"There seems to be no doubt of it," replied the Chief, calmly, and yet
with a stiffening of his figure, as though conscious of having already
discovered a most promising clue, that could not but reflect credit on
his astuteness as an officer of the law.

"They knew all about Frank's machine and mine too, then?" continued
Percy, still grappling with the tremendous problem.

"Looks that way," the official went on to remark, "and makes me think
more than ever that they must have a friend right here in Bloomsbury who
put them wise to lots of things. Time'll tell that. But I don't suppose
you found anything around your place like Frank did, to tell that some
strangers had been there while you slept?"

"Not a blessed thing; though, to tell the honest truth, I didn't hang
around long when I found my biplane was gone. It was the best machine I
ever owned, and as you know I've had several, all told. And inside of
three days I expected that the latest model of aluminum pontoons would
be along, to turn it into a water as well as an air craft. Now chances
are, I'll never see it again, because, like as not, nobody knows which
way in creation they went."

"We happen to have a pointer about that same thing," Andy could not help
saying, though he hardly liked the superior air of the other, not being
able to overlook such things as easily as his cousin did.

"I hope, then, you'll give it to the Chief, Andy," the Carberry boy
remarked, for the first time directly speaking to one of the cousins.

"Sure thing. We want to see the rascals copped just as much as anybody