XVIII
The Warning Message
Although their flight as stowaways in the airplane was one of the most dangerous and perilous adventures that had ever befallen the Hardy boys, it was at the same time the most monotonous.
Back there in the darkness they could see nothing and they could hear very little except the roar of the engine. They were not uncomfortable and they did not suffer from lack of air, but it was not a pleasant sensation to reflect that they were high above the earth, wholly at the mercy of the rascals up in the front of the plane.
The plane dipped and rose, banked and turned. There were racks, presumably for the accommodation of baggage, to which the lads clung, so that at no time were they thrown off balance.
“If we get to tossing around in here, they’ll notice something wrong,” said Frank.
Their weight was evenly distributed and presumably Giles Ducroy did not see that his plane was somewhat tail-heavy. If he did, it is probable that he blamed the airplane itself, for it was strange to him.
After about an hour in the air, the boys were obliged to seize the racks, for the nose of the machine tilted downward and they were almost flung ahead as the plane descended. Finally there was a slight shock, and the plane bumped its way over a field. They could hear men’s voices, then the engine was shut off. They judged that Ducroy and the others were clambering out.
“Now,” they heard Ducroy saying, “I guess it’s safe enough for me to go and telephone.”
“Who are you going to telephone to?” asked Newt Pipps.
“I’m going to call up Jed. He’s at the Bayport airport. I’ll tell him to be ready for the night of the twenty-eighth so he can call us up when the time comes.”
“I don’t like the idea of having so many outsiders in on this,” Newt grumbled. “It means we’ll have to split the loot too many different ways.”
“Outsider!” snapped Ducroy. “Jed isn’t an outsider. How could we get along without him? We’re going to make a killing before long, and a lot of the credit will be due to him.”
“You’re right,” agreed Ollie Jacobs. “Shut up, Newt. We can’t get along without Jed. If you were half as much help as him we’d get along fine. You’re always kicking about something.”
This reprimand silenced Newt Pipps for the time being. The Hardy boys, listening, heard the three men move away.
When the footsteps and voices could no longer be heard, Joe heard Frank’s voice from the darkness:
“I wish I knew how long they’re going to be away. I’d like to get out of here and stretch my legs.”
“So would I. It’s mighty cramped in here. But if they’ve just gone to telephone I don’t think we should take the chance.”
Frank opened the door in the side of the plane and looked out.
“I can see them now. They’re walking across the field toward one of the hangars.”
“Where are we?” asked Joe.
Frank shook his head. “I don’t know. There seems to be a fair-sized town close by, but I’ve never seen the place before. I can see factory chimneys and church steeples.”
“Let’s have something to eat.”
Joe opened their package of sandwiches, a bottle of milk, and the bottle of water. Each ate of the frugal meal with enthusiasm, for they were hungry by now. When they had eaten they felt better, and in spite of the discomfort of their quarters they began to enjoy the novelty of the adventure.
“If only Chet and the other fellows could see us now!” said Joe.
“They’d be green with envy.”
“I’m not sure our position’s enviable.”
“We’re not out of the woods yet, by any means,” agreed Frank. “Ducroy and the others are apt to find us at any time. We’ll have to sit mighty tight.”
“If only we knew what they’re up to! It must have something to do with the Bayport air field. They’ve evidently got a confederate there, keeping in touch with him by telephone.”
“I think,” said Frank, “I’ll get out and stretch my legs a bit.” He opened the door a little wider and was just about to scramble out when he gave an exclamation and hastily drew back again, closing the door.
“What’s the matter?” whispered Joe.
“They’re coming back!”
Both boys were silent. They could hear voices, gradually growing louder. Frank wondered if he had been seen. Ducroy, Newt Pipps and Ollie Jacobs had not been more than a hundred yards away when he opened the door.
“There’s no room in the hangars,” Ducroy was saying, “but we’ll stay here overnight just the same. There’s a hotel not far from the field. Then, in the morning, we’ll get under way again.”
“What time?” asked Jacobs.
“About eight o’clock. We’ll have breakfast and then start again.”
“I don’t see why we can’t stay right here until we’re ready for the big job,” grumbled Newt Pipps. “What good does it do flying around from place to place?”
“If the police pick us up you’ll wish we had kept going,” declared Ducroy. “We can’t afford to be nabbed now. We’ve simply got to keep clear of the cops until the night of the twenty-eighth. After that we’ll scatter, and each take his own chance. The police will be looking for us hot enough then.”
“They sure will,” agreed Ollie. “Well, let’s go on over to the hotel. The plane is all right here, ain’t it?”
“Sure. It’s safe enough overnight. We’ll come back after breakfast and get under way again.”
The men moved off. After a while, when Frank Hardy peeped out again, he saw them going through a gate on the far side of the flying field, evidently heading toward the town. He breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s a bit of luck,” he said to Joe. “We don’t have to stay cooped up in here all night. As long as we get back here well before they show up in the morning everything will be fine.”
“Where can we stay?
