CHAPTER XV
A TERRIBLE DISCOVERY
“Are you sure, Bruce?” challenged Hiram. “You are not mistaken?”
“In that man?” cried his companion, and his face was pale, and hisvoice was trembling. “Oh, no! it makes me shudder to even look at hispicture. Where did you get it?”
“Well, Bruce,” explained Hiram, “that is the man you heard Dave andmyself talking about.”
“You mean the one who tried to blow up your machine?”
“That’s him; yes,” answered Hiram. “But, say, I thought he was hangingaround with that old fellow, your guardian?”
“He was,” replied Bruce. “You see, he came and went. About two weeksago I was in dread when Wertz showed up. I imagined he’d be putting meinto some new circus training or other. I was afraid he might get itinto his head to take Lois away, and train her to ride a horsebareback, or jump through a blazing hoop, or some other trick. I neverwas so relieved as when he went away again. He’d been waiting for someone to come, I heard. An old crony of his showed up finally, a man whoused to come every few months to borrow money, ‘to get staked,’ as hecalled it; by Mr. Dawson. He was always planning schemes. Why, say,”added Bruce with animation, “I never thought of it till this moment,but I remember now he was in the same line as you and Dave Dashaway.”
“You mean the airship line?” asked Hiram.
“That’s it. I recollect how he used to brag of the big flights he made,and the money he got, and the tricks he played.”
“Who was he—what was his name?” inquired Hiram.
“Vernon.”
Hiram Dobbs grabbed the astonished Bruce by the arm with such fervorthat the latter was startled.
“Look here, Bruce,” he cried excitedly, “you don’t know how importantthis is to us. Why, it connects up the whole scheme to put us out ofbusiness, and——”
Something else suddenly distracted Hiram’s attention and he stoppedshort, his companion staring at him in wonderment.
“Hush! This way, and easy!” a breathless voice had spoken, and a faceappeared around the end of the hangar.
“Mr. Borden,” whispered Hiram to himself. “Stay here Bruce. It’s agreat friend of ours.”
It was indeed the tramp-artist who had so unexpectedly appeared. AsHiram came around to the side of the hangar, shielded from the othercamps of the field, he found Borden there, looking anxious, andglancing about him as if fearful of being observed by others.
“Quick, Dobbs,” he spoke hurriedly, “where is Dashaway?”
“Dave isn’t around. Did you want to see him? He’s off on a practiceflight.”
“How long since?”
“About an hour ago.”
Borden looked disappointed and dismayed. He rubbed his chin inperplexity. Then he asked:
“Do you know where he is?”
“I think I do,” answered Hiram. “He usually goes to the sand dunesabout thirty miles down the lake shore.”
“Got your machine, the _Scout_, handy here?” asked Borden, withincreasing urgency.
“Oh, yes—why, Mr. Borden?”
“Then don’t delay a minute,” directed the former tramp, earnestly.“Find Dashaway as speedily as you can. Tell him I came to you. Warn himto get back here, and stay close about the grounds for the next day ortwo. There’s danger! Don’t neglect what I say.”
With these last words Borden, with a nervous glance across the grounds,at some persons approaching, suddenly darted away from Hiram. In aquandary of doubt and dread, the latter stood for a moment or twowatching his movements. Borden walked along near the fence anddisappeared behind the next hangar. Then Hiram aroused himself intoaction. He ran back in front of their own hangar and rolled out theScout.
“Bruce,” he said hurriedly, “something’s up that may mean trouble forDave. I’ve got to go after him. Do you want to go with me?”
“I should say I did!” cried his companion eagerly. “Jump in,” orderedHiram. “Give us a lift,” he called out to a passing guard. “Thanks. Nowthen, to find Dave!”
The manner and words of the young pilot of the _Scout_ convinced Brucethat something was wrong. He asked no questions, however. As they gotinto full flight, due south, Hiram was the first to speak.
“You’re our friend, Bruce,” he called back over his shoulder, “and Iknow you’re interested in anything concerning us or our business. Theman who signaled me to the side of the hangar was the man who drew thatpicture of Wertz.”
“And he’s a friend of yours, too; isn’t he?” inquired Bruce.
“I am sure that he is,” responded Hiram. “He’s acted like one just now,if what he told me is true. He has discovered some new plot against usand has sent me to warn Dave, and tell him to get back to the groundsright away, and stay there.”
“I do hope nothing is wrong, and that you will be in time,” remarkedBruce anxiously.
Hiram drove the _Scout_ to its best paces. He was familiar with theroute Dave usually took to reach the sand dunes. There was one especialreach of the sterile stretch which Dave had, so to speak, appropriatedas his own private training grounds.
“We’re nearly there,” announced Hiram finally. “I don’t see any traceof Dave or the _Ariel_, though.”
“Maybe he went further—maybe he has returned home,” suggested Bruce.
“We could hardly miss him,” answered Hiram. “There’s the spot whereDave usually descends,” and he fixed his glance on a patch of stuntedfield poplars. “There’s something lying on the ground. A man? No, acoat, I think,” and the speaker strained his vision, and set the_Scout_ on a sharp volplane.
He jumped out the moment the machine halted. He ran to the spot wherethe object lay that had attracted his attention. Bruce followed hisexample and dashed after him.
“It’s Dave’s coat,” declared Hiram, and he looked worried. “I can’tunderstand it! The coat is torn and some of the buttons are off—see, onthe sand there. He wouldn’t leave it here. What can have become of him,and the machine?”
“There’s a smell of burned wood, or smoke,” here broke in Bruce, andfollowing the scent he rounded the patch of brush and saplings. “Oh,Hiram!” he shouted. “Come here! Come here!”
The young pilot of the _Scout_ reached the side of the staring Bruce toobserve with distended eyes what his new friend had first discovered.
Upon the ground was a mass of charred and twisted wreckage. Only themetal parts of an airship remained. Hiram Dobbs recognized what wasleft of the buoyant _Ariel_!
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