On The Trail
"What's the matter, Tom?" asked Mr. Sharp, as the lad came hurrying
along the roof, having taken the precaution to fasten the scuttle door
as well as he could. "You seem excited." "So would you, if you had
heard what I did."
"What? You don't mean that some of the gang is down there?"
"Yes, and what's more I'm on the trail of the thieves who robbed the
Shopton Bank of the seventy-five thousand dollars!"
"No! You don't mean it!"
"I certainly do."
"Then we'd better tell Mr. Damon. He's in the cabin."
"Of course I'll tell him. He's as much concerned as I am. He wants to
be vindicated. Isn't it great luck, though?"
"But you haven't landed the men yet. Do you mean to say that the same
gang--the Happy Harry crowd--robbed the bank?"
"I think so, from what I heard. But come inside and I'll tell you all
about it."
"Suppose we start the ship first? It's ready to run. There wasn't as
much the matter with it as I feared. The storm is over now, and we'll
be safer up in the air than on this roof. Did you get all the
information you could?"
"All I dared to. The men were coming out, so I had to run. They were
quarreling, and when that happens among thieves--"
"Why honest men get their dues, everyone knows that proverb,"
interrupted Mr. Damon, again emerging from the cabin. "But bless my
quotation marks, I should think you'd have something better to do than
stand there talking proverbs."
"We have," replied Mr. Sharp quickly. "We're going to start the ship,
and then we have some news for you. Tom, you take the steering wheel,
and I'll start the gas machine. We'll rise to some distance before
starting the propellers, and then we won't create any excitement."
"But what news are you going to tell me?" asked Mr. Damon. "Bless my
very existence, but you get me all excited, and then you won't gratify
my curiosity."
"In a little while we will," responded Mr. Sharp. "Lively now, Tom.
Some one may see this airship on top of the building, as it's getting
so much lighter now, after the storm."
The outburst of the elements was almost over and Tom taking another
look over the edge of the roof, could see persons moving about in the
street below. The storm clouds were passing and a faint haze showed
where a moon would soon make its appearance, thus disclosing the craft
so oddly perched upon the roof. There was need of haste.
Fortunately the Red Cloud could be sent aloft without the use of the
propellers, for the gas would serve to lift her. It had been found that
lightning had struck the big, red aluminum container, but the shock had
been a comparatively slight one, and, as the tank was insulated from
the rest of the ship no danger resulted to the occupants. A rent was
made in two or three of the gas compartments, but the others remained
intact, and, when an increased pressure of the vapor was used the ship
was almost as buoyant as before.
Into the cabin the three travelers hurried, dripping water at every
step, for there was no time to change clothes. Then, with Tom and Mr.
Sharp managing the machinery, the craft slowly rose. It was well that
they had started for, when a few hundred feet above the roof, the moon
suddenly shone from behind a bank of clouds and would most certainly
have revealed their position to persons in the street. As it was
several were attracted by the sight of some great object in the air.
They called the attention of others to it, but, by the time glasses and
telescopes had been brought to bear, the Red Cloud was far away.
"Dry clothes now, some hot drinks, and then Tom will tell us his
secret," remarked Mr. Sharp, and, with the great ship swaying high
above the city of Middleville Tom told what he had heard in the office
building.
"They are the thieves who looted the bank, and caused us to be unjustly
accused," he finished. "If we can capture them we'll get the reward,
and turn a neat trick on Andy Foger and his cronies."
"But how can you capture them?" asked Mr. Damon. "You don't know where
they are."
"Perhaps not where Morse and the men who have the money are. But I have
a plan. It's this: We'll go to some quiet place, leave the airship, and
then inform the authorities of our suspicions. They can come here and
arrest the men who still seem to be hanging out in Morse's office. Then
we can get on the trail of this Shagmon, who seems to be the person in
authority this time, though I never heard of him before."
"He seems to have the money, according to what one of the men in the
office said, and he's the man we want."
"Shagmon!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "Yes, Shagmon. The fellow I heard
talking 'said he'd go to Shagmon and make Morse whack up. Shagmon may
be the real head of the gang."
"Ha! I have it!" cried Mr. Damon suddenly. "I wonder I didn't think of
it before. Shagmon is the headquarters, not the head of the gang!"
"What do you mean?" asked Tom, much excited.
"I mean that there's a town called Shagmon about fifty miles from here.
That's what the fellow in the office meant. He is going to the town of
Shagmon and make Morse whack up. That's where Morse is! That's where
the gang is hiding! That's where the money is! Hurrah, Tom, we're on
the trail!"