CHAPTER XXI
SEARCHING FOR EVIDENCE
As the boys, with Mr. Glassford and Professor Snodgrass, were leavingthe tent, two figures entered. At the sight of one of them the inventorexclaimed:
"So, Giles Hoswell, this is your work, is it? This is how you repay mykindness to you."
"I don't know anything about your kindness," replied Hoswell stiffly,"but I know it was from my plans that this airship was built, that youstole them from me, and I intend to have my rights."
"You are saying what is not so!" burst out Mr. Glassford. "The onlything you ever planned was a steering lever, and I purchased all yourinterest in that, paying you well for it."
"We'll let the courts decide who is in the right," was Hoswell's reply."In the meantime the injunction stands, and I warn you not to interferewith my property."
"Your property?"
"Yes, my property. I consider this airship mine, as it was built frommy plans."
"This is in keeping with your conduct while you were with me," spokeMr. Glassford bitterly. "I never could trust you, and I had todischarge you. Now you are taking an unfair advantage which the lawgives you. But I will soon have my rights. This injunction will bevacated, and I would sue you for damages, only I know you have nothing.You know that these plans were mine."
"Then you'd better prove it."
"I intend to, and that very soon."
"All right; and, in the meanwhile, the ship stays here, Glassford,"said Hoswell with a sneer.
"Yes, and I guess they won't take part in any race," added the figurewhich had followed Hoswell; and the motor boys, peering through thesemi-darkness of the tent, saw Noddy Nixon.
"You had a hand in this, Noddy," remarked Jerry. "It's on a par withwhat you're always doing--something mean."
"Don't you talk that way to me!" cried Noddy angrily. "I'll complain tothe court that you're making contempt."
"Oh, we are, eh?" asked Ned with a laugh. "Well, if there's anythingmore contemptible than you, I'd like to see it."
"Get out of here!" cried Noddy, his anger rising as he saw how theCresville boys regarded him. "You haven't any right in this tent. Mr.Hoswell and I own this now."
"No, you don't! Nothing of the sort!" cried Jerry.
"You had better go," advised the deputy sheriff. "There must be noquarreling before the representative of the law, and I'm him."
"If any damage is done to this airship I will hold you, Hoswell andthat Nixon chap responsible," said Mr. Glassford to the officer.
"No harm will come to it while I am in charge," replied the deputy."Now you must go, and the court will settle this dispute. The case willbe argued in two weeks."
"Two weeks!" cried Ned. "Why, the races will all be over then, and itwill be too late----"
"Never mind," said Mr. Glassford quietly. "Come on, boys. I will see alawyer at once, and find out what can be done. We are only losing timedisputing with these persons."
"I guess we're as good as you are," retorted Noddy, but no one answeredhim.
The unexpected taking away of their airship was such a blow that themotor boys did not know what to think about it. They had had someexperience with the law, and they knew the delay that might ensue, adelay which would prevent them taking part in the contests in the air.But, though Mr. Glassford was much annoyed by what had happened, he hada calm and confident air, and the boys felt better when they saw how hewas taking it.
Professor Snodgrass had hurried on ahead to the hotel, as he had somespecimens he wanted to preserve, and it is doubtful if he gave a secondthought to the trouble his friends were in. This was not because hewas not kind and sympathetic, but because his mind was engrossed withscientific matters.
The clerk of the hotel told Mr. Glassford that there was a lawyer inthe building, and after a short search the legal gentleman was located.He readily agreed to take the case, and Mr. Glassford informed him ofwhat had taken place.
"The first thing to do," said the lawyer, whose name was Alfred Morton,"is to find some one who can make an affidavit that the plans fromwhich the ship was constructed are your own, and that this Hoswell hadno part in them. Can you produce such evidence?"
"I think so," replied the inventor. "There was a man named Masterly,who was working for me at the time I drew these plans. He saw me drawthem, and even made some of the blue-prints for me. That was beforeI ever knew Hoswell. Afterward I hired him, and both he and Masterlyworked for me. Hoswell did make a suggestion for a certain lever,which I adopted, and I paid him well for it. That is all he ever hadto do with the ship. I discharged him when I found him one day tryingto steal some of my plans. Masterly was there at the time, and he cantestify to that."
"Then the thing to do," said the lawyer, "is to find this Masterly.Where is he?"
"Well, now, that's hard to say," answered Mr. Glassford. "The last Iheard of him he was working for a balloon-maker just outside of NewYork City."
"Do you think he would come here to testify?"
"I'm sure of it, if I could locate him, for he was very friendly to me."
"Then we'll send a telegram," decided Mr. Morton; and when he hadobtained the address of the balloon-maker he despatched a messageurging Masterly to come to Park Haven.
The motor boys and their friends did not pass a very pleasant night,for, in spite of the measures that had been taken, there was apossibility that the injunction would not be vacated, or rendered of noeffect, until after the races, which were now only a few days off.
Their fears were increased, when, the next forenoon, a reply wasreceived from the balloon manufacturer, stating that Masterly no longerworked for him, but had gone to a shop in Buffalo.
"Telegraph to Buffalo," said the lawyer briskly. "Your case all dependson Masterly, and he must be found."
But the message to Buffalo only brought an answer that Masterly wasno longer there. It was suggested that the man might be in Chicago,and a telegram was sent there, but with no result. The last heard ofMasterly, said the man who telegraphed back from Chicago, was that hewas out in Denver.
"Say, I guess we'll have to give up," remarked Bob in discouraged tones.
"Never!" cried Jerry. "We'll wire to Denver."
"That's the way to talk," exclaimed the lawyer. "We have several daysyet, and we may locate him in time."
They had to wait a whole day for a reply from Denver, and when itcame it seemed as fruitless as any of the others had been. The messagestated:
"Last heard of Masterly he was with an airship inventor named Axtell. Don't know where Axtell is located."
"Well, we do seem to be up against it," remarked Jerry dubiously as heread the message a second time. "I wonder where in the world Axtell canbe?"
"Did you ever know an airship man by that name?" the lawyer asked Mr.Glassford.
The inventor shook his head.
"There are so many in the business now," he said, "that it is impossibleto keep track of them. Axtell--Axtell--no, I never heard the namebefore."
"Well," remarked the lawyer, "I don't see what can be done until youget hold of Masterly. Is there no one else who could give the evidencewe need?"
"No one, I'm afraid."
"Say!" exclaimed Bob quickly, "I have an idea!"
"Can it; the weather's not good for keeping ideas," said Ned, halfsarcastically.
"No, I mean it," went on the stout youth. "If you want to find Axtell,why don't you ask some of the exhibitors out at the grounds? There area lot of airship men there, and maybe they know of him, or can tell usof some one who does."
"Bravo, Chunky!" cried Jerry. "That isn't a bad idea. I'll do it."
"I would say that was a very good suggestion," remarked Mr. Morton."Some one at the grounds, where there are so many men interested inaeronautics, ought to be able to give us a clue. But wait; I havejust thought of something. I will telephone to the secretary of thecarnival, and he may be able to put us on the right track without theneed of so many inquiries as would otherwise have to be made."
br /> Mr. Morton lost no time in putting his idea into execution. Hetelephoned from his office, where the motor boys and their friendswere, to the secretary of the carnival, asking for any informationconcerning Axtell or Masterly. Mr. Glassford and the boys could hearthe clicking of the receiver, as the answer was returned.
"Good!" suddenly exclaimed the lawyer. "That's fine. We'll be right outthere!"
"What is it?" asked Mr. Glassford eagerly.
"Axtell is on the grounds now," explained the lawyer. "He has a shipentered in the contests, and his assistant is Masterly. We have foundour man! Now to get him to make an affidavit, and we will have thatinjunction formally vacated!"
"Fine!" cried Jerry. "That's the best news we've heard in a year."