STARTLING NEWS OVER THE WIRE
"Frank, is he kidding us?" finally cried Larry, turning to the pilot of
the new biplane; for Andy sometimes liked to joke his chums, as they
well knew.
"Not this time," replied Frank.
"And somebody did really and truly shoot at you, then?" gasped
Elephant, holding up his hands in horror.
"Huh! what d'ye think of these holes through the planes?" demanded
Andy, drawing attention to the stout tanned cloth that constituted the
air-resisting cover of the framework.
"Oh! my, it's so, as sure as you live!" cried Elephant, thrusting a
finger through one of the little openings. "And not five feet away
from where you sat. What a terrible shame! Whoever could have been so
wicked?"
"We don't know," returned Andy, soberly. "But we're going to try and
find out. And all I can say is, that if we do, we're going to make it
mighty warm for him, no matter who he may be."
"He ought to be tarred and feathered," gritted Larry. "Of all the mean
and contemptible things anybody can do, I think the worst is to shoot
at a fellow up in a balloon or an aeroplane. Because they can't fire
back; and the least accident means death to the aviator!"
"Bully for you, Larry!" exclaimed Andy.
"My sentiments exactly," remarked Elephant, with a vim.
Poor Stuttering Nat wanted to echo what Larry had said; but of course
the excitement had seized him in its grip, so that words positively
refused to pour from his parted lips. So after making a great effort,
amid much twisting of his facial muscles, he contented himself with
patting Larry on the back, and nodding, as if to stand for everything
the other had said.
"Well, let's drop that subject for the present, fellows," Frank
suggested. "We saw that you had visitors while we were away, Larry?"
"Why, yes. Your friend, Mr. Marsh, dropped in to say howdyedo. He
breezed in some unexpectedly to us, for we happened to be all inside
when he stepped across the sill, and said he was delighted to renew our
acquaintance."
"Yes, go on, please!" urged impatient Andy.
But there was no hurrying Larry. When he had anything to tell he
always insisted on narrating it after his own fashion.
"Of course I jumped for him right away," he went on, slowly; "and
managed to escort him outdoors, all the while explaining how Frank here
had plainly left word that nobody was to be allowed inside the shop
besides us three."
"How did he seem to take it?" asked Frank.
"Oh! he wasn't at all flustered, as far as I could see," came the ready
reply. "Elephant here says he saw him frown, and bite his lips, as I
grabbed his arm and hustled him out; but I only saw him smile, pleasant
like; and then he said it was all right, and that he didn't blame you
one whit for being careful--that perhaps if you knew him better you
might invite him in."
"He said all that, did he?" Frank continued.
"Sho! ten times as much. That man has the gift of gab. He can wrap
you right around his finger, I reckon," Larry went on.
"Told you so!" exclaimed Andy, nodding his head in affirmation.
"But seems he didn't wrap you around, very much," Frank laughingly
said; "because you didn't take him back in again, did you?"
"He never asked me. P'raps I wouldn't a-done it if he had; but I don't
know. He's sure got a way about him that's terribly convincing," Larry
muttered.
"And he went off pleasantly, didn't he? I saw you shake hands with
him," continued Frank.
"As smooth as oil. Why, I can feel his grip yet, it was that strong.
Thought my bones'd crack that time. Wonder who Mr. Marsh is, anyway,
Frank, do you know?"
"I do not," was the prompt reply Larry received; for if Frank happened
to have any suspicion, he did not consider it his duty to confide the
same to everybody who expressed the least curiosity.
When the biplane had been safely housed Frank dodged into the shop as
though to convince himself that nothing had been taken. When the
others followed they found him moving around. Finally he came to a
stand near the door, and called out once more to Larry:
"Was he in this far when you discovered him?"
"What say, boys; it must have been about there, eh?" the one addressed
remarked, appealing to his comrades for their opinions.
"Just about," Elephant answered; while Nat nodded his head as the
easiest way to cut a Gordian knot.
"Oh! well, he couldn't see anything worth while from here," Frank went
on. "Now, did any of you notice whether he used his eyes to look
around; or was he only bent on saying howdyedo to you?"
"When Larry grabbed him by the arm and started to lead him out, I saw
the gentleman take a good look all around; and that's the truth,
Frank," Elephant remarked.
Frank hardly knew what to think. This might be a very significant
thing; and then again, if one looked at it another way, was it not
simply what any curious stranger, interested in the doings of the
venturesome Bird boys, might have done?
It was about ten o'clock, and growing quite hot, since the time was
July. Just as Andy had hinted, that bank of dark clouds hanging low
along the horizon in the southwest might take a notion to climb up in
the heavens at any time, and bring about a summer thunderstorm.
Apparently Frank did not bother his head in connection with such a
possibility; for a little later he wheeled his bicycle out of the shed
as though intending to leave the others temporarily.
"Be back in half an hour or so, Andy," he called over his shoulder, as
his cousin came to the door to see what he was about to do.
"Going over home for something, Frank?" called Andy; but if the other
heard he chose or some reason to decline to commit himself.
Had Andy been able to follow his course after he left the field he
would soon have known that Frank was rather heading for town than
intending to pedal in the direction of his own house, which was
situated on the outskirts of Bloomsbury.
And doubtless the curiosity of Andy would have mounted to near the
fever pitch did he but know that when Frank jumped from his wheel he
stood directly in front of the low building known as police
headquarters.
Without any hesitation the boy walked in through the open door. He had
often been here before; and knew the head of the force very well, also
the officers who constituted the Chief's staff.
Chief Waller was bending over his flat-top desk, and evidently reading
some communication or other. He looked up, and on seeing who his
caller was, smiled amiably; for Frank Bird was a favorite of his, and
possibly the best liked boy in Bloomsbury.
"Why, glad to see you, Frank; won't you sit down?" he said, offering
his hand to the boy.
"I didn't just drop in to chat, Chief," marked Frank, after he had
accepted the proffered hand, and been favored with a hearty grip.
"No, I suppose not, because you're a boy of business generally. Well,
what can I do for you, Frank?" asked the other, pleasantly.
"Your phone here is one of the long distance ones, isn't it, Chief?"
"To be sure, since most of the use we have of it is to talk with other
places. Do you want to use it, Frank?" replied the officer.
"No, but I'd like you to do something for me, and I'll explain
afterwards what my reason is," Frank went on.
"Sure I will, my boy. Do almost anything to oblige you. Now, who do
you want me to get at the other end of the wire?" and as he said this
the Chief took down the receiver of the desk phone.
"The penitentiary isn't more than thirty miles away from here, is it?"
asked Frank.
"Whew! what ever would you be wanting to know from there?" the officer
remarked.
"Please call them up and ask whether that man you captured a year ago,
up in the Powell woods, is still doing time there."
"You mean Jules Garrone, do you?" asked Chief Waller.
"That's the man."
Still looking at Frank as though wondering what he could mean by such a
strange request, the other started operations, and after some
skirmishing managed to get in touch with some one who might possibly be
the warder of the State penitentiary.
"Yes, this is Chief Waller of Bloomsbury," Frank heard him say. "How
are you, sir? I would like you to give me a little information
connected with a man I had the pleasure of railroading over your way a
year ago. His name was Jules Garrone, and he was convicted of having
broken into the jewelry establishment of Leffingwell--what's that,
sir?" And Frank, watching closely, could see the lips of the Chief
pursing up, as though he might be tempted to whistle while listening to
something the party at the other end of the wire was telling him.
Then, perhaps a minute or so later, the Chief turned around to Frank,
as he once more hung up the receiver.
"Look here, Frank," he said, exhibiting signs of excitement now, "how
did you ever come to know or suspect that?" he demanded.
"You have told me nothing yet, Chief," Frank remarked, calmly. "But I
judge from the way you acted that you heard some surprising news from
the warden at the penitentiary. What about Jules, sir?"
"He no longer lodges with my friend, the warden," went on Waller. "In
fact, to tell the whole truth, there was a jail delivery week ago,
which has been kept secret up to now. The warden says he was just
sending out the news when I called him. Jules and two other convicts
managed to break away; and while the others have been recaptured, Jules
is still at large!"