“They either escaped or bribed their way to a parole,” returned Tom. “But they’ll go back now.”
And back went Fawn and Barsky to the prison from which, by means of political influence, they had been paroled. They had wanted revenge and had also tried, by corrupting Kenny and Schlump, to steal the airline express patents. But their plans had been frustrated.
“Did you really suspect, Tom, that the two masked plotters were Fawn and Barsky?” asked Ned.
“Not at first,” was the answer. “Fawn has gotten over that queer trick of throwing out his elbow that surely would have given him away, and both men disguised their voices when they talked. They wanted to escape recognition, for they knew they might be sent back to jail on the old charges. Well, they’ll do double time now—on the old charge, and for trying to kidnap me, as well as setting fire to the hangar.”
“They played a desperate game,” commented Ned. “To think of digging that tunnel and going to all that work to get your patents.”
“They didn’t dig the tunnel,” Tom answered. “It’s a natural one. They just made an entrance to it near our fence—that much of the digging alone was new. The rest was natural. I may find a use for that same tunnel, too. It’s a good thing to know about. And now, Ned, I’m going to take a little vacation.”
“You deserve it!” answered the manager.
Thus the last of Tom’s enemies were caught and sent away. Mr. Jacks was as good as his word, and not only invested largely in the new enterprise himself, but got his friends to do so, so that the money Ned and Mary had put in to bolster the sinking fortunes at the last minute was fully repaid them.
“I’d never have let you risk your savings, Ned, or you either, Mary, if I had known it,” said Tom, when the story was told him. “Suppose I had failed?”
“Oh, I knew you wouldn’t fail!” answered Ned.