SOMETHING ABOUT THE BIRD BOYS.
"How about coming over tonight?" asked Frank, as the boys halted at the
gate of Dr. Bird's place, where Andy had gone to get his wheel, since
he lived some little distance away.
"I'd like to first rate, Frank, because there are some things I want to
talk over with you. But I promised Colonel Josiah to get at his books
tonight and straighten them out. It'll take me all evening, I reckon."
"Oh, well," remarked Frank, "see you in the morning anyway. This breeze
will have worn itself out by then, perhaps, and if we feel like it we
can take a little trip somewhere in the 'Bug,' as you like to call our
dandy little aeroplane."
"I hope so," replied Andy, eagerly. "It's been some days now since we
were up, and I'm more than curious to find out if that new arrangement
of yours is going to help us any in getting a quick start."
"Does the colonel still persist in having old Shea sleep outside the
shed?" asked the other, as Andy pushed in to get his wheel out from
under a side porch, where he had thrust it before starting off to the
baseball game.
"Sure," came the reply. "When Colonel Josiah once starts on a thing it
would take an earthquake to stop him. I tried to tell him that there was
no danger of our monoplane being injured now that those two men who
robbed the jewelry store were locked up at police headquarters, waiting
for some formality to start them on the road to a ten-year sentence; but
he only shook his head and said Shea had nothing else to do and might as
well be earning his salt."
The incident to which Andy referred was related at length in the
preceding volume of this series, "The Bird Boys; or, The Young Sky
Pilots' First Air Voyage," and had created a ten days' sensation in the
quiet little lake town of Bloomsbury.
Two rogues had robbed the extensive jewelry establishment of
Mr. Leffingwell and carried off the loot in a couple of suit cases taken
from the store. Unable to get clear away on account of a quick chase,
they had hidden in the vicinity of the town. One of them, named Jules,
had been an aviator at some time in his near past over in France, and
learning that the Bird boys had built a monoplane, which was even then
ready for a flight, they had attempted to steal the same, with the
intention of giving their pursuers, who were hunting the woods for them,
the laugh.
But their well laid plans were spoiled through the vigilance of the Bird
boys and the quick wit of Frank in particular. The consequence was that
both men were eventually captured by Chief Waller and his officers and
still languished in the town lock-up, awaiting the day of trial.
"Oh, well!" laughed Frank, as his cousin wheeled his bike out to the
front gate, where he could mount better, "it makes mighty little
difference, because, from what I've seen of Shea, I imagine he sleeps on
his post. I'm glad we didn't let him inside, because, like all Irishmen,
he is fond of his pipe and might have set fire to the shed. It's
dangerous smoking where there's a lot of gasoline about."
"Of course we've got that Puss Carberry and his mean crony, Sandy
Hollingshead, to consider. They tried to injure our machine once and
might again, especially after what happened today," said Andy, throwing
one leg over his saddle and standing there a minute.
"Oh, I guess not, Andy. They understand that we're keeping tabs of that
hangar, with its precious contents. Besides, they've got their hands
full of other matters, if what Puss said about that big trip to the
Amazon country is true."
The other sighed.
"I only wish I was as sure of going down there as Puss seems to be," he
observed. "I don't know how it is, but something queer seems to be
drawing me that way. Day and night I have pictures rising in my
mind. I've read every scrap concerning the Isthmus and northern coast of
South America, until I guess I'm as well posted on such things as one
who had been there."
"Yes," said Frank, softly, "and I'm afraid you let your mind dwell too
much on that subject, old chum. It's more than a year now since your
father disappeared. And the chances of your ever finding what became of
him are like searching for a lost diamond in the sand of the
seashore. It's affecting your mind, Andy. You look all fagged out. I
wish you could cheer up and be something like your old self."
But the other only shook his head sadly.
"I don't believe I ever can, Frank, until I've had my chance to go down
there and make a good try to find all that is left of my poor
father. Just as you say, it seems almost silly to think that I could
ever succeed, but no matter, I've got it arranged in my mind and the
colonel is coming around slowly."
"Well," Frank hastened to declare, "you know if it ever does get to the
point that you do go down to make that search, I'm with you. My father
would never throw any obstacle in the way, I'm dead sure. And Andy, of
course we'd take our aeroplane along. Think how many trips we could
make in her over country that no one could ever penetrate on foot."
Andy was too full for further words. He simply turned and squeezed the
hand of his cousin; but the look of affection which he gave Frank told
what was in his mind just then.
Frank watched him go spinning along the road and then with a sigh turned
into the house.
The day had been replete with excitement for him. First there was the
keenly contested game with their rivals across the lake and a tie in the
ninth inning, which gave the Bloomsbury boys a chance to win out in the
tenth. His pitching had held the enemy safe, and in their half of the
inning Frank had made the hit that brought the game to a conclusion. As
a rule the home club took the last chance at the bat, but the Cranford
manager had chosen differently on this occasion, for some reason of his
own, and with disastrous results.
Then, on the way home, had come that little diversion aboard the launch,
when his old enemy, Puss Carberry, in attempting to strike him, had
miscalculated and gone plunging into the lake, himself being unable to
swim.
Frank had nothing to regret in connection with his leap after the
struggling lad and his subsequent saving of Puss. True, the latter chose
to crush down the natural spirit of gratitude that should have made him
accept the hand Frank offered later. But Frank felt that he could afford
to smile at such an exhibition of a small nature.
At the supper table his father and Janet, his sister, just home from
boarding school a couple of weeks back, plied him with questions
concerning the game. Of course, the girl had been present and had seen
her brother carry off the honors on the diamond; but there were lots of
things she wanted explained.
And before Frank knew it he was asked point blank what had happened on
the way across the lake, for Janet had been aboard another boat, it
seemed.
"Marjorie Lee told me she heard that you jumped overboard to save some
one, she didn't just know who?" was what Janet said, and the good doctor
pricked up his ears as he looked inquiringly toward the boy of whom he
was so proud.
Frank turned red and then laughed.
"Oh, pshaw!" he said. "I had hoped that would be kept quiet. But some of
the fellows like to talk too much."
"Who was it you jumped over after? They said you held him up until the
boat got around--that he could not swim a stroke, and must surely have
drowned only for your prompt action. It couldn't have been Cousin Andy,
because he can swim nearly as well as you. Tell us, Frank," Janet
persisted.
So Frank found himself compelled to relate the whole circumstance. In
his usual generous manner he tried to gloss over the conduct of Puss and
spoke as though the other had tumbled overboard during a little boyish
roughhouse business; but Janet knew of the enmity between the pair, and
she could read between the lines.
Frank spent a couple of hours after supper in poring over a book Andy
had loaned him. And it might easily be assumed that it had to do with
the birds, animals, fauna and inhabitants of that great country lying
north of the equator, down in Central and South America.
It was about nine o'clock when his father called to him. The doctor had
just come in from a few last visits and looked anxious.
"Frank, I'm in a peck of trouble," he said, with a whimsical smile, "and
I wish you could help me out, though I dislike putting you to so much
trouble."
"Oh, don't mind that, dad, one little bit; you know I'm only too glad to
be of any assistance to you. What's gone wrong now? Machine laid off
again and garage closed? But you won't need it till nine tomorrow, will
you?"
There was a world of affection in the very way Frank used that word
"dad." It might seem disrespectful coming from the lips of many boys,
but to the ears of the good doctor it was as sweetest music.
"That's the trouble, Frank. I do need some means of getting around
tonight the worst kind. Fact is the car broke down just as I got it in
the yard. Same old trouble, and will take an hour to fix it up. And all
at once it dawned on me that I had forgotten to take the medicine out to
Farmer Lovejoy, which I surely promised tonight. It lies under the seat
of the machine. Slipped my mind entirely when I was out. And Frank,
there may be a serious turn to that child's sickness unless that
medicine gets there within the next hour or so."
"Don't say another word, dad," declared Frank, jumping up and getting
his cap. "My wheel is in fine shape and with a good lantern I can make
the run in a jiffy. Only too glad to be able to help out. The packet is
under the seat in the car and you left that in the side yard? All right,
I'm off!"