Gypsies of the Air

  CHAPTER V

  Captives in the Old Fort

  Although Terry was confident that it would be an easy matter to escapefrom the old stone house, she soon saw her mistake. For the buildingwas originally a trading post of the early French explorers and hadbeen built like a fort to withstand the raids of hostile Indians.

  Terry examined the windows but the openings in the solid stone wallwere nothing but narrow loopholes through which the shooting had beendone in the early days. They were far too small for anyone to crawlthrough.

  And the only door to the structure was the one which they hadfoolishly entered. Outside that door Jim Heron kept his eagle eyesalert.

  “We’re in a nice trap!” whispered Prim. “How did we ever happen to getinto a jam like this?” Prim’s face was deathly pale.

  “Now Prim, don’t get panicky! There must be a way out!” comfortedTerry. “It isn’t reasonable to think that we can be kept here asprisoners. And look at that old man,” exclaimed the girl, pointingthrough the narrow opening. “He’s grinning as if he’d done somethingsmart. That’s what makes me wild. I hate to have anything put over onme!”

  The girls stood with their arms around each other as they watched JimHeron whose broad grin displayed his brown snaggle teeth.

  “I wish he’d scowl,” said Prim. “He doesn’t look half as mean and slyas when he laughs. I wonder what he’s thinking about?”

  “I can tell you that!” exploded Terry. “He’s thinking that we’re justa couple of dumb-bells, walking right into the trap that he and BudHyslop set for us. There is only one thing to do, Prim. We must getout of here!”

  “But how, Terry?” asked her sister anxiously. “Don’t take chances. Youknow Dad wouldn’t like that.”

  “Well, what’s to prevent us from just walking out past the old man? Hewouldn’t _dare_ to shoot us. It’s worth trying. Come on!”

  “Don’t, Terry! Please don’t do that. It isn’t safe!”

  “I’m going to try it, anyway. Now listen, Prim, I’ll go ahead and youfollow. Don’t lag, keep right on my heels.”

  With head held high, Terry walked boldly to the door and threw itopen.

  But Jim Heron had leaped to his feet and stood facing her. With anangry snarl he commanded, “Get back there. In you go!”

  Terry stood her ground. “I just wanted to stay outside where the airwas cool. Anyway I want to talk to you!”

  But Jim Heron thrust out a horny hand and shoved the girl inside.Raising his gun to his shoulder he pointed it menacingly at Terry asthe girl started once more toward the open door. Sally dragged thegirl back and shut the door.

  “Don’t go, Terry! Come here! You don’t know Jim Heron,” Sallywhispered. “He’d just as soon shoot you as not. Bud Hyslop probablygave him money to keep you locked up and after that he’d kill yourather than let you go. He’d do anything for money.”

  Terry obeyed. She sat down but her eyes were blazing and her jaw wasset in determination. “All right, Sally, I’ll not make any more fuss.But I’ll watch my chance. What’s more I’ll get away!”

  Prim looked around anxiously: “I don’t see how it can be done, Terry,”she said. “We’re prisoners, all right. Just as much as if we werelocked in a cell.”

  “Don’t do anything to get him angry,” pleaded Sally Wyn. “He’sterrible when he gets started.”

  Suddenly Terry faced the girl. “Sally, is that old man any relation toyou? Why are you in this terrible place?” Terry blurted out.

  Tears came to the girl’s eyes. “He’s no relation to me. But I’ve beenwith them ever since I was ten years old. I can’t find my people. Theone that is left is an uncle and he has disappeared.”

  “Where are your father and mother?” asked Terry.

  “They’re dead!” said Sally bitterly. “They’re both dead. I have no onenow.”

  “Who were they, Sally and why do you live here with Nancy Heron andJim?”

  Sally gave a gulp then turned to Terry and Prim.

  “We were shipwrecked off the coast near here. My father was CaptainDavid Wyn of the _Riverside_, a small coast steamer running betweenSt. Johns and American ports. Whenever we could, mother and I alwayswent with father. That’s what we liked best. It was lots of fun to goon the ship.” Sally paused, her voice choked with a sob.

  “There, there dear, don’t talk about it if it hurts you, Sally!” saidthe sympathetic Terry, and Prim clasped the girl’s hand. “I’m so sorryfor you. But I knew from the first that you didn’t belong to thesedreadful people. You couldn’t.”

  “Don’t cry,” Prim soothed her.

  “I want to tell you. I want to talk about it. That terrible, terriblestorm! Sometimes I dream about it, even yet. And I see my fathercarried away by a big wave when the ship smashed on the rocks. It washorrible. I’ll never forget!”

  Prim and Terry had tears in their eyes as the girl continued.

  “Mother and I were picked up by a lifeboat, and brought to land. Thenmother took pneumonia from the exposure, and she died the next week.She had a brother much older than herself, he was wealthy but livedlike a hermit, she told me. She wrote to him asking him to look afterme.”

  “But how did you get in with Nancy Heron?” asked Terry impatiently.

  “She was looking after my mother and after her death Nancy thought shesaw a way to make some money. She sent my mother’s letter with one ofher own to my uncle John Wentworth in Westhaven, hoping that the richold man would pay her for her trouble.”

  “What a terrible woman!” exclaimed Terry. “How she must have lovedmoney!”

  “Yes, but it didn’t do her any good,” answered Sally. “For the letterwas returned unclaimed. No one knew anything about John Wentworth. Hehad left Westhaven years before and there was no address or means offinding him.”

  “Then what happened, Sally? What did you do then?”

  “Nancy was disappointed and took out her spite on me. She put me towork and I’ve been at it ever since, slaving and giving her all mypay,” Sally confided in a low voice.

  “Have they been kind to you in any way, Sally?”

  “Not what I call kind. But they seem to _think_ they’ve done a lot forme. That’s what they tell people.”

  “You poor girl!” exclaimed Prim. “Haven’t you got any friends at all?”

  “Yes, I’ve got one friend. His name is Dan. Dan Brent! He lives downin Fish Cove with his uncle. He’s a dear boy, and the truest friend agirl could have. He’d do anything for me.”

  “But the people for whom you work, Sally? Are they kind?” asked Prim.

  “Yes, they’re kind enough, but of course I can’t expect them to takean interest in me. I work hard for all I get.”

  “You poor darling!” Terry impulsively threw her arms about the girl.“Prim and I will find a home for you where you won’t have to workhard, won’t we Prim?”

  “I should say so,” agreed the twin. “The idea of a girl of your agehaving to work so hard. It’s downright cruel!”

  “Sally!” came a voice from the adjoining room. “Are you working?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Heron, I’m mending.”

  “That’s right. Keep working.”

  Terry’s lips set in a determined line. “That’s a job for us. Prim,”she whispered as Sally left the room. “We’ll come up and get her soon,and maybe we can find her uncle.”

  “Yes, we’ll do that. But first we must find Allan and Syd. And wedon’t seem to be making any headway. Do you think that Sally knowswhere the boys are?”

  But Sally knew nothing about Allan and Syd. She had suspected when shesaw Bud Hyslop and Jim Heron with their heads together that they werehatching a plot, but she could not find out what it was.

  “I wish I could help you,” said Sally anxiously. “Then I’d know thatyou would help me with _my_ problem.”

  “We’ll help you anyway, Sally, and since you’re an American you’d haveno trouble in getting back to your own country. Only how are we goingto prove that?”
br />   “I can prove it,” said Sally. “I have a little box of my mother’sthings and my birth certificate is among them. I was born in Boston.”

  “Then everything is fine. And as soon as we get the boys safely home,we’ll come up here and get you. Let me see your birth certificate,”said Terry.

  “I can’t now, Terry. It’s hidden so Mrs. Heron can’t find it. Now thatI bring her my wages she wants to keep me. And she thinks if she coulddestroy my birth certificate, I could never go back to the States.That isn’t true, is it?”

  “Of course it isn’t,” said Terry. “But I’d like to see that paper justthe same. It might help us find your uncle.”

  “All right, Terry, I’ll go and get it now.” The girls watched from thetiny window as Sally slipped out of the door, stood for a moment andtalked to Jim Heron, then started down the trail toward the Cove. Butonce out of sight she took the opposite course, climbing up the hillbehind the town and over to the next low ridge. Burrowed into thehillside was an old abandoned mine tunnel. Sally entered the passagetimidly. Far in the black depths she pried with her fingers in a deepcrevice and brought forth a small copper box. Clasping it tightly inher hand she ran from the tunnel as if pursued. The tunnel was thesafest place she knew about. It ran into the hill for fifty feet ormore and was said to be haunted. Sally didn’t believe in ghosts butstill she never felt quite comfortable in that long dark burrow in thehill.

  As Sally emerged into the daylight she heard a familiar whistle.

  The girl started violently then gave a cry of joy.

  “Why Dan Brent, where did you come from?”

  “Come here, Sally. I want to show you something!” said Dan as he ledthe girl along the trail to the clearing. At one side of this spacegrew trees with overhanging branches and under them stood an airplane.It was placed so that it could not be seen by an aviator flyingoverhead.

  Sally let out a little cry of surprise. “Why Dan Brent, where did youget that airplane?”

  “I’m being paid to guard it,” answered Dan. “Gee, isn’t it a beauty?It’s called _The Comet_, and I bet it goes as fast as a comet. Thefellow said I wasn’t to let anyone near, not even to look at it, butyou’re all right. You won’t tell.”

  “Tell what?” asked Sally, looking up at the tall boy beside her. Hisfreckled face was frank and he beamed down at Sally in a protectingway.

  He stammered, “Why, you won’t tell you saw the plane.”

  “But Dan, what are you doing with it and what is all the mysteryabout? You aren’t doing anything wrong, are you, Dan?” asked Sally,searching her friend’s face earnestly.

  Dan laughed aloud and slapped his pants pocket, making the silvercoins jingle. “Nothing like that, Sally. I’m earning an honest living.A fellow by the name of Bud Hyslop gave me a dollar. What’s more he’sgoing to give me a lot of money. Just think, Sally, I’m getting paidgood money for doing nothing. Pretty soft, eh?”

  “But _what_ are you doing, Dan? I don’t understand,” asked Sally witha puzzled frown.

  “Didn’t I just tell you? I’m guarding this plane. It belongs to twobank robbers, who escaped from the States and are hiding away inNewfoundland. Bud Hyslop has them cornered and wants to give them upand get the reward. That’s why we’re not supposed to talk or knowanything about it. But Gee, Sally I just had to tell you. We’refriends.”

  “But where is Bud Hyslop keeping these crooks?” asked Sally.

  “It’s not likely that he’d give his secret away to me. He wants thatreward. He’s not telling _anybody_.”

  Sally drew near to the boy and after making sure that no one wasaround she said in a whisper, “Dan, there’s something crooked going onaround here. I don’t believe those fellows that are hidden away arethieves, at all. I think they’ve been kidnapped.”

  “Kidnapped! What makes you think that, Sally?” asked the boy.

  “I heard my girls talking and that’s what they said,” replied Sally.

  “_Your_ girls? What do you mean by your girls?”

  Sally laughed at the boy’s puzzled look. “You needn’t think, Dan, thatyou’re the only one to have aviator friends. I just wish you could seeTerry and Prim. They are exactly like the pictures I’ve seen in thepaper, all dressed up in smart flying suits. Terry’s is brown leatherand Prim is all in white. They’re beautiful, Dan. And someday they aregoing to come and take me back to the States with them. Then I’ll tryto find Uncle John.”

  Dan’s face fell. “What are they doing up here? Why don’t they staywhere they belong? Trying to coax you away? Don’t go, Sally. I don’twant you to go. Where are these girls?”

  “Jim Heron is keeping them prisoners in the old house. They’re beingguarded by Jim Heron and me.”

  “What did they do? Did _they_ rob a bank?” asked Dan.

  “Of course not. And it’s my opinion that the two flyers who came inthis _Comet_ plane, aren’t thieves either. Terry says they are twosplendid boys. I’m almost afraid for you to guard this plane. Youmight get into serious trouble.”

  “I’m not afraid of trouble, but I don’t want to help out a man if he’scrooked. If I thought that this Bud Hyslop wasn’t straight, I wouldn’tguard this plane even for the fifty dollars.”

  “Fifty dollars!” cried Sally. “Why Dan Brent, do you mean to tell methat you’re getting fifty dollars for doing nothing? It almost seemswicked. Gee, some people have all the luck!”

  “Maybe those girls will pay you to look after their plane,” suggestedDan.

  “No, it’s gone. Bud Hyslop took it without asking. I think he stoleit!” Sally said with venom in her voice. “I don’t like Bud Hyslop.”

  “I’d have guessed as much, Sally. But never mind about the money. WhenI get the fifty dollars, I’m going to ask you to go on the excursionto St. Johns with me. We’ll spend every cent of it on a good time.”

  “But what I want more than anything else is to find out where thosetwo flyers are, and why they are held by Bud Hyslop,” said Sally.“Can’t you make Bud talk when he comes back? I wish you’d help me,Dan. It will mean a lot to me if I can help these girls.”

  “I’ll do what I can, I’d do anything for you.”

  “All right Dan, that’s a promise,” and Sally smiled up at the tall boybeside her, then hurried away down the trail.

  Once out of sight of Dan’s camp, Sally sat down and opened the littlecopper box with its strange markings. Her birth certificate was safe,and the little bag of trinkets. She poured them into her lap. A babynecklace of her own, her mother’s tiny gold watch, and wedding ring,and a garnet necklace and bracelet. Sally often looked at them andcried over the trinkets, but today she smiled. She was proud that shehad something pretty to show the girls.

  Hastily putting them back into the box, Sally ran toward home. Thefirst thing she heard as she came near was Nancy Heron’s voice. “SallyWyn, where are you? Get to work!”

  “She’s been calling you all the time you’ve been away,” whisperedTerry. “Did you get the birth certificate?”

  “Yes, here it is, Terry,” returned Sally.

  Terry examined the paper. “It doesn’t tell much, does it? Well, put itcarefully away, Sally, and soon we’ll get you out of here. Havepatience.”

  But Sally did not appear to be listening, her eyes were bright as ifshe were burning up with fever. Terry looked at the girl in surprise.

  “What’s the matter, Sally?” she asked.

  “I’ve got something to tell you. I know where the plane is. I’ve found_The Comet_!”

  “Sally!” Terry’s voice rose in excitement but Prim laid a hand on herarm.

  “Hush, Terry! Everything depends on keeping quiet.” She turned toSally. “Where is the plane?”

  “Over the hill a little ways. It isn’t far. It’s being guarded by DanBrent, that boy I was telling you about,” whispered Sally, tremblingwith excitement.

  “But where are Allan and Syd? Did you see them?” demanded Primanxiously.

  “They’re not there. Bud
Hyslop has them hidden away somewhere.”

  “Did you tell Dan that Bud is a crook? That he is keeping the boyshidden, hoping to get a reward?” asked Prim.

  “No, that would spoil everything. Dan thinks they are bank robbers.Bud told them that he was holding them for the law and expects to geta reward.”

  “There, I just knew that Bud had fixed up a plot against Allan andSyd, and that settles it! Doesn’t Dan know where they are?”

  “No, he didn’t know but he’s going to try and find out. He promised tohelp us.”

  Terry turned to the girl impulsively. “Help us, Sally, if you can. Youand Dan will never be sorry. We’ll do anything for you! Bud Hyslop haskidnapped Allan and Syd and we must find them at once!”

  Late that afternoon Sally slipped away once more. She wanted to seeDan and find out if he had heard anything further from Bud. As sheneared the _Comet’s_ hiding place something made her tiptoe softlyalong the trail. When she came in sight of the clearing she stoppedshort, with a gasp of surprise. Two other planes were standing near_The Comet_. Sally crept close, keeping under cover of the low growingbushes. Bud Hyslop and a stranger were talking together a little apartfrom Dan. The stranger was a slightly built man, very trim in hisflying suit and helmet.

  “There’s a mystery here,” said Sally to herself. “Somebody else besideBud Hyslop is interested in that reward.”

  She looked at the planes. She knew _Skybird_, the little blue-and-goldamphibian. Terry had described it to her. But this other one. Wheredid it come from and what was the matter?

  Dan Brent was standing between the trail and the flyers. Sally pickedup a pebble and threw it at the boy’s foot. It struck. Dan looked inSally’s direction, frowned, then turned carelessly away.

  “Stupid!” said Sally to herself. “He’s awfully slow to take a hint.”

  But Dan had understood. Thrusting his hands deep in his pockets, hesauntered away in the opposite direction, then doubled back. Sally sawhis intention at last and went to meet him.

  “What are those men talking about, Dan? What is their scheme?”

  “They’re hatching plots. I don’t dare go near enough to catch whatthey are saying. I heard plenty to prove to me that they are crooks.Bud Hyslop plans to do me out of my fifty dollars. I heard him tellingthe other guy, that he never planned to pay more than the dollar hegave me. Said that was plenty and I could whistle for the rest.”

  “And what did the other man say?” asked Sally.

  “He laughed, and his squint eye looked worse than ever. I don’t likethat fellow!”

  “But it proves what I told you, Dan. Bud is a crook.”

  “And another thing I found out, Sally. Those bank robbers are justboys, not more than eighteen or twenty years old.”

  “There now, Dan Brent, didn’t I tell you that! Now I guess you believemy girls. And from now on, you’ll help us in every way you can.”

  “I’ll say I will. I’ll go right back there now and listen and get allthe information I can,” Dan moved toward the trail leading to theclearing.

  Sally looked after him. “Gee, I’m proud of Dan,” she said softly. “Iwant the girls to see him.”

  Running at full speed down the hill, Sally determined to help thegirls escape.

  “It’s tonight or never,” she said. “But how is it to be done?”