"Don't worry. Our chance will come yet. I'll make that whole outfit regret
bitterly that they ever stole a march on us by kidnapping that officer."

"To have discredited him with the navy would have been the best way,
however," said old Harding brusquely.

"I'll find a way to do that yet," Mortlake promised.

In the meantime, speculation and wonder had ruled among the occupants of
Roy's auto. Everything seemed very much muddled, but one fact stood out
clearly, and that was that an attempt had been made to cast suspicion, if
not the actual guilt of the robbery, upon Roy.

For what object?

"I have it," cried Peggy suddenly. "If they could have placed Roy under a
cloud of suspicion, it would have worked to his discredit with the naval
authorities, and might have resulted in our aeroplane being denied a place
in the trials. That seems plain enough."

They all agreed that it did. But Jimsy said suddenly: "If that was the
case, why didn't they try to make out that I stole it?"

"Because--forgive me Jimsy--you're not Roy. Without him, the tests of the
Prescott aeroplane could hardly be conducted. Unless----"

"Unless a certain young person named Peggy Prescott undertook to take
charge of them," cried Jess loyally.