CHAPTER XI.THE AEROPLANE THIEVES.
“Sh!”
Andy would have undoubtedly cried out on being so suddenly aroused by a shake, only that Frank hissed in his ear; and also held a hand over his mouth, so that he could not utter a sound.
He immediately put out a hand and touched Frank on the arm. It was intended to reassure the other, and convince him that the sleeper understood.
“What is it?” whispered Andy, as soon as the hand was removed from his mouth.
“Keep still! There are some persons outside. They tried the door, and I believe they’ll soon find the open window.”
Frank said this so close to Andy’s ear that any one five feet away could never have caught a sound.
“Oh!” gasped the other, as he began to get up. “Whatever will we do, Frank?”
“Sh! don’t speak again. Listen to me. We must try and hide behind something, or under the work bench. Come, there’s no time to lose, and be careful not to stumble.”
Frank drew his cousin on. Still, Andy had sense enough to stoop over and lift the big monkey wrench from the place where he had carefully deposited it before taking to his cot.
They crawled across the shed to the work bench, avoiding the extended wings of the aeroplane.
Just as they gained the shelter of the bench, and were pushing under it, there came a crackling noise from the further end of the rough building. Frank instantly knew what it meant. As the shed had only been intended as a cover from the elements, in the building no great pains had been taken, so that there were many cracks, each fully an inch in diameter.
Some one had taken pains to insert an iron rod, possibly, through one of those apertures, and was now engaged in prying off a board. Once that was accomplished it would be easy to gain an entrance.
Frank wondered what the intruders might think when they found evidences to the effect that some one had been sleeping there? And the bar across the wide double doors must also tell them the same fact. Would they look around to find the hidden lads, and injure them in some way; or might their desire for ahurried departure cause them to ignore the facts?
Again came that crackling noise.
“What are they doing?” whispered Andy.
“Breaking in by ripping off a board,” came the answer, accompanied by a warning pressure on the arm.
“Then I don’t believe it’s Puss and Sandy!” said the other, positively.
Frank did not attempt to convince him otherwise, for truth to tell his mind had been made up on that same score several minutes before. Those who were going to all this trouble to effect an entrance to the hangar, must have some more important reason urging them on than a mere desire to do mischief.
What had they better do? Frank could not decide on the spur of the moment. Afterwards he realized that their best course would have been to set up a great shouting, and make all the noise they could, which would have undoubtedly frightened off the marauders, who shunned publicity above all things.
And before Frank could collect his thoughts enough to decide upon any course, he knew that the board had yielded to the efforts of those who wielded the object that was being used as a crowbar.
Then he could hear some party crawling inthrough the opening. Andy too understood. He was quivering at a tremendous rate, so that Frank actually feared lest he might set the bench to rattling, and betray their hiding-place. So he kept nudging him, in the hope of bolstering up his courage.
Whoever it was creeping along over the littered floor of the shed, he kept advancing. Presently they heard him mutter to himself. Then there came a scratching sound that told of a match being struck.
A faint light sprang up. The two lads, crouching there under the work bench, and clad only in their pajamas, saw the figure of a man kneeling not twelve feet away from them.
He happened to be in a position where the side of his face only could be seen; but Frank knew instantly that the intruder was an utter stranger to him.
Apparently the man had eyes only for the precious monoplane; for bending forward he stared at it eagerly, the while saying low words to himself that seemed to be expressions of exceeding rapture.
Evidently the sight of the air craft quite tickled him. Perhaps it reminded him of old times. Frank might have felt complimented that his work was appreciated so highly; butthe only sensation he really experienced was alarm lest the result of all their labor be stolen.
The match went out. About the same time there came a low call from beyond the doors. The man outside was getting impatient, and wanted his comrade to open up. Undoubtedly he had seen the light through the cracks, and knew his pal was safely inside. And he may also have had a glimpse of the aeroplane that was, of course, the main object of their regard.
Frank felt a new thrill. He had caught some of the low words, and while they were as so much Greek to him, he knew that the speaker must be a Frenchman! Like a flash he remembered what Larry had said about the aviator license which was found on the floor of the looted jewelry establishment being granted by a French society.
Then, this was Jules Garrone and his fellow desperado. All doubt was settled by that voice speaking in a foreign tongue.
Now the man inside was creeping over to where he knew the doors lay. Frank heard him fumbling with the bar. Surely he must guess from this that the shed was not untenanted. The boy’s wandering hand had come in contact with a piece of wood, andalmost unconsciously he gripped it. If the worst came, they might put up some sort of fight, meanwhile trying to hold on to the precious aeroplane, and balk the wicked designs of these law-breakers.
Then the doors opened, and were shoved far back. This alone must have told what the designs of the two intruders were. They needed room to wheel the monoplane out of the hangar; and the wide doors had been fashioned to admit of its passage when necessary.
More whispering followed. Then a second match was struck, and discovering a lantern hanging from a hook, it was eagerly seized upon by the smaller of the two.
They seemed to be deeply interested in the machine, and walked around, closely examining its construction, and exchanging eager sentences, as though becoming more and more pleased the further they looked.
Twice they were so close to the hidden lads that Frank could have stretched out a hand, and gripped one of their legs. It need hardly be said, however, that he did nothing of the kind. Larry had declared that according to the police chief the two jewelry robbers were desperate criminals; and if this were so it would be folly for two unarmed boys to thinkof grappling with them in the hope of detaining them until help came.
The two intruders seemed to have arrived at a satisfactory conclusion with regard to the monoplane. Frank had heard them talking now in English, and could understand what was being said.
“It ees very good indeed,” said the smaller man, with a laugh. “Zese boys, zey haf made one clever job. I believe it will go, and carry us both.”
“Then the sooner we make a start the better I am pleased, Jules. At any minute right now we might be detected and stopped. Shall I get the things, and strap them on the machine?” asked the other, anxiously—he had been moving over and looking out of the doors several times, as though afraid of an interruption.
“Oui!It ees just as well,” replied his companion. “Once we get up in ze air we can give zem all ze laugh. It haf please me exceedingly. I am much oblige to zese boys. I shall pleasure take in renewing my acquaintance with a Bleriot monoplane. It is like old times quite.”
Jules, then, was the aviator who had won his spurs across the water. Why he had deserted such a profitable calling to become acommon thief doubtless had a story back of it.
Presently the second man came back after going outside. He carried some object with either hand. Frank held his very breath when he saw what these were. Nothing more nor less than a couple of suit-cases, just as the Chief had declared had been used in the jewelry robbery.
It afterwards developed that these were the property of the cashier, and one of the salesmen in the establishment. They were in the habit of carrying their laundry to town in this fashion; and at the time of the robbery the two bags had been in the store. As they were missing in the morning, it was plain that the thieves had appropriated them in order to accommodate their plunder. And this was how Chief Waller had known the fact.
Frank realized that he was within reaching distance of all the proceeds of the late robbery. How he would have liked jumping out and snatching those suit-cases away from the taller man. But Frank was too discreet a boy to think of attempting such a foolhardy thing. Besides, he must be concerned principally now in saving his beloved aeroplane from sharing the fate of the jewelry.
The bags were being fastened to the skeleton framework of the monoplane, so as not tointerfere with the working of the motor, or the steering apparatus.
“Make zem tight, Jean. It would be a catastrophe, should we escape, but drop our prizes,” said the smaller man; who was standing close to the propeller of the aeroplane, and giving it a few trial spins.
“It is fixed,” the other replied, as he came back to where his companion stood. “And now, shall we not push it out in the open.”
“Zat will not be hard,” replied Jules, bending his shoulders to the task.
The aeroplane had been nicely balanced on the three bicycle wheels, and upon being started immediately began to pass out of the hangar.
Frank could feel Andy quivering with indignation and resentment, and knew that the other was almost on the point of an explosion. Unless he were checked, he was apt to rush out, and try, single-handed, to hold the robbers back.