Part 21 (1/2)

Thereupon Tom set out, and Jack returned to the conference On his re-entry, he learned the two officers had decided to remove the liquor in the cellar to the beach and thence by boat to the Nark, as the easiest overne of confiscated contraband A sailor appointed to inspect the pree truck and a narrow but sufficiently wide road through the woods to the beach Evidently, it was by this ht from the beach to the house on occasion

This would be a long process, but it was considered better than to attempt to remove the liquor by truck to New York Only one truck was available, in the first place, and that would not carrystore of liquor

Before the two officers departed to issue the necessary orders for the carrying out of their plans, Jack for the first tiinning of their adventure, remembered the torpedo-shaped metal objects on the beach and spoke about thereat containers controlled by radio,”

he said ”Probably they were launched froht to shore by radio I suppose Higginbotha with him whom you first attacked, Bob That felloho said it was he had dae, yes,” said Bob, starting up, a vengeful expression on his face ”And that reminds me Where is that particular ruffian, I'd like to know He isn't a the wounded,” suggested Jack ”A half dozen have been gathered up, none seriously wounded, and are out in the kitchen where that apprentice surgeon is fixing them up”

He referred to one of the sailors, a medical student who because of ill health had enlisted in the ”Dry Navy” in order to obtain an outdoor life Lieutenant Suned hi that had taken place, none of the sailors had been wounded, and the boys, Captain Folsom and Tom represented, with their injuries froovernlers injured, s As Lieutenant Suood deal of powder and shot was spent often without anybody being injured

Bob made hasty exaht could not be located He found Jack and Frank awaiting hi departed to see about preparations forthe liquor

”Believe runted Bob, and he did not finish the sentence

”Well,” said Jack, looking out of the , ”it's daylight now

Let's go down and have a look at those torpedo things on the beach

Then we can take a plunge and go ho to feel let do, and I could sleep the clock around”

The others agreed, and passing through the living room made their way outdoors and headed for the beach Frank stopped suddenly, and eust

”We're a fine crowd,” he said ”Why hasn't one of us thought of that radio-controlled airplane before? What's beco shore in Starfish Cove,” said Jack

”We'll soon see”

But arrival at the beach failed to disclose the tiny speedster of the sky Only the great metal objects lay outstretched above the tide, like soin the sun The disappearance of the plane was teated As they had surmised, these objects proved to be liquor containers, from several of which the cases of bottled liquor in the holds had not yet been removed They were replicas of each other At the rounded end was a propeller driven by an electric overned by an electric co overside and a spiral aerial coiled upright about a enious,” declared Jack, inspecting one of the contrivances

”And it must have cost a pretty sulers certainly must have money behind them Until we becaeneral way that all this was going on, certainly no idea that it was organized as it is”

While Jack and Bob bent above the radio boats, absorbed in exa radio-controlled airplane Presently he rejoined his comrades with the infor the shore and that apparently it had not drifted away, as at first he had suspected ht have been the case, because the sun had risen now and except for the Nark and her two boats drawn upon shore, there was nothing in sight

Suddenly, as he concluded his report, another idea cahed aloud

”What's the joke?” demanded Bob ”Have you done----”

”No, sir,” Frank interrupted, ”I've not gone crazy, at least not any more than the rest of you It just occurred to inbothainbothaed our airplane and whom Bob couldn't locate worked the radio for him”

”You mean he had the nerve to come back here while ere up at the house? And that his man calmly walked into the radio plant and operated it for him? Oh, say” Bob was contemptuous

”Why not?” said Frank coolly ”What was to stop him? The airplane makes no noise, and it would be the easiest inbotham thus to make his escape”

CHAPTER XIX