CHAPTER XIV
THE MISSING AIRCRAFT
The aviator led the way back to the Aegis hangar. Dave saw that Mr.King was not inclined to explain any further until they were off thepublic course, so he asked no more questions, for the present. Davehad a good deal to tell himself. His mind had been full of it allday. Something in the grave, thoughtful manner of Mr. King,however, caused him to defer his own anxiety and impatience.
When they were inside the comfortable room where the aviator madehis office, Mr. King turned to Dave with a very sober face.
"I said I had bad news, Dashaway," he spoke, "and that's nomistake."
"Then you failed to find Mr. Dale at Warrenton?" inquired Dave.
"He has not been there for over a week."
"Why, I thought he lived there?"
"He did. He went away, or was kidnapped, nearly ten days ago."
"Kidnapped?" exclaimed Dave in surprise.
"That's what I think. Mr. Dale lived alone, except for a very oldman servant. As near as I can figure it out, that young thief,Gregg, appeared at Warrenton two days after I had him arrested. Idid a very foolish thing in dealing with the young scamp."
"You mean letting him go free?" inquired Dave.
"Yes, I feared at the time that I was unwise in not punishing him,to serve as a lesson against more mischief. He acted so scared,though, he helped me get back the property he had stolen from you,he signed a confession telling that he was not the real DaveDashaway and had imposed on Mr. Dale, so I thought he would proceedto at once make himself very scarce. I felt sure that he would notbe able to play any more tricks on Mr. Dale, for I expected that youand I would go the very next day and see this old friend of yourfather. You know we were rushed from Dayton to the next meet, andhad no chance to get to Warrenton and explain matters to Mr. Dale. Iblame myself for not sending you at, once to him at the time. As Itold you, I wrote to a friend, a lawyer at Warrenton, to learn what Icould about Mr. Dale. He reported Mr. Dale was absent on a trip.When I got to Warrenton yesterday and met the old Dale servant, I sawat once that something was wrong."
"How do you mean, Mr. King?" asked Dave quite anxiously.
"Well, I learned that this young scamp, Gregg, had appeared atWarrenton two days after I let him go."
"Still pretending to be Dave Dashaway?"
"So the old servant says. Gregg and Mr. Dale went away together.There is no doubt in my mind that Gregg put up a plot to get Mr.Dale away from Warrenton before we could expose him."
"But he could not keep Mr. Dale away from home forever?"
"No, but he and his accomplices might get the old man to some remoteplace and make him a prisoner."
"And force him to give up a lot of money before they let him go."
"Yes, that has been done before," admitted Dave.
"Anyhow, two days alter Mr. Dale left Warrenton, a check passedthrough the bank signed by him for one thousand dollars."
Dave was both interested and alarmed.
"Four days ago a check for two thousand dollars arrived. The bankrefused to cash it."
"Why, Mr. King?"
"Because it was a forgery."
"Not Mr. Dale's signature?"
"That's it."
"But where did the checks come from?" inquired Dave.
"From two cities, widely apart. I know the places. It looks to meas if the first check was given willingly by Mr. Dale. Then he musthave become suspicious, and refused to pay out any more money. Thesecond check was numbered correctly, and Gregg must have gotpossession of the old man's regular check book."
"This is a pretty serious affair, Mr. King," commented Dave.
"It is, and I came straight back here to tell you about it, and thencancel all my engagements at the meet. I shall start out at once torun down this Gregg and locate Mr. Dale."
"And I must join you-I see that it is my duty," declared Dave.
"Not at all," responded the aviator definitely. "I have mapped outthe best plan of procedure, and I believe I can run down thisbusiness alone in a very short time."
Dave was really anxious concerning Mr. Dale. He truly believed ithis first duty towards the old friend of his father to do all hecould to assist him. For all that, Dave was relieved to know thathe could go on without interruption in service of his employers.
"Yes," proceeded the aviator, "I feel that I have an interest infinding Mr. Dale. In the first place, he is your friend. Next, Ifeel responsible for letting that young scamp, Gregg, go free. At aselfish motive, I believe that if I succeed in rescuing the old manhe will gladly finance my giant airship scheme."
"He surely will, Mr. King," said Dave confidently. "I believe hewould help you, anyway. I do hope he can be found."
"I shall not rest until he is," declared the aviator. "Now,Dashaway, I don't want you to take this affair on your mind. If Ifail in what I have planned, I will certainly call you into thecase. I fancy, from what Hiram here has told me, that you have someimportant business of your own on hand."
"Yes, that is quite true," replied Dave seriously.
"Are you having some trouble with the Interstate people?" inquiredthe aviator pointedly.
"Not on my account, I, am glad to say, Mr. King," replied Dave."There is some trouble, though, for all hands around. It's aboutthe stolen aero-hydroplane, or hydro-aeroplane, they haven't justsettled on the exact name."
"The Drifter?"
"Yes, sir."
"I read about that strange case. I suppose it puts you back in yourarrangements at the meet here?"
"Not only that, Mr. King," explained Dave, "but it has placed me ina position where I shall have to give up all my engagements for atime."
"Why, you don't say so, Dashaway?" exclaimed the aviator, muchdisturbed.
"Those are the orders," replied Dave. "I have hurried back toColumbus purposely, to consult on your helping in a search for theDrifter."
"Of course that is not possible, now that this Dale affair has comeup," said Mr. King. "As to a search for the stolen aircraft, thatis going to be no easy task, I'm thinking. Have the Interstatepeople no theory as to the way the Drifter was stolen, and themotive for the theft?"
"I had better tell you all I know about it, Mr. King."
"Do so, Dashaway."
Dave proceeded to relate his interview with Mr. Randolph, themanager of the Interstate factory. He did not refer just then tohis experience with the tramp.
"It's a good deal of a puzzle," commented the aviator. "What isyour plan?"
"Why, I expected that I could induce you to take charge of thesearch. As you cannot, I am thinking of Hiram going back with me toBolton."
"What's your idea?"
"The Interstate people have offered me their best monoplane to startthe chase for the missing Drifter."
"It will be a blind start, Dashaway, without a clew."
"But I have a clew," announced Dave.
"You didn't say so."
"I hadn't come to that yet, Mr. King. I haven't even told theInterstate people. I am pretty certain that the Drifter left Boltonon a due northwest course," and Dave drew from his pocket the cardhe had got from the tramp.
"Capital!" cried the aviator, becoming very much interested. "Ifyou know that, you have half solved the problem."
"Besides that," went on Dave, producing the duplicate N. A. L.badge, and glancing at the scratched initials on its back, "I knowwho stole the Drifter."
"What's that?" almost shouted the aviator, springing to his feet, ina great state of excitement.
"Say, Dave, are you sure?" pressed the eager Hiram Dobbs, worked upto fever heat with curiosity and suspense.
"Who was it?" asked Mr. King.
"Jerry Dawson," was Dave Dashaway's reply.