Aeroplane Boys on the Wing

by John Luther Langworthy

  CHAPTER VI.

  IN SEARCH OF A CLUE.

  "Heigho! what's all this fuss and feathers about?" demanded the oldretired traveler, as he came limping along, with his crutch and cane.

  Several neighbors accompanied him, having been aroused by the clamor.

  "Same old story, sir," remarked the disgusted Andy, still clutching hisbruised toe tenderly. "They've been trying to beat us one way, if theycouldn't another."

  Frank gave him a nudge.

  "Be careful what you say, Andy," he remarked. "There is no proof as yetthat any one we knew had a hand in this business. You may get in troubleif you mention names offhand. Go slow now. We'll find out the truthlater on, perhaps."

  So Andy, taking heed, managed to tell what had happened without directlyaccusing any one. Nevertheless, it was not difficult for those wholistened to guess where his suspicions lay. And perhaps they thought,after all that had occurred in the past, with the hand of Puss Carberrymoving the pieces on the chessboard, that Andy was justified inbelieving as he did.

  After a while the excitement died away. The boys had opened the shedand made sure that no lingering spark remained to threaten their belovedlittle aeroplane with destruction. But it was all right and theyfeasted their eyes on it, as if they never before realized how preciousit had become.

  "Getting to be a regular thing, seems to me, these night alarms, boys,"remarked one of the neighbors, for not long before they had been arousedin the middle of the night when the two jewelry thieves tried to stealthe aeroplane and were baffled in their design by the two boys, sleepingat the time in the shed, so as to guard their flying machine.

  "If one watchman ain't enough I'll get three--half a dozen ifnecessary," declared Colonel Josiah, as he glared at the offending Sheaand pounded on the turf with his heavy cane. "But these lads are goingto be protected, if it takes my last dollar. I'll get a Gatling gun andtrain it here, so we can blow the rascals to smithereens if they trysuch a dastardly job again."

  But everybody knew that the genial old colonel did considerable talkingand blustering, but was harmless withal.

  Shea promised to remain awake the balance of the night. He even went tothe house and armed himself with a big horse pistol that the colonelowned and which had many a story connected with its keeping company withthe traveler in foreign lands.

  "Huh! I've got half a notion to camp right here again, like we did thatother time, Frank," said Andy, before they locked the wide doors of theshed. "Here's my cot and blankets, you see, just as I left 'em."

  "No need of that, Andy," returned his chum, smiling. "After all thisrumpus you couldn't hire that fellow to come back here tonight. He maybe ten miles away by now. Wonder if that's the last I'll see of mywheel?"

  "Now," continued Andy, "if you're addressing that to me I'd like toprophesy that you'll find the bike somewhere off the road a mile or twoaway, where the fellow pitched it when he concluded to make a sneak_back_ to town."

  "There you go, barking up that same tree again. I never saw such apositive fellow as you are," declared the other, smiling. "Your nameought to be Thomas, for you seem to doubt everything that you can't justunderstand."

  "Well, if not Puss, who, then?" demanded Andy, aggressively.

  "I confess that I don't know at this minute," admitted Frank. "But Ihope to discover the truth in some way. Remember how that other time,when some one tried to injure us by sneaking in here and cutting thecanvas wings of our monoplane all to flinders, I picked up a playingcard and we afterwards traced it to the owner?

  "Yes," cried the other, instantly, "and wasn't that party Puss Carberryall right?"

  "It sure was," laughed Frank. "But forget this thing for now. Perhapstomorrow we may be able to find some clue that will tell which way thewind blows--it might be the print of a shoe in the earth or somethinglike that. Lots of ways to pick up information, if only you keep yourwits at work."

  "Yes," returned Andy, "and if it's Frank Bird who's doing thethinking. But perhaps it would be silly in me sleeping out here tonight.I'd better be traipsing back to bed right now, because, you see, I'monly half dressed and it's chilly."

  "Good. I'll see you to the house, because I've got to walk home, nowthat my wheel has gone up the flume," remarked Frank.

  "What's the matter with you using mine?" demanded the other. "That plugyou put in holds dandy, and there's nothing the matter with it rightnow. Same old place, under the side porch here. Guess the lamp is on thebum, but you hardly need that. If a cop holds you up, explain whathappened."

  "All right, I guess I might as well ride as walk. But I hope I get mywheel back. It's nearly new, you know, and cost a heap," Frank remarked,as he dove under the stoop, to presently appear dragging the otherbicycle.

  "Apply to Puss and Company for further information," called Andy,holding the door open a crack to shoot the words out and then closingit.

  Frank, laughing at the obstinate ways of his chum, pushed the machineout to the road and was soon moving along. Evidently he lacked the sameconfidence in Andy's wheel that he felt in his own, for he made noattempt to speed as he went toward town and home.

  Fortunately he met no policeman, who might ask impertinent questions asto just why he was riding after dark without a light. And reaching homehe found his father sitting up in his office waiting to hear his report.

  Dr. Bird was quite satisfied with what Frank had to say in regard to thecondition of the sick girl. He knew that the boy was well up inmedicine, even though he had never tried to push him in the least. Frankgave evidence of being what is known as a "natural born doctor," keenlyalive to everything pertaining to surgery. More than once he had setbroken limbs for dogs and cats and done it in a manner that aroused thewarmest praise from his father, who, deep down in his heart, knew theboy had it in him to become a famous surgeon, if he kept along in thispath when he came to take up his life pursuit.

  Frank believed he ought to tell about the dastardly attempt to destroythe monoplane. And, of course, the good doctor, who always thought thebest of people, was horrified to hear his story.

  He shook his head sadly after Frank had finished.

  "I don't know what people are coming to nowadays," he remarked. "Nomatter who did that mean act, it was wicked. Man or boy, he ought to beseverely punished for it. The rights of property seems to be gettingless respect every year. It puzzles me to lay the blame for this spiritat the right door. But things were not so in my young days, Frank. Welive in fast times, my boy, fast times!"

  Frank thought so himself, as he went off to his room. Imagine hisfather, some forty years ago, ever dreaming of building an air-ship andspeeding through the upper currents, perhaps thousands of feet above theearth, at the rate of a mile a minute! And yet that was what he and Andyhad been doing, thinking nothing of the feat, as they became accustomedto its performance.

  Fast times, indeed!

  Frank did not allow the startling incidents of the night to keep himawake. He knew just how to get a grip on himself and put all thesethings out of his mind, once his head touched the pillow.

  Time enough in the morning to begin worrying about that lost wheel andtrying to figure out who the firebug could have been.

  At breakfast Frank had to go over the whole story again for the benefitof Janet, who had heard enough about it from the doctor before herbrother came down to whet her appetite for more.

  Frank could see that she shared the suspicions entertained byAndy. Janet knew Puss Carberry of old and despised him most heartily. Atone time he had taken a great liking to Frank's pretty sister, but whenshe learned what his nature was Janet had cut him dead on thestreet. And from that day on she had believed Puss capable of almostanything.

  "Even after you saved his life yesterday, too!" she exclaimed,indignantly.

  "Hold on there, sis," cried Frank, laughing. "You're as bad as Andy, whois ready to condemn on general principles. We haven't got a scrap ofevidence to prove Puss guilty. Just as like as not he would show an_alibi_ if we accused him o
f it, and prove that he was at home allevening. So please don't mention his name to anybody or I may get in ascrape."

  "But you're going to find out, aren't you!" demanded Janet.

  "I surely hope to, and recover my poor bike in the bargain. Luckily I'vegot my name and address scratched on the underpart of the frame, if thefinder only takes the trouble to look. And now I'm off downtown, tospeak to Chief Waller about it."

  Ten minutes later Frank dropped off in front of police headquarters. Andno sooner had he alighted than the lad discovered that there was a buzzof excitement about the place, for several men were conferring and thechief himself seemed disturbed. He looked eagerly at Frank as the boycame forward and started to relate what had occurred on the precedingnight out near the residence of Colonel Josiah Whympers.

  Immediately the face of the chief began to light up and an eager glowshine in his eyes. It seemed as though what Frank was telling must havegiven him a connecting link that he had found himself badly in need of.

  "Now we know where he went!" he exclaimed, calling to one of hismen. "Go out to Colonel Josiah Whympers', Green, and see what traces youcan get of him." Then once more turning to the astonished boy, he wenton: "You see, we had a jail delivery here last night. A desperatescoundrel managed to slip away undetected and we only found it out thismorning. And the man who got out was your old friend, Jules Garrone, theFrench aviator, who was caught by the help of the Bird boys and theirbully little aeroplane! Get that, Frank?"