CHAPTER XVII
TROUBLE
It was hard for the young pilot of the Scout to set his mind upon anything outside of his missing chum. As Hiram approached Bruce, however, it was quite natural that he should be attracted by two dazzling sparks of flashing light.
“Diamonds!” cried Bruce, moving the two pins about so as to display their brilliancy to advantage.
“Sure as you live!” agreed Hiram. “Where did you get them?”
“I found them behind, and under the cushion of the cockpit seat. Don’t you understand, Hiram?”
“How they got there? I don’t.”
“Why, it’s clear, to my way of thinking. The man the police chased, who made you take him in the Scout——”
“Why, say, that may be so,” agreed Hiram with a start. “He must have been loaded with them, to drop them around promiscuously that way.”
“They slipped from his pocket probably,” explained Bruce. “I don’t believe he had got rid of his plunder, as the police think, when he made for the Scout. I believe he had them with him, else what are these pins doing here? Hiram, you said it was Wayville, didn’t you? That was the town nearest to the place where the robber fell into the gully.”
“You’ve remembered it so pat you must have heard of it before,” suggested Hiram, with a shrewd glance at his companion.
“That’s so,” answered Bruce. “I was there once. It was when the circus man, Wertz, was in hiding. I was traveling with him then. He and some other men at the show robbed an old farmer, and had to get out of the way. It was near Wayville that we stayed for a week, till things ‘blew over,’ as they called it. In fact, when you described that thicket and the gully, it came right back to me, as natural as life. It’s set me thinking, Hiram. I’ve got a theory, somehow, that the diamond thief got rid of his plunder after he left the Scout.”
“Shouldn’t wonder,” remarked Hiram rather indifferently, “but we’ll talk about that some other time. My mind is full of nothing but Dave and the Ariel just now. I’ve decided what I’m going to do, and you are to help me do it, if you will.”
“I’m glad, Hiram,” responded Bruce readily. “I’ll work my finger nails off to be of any use to you, or your partner.”
“I know that, Bruce,” said Hiram, “and I know that I can trust you, which is a great relief to me now, when I’m in such trouble. Bring that bench out of the hangar, will you?”
“What for, Hiram?” asked Bruce in some wonder.
“I want to have a long talk with you, and I want to sit here in the open while we’re at it, so we can watch out that no one hears us.”
Bruce brought out the bench, setting it near the Scout, and facing the grounds in such a way that they could see in three directions. Hiram’s face wore a serious, business-like look as he sat down beside his young friend.
“Maybe I’ve got it all wrong,” he began, “but I’ve tried to imagine just what level-headed Dave Dashaway would do if he were in my fix. Of course I haven’t got his brains or smartness, but I know one thing—he wouldn’t get rattled. So I’m trying not to fly all to pieces and do all kinds of rash things. There’s two men I want to see and get word to.”
“Who are they?” inquired the interested Bruce.
“First, Mr. Brackett.”
“Oh, sure, him!” exclaimed Bruce. “I’ve thought that all along.”
“He’s the head of all our plans,” went on Hiram. “He’s a good business man, he’s rich and powerful, and he’d know how to handle this muddle better than I. Mr. Brackett must be seen, and you can get ready to take the first train for the town where he has his plant, Bruce.”
This looked like a pretty important mission to Bruce. He was silent, however, as his companion proceeded:
“You are to see Mr. Brackett, tell him everything that has occurred, and ask him to send me instructions as to what I am to do. He will probably come right back with you. I hope so. There’s a train leaving here inside of two hours. You will get to the little Ohio town where the Aero plant is located by early morning. Then, I suppose, Mr. Brackett will wire me.”
“See here, Hiram,” interposed Bruce, “do you think it’s as good for me to go as yourself? There’s lots of things in detail about the plots that have been working against you that I don’t know about and you do.”
“No,” answered Hiram definitely, “I can’t go. As I told you, there were two men to see about this affair.”
“Yes, I remember. Who is the other one?”
“Mr. Borden.”
“Oh, I see,” said Bruce promptly. “Yes, indeed. If he’s the true-blue fellow you think he is he can do something to help you.”
“He gave us that warning,” remarked Hiram. “He knew that something was going to happen. He was on the watch for our benefit.”
“But Mr. Borden doesn’t dare to show himself here and you can’t go to the Syndicate camp,” argued Bruce.
“I’ve got to see that man just as soon as I possibly can,” said Hiram, his eyes snapping with determination. “You leave that to me. I’ve got to go down to the offices of the meet for some money. You get ready to start for the train as soon as I come back.”
Bruce smiled to himself as he proceeded to “get ready.” His wardrobe was not very extensive, and he could pack in his pockets the extra collars and handkerchiefs that comprised it. Hiram came back in half an hour, and handed him some bills.
“Here’s a time-table,” he added. “I shall be anxious till I hear from you.”
“Say, Hiram,” said Bruce, “that fellow, Valdec——”
“Yes, what about him?” demanded the young airman, sharply.
“He strolled by here while you were gone. He was with one of the crowd that hangs around their camp. He looked at me and scowled. Then he grinned.”
“I’ll go with you down to the train,” said Hiram. “Then I’ll know what he was grinning about, or my name isn’t Dobbs!”
The boys kept their eyes open on the way to the railroad depot. No one of the Syndicate crowd seemed to be following, or watching them, however.
“Tell Mr. Brackett everything, Bruce,” directed Hiram, “and get me word just as soon as you can.”
“Hope for the best, Hiram,” said Bruce cheeringly. “There’s surely some way out of this trouble for two smart fellows like you and Dave Dashaway.”
Hiram waved his hand in adieu to Bruce as the train started. Then Hiram proceeded back to the hangar, his lips compressed and his face looking resolute.
“Now to wait until dark!” grimly soliloquized the young pilot of the Scout.