CHAPTER XII
THE SECRET TOLD
“Now then, Dave, we are all ready to hear that promised story of yours,”said Hiram Dobbs.
“Yes,” added Elmer Brackett, “there’s no danger of any spies oreavesdroppers in this lonely place.”
It was a lonely place, indeed. Half a week in time and over a thousandmiles in distance removed from the Chicago aero grounds, the three youngairmen were taking a rest in the midst of a far-spreading Canadianforest.
Right at the spot where they were camping was a knob, or hill. At itsbottom, a level stretch of some extent, there spread about a vast, wildswamp. This afforded a good anchor spot for the biplane. The _Comet_rested on its base somewhat travel-stained, but staunch and reliable asat the start. The crew of the machine looked as if they had never feltbetter in their lives. Wind, rain and sun had begun to brown them uplike gipsies. Energy showed in their clear, vigilant eyes, andconfidence and ambition in every movement they made. They had justdispatched what Elmer had described as “a royal feast,” which sharpappetites had fully enjoyed. Then, each of the trio outstretched on thegrass, they luxuriated in a restful position that a rigid posture in the_Comet_ during a day of hard traveling had not allowed.
“All right, fellows,” said the young airman, “I guess the time has comewhen it is safe for you to know what you have called a great secret.”
“Yes, out with it, Dave,” urged Hiram, “I’ve been dying with curiosityever since I got a hint that some big mystery was afoot.”
“It is less of a mystery than an important piece of professional work,”explained our hero. “I didn’t tell you about it at Washington, because Iwas in doubt myself. When we escaped that explosion at Chicago, I wasafraid it would unnerve and worry you to have a dread and uncertainty onyour mind. I really thought something was going to happen to us atWinnipeg. It didn’t. We’re ahead or out of range of the enemy now, Ifeel pretty certain. To sum it all up, I hardly think we will beinterfered with again—at least this side of the first Coast station,Sitka.”
“No, it doesn’t look as if anybody would try to chase us through threethousand miles of wilderness,” remarked Elmer.
“Anyway, there has been no sign of it so far,” said Dave.
“Provided that tramp monoplane we noticed at Winnipeg isn’t sneakingaround somewhere,” put in Hiram, quite seriously.
Dave smiled, and Elmer laughed outright, with the words:
“That was all fancy.”
“Was it?” protested Hiram, getting excited. “I tell you, thatblack-looking machine was after something. You two didn’t see it as manytimes as I did. There wasn’t an airman I questioned who recognized themachine. It was a tramp, a pirate, and you won’t convince me that itwasn’t hanging around purposely to make somebody trouble.”
“Well, we missed it, if it was the _Comet_ they were after,” said Dave.“Now then, fellows.”
With a business like air Dave took from his pocket a box-like envelope.He proceeded to undo its flap. Then he drew out its contents. Just ashis peering comrades expected, the young aviator revealed a heap of banknotes and a photograph.
“Hold on, Dave,” interrupted Hiram, as his friend was about to speak;“we don’t want to hide anything from you. We have seen that money andpicture before.”
“Oh, is that so?” asked Dave, in some surprise.
“Yes,” and Hiram related when and where.
“No harm done,” said Dave lightly. “You are good, true chums, I seethat. About this packet: Its story leads back to the day that a younglady in an automobile came up to our hangar near Washington. Her name isEdna Deane, and her father is General Deane, a man of some means. Hisson, Morris Deane, was a noted traveler and explorer. For over two yearshe has been missing. It was not until quite recently that his devotedfather and sister learned that he was either dead or a prisoner.”
“A prisoner?” exclaimed the interested Hiram. “A prisoner? Tell me howand where, Dave?”
“In the heart of Thibet, thousands and thousands of miles away fromhere. It is a strange story, fellows, and a serious one. It seems thatyoung Deane in his travels ventured to enter the great sacred city ofLhassa. It meant death or permanent imprisonment, but he risked it.There he disappeared. His anxious father and sister know this, butnothing further. They tried to hire detectives and daring adventurersoutside of that profession to penetrate to his place of captivity.Knowing the peril, none would go. It appears that it is almostimpossible to reach Lhassa by land or water. Every road is guarded tokeep out intruders. General Deane knew Mr. King. The thought came to himthat an airship might accomplish what ordinary vehicles of travel couldnot.”
“I see,” said Hiram. “That might be all right, if it was simply a diveand a quick rescue.”
“Which it will not be,” replied Dave, “for the information General Deanehas gathered up as to the exact fate or whereabouts of his son is veryvague. Well, as I said, the General went to Mr. King. Our old friend islaid up, as you know. He directed the general to us, knowing about theintended trip around the world. That little business lady, Miss Deane,came to see me. Then I went to her father.”
“And he gave you all that money to undertake the search for his missingson?” guessed Elmer.
“Not at all,” replied Dave. “He told me a story that not only interestedme, but excited my sympathy greatly. A year ago an uncle of Morris Deanedied, leaving an enormous estate. The relative left the estate to a manwho had been his nurse and private secretary for years. His name isArnold Wise. It seems he is a perfect villain, and that is not puttingit one bit too strong, I think.”
“What about him?” pressed the curious Elmer.
“According to the terms of the will, Wise was to inherit the estate,unless within two years Morris Deane appeared and claimed it. At thetime he made his will, the uncle had about made up his mind that hisnephew was dead.”
“Suppose he turns up or is found?” inquired Hiram.
“Then Wise is to deliver the estate over to him minus one hundredthousand dollars, which will be his rightful share. The uncle left anote urging Wise to seek for his missing nephew.”
“Did he do it?” asked Elmer.
“Yes, he did, and found out something, the general and his daughterbelieve, although he reported to them that young Deane was surely deadlong since. They finally got to believing that Wise was wicked enough tothink of having the rival heir put out of the way. Later events provedthat he is a cruel, soulless man. This brings us to our old-time enemy,Vernon.”
“Aha! he’s mixed up with it, too?” cried Hiram.
“You remember that you discovered Vernon lurking around the hangars thatnight near Washington?”
“Yes, and later coming out of the house where the Deane family lived,”added Hiram.
“Well, I am now satisfied that Vernon overheard my entire firstconversation with Miss Edna Deane. Also that later he sneaked intoHampton Flats, and probably overheard enough more to suggest a newscheme to that crafty mind of his. At all events, there was a faithfulold servant of the dead uncle who had been retained by Wise. She came tothe Deanes and told them that a man named Vernon had come to Wise andtold him that the general was sending an airship expedition to find hismissing son.”
“I begin to see the light,” remarked Hiram.
“From what happened later,” proceeded the young airman, “I am satisfiedthat some bargain was made between Wise and Vernon. I believe that Wisehired our old-time enemy to outwit us. I feel sure it was Vernon who gotsomebody to run away with the _Comet_. Failing to stop us he wiredaccomplices in Chicago to blow up the machine. We have gone so fast thathe probably was not able to reach us at Winnipeg. He is undoubtedlysupplied with plenty of money. I should not be surprised if he kept uphis game of trying to block us all along the route. That, fellows, isthe story. The money you see here is the sum of five thousand dollars,supplied by General Deane to use if necessary to secure the release of
his son.”
“And the photograph, Dave?” inquired Hiram. “Keepsake, eh?”
“Not at all,” replied the young aviator. “That, shown to young Deane, ifwe once find him, is a token that will convince him that we are sent byfriends. Fellows, I know you are like me—willing to do all you can for afellow being in trouble. It would be a grand, humane act if wesucceeded. The general places no limit to the reward, but I wouldn’tlisten to that kind of talk.”
“Good for you,” applauded Elmer. “Say, I only hope we can find MorrisDeane.”
“We are going to try to,” announced our hero, quietly, but in adetermined way. “Get out the chart, Hiram, and I’ll show you how Ibelieve we can take in Thibet without seriously losing time in therace.”
Hiram arose to his feet to obey this direction, when Elmer got up andbegan sniffing.
“I say, Dave,” he observed, “do you smell it? Smoke! There’s firesomewhere!”