and
stealing 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 Constable
Higby.

"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 has
been made, and we hold the warrant. The courts will settle it. We must
now arrest Tom. Where is he?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Ha! The two criminals with their booty have escaped together!" cried
the 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 think
I can give you all the proof you want," and the officials, followed by
the amazed and grief-stricken inventor, left the house.

Chapter 13

Mr. Damon In Danger

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

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

"I thought you'd be all right once we got started," commented