Part 13 (2/2)
Thereupon Bob, too, was put in possession of the facts as to what had occurred At the end of the recital, he sat up, albeit with an effort, for his head felt, as he described it, ”like Fourth of July night--and no safe and sane Fourth, at that”
”I don't know if you fellows can ever forgive ot you into this I saw red, when I discovered it was Higginbotham and that other rascal who had set the plane afire There they were, in the woods, and I set out to crawl after them Frank followed me”
”Tried to stop him,” interposed Frank ”But he wouldn't be stopped I didn't dare call to the rest of you for fear of giving the alar Anyhow, Bob,” he added, loyally, ”I felt just the same way you did about it, and you were no worse than I”
”No,” said Bob ”You weren't to blaet it,” said Jack ”Let's consider what to do now? Here we are, five of us, and now that we are on guard we ought to be able to give a pretty good account of ourselves I, for one, don't propose to sit around and wait for our captors to dispose of us How about the rest of you?”
”Say on, Jack,” said Frank ”If Bob's all right, nothingin mind, Hampton, I believe,” said Captain Folsom, quietly ”What is it?”
CHAPTER XII
THE WINDOWLESS ROOM
”I have no plan,” said Jack, ”except this: We have freed ourselves of our bonds, and we ought to make an effort to escape And, if we can make our escape,” he added, determinedly, ”I, for one, am anxious to try to turn the tables”
”Turn the tables, Jack?” exclaimed Frank ”What do you mean? How could we do that?”
”If we could capture the sested, ”and call help, we could catch these fellows in the act Of course, I know, there is only a sliet i of that possibility Do you suppose any boats of the 'Dry Navy' about which you spoke are in the vicinity, Captain Folsom?”
In the darkness, the latter could be heard to stir and move closer
All five, as a ether and spoke in whispers that were barely audible
”That is a bully idea, Hampton,” said Captain Folsom, with quickened interest ”Yes, I am certain one orthis stretch of coast From Montauk Point to Great South Bay, he told lers”
”Very good,” said Jack ”Then, if we can gain possession of the slers' radio plant and call help, wehaul For, I presu shi+pht is far advanced, doubtless they will keep it here until, say, to-ht, when they would plan to send it to the city in trucks Don't you fellows iine that is about what their plan of procedure would be?”
All signified approval in some fashi+on or other
”Our first step, of course,” said Captain Folsoain our freedom from the house Are any of you faot any matches? My service pistol has been taken, and I presume you fellows also have been searched and deprived of your weapons?”
General affirmation followed
”But about matches? Will you please search your pockets, everybody?”
The boys never carriednonsmokers Tom Barnum, however, not only produced a paper packet of matches but, as far ht of flat, peculiar shape which he carried in a vest pocket and which his captors had overlooked in their hurried search He flashed it once, and discovered it was in good working order
”So far, so good,” said Captain Folsom ”Now to discover the extent of our injuries, before we proceed any further Mine aren't enough to keepHow about the rest of you?”
”Frank's been binding up my head with the tail of uess he could do a better job if he received a flash froht of yours, Tom Just throw it over here on my head, will you?”