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diff --git a/old/52394-0.txt b/old/52394-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 88486e5..0000000 --- a/old/52394-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6604 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air, by George A. Warren - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air - -Author: George A. Warren - -Release Date: June 23, 2016 [EBook #52394] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BANNER BOY SCOUTS IN THE AIR *** - - - - -Produced by Giovanni Fini, Roger Frank and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: - -—Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected. - - - - - BANNER BOY SCOUTS IN THE AIR - - - - - THE BANNER - BOY SCOUTS - IN THE AIR - - _By_ - GEORGE A. WARREN - - THE WORLD SYNDICATE - PUBLISHING COMPANY - CLEVELAND NEW YORK - - - - - Copyright, 1937 - by - The World Syndicate Publishing Co. - -[Illustration: LOGO] - - _Printed in the United States of America_ - - - - - CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I AT THE AIRPORT 9 - - II THE MEETING 17 - - III BOBOLINK IS A HERO 23 - - IV FLYING 28 - - V THE REWARD 39 - - VI WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONEY 46 - - VII MYSTERY 56 - - VIII THE MYSTERY BECOMES COMPLICATED 65 - - IX CLUES 75 - - X FLYING INSTRUCTIONS 86 - - XI BASEBALL GAME 102 - - XII WHAT HAPPENED TO WALLACE 123 - - XIII THE CAVE 134 - - XIV FLYING SOLO 146 - - XV A COMPLICATED SURPRISE 155 - - XVI SWIMMING CONTEST 163 - - XVII MAN CHAINED 177 - - XVIII THE TRAP 193 - - XIX AT THE CAVE AGAIN 204 - - XX BATTLE IN THE SKY 216 - - XXI NIGHT ENCOUNTER 226 - - XXII “THE CAVE” 242 - - - - - BANNER BOY SCOUTS IN THE AIR - - - - -CHAPTER I - -AT THE AIRPORT - - -Paul and Jack were dashing along on their bicycles through Main Street. -It was a clear, beautiful summer day. School was over and they grasped -the first opportunity to run over to the airport about a mile outside -of Stanhope and which had only recently been completed. - -The two boys wore their Scout uniforms and they pedalled along swiftly. -Several townspeople paused to watch them pass by and wondered what -might be the cause of their haste. Paul stuck his left hand out and -they turned right into Oliver Street, thus taking a short cut to -the highway and then to the aerodrome. When they arrived at their -objective, they dismounted and stood around, taking everything in with -their eyes. - -The flying field was about a mile long and half a mile wide and -entirely cleared of trees, bushes or anything that might be an -obstruction. To one side were a group of sheds and a building, -evidently the office. At about the middle of the field there was a -solitary monoplane. - -Jack gasped. Finally he remarked, “Gee, isn’t this grand?” - -Paul nodded. He was as much overcome with the wonder of it as his chum. -“Boy!” he exclaimed, “it sure is.” - -Jack said, “Let’s walk over to the buildings.” - -His chum nodded. “Sure, let’s go.” - -Pushing their bicycles along side of them, they walked across the -field. They could barely contain themselves with wonder, joy and -astonishment, which was the cause of their lack of speech. For the past -weeks they had been so excited by the news of the flying field being -completed that they found it difficult to control themselves enough to -go on with their school work. And it wasn’t only Jack and Paul, but -all their chums had suddenly become interested in aeronautics. They -began to boast of their ambition to become pilots, fly all over the -world and enjoy all sorts of adventurous experiences. At times, instead -of studying their biology lessons or French, they would be reading -thrilling air stories or books on flying. - -As the two boys approached the office building, a man emerged and -waved to them. They waved back. Paul whispered, “I’ll bet it’s Major -McCarthy, the manager.” - -Paul was right. The Major was a tall, stocky man of about forty and -almost bald. He smiled to them and said, “Hello fellows. I’m Major -McCarthy. Is there anything I can do for you?” - -Jack said, “We came over to look around, if you have no objections, -Major.” - -The Major smiled warmly. “Oh, none whatsoever. You’re welcome.” - -Paul said, “My name is Paul—Paul Morrison.” - -“And your dad is Dr. Morrison?” - -“That’s right. How did you know?” - -“Well, there’s only one Dr. Morrison in Stanhope. Glad to meet you, -Paul.” - -The two shook hands. Jack said, “I’m Jack Stormways.” - -“Glad to know you,” the major said and they shook hands. - -For a few seconds there ensued an embarrassed silence. Neither Jack nor -Paul could think of anything to say and Major McCarthy was waiting for -them to ask questions. Finally the major said, “Suppose you boys lean -your bicycles against the wall and I’ll show you around. There isn’t -much doing now and I have some time on my hands.” - -Paul cried, “I think that’s swell of you.” - -And Jack added, “Thanks a lot.” - -The boys quickly leaned their wheels against the wall and then joined -the major, one on either side of him. The major said, “I might as well -begin by telling you something about the field. You’ll notice that -the field is cleared of all obstructions. That’s absolutely necessary -to make sure there is nothing to cause an accident in taking off or -landing. The field is about a mile long. That’s to provide plenty of -room for taking off or landing.” - -Jack interrupted. “How much of a run does it take to land or take off?” - -Paul nodded, implying that he too was interested in the question. Major -McCarthy answered, “It all depends. A light ship can take off in about -a hundred yards or less. A big ship heavily loaded may take a quarter -or half a mile or even more to take off. In landing, the ground speed -depends a lot upon the velocity of the wind. The stronger the wind, the -less space required in which to land.” - -They were walking towards the sheds. Pointing, Paul asked, “What’s -that?” - -The major looked in the direction the boy was pointing. “That’s a wind -indicator,” he said. “That shows which way the wind is blowing.” - -“And what’s the purpose of that?” Paul asked. - -“To tell which way to land. You always land directly into the wind.” - -They were heading toward the monoplane. The boys were thrilled. They -had seen planes in the movies and in the daily newspapers, but they had -never seen a _real_ plane. As soon as they neared the ship, the first -reaction of the boys was to pat it, caress it as if it were a live -thing. The major smiled casually and understood how they felt. He said, -“Suppose the two of you get into the observer’s seat while I get into -the pilot’s place and I’ll explain a few things to you about a plane.” - -The boys gasped for breath, they were so shocked by the invitation. “Do -you think it’s all right?” Paul asked bewildered. - -“Of course,” the major answered, “otherwise I wouldn’t ask you.” - -Quickly, lest he reconsider his invitation, the boys scrambled into -the observer’s seat. Major McCarthy climbed into the pilot’s seat. -They leaned over the major’s shoulders and stared at a bewildering and -numerous collection of gadgets on the dashboard. The major said, “First -I had better explain to you the meaning of these gadgets.” Pointing -to a dial, he explained, “This is the revolution counter. The engine -in this plane is designed to give about two thousand revolutions per -minute. For all practical purposes, about 1700 or 1800 revolutions are -sufficient. Here, on the right, is the throttle lever. And here are -the gasoline and oil gauges. This is the ‘doper’ which pumps a spray -of gasoline into the engine to help in starting it up. These are the -gasoline taps connecting the two tanks and each of the tanks with -the feed pipes leading to the carburetors. And this is the ignition -control. You keep it advanced when running but retarded when starting -up. This is the water temperature indicator. You always keep the water -pretty hot.” He paused, then he asked, “Do you have any questions?” - -The boys shook their heads, bewildered by it all. “If there are no -questions,” Major McCarthy said, “then I’ll continue.” - -“This is the control lever, or the ‘joystick’ as it is commonly -called.” And he grasped the handle of a short straight stick that -protruded upwards between his legs from the floor of the cockpit. -“The stick is attached to a universal joint, and it controls both the -longitudinal movements as well as the lateral movements by means of -wires attached to the elevator and the ailerons. If you want to go up, -all you do is pull the stick back; if you want to go down, you push -the stick forward. Now notice where my feet are—on the rudder bar. If -I want to turn to the left, I push my left foot forward; if I want -to turn to the right, I push the right foot forward. Simple, isn’t -it?” And he looked up to see the astonishment on the boys’ faces. He -continued with his interesting lecture. “Now when I want to turn, I -must push the joystick over simultaneously and in the same direction as -the rudder. This is called ‘banking’ on one side. The object of banking -on a turn is to offer the under-surface of the wings as a plane of -resistance to the air. Not banking the plane over retards the forward -speed. If you don’t bank enough you may get into a ‘flat turn’. Now -a ‘flat turn’ is bad because you may thus stall the motor and take a -nose dive and unless you keep your head clear and straighten out again, -you’ll most likely crash. Do you understand what I’m talking about?” - -Both boys nodded; actually it was all a puzzle to them. Paul remarked, -“Gosh, Major, it must be wonderful to be a pilot.” - -“It isn’t such a bad job.” - -“Do you think we could learn to fly?” inquired Jack. - -“Of course. Anybody could.” - -“Could you teach us?” Jack was anxious. - -“Certainly. But I imagine you’d first have to get permission from your -parents. I don’t suppose either one of you is eighteen or over.” - -The boys shook their heads dejectedly. “I’m only seventeen and a half,” -Jack said. - -“I’m going to be eighteen the fifteenth of next month”—that from Paul. - -Major McCarthy looked up. Somebody over at the hangar was calling to -him and motioning for him to come over. “Well, I have to go now. Let’s -get out of the plane.” Walking back toward the hangers, the major said, -“Come around again one of these days and if I have time I’ll take you -up.” - -“Gee, wouldn’t that be swell,” Paul cried. “You really mean it?” - -“Of course.” - -Jack was eager. “How about tomorrow?” he asked. - -Major McCarthy nodded. “Okey” he said, “but I must ask you boys to -obtain permission of your parents. Otherwise I won’t do it.” - -“That’s a bargain,” said Paul. “If my dad or mother object I’ll tell -you the truth.” - -“Same here,” chimed in his chum. - -“All right then, I’ll see you boys tomorrow.” - -Waving their hands to the Major, they took their bicycles and walked -off the field. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE MEETING - - -Peddling back to town, their minds were in the clouds. Each one was -thinking how wonderful it would be to learn to fly, to be a pilot and -fly all over the country, perhaps all over the world. And when they -thought of the adventure that was in store for them, their hearts -swelled with joy and their pulses missed a couple of beats. Paul, who -was riding behind, pulled up alongside of his chum, and asked, “Do you -think we ought to tell the boys about it?” - -“You mean about our coming over here?” Jack queried. - -“Yes.” - -“Why not? They would certainly be very much interested and there’s no -reason why we can’t tell them.” - -Paul mused for a moment. Then he said, “But if we tell them that the -Major promised to take us up tomorrow, then the whole gang will come -out here and want to be taken up. Then perhaps he won’t take any one of -us up.” - -“I never thought of that,” Jack said. “But then I suppose—” He didn’t -finish his sentence because he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want -to hold anything back from the boys, yet he thought it was rather -selfish on his part not to let them in on it. The same thoughts were -going through Paul’s head. They were both fine chaps and ready to share -with their friends not only their thoughts, adventures but even their -most personal things. But the idea of going up in the air, of actually -flying in a real airplane, stunned them. And they naturally hated to be -deprived of their forthcoming joyous adventure. Finally, Jack said, “I -don’t know, but I think we ought to tell them.” - -Paul’s face lit up. “That’s just what I was thinking,” he told his chum. - -That off their chests, they wheeled into town briskly. On Main Street, -they caught sight of Arline Blair. They jumped off their bikes as they -pulled up alongside of her. “Hello, Arline,” both boys cried out. - -She was about a year younger than the boys and one of the prettiest -girls in town. “Hello,” she said. “Where are you boys coming from? -You’re so flushed and look so happy, I wonder what you fellows were up -to.” - -“We were over to the airport,” Paul told her. - -“Really?” She opened her eyes wide with astonishment. - -Jack blurted out, “Sure. And we’re going to learn how to fly and be -pilots.” - -“Both of us,” added Paul. - -Arline pursed her lips. “Isn’t it glorious just to think of it!” she -remarked. - -The boys stuck their chests out. “It certainly is,” both agreed. - -Paul asked, “Which way are you going, Arline?” - -“Home.” - -“Take you there on my handle bars.” - -Jack interrupted, “Perhaps Miss Blair would prefer to ride on my handle -bars.” - -Arline shook her head. “No. It isn’t very nice for a young lady to ride -on handle bars,” she remarked coolly. - -“But you used to do it and like it too,” insisted Paul. - -“Yes, that’s right,” echoed Jack, “you used to ask me to give you -rides.” - -Miss Blair raised her chin several inches. “My childhood days are over, -gentlemen. Good day Mr. Morrison, and you, Mr. Stormways.” And with -that continued her walk down the street, every inch of her a queen. - -Jack and Paul looked at each other puzzled, speechless. Paul shrugged -his shoulders and put his hand out. Seriously and affectionately they -shook hands, jumped on their bikes and were off again. - -When the two boys arrived at the meeting place, they found their chums, -members of their Patrol, waiting for them. All were dressed in Scout -uniforms. The Carberry twins—Wallace and William—were there; so were -Bluff Shipley, Bobolink (Robert Oliver Link), Nuthin’ (Albert Cypher), -and Ken Armstrong. Just as soon as Paul and Jack came in sight, the -boys set up a howl. “Hey, where have you guys been?” - -“We’ve been waiting an hour for you fellows.” - -“What’s the idea of keeping us waiting like this?” - -“You fellows must be up to some mischief.” - -Paul and Jack looked at each other and smiled. Paul held up his hand -and the boys quieted down considerably. “Would you care to know where -we’ve been?” - -“Of course.” - -“Certainly.” - -“Come on, Paul, tell us.” - -“Hey, Jack, don’t hold back on us.” - -Jack, to tantalize his friends, turned to Paul and asked, “Do you think -we ought to tell them?” - -“Hey, how do you get that way?” - -Wallace began jumping up and down. “You better tell us,” he cried, “or -we’ll roast you.” - -“Roast them, that’s it,” echoed Bobolink. - -Paul held up his hand and the boys quieted down. “We’ve been over to -the airport,” he announced. - -Bedlam broke loose, the boys were so thrilled and excited. So many -questions were hurled at the two boys that they stuck their fingers -into their ears and turned away. When the boys finally quieted down -again, Paul said, “If you promise to keep order, we’ll tell you about -it.” - -Bluff stuttered, “Sure, we p-p-promise. Don’t we, b-boys?” - -They all nodded and agreed. Between Paul and Jack it was decided that -Paul should be the one to narrate the events of their adventurous -afternoon. As he told the story, the boys gasped with amazement. And -when he told them about the major’s promise to take them up into the -air on the morrow, the boys were dumbfounded. Finally, the first one to -regain his speech, William, exclaimed, “Gee, what luck!” - -Bluff muttered mournfully, “Luck! There is no word for it. These two -have all the luck in the world.” - -Wallace, the sober and serious one of the twins arose. “Scouts,” -he began in a dignified tone, “in view of the fact that we are all -interested in aeronautics, I propose—” he hesitated and looked around -to see all eyes on him. “I propose,” he continued, “that we consider -ways and means to learn everything there is about flying and about -airplanes.” - -Nuthin’ cried, “That’s a mighty fine suggestion, but how are we going -to do it?” - -Paul suggested, “We might talk it over with Major McCarthy, he’s the -manager of the airport and he ought to know.” - -Bobolink cried, “Sure he knows and he’ll tell us too. I want to be a -pilot.” - -“S-s-same here,” stuttered Bluff. - -“In that case,” spoke up Jack, “I guess we better postpone any further -discussion until Paul and I will see Major McCarthy tomorrow. We’ll -speak to him and then report back.” - -“That’s swell.” - -“Okey.” - -“That’s the right idea.” - -Paul asked, “Is everybody agreed?” All the boys nodded. “Then the -meeting is adjourned until tomorrow,” he concluded. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -BOBOLINK IS A HERO - - -Jack and Paul mounted their bicycles and peddled along very leisurely. -The other six, in formation, marched on the side walk. Suddenly a -shriek pierced the air. Bobolink was the first to notice. Dropping out -of line, he began to run at full speed. The others, although they were -not sure what it was all about, nevertheless also joined in the run. A -blue sedan was speeding down the street and bearing down on a little -boy of about three who, unconcerned of traffic or any danger, was -crossing the street. Half way across he paused and stared for several -seconds at the cobblestones, then he continued walking to the other -side, thus getting into the path of the oncoming, speeding automobile. -Several women screamed. The mother, about ten yards away, fainted. - -Bobolink ran until his breath was gone. It was the fastest hundred -yard run a human could do. The speeding car was barely a yard away -when Bobolink reached the spot. With his outstretched arms he gave -the child a shove that sent him sprawling. The next moment he saw a -galaxy of stars, a piercing pain made him cry out and then darkness, -unconsciousness. The automobile had side-swiped him and scraped his -right side. - -A great number of people immediately collected and surrounded the two -victims. The child, except for being shocked and very slightly bruised, -was unhurt. Bobolink, however, lay stretched out, appearing more dead -than alive. - -Paul and Jack, on their bicycles, saw the incident. Immediately -they wheeled around and peddled vigorously after the speeding car. -Ordinarily, the chase would have been a futile and useless gesture. But -the boys knew that about 500 yards away was a very sharp left turn, and -at the speed the driver was going, he was sure either to crash or turn -over. And sure enough, the driver, ignorant of the sharp turn ahead, -did not slow up until it was too late. Frantically he swung the wheel, -so he would not crash into the wall that loomed up in front of him. The -side of the car bounced against the concrete wall and turned over into -the ditch. Just as the boys came up and jumped off their wheels, the -driver had extricated himself. He was a tall, husky, evil looking young -man. Dazed, he stood wavering on his legs and shaking himself trying to -shake off his dizziness. Without hesitation, the boys jumped on him. He -offered no resistance. He lay stunned. Paul said, “Guess he’s out all -right.” - -They looked down at the unconscious form sprawling on the ground. The -man’s face was a mass of blood and his hand was twisted as though -broken at the wrist. Paul said, “I’ll stay here and watch him. You ride -back and get the police and have an ambulance come.” - -Jack nodded. “But suppose he comes to, do you think you could hold him?” - -Paul looked down at the victim. “Even if he comes to,” he said, “he’d -be too weak to run or put up any fight.” - -“All right, then,” Jack said, “I’m going.” - -But just as he was about to mount his bike, he saw an ambulance come -speeding toward them. Evidently someone in the house a short distance -away had seen the accident and immediately reported it by telephone. - -The ambulance stopped. An interne jumped out and with him a policeman. -The doctor examined the man, then had him put on a stretcher and into -the ambulance. The policeman examined the wrecked car, took the license -number, removed a valise, and then questioned Paul and Jack who told -him all they knew. They asked him about Bobolink but he knew nothing of -what happened to the boy. - -The ambulance turned around and went back to town. With heavy hearts -and wondering whether their friend was alive or dead, the two boys -mounted their bikes and wheeled back to town. Jack sidled up to his -chum. “What are we going to do now, Paul?” he asked. - -“I guess we better try to find out how Bobolink is,” he answered. - -“He was a swell guy,” muttered Jack. - -“He certainly was,” echoed Paul. - -“Do you think he was killed or just hurt?” - -Paul shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know,” he answered. “We better wait -and see.” - -They peddled along slowly and mournfully. At last they came to -Bobolink’s home and found all the other boys idling dolefully on the -porch. - -Paul approached the twins and asked, “How is he?” - -Wallace shook his head and turned away. William whispered hoarsely, -“Don’t know yet.” - -About ten minutes later Dr. Morrison emerged from the house. Noticing -the boys congregated on the porch, with their faces drawn and appearing -quite sombre, he looked puzzled, then suddenly smiled. They rushed up -and surrounded him. Paul asked, “How is he, Dad?” - -“He’s fine,” Dr. Morrison replied. “Nothing to worry about. He’ll be -back with you and running around as though nothing had happened, in -three days.” - -Bluff for once didn’t stutter and cried, “Hooray! Hooray for Bobolink!” - -The other boys joined and they cheered the hero. When they quieted -down, Paul asked his father, “May we go in to see him?” - -The doctor nodded. “Yes, of course. That is, if it’s all right with -Mrs. Link.” - -So Jack was delegated to go in and ask Mrs. Link for permission to see -Bobolink, which was granted. So they entered in a body to cheer up the -invalid and hero. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -FLYING - - -That evening Paul and Jack approached their parents for permission -to be taken up in an airplane. Paul encountered little difficulty, -much to his surprise. Of course, he was cautioned several times to be -careful and he reiterated all the arguments he could muster about how -safe flying had become and that there was no danger involved at all. -Jack, on the other hand, found his mother set against any such thing. -His father was reasonable and consented, but only on condition that -his mother did not object. But she did, very strenuously! Jack argued -his case as well as the best lawyers until his mother would no longer -answer him but merely shake her head. Finally he told her that if -Paul’s mother didn’t object he didn’t see why she should. So she called -up Mrs. Morrison and then reluctantly gave her consent. Jack jumped -high in the air and whooped for joy. - -That night both boys found it difficult to fall asleep thinking of the -adventure that was in store for them. And when they finally did fall -asleep they dreamed of all sorts of things. Jack dreamed that he was a -pilot flying across the country. Paul dreamed that he and his chum were -flying across the jungles of South America and that they crashed and -became lost in the jungles. And just as a wild animal which he couldn’t -recognize was about to jump at him, he woke up and tumbled out of bed. - -At about noon, Jack met Paul at the latter’s home and, mounting their -bicycles, they were off to the airport. They were so thrilled that they -couldn’t talk. So they peddled along briskly and when they arrived at -their destination they found the Carberry twins and Nuthin’ already -there and waiting for them. As Paul and Jack came in sight, the three -boys set up a yell. Major McCarthy came out of the office building and -waved to them. “Hello, there,” he said. “Are you ready to go up?” - -Paul cried, “Sure. And we can hardly wait.” - -Jack said, “And our parents gave us permission, too.” - -The major smiled cheerfully. “I don’t see any reason for them to -object,” he said, “but then some parents object thinking that it’s -dangerous when it isn’t at all.” - -The boys agreed with him. Nuthin’ cried, “You fellows don’t know how -lucky you are. I’d give a right arm to be in your place.” - -William offered higher stakes. He said, “I’d give a right arm and a -right leg to change places with either of you two.” - -Major McCarthy grinned. “Maybe I’ll take you boys up on that,” he said. -“I can always use a couple of right arms.” - -William jumped high in the air and whooped. “Say, do you mean that?” he -demanded. - -“I’m not saying a thing,” the major replied. “We’ll just wait and see.” - -He went into the office and returned a few minutes later. “Already to -go up?” he asked. They answered eagerly that they were and he said, -“Then let’s go.” - -The two boys fell in alongside of him with the three others trailing -behind. At the hangar, one of the mechanics helped the major wheel out -the plane. Then the mechanic hunted up a couple of jackets and goggles -for the boys. When everything was ready, the major said, “All right, -boys, climb into the observer’s seat. If you make yourselves small -enough, there will be plenty of room for both of you.” - -They climbed in. The other three boys were told to retreat about a -hundred yards away. Finally the major got into the cockpit. Turning to -the boys, he asked them, “Everything all right? Not frightened?” - -They shook their heads and assured him that they felt perfectly at -ease. The mechanic grasped hold of the propeller. “Ready! Switch off! -Suck in!” he shouted. - -“Switch off! Suck in!” answered the pilot. - -The boys leaned over to watch what the pilot was doing. As the mechanic -turned the propeller over about half a dozen times, the pilot, with -a few strokes of the doping pump, sprayed gasoline vapor into the -cylinders. “Contact!” cried the mechanic. - -“Contact!” replied the major. He pressed down the switches and quickly -turned the handle of the starting magneto. Brrr ... brrrr ... went the -engine. The mechanic sprang away. The mechanic made as though to bound -forward but was checked by the wooden chocks, placed in front of the -under-carriage wheels. - -Just as he was ready, he turned back and asked, “Are you ready boys?” - -“Yes, sir,” they replied. - -“Very well, then, we’re off.” - -The three boys at the sheds cheered lustily as the machine began to -move and Paul and Jack waved to them. And before they realized it the -machine was about six feet off the ground which seemed to be falling -away beneath them. The plane kept climbing steadily upwards. The boys -leaned forward. They saw that the air-speed indicator registered a -little over a hundred miles an hour, and they wondered because they -couldn’t feel the machine traveling at such a rate of speed. As they -continued to climb, the boys looked over the side at the scene below -them. The earth now appeared like a great colored map, with fields -showing up in different shades of green and brown. The airport which -they had only shortly left, was a little to the left of them. Sheds and -houses and barns appeared as very small rectangular blocks. As they -climbed still higher, things took on yet smaller proportions. Major -McCarthy spoke to them through the telephone. “Well, how do you like -it?” he asked. - -Paul answered for both of them. “Marvelous!” he cried. - -The pilot banked the machine and it steeped over on one side so sharply -that the boys instinctively clutched for support. McCarthy’s voice came -over the telephone “Don’t be alarmed,” he said, “there’s no danger and -you can’t fall out.” He straightened out the machine. Again they heard -his voice. “Feel a little giddy?” he asked. “If you do,” he cried, -“look down upon some fixed object on the ground and you’ll feel all -right.” - -Both boys complied with his instructions and they soon got over their -giddiness. The pilot kept the machine sailing at an even keel. Soon -they were flying over a small town and they saw what appeared to them -as ants scurrying along. They knew that the ants were really men and -women and they marveled how small they appeared. As a matter of fact, -everything looked like toys from that distance and flying above a -railroad, the track seemed to be two thin lines drawn with a pencil. -Major McCarthy’s voice came over the telephone. “How would you boys -like some stunts?” he asked. - -The boys grinned at each other. Paul answered for both of them. “Very -much,” he said. - -“All right,” he said, “we’ll have to be satisfied with only one today. -Just to see how you fellows take it. First we’ll bank and turn around. -Ready!” - -But before they could answer the pilot already had the machine keeled -over on one side. On an even keel again, the major asked them, “How -about your safety belts.” They adjusted their safety belts and told -him so. “Very well,” he said, “here goes.” And so saying, he opened -the throttle and the plane bounded forward. In a few seconds the nose -sprang upward. As it rose the forward speed decreased, yet the engine -continued to run at the maximum revolutions. The machine was not -pointing vertically upwards. For a moment the plane appeared to hang -on the revolving propeller and it felt as though the machine must -inevitably drop tail foremost. But right away the nose fell over to -one side and dropped and the tail shot up and the machine was shooting -sharply downward. For some distance they continued to dive, then the -pilot shut off the throttle and pulled back the elevator lever and -brought the plane again on an even keel. However, they were now flying -in the opposite direction. McCarthy asked, “How was it?” - -The boys were thrilled. “Fine!” cried Paul. - -“Were you afraid?” - -“No, not in the least.” - -“Well, that was an easy one, but the next time we’ll try a harder one.” - -Jack couldn’t contain himself, so he cried, “How about now?” - -Major McCarthy shook his head. “Enough for today,” he told them. - -They were now flying over the airport and a minute later they landed. -The three waiting boys sent up a couple of greeting cheers and ran over -to meet the grinning two who were tumbling out of the plane. “How was -it?” demanded Nuthin’. - -William was impatient. “Tell us about it, quick,” he cried. - -Paul nudged his chum in the ribs and asked, “Do you think we ought to -tell them?” - -Jack smiled and wiggled his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “I think we -ought to consider it.” - -William was impatient. “Hey, come on,” he cried. “No stalling now.” - -The major joined the group and the two boys thanked him. He said, “It’s -quite all right, boys, I’m only too glad to do it. And by the way, I -heard all about what happened yesterday. You tell that fellow, what’s -his name—” - -“Bobolink,” cried Nuthin’. - -“Bobolink,” repeated the major. “He’s a friend of yours, isn’t he?” - -Wallace interjected, “He certainly is. He is a grand fellow, too.” - -“I’m glad to hear it,” said the major. “So you tell him that just as -soon as he’s recovered, to come over here and I’ll take him up for a -ride.” - -“Yea!” cried Nuthin’, “hooray for Major McCarthy!” - -They gave the major three cheers. But William wanted to know something -else. “How about us?” - -“Well,” he said, “I’ll think it over.” They were now at the door of the -office building. Entering, he turned around and said, “Don’t go away, -now. I’ll be out right away.” - -The boys squatted on the ground, with Paul and Jack in the center and -the two boys were obliged to tell every detail of their experience. -It took about fifteen to twenty minutes to narrate the story and when -finally it was told, the boys sat back, speechless and lost in thought. -William said, “Gee, I hope the major gives me a ride. I’d do anything.” - -Wallace said, “Getting a ride is all very well, but what I really am -interested in is to learn how to fly. I wonder if it’s hard to learn.” - -“No, I don’t think so,” replied Paul. “Major McCarthy told us yesterday -that it was easy to learn.” - -Jack said, “I was watching him all the time and it looks very simple. -But we could ask him.” - -“Yes, we could do that,” remarked Wallace, “but what we want to know is -whether he would teach us.” - -William spoke up, saying, “All of us.” - -“Of course, all of us,” agreed Paul. - -Just then the major came out and they called him over. He seated -himself on the ground beside them. Paul asked, “Do you think you could -teach us how to fly?” - -“Of course,” he said. “I’ve taught a lot of people how to fly.” - -“Is it difficult to learn?” demanded Wallace. - -“Why, no. On the contrary, it’s very simple.” - -Again Wallace asked a question. “If you could teach us to fly, would -we—would we—” he hesitated. Finally he said, “Would it cost a lot of -money?” - -McCarthy thought for a moment. “Well,” he said, “I don’t think so. As -a matter of fact, I’d love to teach you young fellows and I’m sure we -could come to some arrangement.” - -“That’s mighty nice of you,” Paul said, voicing the sentiment of the -other boys. - -“I think what you ought to do,” said McCarthy, “is to consider yourself -a single group and I’ll teach you as a group. Of course I couldn’t take -you up all together, but whatever ground-work there is to be done, I -could instruct you as a group.” - -“That’s just what we were thinking, sir,” said Jack. - -“In that case, everything is settled, except that I must insist that -you bring written permission from your parents. Is that agreeable?” - -The boys were so surprised and shocked by the willingness of McCarthy -to instruct them that they were left almost speechless. William was the -first one to recover. “You mean to say that you’re actually willing to -teach us to fly?” he asked skeptically. - -The major smiled and nodded. “That’s just what I said, didn’t I?” - -“Yes, but you said it so casually and carelessly that we didn’t grasp -it at once,” said Nuthin’. “Say it again, please, sir,” he pleaded. - -Major McCarthy reiterated his offer and the boys let out wild yells of -joy. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE REWARD - - -The major got up and the boys also jumped to their feet. “Well, who -wants to go up now?” he asked. - -“I do!” cried William lustily. - -“Me too,” insisted Wallace. - -“What about me?”—that from Nuthin’. - -The three boys milled around the major. Paul and Jack, smiling, -retreated to the background. They had had their ride and it was -somebody else’s turn now. “I’ll tell you what,” the major said, “the -three of you choose and I’ll take the two winners up now. And when I -come down I’ll take up the loser.” - -It was a good suggestion and fair enough. And as luck would have it, -William who was the most persistent and eager, lost and his twin -brother Wallace and Nuthin’ went up. From the ground, they watched the -plane in the air. McCarthy kept them in the air for a much shorter -time than Paul and Jack and performed no stunts. When they landed, the -two boys, thrilled and excited, climbed out of the machine. The pilot -smiled cheerfully and cried, “Well, who’s next?” - -William shouted, “I am!” And quickly and eagerly tumbled into the -observer’s seat. This time the other boys thought that William was the -lucky chap, since he was going to fly all by himself. Jack immediately -spoke up. “Major McCarthy,” he said, “would it be all right with you -if the four of us chose to see which one of us could go up with you a -second time?” - -He nodded. “Sure,” he said. “That’s fair enough, I guess.” - -Paul was the lucky one and he went up in the air for a second time. -When McCarthy landed, the boys thanked him heartily. When they returned -to Stanhope they all went to Bobolink’s house because he was still -unable to leave his bed and they had decided to hold the meeting that -afternoon in his room. When they got there, they found Bluff and -Ken already present and they could hardly contain their excitement. -William, impatient as well as impulsive, broke into the room, shouting, -“Hey, fellows, we flew in a real airplane.” - -The boys in the room were also highly excited and Bluff, who was -eager to explain, stuttered so because of the exciting news, that he -couldn’t talk. He cried, “A-a-a-and y-y-you n-n-n-know what—” - -He was interrupted, however, by Ken, who called out, “Wait, Bluff, -don’t tell them until we hear what they have to say.” - -Paul demanded, “What is it you’ve got to tell us?” - -Bobolink, propped up in bed, declared, “Oh, nothing, nothing much.” - -But their eyes glittered so with excitement and their faces were so -flushed that the new-comers could tell at a glance that there was -something up. - -“Say, you fellows are holding something from us; come on, tell us,” -William demanded. - -Ken, who was always able to keep a straight face, no matter what -happened, remarked very coolly and casually, “Nothing, really. You tell -us first what happened at the airport. Did you all get a ride?” - -The boys grinned. “We most certainly did,” announced William. - -“Each and everyone of us,” added Jack. - -Paul said modestly, blushing to admit the truth, “I went up twice.” - -Bluff made believe he was fainting. “Is that b-boy l-l-lucky!” he -exclaimed, “H-h-how come y-y-you w-were thus h-h-honored?” he wanted to -know. - -Paul explained. Wallace interrupted to say, “And what’s more, Major -McCarthy told us to tell you, Bobolink, that just as soon as you’re -recuperated, he’s going to take you up, too.” - -The boys swarmed about Bobolink’s bed and the boy had to turn his head -from one side to the other to listen to what each fellow said. He -replied, “I’m glad and I appreciate the major’s offer but I wish you -boys would stop jumping around like frogs and get chairs and sit down.” -He was interrupted by William and Jack who began to speak at once but -he stopped them and added, “Don’t all talk at the same time.” - -Wallace got ahead of all the others this time and announced, “Major -McCarthy also told us that he is going to teach us all how to fly.” - -Bluff and Ken who heard the news for the first time, jumped high in the -air and shouted, “Wow!!” - -Paul called the boys to order and admonished them not to make so much -noise because that would be a very poor manner in which to reciprocate -Mrs. Link’s kindness in permitting them to meet in Bobolink’s room. All -the boys nodded and agreed to refrain from making any further noise. -They brought in chairs, placed them around the bed and sat down very -orderly to discuss the business at hand, which was, Major McCarthy’s -offer to teach them how to fly. For the moment they forgot everything -else and thought only of their ambition to learn how to fly and be -pilots. Bluff, however, soon remembered that there was some exciting -news to tell which had been temporarily forgotten. At the first -opportunity, therefore, he interrupted and said, “W-w-wait a minute, -f-f-fellows, we h-h-have f-f-forg-g-gotten s-s-something.” - -Given the cue, they all suddenly remembered. William jumped out of his -seat and cried, “That’s right, you were supposed to tell us something. -So come across, don’t hold back, tell us,” he demanded. - -Bluff waved his arms and wanted to tell but Ken restrained him and -said, “No, it’s Bobolink’s news; let him tell it.” - -All eyes turned on Bobolink. A modest and unassuming person, he -hesitated. Ken urged him on, saying, “Don’t be bashful, tell them.” - -Blushing, he said, “It’s really Paul and Jack who deserve all the -credit for catching that crook and they should really get all of the -reward.” - -“Reward! What reward?” - -“What crook?” - -They all spoke simultaneously, without listening to each other. Paul -held up his hand and motioned for everybody to be quiet. He said, -“Let’s first hear what it’s all about. All right, Bobolink, tell us -what you’re talking about.” - -Bobolink said, “Well, the story is all very simple. You remember -yesterday how that speeder nearly ran over the Smither’s kid?” - -They all nodded. Wallace said, “Of course we do, and if it weren’t for -you, the kid would be dead.” - -“It wasn’t much, really,” said Bobolink. “But what happened afterwards -is what’s really important. Jack and Paul went after the fellow and -caught him and then the police arrested him.” - -William was impatient. “So what about it?” he demanded. - -“Well,” continued Bobolink, “a short while ago Chief of Police Bates -called up and said that there was a two thousand dollar reward for the -arrest of that fellow and that very likely the money will be awarded -to be shared by Paul, Jack and me. But it’s Jack and Paul who should -really get all of it.” - -The last sentence was not heard because of the commotion that followed. -The boys jumped high in the air, shouted, screamed, cheered Paul, Jack -and Bobolink. They were beside themselves with joy. When at last they -quieted down, Jack asked, “But who’s the culprit, Bobolink? What crime -did he commit and who’s giving the reward?” - -Bobolink answered, “Chief Bates explained to mother that the culprit -is a well known counterfeiter and the government is giving the reward. -He said that in a day or two a government agent will come to town to -determine who really deserves the reward. But my mother told me that he -assured her that the three of us are going to get the reward.” - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONEY? - - -The boys were in such a turmoil of excitement that they barely noticed -Jack and Paul draw aside and whisper together. It took them only a few -seconds to agree to a mutual proposal. Paul walked over to Bobolink and -whispered something in his ear. Paul then called the boys to order, -told them to sit down, then said, “Fellows, we have some serious -thinking to do. We must determine the best manner in which to dispose -of the $2,000 reward.” - -Ken objected. “What do you mean ‘we’?” he demanded. “The money belongs -to you, Jack and Bobolink and it’s up to you to do as you please with -it.” - -Jack and Bobolink shook their heads in disagreement with the statement. -William, however, remarked, “I think Ken is right.” - -Bluff nodded in agreement while Wallace was noncommital. Paul -said, “The money belongs to all of us, the members of this Patrol. -Furthermore, if there is any argument about it, Jack, Bobolink and I -are agreed that we want the money to be shared by the eight of us. Now -let’s discuss, orderly and intelligently, what we should do with the -money.” - -All the boys were silent, not knowing what to say or how to deal with -the situation. Wallace, however, the sober and serious fellow of the -group, remarked, “I’m sure all the boys agree with me when I say -that we appreciate very much the gesture of Paul, Jack and Bobolink. -Furthermore, it is my opinion that none of us should hesitate to accept -their offer. Ever since I can remember, since the time we were kids, we -have always lived together, played together, gone to school together -and shared each other’s property. If a fellow had a dime, he bought -candy and shared it with all of us. I cannot remember a single instance -when a fellow refused to share anything he possessed with the rest of -us. You’ll remember that when we first became Scouts, we pooled our -money to buy uniforms for _all_ of us. We’ve been doing that ever since -and therefore I—” - -That was quite a long speech and the boys would not permit him to -continue. They applauded him to show their whole-hearted agreement. -Even Ken now agreed and said, “I think we owe a vote of thanks to -Wallace for explaining it to us and making it so clear that we cannot -help but agree with him.” - -Some of the boys nodded. William jumped up to offer a suggestion. He -said, “All right, we all agree by now that the money is the property of -all of us. Now what are we going to do with it? I propose that we use -it to learn how to fly and—” - -“R-r-righto!” exclaimed Bluff. - -“I think that is a good idea and it suits me perfectly,” said Jack. - -“Same here.” cried Nuthin’. - -The others nodded their approval. - -William held up his hand and called for order. “I’m not finished yet,” -he cried. - -“What else?” someone asked. - -“Hear, hear!” somebody else shouted. - -William continued. “What I want to add is this,” he declared, “That we -have enough money not only for all of us to learn how to fly but maybe -to buy a plane, too.” - -“Wow! Wouldn’t that be swell!” - -“Perfect is the word!” - -“Gee, a plane of our own!” - -Paul made himself heard. He said, “We’ll have to wait and discuss it -with Major McCarthy.” - -“That’s right, we’ll do that.” - -“He’s just the man.” - -“I’m sure he’ll be glad to advise us.” - -Wallace rose to address the boys. He said, “We’ve been so excited -that we’ve completely forgotten how to think straight.” The boys were -seized by a feeling of discomfort. “I know that I too got lost in the -excitement,” he added, “and only a moment ago it occurred to me that -we weren’t quite fair to our parents. We should by all means consult -them and find out whether they object to what we propose to do with the -money.” - -The boys became sombre and thoughtful. Someone said, “But after all, -the money is ours and we ought to be able to do with it as we please.” - -William added, “And suppose they won’t let us use the money to learn -how to fly, what’ll we do?” - -Paul said, “I don’t think we should feel disheartened by the thought -that perhaps our parents will object to the manner in which we propose -to use the money. I’m sure that our fathers and mothers are considerate -of our welfare and will most likely permit us to dispose of the money -according to our desires. Whatever we do, however, we should by all -means take our parents into our confidence and ask for their advice.” - -Jack supported his chum. He announced, “I agree whole-heartedly with -Paul and I hope you all do likewise.” - -Bobolink raised his hand. “I do,” he declared. - -“S-s-same here,” Bluff cried. - -“And me too,” said Wallace. - -The others also agreed. It was then decided that Wallace, Paul and Jack -approach Dr. Morrison and speak to him about it. The meeting was then -adjourned. - -On the street, the boys were acclaimed everywhere. It seemed that -the news had spread all over town very quickly. Walking through the -streets, many townspeople stopped the boys to congratulate them, shake -hands and slap them on the back. By the time they arrived at Dr. -Morrison’s office, they were worn out. Dr. Morrison greeted them, then -asked, “Well boys, what can I do for you?” - -Jack distorted his facial features and muttered, “Something for a -backache, Doctor, I’m all sore.” - -The doctor laughed good naturedly. Paul held up his right hand. “Dad,” -he said, “my fingers are swollen, can you do something?” - -Wallace interjected, saying, “And I, the innocent party, have to suffer -also.” - -The doctor smiled, then remarked, “I guess it’s because you fellows -deserve it.” - -They settled down to a serious talk and told Dr. Morrison everything -that had transpired. He listened respectfully and carefully noted all -their remarks. When they were finished, he agreed with them and then -suggested that each boy explain the entire matter to his father and -mother and then invite them to a meeting at Dr. Morrison’s home the -following evening. He offered to speak over the telephone with all -the parents and personally urge them to come to the meeting. The boys -thought it was a very good plan and agreed to go and tell it to the -other boys. - -The following evening all the parents assembled at the home of Dr. and -Mrs. Morrison. The boys were somewhat nervous and fidgety. They met -again in Bobolink’s room and worried together. What if their parents -vetoed their plan or decided that the money should be disposed of in -some other manner? What if their fathers and mothers decided this, -that, or something else? They were truly worried. - -In the meanwhile the parents assembled. Paul had been told to stay -with Jack for the night. Dr. Morrison called the meeting to order -and suggested that they elect a chairman. He himself was nominated -and elected unanimously. It didn’t take long after that for the -meeting to warm up and for everyone present to enter the discussion -and passionately plead his or her arguments. Soon the parents became -separated into two factions, one led by Dr. Morrison and the other by -Mr. Armstrong. It was Dr. Morrison’s idea that although the parents -should by all means keep a guiding hand over the boys and advise them -accordingly, yet the plan of the boys to use the money for flying -instructions, should be respected. Mr. Armstrong argued that he was not -anxious to disappoint the boys and that learning to be a pilot was all -right as far as he was concerned, but he thought that the money should -be used for more worthy purposes. For instance, the money might be used -to send some poor but deserving boy through college, or it might be -used to build a club house for the boys. - -Mr. Carberry, who supported Dr. Morrison, argued that the suggestion -of a club house was a poor one, because the boys always had a place at -their disposal to meet; that such a state of affairs was preferable to -a club house where they would withdraw and do things the parents would -be ignorant of. And as for using the money to send some poor but able -boy to college, it was a most commendable suggestion but the money -after all belonged to the boys and they should be permitted to use it -for their own ends. - -Mr. Link, who supported Mr. Armstrong, argued that it was all right to -let the boys have their way but that when they were on the verge of -doing something wrong, such as mis-using a large sum of money, it was -up to the parents to advise them and see that they acted differently; - -And thus arguments flew back and forth. Finally Mr. Shipley suggested -that a vote be taken to see how matters stood. A show of hands revealed -that one faction won by a vote of ten to six. There was some applause -and then Dr. Morrison told them all to relax, that although they had -argued one against another, it was all on good faith and friendliness. -Several minutes later Mrs. Morrison served tea. - -Although the boys were in bed and supposedly asleep when their parents -returned home at about eleven, yet they were all very much awake. They -couldn’t question their parents that night, however, as to the results -of the meeting. They were obliged to spend a wakeful night and wait -until morning to learn the results. - -At precisely eight o’clock the next morning, Wallace and William came -downstairs for breakfast. Wallace affected a reserved, calm attitude -while William was openly impatient and eager to know the results. In -the dining room, Mr. Carberry was already at the table. He greeted -the boys with a cheerful good morning. Just then, Mrs. Carberry came -in from the kitchen. The twins kissed their mother. Wallace sat down -at the table. William glanced from one parent to another. “Well?” he -queried. - -The parents smiled and the boys knew that everything was all right. -William shouted, “Wow!” He threw his arms around his mother and hugged -her. Both boys then pressed their father’s hand affectionately and -insisted for the details of the conference. - -Similar scenes were enacted at the homes of all the boys. Jack and -Paul had decided, before they came down for breakfast, that they would -attempt a carefree, noncommittal attitude and would not inquire but -wait until they were told the news. Both boys sat down glumly at the -table and played with their food, insisting that they were not hungry. -But their appetites were quickly revived when Mr. Stormways told them -the story of the meeting. - -Bobolink, just as soon as his mother entered his room bringing him his -breakfast, inquired anxiously, “What was decided last night, mother?” - -She smiled carelessly and answered, “Well, I really don’t approve of -the decision and I argued against it, but—” - -Bobolink’s face fell and he expected the worst. But when she told him -the truth, that the majority of parents had voted to permit the boys -to use the money as they planned, he became so excited that he almost -overturned his breakfast tray. - -At the Shipley home, the moment he woke up, Bluff donned a bathrobe and -raced downstairs to ask his mother for the news. Nuthin’ was told the -news at the breakfast table and Ken’s father also told his son the good -news at breakfast. - -About nine o’clock all the boys left together for the airport to confer -with Major McCarthy. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -MYSTERY - - -At the airport the boys had to wait a while until Major McCarthy showed -up. When they told him their plans, he approved heartily and assured -them that he would try his best to get them a good second hand airplane -for the money available. Then he also informed them that he was leaving -that same afternoon for New York and expected to be away about a week. -The boys would therefore have to wait, until he returned, for their -flying instructions. - -On their way back to town the boys decided that in the meanwhile they -could go camping for a week. Someone mentioned that Bobolink would be -unable to come along and that therefore they should postpone their -camping trip. Paul then called their attention to the fact that for the -next month or so they would be occupied at the airport; in three weeks -they had an agreement to play a baseball game against the Ted Slavin -team and then a swimming match against the same group. “Sure,” he said, -“we won’t have another opportunity to go camping until just before -school opens and we plan to do that anyhow.” - -Jack suggested, “Let’s put it up to Bobolink and then do whatever he -decides.” - -They all agreed to the proposal. Bobolink, when he heard of it, urged -them to go. And they decided to leave early the following morning. - -The air was fresh and clear. The dew was still on the ground. The sun -shone brightly. Stanhope was only now awakening out of its slumber -and an occasional car or truck that passed seemed to be committing -sacrilege against the peace and quiet that hung like a mantle over the -town. - -Main and Chestnut Streets was the meeting point upon which they had -agreed. Paul, Jack and Ken arrived almost simultaneously. They greeted -each other with a smile. They inhaled deeply the fresh, invigorating -air that set their blood dashing through their veins. William and -Wallace arrived next and a minute later followed Nuthin’. They -conversed in whispers lest they disturb the hushed, still air that -hung everywhere about them. They were aglow with the joy of life. They -huddled together, bubbling over with excitement and anticipation. - -Bluff, gasping for breath, came running up. All there, Paul, the -leader, gave the order to fall in line. Then he called out, “Forward, -march!” - -They were on their way. They walked in double file; each boy was -dressed in his Scout uniform, with a knapsack on his back. As far as -the end of the town they marched in formation. Turning into the road -leading to Black Mountain, Paul gave the order to break formation. They -divided into groups of twos and threes and walked along briskly. Soon -they broke into song and during the next hour they sang every song they -ever knew. - -At about eight-thirty they decided to stop for breakfast. They picked -a small clearing about a mile and a half up the slope of the mountain. -Under the direction of Paul, enough wood was soon collected to build -a fire and Ken, the official chef, set to work. It didn’t take long -to prepare the meal and soon they all sat around in a circle and ate -heartily, with gusto. After putting out the fire and cleaning up their -dishes, they decided to rest there for about half an hour. The boys -stretched out on the ground and stared up at the sky. Paul remarked -casually, “This is the life, eh fellows?” - -Bluff agreed, saying, “N-n-nothing l-l-like it.” - -William interrupted, calling out, “Is that so! Just wait until we learn -how to fly and have our own ship, then we’ll be able to camp anywhere -within a radius of a thousand miles.” - -Jack wanted to know, “What’s the matter with camping on Black -Mountain?” - -“Nothing at all,” answered William. “But just think of it: being able -to fly, being able to pilot your own airplane and going anywhere your -heart desires; and think of it, you pick out your camping ground as you -fly along and looking down from a height of 5000 feet, that tree over -there would look like a tiny household plant.” - -Paul said, “Yes, there is something staggering about it, a feeling of -tremendous power when you’re up in the air.” He sat up and yawned. -“However,” he added, “what we have to decide right now is where are we -going to camp?” - -Ken spoke up, “Let’s return to where we camped last year; it’s as good -a spot as you can find anywhere on the mountain.” - -Bluff agreed, saying, “That s-suits me.” - -Wallace suggested, “Why not go somewhere else this year? I know a swell -spot about three miles south east.” - -Jack asked, “How about it, Paul, you want to try this new camping site -Wallace suggests?” - -Paul nodded. “It’s all right with me,” he said. - -The boys resumed their hike. It took them about four hours of steady -walking with a few short rest periods to reach their goal The clearing -was off the beaten track. A hundred feet away was a precipice -overhanging the tops of many trees about a hundred feet below. There -was a stream of fresh, cool water just behind the clearing. - -Tired, footsore, ravenously hungry, they immediately set to and -prepared a sumptuous meal of chops and potatoes prepared over an -open fire. Later they pitched their tents and settled themselves -for a week’s stay. That night, at the camp fire, the boys huddled -close around the flaming logs of wood. Jack and Wallace were sitting -together, about a yard or so away from the rest of the group. Jack -asked his companion, “How did you happen to know of this place?” - -Wallace hesitated. Finally he said, “Well, there’s a story behind it, -some sort of mystery I never could make head or tail of.” - -Jack perked up his ears. “What do you mean?” he inquired in a low tone -of voice. “You never told us anything about it.” - -The other boys were singing, and the echoes resounded far out across -the mountain. The two whispered to each other. Wallace answered, “No, -I didn’t, but that’s only because the story doesn’t seem to have any -meaning and I didn’t want the fellows to think I was trying to put over -a tall one on them.” - -Jack became interested. Eagerly he asked, “Do you mind telling me the -story?” - -Wallace shook his head. “No, I don’t, but I warn you—there’s no sense -to it all.” - -“Well, let’s hear it anyhow,” said Jack urging his companion on. - -Wallace twisted and turned and finally found a comfortable sitting -position. He began his story by saying, “This camping ground is about -three miles south east of the camping ground we usually go to. If -you were particularly attentive, you would have noticed as we came -here that this place is off the usual course followed by campers, -is a little difficult to find and yet it appears to have been used -frequently.” - -Jack nodded, glanced at the fire and his companions, permitted his eyes -to wander about the general extremities of the camp, then turned to his -story teller and said, “Yes, but how did you come upon this camp site? -Tell me that.” - -Wallace betrayed a bit of uneasiness. He said, “I’m coming to that. -Last year, camping up there”—he motioned with his hand—“I decided -one morning to take a walk through the woods. There was no path, so -I had to fight my way through bushes, shrubbery and all sorts of -entanglements, until I came to a spot where the bushes were beaten -down, a couple of low branches were broken off—there was every -indication that on that spot a struggle had taken place between two or -more people. I examined the ground very carefully for torn pieces of -clothing and such things, and walking straight ahead I came upon the -stream. Following the stream, I came upon this camp site.” - -Jack mumbled, “Hm! Nothing mysterious about that.” - -Wallace demanded, “What do you mean?” - -Jack answered, “What I mean is, that there is no evidence of any -mystery or anything. The whole thing seems to fall flat.” - -“I told you that before,” said Wallace. “But you haven’t heard all of -it. I have told you only the beginning.” - -Jack felt foolish for having spoken out of turn instead of listening to -the rest of the story. He squirmed in his seat and said, “I’m terribly -sorry for interrupting. Go on.” - -Wallace had by now become enthusiastic and he leaned closer to his -companion. But just then, William called out, “Hey, you two, no -secrets. Come on over and join us.” - -A few of the other fellows cried, “Yes, come on, join us!” - -“If it’s a story you’re telling him, Wallace, tell it to all of us.” - -“Don’t be snobs. Join us.” - -Jack waved to them and replied, “He’s telling me a ghost story without -a ghost and no story to it.” - -The boys laughed. The two drew closer together and Wallace continued. -“Listen closely,” he said, “can you hear the gurgling sound of the -stream?” - -Jack listened closely and to his astonishment he couldn’t hear the -sound of running water. Yet he was sure that the stream was less than -ten feet away from where he sat. He looked in the direction of the -stream but he didn’t see it. He turned quickly to his companion and -whispered, “I don’t see it. Isn’t it supposed to be right there?” - -Wallace grinned. “Correct,” he remarked. “But that’s another thing, one -yard away from the stream and you don’t see it any more. Notice how -cleverly, yet how naturally it is hidden.” - -Jack nodded and looked around in amazement. He crept up on his knees, -then stood up and still he couldn’t see the stream. He wanted to walk -over there and assure himself that the stream was there but he was -afraid of arousing suspicion. He sat down again and Wallace continued. -“One more link in the chain,” he said. “About half a mile down this -side of the mountain, there is a cave—a natural cave. I came upon it -accidentally.” - -“Did you go inside?” queried Jack eagerly. - -“I only took a peek inside. Then I heard a noise or at least I thought -I heard a noise and I jumped away, thinking that I would hide behind -some shrubbery or something. But I never saw it again because I -couldn’t find it.” - -“What do you mean?” - -“Just what I said. I looked for it, I retraced my steps as carefully as -I knew how, but no cave.” - -Both boys remained silent for a while. Jack seemed to be lost in -thought. Finally he asked, “Is that the whole story?” - -Wallace nodded. “Yes.” - -Jack shook his head. “Doesn’t seem to make sense.” - -“That’s what I told you before,” insisted his companion. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE MYSTERY BECOMES COMPLICATED - - -Jack and Wallace joined the other boys in their singing. Later there -circulated around the camp fire a series of humorous anecdotes followed -by tall stories, each boy trying to improve upon the previous tale. -Nuthin’ was doing his best to hold the attention of his listeners -(and he was succeeding fairly well) with a ghost story which he had -read in a magazine, but was relating as a personal incident. Suddenly -Paul, possessing the sharpest ear among the group, wheeled around -and listened carefully. The noise that he thought he heard stopped. -Dropping on his stomach, he put his ear to the ground. A couple of -minutes later, they could all hear various small noises, that sounded -like the breaking of twigs or rolling stones set loose. Somebody was -coming. Silent, awaiting the arrival of whoever it was, they sat hushed -around the fire and stared expectantly at the probable spot where he -would emerge. Tense, eager, every moment was an hour and the five or -six minutes they waited seemed like an age. Finally a short, husky -man, with a brutal face, emerged out of the woods and stepped into the -light. He glanced from one boy to another. His facial features were -distorted by his smile. At last he spoke. “Hello, fellows,” he said, -his voice a bit raucous and loud. “Did I scare you?” - -Paul stood up. “Why, no,” he answered calmly, “not at all. Won’t you -join us?” - -The man laughed with a gurgle in his throat. “Sure,” he answered, “but -only for a couple of minutes. I have a shack a couple of miles yonder,” -and he pointed in the general westerly direction. He joined the circle -of boys around the fire. “What are you fellows doing here?” he asked. - -Paul answered for all of them. “We’re seven Boy Scouts,” he said, “and -we’re camping here for a week.” - -“A week!” he exclaimed. He mused and stroked his chin. “Where are you -boys from?” he inquired further. - -“Stanhope,” he was told. - -“Stanhope! I go down there about once every two weeks for supplies. -But why do you boys camp here? I can tell you of a far better place to -camp.” - -“Where?” one of the boys asked him. - -“About three miles northwest of here,” he answered. - -They all guessed at once that he was referring to their old camping -site. A couple of the boys were on the verge of telling him that they -knew all about the place. But Jack spoke up first and asked, “What sort -of a place is it?” - -“Oh, it’s a very good camp site,” he answered. “There is a large -clearing where you can play ball or any other game, and a large stream -where you can go fishing and swimming.” he paused, glanced from one boy -to another, then added, “Oh, it’s a far better camping site than this.” - -“Where did you say this place was, sir?” asked Paul, affecting -ignorance. - -“Almost directly northwest of here,” the man replied with what seemed -undue eagerness. “You can’t miss it.” - -All the boys nodded in unison, as though they understood perfectly the -directions he was giving them. In silence they wondered why the man -was so anxious to have them move from their present camping ground. He -tried hard not to betray his eagerness and anxiety, but he was a very -poor actor. Jack inquired, “Is there anything wrong with this camping -ground?” - -The man scratched his head. “Well,” he answered, “not very much but -it isn’t anywhere near as good as the one I’m telling you about. You -really ought to go over there and see it.” - -Wallace spoke up, saying, “I’m sure the gentleman has the best of -intentions and if he says that the camping ground he’s telling us -about is superior to this one, it must be so. In that case, it would -be a shame not to take advantage of the information. The first thing -tomorrow morning I’m going over there and take a look. If it is all the -gentleman says it is, we’re going to move.” - -The man grinned, the curl of his lips betraying, his deep -self-satisfaction. “That boy is a smart one,” he cried. “He’s got -the right idea.” He jumped to his feet. “Well, I’ll be going,” he -announced. “So long, fellows.” - -“So long.” - -He went in the direction he came from. The boys held their breath and -silently waited for fully five minutes, until the man’s footsteps could -no longer be heard. Ken exploded. “Can you imagine that?” he cried. “He -said he was going the other way and he walked back in the direction he -came from.” - -Paul held up his hand and motioned for order. “Hush, fellows,” he said. -“We can discuss this quietly. Trees and bushes have ears, you know.” - -They huddled closely together and whispered among themselves. Nuthin’ -voiced the thought that disturbed them all. “I wonder why he objects to -our camping here?” he asked. - -William answered, “That’s something we all would like to know.” - -Bluff stuttered, “S-s-something m-must be up.” - -With a wave of his hand, William dismissed Bluff’s remark. “Anybody can -guess that,” he said. “But what is it about, that’s what we want to -know.” He turned to the other boys. “I’m stumped, I admit it,” he told -them. “Can anybody guess?” - -By the blank look on their faces he could tell that all his companions -were just as much in the dark as he was. Jack whispered to Wallace, -“You think this has something to do with the story you told me?” - -Wallace shrugged his shoulders. “I’m at a loss. I can’t imagine.” - -Paul addressed them. “Fellows,” he said. “There is something up, that -we can all tell. There must be a reason why he wants us to move camp. -But what the reason is and what it’s all about, we can’t find out -tonight. There’s nothing we can do tonight anymore except go to sleep. -In the morning we will consider the whole thing and see what we can do.” - -The boys were nonplussed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Paul. -They were loathe, however, to turn in just then. The incident had -the effect of keeping them wide awake and of arousing in them the -curiosity to know what it was all about. But it was evident that -there was nothing they could do that evening. So in spite of their -inclinations they all decided to go to sleep. But just then Bluff spoke -up and inspired a new argument. “D-d-don’t you think that w-w-we ought -t-t-take turns k-k-keeping guard?” he asked. - -“Keep guard!” exclaimed Nuthin’, “What are you talking about?” - -William jumped to Bluff’s defense. “Sure,” he cried, “he’s got the -right idea. We ought to keep guard all night and watch out against any -one creeping up on us while we’re asleep.” - -At other times the boys would have laughed at the suggestion. But their -thoughts were such that the idea appealed to them and seemed reasonable. - -Paul objected. “Don’t be foolish,” he said. “Who’ll creep up on us? -Who’ll want to harm us?” - -William retorted hotly. “How should I know? But you were a witness to -what happened tonight. You’ll admit that the stranger was eager to have -us move camp. There must be a reason for it. And—” - -“Yes,” interjected Wallace, “but does that imply that he wants to harm -us or attack us? I think you’re permitting your imagination to run -away with you—like that time with the ghost.” - -That remark broke the ice and the boys laughed heartily, recalling the -ghost incident. The boys then dismissed all thoughts of danger and -decided to retire. It had been a big day for them and they were very -tired. They slept soundly all through the night without awakening or -being disturbed. - -In the morning before breakfast, Jack took Paul aside and the two -carried on a hurried, whispered conversation. They then called over -Wallace and the three withdrew for a serious conference. After Wallace -had told his story, Paul asked, “Well, what’s your opinion of the whole -thing?” - -Wallace said, “It’s my impression that there is some connection between -the incidents, but what it is I don’t know.” - -Jack nodded. “I’m somewhat of the same opinion,” he commented. - -“Let’s not try to solve the puzzle now,” remarked Paul. “Are you two -agreed that we ought to move camp?” - -A decisive yes was Jack’s answer and Wallace approved, saying, “Same -here.” - -“In that case we’ll have to convince the other fellows that we should -move,” said Paul. - -“Do you think we ought to tell them the rest of the story?” inquired -Wallace of his two friends. - -Jack shook his head. “I don’t think it will help any or serve any good -purpose,” he asserted. “It will only excite them.” - -“Yes,” added Paul. “It’s a shame we have to keep it a secret from them, -but I think we’re justified. My opinion is that we should convince them -somehow that we ought to move. In the meanwhile, just as soon as you -two can get away, you’ll slip out quietly and explore the woods for a -couple of miles around and return in time for lunch. We’ll break camp -and move after lunch.” - -As the boys were having breakfast and making wild guesses to solve the -mystery, a large airplane appeared in the sky, circled at a very low -altitude directly over their camp and then flew away again. The boys -stopped eating and kept their eyes glued to the machine. One of the -boys remarked, “Wonder who that is and what he wants?” - -Someone suggested, “Maybe it’s Major McCarthy looking for us.” - -“Don’t be silly,” was the snappy answer of someone else. - -Wallace noticed Jack writing something down in his notebook. “What is -it you’re writing?” he asked. - -Jack shrugged his shoulders. “The numbers on the plane. It might come -in handy sometime.” - -The plane disappeared into the horizon and the boys resumed their -breakfast. For a while they discussed whether the airplane appearing -overhead had any connection with the stranger of the previous night. -The arguments for and against were about evenly divided. Then Paul -opened the discussion by remarking casually, “Well, fellows, do you -think we ought to break camp and move?” - -William was the first to object. “What for?” he wanted to know. - -Wallace explained. “We all know,” he said, “that the stranger who was -here last night must have good reason for wanting us to move away from -here. Whatever it may be, it is most advisable for us to go away.” - -“But this is a good camp site,” argued William, “so why should we go -away. Nobody is going to harm us.” - -“Last night you thought differently,” Jack reminded him. - -“All right, what I want to do is stick around and see what happens,” he -confessed. - -“If you do that, you might regret it,” warned Paul. A few of the boys -gasped, and he hurried to explain his statement. “What I mean,” he -added, “is that you don’t wait until your car is stolen before you -lock the garage. I’m sure no harm would come to us if we stayed here, -but why stay here and wait for someone to come and kick us when we can -avoid it?” - -He spoke with a certain anxiety and he transmitted it to the other -boys, for they kept silent for a while. Ken, however, sided with -William and he remarked, “Paul is perfectly logical and reasonable, -but I still don’t see why we should run away. Nothing has happened to -us and I imagine that the stranger last night was some crank who has a -shack somewhere around here.” - -William supported his friend’s argument. “That’s right,” he said, -“There’s no reason for us to turn tail and run away.” - -His twin brother explained, “It isn’t a matter of turning tail or -running away. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If we -can prevent any trouble, why shouldn’t we do it?” - -Nuthin’ said, “Let’s stop arguing and take a vote on it. Then we’ll see -how the land lies.” - -A vote was taken and the majority favored the proposal that they break -camp and move. On Paul’s suggestion it was decided to break camp after -lunch. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -CLUES - - -At a nod from Paul, Jack and Wallace soon slipped away into the woods. -When they were a safe distance away, Jack called a halt to consider -carefully their first move. They had taken the direction in which the -stranger had gone. Wallace proposed, “I think that the first thing we -can do is follow the stranger’s trail.” - -Jack mused for some seconds. Finally he replied, “I guess it wouldn’t -hurt to do that, but I don’t think it will be possible.” - -“Why?” - -“Because if the stranger had a good reason to want us to move, and -knowing that we’re Boy Scouts and capable of following a trail, he -wouldn’t be so stupid as to leave a trail for us to follow.” - -“Yes,” agreed Wallace, “that’s very logical. But what else can we do?” - -“Nothing yet. For the present let’s see if we can follow the trail.” - -For about a quarter of a mile they had no difficulty in following the -trail. Soon they came to a rocky ledge and the trail disappeared. The -boys therefore decided to separate and examine the ground within a -radius of a hundred yards. Jack was busily engaged looking for signs -of a trail when he heard a sharp whistle and he knew that Wallace was -calling him. Again the whistle broke the silence of the mountain and -he determined the approximate spot where it was coming from. He found -Wallace sitting on a rock and waiting for him. A short distance away -were some footprints that Wallace had come upon. They followed the -trail for about a hundred yards when Jack called a halt. He got on -his knees and examined the footprint very carefully. Nodding his head -satisfactorily, he said, “I’m pretty sure it’s the same footprint all -right. Notice, however, the direction the trail seems to follow.” - -Both boys took out their compasses. “The trail seems to be leading to -our old camp site,” averred Wallace. - -“Correct,” pronounced Jack. “Therefore we’re going to disregard it.” - -“What should be our next move then?” inquired Wallace. - -“The cave,” replied Jack. “We ought to try and locate the cave.” - -They returned to the ledge and sat down to determine their position. -For that purpose they drew a map. A small circle indicated their camp -site; a wavering line, running northwest, and another circle indicated -their old camp site. Then they put in the path they had followed and -approximately their position. “Now,” said Jack, “according to your best -knowledge, about where do you think the cave should be situated?” - -Wallace bent over the map and drew a double line. “This,” he said, -“is the stream, west of our camp site. The cave, therefore, should be -directly south. In that case we have to return to camp and—” - -Jack interrupted. “No,” he said, “we won’t do that. We’ll cut across.” - -Wallace approved the plan. Rising, the boys determined by compass the -exact direction they had to follow. The first thing they had to do was -to drop from the ledge about eight feet below. After that, they were -obliged to take a descending route and at the same time cut across in -the general direction of the camp. Pretty soon they reached a level -plateau heavily wooded. Indian file, one behind the other, they walked -along slowly and carefully. Suddenly they came upon a large clearance, -circular and with possibly a little less than half a mile radius. Jack -lay down on his stomach and Wallace did likewise. Jack said, “Quick, -seeing this field, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?” -Wallace shook his head. Jack added, “Remember the airplane circling -overhead this morning? Now put two and two together.” - -Wallace whistled. “An airport!” he exclaimed. - -“Correct!” - -For a while they continued lying on their stomachs and carefully -examined the field and the outlying woods. Absolute silence reigned. -Not a sound, not a moving shadow, as far as they could see or hear. -Finally Wallace whispered, “What now?” - -The two boys rose and, single file, Jack leading, they walked through -the woods, keeping within sight of the clearing but trying hard to keep -themselves hidden. Jack stepped on a twig and it snapped, the sound -echoing loud through the dead silence of the woods. He stopped and the -two boys remained rooted to the spot for at least five minutes. They -continued. Every once in a while they strained their ears to listen. -Not a sound. Wallace suggested they again approach the edge of the -clearing. Getting down on their hands and knees they crept up to the -very edge of the woods. Lying on their stomachs, they let their eyes -roam all around the field. Suddenly Jack grasped Wallace by the wrist. -“Ouch!” he cried. - -Jack cautioned him to be silent. “Sh!” he hissed and put a finger over -his lips. Then he pointed. Wallace shook his head; he saw nothing. -Again Jack pointed, but his friend still saw nothing. “You remain here -and keep your eyes wide open. I’m going to creep out and get it.” He -crept forward on his stomach for about ten feet, then crept back, -dragging something along. Crouching alongside his friend, he showed him -the object and whispered, “Rifle!” - -Wallace nodded. “What’s your opinion?” he asked. - -His companion shook his head. “Don’t know,” he whispered. - -“Arms smugglers!” Wallace seriously suggested. - -They examined the weapon. It was an old style army rifle. Jack -whispered, “You may be right about ‘them’ being arms smugglers, but I -have my doubts. If you consider, you find that smuggled arms can have -only one destination—South America. And we’re too far away from the -Mexican border.” - -Wallace clutched his friend by the sleeve. “That’s just it,” he -answered eagerly. “Just because we’re so far away from the Mexican -border, they have less chance of being caught or suspected.” - -Jack mused. “Hm! you may be right. But what do you think we ought to do -now? Return to camp or what?” - -Simultaneously, both boys flattened out. Two men emerged from the -woods, no more than about seven or eight feet in front of them. The -boys nudged each other. One of the men was the stranger. The other man -was saying, loud enough so the boys could hear, “Okey, then, we’ll be -here tomorrow at the usual time. And make sure those Boy Scouts are -gone.” - -The stranger answered, “Okey, Chief. But suppose they don’t go, how am -I to get rid of them?” - -“Frighten them away, scare them, but don’t use any violence,” the Chief -answered. - -The stranger saluted. “Okey, Chief, I’ll do just as you say.” - -They parted and the Chief walked across the clearing while the stranger -turned on his heel and entered the woods again. The two boys lay -there flattened to the ground, not daring to breathe, lest they give -themselves away. They watched the Chief cross the clearing and enter -the woods at the other end. Ten minutes elapsed before they dared to -utter a whisper. Jack said, “The cave! Let’s try to locate it.” - -“What about the rifle?” - -“We’ll leave it here. We have no use for it.” - -They crept along noiselessly to the approximate spot where the stranger -entered the woods. Using that as their starting point, they searched -everywhere but didn’t find a sign of the cave. Not even the slightest -clue. Finally Wallace suggested that they return to camp and Jack -agreed. - -At camp, Jack and Wallace had not been missed for a while. Paul kept -a sharp eye on the boys to see that they didn’t walk off. Soon Ken -suggested that they do something. William cried, “Sure, let’s have a -knot-tying contest. Get the fellows together.” - -When the boys assembled, it was evident that two of the group were -missing. Someone said, “Hey, Jack and Wallace aren’t here.” - -They all looked at each other in astonishment. Paul remarked casually, -“I saw them only about a minute ago. They must have walked somewhere -and will surely come right back.” - -Bluff offered a solution. “L-l-let’s have the c-c-contest without -t-them,” he proposed. - -“That’s right,” seconded Paul. “If they’re not here, it’s their hard -luck.” - -They proceeded with the contest. As time wore on all the boys became -strangely conscious of the absence of the two boys. To dispel their -fears, Paul remarked, “They must have gone out reconnoitering. They’ll -surely be back soon.” - -As Jack and Wallace did not come back, the boys began to harbor all -sorts of fears. Each boy made believe that he wasn’t at all worried. -Time hung heavy on their hands and the morning seemed to stretch out -into an eternity. Soon the boys lost all interest in what they were -doing and just sat around doing nothing, keeping intensely silent. -When someone did dare to whisper, the sound seemed to shatter the air -and grate on their nerves. Finally, as lunch time approached, William -jumped to his feet and cried, “Why are we sitting here like dummies? A -couple of us ought to go out looking for them.” - -Paul spoke calmly and with reserve. He said, “It wouldn’t do to search -for them now. To begin with, we don’t know which way they went. -Secondly, they haven’t been missing such a terribly long time. In all -likelihood they’ll return to camp soon.” - -“Yes,” echoed Ken. “Let’s prepare lunch and that will give us something -to do and keep us busy for a while.” - -The only one who objected was William. Words or arguments he felt were -futile, so he just gritted his teeth and helped prepare lunch. When it -was done, they waited a while and then silently agreed to eat and leave -some over for the boys. Even Paul was becoming worried. He distinctly -told them not to be absent long. And it was almost six hours now that -they were gone. He didn’t himself know what to do, whether to send a -searching party out for them or merely sit tight and wait. Rising, he -walked over to the stream for a drink of water. And just then the three -met face to face. Paul was angry. “What kept you away so long?” he -demanded. - -He felt relieved that at last they were back. Jack quickly summarized -their experiences. Then he asked, “Did they miss us?” - -“And how! There is only one thing to do now and that’s to tell them -everything.” - -“We might as well,” agreed Wallace, and Jack had no objection either. - -The boys walked into the clearing. Nuthin’ was the first to notice them -and he screamed, “Hey, fellows, here they are!” - -Instantaneously, Jack and Wallace were surrounded and plied with -questions. “Where have you two been?” someone demanded. - -“What’s the idea of disappearing without telling us?” they were -reproached. - -William shook a threatening finger under his brother’s nose. “You ever -do that again,” he warned, “and I’ll—I’ll spank you.” - -The boys laughed. Paul said, “They’re hungry, fellows. Let them eat -first and then we’ll make them tell us all about it.” - -Jack and Wallace had their lunch. The other boys gathered around the -two and Wallace told the first part of the story. When he was through -talking, some of the boys shook their heads in amazement. William -exclaimed dolefully, “And you never even mentioned it to us.” - -Wallace was embarrassed. He replied modestly, “There was nothing to -tell. It might have sounded fishy.” - -Jack then appropriated the floor and narrated their adventures of that -morning. In conclusion, he said, “You fellows now know all the facts. -I must impress upon you, however, the necessity of absolute secrecy. -To begin with, the wrong ears may hear the story and then it will be -too bad. Secondly, there is not enough evidence to call in the police. -There is nothing we can prove. They would say that we invented it all -just to get a lot of publicity. And that isn’t true, is it fellows?” - -Ken contributed the remark, “If this thing is ever solved, we’ll have -to do it ourselves.” - -They all agreed that that was right. - -William inquired, “But isn’t there something we can do now?” - -Paul replied, “Yes, there is.” The boys were all attention. “What we -can do now,” he said, “is to break camp and move. We’ll postpone -further discussion until after we have pitched camp again at the old -site.” - -The boys enjoyed heartily the dramatic manner in which Paul had aroused -their curiosity only to tell them something which was routine. They -jumped to their feet and immediately got busy. By sunset they had -moved. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -FLYING INSTRUCTIONS - - -With the first ray of sunrise, Wallace was up. He dressed himself -hurriedly, donned a sweater to keep warm, and then sat down on a rock -to watch the sky. He had a suspicion that something would happen and -that the incident would occur in the air. He didn’t dare walk up and -down to keep himself warm because he feared that the noise of his -footsteps would awaken some of the boys. So he quietly built a fire to -keep himself warm. After he had watched the sky for an hour a plane -appeared on the horizon. It flew nearer and nearer, circled about where -he thought the mysterious airport was, then nosed down as if to land, -which it evidently did. Wallace became terribly excited. His suspicions -bore truth. And now he didn’t know what to do. He paced up and down -several times, musing, thinking hard. His first impulse was to go down -there himself, but he immediately discounted it. - -He awakened Paul, who listened eagerly to his story. Wallace reminded -him of his suspicion that a plane would land there in the early -morning, and that was what had happened. Paul dressed hurriedly. -Leaving behind a note, the two set off at a rapid pace. Just as they -were about to reach the wooded plateau, the drone of an airplane motor -was heard. They looked up, but the sky was hidden by the branches -of the trees. When they at last reached the clearing, it was empty -and still. They spent about half an hour searching the woods, but it -was in vain. They returned to camp and told their comrades. A lot of -discussion ensued and it was finally decided that every day a detail of -two boys should go down there, to see what they could discover. But it -was all in vain. When the time came for them to return to Stanhope, a -week later, they had discovered nothing new. - -As the boys reached the outskirts of the town, about six in the -evening, they lined up and marched down Main Street. On the very same -spot from which they departed, Paul sang out, “Patrol, halt!” For -several seconds they remained at attention, with the eyes of many -people upon them. Then Paul snapped the command, “Dismissed!” The boys -broke formation and went home. - -The boys did not propose to lose any time in beginning their flying -instructions. They set a definite time, therefore, for all of them to -meet, to go out to the airfield in a group. Paul was a few minutes -late, having been detained by his mother who took a long time -impressing upon him the importance of being careful. When he joined -the group, they were all very much excited and discussed their future -adventures in the air. Ken and Nuthin’ tried hard to appear just as -excited as the others, but it was an empty gesture. Paul, addressing -Ken, asked, “Anything wrong? You look kind of green around the gills.” - -Ken made a gesture of dismissal. He answered, “Nothing. It really -doesn’t matter.” - -“But what is it?” - -The boy confessed sadly, “My parents absolutely refused to allow me to -fly.” - -Nuthin’ heard the statement and he felt glad. Not that he was glad that -Ken was unable to learn to fly, but misery loves company. He said, -“You’re not alone, Ken. The same tragedy here.” And he made a comical -gesture of weeping. - -Paul was disappointed. “Gee, that’s a shame. I wonder if there is -anything we can do about it?” - -Both boys shook their heads listlessly. Ken remarked, “You know my dad. -When he puts his foot down it’s like the Rock of Gibraltar.” - -“With me,” informed Nuthin’, “it’s my mother. She actually wept, so my -father wouldn’t give me permission.” - -“It’s a shame,” repeated Paul. “At any rate, you two can come along and -watch us. You can at least get all the ground work.” - -The boys mounted their bicycles and were off. At the airport, they were -greeted by Major McCarthy. “Hello, fellows,” he called. - -“Hello, Major,” answered several. - -“Did you have a good time while I was away?” - -“Very good,” said Paul. - -“And interesting,” informed William. - -Jack spoke. “We went camping.” - -“That should have been enjoyable and interesting,” commented the major. -Then he asked the most pertinent question. “Are you ready for flying -instructions?” - -The boys shouted lustily and eagerly, “Yes, yes.” - -“All of you have the permission of your parents?” - -Paul answered for the group. “All except two—Ken Armstrong and Albert -Cypher.” - -“Hmm,” mused the major. “That’s too bad.” He looked at the two -unfortunate boys and they appeared very ill at ease. To cheer them the -major said, “Well, not everyone can be a pilot. Some of us have to do -other work, quite naturally. So we’ll make mechanics out of you. How -about it?” - -The boys smiled gratefully. “Thank you, sir,” answered Ken. “I’d love -nothing better.” - -“That’s settled, then,” said McCarthy. “Now, fellows, I have some good -news for you. I’ve made inquiries about obtaining a plane for you boys -and I have one definitely in mind. It’s a good machine, in perfect -order and perhaps in a week or so it may be yours.” - -“Yea!” shouted William and all the boys joined in. The major held -up his hand and motioned for silence. “Cheering is all to the good, -fellows, but if you want flying instructions, we have no time to lose.” - -“Those are just our sentiments,” commented Jack joyously. - -“Now,” began the major, “I’m to spend about an hour or so explaining in -detail the major parts of an airplane. I want to teach you to be not -only pilots but your own mechanics. If something should happen to a -plane you’re flying, I want you to know how to go about repairing the -motor or anything else that may be wrong. For that reason I want you to -spend a lot of your spare time fussing with an old plane, which is used -just for that purpose. It is situated in the corner hangar.” He paused -for several seconds, then continued. “Now about flying instructions. -I can’t instruct more than one of you at a time and no more than two -each day. So you’ll have to pair off and you’ll all get a lesson every -other three days—that is, two lessons a week. Is that understood?” - -“Yes!” shouted the boys in unison. - -“Very well, then, I’m going into the office for a couple of minutes. -In the meanwhile you can pair off and also decide which pair will get -their instructions today, which tomorrow and the day after.” - -To pair off, the boys drew lots. Three sets of small pieces of paper -were prepared, the two pieces of each set numbered one, two and three. -The two boys who drew number one were partners, numbers two and three -likewise. The number one pair was to receive its flying instructions -that day, number two on the following day, and number three the day -after. As it turned out, Paul and William were the number one pair, -Jack and Bobolink number two and Wallace and Bluff number three. -The drawing of lots was fair enough and there were no murmurs of -disapproval or dissatisfaction. - -When the major came out again, he showed that he approved of what was -done. In a group he marched them over to the hangar which housed the -old plane and for about an hour he lectured to them on the mechanics -of an engine. When he was through, he sent them home for lunch. Then -he told the first pair, Paul and William, to be back at the airport at -three o’clock for flying instructions. - -As the boys were mounting their bikes, Jack whispered to his chum, -“Fall behind with me, Paul, I have something to tell you.” - -Paul nodded. Wheeling along about ten feet behind the others, he asked, -“What is it, Jack?” - -“It’s this, Paul. This morning I happened to glance through the -_Dispatch_ and I came across a small article stating that last -Wednesday it was discovered that several hundred army rifles were -stolen from an armory in New York and that the crime had most likely -been committed within the past twenty-four hours.” - -“What about it?” - -Jack pursed his lips, mused for a moment, then said, “Remember, Paul, -last Wednesday morning was when Wallace saw that airplane land at that -mysterious airport.” - -Paul cried, “By golly, that’s correct. Do you really think that -they are arms smugglers and that this theft of army rifles has any -connection with that airplane landing at the mysterious airport?” - -“I don’t know,” answered Jack. “I’m wondering. But if you stop to -consider, the parts seem to fit the puzzle mighty well.” - -“You’re right Jack. What do you think we ought to do? Do you think we -ought to take Major McCarthy into our confidence?” - -Shaking his head, he replied, “No, I don’t think so. He might either -tell it to the police and we don’t have enough evidence for that; or he -might fly over there, land, and possibly complicate everything.” - -Again Paul agreed with his chum, adding, “Yes, we have to follow it up -slowly. Another thing, we must learn how to fly darn quick because if -we want to get anything on them we have to do it in their way—by air.” - -“Correct,” said Paul. “For the present, we’ll just let matters take -their own course.” - -All the boys saw fit that afternoon to be at the airport. Only Paul and -William were to go up for flying instructions but the others wanted to -be there to see what it was like. At a little past three, the major -came out of the office and approached the group of boys. The two boys -stepped forward and William informed him, “We’re ready, major, if you -are.” - -Smiling, he said, “That’s fine. But now that you’re all here, I’m going -to tell you something about flying.” All the boys gathered in front of -him, forming a semi-circle. Very quietly and seriously they listened -to every word he said. “The first thing I want to impress upon you, -fellows,” he began, “is that flying is not in the least dangerous, -providing, of course, you adhere strictly to the rules and regulations -of flying. Everything has its rules which you must observe, flying is -not an exception. The most important rule in flying is that you must -never risk stalling your machine near the ground. At no time must you -lose flying speed until you are at a safe altitude—approximately five -hundred feet above ground. - -“Now suppose your engine cuts out as you are taking off, then what you -must do is to push the nose down and go straight ahead, regardless of -what is in front of you. If you cannot avoid running into a shed, or a -tree, or any other obstacle, while landing, it just can’t be helped. -You will smash the machine but you yourself will not be hurt. Another -rule to remember is, never turn back in order to return to the airport -or some other good landing ground. When you do that you risk stalling -your machine. And when you stall near the ground, you usually lose -control of your machine, go into a spin and crash nose first into the -ground. And that may be the last time you will ever fly.” - -“Those are a few elementary rules of flying. You’ll learn more as you -go along. What you must understand is that you must always obey these -rules, or take the consequences. I don’t want to frighten you, but -there are rules in every game and you have to observe them.” - -He stopped and scanned the faces of the boys. From every indication, -they had taken his words seriously and were convinced by his -authoritative tone of voice. Nothing more to say, the major now called -upon his first two pupils and inquired, “Are you ready?” - -“Ready!” the two boys answered in unison and precision. - -“Which one is going up first?” - -“We’ll have to choose,” answered Paul. - -Major McCarthy took a coin out of his pocket and tossed it into the -air. “Heads,” cried William. - -“Tails,” cried Paul. - -Heads it was and William was the first to go up for instructions. “Very -well,” announced the major, “let’s go.” - -The whole group followed the major and William to one of the hangars. -Two mechanics pushed the training plane into the open. Again the major -turned to the group and said, “This is an Avro, one of the finest -training machines in the world. She is light on the controls, very easy -to handle and has an 80 h.p. Le Rhone engine. What kind of an engine -is it, anybody know?” - -William answered at once, with confidence, “A rotary engine.” - -“Fine,” said the major. “And what kind of engine is a rotary engine?” - -All the boys seemed to know that and the major was pleased by their -knowledge. However, he called upon William to answer the question. -“A rotary engine is one which has the cylinders rotate round the -crankshaft which remains stationary,” answered William correctly. - -“And what is another type of engine?” - -“A stationary engine.” - -“The crankshaft rotates round the cylinders.” - -“Correct,” announced the major with a gleam of satisfaction in his -eyes. “I can see,” he added, “that I’m going to enjoy teaching you -boys. All right William, put this hat on and get the ear pieces in the -right position; I’ll be talking to you all the time. And before we -start, remember this, if I hit you on the back take your hands and feet -off the controls immediately and put your hands above your head which -will show me that you have obeyed my signal. Okey?” - -Wallace remarked, humorously, “Don’t hit him too hard, major. I’d hate -to take home a corpse.” - -Major McCarthy withdrew to the shed telling William to get into the -front seat. When he had climbed into the rear seat, he said, “Now -William, don’t touch the controls until I tell you to. In the meanwhile -you can watch them working because both sets of controls are connected -and work simultaneously. Are you ready?” - -“Yes, sir.” - -The boys at the shed cheered lustily and William waved his hand as -Major McCarthy took off. The machine rose lightly into the air and -was mounting fast into a clear sky, smoothly and easily as a bird. -William, was at first nervous and tense, but soon he relaxed, his whole -body seeming to vibrate to the rhythm of the machine. Suddenly he felt -a light bump on the back and he quickly threw his hands up into the -air. The major was rather surprised. Usually pupils during their first -lesson are too excited to remember the instructions they have received. -The major felt a glow of satisfaction, and hoped that William would -respond to all instructions so quickly. - -They were about two thousand feet in the air. William felt a thrill -when he heard his instructor’s voice through the telephone. The -major was saying to him, “Okey, William, in a couple of minutes I’m -going to let you fly the machine and you must obey precisely all my -instructions. Put your hand on the joystick and your feet on the -rudder bar.” - -He complied. The next instant he felt a bump on his back and quickly he -put his hands above his he had. McCarthy was delighted with the boy’s -quick response. “This boy,” he said to himself, “is a natural born -flyer.” - -The major’s voice was coming over the telephone. “Okey, William,” it -said, “you’re going to fly the machine now. Only obey instructions -precisely.” - -McCarthy spoke gently and authoritatively. William obeyed. The machine -responded to his slightest touch. William felt a certain power in -handling the machine and it thrilled him. The major said, “Now when I -give the command, ‘Right turn,’ you kick on the right rudder and push -the joystick over to the right. Ready? Now, ‘Right turn.’ Keep the same -altitude.” - -The major kept talking most of the time, explaining every movement -and demonstrating his instructions. They practiced banking, climbing, -diving. This was no ordinary pupil, the major thought. He was aware -that the other boys would not respond as well as William, with whom he -progressed much more than with the average pupil. To satisfy himself -for the last time, he permitted William to fly alone for several -minutes, then tapped the boy on the back. Instantly the latter’s hands -flew above his head. The major, deeply satisfied, said, “That was -very good, William. I think you’ve had more than enough for the first -lesson, so we’ll go back now.” Thus saying, he took control of the -machine. - -The boys cheered as the plane taxied to a landing. As the instructor -and his pupil climbed out of the machine, the boys came running up. -“How did he do, major?” asked Wallace. - -McCarthy smiled, very much pleased with his first pupil. “He did very -well,” he announced. - -“Yea!” shouted Bobolink. - -“Hooray for William!” shouted Ken and Nuthin’. - -When the boys quieted down again, the major put his arm affectionately -on William’s shoulder, and said, “I don’t like to praise a pupil, -because he is apt to become cock-sure of himself. But this time I can’t -help praising him. William is a natural born flyer. I don’t want any -one of you to feel badly if you’re not as good as he is because there -are very few who take to flying spontaneously. I don’t want you to -blame yourselves or feel badly about it. It’s something that none of us -can help. We’re either born that way or not.” - -Jack asked, “Did he fly by himself already?” - -“He certainly did,” replied the major. “For about fifteen minutes he -flew the machine all by himself.” - -The boys cheered, proud of their friend. William was thrilled, but -tried not to show it. - -It was Paul’s turn now. Instructor and pupil took their respective -places in the machine. Paul was excited, tense. McCarthy was curious -to know how this boy would compare with William. He repeated the -directions for a second time. The machine was climbing and they -were gaining altitude. Paul was thrilled as he examined the various -gadgets on the dashboard. Suddenly he felt a bump on his back. He -was bewildered. What had happened. He turned around to see McCarthy -chuckling and enjoying the baffled look on his face. The instructor -said, “I told you to raise your hands above your head as soon as I -tap you on the back. Keep alive.” Paul settled back in his seat, -feeling ashamed of himself. Suddenly he again felt a tap on the back. -Immediately he raised his hands above his head. “Very good,” said -McCarthy encouragingly. Paul, too, would be a flyer, but not like -William. - -Soon Paul was at the controls and flying the machine in response to -the instructor’s guidance. After the necessary instructions, McCarthy -called out, “Ready? Left turn.” - -Paul pushed out his left foot. The machine whipped to the left at a -terrific speed. Suddenly he felt the stick being pushed over to the -left. Then the right rudder bar moved forward, the stick came back -to the right, now they were flying level once again. McCarthy had to -intervene to help him out. He explained the mistake and Paul nodded, -intimating that he understood. He was eager to do it over again, to -show that he could do it. But this time the command was, “Right turn.” -Paul got it all right. - -After about thirty-five minutes of instructions, they returned to the -airport. They climbed out of the machine and McCarthy inquired, “Well, -how did you like it?” - -“It was fine,” answered Paul grinning, “except that I think I was a -trifle dumb in responding.” - -“Oh, no, you weren’t,” McCarthy answered him. “You were all right. For -about ten minutes you were flying all by yourself and I’m very pleased -with you.” - -Walking toward the office building, the major commented, “I see now -that I’m going to enjoy teaching you boys. From the way it looks, I -should say that all of you are someday going to be mighty fine flyers.” - -“How long before we can go solo?” - -“It all depends. About eight or ten lessons is the average.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -BASEBALL GAME - - -During the following weeks, the boys spent the major part of their time -at the airport. Most of the boys were usually on hand when one of them -took off for a lesson. And if there was no lesson, they spent their -time dismantling the old plane and putting it together again. Ken and -Nuthin’ became assistants to Fred, the chief mechanic. These two boys -imparted their technical knowledge to their comrades. - -As for McCarthy, he was happy and really enjoyed instructing the boys, -because all of them responded so quickly to training. He taught them -everything he knew about flying and found that William learned more -easily than the others. McCarthy taught them to land, to take off, to -do a few simple stunts. After four lessons, William was ready to solo. -But his instructor wouldn’t permit him because McCarthy wanted them -all to go up solo the same day, making it in the form of a graduation -exercise. - -In spite of their preoccupation in aviation, they spent many half hours -discussing the mysterious airport and its consequences. Whatever -evidence they had, however, was circumstantial and insufficient. And -they couldn’t think of taking time out to do anything about it. The -boys had other obligations, temporarily forgotten, which also had to be -considered. - -One day Paul called the boys together. Most of them were in overalls, -their hands dirty with grease and their faces smeared. Looking at each -other, they could not repress their smiles. Each in his own way was -rather a funny sight. Ken laughed. “Hey, fellows, look at Bluff, will -you?” - -Bluff was wearing a pair of overalls that were much too large for -him and his face was smeared with grease. “You’re n-no Ap-p-pollo -yourself,” he countered. - -Wallace asked, “What is it you want to talk to us about, Paul?” - -“It’s this, fellows. We have been so busy the last few weeks, what -with getting flying instructions and spending most of our time at the -airport, that we have completely forgotten our baseball game with the -Slavin team. We haven’t practiced at all and the game is only three -days away.” - -“Perhaps we can call the game off,” remarked William. - -Several of the boys nodded in agreement, as their interest in aviation -was much stronger than any thought of baseball just then. They were so -engrossed in their work that any excuse was sufficient to try to break -an agreement. Paul, however, objected. He said, “I fully know that all -of us are more interested in our flying and all that, but we can’t go -back on our word. We promised Ted Slavin and his team that we would -play them and we’ve got to keep our word.” - -Ken reminded the boys, “We also promised them a swimming match. That’s -something we ought to practice up for, too.” - -Nuthin’ asked, “Well what do you think we ought to do, Paul?” - -“We have to keep our word and go through with it,” was the answer. -“Beginning tomorrow, we have to keep away from the airport and spend -the next two days practicing.” - -“What about those who have flying lessons?” Bobolink wanted to know. - -“Those who have lessons should not miss them,” answered Paul. “But the -rest of us will have to keep away from the airport.” - -The boys agreed. William said, “All right, then. Tomorrow morning we’ll -meet at the baseball field for practice.” - -Major McCarthy was glad to hear of their plans for reasons of his own. -He was a bit skeptical of their sudden and overwhelming interest in -aviation, because he feared that they might drop it just as suddenly -and completely. Spending only limited periods of time at the airport, -therefore, would test them. Besides, the major was also of the opinion -that they were too young to have only one dominating interest, it was -healthier for them to have a series of interests. - -During the following two days, they spent most of their time on the -baseball field. And when the day of the game arrived, they were in -pretty good shape. They had one worry, however. Wallace, star pitcher -for their team, had not come around all morning. They sent William to -find out what had become of him. - -As the time for the game approached, a fair crowd of townspeople had -filled the stands. The Ted Slavin team with Ted as pitcher, was warming -up, and some of his followers were encouraging him to demonstrate his -famous slow ball. The opposing team, however, was in great agitation. -William, out of breath, came running up. Paul guessed that William had -accomplished nothing. Nevertheless he asked, “Well, any news?” - -William gasped, “No. My mother said he left for the airport in the -morning and that he hasn’t returned yet.” - -“Did you call the airport?” - -“I did and Fred told me that he left hours ago.” - -Paul shook his head dejectedly. “Wonder what could have happened to -him?” he muttered. - -The boys formed a circle around Paul. Someone asked, “You think there -is any chance of calling the game off?” - -“No. What for? Suppose we lose the game, what difference would it make? -We’ll play just the same.” Most of the boys nodded in agreement. Paul -added, “All right, fellows, break it up. Let’s not show that we’re -handicapped and need anyone’s pity. We’ll hold our own. Ken, are you -warming up? You’re going into the box to start the game.” - -Ken nodded. “Okey. I’m ready.” - -Just then Major McCarthy came walking across the field. The boys waved -to him. Paul greeted him. “Hello, major.” - -“Hello, Paul. Came over to see the game.” Paul took the major by the -arm and led him to one side. - -“Wallace is missing,” he said. “He’s our star pitcher; without him, we -have no chance of winning. But that’s beside the point. I’m worried -about him. You have no idea what happened to him, do you?” - -The major shook his head. “Why, no,” he answered. “I gave him a lesson -and he left the airport at about ten. He even asked me to come and -watch him pitch the game.” - -“I can’t imagine what could have happened to him. He’s nowhere to be -found and nobody seems to have seen him or heard from him.” - -“I’m sorry to hear it. Is there anything I can do?” - -Paul shook his head. “Guess not. You can sit on our bench though, and -watch the game.” - -“That’s swell. Thanks a lot.” - -Just then the umpire came up, followed by Ted Slavin. “Ready?” asked -the umpire. - -Paul nodded. “Yes.” - -“For up,” announced the umpire as he tossed a coin. The Slavin team was -to go to bat first. “Who’s your pitcher?” the umpire asked. - -“Ken Armstrong.” - -Ted raised his eyebrows in astonishment. “Where’s Wallace?” he asked. - -“He’ll be here in a short while. We’re saving him.” - -Ted shrugged his shoulders. “Good luck,” he called as he walked away. - -“Same to you,” countered Paul. - -Paul signalled to the boys to take the field. The umpire took his place -in the pitcher’s box and called, “Batter up!” - -Paul was catching. He motioned to Ken to meet him halfway. He said, -“Don’t let them discourage you. Let them hit; the boys out in the field -will back you up.” - -They separated and returned to their respective positions. As Ken -poised, measuring up the first batter, a wave of applause and loud -cheering went up from the stands. His team-mates encouraged him. -“Alright, Ken, give it to him.” - -“Don’t be too hard on him, boy. Let him smell it.” - -“Sure. That guy’ll never see it.” - -Paul signalled and Ken wound up. He took his time pitching the first -ball. The batter patted the home plate with the bat as the umpire -called, “Strike one!” - -“That’s the boy, show him your dust.” - -“Pity the poor guy! He’ll die without moving a leg.” - -Ken wound up. He threw the ball. The batter gripped his bat, swung it -and ran toward first base. Ken stuck his gloved hand out and pulled it -in again. Everybody looked for the ball but nobody saw where it went. -The umpire called, “Out!” Then Ken took the ball between his fingers -and held it up for public inspection. A wave of laughter rolled slowly -across the field. The hit had been a fast level one and Ken had -snapped it out of the air so quickly that no one saw it. - -The second batter was at the plate. Ken poised; without winding up, he -pitched. The batter swung. It was a pop fly. Ken ran forward several -feet, caught the ball and threw it to Bluff at first base. The ball -then travelled to Bobolink at third, to William at second and back to -Ken. - -The third batter was up. Ken took his time measuring up the fellow. The -batter stood at ease as the ball bounced with a plop into the catcher’s -mitt. The umpire called, “Strike one.” Paul signalled and Ken threw the -ball. The batter gripped his stick, but at the last moment he shook his -head and let it pass. “Ball one!” called the umpire. The third ball -came sailing down the line, fast, an inside curve. The batter stepped -back and swung. The ball sailed away far out in left field. Nuthin’ saw -the ball coming; he walked back several steps, waited for the ball to -drop into his glove, then threw it to William at second. - -The boys threw their gloves into the air as they ran in from the field. -“That’s the boy, Ken!” they called, “that’s showing them.” - -Ted Slavin was pitching for his team. He was a good man. Several -semi-pro teams were out to sign him up but he held out. He was now in -good form and he struck out the first batter in three pitched balls. -The second batter made an attempt to hit the ball but he merely scraped -it and the ball went up into the air and was caught by the catcher. The -third man also struck out. - -In the second inning, the Slavin team sent a man to first and third -but they died on base. Paul started off for his team with a double but -he died on third. During the next inning, the boys were kept on their -toes backing up Ken. A grounder to the shortstop precipitated a double -play to second and first. Ted, on the other hand struck out his three -batters in quick succession. - -The fourth inning began with the Slavin team set to send in a couple of -runs. The first man up bunted and landed safely at first. The second -batter placed a swift grounder between the pitcher and first base. -Bluff went after it and threw the ball to second. William tried hard to -get it but it was far over his head. The spectators were on their feet, -yelling themselves hoarse. William dashed after the ball and threw it, -but the runner was already safe on third. Ken got the ball. He looked -at the men on second and third. Bobolink called, “Don’t worry, Ken, -they’ll die on base.” - -Someone else called encouragingly, “Come on, fellow, show them your -speed.” - -“Strike him out!” - -Ken poised then pitched the ball. The batter swung and missed. The next -ball was a strike. The batter gripped his bat and swung as the ball -came hurtling through the air. Bobolink took several steps forward and -very easily gathered in the ball. - -Two men out and men on second and third. Paul signalled to Ken and the -two met midway between home plate and the pitcher’s box. Ken inquired -anxiously, “Well?” - -Paul answered, “Nothing in particular. Just thought I’d give you a -minute to relax. Don’t worry if they hit you; it can’t be helped. -You’ve been doing swell so far.” - -The pitcher nodded. “Okey. Thanks.” - -Each walked back to his respective position. Ken poised, ready to -pitch. Paul signalled and the pitcher hurled the ball. The batter -looked unconcerned, but suddenly he tightened his grip on the bat and -swung. Crack! The sound was like a pistol shot. The ball sailed high -and far out into left field. Nuthin’ ran far back and as the ball began -to drop out of the air, he jumped. The crowd was on its feet, hushed, -its eyes glued to the ball. The men on base were running toward home -plate; the batter was already at second. Suddenly the crowd gasped -sounding like a wave breaking. Nuthin’ had missed the ball by inches. -He scampered after it and threw it wildly to second. William ran for -it but it was too wide. The spectators were shouting madly; the Slavin -team were dancing wildly as the man crossed home plate safely. - -The din and noise still sounded in his ears as Ken poised to pitch -again. He turned around to see if every player was in his place. But it -was totally unnecessary. He struck the batter out and that ended the -spectacle. Coming in from the field, the players managed to smile, joke -and even laugh. They slapped Ken on the back and told him not to worry. -It was their chance now and they would more than get even. - -The boys went to bat gripped with determination to send in some runs -but their enthusiasm was destroyed by Ted’s mastery in the box. He -teased the first batter with two balls and then struck him out. When -the second walked up to the plate, Ted repeated his performance. The -spectators cheered and his team-mates encouraged him. Bobolink held his -bat lightly and walked slowly to the plate. The boys encouraged him. -“Come on, Bobolink,” someone shouted, “sock the old pill.” - -“Hit it a mile, boy!” - -“Sock it, kid!” - -Bobolink gripped the bat compressed his lips and waited for the ball. -Ted thought he again would repeat his former performance of teasing -the batter. He put over a fast ball, cutting the inside edges of the -plate. Bobolink stepped back and swung. The spectators jumped to their -feet, watching the ball sail through the air, while they held their -breaths. Bobolink was notably a hard hitter. Suddenly a shout rumbled -across the field. People cheered; others muttered their disgust. The -player in left field knew the batter’s ability to hit and had moved -far back. As the ball came sailing out, he was obliged to run further -back, suddenly he realized that the ball would come down further on his -right; the next second he lunged forward with extended arm, caught the -ball barehanded and held on to it as he nearly tripped over himself. -The inning was over and the players came in from the field. - -Ken walked to the pitcher’s box and Paul took his place behind the home -plate. An agitation rolled slowly through the stands. Play for play, -Ken and his players far outshone the other team. True enough, Ted was -doing some mighty fine pitching, but except for the single catch, his -team wandered about idle at their posts. The other team, however, was -of unequalled showmanship. Dramatically they pulled the ball out of -the air, off the ground, staged a double-play that took people’s wind -away. If only Wallace was in the box! Some murmurs began to circulate. -“Wallace! Where’s Wallace!” But he was nowhere to be seen. The umpire -called, “Batter up!” - -Ken was piqued by all the muttering and mumbling around him. The -effect upon him was surprising; it steeled him. He relaxed. Absolutely -confident, he pitched superbly. Three men up, three men out. Not one -of them even so much as swung a bat. They were so bewildered by the -pitcher’s fury that they barely saw the ball whizz by them and before -they realized it, they heard the plop of the ball in the catcher’s mitt. - -Again the young aviators were at bat. The team determined to break -the spell and send in a couple of runs. The first batter bunted and -landed safely at first. Ted evidently sensed the determination of -his opponents, for he became ill at ease. To relax, he summoned the -catcher and they met midway; for several seconds they whispered to each -other, then returned to their respective positions. The batter waited -patiently for the pitcher to get going. Somebody in the stand shouted, -“Hit it, boy, sock it!” - -“Sock it a mile!” someone else screamed. - -Ted poised. He put all his strength into the ball as he hurled it. The -batter didn’t move a muscle. “Ball one!” called the umpire. - -“Put it over!” someone shouted. - -“Play ball!” shouted another. - -Again Ted put all his strength into the ball. The batter gritted his -teeth. Crack! The hit was a straight and low one, directly between the -shortstop and third basemen. Both players went for it, collided as they -tried to pick it off the ground. The batter went to first and the man -on first went safely to second. - -Ted was unnerved. “You have his mark!” someone in the stands shouted. - -“Hit it, hit it!” was the cry of someone else. - -Ted spit on the ball. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the man -on first draw away from the base. Like a flash he wheeled and threw the -ball. The first baseman lunged wildly for the ball but he missed by at -least a foot. Shouts, cheers, groans rolled through the stands. Jack, -coaching, at first, danced wildly and screamed, “Run, run!” Each man -advanced a base. - -Ken was up. He felt that now was the time to even the score. He had to -do something. With a man on second and third, no outs, now was their -chance. But Ted rallied sufficiently to strike the batter out. Once -more Ted became confident and self-assured. There was no danger, he -thought; he will strike the next two men out and show his mettle. But -his confidence deceived him. The batter picked the first ball and hit -a long fly which was caught, but which helped the man on third to -come home and the man on second to advance to third base. Ted was now -sufficiently unnerved to realize it himself. He signalled to a player -on the sidelines; he waited until the relief pitcher began to come -across the field, then started to walk off himself. - -“Yea!” shouted a spectator. - -“Knock this guy out of the box, too,” another spectator screamed. - -“Swell showman,” said Paul. - -“You said it,” agreed Jack. “He knows when to quit and that’s to his -credit.” - -The relief pitcher warmed up with a couple of throws. Finally the -umpire called, “Batter up!” - -Nuthin’ touched the home plate with his bat, held up the stick -vertically for a fraction of a second, as a signal to the man on base, -and then waited for the pitcher. The man in the box was perfectly -confident and took his time. It was a trick to vex the batter and force -him to strike, but Nuthin’ was a patient fellow and he waited. The -first ball came over, at least a foot outside the plate. “Ball one!” -called the umpire. The catcher threw back the ball and Nuthin’ let fall -the bat off his shoulder. The pitcher eyed the man on third base; then -turned to the batter. Nuthin’ gripped the bat. Shifting his position -slightly, he struck at the ball. It was a foul, a couple of yards off -third base. “That’s the boy!” someone shouted. - -“You got his number!” was another encouraging phrase hurled by someone -in the stands. - -His team-mates encouraged him. “Hit it, Nuthin’. Just sock it once,” -Bobolink urged. - -The pitcher was not to be dissuaded from his easy going manner. And -similarly Nuthin’ was not to be vexed; he was willing to wait, though -he realized how much depended upon him. If he managed at least to send -home the man on base, his team would be sufficiently encouraged to -possibly even the score; if he was struck out, on the other hand, they -might not get a similar chance again for the rest of the game. But all -that didn’t confuse him. The next ball was wide and he didn’t move a -muscle. The umpire called “Ball two!” The next ball he lunged at, and -again fouled. “Strike two!” called the umpire. - -The spectators in the stands sat hushed, waiting and watching. His -team-mates hoped for the best, but they, too, remained silent. The -pitcher hurled the ball. Nuthin’ watched it coming and thought it would -be too wide; the next instant he realized his mistake; the ball curved -and cut the edge of the plate. “Strike three and out!” called the -umpire. - -The score was 3-1, in favor of the Slavin team. And so it remained -for awhile. The game now became quieter and more steady; no dramatics. -Ted returned to the box and resumed his old form; he didn’t give out -a single hit. Similarly with Ken who was the sort of person who, the -more he was pushed to the wall and the greater the odds against him, -the surer he was of himself. He held his opponents down to two bits and -both men died on base. - -The beginning of the seventh inning revealed that both teams still had -plenty of fight in them and were out to make this a most exciting and -dramatic game. The first batter of the Slavin team poised at the plate, -swung at the first ball that came along and hit a fast, low-flying -ball that shot past like a bullet about three feet above Ken’s head. -William, at second, lifted himself off the ground and pulled the ball -out of the air. It all happened so quickly and suddenly that the -spectators were left with their mouths open, so bewildered were they. -They revived soon enough, however, to cheer William for his perfect, -most beautiful catch. - -Ken struck out the second batter in short order but the next man sent -the ball whistling across the ground toward third, base. Bobolink -scooped it off the ground and hurled it across the diamond to Bluff. -The latter, however, had to step back a couple of feet to catch the -ball and the runner safely crossed first base. - -With a man on base, the Slavin team thought they had Ken where they -wanted him. Although his team had a safe lead of two points, Ted wanted -to increase his score still more. The next man at bat succeeded in -getting hit by the ball and the umpire sent him to first, thus pushing -the other man over to second. Paul signalled his friend to forget the -men on base and to pitch ball. Ken nodded. He sent over a fast one that -burned the plate in half. The umpire called, “Strike one!” And his -team-mates cheered him. The next one was a ball, followed by a slow one -which the batter lifted far out into right field. The spectators were -lifted out of their seats, their eyes glued to the ball. The fielder -ran back a few yards and dug his shoes into the ground directly under -the ball which flopped right into his glove. A shout went up from the -stands and his team-mates threw their gloves into the air as they ran -off the field. - -Bluff was at bat. He was anxious to hit and he waited for his favorite -ball—one that was low and cut the edge of the plate. But Ted knew -his weakness and Bluff waited in vain; he was struck out. William, -raging mad, came up to the plate. He vowed to hit a homer or die in -the attempt. His mates cheered him and several voices in the stands -urged him on. Ted put all he had into the ball and sent it whistling -through the air; William set himself as though he were going to take, -then shook his head sadly and let the ball cut the plate. Ted imagined -he had the batter fooled and he again sent a fast one over. But it was -just what William wanted and he smashed a swift grounder between the -pitcher and the shortstop. Ted saw it was useless for him to go for it, -so he watched the shortstop lunge for it, but in vain. The ball skimmed -past several inches beyond his fingers. The man at second ran out to -stop the ball, picked it off the ground and poised to throw it but no -one covered second. He ran for the plate. William dived and grasped the -base with his fingers. The umpire called loud and clear, “Safe!” - -Bobolink was the next man up. Paul patted him on the back and said, -“It’s up to you now, fellow. Don’t disappoint the crowd.” - -Bobolink gritted his teeth and said nothing. Some spectators screamed -madly, “Come on, Bob, kill it, sock it.” - -Ted looked around and waited until all his men were in position. Ready -to pitch, he seemed unconcerned with the man on second. He shot over -a fast one, the catcher grabbed it and got into position to throw; he -hesitated, waiting for William to make a move for third base; but he -was disappointed and reluctantly returned the ball to Ted. Again the -pitcher made a mistake, throwing a ball he thought the batter would -let pass. Bobolink, however, gripped his bat and hit far out into left -field. William had his foot on the bag and waited. The fielder ran in -for the ball; confident that the catch was his, he waited for the fly -to drop into his glove. It did. Suddenly a deep, cry went up from the -stands. The man had muffed and the ball fell to the ground. He lunged -for it and threw it to second. William was already on his way to try -home plate. The man at second wheeled swiftly around and shot the ball -home. William measured his size on the ground; he touched the base a -fraction of a second before the catcher tagged him. And Bobolink was -safe on second. - -The score now stood 3-2, in favor of the Slavin team. Paul shouted -joyfully, “Now is our chance; we’ll even the score yet.” - -His enthusiasm, however, got the better of him, for his prophecy did -not come true. Ted made short work of the next batter and the seventh -inning was ended with the score still in favor of the Slavin team. - -Nothing happened during the eighth inning. Beginning the ninth, Ted -and his players determined to widen the margin. But all their efforts -were futile because Ken held them to one hit, a single, and the man -went no further than second. Their last chance to even the score or -win the game, the young aviators were cheered and encouraged by many -spectators. Ted and his players were dead set against a single run. The -game was theirs, they felt, and they wouldn’t let it slip away from -them. - -The first batter up struck at the ball twice and fouled both times. -Ted pitched again and the batter was struck out. Jack was up next and -he hit a beautiful grounder to the shortstop. The umpire declared him -out. Two out. The game now depended on the last man at bat. Some people -in the stands rose and left. Paul stepped up to the plate. Ted poised, -then sent the ball whistling through the air. Paul let it pass and the -umpire called out, “Strike one!” Again Ted sent a scorching one across -the plate and again the umpire called it a strike. Hit or miss, Paul -had to do something. He held the bat lightly but gripped it as the ball -came sailing through the air. He struck at it—and missed. The game was -over. The score was 3-2 in favor of the Slavin team. - -The losers gathered in a circle and cheered the victors. The winning -team gathered around Ted and cheered the losers. The spectators -cheered both teams. It was a dramatic and exciting game, well worth -winning—and losing. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -WHAT HAPPENED TO WALLACE - - -Ted Slavin came over and shook hands with Paul. Smiling, he said, “Too -bad we had to beat you, but someone had to win, Paul.” - -“You deserve it; you played a fine game.” - -“I can say the same for you. Ken pitched a marvelously good game. But -what puzzles me is what happened to Wallace?” - -Paul cast his eyes down. “That’s something that is puzzling us too, -Ted.” - -“What do you mean?” Ted looked concerned. “Did anything happen to him?” - -“I hope not but we don’t know.” - -“Gee, that’s too bad. Is there anything I can do to help?” - -Paul shook his head. “I don’t think so. But if there is, I’ll call on -you.” - -“Be sure you do. If there is anything the boys and I can do, Paul, and -you don’t let us know, I’ll be terribly angry.” - -“Thanks. It’s mighty nice of you.” - -“That’s perfectly okey. And don’t forget we have a swimming match -scheduled for a week from today.” - -“Sure, I know.” - -The boys shook hands and parted. Paul walked over to the bench where -his team-mates were. The boys surrounded him, looking for guidance. -William posed the question that bothered them all. “What are we going -to do about Wallace, Paul?” - -“I really don’t know. There’s nothing we can do right now, I guess.” - -Jack spoke up. “I suggest that we all go home, wash up and have supper. -In the meanwhile we’ll relax and be able to think clearly. Let’s all -try and imagine what _may_ have happened to him. At seven o’clock we’ll -all meet again and try to formulate some plan of action.” - -“Yes, but what am I going to tell my mother if she asks me about -Wallace?” - -Everyone was silent, not knowing what to say. They were all pretty -well downcast. Jack again spoke up, saying, “Tell her he’s staying for -supper at my home.” A pause. Silence. Every mind with the same thought. -He added. “It’s not the truth but you’re justified. I’m sure he’ll turn -up very soon.” - -The boys stirred in their tracks. There was nothing more to say and -they all walked off the field. - -But what had happened to Wallace? Let us go over the day’s events and -find out. - -Wallace completed his flying lesson at about nine-thirty. He mounted -his bicycle and quickly left the airport, eager to return to town to be -with the boys who depended upon him to pitch in the game. He peddled -along steadily. Just as he was about to enter the outskirts of the -town, he heard a hissing sound. Jumping off his wheel, he discovered -that his rear tire was fast going flat. There was nothing to do but -walk and push his bike along. Less than a quarter of a mile further -on, he came to Jim’s filling station and he decided that he might as -well patch his tire right then and there. He found Jim busy greasing a -car. “Hello, there,” he called out, “how’re the young aviators getting -along?” - -“Fine, Jim. Do you mind if I use your shop to patch a hole in my tire?” - -“Not at all. Help yourself.” - -“Thanks, Jim.” - -Wallace walked into the shop. He knew where to find the materials and -tools he needed. Losing no time, he set himself to his job. It didn’t -take him long. Then in about ten minutes, as he was coming out of the -shop, he stopped dead in his tracks. He was just inside the doorway and -he saw Jim gassing a Ford roadster. But it was the man at the wheel -that caused him to freeze in his tracks. It was the stranger—the man -who had tried to convince them to move camp up in the mountains. -Wallace for the moment forgot all about the baseball game and thought -only of how he could follow the man. He quickly stored the bicycle away -in a corner where it wouldn’t be noticed, then he entered the office -through the shop and emerged by the opposite door which placed him in -a strategic position behind the wall. Wallace heard the grind of the -gears as the driver started off. As the car passed him, he sprang forth -and jumped onto the bumper in back of the car, holding tightly to the -spare tire. - -Wallace wondered where the driver was heading, when suddenly the car -made a right turn and Wallace realized that this was the road to the -mountain. For some seconds he was worried as well as mystified. If the -driver was going up to the mountain, there was no telling when he would -return and Wallace became afraid that he might miss the game. On the -other hand, his curiosity was aroused, for he knew that the road ran -for about five miles to the foot of the mountain and then it became a -foot path. How then could he go all the way up in the car? The only -alternative was to wait and see. - -Wallace hung on for dear life. At approximately a quarter of a mile -before the end of the road, there was a farm house. As far as he -knew, no one lived there. Yet a driveway, which appeared to be in -constant use, led off the road and was kept closed by a double-door -gate. The car turned off the road into this driveway without stopping -and the automobile pushed the doors apart. The doors of the gate were -on swinging hinges, and swung back again into place as soon as the -automobile passed. In the meanwhile the car proceeded to the back of -the house. Wallace feared that he might be discovered, yet there was -nothing he could think of doing, should he be noticed. To his relief, -however, the car kept moving beyond the house, passed between two -large elm trees and then came out on a one lane dirt road. Looking -back, Wallace saw that the dirt road was entirely hidden by trees and -could not be seen from the main road. He marveled at the deception and -cleverness of the gang of arms smugglers—for by now he was convinced -that they were arms smugglers—and wondered whether it was worth it -for them to go such lengths of deception. But the fact that they did, -showed that they must have considered it worth the trouble and expense. - -In the meanwhile, the car rode along, the wheels sinking into holes and -bouncing over rocks. More than one time Wallace was nearly thrown, but -he managed to hold on. On either side of the dirt road were the woods. -The road turned and twisted in many directions but always headed toward -where he was sure the cave was situated. Judging by the speed and the -time, the car had gone about ten miles beyond the main road. The driver -stopped suddenly, leaving the car in the middle of the road. In the -next instant the stranger was out of the car and at once entered the -woods. His heart palpitating, Wallace hid behind the car and waited. He -was anxious not to lose his man but he was still more anxious not to -be caught. Who knows what they might do to him if they ever laid hands -on him! Arms smugglers were obliged by necessity to be tough, hard men -and would have no mercy on anyone who might give them away. Wallace -shuddered as these thoughts flew through his mind. Yet he was undaunted -and would not turn back. - -When several minutes had elapsed, and he thought it was time, Wallace -crept out from behind the car and darted into the woods, following the -trail of the stranger. He had no difficulty following him. Several -times he even caught a glimpse of the man’s form. Finally the trail led -him to the edge of the woods—to the mysterious airport. Hesitating for -several seconds and trying to think fast what to do next, he watched -the man walk diagonally across the clearing, heading directly for -the spot where he and Jack had overheard the stranger and the chief. -Wallace decided that he had only one alternative: to make his way along -the edge of the woods and get there in time enough not to lose his -prey. Wallace sprinted, running lightly and noiselessly. At the same -time he tried to keep the stranger in sight. It wasn’t easy because his -vision was usually obstructed by the trees and low hanging branches. -Also, he had to watch carefully where he was running. Suddenly the -sound as of a pistol shot echoed through the stillness of the woods. -Wallace dived and hid behind a clump of bushes. Finally he realized -that it was only the sound of a twig which broke as he stepped on it. - -Breathless, Wallace waited for the echo to subside and for the -stillness of the woods again. At last when he thought it was safe to -creep out of his hiding, he crawled over to the edge of the clearing. -He looked, but the stranger had already disappeared. Terribly -disappointed, Wallace lay there watching, waiting. Finally he decided -to approach the spot where the stranger had most likely entered the -woods. Trying to move along noiselessly, Wallace came to the very spot -where he and Jack had lain hiding. He found the rifle just where they -dropped it. Moving on a little further, he came upon a footprint that -pointed directly at a clump of foliage. He examined it very carefully. -Putting his arm out, he tried to move a small bush but found that it -was attached to what seemed a board. His heart beat wildly and he -became numb with excitement. Looking further he found several boards -attached together into a sort of door, to which were attached many -pieces of foliage that entirely hid it. Moving his fingers to its very -edge, he could tell that the door swung away from the entrance of the -cave against which it rested. He felt like jumping into the air and -screaming, “Eureka, I’ve found it!” - -Controlling himself, he hastily moved away and picked a position about -five feet away from the entrance of the cave. From where he lay on his -stomach, hidden by a clump of bushes, he could see anyone who might -enter or leave the cave; he could also overhear anything that might be -said, even if the speakers conversed in whispers. Taking further stock -of himself, he concluded that there was no way of his getting back -to town in time for the game. He had a fifteen mile walk which would -take him about five hours. Besides, since he was already here and had -come upon the cave, he wanted to wait around a while to see what might -happen. Surely the stranger was inside, as he most certainly did not -make the trip for nothing. Something was bound to happen. Wallace -therefore made himself as comfortable as he could and waited. - -After what seemed to be hours of dead quiet, he suddenly became -conscious of an airplane overhead. He dropped to the ground again and -hid behind the bushes. Looking up, he saw a small monoplane circling -overhead. Some moments later it glided to a landing at the mysterious -airport. A man climbed out of the cockpit and walked across the -clearing toward the cave. Wallace now turned to watch the entrance of -the cave. As he looked the foliage swung back and revealed an entrance -about four feet high and three feet wide. The stranger, bent over, -emerged from the cave, waiting for the pilot to appear. Coming into -view, the stranger greeted, “Hello, Chief!” - -“Hello, Bud!” The other returned. - -The pilot was the same “Chief” that Wallace and Jack had seen before. -He made a motion to enter the cave but Bud stopped him, saying. “Let’s -stay out here, Chief. It’s awful hot there.” - -The chief nodded, “Okey,” he answered. “I ain’t gonna stay but a couple -of minutes.” And they squatted at the entrance. - -“What’s the dope?” - -“Not much. Just wanted to tell you to clear everything out of here and -lay low for a while.” - -“What’s the matter? The law catching up with us?” - -“Naw, they’ll never get us. It’s at the other end. They still didn’t -dispose of the last shipment. So there ain’t nothing for us to do for a -while.” - -“Hm. Well, it’ll be like a vacation.” - -“Yeah. Make the most of it.” - -For a short while there was silence. Finally Bud asked, “When do you -figure we’ll make another shipment?” - -“In about ten days or two weeks.” - -“Guess I’ll run over to the city for about a week and kill some time -enjoying myself.” - -“Suit yourself,” answered the chief languidly. - -Wallace trembled with excitement. He could barely control himself. The -chief rose and muttered, “Guess I’ll be going now.” - -Bud also rose and said, “Guess I’ll go too.” - -“Got everything cleaned out of there?” - -“Clean as a whistle.” - -“Okey.” - -Bud pushed the door, with its attached foliage against the mouth of the -cave and walked off. Wallace became frantic. He had to get to the car -before he left or else he would have to walk. He had to run by way of -the woods while Bud crossed the clearing. Just as soon as he thought it -was safe, he sprinted away. He hoped that Bud would stop to talk with -the chief for a while, which would give him the necessary time to make -it. He ran swiftly and noiselessly because if he made any sound and was -detected, it would be too bad. Wallace came upon the car just about -half a minute before Bud. He hid behind the tree and hitched onto the -car. They returned via the same route. Just as they hit the main road, -Wallace jumped off. He figured it was much safer if he hiked the five -miles into town. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE CAVE - - -William, wearing a long face, hesitated as he mounted the steps to the -porch of his home. A thousand questions filled his mind which he was -afraid his mother might ask, and he searched for possible answers. -Slumping into a chair, he tried to think how to meet any situation that -might arise. At the same time he was worried about his brother and -wondered what might have happened to him. He didn’t hear his mother -come out on the porch. Her voice startled him as she asked, “What are -you sitting out here for, William?” - -He shrugged his shoulders. “Just like that, mother. Resting up.” - -“Did you win the game?” - -“No. No, mother, we lost.” - -“I’m sorry to hear that.” She looked at him and saw how miserable he -felt imagining that it was because of the lost game. She tried to cheer -him up by saying, “Don’t feel so badly, son. It’s not so terrible to -lose a game.” - -“Yes, mother.” - -“Where is Wallace?” - -The question came suddenly and hit him like a bombshell. He expected -it, yet he was caught off guard. Hesitating, trying to think of the -exact words he was going to utter he finally said, “He went with Jack; -said he’d stay there for supper.” - -“Very well.” She smiled down at him. “You’d better go and wash up.” - -He rose and entered the house. He took a shower and changed his clothes -and fussed, trying very hard to delay his coming down to the dining -room. When he heard his mother call him for the second time, he left -his room and descended the stairs. Entering the dining room his eyes -almost popped out of his head to see his twin brother and Jack at the -table. His father noticed the look of consternation on his face and -asked, “Anything wrong, son? You look pale.” - -“No, Dad. I feel fine and dandy.” Trying to keep his voice level as -possible, he asked, “I thought you were staying at Jack’s for supper?” - -Wallace had a mouthful. “Changed our minds,” he mumbled. - -William was overjoyed. Passing behind his brother’s chair, Wallace got -poked in the head. It was a signal of affection rather than of anger. -Sitting down at the table, William was all smiles and suddenly he -remembered that he was terribly hungry. - -When the boys met, Wallace was attacked with a million questions, but -at first he wouldn’t answer a single one. When the time came, he told -his story. A lot of discussion ensued. One thing was agreed upon by -all, however. They had to go and investigate the cave while they had -the chance. Tomorrow was Sunday. So they would leave in the afternoon, -camp out for the night and return the following day. After deciding -upon the plan, Nuthin’ raised another question. “Don’t you think it’s -about time we informed the police or government agents?” he asked. - -Paul answered quickly and precisely. “No. Absolutely no.” - -“W-w-why not?” queried Bluff. - -“For a thousand reasons,” replied Paul. “But one is sufficient. If we -tell the police, they’ll most likely put some guards there and the -secret will leak out, then that gang will get wise and beat it.” - -That seemed to satisfy most of them but Nuthin’ was insistent. “But -what can we do by ourselves?” he demanded. - -“We’ll just have to wait and see.” - -They met at the outskirts of the town, coming there in twos and -threes; they didn’t want anyone to see them and ask them embarrassing -questions. They carried with them only enough provisions to last them -until the following day. Hiking briskly, with a minimum of rest stops, -the group arrived at their destination at about five o’clock. Holding a -conference, it was decided that only Wallace and Jack would enter the -cave, while the other boys hid themselves at various distances, and -kept a sharp lookout. Before the group parted, Paul warned the two, -“Now don’t stay there too long. We’ll give you forty minutes. If you’re -not out by then, we will come after you.” - -The two nodded in agreement. Waiting for the others to take their -places of hiding, they finally heard Paul’s whistle, the signal for -them to proceed. Wallace and Jack crept forward. At the entrance, -Wallace paused to point out to his friend the remarkable work of -deception. Then, shaking with excitement, he pulled the door ajar and -peeked in. It was dark inside and he saw nothing. Pulling the door a -bit wider, the two boys crept in, and used their flashlights. - -Paul and the other boys watched Jack and Wallace enter the cave and saw -the door close behind them. Time dragged on their hands. They lay in -hiding places and watched the sun move steadily in its westward course. -In a couple of hours it would be dark and they had yet to set up camp. -But the boys didn’t think of it. Their minds were in the cave and they -wondered what Jack and Wallace were seeing and finding. Every minute -seemed to them an age. They trembled with excitement. Paul saw William -signal that he wanted to come over, which he did. “Wish they would come -out all ready so we can go in and see what’s inside,” William whispered. - -“Give them their allotted time,” Paul answered. - -Side by side, they lay there and itched with impatience. Tired -of watching the entrance to the cave, they let their eyes wander -elsewhere. William took out his watch and counted off each minute. As -the forty minutes were drawing to a close, they again glued their eyes -to the entrance of the cave. William whispered, “They’re not out yet. -You think they’re all right?” - -“Of course they’re all right. Give them time to come out. They still -have five minutes.” - -But when the five minutes were up, the two boys still had not emerged -yet. Paul waited. Five minutes later he called the boys together to -discuss the situation. It was decided that they would wait fifteen -minutes more and if Jack and Wallace were not out by then, Paul and -Bluff were to go in after them, the others were to remain outside. - -In the meanwhile, let us see what happened to Jack and Wallace. -Having crept into the cave on their hands and knees, Jack used his -flashlight, throwing the beam of light straight ahead. The cave was -about forty feet deep and beginning at the entrance it gradually -widened until it attained a maximum width of about ten feet. The two -boys crept forward until they came to about the middle of the cave. -Playing their flashlight all around them, they found the place truly -empty—absolutely bare of anything. The two boys looked at each other -dumbfounded. Jack laughed good naturedly. “Can you imagine anything -like it? If we knew nothing about that gang, we couldn’t suspect a -thing by coming into the cave.” - -“You’re right,” answered Wallace. “But I have a suspicion that this is -not the whole of the cave.” - -Jack snapped his finger enthusiastically. “Those are just my -sentiments,” he cried. “It’s evident that they use this place for a -store room and a hideout. Now if this was all there was to the cave -and they stored their stuff right here, then they would be discovered -by the first person who happened to come upon them. On the other hand, -the fact that they have operated successfully and were not caught shows -that there must be another place leading out from here where they can -quickly hide.” - -“I agree with you. And I have been thinking how we can start trying to -find it.” - -“And what’s your plan?” - -Wallace rested on his haunches. “Notice how simple and smooth the walls -seem to be?” - -“That’s right.” - -“Well, another part of this cave would have to lead off somewhere -through that wall. And my hunch is that it’s near where we are now, on -both sides and to the end of the cave.” - -“Very good. Then you start on that wall, I’ll start on this one, and -we’ll examine carefully every spot. We’ll work so that we meet at the -far end of the cave.” - -Wallace agreed and they set to work. With their hands, they went over -every inch of the wall. They had been working like that for perhaps ten -minutes when Jack suddenly screamed, “Wallace! I’ve got it! Here it is!” - -Wallace jumped across to his friend’s side. A thick door, about two -feet wide and four feet high, had swung out and remained open. Both -were so excited with their discovery that neither one thought of -determining exactly how it worked. Jack didn’t know what it was that -swung the door open. It just happened. Wallace walked through the door -first, followed by Jack. So enthused were they that neither one paused -long enough to make sure of their exit. As they stepped into this newly -discovered additional cave, Wallace used his flashlight. The beam flew -back and forth, all around the place. The ceiling here was about three -feet higher than in the outside cave. And all around the walls were -stored large cases, boxes, utensils of many sorts and such things. -Wallace gasped, “Look at all that stuff!” - -Jack grasped his friend by the elbow. “Yeh,” he muttered. “Let’s take a -look.” - -They approached the large cases first. Jack carried his small hatchet -with him. Wallace whispered, “Open up one of these cases first, and do -it so we can nail it up again and make it look as if no one touched it.” - -“Right.” - -Jack set to work. In the meanwhile, Wallace roamed about, describing -things to Jack as he came across them—cooking utensils, bedding, -several iron cots, some clothing, two leather jackets, two holsters and -automatics. Jack had pried open one board. He called, “Wallace, come -here!” - -They looked into the box. It was full of rifles. Their eyes met in -astonishment; even though this was what they had been expecting. Jack -gasped, “Well, that’s that.” - -Wallace said, “Now close it again. Do it so there won’t be any -suspicion that it was opened.” - -When the job was completed, Wallace looked at his watch. “Hey!” he -cried. “We have been away forty-five minutes already. Let’s get out.” - -They looked around for the door but they couldn’t see it. It had swung -to without their being aware of it. Both boys rushed over to where -they thought the door would be; they pounded and pushed against the -wall, but in vain. Wallace exclaimed, “Can you imagine a thing like -that! We were so excited we forgot we had to come out again and took no -precaution.” - -Jack agreed. “Yes, it’s our fault. But let’s not get excited. We’ll get -out.” - -“I suppose so. But the boys out there will become worried if we don’t -show up.” - -“Then they’ll come after us.” - -“But suppose they don’t find the door?” - -“We found it, so why shouldn’t they?” - -“It was an accident the way we found it. And it is possible that they -may not.” - -“Well, let’s not cross our bridges before we get there. Let’s do the -best we can and look carefully.” - -The boys spent fully a half hour pounding their fists against the wall, -clawing with their fingers. But all in vain. They sat down on the hard -ground to rest a bit and take counsel together. But just then Jack -felt a slight puff of cool air and he turned his face to see the door -swinging out. He jumped up and grasped it. Simultaneously Paul and Jack -cried out. Wallace exclaimed, “Hold it! Let’s see how it works.” - -Only a few minutes was necessary to discover that the door worked on an -axis and the slightest push anywhere along the rim of the door, set it -swinging. But to make sure, two of the boys remained on the other end, -the door was swung to, then Jack swung it open again from the inside. - -Jack remained at the door and held it open. Wallace showed Paul and -Bluff around. They guessed that all the large cases—there were six of -them—contained rifles, while the smaller boxes contained cartridges. -In about five minutes, they were all prepared to leave again. Jack -said, “Wait a minute, fellows. Take a deep breath, then I’ll ask you -something.” - -The boys breathed in. “All right. Now what?” asked Paul. - -“How does the air appear to be, fresh or stale?” - -Wallace sniffed the air again and answered, “Fresh,” to which the -others agreed. - -“Now,” said Jack, “when we first entered here, do you recall whether -the air was stale?” - -Wallace scratched his head. “I really don’t remember,” he answered. - -“That proves that the air was not stale but fresh.” - -“How do you figure it out.” - -“Because if the air had been stale, it would have hit you right away -and you would remember it.” - -“What are you trying to prove?” demanded Paul. - -Jack exclaimed. “Standing here I felt a very slight draft. That’s clue -number one. Secondly, if the air was fresh when we first entered here, -then it proves that air is coming in from somewhere.” - -“Gee,” exclaimed Paul, “that’s very good reasoning.” - -“Yes. But there’s more to it. I’m convinced that there is an exit -leading to the outside from this inner room. The reason for it is -obvious. The gang had to have an avenue of escape if they were ever -cornered.” - -“That’s very logical,” added Wallace. “Let’s look for it.” - -“Before we do that,” interposed Paul, “I suggest that one of us go out -and tell the boys not to worry and be patient. Two of us should conduct -the search while one stands guard at this door.” - -They agreed and it was decided that Bluff was to return to their -companions, Wallace was to stand guard at the door and Jack and Paul -were to conduct the search. Bluff left for the outside. “Now,” said -Paul, “let’s find the exit.” - -Using their flashlights, they scanned the walls and found no clues. -So the two boys got busy looking behind the piled cases and boxes. -In a few minutes, Paul shouted that he had discovered it. Hidden by -a sort of net, the mouth of the tunnel was just large enough for one -individual to creep along on his belly. Paul crept in, followed by -Jack. Five minutes later, Jack re-appeared and called to Wallace to -follow. The tunnel was about thirty feet long, the other end hidden by -a lot of shrubbery. Looking around, the three boys discovered that, the -camping site which Bud (the stranger) urged them to leave, was right -there in front of them, on the other side of the stream. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -FLYING SOLO - - -Major McCarthy was quite sure of his pupils. He was certain of their -ability to land, to take off, to fly, to know what to do in case of an -emergency. He had taught them to be not merely flyers, but all around -pilots. For that reason he had insisted that they spend many hours -learning the intricate parts and mechanics of a motor. His plans went -further. He wanted them to learn more of the technical affair that an -airplane is. When the time came, he would teach them as much as he knew -about navigation, how to fly blind, and many other things that had to -do with flying. But all that was a sort of post-graduate course. For -the present, they had earned their wings—and how! - -He had absolute confidence in his young aviators. And William was -his star pupil. Technically, not one of his pupils had as yet gone -up solo. However, each one of them had gone up at least once, taken -off, flew, performed a couple of simple stunts, and landed again with -McCarthy in the rear seat, who didn’t say a word or move a muscle; on -that one flight he was merely a passenger. Therefore his confidence -in the boys was based not merely upon his affection for them or his -opinion of their ability, but upon the fact that they had proven their -ability. For that reason he made elaborate arrangements for their solo -flight. It was to be on Wednesday, at about five in the evening, when -the weather is usually not very bumpy and quite mild. Secretly he had -invited the parents of the boys, the Mayor, a few other notables, and -let it be known that the public was welcome. As for the boys, they were -not merely going to fly solo, but to do other things. He had arranged -everything. This was to be their graduation exercises. - -When the time came, more people turned out than were expected. A -special section of ground was roped off for the several hundred -spectators. All the boys’ parents were there; even Dr. Morrison had -managed to get away from his office. Some few of the spectators were -jittery and anxious. McCarthy was as calm and serene as ever, smiling -and joking. A few of the boys were at first a bit nervous but they soon -got over it. They realized that they were merely going up in the same -way as when their instructor went with them. This time, however, they -were going alone—solo. And since they were confident of their flying -ability and of McCarthy’s teaching, they felt that they had nothing to -worry about. - -Major McCarthy summoned the boys together and they lined up in front -of him. They were wearing their Scout uniforms and flying helmets and -goggles. They were all very happy. The Major addressed them. “Boys,” -he began, “this is your graduation day. Today you are going to make -your first solo flight—that is, you’re going to take up a plane and -land her again all by yourselves. Having completed your solo flight -successfully, you’ll be presented with your wings; the Mayor will make -the presentation. You’re also going to get a letter from me stating -your successful completion of the course.” Pause. He looked from one to -the other of the boys. “Are you ready?” he asked. - -“Yes,” they answered in unison. - -“Very well then. Each one of you will go up in the Avro, perform any -one simple stunt you choose, bank her several times, then land again. -After each one of you has done that, I’ll have you go up in the air -again, but about that, later. William, you make the solo flight first.” - -Major McCarthy had a definite purpose for designating William to go up -first. William was the best of all his pupils, and the others, seeing -him perform well, would be heartened and do as well. - -The spectators cheered heartily when they saw William walking toward -the Avro which had been wheeled out of its hangar and was being warmed -up by a mechanic. William climbed in and the chocks were jerked away. -He opened the throttle and the mechanic leaped forward along the -ground. Shutting off the power by means of the thumb switch, the plane -slowed down. He turned the nose into the wind. The next moment he was -off, skimming over the field, then the plane rose lightly into the air -like a bird. Easily and smoothly, the machine climbed fast. Down below, -the spectators craned their necks to see. William climbed until he -was about two thousand feet above ground. He banked and flew directly -over the airport. After circling it twice, he straightened out, then -opened wide the throttle. The machine bounded forward and the nose -sprang upwards. As it rose, the forward speed decreased in spite of -the fact that the engine continued to run at the maximum revolutions. -The machine pointed vertically upwards and for about a moment it -appeared to hang onto the rapidly revolving blades of the propeller. -The spectators below watched the airplane with their mouths open. Some -of them, who had never witnessed such a stunt, were positive that the -machine would come crashing down tail first. But suddenly the nose fell -over to one side, the tail shot up and the next moment the plane was -shooting sharply downward. Two minutes later William was on the ground, -and climbing out of the cockpit. The spectators cheered him. His -friends shook him by the hand, slapped him on the back and told him it -was a fine job. Major McCarthy smiled and called out, “All right, Paul, -you’re next.” - -Paul went through the same performance, and then the rest of the boys. -Not one of them faltered. The spectators were delighted, and the -parents were proud. As for Major McCarthy, he said nothing and revealed -no emotion. To him, it seemed as though the whole affair was merely the -successful completion of his teaching job. Inside, however, he felt -very much pleased and proud. It was a pleasure to have such an able -group of boys as pupils. - -The Major had some other things in store for the boys. He was going to -have them do some more flying. He had them lined up in front of him and -addressed them. “That was well done, fellows,” he said, “but I expect -even more from you. I’m going to have you do more flying. You’re all -going up into the air again—and all together.” The boys opened their -eyes wide and looked surprised. They wondered what the Major was -up to. He smiled and continued, “You’re going up in pairs—Paul and -William, Jack and Bobolink, Wallace and Bluff. While I’m talking to -you, the mechanics are wheeling out two more machines, another Avro and -a Bristol. William and Paul will fly the Bristol because William has -already flown the machine. The others will fly the Avros. One of you -is going to take the machine up and his partner will land it. You’ll -change controls after every stunt. As to what you’re going to do in the -air, follow William. Are you ready?” - -“Yes!” They answered in unison. - -“Alright, then. William and Paul will take off first, Jack and Bobolink -next, and Wallace and Bluff last. Go to it.” - -The Major had discussed his plans with William and had instructed the -boy as to every move. The entire flight had been planned in advance and -William knew it by heart. - -The Bristol was somewhat larger and heavier than the Avro. William got -into the front cockpit, Paul in the rear one. William was to take off, -and he warmed up the engine. A minute later the chocks were jerked -away. Turning into the wind, he skimmed the ground for a distance, -then the machine rose gracefully and continued to climb. A minute -later, Jack and Bobolink took off, and finally Wallace and Bluff. -They were about two thousand feet in the air. William gave the signal -and the three machines lined up in formation—the two Avros on either -side and a little to the rear of the Bristol. They circled the airport -twice. Again William signalled and the three planes lined in a row; -they made believe it was a race. The earth seemed to shake with the -drone of the motors. After that, they fell into line one behind the -other. William signalled and each pilot was ready. The first machine -did an Immelmann turn, followed by the second and third planes. Soon -they were in the same formation as they had started but flying in the -opposite direction. The Bristol now went into a “half-roll.” By pulling -the stick back and kicking down the rudder, the machine turned over -completely on her back with her nose pointing down. The pilot shoved -the nose further down, flying at a steeper angle towards the ground; -the pressure of the air against the wings forced the nose up again, and -as the pilot kept pulling the nose of the machine up, it leveled out -and continued to fly in the opposite direction. Both Avros followed the -Bristol. - -William next signalled for a “barrel roll.” To those on the ground, -it seemed as though the machine, with a kind of cork-screw movement, -had wriggled on her back and then wriggled back again. What actually -happened was that the machine went through the same tactics as before -in the “half-roll,” with the exception that instead of ending up in a -dive, the plane continued to turn after being upside down and ended up -on a level keel, flying in the same direction as before. - -The next stunt the boys did was a “loop the loop.” The nose of the -Bristol went up and the next moment was flying upside down, followed by -a swift dive earthwards. - -When all three planes completed the stunt they fell into formation. -William signalled for number three—Wallace and Bluff—to land. Jack -and Bobolink landed next. The Bristol with William and Paul became the -only machine in the air. They were directly over the airport. William -communicated with his friend to take over the controls. A minute later -William slipped over the side of the plane and went hurling toward -the ground. The spectators let out a scream of dismay. Ten seconds -later, William pulled the rip cord of his parachute and went sailing -majestically downward to the ground. - -Again the boys were lined up, with all the spectators at their backs. -The Mayor made a little speech and then presented each boy with his -wings. He turned to the major and asked him to say a few words. “Very -few,” replied McCarthy. “All I will say, boys, is—I’m proud of you.” - -The young aviators were cheered. Then the boys cheered McCarthy. The -Mayor held up his hand for quiet and then said, “And I want to add, -major, that we, the people of Stanhope, are also proud of these boys -and we are also proud of you.” - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -A COMPLICATED SURPRISE - - -After all the ceremonies were completed at the airport, the boys and -their parents returned to town and were entertained at dinner by Dr. -and Mrs. Morrison. All the trimmings were included, ending up with ice -cream and cookies. Nuthin’ leaned back in his chair and patted his -belly. “If I’d go up in a plane now,” he remarked jocularly, “The ship -would sink like a rock, I feel so heavy.” - -The boys laughed heartily. Bobolink said, “That’s nothing. If I got -into a plane now, it wouldn’t lift off the ground.” - -Some more laughter and a few more clever remarks. Then Ken asked, -“Well, what’s on our program now?” - -William replied, “Now that we are real pilots, we are going to do some -real flying.” - -“Not for a few days,” interposed Paul. “We have a swimming match for -this coming Saturday and we have to practice up a bit.” - -“Yes,” spoke up Jack, “and this time we are going to give that Slavin -bunch a good beating.” - -“You say that as though you intended to do them physical battle,” -remarked Wallace, with a twinkle in his eye. - -“Oh, no,” Jack hurried to make himself perfectly understood. “We are -going to do it fairly and squarely. The Slavin group is a nice bunch -and I don’t hold anything against them.” - -“Except that they won the ball game,” said Wallace. - -“They deserved it,” added William. “They played a mighty fine game, and -Ted has never pitched as well as last Saturday.” - -“W-w-what a-about Ken?” demanded Bluff. “He p-p-pitched -m-m-marv-v-velously.” - -“You said it,” agreed Paul. “I’ve never seen Ken pitch better ball than -last Saturday.” - -Ken said, “If it wasn’t for the boys backing me up as well as they did, -it would have been just too bad.” - -“Well, why do you think we were out in the field?” asked Bobolink. -“Just for ornamentation?” - -“Let’s cut the discussion,” announced Paul. “I for one feel tired, and -I imagine that all of us are just a bit winded. So let’s break it up, -go home and meet tomorrow morning for swimming practice.” - -“Agreed!” cried William. - -Everybody else seemed to feel that way. As a matter of fact, for the -past half hour or so, the boys had begun to squirm in their seats and -showed signs of nervousness and anxiety. So it was quite a relief for -all of them to rise from the table and go their way. Ostensibly, each -one was going home. - -About half an hour later, Paul was walking down Main Street. He was all -spruced up—wearing his new suit, a bright tie, his shoes shined to a -gloss and his hair combed neatly. At Rogers Street he turned to the -right. He walked along snappily and whistled a cheerful tune. - -At the middle of the block, he met Paul face to face. Surprise showed -on both their faces and their eyes almost popped at seeing each other. -Quickly, each boy put his right hand behind his back. Finally, after a -very embarrassing silence, one of the boys asked, “What are you doing -here, Jack? I thought you had gone home.” - -“What about you, Paul? I thought you were tired and were going to bed -early?” - -Silence. The boys squirmed and wriggled. One of them turned and looked -at the house they were in front of. The other boy did likewise. Finally -Jack asked, “What are you hiding there behind your back?” - -Paul fidgeted. “Nothing. What about you?” - -“Nothing.” - -Again silence and the boys looked around with embarrassment. “You still -didn’t tell me what you’re doing here,” remarked Jack. - -“Just taking a walk,” replied Paul. “And you?” - -“Also taking a walk.” He looked up at the sky and at the horizon. -“Beautiful evening, isn’t it?” - -“Yes,” replied Paul. “Where did you say you were walking to?” - -“Right here. And you?” - -“The same.” - -The two boys looked at each other, their eyes met and slowly a grin -spread over their faces. Finally they laughed and slapped each other on -the back. Then Jack said, “Well, let’s go in.” - -Paul shook his head. “No, wait a minute.” He noticed someone -approaching. “Let’s hide behind the corner of the house.” - -Jack and Paul retreated. Half a minute later, a boy came along and -without any hesitation, started to cross the lawn to the house. The -two boys jumped out of their hiding place. “Where do you think you’re -going?” demanded Paul. - -William jumped and went pale. Seeing, however, who his assailants were, -he gritted his teeth and barked, “Say, what do you think you’re doing, -scaring people?” - -The two boys smiled. Jack said, “Now don’t get too fresh or we’ll -pummel you. Where are you going?” - -William made believe he was still angry. “Follow me and you’ll find -out.” - -“And what’s that little package you have there?” asked Paul. - -“Wouldn’t you like to know, though?” was the retort. - -“A nickel to a penny it’s a box of candy,” said Jack. - -But William was not to be bluffed. “Seems to me,” he remarked dryly, -“that you fellows are not carrying flowers in _your_ packages.” - -He had guessed right, and the three of them joined in laughing -heartily. But just then another boy came up to them. He had approached -quietly and had been a witness to the previous scene. “Well, well,” -exclaimed Wallace, “are you fellows holding a meeting here tonight or -are you just congregating here to be a nuisance? Answer yes or no and -don’t be flippant about it either.” - -The three boys stared at the new arrival. Jack cried in irritation, -“This has gone about far enough. Arline told me that she was inviting -only me tonight. What are you guys doing here?” - -Wallace held up his package majestically. “Now, Jack, don’t get -excited.” He poked a finger at his friend. “She told me the same -thing,” he assured the doubter. - -“Same here,” echoed Paul. - -“And me, too,” added William. - -“And who else?” demanded Jack. - -The boys shrugged their shoulders and shook their heads. But they were -not to be mystified much longer. Just then, Bobolink marched up. He saw -the boys but it didn’t ruffle him in the least. He nodded to them and -said, “Hello, fellows. Sorry I can’t stop to chew the rag awhile, but I -have an important engagement.” - -“Is that so?” exclaimed William. Grabbing Bobolink by the arm, he held -on to him and informed the last arrival, “So have we all. Just stick -around.” - -Bobolink shrugged his shoulders. “Well,” he said, “if I must, I must.” - -In due time, Bluff and Nuthin’ arrived and joined the crowd. Only Ken -was missing. They decided to wait for him because they had no doubt -he would also turn up. However, a few of the boys became a little -impatient and they decided to ring the bell. Several seconds elapsed -and then the door opened and beautiful Arline Blair came marching out -to the boys on Ken’s arm. The boys were startled, then they began to -hurl all sorts of flippant and good-natured epithets at him. Two of -the boys even started to pummel him in fun. Suddenly a command rang out -“Fall in!” - -The boys fell into formation. Paul approached Arline, saluted her and -said, “Miss Blair, Fox Patrol bids you good evening.” - -The young lady made a bow. “Good evening, boys,” she replied sweetly. - -“And the boys furthermore ask leave to present you with tokens of their -affection.” - -Paul gave her his box of chocolates. Then each, on down the line, -presented her with his gift. When all that was done, Paul sang out his -commands. “Attention! Forward, march!” - -As the boys marched forward to go into the house, Paul took Arline -by the arm and led her away in the opposite direction. When the boys -realized it, they broke formation and ran after him. “Hey, you, come -here,” cried William. - -Arline tilted back her head and laughed merrily. “I’ve never had so -much fun in all my life,” she said. - -“Yes,” complained Jack, “but where’s our fun?” - -“We are coming to that,” she told him. “I wanted to surprise you all.” - -“You certainly did,” William ventured to say. - -“And,” continued the young lady, “if you’ll come in, you’ll find -everything prepared for a most enjoyable party.” - -“Then what are we waiting for?” asked Nuthin’. - -“For no reason that I know of,” replied Arline. “Let’s go in. The -girls—” - -“The girls!” exclaimed each boy separately. - -“You didn’t think that I was going to entertain all you boys by myself, -did you?” - -“No, but—” - -“So I invited my friends to help me. Let’s go in, now.” - -They all entered and in spite of the complications of the half hour -before, they had a most enjoyable evening. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -SWIMMING CONTEST - - -For the following two days, the boys practiced swimming assiduously. -They spent most of their hours at the lake and perfected their strokes, -their form, diving, turning, etc. They were in tip top shape and were -confident of the results. Saturday morning all the boys turned out to -help fix up a float, repair the diving board, lay out lanes and make -everything ready for the contest at one-thirty. - -Three people consented to act as judges. Swimming coach Thompson and -Assistant swimming coach Grey of Stanhope High School and a man named -White, who was at one time a national swimming champion. - -The events that had been agreed upon were the hundred yard dash in -which Paul and Nuthin’ were to participate; the two-twenty yard dash in -which Ken and Bluff had been entered; the hundred and sixty yard relay, -with William, Wallace, Bobolink and Jack as the team; and finally a -fancy diving match, with Bobolink as his group’s representative. - -A large crowd turned out to watch the spectacle. The members of the -competing teams mixed together and poked fun at each other, quibbled -over many nothings and thus forgot all their anxiety about the -forthcoming contest. The judges were ready and everything was set when -suddenly an airplane dropped out of the sky. People pointed, waved and -shouted. Attached to the rear end of the plane was a floating banner. -Jack nudged Wallace and asked, “Who do you think is in the plane? Can -you guess?” - -“A turkey to a doughnut it’s Major McCarthy.” - -Several of the boys standing nearby overheard and agreed. Jack said, -“That’s most likely who it is. Can you read what’s on the banner?” - -“Not yet. Wait till he comes down a little lower.” - -The plane descended to an altitude of about five hundred feet. -Everybody began to shout the words on the banner—“GOOD LUCK.” Ted, -standing with Paul, asked, “Wonder whom he is wishing good luck?” - -“Both teams, of course,” answered Paul. - -“He’s a very fine chap—the major is.” - -“You said it,” agreed Paul. “There are not many like him.” - -After circling around overhead for a short while, the pilot waved and -zoomed up into the sky. Several moments later the plane was performing -a “barrel roll,” followed by a “loop the loop.” The spectators waved, -cheered and screamed for more stunts. So the plane stunted some more; -it dived down heading straight for the water, skimmed the surface of -the lake and zoomed away up into the sky again and disappeared. - -At last everything was ready for the contest to begin. The judges -called for the first event, the hundred yard dash. Paul and Nuthin’ -stepped forward. Ted Slavin’s group was to be represented by Ted and -two other boys, Joe and Mac. Nuthin’ was placed in lane one, Mac in -lane two, Ted in lane three, Paul, lane four and Joe, lane five. Coach -Thompson looked the boys over, then called out, “You’re all ready?” - -The boys nodded and said they were. Thompson raised his gun. “Ready!” -he called. - -The boys crouched, each in his lane. “Get set!” - -There was silence everywhere. The boys brought back their arms ready to -dive. But half a second before the pistol went off, Mac, anticipating -the signal, dived. The boys relaxed and waited for Mac to come out of -the water and take the start over. - -“Ready!” called Thompson. Pause. “Get set!” Half a second later the -gun went off and five young men, their arms stretched out in front of -them, flung themselves through space, cut into the water and—they were -off. Ted, tall and lanky, was out front, an inch or two in the lead. -Their legs kicked rhythmically, their arms moved gracefully and with -precision. They skimmed the water like fish. - -The length of the pool was twenty yards and each man had to swim the -pool five times. At the first turn, Ted and Nuthin’ were neck and neck. -Both boys were encouraged and urged on by their comrades and friends. -Paul was only an inch or two behind, followed very closely by Mac and -Joe. That position was maintained throughout the second lap. In the -third lap Paul and Mac started creeping up steadily on the leaders -while Nuthin,’ shot out into the lead, with Ted only an inch behind. -At the turn, a deep sigh went up from the spectators—Nuthin’ missed -his hold and lost enough time in the turn to place him behind with Joe. -It seemed that the race was now to be decided between Ted and Paul. -Ted, however, seemed to manage quite well in keeping his lead and Paul -didn’t seem as though he were gaining any. Nuthin’, though, was in the -meanwhile, gaining with every stroke. At the turn he was neck and neck -with Paul. - -On shore, some people had set up a chant—“Nuthin’! Nuthin’! come on -Nuthin’!” They kept up the chant until the very end of the race. And -Nuthin’ seemed to be responding very well to their call. He was edging -up closer and closer. He was straining every muscle in his body. His -arms and feet were like a well oiled, well regulated machine. Within -five yards to the goal Nuthin’ was neck and neck with Ted. The latter -strained very hard to reach out further. Two yards from the edge of -the pool and Nuthin’ had already crept into the lead. The judges were -bending over, watching very closely for the first touch. The spectators -held their breaths and watched. In an instant the race was over and -the judges were rising to their feet. Somebody shouted, “Ted! Ted, the -winner!” - -Both judges shook their heads and pointed to Nuthin’. William, at the -other end of the pool, screamed, “Nuthin’! Hooray for Nuthin’!” - -Somebody nudged him and remarked, “Stop shouting for nothing; shout for -something.” - -William laughed and roared. “Nuthin’ is something and how!” - -Nuthin’ lay stretched out, with Ted at his side. Breathing hard, Ted -said, “That was a swell race. Never thought you were as good as that, -boy.” - -Paul, squatting nearby, remarked, “Creeping up on us the way he did and -winning the dash—he’s certainly good.” - -“You said it,” agreed Ted. - -The two hundred and twenty yard dash was an all-around disappointment. -Not that it didn’t have its thrills. On the contrary, it had too many -thrills, surprises and shocks, so that the contestants participated -in something that was more than a swimming contest and the spectators -lost interest in the event itself. When the judges called for the -participants to step forth, Ken and Bluff came out as representatives -for their group. For the Ted Slavin team, two boys stepped forth, one -by the name of Walt and the other Cy. The edge of the wooden dock was -wet and therefore slippery. As the boys lined in their respective -lanes, Walt somehow lost his balance and slipped; when he had picked -himself up, he began to hop around painfully. He had twisted his ankle, -and that forced him out of the race. His team had no other man to take -his place and that left only three contestants in the race. - -Coach Thompson finally called, “Get ready!” Pause, “Get set!” The shot -went off and the boys dived. For three laps everything went along -well. The boys glided through the water gracefully. Cy was setting the -pace, with Ken following several inches behind and Bluff bringing up -the rear. On their fourth lap, at about the center of the lane, Bluff -suddenly went down like a rock. People began to scream and shout. Ken, -becoming aware of the commotion on shore, stopped to hear what people -were screaming to him. In the meanwhile, Nuthin’ and Ted who were -sitting at the edge of the float and watching the race, both jumped -into the lake. Nuthin’ dived first and half a minute later came up with -Bluff. Assisted by Ted, the two boys pulled Bluff in. He had suddenly -gotten cramps. - -The race continued with only two contestants now; Cy was in the -lead with Ken fully five yards behind. Ken tried to creep up on his -competitor, but as he increased his pace, so did Cy. The boys kept up -the grind back and forth, back and forth across the pool. At the end -of the seventh lap, Ken had managed to regain about half the distance -he had lost. And he continued to creep up by inches. As the boys were -ending their tenth lap and were approaching for a turn, a little boy -of about six or seven, who had somehow managed to get to the edge -of the pool, leaned over a little too far and tumbled in. The child -fell directly in front of Ken and before many people had realized -what happened the swimmer had fished the boy out, handed him over to -outstretched arms and continued with the race. But by now, Ken had -fallen so far behind that even by his last sprint, he could do no -better than end up a full seven yards behind Cy. The race was ended and -few people were aware of it. - -The next event was the diving, with Bobolink and Ted as the -contestants. Both were fine divers and their form was almost perfect. -Each one was obliged to perform the swan dive, the jackknife and a -third dive of the contestant’s own choosing. After both boys had -performed and had delighted the spectators, the judges conferred but -were unable to come to a decision. The two boys were told to perform -any one fancy dive they chose. Again both contestants performed so -equally that the judges called the contest a draw. - -It was the relay, however, that again raised the spectators’ enthusiasm -to high pitch and set them jumping and howling madly; it had everyone -on his toes following the contest closely. - -William was the lead off man for his team. Coach Thompson called, “On -your mark!” The two boys crouched. “Get set!” They brought their arms -back. The gun went off and William and his competitor flung themselves -through space, their arms stretched out. They cut into the water and -set off in a fast sprint. Each contestant had two laps to go. They -glided through the water, their arms and feet moving rhythmically. -Both boys turned simultaneously and were neck and neck. People shouted -and screamed themselves hoarse; their comrades shouted advice and -encouragement. Gradually, William moved into the lead. As he touched, -he gave Wallace, who followed him, a lead of about three inches. - -The next pair were off. Wallace kept his small margin of a lead with -his competitor sturdily refusing to concede another inch. Wallace, -however, made a poor turn, and placed both boys nose to nose. It even -looked as though the other fellow would gain the lead any second but -Wallace fought it out and both boys touched simultaneously. The third -pair dived and each contestant fought hard for the lead but neither -Bobolink nor his competitor would yield. Stroke for stroke, they glided -through the water gracefully and neither one would yield an inch. At -the turn, it appeared for a second that Bobolink gained an inch or two -on his competitor, but the next moment they were seen gliding along -side by side, nose to nose. The spectators were frantic with excitement -and they encouraged, urged and cajoued, each his favorite, to hurry -up and get into the lead. The two contestants, however, touched -simultaneously. - -Jack was the last man. By the way he dived, flinging his body through -space with a certain impatient fury, it seemed that he was going to -fly across the pool. His competitor, however, was right there at his -side and obstinate in his refusal to be shaken. Jack plowed through the -water at breakneck speed. People wondered how the other hung on and -didn’t yield an inch. The spectators were going wild with enthusiasm; -some of them became hysterical. A babble of voices urged both boys to -get ahead, take the lead. But neither one seemed able to shake the -other fellow. At the turn, however, Jack who was very flexible and -fast, manoeuvered the touch and push off so quickly that he got away -with a lead of several inches. The other fellow saw himself losing out -and sprinted after Jack fast and furious. But the latter would not -yield and steadily he kept his lead, making the final touch a full five -seconds ahead of his competitor. - -People jumped into the air, fell on each other’s necks and screamed -with delight. Ready arms stretched out to help the two boys out of -the water. Smiling, happy, Jack turned to his rival and the two shook -hands. The Slavin group formed a circle and cheered Jack and then -everybody else they could think of. Paul, Jack and the other boys also -formed a circle and returned cheer for cheer. - -The contest was over and a number of people went away. The spectacle, -however, was by no means over. It had been arranged to include several -items on the schedule as pure fun-provoking spectacles. The first such -event was performed on the diving board. Bobolink dressed up in a pair -of balloon pants, and a bonnet on his head; Ted, on the other hand, put -on a bathing suit that was twice his size, his fingers hiding in his -sleeves and the bottoms flopping around his legs, with a life preserver -around his midsection. - -Bobolink appeared first on the board. Shaky and nervous, he walked out -to the edge of the board. Suddenly slipping, he bounced on his back, -went up into the air and came down on his stomach; he tried to grasp -the board, but in vain; up he went again and came down on his head -and then catapulted into the water, swimming through the air. As he -went under water, his bonnet went floating on the surface of the lake. -Coming up again, he retrieved his bonnet and waited for Ted to perform. - -Ted took a running slide across the board and as he came to the edge, -he heeled over, trying not to slide off; clawing the air, he balanced -back and forth, back and forth, appearing as though this moment he was -going into the water head first and the next moment—no. Finally he did -slip off and as he fell through space he managed to grasp a hold on the -board. Like a see-saw, the board went up and down, with Ted trying to -clamber onto the board again. He managed to put his legs around the -board and his fingers slipped and there he was hanging head down. After -performing all sorts of gymnastics with his hands, he fell into the -water head first. And to the great enjoyment of the spectators, Ted -didn’t go fully underwater but got stuck in the water, head, shoulders -and as far as his midsection immersed, while his feet stuck up, kicking -vigorously. Everybody laughed at the sight until tears ran down their -faces. Bobolink swam over and after spinning Ted around several times, -helped him to turn over. Righted again, only half of him was under -water. Bobolink pushed him below the surface several times and the -fellow bobbed up like a spring. It was all the result of the life -preserver around his midsection. - -Two canoes were placed in the water and each contained a tilting pole. -The two contestants, Paul and Cy, were told to swim out and each occupy -a canoe, which the boys did easily enough. However, they were not -supplied with paddles and in order to approach within striking distance -of each other, they were obliged to paddle with their hands. Separated -by a distance of about three or four feet, the boys stood up in their -canoes and poised their poles. But in the meanwhile, Paul’s canoe had -drifted away and Cy called out, “I say, don’t run away. Come back and -defend your honor.” - -“Just you wait a minute,” replied Paul. And he immediately squatted and -with his hands paddled up nearer to his foe. - -The spectators cheered and laughed with glee. They were having as much -fun as the contestants themselves who now crossed poles as a sign that -the battle was on. They thrust at each other but only jabbed the air. -Their canoes drifting apart, both had to sit down and do some paddling -again. Someone on shore shouted, “Get together there, will you? Do -something!” - -Others echoed the cry and urged the contestants on to do something. -Just as soon as they were close enough, both boys jumped up and grabbed -their poles. Cy thrust out and Paul dodged it and poked back; but Cy -caught it on his pole and pushed it away. Again the poles crossed. -Cy’s canoe was drifting away, and he leaned forward a trifle, reaching -out to strike his opponent; instead, Paul pushed his pole into Cy’s -shoulder and the latter plunged into the water. Paul stood up his pole -and thrust out his chest as a sign of victory. The spectators ashore -applauded and cheered him. But just then Cy bobbed out of the water and -tipped Paul’s canoe, throwing him into the water, which caused the -spectators a great deal of amusement. - -The boys were getting dressed in the boat-house. They were jabbering -away a mile a minute. Ted stood up on a bench and called out, -“Everybody attention, please!” - -“Pull him off!” someone shouted. - -“Don’t let him talk!” another added. - -“Hear! Hear!” someone else shouted. - -When all had finally quieted down, Ted began, “A friend of mine—” - -He was interrupted by several voices. One cried, “Who’s she?” - -“What’s her name?” - -“How do you know she’s a friend of yours?” - -“Quiet! Quiet!” - -Ted continued. “As I was saying, a friend of mine has arranged a dance -as a successful completion of today’s events.” - -“Yea!” one of the boys cried. - -“Hooray for your friend!” another shouted. - -“And for Ted!” was added by another boy. - -“Hooray for all of us!” cried Cy. - -Quiet was restored and Ted finished his statement, declaring, “The -dance will be held at eight o’clock, the place—the High School gym, -and you are all not only invited but urged to come.” - -He was applauded, cheered, and thanked for the information. All the -boys promised to come. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -MAN CHAINED - - -The boys were in conference. Nuthin’ said, “I still maintain, fellows, -that we ought to call in the police. After all, what can we do? Suppose -that gang uses guns against us, then we’re lost.” - -Paul answered, “As far as their using guns against us, we will have to -risk that. But then, whatever plan we adopt to capture that gang, we’ll -use our brains and make it so they won’t have a chance to use their -guns. As for calling the police, if we do that, it is very likely that -the whole gang will get away. Imagine what the police method would be. -They would remove all the stuff from the cave and then wait around for -the thieves to come and be caught. But they won’t come because it’s -bound to leak out and be given a lot of publicity.” - -“And another thing,” chimed in William, “look at all the fun we’ll be -missing.” - -“But very dangerous fun,” retorted Nuthin’. - -“Your imagination is carrying you away,” interposed Ken. - -Nuthin’ shrugged his shoulders and withdrew his objections. - -Wallace spoke up. “Let’s get down to business,” he said, “and develop -some plan.” - -“Suppose someone suggests something and then we will all chip in,” -remarked Ken. - -The boys nodded and Wallace was the first to offer his opinion. -“According to our information, which is scanty, they are supposed to -return within ten days or two weeks from a week ago Saturday. Now as -far as we are concerned, we have to be there on the spot. That means -that we must prepare to camp there for about a week, and we have to -leave tomorrow.” - -“Is that agreeable to everyone or does anyone have any objections or -want to add something?” asked Paul. - -“Only this,” spoke up Bobolink, “and that’s to keep a constant watch at -the cave.” - -“We’ll come to that when we work out the details,” interrupted Jack. -“For the present, I’m sure that we’re all agreed to the proposal -advanced by Wallace.” - -For the next three hours the boys sat in a group and designed a plan. -Every detail was taken care of and everyone was sure that it would work -out well. - -Very early the following morning, all the eight boys, with full packs -on their backs and wearing their Boy Scout uniforms, marched out of -Stanhope and took the road to the mountain. Wallace pointed out to them -the abandoned farm house, behind which was the road leading to the -mysterious airport. Jack’s immediate suggestion was that they enter and -search it. All the boys eagerly assented and lots were drawn for the -two who would enter the house, two who would search the yard and barn -while the others were to deploy and be on the watch. Paul and Wallace -won the chance to enter the house, while Ken and Jack were to explore -the yard and barn. - -The boys withdrew from the road and put all their packs together, -with Bluff to watch over them. William was stationed at one point to -carefully watch the main road; he himself was to keep in hiding and not -to be seen. Bobolink was directed to watch the back of the house and -Nuthin’ was told to walk back on the road about a quarter of a mile and -to watch for any suspicious characters and keep a general lookout. - -Paul and Wallace approached the house silently, carefully, examining -the exterior of the house with each step. Circling the house, they -found that several of the windows were broken and nailed with boards. -As a whole, the house was not in bad condition and was habitable. -Several signs led them to believe that the house had been used on -and off recently. Paul pointed to a number of footprints that did not -appear to be very old; Wallace spied a banana peel which could not have -been more than about ten days or two weeks old. At the back of the -house the boys came across pieces that appeared to have been chopped in -the recent past. Turning to his friend, Wallace remarked, “Looks like -they used this place all right.” - -“Yes,” agreed Paul. “And I think that we’ll most likely find a lot of -interesting things inside.” - -The boys approached the front door and Paul tried the knob. It wouldn’t -open. The boys tugged and pushed but the door held fast. “What are we -going to do,” asked Paul, “break in the door?” - -“No. Let’s pry away the boards from one of the windows and gain -entrance that way.” - -Paul agreed. At one of the side windows Wallace used his hatchet and -pried away three boards giving them enough room to climb through. -Wallace was the first to tumble in and Paul quickly followed. With -the help of their searchlights, they examined the room. It was very -dusty, with cobwebs and several broken chairs strewn about the floor; -otherwise the room was completely empty. Paul whispered, “Well, there’s -nothing much here, so let’s move on.” - -The floor squeaked as they tiptoed to the door. There was no knob and -the door stuck tightly. Wallace used his hatchet and pried it open. The -boys stepped into a large foyer. To one side were the stairs leading to -the flight above, and across the hall were two doors. They approached -the nearest door and endeavored to push it open; it stuck fast. Pulling -and tugging, the knob broke loose. Rather than break in, Paul suggested -that they try the second door first. The boys entered into a kitchen. -On one side was a coal stove and an oil burner; against the window was -a table with several dirty dishes; a couple of chairs stood by. While -Paul examined the closets, Wallace struck a match and tried the oil -burner. It burned and that revealed that it had been in recent use. -In the closet, Paul found odds and ends of crockery, rags and several -pieces of old clothing. - -From the kitchen, a swinging door led into the next room—the room -the boys could not enter from without. There they saw two open cots -with blankets and pillows. A third cot, folded, stood near by. In the -middle of the room were a large, round table and four chairs. On the -table lay several used candles, a couple of small liquor glasses stood -nearby and an empty whiskey bottle. There were some rags and pieces of -clothing strewn about. The boys wheeled around on their heels slowly, -examining the room closely. Paul spied an overcoat lying in a heap in a -corner. He tiptoed slowly across the room and picked it up; very dusty, -still it looked like a good coat. He put his hand into the pocket and -his fingers touched a cold and hard object. It was an automatic. He -whispered across the room to his friend. Paul snapped open the magazine -and found it loaded. Pushing back the safety cap, he put the gun into -his pocket. Again he picked up the coat and in the second pocket found -a box of cartridges. Whispering across the room, the boys decided to -appropriate the automatic and cartridges. Walking silently over to join -his friend in front of the fireplace, Paul passed a hand over his brow -and whispered anxiously, “We’re in the gang’s hangout all right. And I -hate to think what would happen to us if we were caught.” - -“It would be just too bad,” answered Wallace. “But it’s too late to -withdraw now.” - -“Yes. But I’m beginning to think that Nuthin’ was right. We should have -called in the police.” - -“Too late,” repeated Wallace. “We’ll have to make the best of it.” - -Coming out into the hall, the boys mounted the stairs, Paul leading -and Wallace following. At the head of the stairs they stopped to look -around. There were two doors to their left. No attic. Paul tried the -first door. It held fast. Pushing and tugging didn’t seem to help. -Wallace whispered, “Let’s try the next door.” - -The next door swung open at the mere touch of Paul’s hand. Entering, -they found the room very dusty but entirely empty. There was a single -closet; opening it, that too was found to be empty. They returned -to the hall. Wallace whispered, “You think we ought to break in -there?”—meaning the first door they tried but found locked or nailed. - -Paul shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. What do you think? Is it -worth the trouble?” - -“You really can’t tell. From the looks of things, it seems as though -they don’t use this floor.” - -“Then why should the door be locked?” - -“I can’t say. Let’s break in, so we won’t have any regrets.” - -Wallace set to with his hatchet. Paul cautioned him to make less noise. -But it was necessary to do a lot of chopping before the door would -open. Wallace swung the door open and remained at the threshhold. -Wallace gasped and Paul quickly reached into his pocket for the gun. -They stepped into the room. Sprawled over on the floor was a man -chained to a chair. Quickly glancing about to see if anyone else was -in the room, they then hurried to pick up man and chair. Upright, the -man’s head hung down and had every appearance of being dead. Paul put -his ear to the man’s heart, listened closely for several seconds and -then whispered, “Still alive.” - -“Wonder who he is?” asked Wallace. - -“Let’s first set him free.” - -The man was chained hands and feet and then the chain ran several times -around his body and the chair and both ends of the chain were held fast -by a lock. Trying to break the lock was found to be futile. So Paul -attacked one of the links with the hatchet. After removing the chains, -they stretched the man out on the floor. Paul made a quick search -through his coat pockets. From the right one the boy brought out a -badge. Wallace craned his neck to see. It was a government agent badge. - -“Do you think he is a real government agent?” whispered Wallace. - -“Must be.” - -“What’ll we do?” - -“Take him out of here. Quickly. He needs air and medical treatment.” - -Wallace grabbed the man’s legs and Paul took him under the arms. Thus -they carried him downstairs. At the window, Paul said, “We’ll lay him -down here for a while. You go and call a couple of the boys.” - -He jumped through the window. Hesitating for a moment undecided which -way to turn and whom to call, he put his fingers between his lips and -sent out a low, shrill whistle. Dropping behind a clump of bushes, he -lay there waiting, watching. In about a minute he noticed Ken and Jack -appear from somewhere in the rear of the farm yard. They stayed close -together and sneaked along from tree to tree. From the expression on -their faces Wallace could tell that they were in a quandary as to where -the whistle came from. He exposed himself and waved to them. They came -on the run. “What’s the matter?” demanded Jack. - -“Anything wrong?”—that from Ken. - -Wallace waved away their questions and instructed them to wait under -the window. He clambered in. The man now had his eyes open and made an -effort to move his lips. Paul and Wallace picked him up and handed him -out through the window. Jack and Ken gasped. Paul cautioned them. “Be -careful. Hold on.” - -Outside, Paul instructed Wallace to nail up the window again, while -the three of them would take the man to the other side of the road, to -where Bluff and their knapsacks were. That accomplished, Bluff was sent -out to call in the other boys. - -They stretched out a blanket on the grass and with another blanket for -a pillow, they made the man comfortable. Paul moistened his lips with -water and let him swallow a couple of mouthsful. After which the man -fell into a doze. - -Nuthin’ added, “He certainly needs medical attention.” - -Jack shook his head. “I don’t think there is anything wrong with him -organically,” he said. “He must have gone without food for a long time -and that weakened him. Also the fact that he was tied to that chair.” - -“Perhaps he wouldn’t want us to get a doctor because a doctor would -have to notify the police. And he may not want that.” - -Paul spoke up. He said, “One of us should run back to the nearest -grocery to buy a bottle of fresh milk, several cans of fruit juice and -some fresh fruit and vegetables.” - -“I w-will g-go,” offered Bluff. - -Paul cautioned him. “Make believe that you’re hiking by yourself and -don’t answer any questions.” - -Bluff nodded and was off. The boys sat down in a circle and Paul said, -“Now we’ll hear what the result of your exploration has been, Jack and -Ken. Which one of you is going to do the talking?” - -“There’s really nothing to tell,” spoke up Jack. “We found nothing -suspicious nor unusual.” - -“Was the barn just plain empty?” questioned William. - -“Yes,” replied Ken, “except for a few sticks and stones.” - -“How about the yard?” asked Bobolink. - -“We searched thoroughly but we didn’t come across a thing.” - -Pause. Silence. Finally Jack said, “Suppose you now tell us all the -other things you found in the house.” - -Between them, Paul and Wallace related their entire experiences, not -omitting any detail. He took out and showed the automatic and the box -of cartridges. By the time the narrative was completed, Bluff had -returned. Warming up a glass of milk, Paul fed it to the stricken man, -a little at a time. Revived, he smiled and opened his lips to speak but -Paul cautioned him not to exert any effort and just to rest. He lay -down again and fell asleep. About two hours later he awoke and Paul -fed him a cup of pineapple juice and a soft boiled egg. The man seemed -to regain his strength rapidly. He was now fully able to speak but he -uttered only a few words. “Thank you,” he said. “I will now rest a -little longer.” - -Toward afternoon, the agent recovered sufficiently to sit up and -declaim his hunger. But on the recommendation of Paul, to which he -agreed, he was given only warm milk and again a soft boiled egg on -toast. As he ate, the boys gathered around and watched him. When he -had finished his meal, he sat quietly for a short while, passing his -hand over his several days growth of beard and laughing in his throat. -Finally he spoke, his voice throaty and rusty. He asked, “Do you -fellows mind telling me how you came to be in that house?” - -The boys shut their mouths and kept quiet. The embarrassing silence -lasted for about a minute. At last Paul replied, “Don’t you think, sir, -that it is really your task to explain to us how you came to be in the -condition in which we found you? We are Boy Scouts and by our treatment -of you, it is evident that we are friends and mean you no harm.” - -The man stroked his chin and hesitated. He let his sharp eyes roam from -one silent boy to another, judging them, evaluating their characters. -Wallace held out the badge they had found on him and asked, “Is this -yours, sir?” - -He glanced at it, nodded, took it and dropped it in his pocket. “Thank -you,” he muttered. He still seemed to hesitate. Finally he spoke, low -and throaty. “My name is Tom Woods and I want to thank you boys for -saving my life. Another day and I would have passed out.” - -“How long have you been a prisoner there?” questioned Jack. - -“What day is this?” - -“Monday.” - -He thought for a moment. “Since Saturday morning,” he replied. - -“Do you know if the gang is coming back for you?” Ken asked. - -The agent shrugged his shoulders. “I really don’t know. But I imagine -that they were going to let me rot there until doomsday.” He again let -his eyes roam from one face to another. “I was in luck to have you boys -find me. Once more, I thank you. You saved my life and I hope that -someday I shall be able to repay the debt.” - -Wallace leaned over and whispered something to Paul who nodded. For -several seconds the boys waited for the man to speak, but he kept his -mouth tightly shut. Wallace whispered, “Mr. Woods, did you know that -they are scheduled to make a shipment one of these days?” - -Though the question had been in a low whisper, the agent had caught -every syllable; at the word “shipment” he winced, but so imperceptibly -that only three of the boys had noticed it. He smiled wanly. He -confessed. “I am a government agent. It appears that you boys have -information—valuable information—which I desire.” He paused and -stroked his chin. “It’s only fair then, I guess, that I tell you how I -came to be chained to that chair in the farm house—a most inconvenient -situation.” And he laughed in his throat. “I have been on this case for -several months. I suppose you know that we are dealing with a gang of -arms smugglers?” He put the statement in the form of a question and he -noticed that several of the boys nodded, which was the clue he wanted. - -“Well,” he continued, speaking low, almost in a whisper, “There really -isn’t much to tell. I happened to come upon their hangout—an apartment -in the city. Keeping a steady watch for several days, I learned their -movements. One night, I watched them leave their apartment one by one -and I decided to go up and investigate. I got in all right, but two -of their comrades whom I had never seen leave or enter the building, -were there to greet me. After that, things happened so fast I still -find it difficult to recall all the details. At any rate, the next -thing I knew, I was lying on the floor of a car traveling at a good -rate of speed. I made believe that I was still unconscious and listened -to their talk, but they said nothing to give away their secrets. -Eventually they brought me to this farm house and chained me to the -chair. The rest you know already.” - -The boys stared at him in astonishment and silence prevailed for a -short while. Finally he said, “Now it’s your turn to tell me all you -know. I’m under the impression that you boys have a great deal of -valuable information.” - -The fellows looked at one another and kept quiet. They left it to Paul -to do all the talking and tell as little or as much as he felt would -be advisable. Paul, however, saw no reason for withholding any details -of the information and he told all. As he progressed in his narrative, -Tom Woods gasped with surprise several times. He listened attentively, -wrinkling his brow and his jaw set as he did so. When the story was at -last completely told, he confessed his amazement. For a short while he -kept perfectly silent and concentrating on some plan he had in mind. He -asked, “What time is it now?” - -“Almost three o’clock,” answered William. - -“How far away is this camping ground you were heading for?” - -“Close to ten miles,” he was told. - -The government agent shook his head. He suggested, “The first thing -we ought to do right now is to find a camping spot. I don’t think I’m -strong enough yet to walk ten miles. Tomorrow, maybe, but not today. -However, would you boys object if we found some spot about a mile or -two from here and pitched camp?” - -“I don’t think so,” replied Paul and turned to the boys for affirmation. - -“Then we’ll do that,” Woods said, “and then we will devise a complete -plan of action. You boys know so much and are so familiar with the -surroundings that I shall have to include you in all my plans to -capture the gang.” - -The boys immediately set off. Tom Woods accompanied by Wallace followed -at a slower pace. They found a good spot and pitched camp. After -supper, the boys gathered around the camp fire and together with the -agent devised a plan of action for the next few days. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE TRAP - - -The following morning the boys rose early. They had had a refreshing -and restful sleep and they were now ready and eager to carry out their -plan. William supervised the preparation of breakfast and each one of -them had a hearty and satisfactory meal. Tom Woods, too, had by now -sufficiently recovered to have a full meal. He even declaimed that -he now felt as well as ever. But the shadows under his eyes and the -paleness of his skin told a silent story of horrible torture. - -The agent rose to his feet and stretched himself. He called Paul over -and asked, “Do you mind lending that automatic of yours? And also the -cartridges. I may have to use them.” - -Paul surrendered the pistol and ammunition. Several minutes later, -Wallace called out, “I’m ready, Mr. Woods, if you are.” - -“I’m also ready, so let’s go.” - -Wallace shouldered his knapsack and waving goodbye to the other boys -who were busy breaking camp, he and the agent set off. As for the rest -of the group, just as soon as everything was ready, they set off -for their destination—their old camp ground, which they reached at -about noon. After a fifteen minute rest, lunch was prepared. Paul then -declared a thirty minute rest period, adding, “We have a lot of hard -work ahead of us which must be accomplished before nightfall. So relax, -then we will get to work.” - -Ken was left behind to keep guard at camp and put it into order. The -other boys set off, with the cave their destination. When they got -there, Bobolink and Nuthin’ were stationed at strategic points to keep -a careful watch. Paul, Jack and William hid in the shrubbery. Paul -picked up several light stones and threw them at the door of the cave. -Some moments passed. The boys, anxious and determined, breathed hard. -Jack crept forward on his hands and knees and moving so that the door -would act as a shield, he slowly and quietly opened the door wide. -There was no one in the front compartment of the cave and the door -was closed. Jack crept back into hiding and now Paul and William rose -to their feet and stole quietly away. The two boys crossed the stream -and came upon the shrubbery-hidden opening that led to the back of the -cave. Paul crept in; William kept guard. In a short while Paul came -out. “How does it look inside?” William asked. - -“The place is just full of wooden cases and boxes. They must have been -here very recently and we missed them.” - -“That’s nothing. Since they have their baggage here yet, they will come -back. If not today, then tomorrow or the next day. In the meanwhile, -I’m going back to give Jack the word. Is that all right?” - -“Yes. If you two get through with your job first, come and give me a -hand.” - -“Very well.” - -William disappeared and Paul set to work. Jack was waiting for William -to return and just as soon as he did, the two boys got busy in front -of and around the cave. They worked arduously and quickly. Finally the -boys were done and without hesitating or wasting a minute, they set out -to help Paul whom they met on the way. “You have everything finished?” -the latter asked. - -The boys nodded. “And you?” queried William. - -“All done.” - -“Good.” - -The boys returned to their camp. It was already dark when William -appeared. “Well, did anything happen?” - -“Nothing,” he replied. “And here?” - -“Nothing.” - -Early the following morning, Jack left camp. He walked at a steady -rapid pace and in about three hours he arrived at the farm house. -Wallace had told him that Tom Woods would meet him there. He searched -for some sign of the agent and finding none, he entered the yard and -crept stealthily along, aiming for a position which would keep him -in hiding while he had a good view of the road and most of the yard. -He gained his goal and stretched himself out on the ground, prepared -to wait until the agent showed up. Suddenly he felt the presence of -someone close to him. He bounded up from the earth, but Tom Woods -grabbed him and pulled him down again. The man laughed. “It’s all -right, boy,” he whispered. - -“Whew! You certainly scared me, Mr. Woods!” Jack exclaimed, heaving a -sigh of relief. - -“Just a little foolish playfulness on my part,” the agent stated. -“What’s the news from camp?” - -“Nothing happened. The boys did everything they were supposed to and -everything is ready to greet the gang.” - -“That’s good. I have a faint suspicion that we won’t have to wait for -them long either.” - -“You think they’ll come today?” - -“Most likely. Though I wouldn’t swear to it. Nothing is certain, you -know.” - -They lay there side by side and conversed in very low whispers. Woods -questioned the boy about his home, his activities, his friends and -all sorts of little details about his life. In return he told many -anecdotes of his experiences. He possessed a very fine sense of humor -and he twisted every story he told into a humorous narrative. He had -Jack giggling most of the time. - -It turned out that Tom Woods was wrong and nothing happened that day. -Towards nightfall, he instructed Jack to return to camp, tell the -boys to be ever on the watch and have Wallace come down the following -morning. It was quite dark when he reached camp and he was so tired -that after a sandwich he turned in for the night. - -Wallace rose with the dawn and wasted no time getting set for his hike -down the mountain. When he arrived at the farm house, Tom Woods played -the same trick on him as he did on Jack. Side by side, the two lay in -hiding and waited. “What did the boys do yesterday?” asked the agent. - -“They kept watch all day long but nothing happened.” - -“It will today,” asserted Woods. - -All day long they lay in hiding and waited. It appeared as though Tom -Woods was wrong again. But that did not despair him. He continued -telling his humorous anecdotes and kept himself and his companion -cheerful. The sun swung across the horizon. Noon came and passed. -The hours dragged along. Towards five o’clock, the government agent -suddenly broke off in the middle of a sentence; he became very -alert. Wallace felt a cold chill run down his spine. Woods hurriedly -whispered, “Don’t get excited. Stay under cover until I tell you -otherwise.” - -A car swung slowly in from the road into the yard. Behind the farm -house, it stopped. Wallace whispered to his companion, “The one at the -wheel—Bud, the stranger.” - -Woods nodded. He held the automatic ready. As the car stopped, Bud -jumped out and called back over his shoulder, “Just want to take a look -around. It’ll take me only a minute.” - -The agent crept away. Silently he tiptoed from behind the car. Coming -close, he hissed. “One move or sound and you’re dead. Put up your -hands.” - -The gangster raised his hands above his head and moved to step out of -the car. As he did so, he made a quick, wild move for his pocket. Woods -swung, hitting the gangster an awful wallop on the chin with the butt -end of his gun. The gangster let out a yell as he went down in a heap. -The agent quickly crawled behind the car. Bud came running from around -the corner of the house and hid himself behind a tree. He waited. -Woods also crouched and waited, but became impatient and fired across -the top of the car. No answer. - -Wallace was still lying in the same position and eagerly watched the -proceedings. He was anxious and excited. He wondered what he could do -to help but he realized that for the present the best he could do was -to keep out of the way and let the two fight it out. One of them, he -thought, would surely never leave that yard alive. He only hoped that -everything would come out for the best. - -Bud stretched himself out on the ground and began to shoot wildly, -combing the ground. A pause came as the gangster took time out to -reload his gun. Tom Woods took the opportunity to make a dash of -several yards and throw himself behind a pile of logs which he had set -up for the occasion. He shifted his position for two reasons: one was -that the car did not offer a good enough barricade and secondly to draw -the firing away from the direction where Wallace was hiding. - -A fraction of a second after he threw himself behind the barricade, -a bullet buried itself in one of the logs. The agent answered it by -sending a bullet that just skimmed the bark of the tree. Tom Woods -waited. He was in a better position than his enemy. Safe behind his -barricade, he also had an open view of the yard and gate and he could -not be taken unawares by anyone coming from that direction. Of course, -he might be surprised by someone coming from the mountain, but that -was unlikely because he could, without endangering himself, frequently -turn his head, and scan the outlying woods and farmland. On the other -hand, Bud was in a precarious position. He had only one alternative and -that was to flee. But to leave his safe position behind the tree was to -invite a bullet from Tom Woods’ gun, which might be fatal. So he also -settled down to watchful waiting. Now while the agent was in no hurry -and had plenty of time, the gangster was anxious and in a hurry to get -to the cave. Without doubt, the government agent had the advantage. - -In the meanwhile, Wallace wondered what he could do to help end the -situation quickly in favor of his friend. After Tom Woods took up his -new position, he felt that Bud’s attention would be entirely taken up -by the agent and that he was free to move away from his spot. Crawling -on his belly, he moved slowly and gradually. Finally he came to a -position that placed him to the rear and to left of the gangster. He -picked out a good-sized stone and, rising on his knees, took careful -aim and hurled the missile. Then he fell quickly under cover. - -The stone missed its objective and bounced off the tree. However, it -attracted Bud’s attention. The gangster turned quickly and fired twice -in the direction from which he thought the stone came. In doing that, -however, he exposed his arm up to his elbow. The next instant he let -out a most horrible scream. The agent had sent a bullet through the -gangster’s wrist. The pain was real but the intensity of the yell was -a foil. The gangster bounded forward to recover his weapon which had -fallen out of his hand. The next moment he uttered a deep cry and -toppled over. A bullet from Woods’ gun had pierced his throat. - -Suddenly everything was silent again. There was a long pause. Tom Woods -lay behind his barricade and waited, while Wallace, in his hiding -place, also did not move. When he thought it was all right, the agent -came out from behind his shelter and called for Wallace to come forward -but to be careful. First they attended the gangster who was knocked out -by Tom Woods. The stricken man, at the first touch, moaned. The agent -put his hand to the man’s jaw and the gangster bounded up as if he had -been struck by an electric shock. Wallace whispered, “You must have -cracked his jaw when you hit him.” - -“Guess so. Give me a hand and we’ll carry him to the barn.” - -Bud, lifeless now, was also carried to the barn. Removing the clothes -of the two gangsters, the agent and Wallace donned them. Wallace looked -a little ridiculous in his outfit but his companion fixed him up so -that he looked all right. Finally, they tied up the wounded man so that -he couldn’t escape, and tied a handkerchief over his mouth so that he -could not cry out. The two came out of the barn. The agent held one of -the automatics used by the gangsters and said, “Here, you had better -take it boy. It may come in handy later.” - -Wallace hesitated but finally he took it and put it into his pocket. -They walked over to the car. All the windows were shattered and one -tire was flat. Wallace said, “A couple of holes in the gas tank.” - -Woods looked and then remarked, “We can plug the holes up; they are not -at the bottom of the tank which is something to be thankful for. And we -will have enough gas in there to make the ten miles.” - -The two of them set to work. Under the front seat they found tools with -which to remove the flat tire and put on the spare. Getting into the -car, the agent started it up and they were off. Wallace showed him the -road and Woods hurried to get to the cave. After a while, he laughed -and asked, “Well, how did you enjoy the little shooting match?” - -“I can’t say that I particularly enjoyed it. It’s too bad that Bud was -killed.” - -“I guess you’re right, boy. I don’t enjoy killing anyone either. But -sometimes it just can’t be helped.” - -“I guess that’s true, Mr. Woods. But it is too bad that it ever has to -be done.” - -“Well, when we get a better social system in which men and women will -have no reason to be dishonest then there won’t be any shooting of -anyone, I guess.” - -Wallace had nothing to say, so he kept quiet. After a while, the -government agent said, “When you come to think of it, you had more to -do with the death of that gangster than I did.” - -“How do you mean?” questioned Wallace anxiously. - -“You threw the stone and forced him to expose himself.” - -“Yes, but you did the shooting.” - -“Of course, but—well, never mind. Let’s talk of something else.” - -They rode along, the agent telling a cheerful anecdote while Wallace -listened. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -AT THE CAVE AGAIN - - -By the time all the boys had washed and dressed, William had breakfast -ready. Most of them were tense and impatient, but on the whole, they -felt good. Leaving Jack behind to keep guard at the camp and clean up -the dishes in the meanwhile, the boys set out for the cave. At their -destination, the boys separated, each going to his station where he lay -in hiding and watched. As the hours passed slowly and wearily, most of -the boys became a little cranky and impatient. Paul decided to go from -boy to boy, talk to him for a while and try to calm him. - -At noon, Bluff was sent back to camp and Jack returned with sandwiches -he had prepared and canteens of ice cold water from the stream. Paul -went to each boy in turn and passed out the sandwiches and a drink of -water. And again it became a matter of watchful and patient waiting. -Jack, lying close to Paul, asked, “You think they’ll come today?” - -“It’s hard to tell. But they are about due.” - -“Mr. Woods thinks that they will surely appear today.” Pause. Deadly -silence except for the breeze fluttering through the branches and -leaves. “You know,” Jack added, “this is getting on my nerves already. -I’d like to see it come off and be through with it.” - -“Patience, Jack,” his friend continued, “you can’t hurry a situation -like this.” - -Paul moved away and went to keep someone else company for a while. - -At about six o’clock, Jack, who was watching the road, was suddenly -brought out of his lethargic position. Sprawling on the ground, he -thought he heard the sound of a motor. Putting his ear to the earth, he -listened for some moments to the rumbling sounds that came to his ear. -The car was several hundred yards away yet when he spied it. Quickly -and noiselessly, he picked himself up and sprinted away. He came upon -Paul and told him the news. Not hesitating in the least, Paul told him -where to take up his position and what to do. Then Paul ran on and -passed the word for all of them to be on the alert. - -Paul returned and took his place beside Jack. As they waited, every -second seemed to stretch out into an hour. Those who were in the -car—whoever they were—were apparently in no hurry. Finally, after -what seemed an endless wait, Paul nudged Jack and pointed out two -moving figures. Holding their breaths, they watched and waited. The -boys were quite positive that the moving figures would head for -the clearing and cross it. Then they were greeted by a surprise—a -shocking surprise—that awaited them. But they were disappointed. Jack -whispered, “They’re heading this way.” - -“Yes. You think they have any suspicion of what’s awaiting them?” - -“I don’t think it matters. Our plan takes care of anything that might -be different than we expect.” - -The boys kept quiet. Two figures passed within five feet of them. Jack -began to fidget as the figures were passing. Paul had a hard time -controlling him, keeping him from talking. As the two men passed, Jack -whispered, “There’s something familiar about the fellow in the lead; -something about his walk.” - -“I was just going to say the same.” - -The boys held their breaths. As the two men approached one of the -traps, they stopped. Some whispering went on between them, as though -one was explaining something to the other. A minute later, the one who -had been doing all the explaining, put his fingers between his lips and -gave a low, shrill whistle. Jack wanted to jump up and run over. “The -one who whistled is Wallace,” he whispered as Paul held him. - -“Most likely is, but let’s wait and make sure.” - -There was a pause of a minute or so. Again the man whistled, then -they both waved handkerchiefs. Paul and Jack then came out of hiding -as they finally recognized Tom Woods and Wallace. Jack was sent to -notify the other boys and to instruct them to continue their watch. In -the meanwhile, the three of them withdrew to take counsel together. -The government agent said, “You boys have it all fixed up here. A man -couldn’t get away to save his life. I think you have done marvelously -well.” - -Paul smiled. “We have laid our plans very carefully,” he answered, “and -we hope everything will come off all right.” - -“I hope so too.” - -Just then an airplane fell out of the sky and dived straight for the -ground. Straightening out at about five hundred feet up, the plane -circled the field several times. Wallace whispered, “That’s the same -plane we told you about. We saw it land here once before. I remember it -well.” - -Tom Woods barked, “Keep quiet now and don’t move; we may be seen from -above.” - -“No chance of that, sir,” answered Paul. “From up above they can’t see -a thing except the top of the trees. We had better hurry and take our -positions before they land.” - -With Paul in the lead, the three of them sprinted from cover to cover -and took their positions. At the last moment the government agent -told the boys to hurry and move away somewhere else—take some other -position. If there was any shooting, he didn’t want them to be in line -of fire. - -The boys moved off. The plane in the meanwhile had glided down to a -landing. It was quite a large, powerful ship with a double motor. -Two men jumped to the ground. The one in the lead was recognized by -the boys as the Chief. Very unconcernedly, the two walked across the -clearing and headed directly for the cave. As they came to the edge of -the woods, the chief, for no reason and without any provocation as far -as it could be determined, whipped a gun out of his pocket and fired -across the top of the cave. Tom Woods, who thought that he was firing -at one of the boys, sent a bullet whistling past their heads. The -trap which the boys had laboriously prepared and set was now a futile -gesture. Whereas if they had walked into the trap as set, there would -have been no bloodshed; now it seemed inevitable. - -The two gangsters now dropped to the ground and sent bullets whistling -in a semi-circle. To rise and dash back to their plane was suicide. -They would be in the open, a clear and perfect target for Tom Woods’ -bullets. On the other hand, dropping to the ground and taking shelter -where they did, they forestalled being surrounded by the boys. As for -the government agent, there was nothing he could do to obtain a more -advantageous position. Of course, he could have one of the boys keep up -a withering fire while he crept to their side or their rear. But he was -against risking the life of any one of the boys. - -For a while only occasional shots were exchanged. Suddenly Tom became -aware that the two gangsters had devised a means of escape, if not -for both, at least for one of them. The two were separating, moving -further apart slowly and gradually. The agent realized that their plan -was to separate a certain distance, so that one of them would keep -him occupied while the other crept back to the plane. It was a clever -and subtle plan and from every indication it appeared that they would -succeed. They were also most probably aware that only one man faced -them. Under that condition, there was nothing Tom could do that would -prevent the one who got back to the plane from returning with help. Or -possibly he might bring out of the plane a machine gun, and that would -be enough to wipe him out. He became really worried. What could he do -to prevent one of them from reaching the plane. - -He determined that as long as it was possible for him to do so, he -would fire alternately at both racketeers and occupy both of them. He -also wondered what the boys were doing. “But,” he thought to himself, -“I had better keep from thinking of anything else and concentrate my -attention on those two gangsters. I’m positive the boys will be able to -take care of themselves.” - -Tom noticed that slowly and gradually the gangster on his right was -moving backwards, and each time he fired at the moving form, he was -answered by the second man, the one on his left. The spasmodic shooting -kept up for almost half an hour. Suddenly there was heard the roar -of the airplane motor; in an instant, the machine was turning into -the wind and taxiing for a take-off. Both Tom Woods as well as the -gangsters were so surprised that they almost forgot each other. As the -plane was still taxiing across the field, one of the racketeers sent -a couple of ineffective bullets after the machine; but the shots did -no harm. The plane rose off the ground easily. Tom rationalized to -himself, “Whoever it was that escaped with the plane, couldn’t be a -friend of theirs, or he wouldn’t have fired at it.” - -Tom’s ammunition was running low and he could answer only one shot -to his enemy’s three or four. Five or ten minutes after the plane had -gotten away, he was again astounded to realize that someone was firing -at the gangsters from their rear. “Must be Wallace,” he thought to -himself. - -And so it was. Paul and he had withdrawn at the behest of Tom Woods. -Eagerly they watched the battle. Several times Wallace wanted to use -the gun the government agent had given him but Paul held him back. -They, too, soon became aware of the manoeuver of the two gangsters to -permit one of them to return to the plane. Cautioning Wallace on how -to behave himself and what to do, Paul crept away and was soon out of -sight. A short while later Wallace heard the roar of the motor and -he heaved a sigh of relief as he watched the plane take off. He was -positive that one of his comrades was escaping with the plane, though -he couldn’t imagine who. As for himself, now was the time to act, he -thought; the two were trapped. Moving closer to the edge of the woods -and picking out a sound shelter and one that placed him well to the -rear of the gangsters, he aimed carefully and fired his first shot. - -Now to return to Tom Woods, the government agent. Realizing that -someone was attacking from the rear, perhaps it was Wallace or maybe -Paul, he tried to trick the gangsters into surrendering, “You better -throw down your guns and surrender, you two,” he called out. “That was -the signal that my men have arrived. You can’t get away now.” - -“We’ll give you hell first,” cried the chief. - -“Very well, then,” returned the agent. “I’ll count three. If you don’t -surrender, I’ll give my men the signal to blast you to hell. One!” - -The smugglers answered with a volley of shots. “Two!” cried Tom. - -The gangsters withheld their fire. They waited. “Three!” The word -echoed through the stillness of the woods. - -“Go to hell!” answered the chief. “How the devil did you ever break -your chains and escape, you flatfoot?” - -“Wouldn’t you like to know?” countered Tom. - -“Yes, tell me.” - -“When I have you in jail. Then I’ll pay you a visit and tell you all -about it.” - -“I should have cut your throat instead of merely chaining you.” - -“Why didn’t you? Soft-hearted or something?” - -The chief answered with his gun. Tom raised his voice and cried, loud -enough to be heard a mile away, “All right! Shoot to kill.” - -He had two guns and he shot from both of them as quickly as he could -pull the trigger. Wallace, who heard him, took the cue and also emptied -his revolver. The effect was that the two smugglers seemed to be -attacked on all sides. - -Silence ensued, suddenly broken by a shot coming from a third -direction. A piercing cry cut short the echo of the bullet. The chief -bounded up from the ground and then fell back again, dead. Tom wondered -who it was that had shot. He took advantage of it, however, and called -out, “Hey, Smoky, do you want to give up or do you want to join your -chief?” - -There was a pause. Smoky answered, “I want to give up. Tell your men -not to fire.” - -Tom cried out, “Hold your fire!” To the gangster, he said, “Now, drop -your gun and stand up.” The smuggler complied. “Raise your hands above -your head. Now turn around. You make one move and you’ll go home in a -box.” - -Smoky complied willingly. The government agent dashed from one cover -to another, his gun ready for action should the smuggler change his -mind. Finally, stepping forward softly, he came up behind the gangster. -Taking a short piece of rope that he carried in his pocket, the agent -tied the smuggler’s hands behind his back. Just then Wallace stepped -forth out of the woods, and handed Tom several yards of sturdy rope -which the agent used to tie the smuggler’s hands and feet. That done, -he turned to the boy and said, “I think it’s all right now to get the -boys together.” - -Wallace nodded. He whistled three times and the boys crept like shadows -through the woods. They met in front of the cave. The government agent -looked at the boys, their expressions still set and determined and -their eyes full of wonder and anxiety. He laughed. “Everything is all -right now, boys. You may relax.” He turned to Paul and asked, “Where -did you get that rifle?” - -Paul scrutinized his weapon. “Inside the cave,” he answered. “Bullets -too.” - -“And you were the one that shot the chief?” - -Paul looked away embarrassed. “I was terribly surprised to see him -topple over. Because I didn’t even aim at him.” - -The boys and the government agent joined in laughing heartily. “So!” -Tom muttered, twisting the words into a humorous expression, “You don’t -aim but you hit the bull’s eye just the same!” - -Their laughter was interrupted by the roar of an airplane overhead. -They watched the machine lose altitude gradually and continually circle -around and around. When it was at about a thousand feet, Wallace -exclaimed, “It’s the same machine.” - -“Who escaped with the plane, by the way?” asked Tom Woods. - -The boys looked at each other. “Who is missing?” asked Paul. - -“William.” - -“Jack.” - -“Anyone else?” - -“Bluff, but he’s at camp.” - -“Then it must have been William and Jack who are in the plane,” Paul -stated. - -“Then you had better wave to them. Signal them to land,” said the agent. - -They all ran to the clearing and waved. As the huge machine showed that -it was going to land, all of them retreated, so that the plane might -have a perfectly clear space in order to land. Tom remarked, “I didn’t -know you had aviators among your group.” - -Wallace informed him, “Six of us are pilots.” - -“And you never told me!” The agent said that he was angry that they had -kept the information from him. “In the meanwhile,” he called out, “you -boys take shelter. It doesn’t pay to take chances and we really don’t -know who is in the plane.” - -The boys took up hiding positions and watched the machine descend to a -perfect landing. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -BATTLE IN THE SKY - - -While those on the ground were so occupied with the fight they did not -notice a battle going on above their heads; a battle between two planes. - -When the plane landed with the smugglers, Jack was with Paul and -Wallace. As soon as the first shot was fired, his first thought was -that the crooks might use the plane to escape in. So he whispered to -his two companions that he would return to his former station and watch -the road; possibly, others of the gang might drive up and it would be -best to spy them before they had a chance of becoming acquainted with -the situation. Paul thought it was an excellent idea and he permitted -Jack to carry out his plan. - -As Jack moved noiselessly away, Wallace wanted to enter the conflict -and Paul restrained him. Then Paul went away and left Wallace by -himself. The latter immediately moved into position and was going to -fire when his attention was attracted by a creeping shadow at the -farther end of the field. By the form and outline of the moving -figure, he guessed it was Jack. And for that reason, he withheld his -fire—so that the attention of the smugglers might not be attracted to -the figure moving toward the machine. - -Jack was a short distance away from the plane when he became aware that -someone else—almost at a right angle to him—was also creeping toward -the machine. He flattened out in the grass to wait and see who the -other creeping figure was. For a short while he lay there hugging the -earth, not daring to move or lift his head even slightly to see who the -creeping figure might be. After about five minutes, a pebble fell near -him and Jack flattened out still more. In a minute another pebble fell -near him, followed by a hissing sound. He lifted his head very slightly -and out of the corner of his eye saw the other person wave a finger -at him. He decided that it must be one of the boys and he continued -dragging himself across the earth toward the plane. - -Jack and William crept up to the under-carriage of the plane almost -simultaneously. William whispered, “Inside.” - -Without any further hesitation, William swung himself up and into the -plane. Jack waited. A hissing sound came to his ears and he knew it was -the signal for him to follow. Up he went and into the plane. Both boys -heaved a sigh of relief. William got into the pilot’s seat. “Now to -take her up into the air,” he muttered. - -“You think you can fly her? She’s a pretty large ship, you know.” - -“I can try. In the meanwhile, you go in the back and look around.” - -Jack nodded and proceeded to obey. William studied the dashboard as -well as all the other gadgets everywhere around him. Though he had -never flown this type of ship, he was sure he knew how. Major McCarthy -had explained it to him in detail and he now knew exactly what to -do. He only hoped that the motor wouldn’t falter or need warming up, -because that would necessitate the loss of precious time. But he didn’t -think so because the motor was still warm from its previous trip. -He was right. Everything went off beautifully. Every single gadget -responded to his slightest touch. The motor roared, the ship turned -into the wind and giving the ship a sufficient run, it took off like a -great bird winging into the sky. - -William was thrilled and exhilarated. He felt the power flowing into -him through his finger tips which rested lightly on the joystick. Jack -came forward “How is she flying?” he asked. - -“Beautifully. What did you find back there?” - -“Nothing much. Some boxes, a couple of small wooden cases, two -revolvers in one of the lockers, and also two boxes of cartridges.” - -“You had better bring the revolvers and cartridges here. Most likely -we’ll have no opportunity of using them but we might as well be -prepared.” - -“I thought so too,” answered Jack. “I have them right here.” - -“Good.” - -They were climbing. When they reached an altitude of about four -thousand feet, William guided the machine away so that his companions -and all the others below would not see the plane and would think that -he had flown away. He flew in an extended circle and kept circling -around and around. Jack asked, “What are we going to do now?” - -“I don’t know myself. What do you suggest?” - -“How about flying to the airport and getting Major McCarthy and maybe -the police?” - -“I don’t know whether that would be of any help.” responded William. -“By the time we come back, their help would be of no use. On the -other hand, if we stick around here and watch how the situation below -unfolds itself, we may be of some help. They may need our revolvers and -ammunition and we might drop them. Or they might need us for something -else.” - -“That’s true. But then again, if we should land, perhaps those -smugglers will get the ship again and make their escape.” - -“I can fix that very easily,” explained William. “I’ll cut the -ignition.” - -“That’s right. Never thought of it.” - -The boys continued their circling flight. Some five minutes elapsed -when William caught sight of another plane making its appearance on the -eastern horizon. Coming nearer, they saw that the machine was heading -directly towards them. “You think he’s coming at us?” asked Jack. - -“Let’s wait and see.” - -The plane was soon upon them. The boys recognized it as a Bristol, a -small craft but possessing a powerful motor, modeled after army pursuit -planes. The Bristol flanked the boys on their right side and flew -along. The pilot was making signs to William which the latter could not -understand; besides he was too intent on piloting his plane to pay any -attention to him. He called to his companion, “Can you make out what he -wants, Jack?” - -Jack was already at the window and watching the other craft. “No,” he -answered. “He holds his fist up and moves it in a circular motion and -then points down. I can’t understand what that means. Can you?” - -“Perhaps he wants to land and is asking us about a safe place to land.” - -“I doubt it,” answered Jack. “He doesn’t seem to be in any trouble. -And coming from the direction he did, he must have passed the Stanhope -airport.” There was a pause while Jack continued to watch. “I think -he’s using his wireless,” he called out. “See if you can pick him up.” - -William inserted a plug and turned a disc on the dashboard. Half a -minute later, William nosed his plane into a dive and was off. But the -Bristol was right on its tail. “That guy is a confederate of those -smugglers,” hissed William. “He was asking if the stuff was on board -and we were ready.” - -“Ready for what?” - -“He didn’t say. Just asked if we were ready.” - -The next moment they heard a sharp sound and knew that the pilot of the -Bristol had fired at them, the bullet burying itself in some part of -the fuselage or wings. William brought the nose up and began to climb. -Simultaneously he cried, “Load the revolvers, Jack, and see if you can -fire back.” - -William wondered what he could do to get the pursuing plane off his -trail. He banked and dived again and came up climbing. Jack broke a -window, stuck his hand out and fired point blank at the nose of the -Bristol. He pulled the trigger fast and emptied his revolver. A bullet -must have struck close to the pilot, for the next instant the Bristol -dived. - -The Bristol was a much faster plane, easier to manoeuver than the -craft the boys were in. “What are you going to do now?” queried Jack -anxiously. - -“I’m going up into the clouds and try to shake him.” - -But the next instant Jack cried out, “He’s coming right up and it looks -as though he intends to hit you amidships.” - -“Fire when he comes close enough, and when I hear you fire the first -shot I’ll bank right and dive.” - -Jack pulled the trigger and William performed a half arc and dived; -the Bristol zoomed past so close that Jack held his breath. William -levelled out and began to climb again, hoping this time to reach -the clouds. But again the Bristol was upon them and sending bullets -into the fuselage and wings. William, however, kept on climbing and -Jack frustrated the other fellow’s getting on their tail by firing -point blank at the nose of the Bristol. For a moment the enemy craft -disappeared and then William discovered it overhead. They heard the -muffled thud of bullets sinking into their craft but doing no harm. -The next instant William cried, “He’s flying away.” - -“You think he has given up?” - -“Maybe he—” William left off in the middle of the sentence and gasped -as he watched the Bristol execute an Immelmann turn. He intended to fly -straight into the craft, firing as he did so and hoping to hit the gas -tank, and dive just in time to avoid a crash. William was aware of the -manoeuver. “You better lay low, Jack,” he cried. - -The two machines flew against each other. Just as soon as the enemy -fired the first shot he banked and pulled the nose of the ship up. -He still had to climb a thousand feet to get among the clouds. He -decided to risk it even if the Bristol got on his tail. “The other -pilot certainly must be a clever one,” he thought. Besides, the Bristol -was a lighter and faster craft and with the other fellow’s obvious -experience, he couldn’t help being out-manoeuvered. His safety depended -upon getting into the clouds and shaking the enemy. “Jack,” cried -William, “is he following?” - -“Yes,” was the reply, “but he doesn’t seem to be decided what to do -next. He has stopped firing.” - -“Perhaps he has run out of ammunition.” - -“Perhaps. But he also seems to be aware of your effort to get among -the clouds. He is following closely though.” - -William glanced and saw that he was rapidly approaching an altitude of -eight thousand feet. Seeing a cloud which appeared like a mountain of -cotton wool in front of him, he headed for it. Billow upon billow of -clouds rose for thousands of feet above them. In a minute the machine -plunged into the cloud mass and they saw nothing but white all around -them. They flew into the mouth of a deep cloud valley. Directly below -them they saw the snowy floor rolling away. On either side were white -walls that rose upwards to the blue ceiling of the sky. In a few -moments, the machine plunged nose first into another mountainous cloud. -William executed a left bank. - -“What are you doing?” questioned Jack. - -“Doubling back on my track.” - -“What for? He may be out there waiting for you.” - -“Let him. If he is I’ll dive for the clouds again. If he is not there -and we have lost him, then all the better. We want to be as close to -the cave as possible.” - -William timed himself. After seven or eight minutes of flying he called -out, “I’m getting out of the clouds.” - -And the next instant they dived. Out in the open again, both boys -looked everywhere for the enemy plane but there wasn’t a speck in -sight. Both boys heaved a sigh of relief and smiled at each other. “You -did it this time,” asserted Jack. - -“There’s the clearing,” announced William and pointed. - -“That’s right. Are you going to land now?” - -“I’ll first circle the field a couple of times.” - -He proceeded to do so. Some moments later, William cried, “Look they -are waving.” - -“Yes, it’s the boys. I can recognize Paul, Wallace, Mr. Woods. They all -seem to be there.” - -“I’m going to land,” announced William. - -“All right.” - -William fixed his attention on the field and prepared. Jack remarked, -“Wonder why they are hiding?” - -“Perhaps because they are not sure we are the ones flying this ship.” - -“Very probable.” - -William made a perfect landing and Jack and he jumped out of the plane -waving their handkerchiefs. The boys ran out of their hiding places -and cheered the two young aviators. Tom Woods looked on benignly and -laughed. Funny, but he had gotten to like these boys a great deal; -it’ll be tough, he mused, to leave them when the whole mess was finally -cleared up. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -NIGHT ENCOUNTER - - -The boys and Tom Woods squatted on the ground in a circle. They were -pretty well satisfied with their day’s accomplishments. There were a -few things yet left to be done. Paul, addressing the government agent, -said, “I guess it’s up to you now to decide what’s to be done next.” - -Tom fingered his bearded chin, smiled, and replied, “Well I don’t know -about that. It seems to me that you fellows have done more to capture -and annihilate this gang of smugglers than I have.” He paused and mused -for a moment. “I want to tell you boys,” he added, “that I’m mighty -pleased with you. I’ve never come across a more lively, energetic and -smart bunch of boys than you are.” - -There was an embarrassing silence. Wallace spoke up and remarked, “It’s -very nice of you to say that, but I don’t think we are any different -than other boys. We are about the average, and the average boy, if you -give him a chance, is a pretty lively chap and a nice person to have -around.” - -“I’m glad to hear you say that,” said Mr. Woods. “Though, of course, I -don’t know whether you’re right or not. I hope you are. However, this -has nothing to do with the matter at hand. Paul, what do you think we -ought to do now. It’s getting dark and we have to work fast.” - -Paul hesitated. “I suppose all those wooden cases and boxes in the cave -have to be removed?” he asked. - -“Yes, of course. That’s very important.” - -“In that case, we couldn’t do it tonight. In half an hour, it’ll be -pitch dark, and it would take more time than that to load the stuff on -the plane. Once it gets dark, you can’t take the plane off the ground.” - -“Well, what’s your suggestion?” - -“That we camp here overnight, keep careful watch and do everything in -the morning.” - -“How about that fellow in the Bristol? You think he may come back here -for any reason?” - -Most of the boys were undecided and Tom Woods did not express his -opinion but waited for the others to say something first. William -said, “I don’t think he will come back. He must realize that something -happened to his companions and that he will be awaited with open arms, -so to speak, if he returns.” - -Tom asked, “Any more suggestions?” Pause. Silence. “I want you to -express your opinions because it’s very important. Although I have -already decided on what to do, you may bring to my attention something -I had forgotten to consider.” - -Paul said, “Suppose you tell us your plan and if any one of us thinks -that it should be altered we will speak up.” - -“That’s well said. My plan is to take my prisoner and the dead man in -the car and go down to the farm house. There I will pick up the other -prisoner, who is hurt and requires medical attention, and the other -dead gangster, and have the town police care for them. All of that -shouldn’t take me more than about an hour and a half to two hours. Then -I’ll return, spend the night here with you and tomorrow morning we will -finish our job.” - -Ken said, “You can’t go alone. You will have two prisoners and—” - -“I didn’t expect to,” interrupted Tom. “I was considering taking one of -you boys along.” - -“The plan sounds all right,” spoke up Paul. - -“You think you could hold the fort until I return?” the government -agent asked. - -Several of the boys grinned and nodded. Tom laughed and muttered, “It’s -foolish to ask, I guess, but—” - -It was decided that they would pitch camp for the night a short -distance above the cave. Ken went with Tom Woods, Bobolink was left -behind to keep a watch at the cave while the others returned to camp to -get their knapsacks and things. Just as soon as they returned, which -was in a little over an hour, William got busy preparing supper for the -boys, while the others went about attending to other things. Around the -campfire, Nuthin’ said, “Now that this thing is over, what are we going -to do next?” - -“P-p-plenty of things,” answered Bluff. - -“And this thing is not over yet,” added Wallace. - -“You expect that guy to return?” queried Nuthin’. - -“You can’t tell,” spoke up Paul. “He may or he may not. Most likely he -won’t. But then we have quite a bit of work for tomorrow.” - -“Do you think we will be able to load all those cases and boxes onto -the plane?” asked Bobolink. - -They all turned their heads in the direction of the plane but it -was too dark for them to see it. Wallace assured them all with the -assertion, “Of course it will.” - -“It will be a mighty heavy load,” responded Bobolink. “Who will fly -it?” - -“Who do you think?” demanded Nuthin’. “There is only one fellow who is -going to do it.” - -They were all aware whom he meant, yet they were eager to hear the name -mentioned. The question was on the lips of each one of them, but only -Bobolink asked, “Who?” - -“William, of course,” replied Nuthin’ with finality. - -Soon Ken and Tom Woods returned. The boys hailed them and wanted to -know how everything went. Ken burst out, “You should have seen Chief of -Police Bates—I mean his face; it turned all colors as Mr. Woods told -him who he was and what it was all about. And his eyes—they almost -popped out of his head.” - -“I can imagine,” interposed Jack. - -“He wanted to send his whole police force to watch the cave over -night,” added Ken. - -The boys laughed quietly. The government agent sat down in front of the -fire and stroked his beard as he laughed to himself. Ken continued, -“Well, Mr Woods assured him that we didn’t need any police protection—” - -“Ha, ha, ha,” laughed the boys. “Police protection! Ha, ha, ha,” -laughed the youngsters and slapped each other on the back. - -“—and,” continued Ken, “Tha we would take care of everything.” - -“Absolutely!” exclaimed one of the boys. - -“We most certainly will”—that from someone else. - -Eventually the boys quieted down and they sprawled around the campfire -and talked aimlessly. The conversation turned to the airplane and -William was asked, “How does she fly?” - -“Swell. Beautifully,” was the answer. - -“If we only had a ship like that!” dreamed Bobolink. - -Paul lay on his back and stared at the blue sky and the stars. “If!” he -muttered. “If! It’s like asking for the moon. That plane is worth at -least anywhere between twenty and twenty-five thousand dollars. More I -think.” - -“Twenty-five thousand dollars!” exclaimed Bobolink. “Paul, you don’t -know what you’re talking about.” - -“Why. You think it’s worth much more?” - -“More? There isn’t so much money in the world.” - -The boys laughed heartily; even Tom Woods enjoyed the humor of it. The -agent remarked casually, “Why, Bobolink, twenty-five thousand dollars -isn’t such an awful lot of money.” - -“It’s plenty. Too much,” was the retort. - -Again the boys laughed. The government agent said off-hand, “So you -boys would like to have a plane like that, eh?” - -The boys stopped laughing and all of them sat up and strained their -ears. “What was that you said?” asked Jack. - -Tom Woods smiled, “I merely asked whether you boys would like to own a -plane like that?” - -Some of the boys grinned at the very thought of possessing such a -machine. William said, “We certainly would. It’s a beauty.” - -“Well,” muttered the agent, “maybe I can fix that.” - -Several of the boys cried out simultaneously, “How? How can you do it?” - -“I don’t know myself,” replied the agent nonchalantly and rubbing his -chin. “I didn’t say I could or that I would. I simply said maybe.” - -“Oh!” sighed several of the boys. - -They felt the wind taken out of their sails and their possessing such a -machine remained a dream. - -They lingered around the fire a while longer. Somebody remarked that it -was time to turn in for the night. Addressing the agent, Paul asked, -“Mr. Woods, do you think we ought to keep guard all through the night?” - -“What do you think?” - -“My opinion is that we should. We can designate now who is to be on -the first, second, third shift and so on and change guard every hour.” - -“I don’t think it’s really necessary. I am pretty certain that that -pilot won’t return or any other member of the gang. But—” he mused, -“Of course,” he added, “we could do it just to be on the safe side.” - -“I think we should,” spoke up Jack. - -“How about it, fellows? Are you all agreed that we keep watch?” - -“Yes, of course,” agreed Bobolink. - -“S-s-sure,” stuttered Bluff. - -“Certainly,”—that from Nuthin’. - -“Who will take the first watch?” asked Paul. - -“I will,” cried Nuthin’. - -“The second?” - -“I,”—that from Bluff. - -And so on. As it finally turned out the boys were to go on guard as -follows: Nuthin’, Bluff, William, Wallace, Paul, Ken, Bobolink and Jack. - -“You left me out,” interrupted the government agent. - -“You ought to rest, Mr. Woods,” explained Jack. - -“Well,” drawled the agent, “I guess I should. But don’t any of you -start shooting if I should come upon you to pay you a visit any time -during the night.” - -Nuthin’ went on guard and the boys turned in for the night. They were -all rather tired and it didn’t take them long to fall asleep. Bluff -muttered sleepily as he was awakened to go on watch next. As soon as he -walked off, Tom Woods crept out from under his blankets, with the help -of some rocks and such things he formed the outline of a person asleep -and himself slinked out of camp so quietly that no one was any the -wiser. - -Everything went along nicely and quietly until it came to Paul’s watch. -He sat on a stone and listened carefully to every sound, watching -intently for any moving shadows. Suddenly the dull echo of a pistol -shot shattered the stillness of the night. He jumped to his feet and -grasped firmer hold of the automatic in his hand. For several seconds -he debated what to do. He realized it would be foolhardy to do anything -himself. The wisest course was to awaken the camp. He sprinted to camp -but Ken and William were already up and pulling on their trousers. -“What’s up?” demanded Ken. - -“What was that shot?” William asked anxiously. - -“Don’t know,” Paul replied hurriedly. “Awaken everybody.” - -Ken cried, “Wake up Mr. Woods.” - -Paul ran to do so but, naturally, he did not find the agent. - -The discovery so shocked him that for a moment he couldn’t speak. -Finally he regained his voice and shouted, “Mr. Woods isn’t here!” - -By now all the boys were awakened and they came running up. They -saw the stones and sticks that the agent had used to shape a form -resembling a person. “Say,” cried Wallace, “what do you think this is -about?” - -“What do you think he is up to?” questioned Nuthin’. - -“You don’t suspect him of doing anything wrong?” William wanted to know. - -Paul interrupted the argument and called for silence. “Never mind -quibbling, fellows,” he said. “Let’s see what we can do. We have to do -something.” - -“Let’s all spread out and make a thorough search,” asserted Bobolink. - -“That’s no good,” countered Jack. “Whoever fired that shot might fire -at any one of us in the dark.” - -“Wait a minute, fellows,” called Paul. “Let’s first build a fire so -that the camp will be illuminated. Everybody, however, keep in the -background so that no one will be fired at. As for me, I have an -automatic. I’ll take Jack with me and we will go down to the cave and -investigate. Wallace, you have the only other revolver, haven’t you?” -The latter nodded. “In that case you remain here and shoot any stranger -who steps into the circle of the campfire. Everybody else stay out of -sight.” - -He wheeled around on his heel and was on the point of proceeding when -he stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Tom Woods and another man -who was bound and gagged. The agent had the light of his flashlight -shining upon himself and his companion. All of the boys were shocked -into silence and rooted in their tracks. The government agent was -quietly smiling. Breaking the silence, he said, “You need not bother, -fellows.” Pause. “I am sorry I had to put one over on you.” Again a -short pause. “I have a visitor here; I hope you don’t mind.” - -“B-b-but,” someone stuttered, and it was not Bluff. - -“Never mind. I’ll explain everything. I heard Paul suggest building a -fire; I think it is a good idea.” - -In a short while, the boys had built a roaring, blazing campfire. There -was no sleep any more so all the boys formed a semi-circle before the -spitting, burning logs. Tom Woods tied up his prisoner hand and foot -and removed the handkerchief from his mouth. “Hungry?” the agent asked -his prisoner. - -The man shook his head and growled. Tom sat there placidly, his -revolver in his lap. The boys waited but the latter did not offer to -speak. Finally Paul ventured to say, “Do you, er, mind explaining the -mystery?” - -The man grinned. “What do you want me to tell you?” - -“You might start at the very beginning and save us asking you a lot of -questions,” Jack said. - -“Well,” he began, speaking low and lazily, “I really had no idea that -he would show up. And by the way, this is the pilot.” - -William and Jack nodded. They had suspected it, but were not quite sure. - -“As I was saying,” continued the government agent, “I really had no -suspicion that he would return. But I figured that if he did take it -into his head to do so, what would be his object? He certainly would -not take it upon himself to rescue his friends. That would be foolish -and stupid. But if he still insisted on coming, he would have a good -reason for doing so. For example, he might want to get something, -something valuable. Then where would he go?” - -He paused and waited for someone to answer. Jack did, saying, “To the -cave.” - -“Quite right,” responded the agent. “Therefore, not wanting to take any -chances, I decided to guard the cave all night long. But I also didn’t -want to scare you boys in case one of you should discover that I was -gone. So I used the stones and sticks to give the impression that I was -still here and fast asleep.” - -“But why didn’t you tell us?” demanded Wallace. - -“I didn’t want you boys to be uneasy.” - -He waited for more questions but none were asked. Jack said, “Do you -mind continuing?” - -“There isn’t much left. He came and I nabbed him.” - -Nuthin’ wagged his head. “But why should he come?” he asked. “Seems to -me that only a fool would do that, under the circumstances.” - -“Yes, that’s right,” added Bobolink. - -The agent smiled. “He’s really no fool and he had a very good reason -for coming.” - -“What?” Several of the boys shot that question simultaneously. - -“A big bunch of money. Maybe ten, fifteen or twenty thousand dollars. -Perhaps more. I haven’t counted it yet.” - -“Where is it?” - -“In the cave. I guess it is perfectly safe until morning.” - -There was silence, some of the boys, especially Bobolink, trying to -imagine how much money twenty thousand dollars was. Jack asked, “But -how do you know he came to get the money?” - -“That’s simple. I watched him until he found what he was looking -for and then I showed myself and told him who I was. And he very -courteously and promptly surrendered.” - -“What about the shot?” asked Paul. - -“That was his fault,” and the agent nodded in the prisoner’s direction. -“He accidentally discharged his gun.” - -For some while the boys sat there humbly, silently thinking over Tom -Woods’ story. Paul rose, stretched himself and yawned. “Some night!” he -drawled. “I’m going back for some more sleep.” - -All the other boys did likewise, except Bobolink whose watch it was. -And after him, Jack. - -In the morning, Tom Woods took his prisoner to town and returned in -about an hour, carrying under his arm a small package. When asked what -was in the package, he merely said that it contained several sticks of -dynamite. But when pressed to tell what he was going to use it for, he -laughed and replied, “Wait and see.” - -Instead of loading all the cases of guns and boxes of ammunition -onto the plane, the government agent had a truck come from town to -transport the load. It took the truck driver and the boys several hours -to cart all the cases and boxes from the cave to the truck. When it was -at last done, the agent called the boys together and said, “Now you’ll -see the purpose of the dynamite.” - -He strung together the several pieces of dynamite, attached a fuse to -it and buried the bundle of explosives at the mouth of the cave; then -he laid out the fuse for about twenty feet and lit it. As he did so he -and the boys retreated some distance. “Why are you doing that?” asked -Jack. - -“To shut up the mouth of the cave.” - -“Yes, but what for?” - -“To prevent anyone from using it again as those smugglers did.” - -“But the rear exit of the cave will be available,” asserted Wallace. - -“You boys stuffed it up, didn’t you?” - -“Yes, but somebody is liable to find it.” - -“They’ll have a hard time finding it.” - -Jack asked, “It would be all right if we used the cave -occasionally—that is, using the rear exit, and closing it up when we -left, would that be all right?” - -Tom Woods smiled. “As a matter of fact,” he drawled, “I had that in -mind when I decided to close up the front entrance to the cave. -Otherwise I would blow up the whole thing.” - -Just then there was an explosion and the front part of the cave fell -in. The boys sighed and walked to the plane. They all climbed in and -William took the pilot’s seat. The agent relaxed in his seat and said -casually, “Now show me what a good pilot you are, William.” - -The motor roared. William taxied the plane across and then lifted it -off the ground. Tom Woods leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes; -a deep sigh escaped from between his lips and he relaxed utterly, all -the tenseness and anxiety of these last days leaving him. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -“THE CAVE” - - -William circled the airport. Paul looked out of the window and cried. -“Say, look at that crowd of people below!” - -The boys looked down and uttered exclamations of surprise. “I wonder -what it’s all about?” exclaimed Wallace. - -“Perhaps it’s a committee to welcome us,” asserted the government -agent, opening his eyes as he spoke. - -“To welcome us!” Bobolink cried. “What for?” - -Ken shouted to the pilot, “Just keep on flying, William. Never mind -landing. We don’t want any welcoming committee.” - -William guided the plane down to a perfect landing. Just as soon as the -machine came to a stop, the crowd came running toward it. The boys were -swallowed up by the mass of people. There were reporters, newspaper -photographers and other cranks who asked them a thousand questions and -tore at their clothes and hair. But the boys did not mind all that. -They were afraid for the safety of the plane. Although it was not -theirs yet, it was a valuable machine and it would be a shame if it -were harmed in any way. - -However, Major McCarthy and two of his mechanics pushed their way -through the crowd. Without stopping to greet them, he called upon the -boys to help clear a path to wheel the plane into one of the hangars. -“It is much safer than leaving it out here,” he added. - -The boys fell to and the machine was stored away. Then they had a hard -time getting through to the office. Most of the boys were angry rather -than pleased by the reception. “I wish I knew what this is all about,” -demanded Ken. - -The Major smiled. “Perhaps you are not aware of it,” he informed them, -“but you are heroes.” - -“Heroes!” exclaimed Bobolink. “What kind of heroes?” - -McCarthy shrugged his shoulders, “I couldn’t tell you what kind. Just -plain heroes, I guess.” - -Nuthin’ waved the suggestion of heroism away. He had a word for it. -“Phooey!” he muttered under his breath. - -“But how did the news get out, that is something I should be interested -to know.”—that from Paul. - -“I guess the police couldn’t keep it from prying reporters,” mumbled -the government agent. - -“Let’s forget it and go home,” remarked Jack. - -“That’s a swell idea,” added William. “And just as soon as I get home—” - -Ken interrupted, “You are going to do what?” - -“Practice the piano,” suggested Nuthin’. - -“He will change his tie,” counter-suggested Paul. - -“—I’m going to take a bath,” concluded William. - -The boys laughed and Tom Woods joined in. “What are you going to do -now, fellows?” he asked. - -“Go home,” answered Jack. - -“I mean, what are your plans?” - -“We don’t have any,” Paul informed him. - -Using two cars, the Major’s and one belonging to a mechanic, Tom Woods -and the boys were taken to town. At police headquarters, Tom got out. -“So long, boys,” he called. “I’ll be seeing you soon.” - -The boys waved. The agent walked off and they continued their way home. - -At the home of each of the boys, a similar scene was enacted that -day. Coming home, Paul found his mother waiting for him. As soon as -he stepped over the threshhold, she fell on his neck and kissed -and hugged him. Putting his arms around her, he found that she was -trembling. Not knowing the reason for it, he was puzzled. He said, -“Mother, is there anything wrong? You are trembling all over.” - -“There is nothing wrong with me. It’s you. Are you all right? Not hurt -or wounded or anything?” she questioned anxiously. - -“Why, no! Of course not. I’m perfectly all right.” And to prove it he -began to go through a series of stretching and bending exercises. - -His mother looked sternly at him. “The idea of the thing!” she -exclaimed. “You said you were going camping and all the time you -knew that you and your friends were going there to catch a gang of -smugglers. You might have gotten hurt. You might even have been killed.” - -“But, mother,” protested Paul, “nobody was killed or hurt. All the boys -are perfectly all right and in the best of health.” - -“Well, it’s a good thing. But, big as you are, if you ever do that -again, I’m going to have your father give you a good thrashing.” - -Dr. Morrison, who had just entered, laughed. “My dear,” he said, “if -it ever comes to that, I’m afraid I would get the worst of it. He is -taller than I by a head and weighs about twenty-five pounds more.” - -“I would never do that, dad,” protested Paul. - -“I know you wouldn’t. But if you ever took it into your head to—Well, -I hope you never do.” And again he laughed. - -For the following several days, the boys were made miserable by the -public acclaim that was showered upon them. They could not appear on -the street; that was out of the question. To set foot outside the -house meant to be immediately surrounded by an ever increasing crowd, -with every individual wanting to shake the boy’s hand, slap him on the -back, pinch him, and ask a thousand questions. But staying in the house -was almost as bad. The capture of the smugglers had aroused national -interest and many out of town reporters suddenly appeared and they -went to the home of each boy to get a story; accompanying the reporter -was a photographer to take pictures. The boys were tired of answering -questions but they couldn’t very well refuse—it seemed that getting -the story meant so much to the reporter. Then, also the homes of the -boys had overnight become exceedingly popular and all day long there -was a continual coming and going of visitors. - -On the third day, a car appeared in front of Paul’s home and Major -McCarthy jumped out. “Come on, Paul,” he said, “let’s go.” - -“Where to?” - -“The airport.” - -“What for?” Paul was curious. - -“You’ll find out when we get there,” the Major answered with a twinkle -in his eye. - -At Jack’s home Paul ran inside to call his chum. “Come on Jack, the -Major is outside and we are going to—” - -Jack was at the moment in the living room answering the questions of a -neighbor. “Never mind,” he said, interrupting, “don’t tell me where we -are going, just so long as we go somewhere.” - -So they went from home to home, picking up the boys who piled into two -cars, the Major’s car and Mr. Carberry’s car with Wallace at the wheel. -The boys riding with the Major prodded him for some information as to -why they were going to the airport, but he only smiled and shook his -head “Wait until you get there,” he answered them. - -At the airport, the boys were a buzzing group of children as they -followed the Major to the office. As they stepped inside, they found -Tom Woods leaning back in a chair and quietly smoking a cigarette. He -laughed and greeted them, “Hello, fellows,” he called out. - -“Hello, Mr. Woods.” - -“How are you, Mr. Woods?” - -“What are you doing here?” - -Turning to the Major, the boys asked, “Well, now what? What’s the -surprise?” - -McCarthy smiled. Pointing a finger at the government agent, he said, -“It’s his surprise, fellows. You tell them, Tom.” - -Woods lifted himself out of his seat. “Very well, then,” he drawled. -“Let’s go down to the hangars.” - -The boys eagerly followed the Major and Tom Woods. At the hangars, -Bobolink cried, “Look, fellows. The smuggler’s plane—she is still -here.” - -“Yes,” replied the agent, “She is still and what’s more, she is -remaining here.” - -“What do you mean?” asked Paul. - -“Well, the ship now belongs to you boys.” - -The statement knocked the breath out of them. Suddenly they all -exploded simultaneously and shouted questions. “What do you mean she is -ours?” - -“How?” - -“Why?” - -“How come? Tell us.” - -Tom Woods smiled. “Just what I said, fellows. She is yours and don’t -ask questions.” - -“Hooray! Hooray for Mr. Woods!” cried Nuthin’. - -And the boys cheered him lustily and vigorously. - -Caustically, the agent remarked, “I hope that some day you will be -kind enough to give me a ride in her.” - -“We will,” they answered and laughed heartily. - -Wallace, however, was a bit puzzled. “But, Major,” he asked, “What -about the plane you were supposed to buy for us.” - -“I almost did,” was the reply. “But when Tom told me, I cancelled the -deal. Now you can use the money to run this plane.” - -“Hooray!” they cheered. - -The boys were happy. They walked around the machine and caressed it. -“We ought to give it a name,” suggested Jack. - -“How about calling it ‘Stanhope’?” asked Paul. - -“No, that name is not a very good one,” objected Ken. “You have the -Stanhope Drug Store, the Stanhope Vegetable Market, the—” - -“How about calling it ‘The Cave’?” Jack had spoken and all the boys -looked. “You get my meaning?” he asked. - -“Of course.” - -“Certainly. That’s just the name for it.” - -“It is settled,” said Nuthin’. “We will call it ‘The Cave’. Are there -any objections?” - -There were none. They were all eager to take off, and ten minutes later -“The Cave” was taxiing across the field, rising from the ground like a -beautiful bird. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Banner Boy Scouts in the Air, by -George A. 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