Temple--himself an enthusiast about flying--all had become
licensed pilots by taking a course at the Mineola flying fields, the
question had been whether to buy a hydroplane.
That question finally had been solved by the purchase of a light,
all-metal plane capable of carrying two passengers besides the pilot
and able to alight on water and land. It was not a stock model but was
built after a special design. All three boys had flown it, as well as
Mr. Temple, and none had ever had an accident. Equipped with a
radiophone head set, to which had been added recently a detector
designed by Bob and Frank to increase the receiving radius, this plane
was the boys' especial pride.
What was their dismay, therefore, when they rounded the shed from the
rear and found the great doors which they had left padlocked several
days before standing open and the interior empty. For several moments
they stood as if rooted to the ground, staring in stupefaction. Then
Bob groaned, and Frank echoed him.
"Gone."
"Gone."
Frank was the first to recover from his dismay and ran forward to look
at the broken padlock, dangling from one leaf of the great folding
doors. "Cut through with a file," he called excitedly to his chum.
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