“Don’t talk any more—come away,” advised Jerry in a low voice to his chums, as he handed back the slips of paper. “We want to talk this over among ourselves.”
“The restaurant’s the place,” decided Bob, and neither Jerry nor Ned laughed at him this time.
The three lads talked in guarded tones as they sat at a table in the eating place, waiting to be served. The new turn to the mystery had come with startling suddenness.
“Now whom do you think committed the robbery?” asked Ned. “It begins to look as though Brown and Black were out of it; eh?”
“Not at all,” was the answer of the tall lad. “It was more likely them than Noddy and Bill. Not that the latter wouldn’t do it if they had the chance, but I don’t believe they know enough to drill a safe. Then there are those queer tools[173] we saw in the Silver Star. One of them was a safe drill, I’m sure.”
“But do you think there were two airships circling around Harmolet the night of the robbery?” asked Bob.
“It’s possible. We saw Noddy head in that direction, and though Brown and Black left the aviation grounds before we reached them, they might have returned to rob the bank. I’m sure they did it.”
“And I’m sure Noddy did,” declared Ned.
“But why was he so close to the statue?” asked Bob.
“There’s no telling,” answered Jerry. “Maybe he did it just for a daring stunt. Leaving his name there makes it look that way.”
But Ned was sure Noddy and Bill had robbed the bank, and nothing his chums could say would make him change his opinion.
“Then the only thing to do is to go to President Carter, tell him what we have found out, and what we know, and let him do as he likes,” suggested Jerry. “We’ll mention about the queer tools we saw in the airship of Brown and Black, and how angry they were because we looked at their machine. Then the police can get busy, but I don’t envy them their job.”
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“And you’ll tell about the conversation you overheard between Bill and Noddy; won’t you?” asked Ned.
“Sure.”
“Then that’ll clinch the guilt on them all right, and we can divide the reward between us.”
“Wait until we get it first,” advised Jerry drily.
Mr. Carter was much startled when told of the new developments in the case, and when informed of the suspicions of Jerry and his chums.
“You did right not to speak of them before,” he said, “as the discovery of the tires puts a different face on it. I, myself, believe those two men Brown and Black, if those are their real names, are the guilty persons.”
“You’ll find it was Noddy,” declared Ned firmly.
“Everyone is entitled to his own theory,” said the president with a smile. “Now I am going to summon here as many of the directors as I can get in touch with. I’d like them to hear the stories of you young men. Would it be asking too much to request you to wait here?”
Jerry and his chums were willing, and the president sent out and got the latest magazines for them to read while they were waiting.
“I may have an offer to make to you after the[175] meeting,” he said with a smile, when a messenger had informed him that several of the directors were on their way to the bank.
The boys indulged in several speculations as to what Mr. Carter might want with them after the meeting, which was soon being held in the directors’ room. It was not a lengthy session, and in a little while a messenger came to summon the boys.
“You are to appear before the president and directors,” he said in awed tones.
“My! We’re getting to be quite important!” remarked Bob.
Mr. Carter came to the point at once.
“Young men,” he said, “I have told the directors what you have related to me. They wish to thank you for the pains you have taken, and they highly commend your course. Now they have a request to make of you.
“As you are doubtless aware, a reward of ten thousand dollars has been offered for the arrest and conviction of the thieves. We thought we would make it big, as the sum taken was large, and unless some of it at least, is recovered, our bank may be seriously embarrassed. As it is we have been able temporarily to tide over our affairs.
“Now, what I wish to know, and what these[176] gentlemen have commissioned me to ask you motor boys, is whether you will not undertake to find the thieves for us?
“We’d like to have you undertake the search, not only because you have discovered the first clews,” proceeded the president, “but because you have an airship, and can thus go where no other persons could. The police have no such advantage. Will you undertake this quest for us?”
Jerry looked at his chums, and they looked at him. Evidently they were waiting for him to speak.
“May we—that is, I’d like to talk with my friends before answering,” said Jerry, after a pause.
“Certainly. Take all the time you need.”
The tall lad drew his companions into a corner of the big room.
“Shall we do it, boys?” he asked.
“But we don’t know where to look for ’em, whether it’s Noddy, or those other two fellows?” objected Ned.
“No, not yet, but we may be able to pick up some clews by circling around Harmolet. Shall we have a try for the ten thousand?”
“I’m game,” declared Bob. “We were going off on a trip anyhow, to help the professor get his[177] flying frog, and we might as well combine business with pleasure.”
“Well, I’m willing,” declared Ned.
“That settles it,” answered Jerry. “We’ll go!”
He turned to the president and announced the decision of himself and his chums.
“Good!” exclaimed the bank official. “I was pretty sure you’d go. Now as to details. Have you any idea where to begin to look?”
The boys hadn’t, and said so, but they had, in times past, gone off on quests with even more slender clews to work on, so they were not dismayed now. They said they would need a day to stock up the motorship for a long voyage, and get plenty of gasolene aboard. Then, too, they would have to send word of their intentions to their folks.
“Well, start as soon as you can,” urged the president, and they said they would. In spite of their diffidence about taking funds for expenses, the directors insisted on it, and a substantial sum was advanced. It was really needed, as the boys had not brought much money with them, and provisions were expensive.
They arranged to start on the following day, if possible and agreed to keep in telegraphic touch[178] with the bank officials. They were to work independently of the police.
There were busy times ahead for our heroes. Hurrying back to the aviation grounds they gave their craft a thorough overhauling, and contracted for their supplies and stores.
They were ready to set sail on the afternoon of the following day, having sent word to Cresville of their plans.
“Before we leave this vicinity, we’ll just stop off at the bank, and see if there is any news,” said Jerry, as they flew up from the aviation grounds.
They landed on the roof of the bank building row, partly because that was the best place, and partly to show that it had been perfectly feasible for the robbers to do so. A big crowd watched them.
“Have you any news before we leave?” asked Jerry of Mr. Carter.
“Not any,” he said. “You’ll have to depend on yourselves, I’m afraid.”
As he spoke a messenger came in with a telegram. Idly the president opened it. As he did so an expression of surprise came over his face.
“Listen to this, boys!” he exclaimed. “There is news! This is from one of our private detectives. He says: ‘Strangers in this town two days[179] ago, passing twenty dollar gold pieces. May be a clew.’ You know some gold pieces were taken from our vault,” the president went on. “This may be of some value to you.”
“What town is that from?” asked Jerry eagerly.
“Newton; in this state,” was the reply.
“Then we’ll head for Newton,” cried the tall lad. “Come on, fellows!”
A little later the motor boys were once more on the wing, on the trail of the bank robbers.
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