ldings.

The matter that Mr. Richard Bartholomew, the railroad magnate, had
brought to Tom's and his father's attention had deeply interested the
young inventor. Thought of the electric locomotive, the development of
which the railroad president stated was the only salvation of the
finances of the H. & P. A., had so held Tom's attention as he walked
along the street that being stopped in this sudden way was even more
startling than such an incident might ordinarily have been.

Tom was a muscular young fellow; but a club held over one's head by a
burly thug would have shaken the courage of anybody. Dark as it was
under the archway the young fellow saw that the bulk of the man was
much greater than his own.

"That's right, sonny," said the stranger, in a sneering tone. "You got
just the right idea. When I say 'Stick 'em up' I mean it. Never take a
chance. Ah--ah!"

The fellow ripped open Tom's overcoat, almost tearing the buttons off.
Another masterful jerk and his victim's jacket was likewise parted
widely. He did not lower the club for an instant. He thrust his left
hand into the V-shaped parting of the young fellow's vest.

It was then that Tom was convinced of what the fellow was after. He
remembered the notes he had made regarding the contract that was to be
signed on the morrow between the Swift Construction Company and
President Richard Bartholomew of the H. & P. A. Railroad. He
remembered, too, the figure he thought he had seen in the dark porch of
the house as he so recently left it.

Mr. Bartholomew had considered it very possible that he was being spied
upon. This was one of the spies--a Westerner, as his speech betrayed.
But Tom was suddenly less fearful than he had been when first attacked.

It did not seem possible to him that Mr. Bartholomew's enemies would
allow their henchman to go too far to obtain information of the
railroad president's intentions. This fellow was merely attempting to
frighten him.

A sense of relief came to Tom Swift's assistance. He opened his lips to
speak and could the thug have seen his face more clearly in the dark he
would have been aware of the fact that the young inventor smiled.

The fellow's groping hand entered between Tom's vest and his shirt. The
coarse fingers seized upon Tom's wallet. Nobody likes to be robbed, no
matter whether the loss is great or small. There was not much money in
the wallet, nor anything that could be turned into money by a thief.

The