Part 6 (1/2)

Presently Frank, his irritation forgotten now that the city was being left behind, called the attention of his co headlines which read:

RUM RUNNERS LAND BIG LIQUOR CARGO; ELUDE ”DRY NAVY”

”Say, I haven't been reading any of this stuff,” said Frank ”But after what the ht about the size of these operations, and with inning to see that this defiance of the prohibition law is just about thebefore the Nation to-day At least, here on the Eastern seaboard, where these sanized and have a handy base in the West Indies”

The others nodded agreement, and the conversation proceeded in similar vein until they tu field in a taxi, they were soon aboard the plane This time Frank took the wheel And to the friendly farewells of the an the ho, Bob, idly scanning the sky through the glass, focussed upon a tiny speck in the distance All three had cla the trans into the transmitter now, Bob announced:

”I think that radio-controlled plane is flying away fro to tune up to that 1,375-th, and we'll see if there's a continuous dash in the receivers”

”All right,” answered Jack, ”but look out for your eardruth is very sharp and you want to be ready to tune down at once, or your head will feel as if it were ready to burst”

Ashriek, hich Jack had beconalled in the receivers, and Bob proht That's the continuous dash which is being sent out from the secret radio plant to control that little plane Let's keep it in sight, Frank, and see where it goes

Don't close in on it Keep just about this distance I can watch it through the glass, and I'll give you your bearings if you lose sight of it Probably there is only one lass, and won't knoe are following hiht,” responded Frank ”Here's where we'd turn toward shore

But we'll stick to his trail a while”

With that he began edging the plane out to sea

CHAPTER VI

A FALL INTO THE SEA

Out over the shi+ning sea flew the glistening all-metal plane, and the spirits of the boys lifted to the chase The oldest fever of the blood known to man is that of the chase It comes down to us froot their daily food by it, wooed and won by it, and fought their battles by it in that diht and the law of tooth and claas the only rede

Gone was the irritability that had possessed Frank in the noise and din, the crowding walls and swars, back in the city Below hi smooth as a ball-room floor, with the surface calht ahead The water stretched to infinity, over the edge of the world For a wonder, not a sail broke that broad expanse due south, although to the ere several streamers of smoke where shi+ps stood in for port, hull down on the far horizon, while closer at hand was a little dot which Bob, swinging the glasses,distance off, ten or fifteenin that direction Was it bearing away for the schooner? The question leaped into Bob's mind He put it into spoken words, into the transmitter

”There's a schooner southwest,” he said ”The plane is going in that direction Bear up a trifle, Frank, and slow her down Let's see whether the plane is heading for it”

Frank slowed the engine and altered the course sufficiently to keep the plane in view on the new tack, but not to bring them so close to it as to arouse suspicion In a fewslant and Bob, watching through the glasses, exclai to land There, he's on the water now

He's taxying close to the shi+p”

”I' action to word

”Good idea,” said Jack ”Let lasses a minute, Bob, will you?”

Bob complied

”I don't believe they know of our presence,” Jack presently declared