The Airplane Boys among the Clouds | Page 9

little while back. They must have found out where Andy
lives, and have run out here from town to see what sort of a hangar they
have."
"Yes, that's right, but I don't like it, I tell you," Larry went on, as he led
the way over the fence that surrounded the field.
"What's that?" cried Elephant. "Sure you don't suspect these two fine

looking gents might be another pair of crooks like the ones that tried to
steal Frank's monoplane last summer, do you?"
"Oh! rats! You wouldn't understand if I did try to explain. There they
go now, in a cloud of dust. Guess they saw us pointing at the car. Come
along, slowpoke, and get up with Andy," and Larry linked his arm in
that of his comrade, though he had to stoop considerably in order to
make the connection.
"Why, hello, fellows!" exclaimed Andy, who now for the first time
became aware of the fact that they had been trailing after him.
"Just dropped around to see if we could be of any use putting the new
machine away," remarked Elephant, as if an apology were needed to
account for their presence; but both boys had always been accounted
special friends of Frank and Andy, and warmly greeted, though not
taken into the secrets of the shop, where mystery reigned much of the
time of late.
"And there's Frank coming right now!" declared Andy. "I guess he
made up his mind he didn't care to put her through all her paces, with
me away. We're sure proud of this new one, fellows. Why, she works
like a clock, and minds her helm better than anything that ever
answered to the call of the plane."
"Say, did you happen to notice that car on the road over there?" asked
Larry.
"I saw one moving along in a cloud of dust; but didn't notice who was
in it. Why do you ask that?" answered the young aviator, looking at his
friend curiously.
"Oh well, it happened to be those same two men you saw, when you
brought little Tommy ashore," remarked the other, mysteriously.
"But I thought they were headed for Bloomsbury?" exclaimed Andy.
"That's what they said; but you see they thought it worth while to run

past and come away out here, just to take a peek over the fence and see
what you Bird boys had in this section."
"That's funny now," muttered Andy, who, being less keen than his
cousin, could not let suspicion find lodgment in his brain as quickly
either. "But perhaps Frank may know who they are. He keeps pretty
well posted on everybody connected with aviation meets and
inventions. Marsh, he said his name was; what was the other, do you
know, fellows?"
"I heard him call the man at the wheel Longley several times, so I
reckon that must be his handle," said Elephant, who never liked being
left out in the cold whenever there was an argument on the carpet, or in
fact any talking being done.
Frank came sailing directly toward them with considerable speed.
When it began to look as though he might mean to collide with the low
workshop close by, he suddenly swooped upward, and passed over
their heads, uttering a laugh as he saw how the alarmed Elephant
dropped flat on his face and hugged the earth.
Circling around, Frank cut several fancy figures with the new biplane,
the hum of the twin propellers making merry music in the ears of the
delighted boys.
Finally, as though tiring of this sport he dropped on the grass as lightly
as he had a little while before nestled on the smooth surface of Sunrise
Lake.
The three boys joined him, and willing hands soon stored the aeroplane
in the snug hangar prepared for it alongside the workshop. Then Andy
dodged inside to change his clothes before he got a chill; for though
summer had come, the air was far from hot right then by any means, a
storm having cleared the atmosphere during the preceding night, and
leaving it delightfully crisp.
"I saw a car buzzing along the road while I was up, but couldn't use my
glass to see who was in it. Did you notice, Larry?" Frank asked as they

stood there near the open door of the shop.
"I was just going to mention the fact that those two men act like they
had taken a great fancy to you and Andy," returned the other, readily.
Frank Bird frowned.
"H'm! I just don't like to hear that," he said. "Andy and myself have
been working on something lately that we want to keep a dead secret
from everybody. If we don't tell even our friends, then there can be
little chance of a leak. But