Evening star., 1936-02-09
The Lost Airplane Mystery W. BoYcE zf, MORGAN
INSTALLMENT vi.

TIME shack was dimly lit by only
one window, but as the door
closed behind them, a man
Il rose slowly from a rough
bench. 1t was Eddie Moore. His
clothes were rumpled and there was
bloody bandage around his head
Eddie" cried Hal, as he and Mr..
Stafford quickly crossed the tiny
room. Are you hurt?"
Eddie Moore grinned wryly. 81 put
up a little argument when they
brought me in here last night" he
said. Shade Dashed me over the
head with his gun. Those gentlemen
are plenty tough"
Mr.. Stafford asked Eddie few
quick questions, and in moment all
the details of Shades plot were re-
vealed. The flyer had conspired with
the owners of the Arrow line to put
Mr.. Stafford out of business. The
first step was Shades disappearance
with the Norbeck chemicals. The field
had been prepared for the purpose
and Shade had simply landed there,
concealing his ship.
THE plotters had hoped that this
one event might be enough to
completely discredit the Stafford COM
pany. but since it was not, they de-
cided to make Eddie vanish also. They
had not, however. figured on Mr.. STAFF
fords finding the field.
And I never would have found it.,
If it hands been for Hal here" the
airline owner pointed out. He re-
membered your mentioning this field
the other DAY, and it was he who
spotted the fact that the trees were
faxed"
Smart" commented Eddie. Il
didn't realize they weren't real trees
until I was almost On the ground.
But seeing Shades plane down here,
I decided to take a chance and land
anyway, in spite of the trees"
WELL" said Hal ruefully, "I may
have been smart, but my smartness
has done nothing but get us into
trouble. What are We going to do?
Shade will never let us out of here
alive, to carry this story to the police. 4"
Mr.. Stafford opened his coat and
pointed to the holster under his arm
pit. Wen make a fight of it, any
way" he said. "At least, I'm thank
full they didn't think of searching me
for gun
HAL walked slowly around the little
room. The shack was solidly
built, and the window was barely a
foot square.
Neither of you could get through
that window" he said thoughtfully,
but I think could make it." He
paused for a moment, then In sud-
den rush of words. he poured out the
plan he was forming Mr.. Stafford
listened anxiously, then shook his
head.
TITS too risky, Hail." he said. You
might be killed"
But we'll all be killed if we don't
make our escape somehow" Hal pro-
tested earnestly. And We won't have
much time, either If they had in
tended to leave us here long they'd
have tied us up"
Halls right, Mr.. Stafford" Eddie
broke in. Shade and those two men
with him are in earnest. I think
they fully intend to send us up in the
Swallow and let us crash. If we do
that it's curtains for all of us-and
nothing to show it wasn't just an &C
cident."
"And this wey we'll have a chance" +"
Hal argued. We'll be taking them
by surprise. and if we move fast We
may turn the tables on them without
giving them a chance to use their
guns
Mr.. Stafford hesitated. "All right"
he said finally. This may be the
best way Go ahead, Hal See if you
can get through the window"
THEY pulled the bench over until
it was under the window. then
swung the window open on its hinges.
Hal raised one leg and pushed it
through.
"It's going to be tight squeeze"
he said doubtfully.
Lucky the window is on the side
of the shack away from the cabin"
said Eddie, supporting Halls shoulders
until he got the other leg through the
narrow space.
For a moment Hal thought he
c0Il1dO't Tnaka II HE ShoI1ldarc cf,,rb
and he had to hunch them until his
chest ached, while he twisted and