“Perhaps not,” said Andy, “but Colonel Josiah ain’t going to take any risks. He told me he had hired a watchman to sleep here in the shed every night, just as long as we want. I’m going to hang around and wait for him. I don’t trust Puss or his crony one little bit.”
“Well,” said Frank, as he prepared to depart on his wheel, “we’ve had a grand day of it, old fellow; and I doubt if we ever see such a great time again.”
“Just what I was thinking,” replied Andy, half regretfully, as though he felt badly because all pleasant things must have an end. “There’ll be no more races for us to win, and things will get mighty humdrum, unless something turns up shortly.”
Little did either of the Bird boys, fresh from their victory of the air, dream of the astonishing adventures that were soon to fall to their portion, beside which those they had experienced, as narrated between the covers of this book, would appear almost insignificant. In good time the reader may be taken into our confidence, and allowed to share in the knowledge of those stirring times that is in our possession.
A few days later Frank and Andy happened to be among a group of boys gathered on the campus in front of the high school building. Although school had long since been dismissed for the summer vacation, still the boys often congregated here by the famous Bloomsbury school fence, to talk over things in general, such as interested lads in a country town.
Baseball matters were being discussed, and the possibilities of a good football season in the Fall. Frank and Andy were not so deeply interested in these matters as usual though they did not see fit to tell their friends just why.
Frank had been watching for an opportunity to carry out a little scheme he had in mind, and which he had talked over with Andy, Elephant Small, Larry Geohegan, and one or two other good fellows.
“Here he comes, Frank!” said Andy finally, as Puss Carberry and his eternal shadow, Sandy Hollingshead, were seen approaching from the direction of town.
Just as they were passing Larry stepped forward.
“I say, Puss, does this belong to you?” and he held out a card—none other than the one which had been found in the hangar of the monoplane the day after that trick of cutting the canvas of the planes had been accomplished.