But a little light would be a fine thing, and show us a good place toland, " argued Tom. 

Fortune seemed to favor the adventurers. There was a hazy light fromthe moon, which was covered by swiftly moving dark clouds, now andthen, a most effective screen for the airship, as its great, movingshape, viewed from the earth, resembled nothing so much as one of theclouds. 

They made a good landing in a little forest glade, the craft, under theskillful guidance of Mr. Sharp and Tom, coming down nicely. 

"Now for a trip to town to notify the sheriff, " said Mr. Sharp. "Tom, Ithink you had better go alone. You can explain matters, and Mr. Damonand I will remain here until you come back. I should say what you hadbest do, would be to get the sheriff to help you locate the gang ofbank robbers. They're in this vicinity and he ought to be able, withhis deputies, to find them. "

"I'll ask him, " replied Tom, as he set off. 

It was rather a lonely walk into the city, from the woods where theairship had landed, but Tom did not mind it, and, reaching Shagmon, heinquired his way to the home of the sheriff, for it was long afteroffice hours. He heard, as he walked along the streets, many personsdiscussing the appearance of the airship that morning, and he was gladthey had planned to land after dark, for more than one citizen wasregretting that he had not had a chance to get the five thousanddollars reward offered for the arrest of the passengers in the RedCloud. 

Tom found the sheriff, Mr. Durkin by name, a genial personage. At themention of the airship the official grew somewhat excited. 

"Are you one of the fellows that looted the bank?" he inquired, whenTom told him how he and his friends had arrived at Shagmon. 

The young inventor denied the impeachment, and told his story. He endedup with a request for the sheriff's aid, at the same time asking if theofficer knew where such a gang as the Happy Harry one might be inhiding. 

"You've come just at the right time, young man, " was the answer ofSheriff Durkin, when he was assured of the honesty of Tom's statements. "I've been on the point, for the last week, of raiding a camp of men, who have settled at a disused summer resort about ten miles from here. I think they're running a gambling game. But I haven't been able to getany evidence, and every time I sent out a posse some one warns the men, and we can find nothing wrong. I believe these men are the very onesyou want. If we could only get to them without their suspecting it, Ithink I'd have them right. "

"We can do that, Sheriff. "

"How?"

"Go in our airship! You come with us, and we'll put you right overtheir camp, where you can drop down on their heads. "

"Good land, I never rode in an automobile even, let alone an airship!"went on the officer. "I'd be scared out of my wits, and so would mydeputies. "

"Send the deputies on ahead, " suggested Tom. 

The sheriff hesitated. Then he slapped his thigh with his big hand. 

"By golly! I'll go you!" he declared. "I'll try capturing criminals inan airship for the first, time in my life! Lead the way, young man!"

An hour later Sheriff Durkin was aboard the Red Cloud, and plans werebeing talked of for the capture of the bank robbers, or at least forraiding the camp where the men were supposed to be. 

Chapter 23

On To The Camp

"Well, you sure have got a fine craft here, " remarked Sheriff Durkin, as he looked over the airship after Tom and his friends had told oftheir voyage. "It will be quite up-to-date to raid a gang of bankrobbers in a flying machine, but I guess it will be the only way we cancatch those fellows. Now I'll go back to town, and the first thing inthe morning I'll round-up my posse and start it off. The men cansurround the camp, and lay quiet until we arrive in this ship. Then, when we descend on the heads of the scoundrels, right out of the sky, so to speak, my men can close in, and bag them all. "

"That's a good plan, " commented Mr. Sharp, "but are you sure these arethe men we want? It's pretty vague, I think, but of course the clue Tomgot is pretty slim; merely the name Shagmon. "

"Well, this is Shagmon, " went on the sheriff, "and, as I told youryoung friend, I've been trying for some time to bag the men at thesummer camp. They number quite a few, and if they don't do anythingworse, they run a gambling game there. I'm pretty sure, if the bankrobbers are in this vicinity, they're in that camp. Of course all themen there may not have been engaged in looting the vault, and they maynot all know of it, but it won't do any harm to round-up the wholebunch. "

After a tour of the craft, and waiting to take a little refreshmentwith his new friends, the sheriff left, promising to come as early onthe morrow as possible. 

"Let's go to bed, " suggested Mr. Sharp, after a bit. "We've got hardwork ahead of us tomorrow. "

They were up early, and, in the seclusion of the little glade in thewoods, Tom and Mr. Sharp went over every part of the airship. 

The sheriff arrived about nine o'clock, and announced that he hadstarted off through the woods, to surround the camp, twenty-five men. 

"They'll be there at noon, " Mr. Durkin said, "and will close in when Igive the signal, which will be two shots fired. I heard just before Icame here that there are some new arrivals at the camp. "

"Maybe those are the men I overheard talking in the office building, "suggested Tom. "They probably came to get their share. Well, we mustswoop down on them before they have time to distribute the money. "

"That's what!" agreed the county official. Mr. Durkin was even moreimpressed by the airship in the daytime than he had been at night. Heexamined every part, and when the time came to start, he was almost asunconcerned as any of the three travelers who had covered many hundredsof miles in the air. 

"This is certainly great!" cried the sheriff, as the airship roseswiftly under the influence of the powerful gas. 

As the craft went higher and higher his enthusiasm grew. He was notthe least afraid, but then Sheriff Durkin was accounted a nervyindividual under all circumstances. 

"Lay her a little off to the left, " the officer advised Tom who was atthe steering wheel. "The main camp is right over there. How long beforewe will reach it?"

"We can get there in about fifteen minutes, if we run at top speed, "answered the lad, his hand on the switch that controlled the motor. "Shall we?"

"No use burning up the air. Besides, my men have hardly had time tosurround the camp. It's in deep woods. If I were you I'd get right overit, and then rise up out of sight so they can't see you. Then, whenit's noon you can go down, I'll fire the signal and the fun willcommence--that is, fun for us, but not so much for those chaps, Ifancy, " and the sheriff smiled grimly. 

The sheriff's plan was voted a good one, and, accordingly, the ship, after nearing a spot about over the camp, was sent a mile or two intothe air, hovering as nearly as possible over one spot. 

Shortly before twelve, the sheriff having seen to the weapons hebrought with him, gave the signal to descend. Down shot the Red Clouddropping swiftly when the gas was allowed to escape from the redcontainer, and also urged toward the earth by the deflected rudder. 

"Are you all ready?" cried the sheriff, looking at his watch. 

"All ready, " replied Mr. Sharp. 

"Then here goes, " went on the officer, drawing his revolver, and firingtwo shots in quick succession. 

Two shots from the woods below answered him. Faster dropped the RedCloud toward the camp of the criminals. 

Chapter 24

The Raid

"Look for a good place to land!" cried Mr. Sharp to Tom. "Any small, level place will do. Turn on the gas full power as soon as you feel thefirst contact, and then shut it off so as to hold her down. Then jumpout and take a hand in the fight!"

"That's right, " cried the sheriff. "Fight's the word! They're breakingfrom cover now, " he added, as he looked over the side of the cabin, from one of the windows. "The rascals have taken the alarm!"

The airship was descending toward a little glade in the woodssurrounding the old picnic ground. Men, mostly of the tramp sort, couldbe seen running to and fro. 

"I hope my deputies close in promptly, " murmured the sheriff. "There'sa bigger bunch there than I counted on. "

From the appearance of the gang rushing about it seemed as if therewere at least fifty of them. Some of the fellows caught sight of theairship, and, with yells, pointed upward. 

Nearer and nearer to the earth settled the Red Cloud. The criminals inthe camp were running wildly about. Several squads of them dartedthrough the woods, only to come hurriedly back, where they called totheir companions. 

"Ha! My men are evidently on the job!" exclaimed the sheriff. "They areturning the rascals back!"

Some of the gang were so alarmed at the sight of the great airshipsettling down on their camp, that they could only stand and stare atit. Others were gathering sticks and stones, as if for resistance, andsome could be seen to have weapons. Off to one side was a small hut, rather better than the rest of the tumbledown shacks in which thetramps lived. Tom noticed this, and saw several men gathered about it. One seemed familiar to the lad. He called the attention of Mr. Damon tothe fellow. 

"Do you know him?" asked Tom eagerly. 

"Bless my very existence! If it isn't Anson Morse! One of the gang!"cried the eccentric man. 

"That's what I thought, " agreed Tom. "The bank robbers are here, " headded, to the sheriff. 

"If we only recover the money we'll be doing well, " remarked Mr. Sharp. 

Suddenly there came a shout from the fringe of woods surrounding thecamp, and an instant later there burst from the bushes a number of men. 

"My posse!" cried the sheriff. "We ought to be down now!"

The airship was a hundred feet above the ground, but Tom, opening widerthe gas outlet, sent the craft more quickly down. Then, just as ittouched the earth, he forced a mass of vapor into the container, makingthe ship buoyant so as to reduce the shock. 

An instant later the ship was stationary. 

Out leaped the sheriff. 

"Give it to 'em, men!" he shouted. 

With a yell his men responded, and fired a volley in the air. 

"Come on, Tom!" called Mr. Sharp. "We'll make for the hut where you sawMorse. "

"I'll come too! I'll come too!" cried Mr. Damon, rushing along as fastas he could, a seltzer bottle in either hand. 

Tom's chief interest was to reach the men he suspected were the bankrobbers. The lad dashed through the woods toward the hut near which hehad seen Morse. He and Mr. Sharp reached it about the same time. Asthey came in front of it out dashed Happy Harry, the tramp. He wasfollowed by Morse and the man named Featherton. The latter carried ablack valise. 

"Hey! Drop that!" shouted Mr. Sharp. 

"Drop nothing!" yelled the man. 

"Go on! Go on!" urged Morse. "Take to the woods! We'll deal with thesefellows!"

"Oh, you will, eh?" shouted Tom, and remembering his football days hemade a dive between Morse and Happy Harry for the man with the bag, which he guessed contained the stolen money. The lad made a goodtackle, and grabbed Featherton about the legs. He went down in a heap, with Tom on top. Our hero was feeling about for the valise, when hefelt a stunning blow on the back of his head. He turned over quickly tosee Morse in the act of delivering a second kick. Tom grew faint, anddimly saw the leader of the gang reach down for the valise. 

This gave our hero sudden energy. He was not going to lose everything, when it was just within his grasp. Conquering, by a strong effort, hisfeeling of dizziness, he scrambled to his feet, and made a grab forMorse. The latter fended him off, but Tom came savagely back at him, all his fighting blood up. The effects of the cowardly blow werepassing off. 

The lad managed to get one hand on the handle of the bag. 

"Let go!" cried Morse, and he dealt Tom a blow in the face. Itstaggered the youth, but he held on grimly, and raised his left handand arm as a guard. At the same time he endeavored to twist the valiseloose from Morse's hold. The man raised his foot to kick Tom, but atthat moment there was a curious hissing sound, and a stream of frothyliquid shot over the lad's head right into the face of the man, blinding him. 

"Ha! Take that! And more of it!" shouted Mr. Damon, and a second streamof seltzer squirted into the face of Morse. 

With a yell of rage he let go his hold of the satchel, and Tomstaggered back with it. The lad saw Mr. Damon rushing toward the nowdisabled leader, playing both bottles of seltzer on him. Then, when allthe liquid was gone the eccentric man began to beat Morse over the headand shoulders with the heavy bottles until the scoundrel begged formercy. 

Tom was congratulating himself on his success in getting the bag whenHappy Harry, the tramp, rushed at him. 

"I guess I'll take that!" he roared, and, wheeling Tom around, at thesame time striking him full in the face, the ugly man made a grab forthe valise. 

His hand had hardly touched it before he went down like a log, thesound of a powerful blow causing Tom to look up. He saw Mr. Sharpstanding over the prostrate tramp, who had been cleanly knocked out. 

"Are you all right, Tom?" asked the balloonist. 

"Yes--trifle dizzy, that's all--I've got the money!"

"Are you sure?"

Tom opened the valise. A glance was enough to show that it was stuffedwith bills. 

Happy Harry showed signs of coming to, and Mr. Sharp, with a few turnsof a rope he had brought along, soon secured him. Morse was tooexhausted to fight more, for the seltzer entering his mouth and nose, had deprived him of breath, and he fell an easy prisoner to Mr. Damon. 

Morse was soon tied up. The other members of the Happy Harry gang hadescaped. 

Meanwhile the sheriff and his men were having a fight with the crowd oftramps, but as the posse was determined and the criminals mostly of theclass known as "hobos, " the battle was not a very severe one. Severalof the sheriff's men were slightly injured, however, and a few of thetramps escaped. 

"A most successful raid, " commented the sheriff, when quiet wasrestored, and a number of prisoners were lined up, all tied securely. "Did you get the money?"

"Almost all of it, " answered Tom, who, now that Morse and Happy Harrywere securely tied, had busied himself, with the aid of Mr. Sharp andMr. Damon, in counting the bills. "Only about two thousand dollars aremissing. I think the bank will be glad enough to charge that to profitand loss. "

"I guess so, " added the sheriff. "I'm certainly much obliged to you forthe use of your airship. Otherwise the raid wouldn't have been sosuccessful. Well, now we'll get the prisoners to jail. "

It was necessary to hire rigs from nearby farmers to accomplish this. As for Morse and Happy Harry, they were placed in the airship, and, under guard of the sheriff and two deputies, were taken to the countyseat. The criminals were too dazed over the rough treatment they hadreceived, and over their sudden capture, to notice the fact of ridingthrough the air to jail. 

"Now for home!" cried Tom, when the prisoners had been disposed of. "Home to clear our names and take this money to the bank!"

"And receive the reward, " added Mr. Sharp, with a smile. "Don't forgetthat!"

"Oh, yes, and I'll see that you get a share too, Mr. Durkin, " went onTom. "Only for your aid we never would have gotten these men and themoney. "

"Oh, I guess we're about even on that score, " responded the official. "I'm glad to break up that gang. "

The next morning Tom and his friends started for home in the Red Cloud. 

They took with them evidence as to the guilt of the two men--Morse andHappy Harry. The men confessed that they and their pals had robbed thebank of Shopton, the night before Tom and his friends sailed on theirtrip. In fact that was the object for which the gang hung aroundShopton. After securing their booty they had gone to the camp of thetramps at Shagmon, where they hid, hoping they would not be traced. But the words Tom had overheard had been their undoing. The men whoarrived at the camp just before the raid were the same ones the younginventor heard talking in the office building. They had come to gettheir share of the loot, which Morse held, and with which he tried sodesperately to get away. Tom's injuries were not serious and did notbother him after being treated by a physician. 

Chapter 25

Andy Gets His Reward

Flying swiftly through the air the young inventor and his twocompanions were soon within sight of Shopton. As they approached thetown from over the lake, and a patch of woods, they attracted noattention until they were near home, and the craft settled down easilyin the yard of the Swift property. 

That the aged inventor was glad to see his son back need not be said, and Mrs. Baggert's welcome was scarcely less warm than that of Mr. Swift. Mr. Sharp and Mr. Damon were also made to feel that theirfriends were glad to see them safe again. 

"We must go at once and see Mr. Pendergast, the bank president, "declared Mr. Swift. "We must take the money to him, and demand that hewithdraw the offer of reward for your arrest. "

"Yes, " agreed Tom. "I guess the reward will go to some one besides AndyFoger. "

There was considerable surprise on the part of the bank clerks when ourhero, and his friends, walked in, carrying a heavy black bag. But theycould only conjecture what was in the wind, for the party wasimmediately closeted with the president. 

Mr. Pendergast was so startled that he hardly knew what to say whenTom, aided by Mr. Sharp, told his story. But the return of the money, with documents from Sheriff Durkin, certifying as to the arrest ofMorse and Happy Harry, soon convinced him of the truth of the account. 

"It's the most wonderful thing I ever heard, " said the president. 

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" asked Mr. Damon. "You haveaccused Tom and myself of being thieves, and--"

"I apologize--I apologize most humbly!" exclaimed Mr. Pendergast. "Ialso--"

"What about the reward?" went on Mr. Damon. "Bless my bank notes, Idon't want any of it, for I have enough, but I think Tom and Mr. Sharpand the sheriff are entitled to it. "

"Certainly, " said the president, "certainly. It will be paid at once. I will call a meeting of the directors. In fact they are all in thebank now, save Mr. Foger, and I can reach him by telephone. If you willjust rest yourselves in that room there I will summon you before theboard, when it convenes, and be most happy to pay over the fivethousand dollars reward. It is the most wonderful thing I ever heardof--most wonderful!"

In a room adjoining that of the president, Tom, his father and Mr. Damon waited for the directors to meet. Mr. Foger could be heardentering a little later. 

"What's this I hear, Pendergast?" he cried, rubbing his hands. "Thebank robbers captured, eh? Well, that's good news. Of course we'll paythe reward. I always knew my boy was a smart lad. Five thousand dollarswill be a tidy sum for him. Of course his chum, Sam Snedecker isentitled to some, but not much. So they've caught Tom Swift and thatrascally Damon, eh? I always knew he was a scoundrel! Putting money inhere as a blind!"

Mr. Damon heard, and shook his fist. 

"I'll make him suffer for that, " he whispered. 

"Tom Swift arrested, eh?" went on Mr. Foger. "I always knew he was abad egg. Who caught them? Where are they?"

"In the next room, " replied Mr. Pendergast, who loved a joke almost aswell as did Tom. "They may come out now, " added the president, openingthe door, and sending Ned Newton in to summon Tom, Mr. Swift and Mr. Damon, who filed out before the board of directors. 

"Gentlemen, " began the president, "I have the pleasure of presenting toyou Mr. Thomas Swift, Mr. Barton Swift and Mr. Wakefield Damon. I alsohave the honor to announce that Mr. Thomas Swift and Mr. Damon havebeen instrumental in capturing the burglars who recently robbed ourbank, and I am happy to add that young Mr. Swift and Mr. Wakefeld Damonhave, this morning, brought to me all but a small part of the moneystolen from us. Which money they succeeded, after a desperate fight. "

"A fight partly with seltzer bottles, " interrupted Mr. Damon proudly. "Don't forget them. "

"Partly with seltzer bottles, " conceded the president with a smile. "After a fight they succeeded in getting the money back. Here it is, and I now suggest that we pay the reward we promised. "

"What? Reward? Pay them? The money back? Isn't my son to receive thefive thousand dollars for informing as to the identity of thethief--isn't he?" demanded Mr. Foger, almost suffocating from hisastonishment at the unexpected announcement. 

"Hardly, " answered Mr. Pendergast dryly. "Your son's informationhappened to be very wrong. The tools he saw Tom have in the bag wereairship tools, not burglar's. And the same gang that once robbed Mr. Swift robbed our bank. Tom Swift captured them, and is entitled to thereward. It will be necessary for us directors to make up the sum, personally, and I, for one, am very glad to do so. "

"So am I, " came in a chorus from the others seated at the table. 

"But--er--I understood that my son--" stammered Mr. Foger, who did notat all relish having to see his son lose the reward. 

"It was all a mistake about your son, " commented Mr. Pendergast. "Gentlemen, is it your desire that I write out a check for young Mr. Swift?"

They all voted in the affirmative, even Mr. Foger being obliged to doso, much against his wishes. He was a very much chagrined man, when thedirectors' meeting broke up. Word was sent at once, by telegraph, toall the cities where reward posters had been displayed, recalling theoffer, and stating that Tom Swift and Mr. Damon were cleared. Mr. Sharphad never been really accused. 

"Well, let's go home, " suggested Tom when he had thefive-thousand-dollar check in his pocket. 

"I want another ride in the Red Cloud as soon as it's repaired. "

"So do I!" declared Mr. Damon. 

The eccentric man and Mr. Swift walked on ahead, and Tom strolled downtoward the dock, for he thought he would take a short trip in hismotor-boat. 

He was near the lake, not having met many persons, when he saw a figurerunning up from the water. He knew who it was in an instant Andy Foger. As for the bully, at the sight of Tom he hesitated, than came boldlyon. Evidently he had not heard of our hero's arrival. 

"Ha!" exclaimed the red-haired lad, "I've been looking for you. Thepolice want you, Tom Swift. "

"Oh, do they?" asked the young inventor gently. 

"Yes; for robbery. I'm going to get the reward, too. You thought youwere smart, but I saw those burglar tools in your valise. I sent thepolice after you. So you've come back, eh? I'm going to tell ChiefSimonson. You wait. "

"Yes, " answered Tom, "I'll wait. So the police want me, do they?"

"That's what they do, " snarled Andy. "I told you I'd get even with you, and I've done it. "

"Well, " burst out Tom, unable to longer contain himself, as he thoughtof all he had suffered at the hands of the red-haired bully, "I saidI'd get even with you, but I haven't done it yet. I'm going to now. Take off your coat, Andy. You and I are going to have a littleargument. "

"Don't you dare lay a finger on me!" blustered the squint-eyed one. 

Tom peeled off his coat. Andy, who saw that he could not escape, rushedforward, and dealt the young inventor a blow on the chest. That was allTom wanted, and the next instant he went at Andy hammer and tongs. Thebully tried to fight, but he had no chance with his antagonist, who wasrighteously angry, and who made every blow tell. It was asorry-looking Andy Foger who begged for mercy a little later. 

Tom had no desire to administer more than a deserved reward to thebully, but perhaps he did add a little for interest. At any rate Andythought so. 

"You just wait!" he cried, as he limped off. "I'll make you sorry forthis. "

"Oh, don't go to any trouble on my account, " said Tom gently, as he puton his coat. But Andy did go to considerable trouble to be revenged onthe young inventor, and whether he succeeded or not you may learn byreading the fourth book of this series, to be called "Tom Swift and HisSubmarine Boat; or, Under the Ocean for Sunken Treasure, " in which Ishall relate the particulars of a voyage that was marvelous in theextreme. 

Tom reached home in a very pleasant frame of mind that afternoon. Things had turned out much better than he thought they would. A fewweeks later the two bank robbers, who were found guilty, were sentencedto long terms, but their companions were not captured. Tom sent SheriffDurkin a share of the reward, and the lad invested his own share inbank stock, after giving some to Mr. Sharp. Mr. Damon refused to acceptany. As for Mr. Swift, once he saw matters straightened out, and hisson safe, he resumed his work on his prize submarine boat, his sonhelping him. 

As for Tom, he alternated his spare time between trips in the airshipand his motor-boat, and frequently a certain young lady from theRocksmond Seminary was his companion. I think you know her name by thistime. Now, for a while, we will take leave of Tom Swift and hisfriends, trusting to meet them again.