once. I wonder if he could
come here? He might be able to advise me. I have had very little
experience with legal difficulties. My specialty is in other lines
of work. But I must do something. Every moment is valuable. I wonder
who the men were?"

"I'm sure one of them was the same man who came here that night--the
man with the black mustache, who dropped the telegram," said Tom. "I
had a pretty good look at him as the auto passed me, and I'm sure it
was he. Of course I didn't see who it was that struck me down, but I
imagine it was some one of the same gang."

"Very likely. Well, Tom, I must do something. I suppose I might
telegraph to Mr. Crawford--he will be expecting you in Albany--" Mr.
Swift paused musingly. "No, I have it!" he suddenly exclaimed. "I'll
go to Albany myself."

"Go to Albany, dad?"

"Yes; I must explain everything to the lawyers and then he can
advise me what to do. Fortunately I have some papers, duplicates of
those you took, which I can show him. Of course the originals will
be necessary before I can prove my claim. The loss of the model is
the most severe, however. Without that I can do little. But I will
have Mr. Crawford take whatever steps are possible. I'll take the
night train, Tom. I'll have to leave you to look after matters here,
and I needn't caution you to be on your guard, though, having got
what they were after, I fancy those financiers, or their tools, will
not bother us again."

"Very likely not," agreed Tom, "but I will keep my eyes open, just
the same. Oh, but that reminds me, dad. Did you see anything of a
tramp around here while I was away?"

"A tramp? No; but you had better ask Mrs. Baggert. She usually
attends to them. She's so kind-hearted that she frequently gives
them a good meal."

The housekeeper, when consulted, said that no tramps had applied in
the last few days.

"Why do you ask, Tom?" inquired his father.

"Because I had an experience with one, and I believe he was a member
of the same gang who robbed me." And thereupon Tom told of his
encounter with Happy Harry, and how the latter had broken the wire
on the motor-cycle.

"You had a narrow escape," commented Mr. Swift. "If I had known the
dangers involved I would never have allowed you to take the model to
Albany."

"Well, I didn't take it there, after all," said Tom with a grim
smile, for he could appreciate a joke.

"I must hurry and pack my valise," went on Mr. Swift. "Mrs. Baggert,
we will have