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The night before Tom and his friends started off in their airship； the
Shopton Bank vault was blown open and seventy…five thousand dollars
was taken。 Tom and his friends did not know of this； but； no sooner had
the young inventor； Mr。 Sharp and Mr。 Damon sailed away； than the police
arrived at Mr。 Swift's house to arrest them。 They were charged with the
robbery； and with having sailed away with the booty。
It appeared that Andy Foger said he had seen Tom hanging around the
bank the night of the robbery； with a bag of burglar tools in his possession。
Search was immediately begun for the airship； the occupants of which
were； meanwhile； speeding on。
Tom and his two friends had trouble。 They were nearly burned up in a
forest fire； and were fired upon by a crowd of people with rifles； who；
reading of the bank robbery and the reward offered for the capture of the
thieves； hoped to bring down the airship。 The fact that they were fired
upon caused Tom and the two aeronauts to descend to make an
investigation； and for the first time they learned of the bank theft。 How
they got track of the real robbers； took the sheriff with them in the airship；
and raided the gang will be found set down at length in the book。 Also
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TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT or The Speediest Car on the Road
how Tom administered well…deserved thrashing to Andy Foger。
Mr。 Swift did not accompany his son in the airship； and when asked
why he did not care to make the trip； said he was working on a new type
of submarine boat； which he hoped to enter in the government trials； to
win a prize。 In the fourth volume of the series； called 〃Tom Swift and his
Submarine；〃 you may read how successful Mr。 Swift was。
When the submarine； called the Advance； was finished； the party made
a trip to recover three hundred thousand dollars in gold from a sunken
treasure ship； off the coast of Uruguay； South America。 They sailed
beneath the seas for many miles； and were in great peril at times。 One
reason for this was that a rival firm of submarine builders got wind of the
treasure； and tried to get ahead of the Swifts in recovering it。 How Tom
and his friends succeeded in their quest； how they nearly perished at the
bottom of the sea； how they were captured by a foreign war vessel； and
sentenced to death； how they fought with a school of giant sharks and how
they blew up the wreck to recover the money is all told of in the book。
On their return to civilization with the gold； Mr。 Swift； Tom； and their
friends deposited the money in the Shopton Bank； where Ned Newton
worked。 Ned was a bright lad； but had not been advanced as rapidly as he
deserved； and Tom knew this。 He asked his father to speak to the president；
Mr。 Pendergast； in Ned's behalf； and； as a result the lad was made assistant
cashier； for the request of a man who controlled a three hundred thousand
dollar deposit was not to be despised。
In building the submarine Tom and his father rented a large cottage on
the New Jersey seacoast； but； on returning from their treasure…quest they
went back to Shopton； leaving the submarine at the boathouse of the shore
cottage； which was near the city of Atlantis。 That was in the fall of the year；
and all that winter the young inventor had been busy on many things； not
the least of which was his storage battery。 It was now spring； and seeing
the item in the paper； about the touring club prize for an electric auto； had
given him a new idea。
But all thoughts of electric cars； and everything else； were driven from
the mind of the young man； when； with his father； he rushed out to see the
cause of the crash on the roof of the Swift homestead。
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TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT or The Speediest Car on the Road
〃There's something up there； Tom；〃 called his father； as he splashed on
through the rain。
〃That's right；〃 added his son。 〃And somebody； too； to judge by the fuss
they're making。〃
〃Maybe the house has been struck by lightning！〃 suggested the aged
inventor。
〃No； the storm isn't severe enough for that； and； besides； if the house
had been struck you'd hear Mrs。 Baggert yelling； Dad。 She〃
At that moment a woman's voice cried out：
〃Mr。 Swift！ Tom！ Where are you？ Something dreadful has happened！〃
〃There she goes！〃 remarked Mr。 Swift； as he splashed into a mud
puddle。
〃Bless my deflection rudder！〃 suddenly cried a voice from the flat roof
of the Swift house。 〃Hello！ I say； is anyone down there？〃
〃Yes； we are；〃 answered Tom。 〃Is that you； Mr。 Damon？〃
〃Bless my collar button！ It certainly is。〃
〃Where's Mr。 Sharp？ I don't hear him。〃
〃Oh； I'm here all right；〃 answered the balloonist。 〃I'm trying to get the
airship clear of the chimney。 Mr。 Damon〃
〃Yes； I steered wrong！〃 interrupted the odd man。 〃Bless my liver pin；
but it was so dark I couldn't see； and when that clap of thunder came I
shifted the deflection rudder instead of the lateral one； and tried to knock
over your chimney。〃
〃Are either of you hurt？〃 asked Mr。 Swift anxiously。
〃No； not at all；〃 replied Mr。 Sharp。 〃We were moving slowly； ready for
a landing。〃
〃Is the airship damaged？〃 inquired Tom。
〃I don't know。 Not much； I guess；〃 was the answer of the aeronaut。
〃I've stopped the engine； and I don't like to start it again until I can see
what shape we're in。〃
〃I'll come up； with Mr。 Jackson；〃 called Tom； and he hastily
summoned Garret Jackson； an engineer； who had been in the service of Mr。
Swift for many years。 Together they proceeded to the roof by a stairway
that led to a scuttle。
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TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT or The Speediest Car on the Road
〃Is anyone killed？〃 asked Mrs。 Baggert； as Tom hurried up the stairs。
〃Don't tell me there is； Tom！〃
〃Well； I don't have to tell you； for no one is；〃 replied the young
inventor with a laugh。 〃It's all right。 The airship tried to collide with the
chimney； that's all。〃
He was soon on the large； flat roof of the dwelling； and； with the aid of
lanterns he； the engineer； and Mr。 Sharp made a hasty examination。
〃Anything wrong？〃 inquired Mr。 Damon； looking out from the cabin
of the Red Cloud whe