Colonel Searle was waiting to greet them and he gave Charlie Collins a hand down from the forward cockpit.
“How did you like the ride?” Tim asked the fingerprint expert.
“I was scared stiff at the start,” admitted Collins, “but after we were off the ground I enjoyed every minute of it.”
“Thought you would,” smiled Tim.
They staked down the Good News and then hurried across the railroad tracks and on to the old creek bed where they had found the empty oil containers.
Collins took charge of the investigation and Tim and Ralph sat down to watch him work. The fingerprint expert moved slowly and carefully, fearful lest he might blot out some print that would be valuable.
Every tin was examined and the fingerprints recorded and filed for comparison with the records at the headquarters of the state police.
“Anything that looks familiar?” asked Colonel Searle when Collins had finished his task.
“Can’t be sure,” replied the expert. “Some of them look like prints by the Sky Hawk’s old crowd. I won’t know for sure until I can get back to the records in the office.”
Tim and Ralph looked at each other significantly. Here was another mention of the Sky Hawk. The trail was getting warmer.