could give us," and as Andy at once agreed to the proposal, for he
was thirsty anyhow, and wanted a drink of soda water the worst kind,
Frank began to descend gracefully.

They had about half the population of the place gaping at them as they
finally landed on the big green. Frank asked his cousin to stay by the
machine while he sought police headquarters, and asked to get in touch
with the home town.

He had no sooner made the connection, and heard some one answer him
after he told who he was, when there was sent along the wire some
information that rather gave Frank a shock, because of its nature, and
the fact that it seemed to fully dispose of the theory he and his cousin
had already formed.

CHAPTER X

HEARD OVER THE WIRE

Luckily the center of interest remained around the odd looking aeroplane
with the metal pontoons underneath its body, so that Frank was allowed
to walk away almost unnoticed, when he had secured the important
information he inquired for, and which was leading him to the drug store
nearest the town green.

True, an aviator had landed in Rockford on one or two occasions, for
some reason or other, in times past. Since the Bird boys could not
remember having done so, possibly it may have been Percy Carberry,
anxious to enjoy the stares of the good people, and pose as a great
fellow.

But this was a type of air machine with which none of them were
familiar; and as so much space was being taken up even in the local
papers with the accounts of the wonderful doings of daring navigators of
the upper currents, it was only natural that some bright boy should
speedily guess what manner of craft the chance visitor to Rockford must
be.

"Hey! that's a hyderplane, mister, ain't it?" demanded one sharp-eyed
chap, after he had glimpsed the construction of the aluminum pontoons
that were just kept from contact with the ground by the bicycle wheels.

"Have you ever seen one before?" asked Andy, desirous of keeping up
friendly relations with the crowd, for he knew how important that might
prove, since, as yet, no man wearing a blue uniform had put in an
appearance; and should any hoodlum choose to play "rough house," or try
to be too familiar with the apparatus, there was always a chance that
some damage might be done.

"No, I ain't, but I seen a picture of that 'ere Coffyn feller, a-flyin'
down on the Hudson river nigh New York; and she looked a heap like this
here shebang," came the quick resp