CHAPTER XIV
A CLUE
"That looks bad, don't it Frank?" Andy went on to remark, as he firstglanced at the bogus collection of rare specimens, and then eyed hiscousin humorously.
"One thing is sure, no man would go to the trouble and expense of buyingeven a dollar case of common butterflies unless he had some deep objectin view, and you know that, Andy. This so-called professor must be afraud, even if he doesn't turn out to be the man we think he is.Perhaps, he wanting to find out whether Hoskins had discovered thatwonderful gold mine. Well, you needn't grin about it because strangerthings have happened, I guess, now."
Andy ceased laughing and turned to look around the room.
"I wonder--" he began, and then stopped short.
"Now I can finish your sentence for you," said Frank. "You wonder if wecould make any important discovery if we looked around here a bit,while Sallie is helping her ma do up some fruit jars or something likethat?"
"Perhaps it wouldn't be just the right thing," suggested Andy, inconfusion.
"Under ordinary conditions it certainly wouldn't," his cousin went on tosay; "but when you've got a pretty good idea that you're dealing with aslippery hobo, actor, past-aviator, and now a bank burglar and cracksmanin general, why that puts a different face on the matter, don't you see,my boy?"
"All right; let's take a look," said Andy, easily convinced that sincethey were really working hand in glove with the police authorities, theyhad a perfect right to prowl around in anybody's room, and pick up suchvaluable information as could be found afloat.
But after all they found nothing that looked like incriminatingevidence. The fact of the matter was that the professor did not seem toown any sort of wardrobe whatever, and had nothing belonging to him savethe clothes on his back, the little case of butterflies which Frankbelieved he had bought for a dollar over in Cranford at the curiodealer's shop, and a few bottles holding some strong smelling acids,which possibly were used to either kill the captured butterflies so theywould not beat their wings out; or else to preserve certain specimensof bugs he expected to run across in his hunts.
"Nothing doing," said Andy, with considerable of disgust anddisappointment in his voice.
"Come here!" remarked his cousin, softly.
"Hello! don't tell me you've found something?" and Andy crossed thefloor in more or less haste.
He found Frank bending over a table at which there were writingmaterials--pen, envelopes, paper and a blotter.
"What's doing? Have you found the gentleman's notebook lying carelesslyaround, and which we can peep into, eh, Frank?"
"Not at all," came the reply. "I was only looking at this blotter."
"Whatever is there funny about that?" demanded the other, in puzzledtones, as he glanced first at the object in question, and then up at theface of his chum.
"It was a new one, or nearly so, you see! and somebody has been writingheavily, and then pressing the blotter over it," Frank went on.
"And if you could read backwards now, you might make out what they said;is that it, Frank?"
"Oh! that part is as easy as falling off a log. I held it up to thelooking glass here. See if you can make it out, Andy."
Hardly had the other looked than he started to read, interjectingremarks of his own as he proceeded.
"Some words missing, looks like, Frank; let's see; 'Car onsiding----'rive at 11 P.M. Wed. He says keep low, and trust tohim--throw--track. Mum.' That's all I can make out, because he didn'tsign any name, it seems. Whatever do you make of all that stuff, Frank?"
First of all Frank pulled out a pencil and copied the marks upon a pieceof paper, which he thrust into his pocket.
"He might miss the blotter if I cribbed it, and take the alarm," heexplained, as he hastened to put the article in question back on thetable, lest Sallie come in at any minute and discover what they weredoing, taking liberties in the room of the boarder; and then she wouldhave to be told everything, which might work out badly, Frank feared.
"But I reckon you've got some sort of idea what that writing means,Frank?" pursued the other Bird boy, who, once he started on a subjectcould no more be shaken off than a bulldog.
"Of course I have, and it's given me something of a shock, too, let metell you, Andy. First of all, you may know that this very day isWednesday."
"The day he mentions there; to be sure it is. But Frank, can all thishave some reference to another crime they mean to commit?"
"I'm afraid it does," came the reluctant reply.
"Tell me what he means by 'car, siding, track, mum,' and all that. Ofcourse I can understand that he warns the fellow he's sending themessage to to keep quiet. What car can he mean? Do you think they aim tosteal some one's expensive car now--that they've gone and wreckedPercy's biplane, and must have another means for getting away?"
But Frank simply shook his head at that.
"Oh! you're away off your base there, Andy. He speaks of a car on asiding, and that can only refer to a railroad car. Now, I happen to knowthat they expect the pay-car to be along some time today or tonight, andit always lies there on that Jeffreys Siding, until they've passed outthousands of dollars to the men who call Bloomsbury their headquarters.Do you see now what it must mean, Andy?"
Andy gasped, and then exclaimed.
"Once more you've gone and seen through the riddle that knocked mesilly, Frank. That's just what it must mean--the pay-car would offer fatpickings, all in cash; and they've held up their flight to Canada justto try and gobble it. Oh! what a slick game, with Todd giving falseinformation, and perhaps just leading the police further and furtheraway from Bloomsbury tonight, so as to leave the pay-car next tounprotected. Yes, and doesn't he go on like this, 'he says keep low, andtrust to him'? That must mean Todd, don't you think?"
"I read it that way," replied his cousin tersely, as he rubbed his chinin a reflective fashion; for they were now grappling with a dangerousproblem, and Frank was only too well aware of the fact that a slip mightupset all calculations, as well as possibly endanger their lives; sincethey were dealing with reckless men, and no boyish rivals like PercyCarberry and Sandy Hollingshead.
"Do you think this was meant for the other one of the bank thieves?"Andy went on to ask.
"It could hardly have been for any one else, Andy. There must have beenmore to the letter, but the rest dried before he blotted it."
"And that fellow is in hiding somewhere, perhaps watching the biplane,and ready to fight before letting it be retaken, because they depend onit for their get-away to the great lakes and Canada;" Andy furtherobserved.
"Yes, just as you say," the other remarked.
"And now since we've learned this much, Frank, what are we going to doabout it--try and find where the stolen biplane is, and do something soas to make it no good for their purpose; or just slip away, go round alittle like we were just out for a spin, and getting back to Bloomsbury,put them wise?"
"Neither, just yet anyhow," the older Bird boy remarked. "Not the first,because it would be taking big chances, if, as we believe, one of therobbers is concealed near where the stolen biplane may happen to belying, partly hidden with dead leaves, so it couldn't be noticed fromabove; and he would be apt to do something we'd find unpleasant. And asfor going back and telling, we'll have to be mighty careful there."
"And why, Frank?"
"Well, to begin with, even the walls have ears, they say; and if thepolice were suddenly called back from their hunt to the southwest, thefact might get to the robbers; and you know what would happen then."
"Oh!" said Andy, shrugging his shoulders, "I suppose they'd just throwthis second job up, and cut stick for Canada, as fast as they couldmake the aeroplane spin, which would be too bad for Chief Waller, andJoe Green, and the rest of that bunch at Headquarters, who are alreadyfiguring on how they'll spend their reward money they hope to get whenthe bank pays for rounding-up the two thieves."
"But, perhaps, if we just told our fathers, Andy, they might get a fewbold men togeth
er and lay a beautiful trap for the fellows so that whenthey broke into the pay-car, they would be made prisoners."
"Bully idea, that, Frank, and I hope you decide to carry it out. Just tothink what a pleasant surprise it would be for our butterfly collector,expecting that he was going in to gather in another lot of plunder, andthen to hear a voice say to him: 'Hands up! you're our prisoners!' Oh!wouldn't I like to be Johnny-on-the-spot when that happens. Wonder ifthey wouldn't let us have a part in the proceedings, after we broughtthe news that upset the plans of the yeggmen?"
"That will do for just now, Andy, because here comes Sally again. Let'sbe gaping at the wonderful collection that almost cost the professor hisvery life in all sorts of hot countries, as well as a whole pocket fullof money--if you don't care what you say."
And when the farmer's daughter did enter the room a minute later, shesaw the two boys standing there, a rapt look of admiration and envy ontheir faces, as they stared at the little case of common localbutterflies which possibly some boy had gathered together, and thendisposed of for a song.
While the young aviators had in this fashion about decided on their planof action, they saw no reason for any hurry. The day was still long, andwhen they felt like starting toward home it would take them but a veryshort time to get there.
Meanwhile, there seemed to be some sort of fascination holding them tothe neighborhood of the Hoskins' farm. And when they went away a littlelater it would be with the idea of hanging about, and seeing if the oddlittle professor might not come along. Both of them thought they wouldlike to look at him. The man who was capable of playing such a clevergame as this must surely be worth seeing.
Then again, the fact that Casper Blue once upon a time had been a daringbirdman had something to do with this interest on the part of Frank andhis cousin, because there is always a certain fellow feeling betweenthose who are engaged in the same dangerous pursuits. But possibly Andyon his part was hoping secretly that by spying around they might be ablein some way to learn where the yeggmen had hidden the plunder they hadtaken from the looted Bloomsbury bank.
Aeroplane Boys Flight Page 14