ought on, he always declared, not by age,
oh! no, but the wounds he received many years ago, when he was fighting
for his country in the great civil war.

He was sitting there on a pile of lumber waiting for them, a quaint old
fellow, who was greatly beloved by both cousins; and who believed firmly
that some fine day Andy Bird was bound to even eclipse the fame which
his father had gained in the field of science and aviation.

It happened that the professor was away at the time delivering a series
of lectures before some body of scientists in a distant city. And
whenever the boys were in their shop the old veteran was in the habit of
coming around, to see what new and wonderful things engaged their
attention, as well as chatting with them. And he was as welcome as the
sun in May.

Of course, just then he was bristling with questions as a hedgehog would
be with sharp-pointed quills. And knowing the Colonel of old, Frank and
Andy lost no time in telling him all that had happened to them, from the
time of their little accident, down to when they heard the latest news
from Percy Carberry.

"And I warrant now," remarked Colonel Whimpers, as soon as the tale was
finished, "that you two boys get the first clew to where the robbers
are hiding. Didn't you beat the wonderful Chief out before, and doesn't
history have a habit of repeating itself? Oh; if only I was ten years
younger, how I'd love to be along, when all these glorious things are
happening. I hate to think I'm put by on the shelf and never can be any
good again."

That was the old man's only fault; he was forever complaining because
his day for indulging in exciting scenes had passed; but any one who
knew the half that he had passed through, would think the colonel had no
reason to say anything; and that it was only right that someone else had
a show.

They soon soothed him, however, and long practice had made Andy
particularly apt at this sort of thing.

"Here come Elephant and Larry, on the run," remarked Frank, a little
while later; "I wonder if they saw us come home, and whether they can
have picked up any additional news connected with the bank robbery, that
we ought know."

"Well, it might pay us to hold up a little, and see," added Andy.

"Yes, since we're in no great hurry, and the day is long," Frank
remarked.

The two boys came up panting for breath. Larry had evidently set the
pace, and it was a matter of the smaller lad keeping with him, or el