came a faint "chug-chug."

"Looks like an auto down there," he said.

"Thank goodness! Bless my trousers, but I've escaped 'em!" cried the
eccentric man from whom Tom had purchased his motor-cycle.

"Escaped who?" asked Mr. Swift.

"Those men. They were after me. But I may as well get out and explain.
Dear me! However will I ever get my car off your porch?" and Mr. Damon
seemed quite distressed.

"Never mind," answered Tom. "We can manage that. Tell us what
happened."

"Exactly," replied Mr. Damon, growing calmer, "Bless my shoe buttons,
but I had a fright, two of them, in fact.

"You see," he went on, "I was out partly on pleasure and partly on
business. The pleasure consisted in riding in my auto, which my
physician recommended for my health. The business consisted in
bringing to the Shopton Bank a large amount of cash. Well, I deposited
it all right, but, as I came out I saw some men hanging around. I
didn't like their looks, and I saw them eyeing me rather sharply. I
thought I had seen them before and, sure enough I had. Two of the men
belonged to that Happy Harry gang. I".

Tom made a quick motion of a caution, pointing to his father, but it
was not necessary, as Mr. Swift was absently-mindedly calculating an a