CHAPTER XIX
SUSPICIONS
"How about it, Jerry?" asked Ned in a low voice, as the bank officialsand the police approached. "Shall we tell 'em what we think?"
"And put 'em on Noddy's track?" went on Bob.
"I hardly think so. Keep quiet. Leave it to me a while. I want toconsider it. No, I guess we won't say anything except that we believean aeroplane was used. We needn't say we have a suspicion as to whoseit was."
Thus Jerry answered his chums, and when the bank president, and theothers, reached the side of the boys the tall lad was ready for them.
"What's this the detective tells me you've discovered about anaeroplane being used?" asked Mr. Carter, incredulously.
"I think--in fact I'm sure one was," declared Jerry. "It seems astrange thing to say, and a few years ago of course would have been outof the question, but it is not now."
Then, with Ned and Bob putting in an occasional remark Jerry carefullyexplained his theory, pointed out the impressions of the anti-skidtires, and showed where the airship had landed, and where the robbershad gotten their start for a flight into the air.
"Hum!" mused President Carter, "I am almost convinced in spite ofmyself, young man. It certainly is an ingenuous explanation. What doyou think of it, gentlemen?" and he turned to the directors. Some ofthem were plainly skeptical, some were half convinced, and one or two,who had seen some recent airship flights, expressed their belief inJerry's theory.
"What have you to say, Mr. Blake?" asked the president, of thedetective.
"Well, sir, I hardly know. I never had any experience with a saferobber who used an airship, and yet, as this young man says, it mightbe possible. If it is we're going to have a hard time to trace thethieves. It isn't as if they had used an auto or a carriage. The airdoesn't leave any marks or traces."
"Oh, it's all nonsense! Utter nonsense!" interrupted a tall, thindirector. "Preposterous! Why it's out of the question. An airshipindeed! You might as well tell me it was spirits that robbed the bank.I don't believe a word of it! Besides, who are these boys who originatesuch a foolish theory. Do they know anything about airships?"
"They certainly do!" broke in Mr. Thompson with great earnestness."They have been running one of the best airships ever made, and theyjust won the hundred mile race at Colton in their motorship _Comet_."
For a moment the director who had ridiculed the theory of our friendslooked first at them, and then at the officer. A change came over hisface.
"Oh, these are those boys; eh?" he asked. "I--er--I read about thatrace--and they own the _Comet_? The craft that made that marvelousrescue in midair of Mr. Jackson. Mr. Jackson is a friend of mine. Hetold me about that. It was very wonderful. Well, of course that putsa different face on it. If these are the motor boys, and they say anairship was used to rob our bank, why, I don't know--of course I don'tunderstand much about such things, Mr. Carter--but I should say--not tobe too positive of course--but I should say these boys know what theyare talking about. Oh, yes, I believe I agree with them, and the bestthing we can do it to get some circulars printed, offering a rewardfor the capture of the airship bank robbers."
"I agree with you, and I think these lads are right," spoke thepresident. "The next thing to do is to consider ways and means forcapturing the robbers, and also how we can best protect our credit. Forthere will, no doubt, be a run on the bank as soon as the full newsleaks out, as it will. I think we had better resume our deliberations,gentlemen. And I suggest that we have these boys before us, andquestion them. They may be able to give us some valuable clews."
Once more the directors were in session, and Jerry and his chums toldover again, and with more detail, how they had come to form theirtheory as to the airship.
"Now that is settled," began the president, "the question arises, whatsort of an airship was used, whose it might be, and where we can lookfor it? Can you boys enlighten us on those items?"
These were the questions Jerry had been fearing would be asked. He wasin a peculiar position. He and his chums had well-grounded suspicionsagainst Noddy and Bill, and yet Jerry thought it would hardly be fairto disclose them.
"It would be very hard, Mr. Carter," said Jerry, "to say what kind ofan aeroplane was used. In general they are all alike as regards the useof bicycle wheels. I should say that this was a large biplane, and thatat least two men were in her."
"Easily two men," confirmed Detective Blake. "No one man alone couldhave blown the vault open."
"As to finding out who they were," went on Jerry, "I think the bestplan would be to make inquiries among the makers of aeroplanes in thisvicinity regarding the persons who have purchased machines lately,and also what machine was fitted with those peculiarly marked tires.Do that, at the same time send out a description of the missingsecurities, and have detectives in different parts of the countryon the lookout for birdmen who have plenty of money to spend, and Ibelieve you've done all that is possible--at least for the present."
"Why, have you any hope for the future?" asked the president, struck bysome peculiar meaning in Jerry's tone.
"No--that is I--well, my chums and myself intend going off on a tripsoon, and I was going to say that we would be on the lookout also, and,if we heard anything, we'd let you know."
"Thank you," said Mr. Carter genially. "I believe your advice is good,and we'll follow it. Did you make a note of it, Mr. Blake?"
"Yes, sir, part of it has already been done. We have wired to all bigcities for the police to be on the lookout for the thieves, and briefdescriptions of the stolen securities have been wired broadcast. Aprinter is now setting up a circular to be posted in all railroadstations and other public places, so you see we have covered that end.I'll at once get busy among the aeroplane makers and tire people, andas soon as I have anything worth while I'll let you and the othergentlemen know."
"Very good, and if these young men can get any trace of the robberswe'd be glad to hear from them. We are about to consider the matter ofoffering a reward, and that will soon be made public."
Jerry and his chums, as well as several detectives who were in the roomtook this as a hint that they might now withdraw, and they did so. Themotor boys, after a little further talk with their friend Mr. Thompson,and lingering a while to look at the large and increasing crowd aboutthe bank, proceeded to the supply house to get a new cylinder.
"Well, we certainly ran into a bunch of news that time," remarkedJerry, when, having purchased what they needed, they were on thetrolley, going back to Colton.
"Yes, and we haven't heard the last of it," commented Ned. "What are wegoing to do about Noddy being mixed up in it?"
"I hardly know," replied the tall lad. "It certainly looks as if he andBill were in it. Yet I hate to inform on them."
"But it isn't right to let them get away with all thatmoney--especially when some of it belongs to poor depositors," declaredBob.
"You're right, Chunky. I guess we'll have to tell all we know," andJerry looked solemn. It was a duty to be performed, and Jerry was notone to shrink from it, no matter how unpleasant it might be.
"When you think of the talk he and Bill had that night you overheardthem," went on Ned, "there isn't much doubt of Noddy's guilt. Weren'tthey saying something about doing a job, and getting away from thepolice?"
"Yes," assented the tall lad.
"Then you can depend upon it they're the guilty ones. I say let's goback and tell the bank people about Noddy's tires."
"No--not yet--wait a day," advised Jerry. "If it was Noddy and Billthey can't get far away, and we seem to have the faculty of buttinginto them often."
"But they may spend all that money," objected Bob.
"Hardly two hundred and ten thousand dollars in a few days," repliedJerry. "We'll take a little longer to think of it, and then we'lldecide what to do. If we make up our minds to take a flight after therobbers--whether they are Noddy and Bill, or some one else--we'll haveto get the _Comet_ in shape. Come on now, we'll get busy and we won'tthink anythin
g more about the robbery until we have to."
The Motor Boys on the Wing; Or, Seeking the Airship Treasure Page 19
