The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship Part 8

"Why, no. Jess had it and slipped it under the seat while she was driving," cried Roy. "Why?"

"Because it's gone!" exclaimed Jimsy, somewhat blankly.

"Gone! Impossible!" protested Roy.

"But it is. I've searched the field thoroughly in the vicinity of the car, and I can't find a single trace of it."

"It couldn't have been stolen."

It was Peggy who spoke.

Roy thought a moment. All at once the recollection of Fanning Harding's queer actions when they had seen him on the road below them flashed into his mind. The road, as he had observed, led past the scene of the accident.

Would it have been possible for Fanning to enter the field while they lay unconscious there? After an instant's figuring Roy had to dismiss the idea. Had such been the case, the son of the banker would have been much further off when they observed him from the aeroplane than he had been.

The speed he was making would have carried him far from the wrecked auto had he been near it at the time the accident occurred.

What, then, could have become of the jewel case?

"It must be here," exclaimed Roy, positively; "n.o.body could have taken it."

While Dr. Mays bent over Jess and examined her injured ankle the others searched the field in every reasonable direction. But not a trace of the jewel case could they find.

All at once, the noise of a horse's hoofs coming at a rapid trot was heard from the road. Roy, thinking it might be some one of whom he might make inquiries, hastened to the hedge and peered over. He saw, coming toward him, a disreputable-looking old ramshackle rig, driven by a red-haired man of big frame who was slouchily dressed. His chin had once been shaven, but now the hair stood out on it like bristles on an old tooth brush. By the side of this individual was seated none other than the immaculate Fanning Harding, in his motor-cycling clothes.

"Why, that's Gid Gibbons, the most disreputable character about here,"

exclaimed Roy, in amazement. "What can Fan Harding be doing with him?"

He now noted, to his further astonishment and perplexity, that there was a third person in the rig--Gid Gibbon's daughter, a pretty girl in a coa.r.s.e way, and given to loud dressing. She had plenty of black hair and a pair of dark eyes that might have been beautiful if they had not had a certain hard, defiant look in them.

As they drew near Fan Harding turned and seemed to whisper something to the girl, whose name was Hester, at which they both laughed heartily.

CHAPTER VII.

PEGGY IS PUZZLED.

"h.e.l.lo, Gid," hailed Roy, thinking that perhaps the ne'er-do-well, who conducted a small blacksmith shop some distance off, might be able to throw some light on the mystery.

"h.e.l.lo, yourself," was the response in a harsh, gutteral voice as Gid drew in his reins and the conveyance came to a stop. Roy raised his hat to Hester Gibbons and nodded coldly to Fan Harding.

"Good gracious, what's been happening?" shrilled out the girl.

"An accident," said Roy, and went on rapidly to explain what had occurred.

"And the worst of it is," the boy went on, "that besides the accident Miss Bancroft has suffered a serious loss. A wallet containing valuable jewelry has vanished entirely." Roy watched Fan Harding closely as he spoke and thought that he saw him change color. It might have likewise been fancy, but he could have sworn that the girl, too, looked confused.

Gid puckered up his lips and emitted a whistle.

"Lost a wallet with jewelry in it, eh?" he repeated.

"Have you looked everywhere for it?" asked Fan Harding, with an appearance of great solicitude.

"Everywhere we can think of," rejoined Roy. He turned to Jimsy, who had just joined him. Jimsy looked despondent and worried. A glance at his countenance convinced Roy that the jewel case was still missing.

"I'll get out and help you look for it myself," said Fan Harding suddenly. "It's awfully queer. Miss Bancroft remarked when she left the bank that she would take particular care of the jewels."

"I wonder if any one pa.s.sed on this road while we were unconscious?"

queried Roy, looking narrowly at Fan.

To his surprise, the other answered with a great show of frankness.

"It's very odd," he exclaimed, "but I myself must have gone by this place not more than a few moments after the smash-up. I was on my way to Gid Gibbons's blacksmith shop to get a part of my motor-cycle fixed up. I guess if I hadn't been bending over my brakes as I rode down hill I'd have seen the place myself."

"Guess so," struck in Gid, with a grin; "no one never accused you of being blind."

"My motor-cycle was in worse repair than I thought," went on Fan, "and so I left it at Gid's place and accepted his offer to ride into town with him."

This all sounded plausible enough. Yet Roy noted that Fan had not mentioned his little excursion into the wood with the pistol. What was he trying to conceal? What had been his mission there?

While these thoughts flashed through Roy's mind Gid and his daughter had followed Fan's example and now joined the searchers. By this time, Jess, under the doctor's ministrations, was able to sit up. Her face was pale as marble, partly from suffering, for her ankle still gave her considerable pain, and partly from agitation at the loss of the jewels.

There was a sudden puffing of an auto, and presently Mrs. Bancroft herself, in a smaller car than the wrecked one, was driven into the group by one of the employees of her husband's estate. As gently as possible, after first explanations had been made, Jess broke the news to her. Mrs.

Bancroft, a tall, stately woman, went white as she heard.

"One of those jewels, a ruby, was an heirloom that has been in the family for years," she exclaimed. "I would not have lost it for all the others.

Has every place been searched thoroughly?"

"Everywhere, mamma," responded Jess.

"Bin over ther ground with a fine tooth comb, mum," said the uncouth Gid.

Mrs. Bancroft raised her lorgnette and regarded the unabashed Gid with a look tinged with some disgust. But Gid merely showed his yellow fangs, in what he intended to be a pleasant smile, in reply, and lifted his hat with clumsy gallantry.

"What was the last you saw of the jewels?" asked Mrs. Bancroft of her daughter, after Jess had been tenderly carried to the other auto and made comfortable.

"It was just before we started down the hill," was the reply. "I felt to see if it was safe under the seat just before the car got away from me."

"Then they were there just before the accident, of course," put in Mrs.

Bancroft. "And now they are missing in this mysterious way."

"Well, they couldn't have walked off," said Fan; "somebody may have taken them while you were unconscious. Unless----"

He stopped and glanced at Roy, who felt his face flushing angrily. There had been a queer intonation in Fan Harding's tones.

"Unless what?" put in Jess, looking at Fan Harding directly in the eyes.

His dropped under the scrutiny of the straightforward girl.