and whenever we strike a town we can ring
up Headquarters over the 'phone, and learn what news they've managed to
pick up."

Percy seemed to think that all he had to do was to tell the Chief what
he wanted; but then his plan of campaign was really a good one, and the
police officer was wise enough not to quarrel with his bread and butter;
for the Widow Carberry was a large property owner in Bloomsbury.

"You just take the words out of my mouth seems like it," he remarked;
"and that is the best plan we could carry out. I was just going to
suggest to Frank and Andy here, that if they felt like taking a little
spin off to the northward this fine morning, and discovered anything
suspicious, they could get word to us, perhaps through the Bloomsbury
Central, for we'll be apt to keep in touch with home."

Percy did not know whether to look pleased at this suggestion or not. It
would be just like the everlasting luck of the Bird boys to make another
remarkable success out of this thing, for they seemed to have a failing
that way, while all the hard fortune came in his direction. That would
give him a pain to be sure, for he was horribly envious of their local
fame as successful aviators; but at the same time he hated to lose that
beautiful biplane, which he had not owned very long, and which had taken
his heart by storm.

So Percy finally compromised, as he frequently did. He even forced a
grim smile to appear upon his face, though it did not deceive Frank in
the least; and as for Andy, he never took the least stock in Percy
Carberry's honesty. In his mind there was always a deep meaning
underneath every action of the other.

"Why, sure I hope Frank will discover the thieves, and recover the stuff
they've grabbed from the bank; also that he'll have the good luck to get
back my biplane without its being badly wrecked. That reward is worth
trying for, and I don't go back on my word."

All the same he knew very well that neither of the Bird boys could be
forced to ever accept one penny from his hand, no matter what good Dame
Fortune allowed them to do for him.

Andy was watching keenly when the Carberry boy walked back to his
machine, and climbed into the steering seat. Frank, happening to look
that way, saw his cousin's face lighted up as if in glee: and he even
heard him chuckle. Perhaps Percy may have caught the same sound, for he
turned his head after dropping down into his seat, and scowled darkly at
Andy. There is no