and realized that doubtless Andy as well as others had been awakened by
the racket and were coming on the run to assist. Had the safety of the
airship depended on their reaching the shed in time, though, its chances
would have been next to nothing.

Frank was just stamping on what seemed to be the very last vestige of
the fire when Andy came galloping to his side.

"W-what's all this mean, Frank? Where in the wide world did you come
from, and who set our hangar afire?" he gasped, almost winded from his
exertions, for he had dressed in about a minute, despite his trembling
fingers, and was barefooted even then.

"Don't know who did it, but he ran off on my wheel a few minutes ago. I
was on the way home--carrying medicine to Susie Lovejoy. Saw flames and
gave alarm. Got here on the jump and we managed to get the better of
it. But it was a close shave, all right, I tell you, Andy!"

Frank himself had no breath to spare, nor could it be wondered at,
considering the recent valiant fight which he had made against big odds.

"So the ornery skunks _did_ try to burn us out, after all!" burst forth
the other part owner of the monoplane, bitterly. "Say, where was Shea
all this time? What use was he as a watchman?"

"He helped me good and hard at any rate. Only for Shea I'd never have
got the better of it, I'm afraid," said Frank, always ready to cover up
any little failing on the part of another, though never hesitating to
denounce his own shortcomings.

"But just to think of the meanness of it all," continued Andy, shaking
his head in the aggressive way he had. "That Puss Carberry ought to be
shut up behind bars, that's my opinion straight from the shoulder, and
if I could only find out for sure that he was in this I'd get Colonel
Josiah to prosecute him to the limit."

"But we have no proof that it was Puss," remarked Frank. "The fellow who
stole my wheel went off along the road _away_ from town. And he
went licketty split, too, as if he had business over in Shelby or
Newtown. Perhaps it was only a hobo. He may have started the fire by
accident, and was trying to put it out when I saw him first. Then, when
I shouted, of course, he had to scoot."

"What's this?" demanded Andy, kicking some object, and then seizing hold
of his foot, for he had forgotten that he had no shoes on.

Frank uttered a cry and picked it up.

"Look here, don't you recognize this?" he asked, as he held a can up.

It was Andy's turn to give ven