THE TABLES TURNED
"What was that?" asked Frank, turning to Roy Stone, as the airplane
bearing Jack and Bob on their romantic adventure dwindled in the
darkening sky. "I thought I heard a shout."
"Guess you did," said Stone. "I heard it, too. It came from the cave."
Both turned to stare upward toward the distant cave. There was no sign
of movement. Only the dim bulk of the rock obscuring the entrance
could be distinguished. They looked at each other, a nameless fear
stirring at their hearts. Then Frank shook himself and laughed.
"Pshaw," said he, "this lonesome place seems spooky. I know what it
must have been. It must have been Tom shouting a farewell to the
fellows."
"Reckon you're right," said Stone, brightening. "Sure, that must be
it. Well, let's go back. We'll be starting in a couple of hours, if
all goes well."
"All right," said Frank, reaching to pluck one of the oil flares out
of the ground.
Stone halted him. Again he looked anxiously toward the cave.
"Let's not take the torches," said he.
"Why not?"
"Just playing a hunch," said Stone. "I have the feeling that all may
not be well up at the cave."
Frank dropped his voice unconsciously, as if fearing eavesdroppers in
that lonely spot.
"To tell you the truth," said he frankly. "I feel the same way. I say!
I have an idea. Let's edge out of the light without hurry, not toward
the cave, but out that way," pointing in the direction taken by the
airplane. "We'll put our hands up to our eyes and pretend to be
watching the sky for the airplane's flight. It would be natural for us
to want to get beyond the light of these torches, if we were trying to
follow the boys with our eyes."
"That's the ticket," said Stone, and the two put Frank's plan into
execution.
Beyond the light cast by the torches they paused. Darkness had
descended now, in truth. Not even the shadowy bulk of the big rock
before the entrance to the cave could be distinguished.
"Maybe we're making ourselves nervous over nothing," said Stone. "I
feel kind of foolish. After all, what could happen? That old cowman
pal of yours looks pretty capable."
"He is, too," said Frank. "Just the same, I feel we ought to be
cautious. If Tom's all right when we reach the cave, well and good.
But if he isn't------"
"You're right, kid," said Stone. "I'm no more of a coward than the
next fellow. But if Morales and Von Arnheim by any chance gained the
upper hand and got their clutches on me, I'd hear the birdies sing."
Frank had been thinking rapidly.
"Look here," he said, "isn't there some way we can sneak up there to
find out if matters are all right or not? Suppose Tom has been
overcome. We wouldn't stand much chance approaching the cave by the
regular entrance." He paused and again stared upward. "We've been gone
a considerable time," he said nervously. "You'd think if he were all
right, Tom would have called to find out what is delaying us."
"Tell you what," said Stone, "I've got a little private path to the
top of the cave where the antenna is located. It isn't much more than
a goat track. But we'll have to be goats. Never been up it in the
dark, but I think I can make it. Are you game to follow me?"
"Certainly," said Frank, "if it will be of any advantage for us to do
so."
"Well, there's a fissure through the rock down into the cave. That's
where the Germans that put in the radio plant made their hook-up. We
can listen there, and maybe hear something to guide us."
"Oh, I remember that," said Frank, and added excitedly: "Maybe I could
crawl down into the cave."
"You might be able to, at that," said Stone. "You're pretty slight.
But it would be a ticklish proposition without any rope from above.
Well, if you're on, let's go."
Turning he struck off across the valley, approaching the hill some
distance from the path leading to the cave. Frank followed closely at
his heels. Soon they began mounting upward. The climb in the darkness
became more and more difficult, made more so by the care they
exercised to prevent dislodging stones. They feared the clatter of
these descending to the bottom would betray them.
Once Stone, who was in the lead, slipped and slid backward, clutching
frantically to stay his fall. Fortunately, Frank was well braced at
the moment and was able to stop him. After a rest to regain their
breath and calm their shaking nerves, they resumed the climb.
At length Frank's feet were on level ground and ahead he saw the
outlines of two latticed towers of familiar construction, and between
them overheard the strands of the antenna. The Germans, Stone earlier
had explained, had built the towers in such fashion that the crest of
the hill hid them from the plain on one side while they were so far
back from the edge of the flat plateau crowning the hill as to be also
hidden from view from the valley.
Whispering an injunction to Frank to follow close at his heels, Stone
crawled on hands and knees to the fissure in the rocks down which led
the wires of the hook-up. It was not a straight descent into the cave,
and no light came from it. But the two knelt in the darkness and put
their heads close to the black opening to listen.
A murmur of speech could be heard distinctly, coming up through the
hole. Frank could not distinguish the words, but with his limited
knowledge of Spanish he was able to decipher that language was being
employed.
"What is it?" he whispered to Stone. "Can you hear? Are they speaking
in Spanish?"
"Silence. Just a minute," answered Stone.
His voice was anxious. Frank obeyed the command. In a moment, Stone
lifted his head and said hoarsely:
"It's Morales. He and the German must have overcome your friend in
some way. And I think he's got the Calomares ranch on the phone and is
giving warning that your friends are on the way."
Frank groaned.
"Then when Jack and Bob land, they'll be surprised and captured. Oh,
can't we do something?" Excitedly he jumped to his feet. "Let's put
the radio out of commission."
Stone also leaped up and laid a restraining hand on his arm.
"No, no. Wait a minute. The damage is done already. These fellows
already have given sufficient warning to put them on guard at the
ranch, even though they can't have told the whole story."
They stood undecided, looking at each other, in the starlit darkness.
With an exclamation, Frank seized Stone by the arm. In his excitement,
he shook it.
"Jack and Bob both clamped the headpieces on when they left in the
airplane," he said. "And Jack tuned the radio to the pitch of this
station, in order to be able to call us after rescuing his father.
Why, he must have heard Morales give his warning! Yes, sirree. Why
this isn't so bad!"
In their relief, the two laughed a trifle hysterically. In a moment,
however, Frank sobered again.
"Just the same," he said, "the ranch would get the warning, unless--"
"Unless what?"
"Unless Jack was quick enough to grasp the situation."
Stone slapped his leg.
"I see what you mean," he said. "Your friend Jack could call the
ranch, too, and interfere so much that Morales' message would be all
twisted up."
"That's it," said Frank. "And when it comes to thinking quickly and
acting at once, you can count on Jack. Just the same," he added, "he
can't keep that up forever, and when he lands--"
"Which he'll have to do shortly," interrupted Stone, "because the ranch
is only fifty miles from here."
"Why, then," continued Frank, "these fellows can get their warning to
the ranch and the boys will be captured, or at least their plan to
rescue Mr. Hampton will be spoiled. No, sir, we'll have to wreck the
radio plant here to give them a chance. If Jack has been able so far
to interfere with the warning, and we put this plant out of commission
now, they may be able to carry out their rescue after all. Let's see.
How will we go about it?"
Both had been so engrossed they had failed to notice a dark form
which, after creeping noiselessly up the slope, had started edging
across the little plateau. Now this form suddenly straightened up and
leaped forward. Frank cried out in alarm and jumped sideways, just as
a spurt of flame split the darkness. The bullet sped by, leaving him
unharmed. Stone, who was closer and stood with back turned, whirled
about. The charging form cannoned into him, and he went down.