“That’s just my idea,” the sheriff said.
“Perhaps,” Mr. Havens suggested, “we might reach that point in the airships. It isn’t a very long journey, according to what Ben says.”
“That’s just what I was about to suggest,” Gilmore explained. “How many people will the two ships you have here carry?”
“They will carry six, on a pinch,” was the reply. “The small persons would, of course, have to travel on the Bertha.”
Havens stepped to the window and looked out.
“We were thinking of looking up Jimmie and Kit,” he said, “but it’s getting dark now, and we never could find them in this tangle of hills unless they were up in the air with lights burning.”
“I’ll tell you what we can do,” Ben observed. “The sheriff and the ranger can go in the Ann with you, Mr. Havens, and Carl and I can switch around over the place where we had our camp and see if there are any signs of the boys.”
“That will do nicely,” Mr. Havens replied.
“Now, see here,” the sheriff interrupted. “There are only two of you boys, both light weights, and the machine, you say, will carry three. Is that right? Why not take Stroup along with us?”
“Sure!” Ben exclaimed. “I’d like to have that fellow go with us. I’ve heard what he did to three people here to-day, and I think he’d prove a pretty good friend in a hot scrap!”