“As sure as you live, boys,” the stout boy gasped, “that’s a bit of wax sticking to our padlock! Someone’s been taking an impression so as to have a duplicate key made!”
CHAPTER II.
THE WORK OF GERMAN SPIES.
When that astonishing declaration made by Pudge told the other two boys the nature of his discovery, they also glanced at the suspicious atom of wax sticking to the brass padlock.
“Sure enough, Frank; that it is,” gurgled Billy Barnes.
“There’s no question about it,” admitted Frank, as he took the fragment between his thumb and forefinger, and examined it.
“It wasn’t here when we came around this morning, I’d take my affidavy to that,” declared Billy.
“Dories and dingbats, not a bit of it!” exclaimed Pudge. “That padlock was as clean as a whistle, for I rubbed it with my sleeve to brighten it. There’s been some one snooping around here since then; and I guess they must mean to come back again to-night to steal the seaplane!”
“Open up, and let’s make sure things are all right still,” demanded Frank. “We can settle on some sort of plan to upset their scheme by putting on a new lock, or something like that.”
Pudge, with a trembling hand, managed to insert his key, and upon the door being opened the three boys hurried inside the curious elevated hangar. It had been built with a metal roof, though whether this would really prove bombproof in case of a German air raid, such as had occurred several times, was a question.