HOVERING O'ER THE BORDER
"Well, Tom, you see I couldn't get along without you," exclaimed Mr.
Period, as he rushed forward and grasped Tom's hand, having alighted
in rather an undignified manner from the horse that he had ridden.
"I'm after you again."
"So I see." remarked our hero. "But I'm afraid I can't--"
"Tut! Tut! Don't say that," interrupted the moving picture man. "I
know what you're going to say. Don't do it! Don't go back on me,
Tom! Have you the wonderful moving picture camera with you."
"I have, Mr. Period, but--"
"Now! Now! That'll do," broke in the excitable little man. "If you
have it, that's enough. I want you to get me some films, showing you
in chase of the smugglers. They'll be great to exhibit in our chain
of theatres."
"How did you know I was here?" asked Tom. "Easily enough. I called
at your house. Your father told me where you were. I came on. It
cost me a thousand dollars--maybe more. I don't care! I've got to
have those films! You'll get them for me; won't you?"
"Well, I--"
"That's enough! I know what you're going to say. Of course you will!
Now how soon may I expect them. They ought to make a good run. Say
in a week?"
"It all depends on the smugglers," said Mr. Whitford.
"Yes, yes! I understand, of course. I know! This friend of yours has
been very kind to me, Tom. I looked him up as soon as I got to
Logansville, and told him what I wanted. He offered to show me the
way out here, and here I am. Let's have a look at the camera, to see
if it's in good shape. Are you going to have a try for the smugglers
to-night?"
"I think so," answered Tom. "As for the camera, really I've been so
busy I haven't had time to look at it since we started. I guess it's
all right. I don't know what made me bring it along, as I didn't
expect to use it."
"But with your great searchlight it will be just the thing,"
suggested Ned.
"Yes, I think so," added Mr. Whitford, who had been told about the
wizard instrument.
"Bless my detective badge!" cried Mr. Damon. "It may be just the
thing, Tom. You can offer moving pictures of the smugglers in court,
for evidence."
"Of course!" added Mr. Period. "Now, Tom, don't disappoint me."
"Well, I suppose I'll have to get the camera out, and set it up,"
conceded Tom with a laugh. "As you say, Mr. Damon, the pictures MAY
come in valuable. Come, Ned, you get out the camera, and set it up,
while Koku and I see to getting the ship in shape for a flight.
You'll come along, Mr. Period?"
"I don't know. I was thinking of going back. I'm losing about a
hundred dollars a minute by being away from my business."
"You'll have to go back alone," said Mr. Whitford, "as I have to be
with Tom, in case of a capture."
"Ride back alone, through these woods? Never! The smugglers might
catch me, and I'm too valuable a man to go that way! I'll take a
chance in the airship."
Ned busied himself over the wizard camera, which had been stored
away, and Mr. Period went with the young bank clerk to look after
the apparatus. Meanwhile Tom and Koku saw to it that the Falcon was
ready for a quick flight, Mr. Damon and Mr. Whitford lending
whatever aid was necessary. The horses, which the agent and Mr.
Period had ridden, were tethered in the clearing where they could
get food and water.
"Did the smugglers rush anything over last night?" asked Tom.
"No, we evidently had them frightened. But I shouldn't be surprised
but what they made the attempt to-night. We'll go back toward the
St. Regis Indian reservation, where they were getting ready to
unload that steamer, and hover around the border there. Something is
sure to happen, sooner or later."
"I guess that's as good a plan as any," agreed Tom, and in a little
while they started.
All that night they hovered over the border, sailing back and forth,
flashing the great light at intervals to pick up the white wings of
a smuggling airship. But they saw nothing.
Mr. Period was in despair, as he fully counted on a capture being
made while he was present, so that he might see the moving pictures
made. But it was not to be.
The wizard camera was all in readiness, but there was no need to
start the automatic machinery. For, search as Tom and his friends
did for a trace of the smugglers, they could see nothing. They put
on full speed, and even went as far as the limits of the Indian
reservation, but to no purpose. They heard no throbbing motor, no
whizz of great propellers, and saw no white, canvas wings against
the dark background of the sky, as Tom's craft made her way
noiselessly along.
"I guess we've frightened them away," said Mr. Whitford dubiously,
as it came near morning, and nothing suspicious had been seen or
heard. "They're holding back their goods, Tom until they think they
can take us unawares. Then they'll rush a big shipment over."
"Then's the time we must catch them," declared the young inventor.
"We may as well go back now."
"And not a picture!" exclaimed Mr. Period tragically. "Well, be sure
to get good ones when you do make a capture, Tom."
"I will," promised the young inventor. Then, with a last sweep along
the border he turned the nose of his craft toward Logansville. He
had almost reached the place, and was flying rather low over the
country roads, when Ned called:
"Hark! I hear something!"
The unmistakable noise of a gasolene motor in operation could be
distinguished.
"There they are!" cried Mr. Period.
"Bless my honeysuckle vine!" gasped Mr. Damon.
"The light, Ned, the light!" cried Tom.
His chum flashed the powerful beam all around the horizon, and
toward the sky, but nothing was visible.
"Try down below," suggested Mr. Whitford.
Ned sent the beams earthward. And there, in the glare, they saw a
youth speeding along on a motor-cycle. In an instant Tom grabbed up
the binoculars and focussed them on the rider.
"It's Andy Foger!" he cried.