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tom swift & his electric runabout(汤姆史威特和他的电力小轿车)-第22章

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depositors who will come flocking to the doors。 We must prepare for a run 

on the bank。〃 

     〃How do you know there will be a run?〃 asked the young inventor。 

     〃I   received   word   this   evening;   just   before   I   came   here;〃   replied   Mr。 

Pendergast。 〃A poor widow; who has a small amount in the bank; called on 

me and said she had been advised to withdraw all her cash。 She said she 

preferred to see me about it first; as she did not like to lose her interest。 

She said a number of her acquaintances; some of whom are quite heavy 

depositors; had also been warned that the bank was unsound; and that they 

ought to take out their savings and deposits at once。〃 

     〃Did she say who had thus warned her?〃 inquired Mr。 Swift。 

     〃She did;〃 was the reply; 〃and that shows me that there is a conspiracy 

on   foot   to   ruin   our   bank。   She   stated   that   Mr。   Foger   had   told   her   our 

institution was unsound。〃 

     〃Mr。 Foger!〃 cried Mr。 Damon。 〃So this is one of his tricks to bolster 

up his   new  bank! He   hopes   the people   who   withdraw their   money  from 

our bank will deposit with him。 I see his game。 He's a scoundrel; and if it's 

possible I'm going to sue him for damages after this thing is over。〃 

     〃Did he warn the others?〃 inquired the aged inventor。 

     〃Not all of them;〃 answered the president。 〃Some received letters from 

a   man   signing   himself Addison   Berg;   warning   them   that   our   bank;   was 

likely to fail any day。〃 

     〃Addison Berg!〃 exclaimed Tom。 〃That must have been the important 

business he had with Mr。 Foger; the day I showed him the watch charm! 

They were plotting the ruin of our bank then;〃 and he told his father about 

his disastrous pursuit of the submarine agent。 

     〃Very likely Foger is working with Berg;〃 admitted Mr。 Damon。 〃We 

will   attend   to   them   later。   The   question   is;   what   can   we   do   to   save   the 

bank?〃 

     〃Get cash; and plenty of it;〃 advised Mr。 Pendergast。 〃Suppose we go 

over   the   whole   situation   again?〃   and   they   fell   to   talking   stocks:   bonds; 

securities; mortgages and interest; until the youth; interested as he was in 



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the situation; could follow it no longer。 

     〃Better go to bed; Tom;〃 advised his father。 〃You can't help us any; and 

we have many details to go over。〃 

     The lad reluctantly consented; and he was soon dreaming that he was 

in his electric auto; trying to pull up a thousand pound lump of gold from 

the bottom of the sea。 He awoke to find the bedclothes in a lump on his 

chest; and; removing them; fell into a deep slumber。 

     When the young inventor awoke the next morning; Mrs。 Baggert told 

him that his father and Mr。 Damon had risen nearly an hour before; had 

partaken of a hearty breakfast; and departed。 

     〃They told me to tell you they were at the bank;〃 said the housekeeper。 

     〃Did Mr。 Pendergast stay all night?〃 inquired Tom。 

     〃I heard some one go away about two o'clock this morning;〃 replied 

the housekeeper。 〃I don't know who it was。〃 

     〃They must have had a long session;〃 thought Tom; as he began on his 

bacon; eggs and coffee。 〃I'll take a run down to the bank in my electric in a 

little while。〃 

     The car was still in rather crude shape; outwardly; but the mechanism 

was   now   almost   perfect。   Tom   charged   the   batteries   well   before   starting 

put。 

     The   youth   had   no sooner   come   in   sight   of   the old   Shopton   bank;   to 

distinguish it from the Second National; which Mr。 Foger had started; than 

he   was   aware   that   something   unusual   had   occurred。   There   was   quite   a 

crowd   about   it;   and   more   persons   were   constantly   arriving   to   swell   the 

throng。 

     〃What's the matter?〃 asked Tom; of one of the few police officers of 

which Shopton boasted; though the lad did not need to be told。 

     〃Run on the bank;〃 was the brief answer。 〃It's failed。〃 

     Tom felt a pang of disappointment。 Somehow; he had hoped that his 

father   and    his  friends   might    have   been   able   to  stave   off  ruin。  As   he 

approached   nearer   Tom   was   made   aware   that   the   crowd   was   in   an   ugly 

mood。 

     〃Why   don't   they  open   the   doors   and  give   us   our   money?〃   cried   one 

excited woman。 〃It's ours! I worked hard for mine; an' now they want to 



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keep it from us。 I wish I'd put it in the new bank。〃 

     〃Yes; that's the best place;〃 added another。 〃That Mr。 Foger has lots of 

money。〃 

     〃I   can   see   the   hand   of Andy's   father;   and   that   of   Mr。   Berg;   at   work 

here;〃 thought Tom; 〃They have spread rumors of the bank's trouble; and 

hope to profit by it。 I wish I could find a way to beat them at their own 

game。〃 

     As the minutes passed; and the bank was not opened; the ugly temper 

of   the   crowd   increased。 The   few   police   could   do   nothing   with   the   mob; 

and   several;   bolder   than   the   rest;   advocated   battering   down   the   doors。 

Some went up the steps and began to pound on the portals。 Tom looked for 

a sight of his father or Mr。 Damon; but could not see either。 

     It was not the regular hour for opening the bank; but when the police 

reminded the people of this they only laughed。 

     〃I guess they ain't   going to open anyhow!〃   shouted a man。  〃They've 

got our money; and they're going to keep it。 What difference is an hour; 

anyway?〃 

     〃Yes; if they have the money; why don't they open; and not wait until 

ten o'clock?〃 cried another。 〃I've got a hundred and five dollars in there; 

and I want it!〃 

     More excited persons were arriving every minute。 The crowd surged 

this way; and that。 Many looked anxiously at the clock in the tower of the 

town hall。 The gilded hands   pointed to a few  minutes of ten。 Would the 

bank   open   its   doors   when   the   hour   boomed   out?   Many   were   anxiously 

asking this question。 

     Tom sat in his electric car; near the front of the bank。 The interest of 

the crowd; which under ordinary circumstances would have been centered 

in the queer vehicle; was not drawn toward it。 The people were all thinking 

of their money。 

     Suddenly one of the two doors of the bank slowly opened。 There was a 

yell from the crowd; and a rush to get in。 But the police managed to hold 

the leaders back; and then Tom saw that it was Ned Newton; who stood in 

the   partly…opened   portal。   He   held   up   his   hand   to   indicate   silence;   and   a 

hush fell over the mob。 



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     〃The bank is open for business;〃 Ned announced; 〃but there must be 

no rush。 The building is not large enough to accommodate you all。 If you 

form a line; you will be admitted in turn。 The bank hopes to pay you all。〃 

     〃Hopes!〃 cried a woman scornfully。 〃We can't eat hopes; young man; 

nor yet pay the rent with it。 Hopes indeed!〃 

     But Ned had said all he cared to; and; with rather a white face; he went 

back inside。 The one door remained open and; with a policeman on either 

side; a line of anxious depositors was slowly formed。 Tom watched them 

crowding and surging forward; all eager to be first to get their cash out; 

lest there be not enough for all。 As he watched; the young inventor  was 

aware that some was signaling to him from the big window of the bank。 

He looked more closely and saw Ned Newton beckoning to him; and the 

young cashier was motioning Tom to go around to the rear; where a door 

of   the bank opened on   a small   alley。 Wondering   what   was   wanted; Tom 

slowly ran his machine down the side street; and up the alley。 No one paid 

any attention to him。 

     A porter admitted the lad; and he made his way to the private offices; 

where he knew his father and Mr。  Damon would be。 In the corridors   he 

could hear the murmur of the throng and the chink of money; as the tellers 

paid it out。 

     〃Well; Tom; this is bad business;〃 remarked Mr。 Swift; as he saw his 

son。 The lad noticed that Mr。 Damon was in the telephone booth。 

     〃Yes; Dad;〃 admitted Tom。 〃It's a run; all right。 What are you going to 

do?〃 

     〃The best we can。 Pay out all the cash we have; and hope that before 

that time; the people will come to their senses。 The bank is all right if they 

would only wait。 But I'm afraid they won't and; after we pay out all the 

cash   we   have;   we'll   have   to   close   the   doors。 
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