en there is a reward offered?" inquired Mr. Swift.

"Five thousand dollars," answered Mr. Pendergast. "The directors, all
of whom are present save Mr. Foger, Andy's father, met early this
morning, 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 know
what to do. He returned hone. When Mrs. Baggert was made acquainted
with the news, she waxed indignant.

"Our Tom a thief!" she cried. "Why don't they accuse me and Mr. Jackson
and you? The idea! You ought to hire a lawyer, Mr. Swift, and prosecute
those 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 interests
looked after."

Mr. Swift, glad to have sane one share the responsibility with, felt
somewhat better when a well-known Shopton attorney assured him that the
evidence against Tom was of such a flimsy character that it would
scarcely 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 on
bail."

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

"Not at all, my dear madam, not at all. Good and innocent persons have
been 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 to
keep out of the clutches of the police, and their silly charge,"
chuckled the lawyer. "Now don't worry, Mr. Swift. It will all come out
right."

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

"I guess Tom Swift will wish he'd been more decent to me when I collect
that money for his arrest," said Andy to his crony,