CHAPTER XV
WHEN CASPER CAME BACK
Although the Bird boys had more than once before proved that theypossessed all the courage and daring a successful aviator must have inorder to accomplish the difficult tasks hourly presented to him forsolution, it must not be thought that they were reckless to any degree.
Andy might be slightly inclined that way, but Frank was an exceedinglycareful navigator of the air, and by degrees his influence was evenaffecting his younger cousin, as example always will.
When, however, a situation suddenly arose that absolutely required adisplay of daring, these young air pilots were "there with the punch,"as Andy termed it. They had learned how to volplane earthward from adizzy height with absolute safety, when conditions were just right, andnecessity required a quick descent. On a few occasions Frank had evenbeen known to hazard what is known as the "death dip;" but it was onlywhen there happened to be a good reason for taking such chances, and notmerely in a spirit of dare-deviltry, such as many show aviators employ,just to send a shiver of dread through the spectators, and then laughrecklessly at the fears their boldness had aroused.
Of course they might have decided to immediately return to Bloomsbury,and give information concerning the extent of their discoveries sincecoming to the Hoskins' farm.
Perhaps that would have been the wisest move they could make but bothboys were rather opposed to carrying it out just then.
The afternoon was wholly before them, and who could tell what change ofplans the two yeggmen might make before the coming of the night? Shouldthey get wind of the presence of the Bird boys in the vicinity possiblythey would take alarm, and hurrying to their concealed biplane make forthe far North with all haste; and in this way, if no one knew of theirdeparture the intended ambuscade that night in the vicinity of therailroad pay-car would be laid in vain.
That was really what the boys feared the most--that their quarry slipoff in secret, when they were far away.
Frank was indeed trying to figure out whether it would not be best afterall for him to stay by the hydroplane, on guard as it were, while Andy,by using a horse, if the Hoskins happened to still possess such ananimal, managed to get to another farm, where they were up-to-dateenough to have a telephone in the house, by means of which he could getin touch with Dr. Bird or Judge Lawson in Bloomsbury.
Then again, there was always a slight chance that this pretendedprofessor might have seen them descend, while he was wandering around.Once an airman, and just by instinct as it were, the eyes are almostconstantly searching the heavens, perhaps for a glimpse of otheradventurous craft, or it may be, signs that give warning of treacherouswinds, gathering storms, or similar things that must always be ofintense interest to an aviator.
And so while Casper Blue had long since given up taking hazards in aflying machine to indulge in even more dangerous business as a bankrobber, still habits would cling tightly, and thus he might have seenmore than the ordinary man could have done.
Of course, even though he sought the hydroplane, and found it lyingthere in the field, he could not very well make any use of it so long asFrank held the missing part in his possession.
But he could in a spirit of maliciousness so utterly destroy the planes,and even injure the powerful little Kinkaid engine that it would bepractically fit only for the scrap-heap afterwards. And that was givingFrank more or less concern, even while he continued to linger at thefarmhouse because Andy wished to prowl around a little while longer inhopes of getting some clue to the location of the cache where thethieves had hidden their plunder.
Sallie saw nothing strange in this apparent desire of Andy to hangaround. She was rather a pretty little thing, and of course knew it; sothat she may have believed the witchery of her attractions had more orless to do with the matter.
Even when Frank asked so many queer questions about the absent boarder,Sallie was not wise enough to understand that the boys Were much moreconcerned about how Professor Whitesides amused himself, where hisfavorite lounging places seemed to be, and all that, rather than in herpretty face and merry laugh.
Her mother must have counted on having her assistance in carrying on hertask of putting up preserves in the kitchen, for once more she called toSallie to come and lend a hand for a few moments.
This left the two boys alone again, and gave them a chance forexchanging views, which they were not slow to do.
"I guess he doesn't keep it around here, in this room, or anywhere closeby," was Andy's first remark.
Frank chuckled on hearing this.
"Oh! I see that you've got your mind set on recovering what was takenfrom the bank. You're a mercenary fellow, Andy. But, then, since ourfathers have more or less interest in the same bank, which is going tobe mighty badly crippled if the cash and securities are not recoveredsooner or later, why, I can't blame you much. I'd like to run across theloot myself, more than I can tell you."
"I'm only afraid that if the men are taken prisoners to night, when theycome to clean out the pay-car after it arrives in Bloomsbury, they'llnot have this other stuff with them, and will refuse to tell where it'shidden. That will be just as bad for the bank as if they'd got away toCanada with the swag, as the Chief calls it. I wish I knew how we couldtrack this Casper Blue to where the other yegg is hiding near thebiplane, and watch them until we saw where they had the cache. Afterthat we could just hang around, and when they started in a power-boatperhaps for Bloomsbury, with Todd Pemberton at the wheel, we could dosomething to make the biplane useless to them, and then toward eveningput for home ourselves."
Frank listened while the other ran all of this off, and evidently he wasmore or less amused at what he heard.
"It's plain to be seen that you've been doing some tall thinking andplanning all this while, Andy," he remarked.
"But you'll admit, I guess, that if there was any way to carry out myscheme, it would be a jim dandy idea," the other persisted.
"Of course; but that's where the trouble lies. Even if Casper did comeback, we never could track him through the woods and around the swampswithout his sooner or later discovering that he was being followed,because we're not clever at that sort of thing. And once he got wind ofour being after him, chances are he'd lay some trap with his mate, intowhich both of us would tumble headlong."
Andy scratched his head, and a look of doubt came upon his face.
"H'm! I wouldn't like that one little bit, and that's a fact, Frank," headmitted, candidly. "If we fell into their hands and were kicked aroundand then left tied up like a pair of mummies from the pyramids of Egypt,while they went and cleaned out that pay-car, and sailed away forCanda--oh! excuse me, if you please. Anything but that. The laugh wouldsure be on the Bird boys. I don't mind posing once in a while as a hero;but it would jar me a whole lot to know that people were pointing meout, and telling how nicely these wonderful Bird boys had been taken inand done for by a couple of traveling yeggs. Have it your own way,Frank, and don't pay any attention to my silly schemes.
"Your ideas are all right, Andy, but the only trouble is they are toostrong for a couple of boys to carry out. I think we'd be wise to playsafe. More games are won in the long run that way, than by being dashingand venturesome."
"Of course you're right, and as I've had my little fling, and got it outof my system, let's work along the sensible lines you laid out, Frank."
That was just like Andy. He might occasionally seem to yearn to breakloose, and take a wild flight, but on second sober thought he nearlyalways came back to his cousin's way of thinking.
Sallie still remained in the kitchen, so that they were able to keep ontalking without any fear of being interrupted or overheard.
"I'm wondering if Percy will ever have the chance to handle his Farmanbiplane again," Andy went on to remark. "He seemed to set a great storeby it to offer such a nice fat reward for its return. And it's so brandnew that he hasn't had much of a chance to try it out. Wasn't he mad,though, when he came racing along in that car looking for Chief Wal
ler.He looked as red as a turkey gobbler. Just to think that while he was upthere with three of his cronies trying to injure our machine, thoseyeggs were fixing it all up so that they could get his biplane, if theymissed ours. It's a rich joke on Perc."
"Oh! I hope he gets it back again safe and sound," said Frank. "Lifewould be rather tame for us around home here, if we didn't have Percy tothink about. For a long time, now, he's kept us guessing, and we'd feela little lonely if he gave up flying."
"Guess you're right there, Frank, it would seem humdrum like if wedidn't have to think of him every little while, and what new schemes hewas planning to get the better of the Bird boys. And say, some of hisgames kind of dazzle a fellow, if only there wasn't so much meannessabout 'em. When Perc gets to hating a fellow he doesn't stop half way,but goes the whole hog. Why, more than a few times he's given us a bigscare, trying to do some stunt that would make us look small; and at therisk of sending us all down a thousand or two feet. After all, I'mbeginning to believe I'd sleep sounder if Percy Carberry took to someother play, and let aeroplanes alone."
"Well, he seems just as wild about them as ever, and so I reckon he'lljust keep on bothering us to the end of the chapter. But what are youlooking at, Andy?" and Frank also turned his eyes down toward the fringeof quince trees that marked the old lane leading to the barnyard fromthe road.
"I thought I saw some one coming over there, and if it turned out to beour good friend, the profess, p'raps we'd be wise to skip out before hesighted us, Frank."
"Here, let's step back out of sight, anyhow, so as to be ready to slipaway if it is our man," and Frank drew his companion around the cornerof the house, from which point they could still keep watch over thelane.
Half a minute later Andy whispered:
"There, I saw him again, Frank, and as sure as anything it must beCasper. He's a little man, wearing brown glasses to keep the bright sunfrom his eyes, and yes, he's carrying a butterfly catcher's net over hisshoulder. Shall we disappear?"
"I think that would be our best move, Andy; and lucky enough we've gotthe chance to slip around here, and get back of the barn before he comesalong," with which the two boys hastened to follow out the plansuggested.
Aeroplane Boys Flight Page 15