CHAPTER VI
NED IS GUILTY OF LARCENY
Night came on and no Nelson showed in the sky. Ned wanderedrestlessly about the rather handsome city, anxious for the aeroplaneas well as for the boys who were in the city prison. Collins wasalways with him, at first, expressing sympathy and suggesting plansfor getting the prisoners out on bail. The complainant in the case,it was claimed by the officers, was too badly injured to appear incourt.
Ned grew sick of the constant talking of the fellow at last, andwent to his room, saying that he was due for a little sleep. Butthe boy, as may well be imagined, did not sleep. Instead, he sat byhis window watching the sky.
Where had Jimmie gone with the machine? This question was always inhis mind. Had he met with an accident and was he lying, crushedfrom a long fall, in some mountain canyon? Had the pursuingaeroplane overtaken him and destroyed or captured the Nelson?
It was not like the little fellow to disappear so utterly. Evensupposing he was afraid to return to Lima, he ought to understandhow anxious his friends would be and signal them from the upper air.Surely, Ned reasoned, this would be safe, for the hostile machinecould not approach the Nelson in speed, and, after giving areassuring signal, the boy could disappear in the mountains again.
It was dark now in the room where Ned was, and he sat looking out atthe sky in the hope of seeing the welcome lights of the aeroplane.Presently, he saw a flicker of light off to the east. It increasedin size rapidly, and Ned knew that it was an airship he sawapproaching at wonderful speed, but he had no means of knowingwhether it was Jimmie on the Nelson or the hostile aviator.
If it was Jimmie, he thought, there would be a signal directly. Hewaited eagerly, but no signal showed. Presently the airship driftedoff to the north, and Ned saw the glint of moonlight on whiteplanes. It was the hostile ship, sure enough, but why had sheabandoned pursuit of the Nelson?
Ned resolved to secure a closer view of the airship, but the nextquestion was how to avoid Collins, who was at that moment pacing toand fro in front of the hotel. The alleged salesman would be apt toaccost him as soon as he appeared and insist on going with him.
He had had enough of Collins. He had no doubt that the fellow wasin the conspiracy against him. It seemed reasonable that he hadbeen warned by wire of the approach of the Boy Scouts, and hadhastened to Lima to intercept them. Ned thought over the situationdeliberately, and then a daring smile came to his face.
"I wonder if I can?"
He chuckled as he asked himself the question.
"I wonder if I can?"
He paced his room for a moment, and then continued.
"If he goes with me, there will be less suspicion, provided I amright in my estimate of the fellow. We may be even left alone withthe aeroplane! Ah, that would be too good to come true!"
The boy watched the sky to the east from the roof as well as fromhis window, but there were no signs of the aeroplane which Jimmiehad taken away.
"The little rascal knows what he is doing!" Ned told himself, "but Iwish he would let me know, too! I reckon I'll take a chance on theplan. I'll try anything once, as the Bowery boys say."
Having settled the vexed question in his own mind, Ned wentwhistling down the broad stairway and came out in the lobby. Justas he had figured, Collins sat where he could keep an eye on thefront entrance. When Ned appeared the fellow arose and stepped overto him.
"There is nothing new, I'm afraid," Collins said. "I've just beenover to the police station, and nothing can be done tonight."
Ned thought that Collins must have made pretty good time to get overto the police station and back during the short space of time he hadbeen out of sight, but he did not say so.
"Anything new about the aeroplane?" asked Ned. "I saw the white onecome back."
"Perhaps she can give us the information we want about your ship,or, perhaps the aviator can," he added with a laugh.
"Why not go and see?" asked Ned, his heart bounding with hope andexcitement as he noted how eagerly Collins took the bait. "Can weget a motor-car here? The machine must be quite a distance away."
"It does look that way," Collins replied, with a yawn, "and we mayas well take a car, if we can find one. I hope you don't mind mygoing with you."
"Why, I wouldn't go alone!" Ned replied, speaking with perfecttruth, as Collins discovered later on. "You don't know how glad Iam to find you up and ready for a little adventure!"
Collins, in turn, told how pleased he was to be of service, and thetwo found a motor-car and started off, taking a road which ran alonga level strip of land which lay between the sand and the mountains.They had proceeded a couple of miles when a motor-car appeared insight just ahead of them, traveling toward the city.
Collins arose in his seat and waved his hand frantically.
"I believe that's Sherman!" he cried. "Sherman's here for a rivalsteam pump firm, but I'll be good to him, especially as there isnothing doing in the way of trade. Hey, there, Sherm!" he shoutedas the two cars drew nearer. "Pull up and give an account ofyourself!"
Sherman was a dark-faced, black-haired, bewhiskered fellow ofperhaps forty. He was dressed in a dark business suit and woreglasses. The two men talked shop for a moment, and then Collinsasked:
"Where have you been?"
"Just out for a ride," was the reply.
"You saw the airship come down?"
"Of come, but I'm not interested in airships."
"Then you haven't been out there?"
"Hardly. It doesn't interest me--this aviation craze."
"Then you don't know whether the aviator is out there or not?"continued Collins.
"Why, yes, I do know about that," Sherman replied. "I heard thisdriver of mine talking Spanish with a shoofer we met, and learnedfrom the mix-up in tongues that the aviator has gone to the city,leaving a couple of natives in charge of the machine."
Ned's heart bounded so fiercely that he feared that Collins wouldhear its quick beats! The aviator was not there. Only twoPeruvians, timid chaps at best! Mr. Thomas Q. Collins might receivehis reward for his treachery sooner than he imagined, the boythought!
"Well, so long!" Collins cried. "We'll see you in the citytonight."
The cars parted, each going its separate way, and Ned and Collinswere soon within sight of the white aeroplane, which lay in a valleya short distance from the road. The spot where it lay was wellirrigated, and fruits and vegetables were growing all around therope which had been strung about the machine. The aviator hadevidently paid a good price for the privilege of landing there.
A short distance away from the site of the machine was a smallhouse, a tiny affair, with plenty of porches and a flat roof. Asthe two men left the car and advanced toward the machine a man leftthe porch and walked in their direction.
"Probably the farmer," Collins said. "We may have to pay for theprivilege of looking over the machine."
Much to the amazement of the boy, the man who approached from theporch spoke to the two in English.
"What do you want?" he asked.
Ned waited for Collins to make a reply. If Collins really was inthe conspiracy against Lyman, he would probably show his hand withinthe next few minutes. Just as Ned anticipated Collins gave theother a sly signal before he opened his mouth. Ned was not supposedto see this evidence of a common understanding, but his watchfuleyes caught not only that but the answering sign of the other.
"We came up to look over the machine," Collins said.
"Well, you keep away from it," the other replied, fixing his eyeskeenly on the face of the boy.
"This lad," Collins said, then, motioning toward Ned, "knowssomething about an aeroplane, and wants to inspect this one."
A sly wink followed the remark. It was getting rather cheap to Ned.The collusion between the two was so evident that their attempts toconceal it appeared very slazy.
"Yes," Ned put in, "I'd like to look the machine over."
"You came in that other aeroplane?"
was asked.
Ned nodded, and Collins broke in:
"He's an expert, but he has no machine just at present. A member ofhis party took his machine away this morning," he added, with achuckle.
"So Rowan said," the alleged farmer replied.
"Rowan?" repeated Ned. "Is that the name of the aviator who runsthis machine?"
"Yes; he is a New York man. Do you know him?"
Ned replied that he had heard of him, knew him to be a splendidoperator, but had never met him.
After some further talk Ned and Collins were given permission tolook at the machine, which was called the Vixen. Collins expressedhis thanks in elaborate language, but Ned went straight to theVixen, which was then guarded by a Peruvian Indian. He was weary ofthe cheap pretense of the other.
"This is a peach of a machine," the alleged farmer explained,following Ned as he walked about the great planes. "See here! Nocranking at all! You just get into the seat, which will carry twonicely, and push this button. That releases a spring which whirlsthe propellers until the spark is made, then off you go."
Ned admired the arrangement fully, as he was expected to do. TheNelson was fitted out in the same way, but he did not say so.Presently the Indian left the circle created by the rope and, goinginto the shelter of the porch, left Collins and Ned with the allegedfarmer, who announced that his name was Yerkes.
Ned thought this action on the part of the Indian was in obedienceto a signal from Collins, but could not be too sure of it. ThenCollins and Yerkes trailed about after Ned as he wandered around theairship. The boy saw the former remove certain bits of wood whichblocked the wheels of the Vixen, also he saw Yerkes, testing thegasoline gauge and looking the carburetor over carefully.
"It is all right," the boy thought. "Two hearts with but a singlethought, two souls that beat as one--or the reverse anyway, they arethinking of giving me a ride in this old ice wagon! Pretty soonthey'll be asking me to get up on the seat and see how easy it is.Then one of them will slip this harness about me--the harnessprovided for timid riders--and I'll be off in the air--a prisoner!"
Collins and Yerkes tinkered about the aeroplane for some moments,while Ned seemed to be studying the machine. The boy was anxiousfor the decisive moment to come.
Finally Yerkes, went back to the porch and stood there inconversation with the Indian for a number of minutes.
When he returned Collins stepped forward toward the seat.
Knowing that the time for action had come, Ned sprang into thedriver's seat. Collins looked vexed at the movement, but Nedlaughed down at him.
"I won't hurt your old machine," the boy said. "Get up here, so wecan see how it rides."
Collins obeyed, first giving Yerkes a significant look which was notlost on the watchful boy.
The harness for the visitor's seat was a peculiar one, as Ned hadnoted with considerable satisfaction. There were leather cuffs forthe wrists and a broad leg band which prevented the guest leavinghis seat. The cuffs held the hands close together in the lap, theidea being to prevent a timid person from grasping the arm of thedriver in a moment of terror.
"Move on over!" Collins called, as he stepped up, "and I'll see if Ican take you out of the valley without breaking your neck. Don'tsay a word to Yerkes about his race with the Nelson," he added, in awhisper. "He got beaten, and doesn't like to talk about it."
Ned noticed but remained where he was, so Collins reluctantly tookthe other seat. As he did so Yerkes stepped forward, and the Indianstationed himself at the back of the machine, where he could give ita push down the incline which lay before it, and against which thewheels had been blocked.
As soon as Collins was fairly in the seat, Ned gave the harness aquick snap, and the click of metal told him that the cuffs hadclosed about Collins' wrists, that the broad strap which held himdown was in position. Then he pushed the button and the sparkcaught. The Vixen moved down the incline.
Collins tried to lift his hands, but was unable to do so, so helifted his voice instead! Yerkes, in the whirr of the machine,doubtless mistook the voice for that of the boy, for he paid noattention to it.
"Help! Help!" roared Collins. "Stop the machine! He's got me tieddown! Stop it, you fool! Stop it!"
Yerkes and the Indian looked stolidly on with grins on their faces,and Ned stuck an elbow into Collins' ribs.
"Keep still," he said, "or I'll have to put you out of the speechhabit. I've got you just where you expected to get me, and youought not to kick about the accommodations."
"Yerkes!" yelled Collins. "Why don't you stop the machine? Catchhold of the propellers and yank them off! Put a bullet through thisyoung fiend! Anything to stop the crazy thing. I tell you he's gotme tied in!"
Then Yerkes, recognizing the voice, sprang toward the propellers.He made a brisk spring, but was too late. The blades were justabout an inch out of his reach. Foiled in this attempt, he drew arevolver and began firing foolish shots at the machine, none ofwhich came near the mark.
In a moment the Vixen was under full speed, the ground dropped away,and the last Ned saw of Yerkes and the Indian they were performing adance of rage on the growing vegetables below. Straight to thesouth the machine flew, the motors popping like mad.
The boy saw little crowds in the lighted streets below, looking andpointing up at the aeroplane, and then the city streets faded awayinto a dull mat, and there were only the silent peaks, the sea, andthe deep, dim valleys.
Then Ned turned to his prisoner, who had by this time given over theuseless struggle against the harness. Collins' eyes were fixed onthe moonlit Pacific, away off to the west, and the boy's eyesfollowed those of his captive.
A steamer was creeping into the shallow harbor at Calleo, and thedark spot on the sand showed that a crowd was there to greet her.The Vixen was too far away for Ned to see the surf boats gettingready to take off the passengers and freight, but he knew that theywere there.
It was now eleven o'clock, and the moon was well up in the sky. Theribs of the Andes lay like silver in its light. Strain his eyes ashe might, there was no indication of the Nelson.
"Fine view!" Ned said, presently, giving Collins a nudge in the ribswith his elbow. "How do you like it?"
Thomas Q. Collins was near bursting with rage. He hitched about inhis seat, but to no purpose.
"What does this mean?" he finally found words to say, screaming atthe top of his voice, for the Vixen was now making good speed.
"I preferred to be the host rather than the guest," the boy said,with a shrug of the shoulders.
"I don't know what you mean by that," Collins replied.
"You meant to capture me tonight?" asked Ned.
"Nothing of the kind!" roared Collins.
"You got Leroy and Mike in jail, and you thought you'd burst up thisrelief expedition by putting me out of the way," Ned went on. "Now,we'll see who'll be put out of the way."
"What are you here for?" asked Collins.
"You know very well," replied Ned. "But it is too much exertion totalk at this speed. Wait until we land and I'll tell you all aboutyour intentions! Understand? All about your intentions."
"Much you know about them," shrieked Collins.
Ned made no reply to this, for, away off to the southeast, he caughtsight of the dipping lights of an airship which might or might notbe the Nelson.