“Well, it’s dis way,” the fellow answered. “It hit me funny when dis young bloke spoke of me boss bein’ satisfied wid ten grands. Dat wouldn’t be chicken feed fur him. He ain’t no piker.”
“What does he mean by ‘grands’?” Dick asked of the chief.
“A ‘grand’ is the underworld slang for a thousand dollars,” explained the chief. “What this rascal is trying to say is that his leader only goes out after big thefts and would regard ten thousand dollars as a small haul. How much did he get away with then?” he asked of his captive.
But the robber had already concluded that he had talked too much, and no amount of threat or persuasion was able to get any more out of him.
“Well,” said the chief at last, “I guess there’s nothing more to be got out of this bird and we’d better be moving. I suppose you boys will be going back in your plane. Lucky you’ve got one to go back with,” he added with a grin. “If that driver had kept his nerve, he’d have smashed the machine into flinders. It was a mighty fine and plucky risk for you to take, and it was the only thing that prevented the whole crowd from getting away. You’ll get full credit for this when I turn in my report.”
“We’re not especially keen for credit, but we sure are glad to have got back some of the bank’s cash,” returned Phil with a smile. “We’ll climb into the old bus and hustle back to Castleton to tell the folks you’re coming.”
“We won’t be any further behind you than we can help,” replied the chief, “and while you’re about it give the sheriff a quiet tip to be ready to help us hustle these fellows into the jail, in case the crowd gets obstreperous. They’ll be feeling mighty ugly, I shouldn’t wonder, for the town thinks a lot of Mr. Weston and this hold up is the rawest stuff that’s been pulled off in this section for a long time.”
“All right,” said Phil, as in company with Dick he climbed to his seat in the airplane, and adjusted his hood, gloves and goggles.
The officers helped turn the plane around so that they could get a fair takeoff from the field, and after a short run the Arrow rose in the air with a whiz and a whirr and pointed her nose toward Castleton.
The Radio Boys were elated and jubilant at the success that had crowned their exploit. The only “fly in the ointment” was the uncertainty as to how much cash the robbers had gotten away with. Naturally, too, they felt regret that the whole band had not been captured. But all in all it had been a pretty good morning’s work, and their hearts beat high with satisfaction. The hum of the motor seemed more musical than ever as the plane sped over hill and dale and river toward its destination.