_Searching Parties_
When Linda Carlton and Dorothy Crowley left Jacksonville Airport on
the morning of June twenty-seventh in the Ladybug, and flew into the
Okefenokee Swamp, they fully expected to telephone to their families
that night, or at least to send a wire to them, as they had promised.
So when Miss Emily Carlton heard nothing from her niece she became
anxious, and directed her chauffeur to drive her to Mrs. Crowley's
cottage.
Both women were established at Green Falls for the summer, which
was the favorite resort of all Linda's friends from Spring City. It
was there that the girl had called her aunt from Jacksonville, the
night that Dot and the Mackays had arrived. Only one telegram had she
received since that time.
Mrs. Crowley, who was less inclined to be nervous than Miss Carlton,
tried to reassure the latter, saying that she realized how busy the
girls would be. But when June twenty-eighth passed without any word
from them, she too became alarmed, and together the two women put in a
long distance call to Captain Magee at Jacksonville.
Briefly he told them what he knew--of Linda's decision to go
"scouting," as she called it. And of her request for the revolvers.
The shock of that piece of news was almost too much for Miss Carlton.
She jumped to the conclusion that the girls were dead.
"Aren't you doing a thing to find them, Captain?" she demanded, harshly.
"I was thinking about it," he replied. "But after all, they've only
been gone two days----"
"You don't know my niece!" interrupted the unhappy woman. "Linda always
wires or telephones me every day, when she goes on these flying trips.
She doesn't forget. It's because she can't--she has been injured or
killed!"
"I hope not," he replied. "But I will send a plane over the Okefenokee
Swamp tomorrow, Miss Carlton," he promised.
The two women gazed at each other in helpless dismay at the conclusion
of this conversation. What could they possibly do, aside from
informing the newspapers--a decision which they carried out immediately.
Accordingly, on June twenty-ninth, every newspaper in the country
stated the fact that Linda Carlton, the famous aviatrix who had flown
to Paris alone, was missing again--somewhere in Georgia--probably in
the Okefenokee Swamp, with a chum, Miss Dorothy Crowley of Spring City,
who was also a pilot.
The unhappy news instantly produced the effect which Miss Carlton hoped
it would accomplish. It aroused no fewer than five searching parties,
all bent upon locating these two popular girls.
Captain Magee's men were the first to go. Summoning Sergeant Worth, he
commandeered a plane from the airport, and directed the pilot to fly
over the swamp, searching from the air by means of spyglasses.
The second party was composed of the girls' fathers, both of whom were
in New York City at the time. Mr. Crowley telephoned Mr. Carlton, and
after sending a wire to their families, they boarded a Florida train
together.
The third volunteers were two young men at Green Falls, two college
boys who considered Linda and Dot their special girl-friends, though
neither of them was engaged, Jim Valier and Ralph Clavering heard the
sad news at the out-door pool at Green Falls, just as they were about
to join a group of young people for a swim. Kitty Hulbert, Ralph's
married sister, read the head-lines aloud.
"Jim," muttered Ralph, when Kitty finished, "let's do something! We can
take a plane to Florida--and go on a search from there."
"O.K.," agreed the other boy, and quietly and quickly the two young men
disappeared from the group.
The story came to the Mackays in Washington, where Ted had business on
his return from Georgia. The instant that Louise read it, she jumped up
in excitement.
"We must go, Ted!" she cried. "You can get your vacation now."
"I'll wire immediately," he agreed, without an instant's hesitation,
and he went out to make the necessary arrangements and to order his
plane in readiness.
The fifth and last party was none other than Linda's two latest
admirers, the two young men she had mentioned to Dot in the hope of a
rescue--Jackson Carter and Hal Perry.
All in all, it ought to have been enough to satisfy Miss Carlton that
every effort was being made to find the girls and to bring them back to
safety.
The airplane from the police department was the first of these groups
to get into action, the first to enter the swamp. Yet it did not
actually enter it, but merely flew above it, for the pilot, less
experienced than Linda herself, did not believe it possible to come
down on one of those islands. For hours, however, he circled about,
over the bog, and the cypress-trees, while Sergeant Worth in the rear
cock-pit scanned the landscape with his spyglasses. But neither man saw
any trace of the autogiro or the girls, and late that afternoon they
had to return in discouragement to Captain Magee.
"I couldn't even locate that camp on the island," Worth said. "The
one where we got the prisoners, you know. Unless you have the exact
directions, it's hard to find anything in that swamp.... And--I don't
see much use in trying again."
Captain Magee looked exceedingly grave; he was genuinely worried.
He blamed himself for letting the girls go alone. But there had been
nothing official about the project--he had not really expected that
they would run into the criminal. Besides, Linda Carlton had seemed so
capable, and both girls were so eager to go.
"We mustn't give up, Worth," he said quietly. "It's more important to
find these girls than a dozen criminals. We owe it to them, to their
families--to the whole country. Everybody has admiration and affection
for Miss Linda Carlton, after all she has done.... You'll have to go
back tomorrow--or get another man, if you feel too discouraged."
"No, I'm only too glad to help," the other assured him. "I would do
anything in the world for Miss Carlton. But I don't see how it can do
any good. A scouting party in boats would be much more likely to be
successful."
"We'll try that, too, as soon as I can get some men together. But
tomorrow you fly out over the ocean to that island where the thieves
had the jewels. The girls might be stranded there. Take another pilot,
and a bigger plane."
Worth looked doubtful.
"We haven't any way of locating that island, either," he said. "It was
Miss Carlton who took us there before, and I have no idea where it is."
"Just do your best, Worth," urged the Captain. "Fly around all the
islands near the Georgia coast, keeping a sharp look-out for the
autogiro."
"Rain or shine? It looks like a storm tomorrow."
"Yes, whatever the weather, you must go--or get someone else."
So, in spite of the terrible downpour and the high winds of June
thirtieth, a cabin monoplane flew across Georgia and out over the ocean
to a group of islands just off the coast. Three men were aboard--two
experienced pilots, one of whom was also a mechanic--besides the police
officer.
Leaving the coast behind, they flew out into the grayness that was
ocean and sky. The waves were high, the sea rough and angry, and the
rain was coming down in sheets, blinding their vision, but they pressed
on, two of the men keeping their spyglasses on the water, watching for
islands. They passed over several, but they were small, with little or
no place to land. Eagerly the men watched for some sign of human life,
some signal, some glimpse of the autogiro.
"They'd never be alive if we did find them," remarked Worth, gloomily.
"And if they did run into that gangster, he'd surely have made away
with them."
"If only it would clear up," grumbled the pilot. "So we could see
something!"
They were flying much lower now, for it was comparatively safe over the
water, and despite the weather, they were able to spot the islands. All
of a sudden the mechanic uttered a sharp cry.
"There she is! Look! Over there!"
"Miss Carlton?" demanded Worth, excitedly. "Where?"
"Not the girl! The plane--the autogiro! See--that island to the west!
See the wind-mill on top?"
"By George! You're right!" agreed Worth, a thrill running up and down
his spine. Thank Heaven, he hadn't given up!
The pilot directed the plane over the island and circled about, landing
finally some distance from the autogiro. A glance at the latter
assured them that it had not been wrecked. Why, then, hadn't the girls
come back? Was it possible that all this scare had risen to alarm the
world for the simple reason that Linda Carlton had run out of gas?
The three men climbed out of the cabin and shouted as loud as they
could, since the girls had evidently failed to hear their plane, above
the noise of the storm and the roar of the ocean. Eagerly they waited
for a reply. But when none came, fear crept over them all.
Had the girls died of starvation, or was there foul play of some kind?
With gloomy forebodings, they walked about the beach, seeking evidence
of some kind to tell the story of what had happened.
Finding nothing, the mechanic began to examine the autogiro. She was
undamaged, unhurt--everything in order, gasoline in the tank. The
engine started easily in answer to his test, and ran smoothly until he
turned it off. No, the gallant little Ladybug could not be blamed for
whatever disaster had taken place!
Then, forgetful of the weather, the three men set out to search the
island thoroughly. Buckled in oil-skin coats, they felt protected
themselves, but Worth shuddered as he thought of these girls alone in
such desolation, with no roof to cover them, no food to satisfy their
hunger, or water for their thirst. Gloomy and discouraged they plowed
through the wet sand, calling the girls' names. Finally, abandoning the
hope of finding them alive, they set themselves to the gruesome task of
looking among the underbrush for their bodies. At last they gave up.
"We'll fasten a canvas sheet over these bushes, so that we can locate
the island, and we'll pin a note on it to say that we'll be back,"
decided Worth, "in case they are alive. One of you men take the
autogiro, and the other the plane, and we'll go back now."
The rain was abating somewhat, and the two planes made the return trip
without any mishaps, arriving at the Jacksonville Airport before dark
that evening.
A wildly enthusiastic crowd, which had collected in spite of the
weather, greeted them with resounding cheers. The Ladybug was back
again--safe and sound! Women cried with joy, men threw their hats into
the air, children clapped their hands and whistled. In a miniature way
it was a demonstration like the one given Lindbergh upon his arrival
at the French Flying Field. But it was a false rejoicing, and the
gayety was quickly changed into despair when the pilot reported that
the girls themselves had not been found.
Weary and disappointed, the crowd turned away, and Sergeant Worth told
the sad story to the newspaper reporters who waited to interview him,
before he returned to the police headquarters.
Captain Magee was terribly affected by the news. Linda Carlton might
have been his own daughter, from the grief which he could not conceal.
Two well-dressed young men were waiting in his office when Worth
arrived, and they listened to the grim account. They were the first
of the rescue parties to arrive from the North--Jim Valier and Ralph
Clavering.
"These two young men are friends of Miss Carlton and Miss Crowley,"
explained the Captain. "They want to go into the swamp tomorrow in a
boat.... Perhaps the girls have reached the main-land, or perhaps that
autogiro was stolen, and they never were on the island at all....
Anyhow, we'll search the swamp again. Will you go with them, Worth?"
"Certainly," agreed the sergeant, though he felt as if it would be
fruitless. Those girls were at the bottom of the ocean, he was sure!
"A light motor-boat ought to be able to go up that little stream,"
continued the Captain. "I will have one ready at the edge of the swamp
tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. If you young men will come here at
nine, I'll send you over there in a car."
Jim and Ralph expressed their thanks to the officer, and promised to be
on hand at the arranged time in the morning. But, like Sergeant Worth,
they were exceedingly discouraged; they had little hope of success.
When they awakened the following morning, which was the first day of
July--the day that Linda should have reported to Atlanta--they found
that it was still raining, although the storm had ceased, giving way to
a dismal drizzle. What an unpleasant day to start off on an excursion
like theirs, that was gloomy at best! Yet the weather did not deter
them from their purpose, nor did it stop Hal Perry and Jackson who
started earlier that morning in their canoe.
But it was difficult with a motor-boat, and all three of the men were
unfamiliar with the swamp and its little streams. No one knew where to
turn off, as Jackson and Hal had learned from many vacations, and after
pushing ahead for two or three hours, they found themselves off their
course--grounded.
"It's no use," muttered Worth. "We can't make it in a motor-boat.
Magee's never been in the swamp, or he would have known. We'll have to
turn back and get a canoe!"
"A whole day wasted!" growled Ralph angrily, as if it were the
sergeants fault. "A day! When every minute is precious!"
"Well, it's nobody's fault," remarked Worth. "The sooner we get back
the better."
"Nobody's fault!" repeated Ralph. "No--ignorance is O.K.--if it
pertains to the police! They shouldn't know a thing about the country
around them!"
"No use getting mad at policemen, Ralph," drawled good-natured Jim
Valier. "Haven't you learned from driving a car that it doesn't pay?
Besides, they're always right."
"No, we're often very wrong," said Worth, humbly and seriously. "And
maybe you don't think I care, Mr. Clavering, about finding those girls.
But I do! I haven't thought about a thing but that for the last three
days."
Ralph made no answer, but applied his attention to searching the
landscape with his glasses. But, like everybody else thus far, he found
nothing.
Discouraged and silent, they managed to push the boat into the deeper
water and to turn it around. All that afternoon they spent in retracing
the progress they had made, and returned to the Captain's office just
before supper.
"You want to try it again in canoes?" asked Captain Magee.
"Yes," replied Ralph. "Without any of your police this time. No use
taking an extra man--it only means more provisions to carry."
"True. But you must be careful of snakes and alligators."
The boys looked none too pleased at the idea, but when they remembered
that Linda and Dot, if still alive, would be subjected to the same
perils, they were all the more eager to go.
This time, they decided, they would do it scientifically; they would
go prepared with a map of the swamp, equipment, food, and rifles.
And above all, a compass! And they would not give up until they had
searched every part of that dismal Okefenokee Swamp!
So, cheered by the optimism of youth and the promise of another day,
the boys slept well that night.