The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-01-22
CHAPTER vII-Continued

in the grove 1t was still dark and
shadowy In the half light, Dick
stumbled along until he came to
yawning hole that stretched directly
across his pathway.
He stood on the very brink Of 1t be-
fore he realized its presence. Catch
ing himself with start, he stepped
back and peered down. The hole was
natural fissure or break in the rocks,
four or FIVE feet across and twice that
distance in length. It's depth was
probematical in the dim light.
It was not, however, so much the
discovery of the hole that startled
Dick-for he had stumbled upon many
similar breaks in the plateau and
along the face Of the cliff-as it was
the sudden realization that the buzzing
he had been following came directly
from beneath his feet. Somewhere be-
low, in the dark space yawning before
him, the mystifying, but no longer Huf-
fed. noises were rising in sharp STAG
cato wave vibrations.
They were wave vibrations all right.
Dick recognized their cause the instant
he peered oyer the brink. They came
from a wireless plant concealed below
and it had been only their muffled
character. due to the surrounding walls
of rocks, that had deceived him be-
fore.
1t was impossible to see more than
- ~, tx,.s, bnloxx, fhn Nhrinly and
Dick was unwilling to risk exposure
by venturing too near. He sat down
on a rock and listened. Familiar as
he was with various wireless plants, he
was unable to read the messages that
the unknown one below was sending
through the air.
..It's in CODE" he mused after a
while. mot much chance of reading it
without the key"
Nevertheless. \ he waited and lis
tened. He had pretty, accurate in
tuition of the identity of the one be-
low. Blake had spoken of sending in
structions to the yacht by wireless,
and by rising early for dip in the
ocean Dick had stumbled upon the
hidden plant.
From that distance 1t was more than
likely tile sounds of the buzzing could
not be heard up at the house. The
plant was artfully concealed in the
4 cave-like hole. and no one would be
apt to stumble upon it accidentally.
He raised his eyes to. find the mast
aerials. They would at least have
be outside and in clear view 1t
growing light rapidly, and the
3 Of the trees were in sharp sill
Iette against the sky. But there
no sign of wireless mast.
little puzzled, Dick continued to
fch with his eyes until they sud-
ny came to focus on point mid
y between two giant trees. A mo-
6ent later a smile parted his lips. It
was all as plain as day. IThe aerials
were stretched from tree to tree, but
In such way that they seemed to
blend with, the foliage. One would
hardly suspect their presence without
careful scrutiny even if on the look
out for them.
He nodded his head. Clever" he
fnurmured. "Blake knows his bust
ness"
Suddenly he was interrupted from
his reveries by the sharp click Of a
stone below. The wireless had ceased
humming. and someone was climbing
out of the hole. Dick had just time
to dodge back and hide behind big
tree s
A few moments later Mr.. Blake
emerged from the cave, and after a
few hasty glances around in the dim
light he made a hurried exit from the
grove. Dick watched him until he
disappeared around the back Of the
house.
81 guess I'll take a look below" he
murmured. Don't think Blake will
come back In the daytime. Got clear
coast for investigation"
There were no steps leading down
into the crevice; that is, none of mans
making: but nature had provided an
easy descent. and as the rocks were
we'll worn in places Dick had no diff
Guilty in descending. 1t required a
little skill in the dim light to find his
way around when he reached solid bot
tom. Fifteen feet below the surface,
the darkness was greatly intensified.
Dick struck a match and glanced
around him. Nothing at first caught
his attention. and when the fame went
out he scratched another match. This
time he saw the wireless In one corner
Of the cave. partly hidden from view
by green boughs that formed rustic
screen in front Of 1t.
Crossing the intervening space,
Dick began an examination of 1t; but
without the aid of artificial light he
could get only superficial idea Of its
power.
Il don't believe 1t has q radius of
more than thirty or forty miles," he
muSed "PerhaDs less"