I've got all the evidence I need ag'in you, an' I'm going to
have damages! That barn was worth three thousand dollars if it was
worth a cent, and--"

"This matter can easily be settled," said Tom, trying to keep his
temper. "My name is Swift, and--"

"Don't get swift with me, that's all I ask!" and the farmer laughed
grimly at his clumsy joke.

"I'll do whatever is right," Tom said, with dignity. "I live over near
Shopton, and if you want to send your lawyer to see mine, why--"

"I don't believe in lawyers!" broke in the farmer. "All they think of
is to get what they can for theirselves. And I can do that myself. I'll
get it out of you before you leave, or, anyhow, before you take your
contraption away," and he glanced at the tank.

The same suspicion came at once to Tom and Ned, and the latter gave
voice to it when he murmured in a low voice to his chum:

"This is a frame-up--a scheme, Tom. He doesn't care a rap for the
barn. It's some of that Blakeson's doing, to make trouble for you."

"I believe you!" agreed Tom. "Now I know what to do."

He looked toward the collapsed barn, as if making a mental computation
of its value, and then turned toward the farmer.

"I'm very sorry," said Tom, "if I have caused any trouble. I wanted to
test my machine out on a wooden structure, and I picked your barn. I
suppose I should have come to you first, but I did not want to waste
time. I saw the barn was of practically no value."

"No value!" broke in the farmer. "Well, I'll show you, young man, that
you can't play fast and loose with other people's property and not
settle!"

"I'm perfectly willing to, Mr. Kanker. I could see that the barn was
almost ready to fall, and I had already determined, before sending my
tank through it, to pay the owner any reasonable sum. I am willing to
do that now."

"Well, of course if you're so ready to do that," replied the farmer,
and Ned thought he caught a glance pass between him and one of the men
in the auto, "if you're ready to do that, just hand over three thousand
dollars, and we'll call it a day's work. It's really worth more, but
I'll say three thousand for a quick settlement."

"Why, this barn," cried Ned, "isn't worth half that! I know something
about real estate values, for our bank makes loans on farms around
here--"

"Your bank ain't made me no loans, young man!" snapped Mr. Kanker. "I
don't need none. My place is free and clear! And three thousand dollars
is the pric