"Do you mean to tell me a warrant has actually been sworn out against my son, Chief?" asked the father, when they were near the town hall.
"That's just what I mean to say, Mr. Swift, and, I'm sorry, on your account, that I have to serve it."
"Hub! Don't look like you was goin' to serve it," remarked the constable. "He's skipped out."
"That's all right, Higby," went on the chief. "I'll catch em both. Even if they have escaped in an airship with their booty, I'll nab 'em. I'll have a general alarm out all over the country in less than an hour. They can't stay up in the air forever."
"A warrant for Tom—my son," murmured Mr. Swift, as if he could not believe it.
"Yes, and for that Damon man, too," added the chief. "I want him as well as Tom, and I'll get 'em."
"Would you mind letting me see the warrants?" asked the inventor, and the official passed them over. The documents were made out in regular form, and the complaints had been sworn to by Isaac Pendergast, the bank president.
"I can't understand it," went on Tom's father. "Seventy-five thousand dollars. It's incredible! Why!" he suddenly exclaimed, "it can't be true. Just before he left, Mr. Damon—"
"Yes, what did he do?" asked the chief eagerly, thinking he might secure some valuable evidence.
"I guess I'll say nothing until I have seen the bank president," replied Mr. Swift, and the official was obviously disappointed.
The inventor found Mr. Pendergast, and some other bank officials in the town hall. The financiers were rather angry when they learned that the accused persons had not been caught, but the chief said he would soon have them in custody2.
"You may come and look at the looted vault4, if you like, Mr. Swift," replied Mr. Pendergast. "It was a very thorough job, and will seriously cripple the bank."
There was no doubt that the vault had been forced open, for the locks and bars were bent5 and twisted as if by heavy tools. Mr. Swift made a careful examination, and was shown the money drawers that had been smashed.
"This was the work of experts," he declared.
"Exactly what we think," said the president. "Of course we don't believe your son was a professional bank robber, Mr. Swift. We have a theory that Mr. Damon did the real work, but that Tom helped him with the tools he had. There is no doubt about it."
"What right have you to accuse my son?" burst out the aged6 inventor. "Why have you any more cause to suspect him than any other lad in town? Why do you fix on him, and Mr. Damon? I demand to know."
"Mr. Damon's eccentric actions for a few days past, and his well-known oddity of character make him an object of suspicion," declared the president in judicial7 tones. "As for Tom, we have, I regret to say, even better evidence against him."
"But what is it? What? Who gave you any clues to point to my son?"
"Do you really wish to know?"
"I certainly do," was the sharp reply. Mr. Swift, the police and several bank officials were now in the president's office. The latter pressed an electric bell, and, when a messenger answered, he said:
"Send young Foger here."
At the mention of this name, Mr. Swift started. He well knew the red-haired bully8 was an enemy of his son. Andy entered, walking rather proudly at the attention he attracted.
"This is Mr. Swift," said the president.
"You will please tell him what you told us," went on Mr. Pendergast.
"Well, I seen Tom Swift hanging around this bank with burglar tools in his possession last night, just before it was robbed," exclaimed the squint-eyed lad triumphantly10.
"Hanging around the bank last night with burglar tools?" repeated Mr. Swift, in dazed tones.
"That's right," from Andy.
"How do you know they were burglar tools?"
"Because I saw 'em!" cried Andy. "He had 'em in a valise on his motor-cycle. He was standing11 at the corner, waiting for a chance to break into the bank, and when me and Sam Snedecker saw him, he pretended to be fixin' his machine. Then the bag of burglar tools fell off, the satchel12 came open, and I seen 'em! That's how I know."
"And you're sure they were burglar tools?" asked the chief, for he depended on Andy to be his most important witness.
"Sure I am. I seen a picture of burglar tools once, and the ones Tom had was just like 'em. Long-handled wrenches13, brace14 an' bits, an' all. He tried to hide 'em, but me an' Sam was too quick for him. He wanted to lick me, too."
"No doubt you deserved it," murmured Mr. Swift. "But how do you know my son was waiting for a chance to break into the bank?"
"'Cause, wasn't it robbed right after he was hangin' around here with the burglar tools?" inquired Andy, as if that was unanswerable.
"What were you hanging around here for?" Mr. Swift demanded quickly.
"Me? Oh, well, me an' Sam Snedecker was out takin' a walk. That's all."
"You didn't want to rob the bank, did you?" went on the inventor, keenly.
"Of course not," roared the bully, indignantly. "I ain't got no burglar tools."
Andy told more along the same line, but his testimony15 of having seen Tom near the bank, with a bag of odd tools could not be shaken. In fact it was true, as far as it went, but, of course, the tools were only those for the airship; the same ones Mr. Sharp had sent the lad after. Sam Snedecker was called in after Andy, and told substantially the same story.
Mr. Swift could not understand it, for he knew nothing of Tom being sent for the tools, and had not heard any talk at home of the bag of implements16 ordered by the balloonist. Still, of course, he knew Tom had nothing to do with the robbery, and he knew his son had been at home all the night previous. Still this was rather negative evidence. But the inventor had one question yet to ask.
"You say you also suspect Mr. Damon of complicity in this affair?" he went on, to the chief of police.
"We sure do," replied Mr. Simonson.
"Then can you explain?" proceeded the inventor, "how it is that Mr. Damon has on deposit in this bank a large sum. Would he rob the bank where his own funds were?"
"We are prepared for that," declared the president. "It is true that Mr. Damon has about ten thousand dollars in our bank, but we believe he deposited it only as a blind, so as to cover up his tracks. It is a deep-laid scheme, and escaping in the airship is part of it. I am sorry, Mr. Swift, that I have to believe your son and his accomplice17 guilty, but I am obliged to. Chief, you had better send out a general alarm. The airship ought to be easy to trace."
"I'll telegraph at once," said the official.
"And you believe my son guilty, solely18 on the testimony of these two boys, who, as is well known, are his enemies?" asked Mr. Swift.
"The clue they gave us is certainly most important," said the president. "Andy came to us and told what he had seen, as soon as it became known that the bank had been robbed."
"And I'm going to get the reward for giving information of the robbers, too!" cried the bully.
"I'm going to have my share!" insisted Sam.
"Ah, then 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 decided19 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 prosecute20 those men for slander21."
"Do you think it would be a good plan?"
"I certainly do. Why they have no evidence at all! What does that mean, sneaking22 Andy Foger amount to? Get a lawyer, and have Tom's interests looked after."
Mr. Swift, glad to have someone 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."
"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," chuckled24 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, Sam, the day the bills were posted.
"Yes, but I get my share, don't I?" asked Sam.
"Sure," answered the bully. "I wish they'd hurry up and arrest him."
Within the next few days the country was covered with posters telling of the robbery and the reward, and police officials in cities large and small, and in towns and villages, were notified by telegraph to arrest and capture, at any cost the occupants of a certain large, red airship.
Mr. Swift, on the advice of his lawyer, sent several telegrams to Tom, apprising25 him of what had happened. The telegraph company was asked to rush the telegrams to the first city when word came in that the Red Cloud had landed.
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1
constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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12
satchel
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| n.(皮或帆布的)书包 | |
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13
wrenches
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| n.一拧( wrench的名词复数 )；（身体关节的）扭伤；扳手；（尤指离别的）悲痛v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的第三人称单数 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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14
brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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15
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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prosecute
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| vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官 | |
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slander
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| n./v.诽谤，污蔑 | |
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sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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bail
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| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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apprising
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| v.告知，通知( apprise的现在分词 )；评价 | |
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