"Well, boys," said the publisher, "you see our suspicions back there in Miami were certainly well-founded. It seems that in some manner those stolen blue-prints have fallen into the hands of our rivals, and they have been wise enough to profit by the fact."
"Do you think, dad, that Mr. Wrenn could have been back of this theft?" propounded Bob who, although the publisher was a business rival of his father's, had always thought him above such operations.
"I really do not know what to think," was Mr. Giddings's answer. "I have always entertained the greatest respect for this gentleman's honesty, if he does differ with me politically. But I must admit that since this thing has happened—"
"Sh-h!" warned Bob suddenly. "Here comes Mr. Wrenn now!"
It was as he said. Turning his head in the direction of the entrance to the landing-field, Mr. Giddings instantly recognized, in the short figure in linen coming toward them, the person of the publisher of the Clarion.
"I shall have this matter out with him right now," was the grim declaration of the Daily Independent's director.
"Well, well! how are you, Giddings? How are you, Robert?" cried Mr. Wrenn, sticking out his pudgy hand when he came up to the little group. Such was his gusto that he did not seem to notice the lukewarmness of the father's and son's greeting. Mr. Giddings introduced John, Paul, and Tom, and then the publisher of the Clarion continued with good-humored raillery: "I'm mighty glad to see you fellows here, for I began to think you would get scared and flunk us at the last moment. Was over on the hotel veranda when I saw a plane land here, and I guessed it might be you, and hurried right over. Put your machine up yet?"
"We did," said Mr. Giddings rather sourly. "And do you know, Wrenn, when we ran the Sky-Bird in the hangar we saw yours in there and received quite a disagreeable surprise—I may say shock."
Mr. Giddings and the boys watched the broad face of their rival very narrowly as this statement was put. Would he act guilty?
There was an explosion of laughter, the heartiest of laughter, from the Clarion director. "Oh, say, that's one on you, Giddings! I knew you'd be down in the mouth when you saw our machine and realized that you would have to contend against one as good or better than your own—one of the same type!" And he laughed again, until he had to wipe tears from his little blue eyes.