"And made off on my wheel?" continued Frank, beginning to grasp the
truth.
"That's just what he did," went on the official. "Found he couldn't
steal your aeroplane and was bound to lay his hands on something
belonging to the Birds that would carry him out of danger. Glad you
came, Frank. I'll just call up all the surrounding towns and ask if a
bicyclist has been seen there. I hope you can describe the wheel so they
might know it."
"Yes, I even know the number. Besides, I've got my address scratched on
the under-part of the frame. But whatever do you suppose Jules wanted to
set our hangar on fire for?" Frank asked.
"Huh!" replied the chief; "don't know, unless it was a spirit of
revenge. Some of these French rascals have the same nature as the
Corsican or the Sicilian and hug the idea of revenge to their hearts."
"Revenge!" Frank cried. "But when did we ever injure them? Oh, yes, I
forgot! We chased them off at the time they tried to steal our
aeroplane, and they even neglected to take those two suit cases of
jewelry with them, so the stolen property was recovered."
"Yes," the chief went on, "and that wasn't all, either. Remember that it
was you Bird boys who discovered that they were hiding in the old shack
deep in the forest. You saw them near there when you were sailing over
that region in your airship and reported to me.
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