Airplane Boys in the Black Woods

Enemy

hey had been through such a ghastly experience that their minds were not functioning normally, and both of them were instantly on the alert for additional danger. For a

he declared. "Let's go along and catch

Keep your gun where it will do the most good in the shortest time." He stepped leisurely across to the section of wall, and leaned back wearily, while his st

d he loo

of wild animal, then I saw him again when we were coming up the stairs from the lower terrace. My first idea was that it was a friend, I was going to shout, but he dodged back out of sight. When I saw

o hang around these ruins and it may be that

e men's clothing," replied Bob. They remained as they were carefully considering their next step, and as they stoo

ean," Jim remarked, an

ruin as we can so we can see as far as possible. Tha

o the left. If the snooper is really spying on us we can tell quick

ll right, of course we might get some inf

nscriber's note: missing text at this poin

n we can direct a column that will rise high and show airme

I expect they are so thick in these parts that even a signal fire would not help us. Co

Don't give

g the helpless man even though his presence added to their danger and the difficulties they must face. Leisurely they proceeded across the terrace opposite the direction they had first taken, and although they appeared to pay little attention to the great structure they were

emple. Here and there giant stones remained standing defiantly in spite of centuries of storms, winds and rains; and in spite of destructive hands which had sought to tear them from their foundations. A slight breeze was blow

spered. They listened for a moment a

a woodpecker,

eems to be on the further side. Let's try to work around on the further side, but

together are enough to give a fellow the heaves. Seems to me I smell something to eat-" They sniffed

tugged on the rope, he raised himself to his full

" But the sentence was not finished. With a wild leap, Mills broke away, tore furiously up

r him, but keep

in unhuman bounds, and without a word, the pals ran after him. Across the terrace they found, instead of stairs, that the madman had gone by way of a rugged trail, partly overgrown with brush. As they leaped after him

icially built ledge which looked as if it might have been meant for some sort of observation post, for from its height was a wide open stretch over the city, and when t

ent right over," Bob gasped, but Jim lay flat, wr

but it's a wonder he isn't smashed to a pulp. Reckon h

nyone

Keep

proceeded along the narrow way toward a row of high stones which looked as if they might once have been a part of the great wall, but now they were standing irregularly seve

ell of cooking comes

e he is." Another white man stepped unsuspectingly from between the rocks, stood an instan

d. "If we hadn't eaten those pellets we'

We'd better not watch here too closely, we don't w

t," Bob

ring some sort of

ere. This can't be the one who

nutes just where we have taken ourselves. You see what's going on

ff anywhere, we don't want to get se

e Bob stretched out again. Austin rather expected they would discover this was some friendly woodsman or hunter who would show them how to get

o be consuming sandwiches and baked potatoes and as he devoured them he walked up and down as if anxious to finish. Twice he went beyond the boy's range of vision and came back stamping his feet angri

mething so menacing in that slinking figure that he was almost tempted to shout a warning to the stranger. However, when he thought of it soberly, Mills was weakened by the hour's experien

teresting?"

other chap?

t y

nsil near by, then started briskly toward the great stones which were all that remained of that section of the edifice. His jaws were working vigorously and in his hand was a hunk of bread and meat which he doubtless determined to c

spered. Bob sat up, o

ere." They exchanged places, and Jim scowled when his

im answered

gas to the plane when we were on th

volunteered to cart the heavy cans in his automobile to where the plane was roosting. He was most cordial and obliging, but the Flying Buddies later discovered that he had secretly brought not only the gas but the powerful dwarf, who stowed away in the "Lark" when he got a chance. Hours later, when they were over the Caribbean Sea, he attacked them viciously. Jim had

riend of ours,"

ing his little scheme through, so, if he sho

d h

ldn't like to run into that lad-he'd be mighty ugly and we'd have no choice but to use th

. While he used one hand for the food, Mills grabbed the other by the front of his shirt, backed him as easily as if he had been a small boy, toward his own fire. Twice he planted kicks in the other's legs, and his powerful hand was twisting the cloth tightly about his throat. Desperately the fellow tried to free himself, kicked and struc

ear to notice the boys, but raced recklessly over the steep incline, leaped down the wall, and leaped like a mad animal across the terrace.

imed, and sure enough the twisted figure w

be interrupted by the attack, but caught the little man much as he had the bigger one. However, instead of hurling him over the cliff, he s

has the strength of half a doz

it's true,"

of his hole. He must have been stalking along behind us and if it hadn't been

pinning him to the ground while he ate a hearty meal. Finally he was satisfied, then he lifted himself, one hand clutching his victim while the other fumbled about the wriggling body. Presently

e," Bob announced quite as if th

in front of Mills, who glanced up, then cringed in terror. It made the Flying Buddies think of the hou

ed across the terrace to the great stones, and then the boys saw the man point to the bottom of one of them. The dwarf stooped, twisted and pulled something heavy o

late. The huge stone which had been undermined groaned, tipped, then dropp