“Are you prepared to furnish that amount of bail?” “Why, no, I’m afraid I am not,” was the hesitating answer. “What’s going to happen, Tom?” whispered Ned to his chum. “Do you think dad will have to be locked up?” “No, I think there must be some way out,” replied Tom. “Great hoptoads! I never thought we’d need more than five thousand dollars.” “That’s an awful lot of money to get on a moment’s notice,” sighed Ned. “The five thousand’s about all the cash we have on hand just at present,” stated Tom Swift. “But of course we can raise a lot more. The question is, though, can we do it in time? Let’s see what Mr. Plum is saying.” The lawyer was addressing the court. “I suppose,” he said, “your honor will be content with a real estate bond or that of a surety company?” “Either one, Mr. Plum,” was the answer. Turning to Tom the lawyer asked: “Are you prepared to go security for Mr. Newton in this amount?” “Yes, or twice the amount, if necessary,” Tom answered. “But I have only five thousand in cash here with me——” There was a gasp of surprise from some spectators in court, and the judge and the prosecutor smiled at one another. “But my father and I will sign a bail bond in any amount,” Tom went on eagerly. “I fancy that will satisfy the court. And you too, Mr. Prosecutor, will it not?” asked the lawyer, nodding to the county prosecutor, to whose lot it would fall to try the case against Mr. Newton, if it went to trial. “If the Swift firm signs a bond I’ll be satisfied,” said Mr. Nixon, the prosecutor. “What about us?” burst out Mr. Fawn. “Don’t we have something to say in this matter? I don’t want that man to go free. He stole a lot of our Liberty Bonds.” “Order! Order!” called the court constables, and the judge banged with his gavel. “You have nothing to say in this matter,” said the judge to Mr. Fawn. “The amount of bail has been fixed sufficiently high, and if a bond is furnished this defendant will go free until his trial, no matter what _you_ think about it.” Abashed, the manager of the investment company slunk back in his seat and Mr. Plum conferred for a few moments in whispers with the judge and the prosecutor. The upshot of it was that Tom hurried off in the electric runabout and brought his father to the court house. Mr. Swift and Tom signed the bail bond, pledging themselves to pay to the county the sum of ten thousand dollars in the event that Mr. Newton was not on hand to stand trial when called; and the matter was ended for the time being. “May I go now?” asked Ned’s father, who was in a very nervous state over it all. “You may, indeed,” said the judge courteously. “Your friends have gone bail for you.” “I—I thank you—very much,” faltered Mr. Newton, and then he and Ned walked out a little ahead of the others, for Ned was affected, too. However, they soon recovered their spirits, and when they were in the runabout, which was larger than the name implies, Mr. Newton with a sad smile, turned to Tom and asked: