CHAPTER XXIII
AFTER BROWN AND BLACK
Newton, as they had learned from a hasty inquiry just before theystarted, making their flight as the robbers had, from the roof of thebank, was a fairly large city about two hundred miles from Harmolet. Itlay in a westerly direction, and so far that fitted in with the plansof Professor Snodgrass.
"First we'll hear what Halwell, the private detective, has to say,"decided Jerry. "He may be able to give us a clew. If there were men inNewton, passing twenty dollar gold pieces right after the robbery, theywere probably Brown and Black."
"Or Noddy and Bill," put in Ned, who persisted in his theory.
"Have your own way," spoke Jerry with a smile. "At any rate we'll seewhat the detective has to say. Of course many persons may have twentydollar gold pieces, but perhaps these men also passed big bills, andthere were a number of them taken from the bank vault."
Meanwhile the _Comet_ was making good time in the direction of Newton.
They sighted the church spires of that place shortly after dinner, andtheir descent into that quiet city was a great sensation. Every boy,nearly all the girls, and a good proportion of the men and women wereon hand when our heroes came down, for an airship was a rarity in thatpart of the country.
"And yet, if the bank robbers were here in one, spending money, Ishouldn't think the folks would be so curious about ours," remarked Bob.
"Maybe the burglars left their craft somewhere out in the woods, andcame in on foot," suggested Ned.
"We'll find out from Detective Halwell," decided Jerry.
"Where will we locate him?" asked Ned.
"I told President Carter to wire him that we'd call on him at hishotel--the Mansion House," went on the tall lad. "As soon as we fixthings here so the boys won't meddle, we'll go and----"
"I'll stay here and guard the craft," interrupted the professor.
"Are you sure you won't go off after the flying frog, or somethinglike that?" asked Jerry half jokingly.
"Oh, no!" the professor earnestly assured him. "This section of thecountry is too much built-up to expect to find the frog here. Of courseif I see a rare insect anywhere near the airship I'll get it. But Iwon't go so far away but what I can guard her."
The boys left with that understanding, and as they started for thehotel they looked back to see their scientific friend gravely pacingthe deck of the _Comet_, about which was gathered a curious crowd.
Detective Halwell was located at the hotel, and the boys were just intime to catch him, for he was about to go out to meet them.
"I heard of your arrival," he said. "I got Mr. Carter's message, and Iwas expecting you. Then I heard of the airship, and I knew it must beyou. Glad to meet you. Now how much of this case do you know, and whatcan I do for you?"
Jerry quickly put the detective in possession of the facts alreadyknown to my readers. In turn the tall lad asked:
"Did the robbers actually come here in their airship? If so can youdescribe them to us, for we don't know for sure whether it was Noddyand Bill Berry, or Brown and Black."
"I'm sure in my own mind," interrupted Ned.
"I'm afraid it's going to be hard to tell," went on the privatedetective. "From what I can learn it was a middle-aged man who passedthe twenty dollar gold pieces by which I got the clew. Now the bestplan would be to go to the person who changed the money and have himdescribe this man. Then perhaps you could tell which one it was of thefour you suspect."
"Good idea," declared Jerry. "Who changed the gold piece?"
"It was a man who keeps a little hotel on a country road leading in tothis place," replied the detective. "The way I happened to hear of itwas this. I'd been sent here by President Carter you see, to pick upany clews I could. Naturally I made inquiries, and the other morning Iheard that the hotel clerk here had a twenty dollar gold piece, and wasdoubtful whether or not it was genuine. I have had some experience incounterfeiting cases, so I looked at it.
"I never saw any better money--it was Uncle Sam's kind all right, andI asked him where he got it. He said the night clerk had taken it in,and as I was on the alert for anything like that, I kept on with myinquiries until I found that the money had been paid in by this hotelkeeper I speak of--Hardy his name is. He came to town to do somebuying, and stopped here for his meal.
"Naturally I went after Hardy, but so far I haven't been able to locatehim. He hasn't been back home since he changed the money here."
"Does that strike you as being suspicious?" asked Ned.
"No," replied the detective, "for Hardy is well known hereabouts, andis considered honest. I've found out that he's visiting relatives andexpects to be back in his hotel to-day."
"Then let's take a run out there. We can go in the _Comet_ if it'sfar," said Jerry eagerly.
"It's not far enough," said Mr. Halwell, "and besides it would createtoo much talk if we descended in an airship. In a case like this theless talk you stir up the better. If the burglars don't know that we'reso close on their trail they won't be in such a hurry to move on. We'llgo out in an auto. They're common enough."
They found Mr. Hardy, the hotel keeper, to be an elderly man, of agenial disposition. He had just returned from a three-days' visit torelatives, and was very willing to talk.
"I did break the twenty dollar gold piece," he admitted, "but I neverthought it would make such a rumpus. You see this is the way it was. Iwas sitting all alone here one evening, a few nights ago, let me see itwas on Tuesday----"
"The night of the robbery!" interrupted Jerry.
"So I've been told," went on Mr. Hardy. "Perhaps I shouldn't have saidevening, for it was past midnight when I got ready to lock up and go tobed, trade being dull. I was at the front door when I heard a racketover head like when there's a sharp clap of thunder--you know, oneof those close-by ones, that sound like whips snapping. I was quitesurprised, for the stars were out, and there wasn't a sign of a storm.The noise passed away in a second, but it gave me quite a start, and Istayed by the front door a matter of several minutes, but I couldn'tsee anything.
"I was going on with my locking up, and was just ready to put out thelast light, when I heard a knock on the door. That startled me too, forI hadn't heard any rig drive up, nor any auto puffing, and this placeis rather far out for people to walk to. I didn't like the thing atall, but as I'm here to do business I went to the door. There stood twomen----"
"Not a man and a young fellow?" interrupted Ned eagerly.
"No, two men, rather middle-aged men. They were dressed like autoists,and I was rather surprised at that, for I couldn't see any car. Theyapologized for coming in so late, and they asked me if they could get ameal--anything cold--said they'd pay well for it.
"I didn't like to bother at that time of night, as all my help hadgone to bed, but I like to be accommodating, so I told 'em to come in.I asked 'em where their machine was, and they said they had a slightaccident and had left it down the road. I asked 'em what kind of anauto it was, and how badly it was broken, for my son's a machinist,and handy with tools. I thought I might get him some work, but theysaid they could fix it themselves, and one of 'em made a funny sort ofremark."
"What did he say?" asked Jerry.
"He said they had broken one of the guy wires on the warping wingtips," replied Mr. Hardy. "That was the first auto I ever heard ofhaving wings, and I didn't ask any more questions for fear they weremaking game of me.
"To make a long story short I got 'em a meal, and they tossed me atwenty dollar gold piece when they were through. I gave 'em change andthey hurried out into the darkness. I listened for some time, but Icouldn't hear any auto chugging off, so I went to bed. That's how I gotthe gold piece, and I was so suspicious of it that I changed it thefirst chance I got. But I told the Newton hotel clerk about it, andI said if it turned out bad to let me know, and I'd make it right. Ithought maybe that's what you had come out here for."
"No, it was a genuine gold piece all right," answered the detective.
"But wha
t made you suspicious of it?" asked Jerry.
"Because of the way those men acted. I didn't like their looks at all."
"Can you describe them?" inquired Ned eagerly. Then in a low voice headded to Jerry: "You know Noddy is big enough to be taken for a man."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed the tall lad. "Listen to what he says."
"I don't know as I can describe the men better than to say that theyseemed suspicious of every one," said Mr. Hardy. "As they ate theykept shifting their gaze all around, as if they were afraid of someone coming in unexpectedly. They both had sharp eyes, were of darkcomplexion and were well dressed. One of them had his hand tied up in ahandkerchief and when I asked him if he'd hurt it in the auto accidenthe said no at first, and then, as quick as a flash, he said he had. SoI thought that was queer.
"However, I had no complaint coming, and I'm glad the money was allright. Now, does this description fit in with what you want?"
"It does!" declared Jerry. "I'm positive the men were Brown and Black,and that they robbed the bank."
"And I guess I've been wrong in thinking it was Noddy," admitted Ned."Still what about the rag on the statue, and that suspicious talk?"
"We'll consider that later," replied Jerry. "This clears theatmosphere, so to speak, and we know who we're after. Now to get on thetrail of Brown and Black, who undoubtedly were in this vicinity withtheir airship."
"That's what I think," said the detective. "I'll ask you to keep quietabout this, Mr. Hardy."
"Oh, sure."
"Now for further clews," went on Jerry. "I'm going to have a look tosee if we can find where they landed in the biplane when they came herefor their midnight supper."