INSIDE THE CAVE
"What is it?" whispered Tom Bodine, to whom the sound was unfamiliar.
"Sounds like machinery of some kind."
"It's an airplane," Jack answered.
"Airplane? _An_ airplane?" said Bob, low voiced. "It's better than
that. It's our airplane, if I know anything."
"Righto, Bob," agreed Frank. "I'd know the old baby's voice a mile
off."
"They've shut off the motor," said Jack. "They must be going to land.
But where in the world could they land in these hills and in this
darkness, too?"
Tom Bodine slapped his knee.
"That's it," he said emphatically. "That must be it."
"What?" asked Jack.
"Why, there's a big level place just below the cave I was tellin' you
'bout. A plateau. Smooth as a floor."
The hum of the airplane had died away. The boys and their guide never
had caught sight of the machine in the darkness.
Suddenly Frank pointed in the direction whence the sound of the
airplane had come, ahead and slightly to the left.
"I thought I saw a light there," he whispered. "It was just a faint
streak of orange. Now it's gone."
"Look here," said Bob to Tom Bodine, "does that cave face this way or
is it on the other side of a hill?"
"It's on t'other side," answered Tom, "an' near the top."
"Well, I'll bet you there's somebody in that cave. And the light that
Frank saw was some kind of a signal to the airplane."
The big ex-cowboy scratched his head.
"Mebbe you're right," he said doubtfully. "I don't know 'bout such
things. But who'da thought that cave would be discovered. Why, I just
come on it accidental like onct when I was wanderin' through these
hills."
"Boys, there's only one thing to do," said Jack in a determined voice,
"and that's to investigate."
"Righto, Jack," said Frank eagerly. "Here's our chance to get back our
airplane."
"You said it," declared Bob. "Let's go."
"Not so fast," said Jack. "First we must have a plan of campaign.
Tom, what's the lay of the land? How far away is the cave? Would it be
better to leave our horses here and approach on foot?"
"Cave's not more'n half a mile from here," answered Tom. "It's just
around the shoulder o' this hill we're on right now and near the top.
I tole you 'bout that big rock in front o' the entrance an' them three
lonesome trees at the foot that give you a bee-line to the rock. Well,
we can git to them trees without bein' noticed an' tie our horses
there an' then sneak up afoot."
"Is there only the one entrance to the cave?"
"Only one," answered Tom. "There's a kind o' chimney up through the
rock to the top o' the hill. But nobody couldn't git out there in much
of a hurry. We won't have to worry 'bout that."
Frank had an idea.
"How far would those fellows in the airplane have to go to reach the
cave after landing?"
"Oh, le's see. 'Bout as fur as us, I reckon."
"Maybe we can cut them off before they enter the cave," said Frank.
"They'll be busy about the airplane for several minutes before they
start to make their way to the cave. How would they have to approach
the cave?"
"Same way as us from the trees on," said Tom.
"Well, if we hurry," Frank declared excitedly, "maybe we can capture
them before they reach the cave."
"Right you are, young feller," approved Tom. "But we'll have to leave
our horses behind or they might give us away. We can't tie 'em to
those trees like we planned."
"We can't hobble them," said Jack, thinking quickly, "because they
would wander aside a little distance, anyway. And we may want them
again in a hurry."
"Tell you what," said Tom, "seems like I remember a clump o' trees
just this side o' them three I spoke about. We can tie 'em there. An'
them fellers in the machine won't have no horses, so ours ain't likely
to nicker."
"Good," said Jack. "You lead the way and we'll follow."
Presently at a low-spoken word from the guide the boys dismounted and
tied up their horses. Then, Jack carrying his rifle, and the others
following close at his heels, revolvers in hand, they pressed on
toward the three trees forming Tom Bodine's landmark.
As they reached the trees, low exclamations burst from the boys.
Hitherto, they had been cut off from the plateau by the shoulder of
the hill. Now it lay below and before them. This of itself would not
have permitted them to see, as the darkness was intense. But now the
scene was illuminated by a number of oil flares stuck upright in the
ground in a rude circle.
And right in the middle of the circle was the airplane stolen from Bob
and Frank. There could be no mistaking the all-metal body nor the
peculiar wing spread, even at that distance of close to half a mile.
Several figures were moving about. As the boys looked on, these seized
oil flares and started moving toward them.
"Here's where our turn comes at last," said Frank.
Jack laid a hand on his arm.
"Better than that, Frank," he said. "How many do you make out?"
"Three is my guess."
"The two men in the airplane and the man in charge of the cave," said
Jack. "Dollars to doughnuts, the cave is undefended right this minute.
What do you say to capturing it and laying for them there?"
All four were grouped together, and consequently all heard Jack's
proposal. Bob and Tom Bodine agreed eagerly.
"Lead the way, then, Tom," said Jack, "because you know the route. And
be quick."
Swiftly, yet withal cautiously, because the cave might be defended,
they approached the big rock. As they sidled around it, a gleam of
light from the mouth of the cave at the rear of the rock fell athwart
their path. Involuntarily they drew back.
Then Jack brushed Tom Bodine aside and took the lead. His repeater
thrust before him, crouching, he entered the mouth of the cave. A
moment later his whisper came back:
"Coast's clear."
But the others already were at his heels.
A hasty glance around revealed the first of the two chambers, which
Tom had said the cave possessed, was luxuriously furnished and lighted
by a powerful electric bulb enclosed in a huge frosted globe suspended
from the middle of the roof. There was no time for further
investigation because Jack already was pushing on toward the heavy
hangings at the rear covering the mouth of the second chamber, and the
others clung to his heels.
Parting the hangings quickly, Jack threw his rifle to his shoulder.
Then he and his companions received their second big surprise. The
room was empty of human occupants. But it, too, was brilliantly
lighted.
And it was a radio broadcasting station.
To the trained eyes of the boys that much was apparent at first
glance. In one corner of the tremendous cave hummed the dynamo. From
it, of course, came also the electricity for the lights. Before they
could pursue their investigations, however, Tom Bodine, who had
dropped back to the outer entrance, issued a warning hiss. Then he
darted across the outer room and joined them.
"Three of 'em," he whispered. "They'll be here in a minute."
"Good," said Jack, taking command. "We'll give them a surprise. These
hangings are fastened to rings on a big pole up above us there, and
they'll slide easily. Tom, you and Bob grab the hangings in the middle
and be ready to pull them aside when I say the word. Frank, you and I
will stand here in the middle and keep them covered."
All took their assigned positions as the sound of voices was heard at
the outer entrance. Jack peered between the two folds of the hangings
and smiled with satisfaction.
"Let's go," he said.
The hangings flew aside.