gent and the banker entered
the new institution.

"So they're getting chummy," mused Tom. "Andy and Berg were friends
when Andy shut me up in the submarine tank, and now Berg comes here to
do business, and Foger and his associates are trying to put the old
bank out of business. I wonder if there's any connection there? I must
keep my eyes open. Berg is an unscrupulous man, and so is Andy's
father, to say nothing of the red-haired bully himself. He had nerve to
deny that was his charm. Well, maybe I'll catch him some day."

Tom spent a busy week making new adjustments to his electric car,
changing the gear and providing for heavier fuses. He was planning for
another trip on the road, as the time for the great race was drawing
near, and he wanted the mechanism to be in perfect shape.

One evening, as he was preparing for a short night trip to Mansburg,
where he had promised to call for Miss Nestor, Tom left his machine
standing in the road in front of the house, while he went back to get a
robe, as it threatened to be chilly.

As he came back to enter the car, he saw some one standing near it.

"Is that you, Ned?" he called. "Come, take a spin."

Hardly had he spoken than there sounded from the machine a whirr that
told of the current being turned on.

"Don't do that!" cried Tom, knowing at once that it could not be Ned,
who never meddled with the machinery.

A blinding flash and a loud report followed, and Tom saw some one leap
from his car, and try to run away. But the figure stumbled, and, a
moment later the young inventor was upon him, grappling with him.

"Here! Let me go!" cried a voice, and Tom uttered an exclamation of
surprise.

"Andy Foger!" he cried. "I've caught you! You tried to damage my car!"

"Yes, and I'm hurt, too!" whined Andy. "My father will sue you for
damages if I die."

"No danger of that; you're too mean," murmured Tom, as he maintained a
tight grip on the bully.

"You let me go!" demanded Andy, squirming to get away.

"Wait until I see what damage you've done," retorted the young
inventor. "The worst, though, would be the blowing out of a fuse, for I
had the gear disconnected. You wait a minute now. Maybe it's you who'll
have to pay damages."

"You let me go!" fairly screamed Andy, and he aimed a blow at Tom. It
caught our hero on the chest and Tom's fighting blood was up in an
instant. He drew back his left hand, and delivered a blow that landed
fairly on Andy's right eye. The