It was two days after the young aviator had told his friends at
Columbus the name of the person he suspected of stealing the
aero-hydroplane, the Drifter from the Interstate Aeroplane Company.

Now, he and Hiram and the manager of the Interstate plant stood amid
the half hundred or more aero machines that comprised the stock of
one of the largest factories in that line in the country.

They had left the aero meet at Columbus the evening previous, not,
however, until Dave had explained how he came to suspect Jerry
Dawson.

"It's simple and plain, Mr. King," the young aviator had said. "The
badge I bought from the tramp at Bolton was the property of young
Dawson."

"Sure of that, Dashaway?" Mr. King had inquired.

"Oh, yes. The initials are crude, but they certainly stand for 'J.
D.' and not 'T. O.' as the tramp thought."

An inspection of the duplicate badge by both Mr. King and Hiram
satisfied them that Dave's theory was correct.

"Another thing," Dave had added-- "the coat found on the barb wire
top of the factory fence I have seen Jerry wear many a time."

"And the card?" pressed Hiram.

"The card has some scrawls on it, made by Jerry, I think. It shows