at instant there was a tremendous racket outside. The loud puffing
of an automobile could be heard, but mingled with it was the crash of
wood, and then the whole house seemed jarred and shaken.

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

"Something's happened!" cried Tom.

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

"Bless my very existence! Bless my cats and dogs! Good gracious! But I
never meant to do this!"

Tom, his father and Mr. Sharp rushed to the long, low windows that
opened on the veranda. There, on the porch, which it had mounted by way
of the steps, tearing away part of the railing, was a large touring
car; and, sitting at the steering wheel, in a dazed sort of manner, was
Mr. 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 escape
I ever had! But I've damaged your porch, and I haven't done my machine
any good. Do you see anything of another machine chasing me?"

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

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

"Thank goodness! Bless my trousers, but I've escaped 'em!" cried the
eccentric 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. Damon
seemed 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 on
business. The pleasure consisted in riding in my auto, which my
physician recommended for my health. The business consisted in bringing
to the Shopton Bank a large amount of cash. Well, I deposited it all
right, but, as I came out I saw some men hanging around. I didn't like
their looks, and I saw them eyeing me rather sharply. I tho