Ned did not finish his half-formed sentence. A dreadful thought
came into his mind. What if the sudden fire, and the threatened
danger, as well as the prospective loss that confronted Tom, had
affected his mind?

"It certainly looks so," mused Ned, as he saw the big balloon
float free from the shed. There was no doubt but that Tom was in
it. He could be seen standing within the pilot-house, operating
the various wheels and levers that controlled the ship of the
air.

"What can he be up to?" marveled Tom. "Is he going to run away
from the fire?"

Koku, Eradicate and several others were attracted by the sight
of the great dirigible, now a considerable distance up in the
air. Certainly it looked as though Tom Swift were running away.
Yet Ned knew his chum better than that.

Then, as they watched, Ned and the others saw the direction of
the balloon change. She turned around in response to the
influence of the rudders and propellers, and was headed straight
for the blazing shed, but some distance above it.

"What can he be planning?" wondered Ned.

He did not have long to wait to find out.

An instant later Tom's plan was made clear to his chum. He saw
Tom circling over the burning red shed, and then the bank clerk