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. Ah
wish Ah could collect thet five thousand dollars. If Ah could see that
airship, I wouldn't work no mo' in this eatin' place. What do yo' all
reckon thet airship looks like?" and the girl gazed intently at Tom and
Mr. 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 that
if his companion used any of his odd expressions he might be
recognized, since our hero had not had time to read the article in the
paper through, and was not sure whether or not a description of
himself, 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 to
answer such a leading question.

"Why, yo' all is suah welcome to that one," was the reply. "Ah guess Ah
can affo'd to give it to yo' all, after th' generous way yo' all
behaved to me. Take it, an' welcome. But are yo' all suah yo' are done
eatin'? Yo' all left lots."

"Oh, we had enough," replied Tom hurriedly. His sole aim now was to get
away--to consult with Mr. Sharp, and he needed the paper to learn
further details of the astonishing news. He and his friends accused of
looting the bank, and taking away seventy-five thousand dollars in the
airship! It was incredible! A reward of five thousand dollars offered
for their capture! They might be arrested any minute, yet they could
not go on without buying some provisions. What were they to do?

Once outside the restaurant, Mr. Damon and Tom walked swiftly on. They
came to a corner where there was a street lamp, and there the young
inventor paused to scan the paper again. It was the copy of a journal
published in the nearby county seat, and contained quite a full account
of the affair.

The story was told of how the bank had been broken into, the vault
rifled and the money taken. The first clue, it said, was given by a
youth named Andy Foger, who had seen a former acquaintance hanging
around the bank with burglar tools. Tom recognized the description of
himself as the "former acquaintance," but he could