ck him myself, only his father is a director in the bank where I
work, and I'd be fired if I did. Can't afford any such pleasure. But
some day I'll give Andy a good trouncing, and then resign before they
can discharge me. But I'll be looking for another job before I do that.
Come on to my house, Tom, and I'll help you clean up."

Tom was a little more presentable when he left his chum's residence,
after spending the evening there, but he was still burning for revenge
against Andy and his cronies. He had half a notion to go to Andy's
house and tell Mr. Foger how nearly serious the bully's prank at the
submarine had been, but he concluded that Mr. Foger could only uphold
his son. "No, I'll settle with him myself," decided Tom.

Bidding Eradicate keep a watchful eye about the house, and leaving word
for Mr. Damon to be sure to come to the coast if he again called at the
Shopton house, Tom and Mr. Sharp prepared to make their return trip
early the next morning.

The gas tank was filled and the Red Cloud arose in the air. Then, with
the propellers moving at moderate speed, the nose of the craft was
pointed toward the New Jersey coast.

A few miles out from Shopton, finding there was a contrary wind in the
upper regions where they were traveling, Mr. Sharp descended several
hundred feet. They were moving over a sparsely settled part of the
country, and looking down, Tom saw, speeding along a highway, an
automobile.

"I wonder who's in it?" he remarked, taking down a telescope and
peering over the window ledge of the cabin. The next moment he uttered
a startled exclamation.

"Andy Foger, Sam Snedecker and Pete Bailey!" he cried. "Oh, I wish I
had a bucket of water to empty on them."

"I know a better way to get even with them than that," said Mr. Sharp.

"How?" asked Tom eagerly.

"I'll show you," replied the balloonist. "It's a trick I once played on
a fellow who did me an injury. Here, you steer for a minute until I get
the thing fixed, then I'll take charge."

Mr. Sharp went to the storeroom and came back with a long, stout rope
and a small anchor of four prongs. It was carried to be used in
emergencies, but so far had never been called into requisition.
Fastening the grapple to the cable, the balloonist said:

"Now, Tom, they haven't seen you. You stand in the stern and pay out
the rope. I'll steer the airship, and what I want you to do is to catch
the anchor in the rear of their car. Then I'll show you so