The Aeroplane Boys on the Wing | Page 7

had
won the race to the top of the neighboring mountain, during Old Home
Week at Bloomsbury.
And every day he was thinking more and more of what strange things
the future might have in store for him, if he ever started on that
exploring venture.
CHAPTER III.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE BIRD BOYS.
"How about coming over tonight?" asked Frank, as the boys halted at
the gate of Dr. Bird's place, where Andy had gone to get his wheel,
since he lived some little distance away.
"I'd like to first rate, Frank, because there are some things I want to talk
over with you. But I promised Colonel Josiah to get at his books
tonight and straighten them out. It'll take me all evening, I reckon."
"Oh, well," remarked Frank, "see you in the morning anyway. This
breeze will have worn itself out by then, perhaps, and if we feel like it
we can take a little trip somewhere in the 'Bug,' as you like to call our
dandy little aeroplane."
"I hope so," replied Andy, eagerly. "It's been some days now since we
were up, and I'm more than curious to find out if that new arrangement
of yours is going to help us any in getting a quick start."
"Does the colonel still persist in having old Shea sleep outside the
shed?" asked the other, as Andy pushed in to get his wheel out from
under a side porch, where he had thrust it before starting off to the
baseball game.
"Sure," came the reply. "When Colonel Josiah once starts on a thing it
would take an earthquake to stop him. I tried to tell him that there was
no danger of our monoplane being injured now that those two men who

robbed the jewelry store were locked up at police headquarters, waiting
for some formality to start them on the road to a ten-year sentence; but
he only shook his head and said Shea had nothing else to do and might
as well be earning his salt."
The incident to which Andy referred was related at length in the
preceding volume of this series, "The Bird Boys; or, The Young Sky
Pilots' First Air Voyage," and had created a ten days' sensation in the
quiet little lake town of Bloomsbury.
Two rogues had robbed the extensive jewelry establishment of Mr.
Leffingwell and carried off the loot in a couple of suit cases taken from
the store. Unable to get clear away on account of a quick chase, they
had hidden in the vicinity of the town. One of them, named Jules, had
been an aviator at some time in his near past over in France, and
learning that the Bird boys had built a monoplane, which was even then
ready for a flight, they had attempted to steal the same, with the
intention of giving their pursuers, who were hunting the woods for
them, the laugh.
But their well laid plans were spoiled through the vigilance of the Bird
boys and the quick wit of Frank in particular. The consequence was that
both men were eventually captured by Chief Waller and his officers
and still languished in the town lock-up, awaiting the day of trial.
"Oh, well!" laughed Frank, as his cousin wheeled his bike out to the
front gate, where he could mount better, "it makes mighty little
difference, because, from what I've seen of Shea, I imagine he sleeps
on his post. I'm glad we didn't let him inside, because, like all Irishmen,
he is fond of his pipe and might have set fire to the shed. It's dangerous
smoking where there's a lot of gasoline about."
"Of course we've got that Puss Carberry and his mean crony, Sandy
Hollingshead, to consider. They tried to injure our machine once and
might again, especially after what happened today," said Andy,
throwing one leg over his saddle and standing there a minute.
"Oh, I guess not, Andy. They understand that we're keeping tabs of that

hangar, with its precious contents. Besides, they've got their hands full
of other matters, if what Puss said about that big trip to the Amazon
country is true."
The other sighed.
"I only wish I was as sure of going down there as Puss seems to be," he
observed. "I don't know how it is, but something queer seems to be
drawing me that way. Day and night I have pictures rising in my mind.
I've read every scrap concerning the Isthmus and northern coast of
South America, until I guess I'm as well posted on such things as one
who had been there."
"Yes," said Frank, softly, "and I'm afraid you let your mind dwell too
much on that subject, old chum. It's more than a year now since your
father disappeared. And