Linda Carlton's Island Adventure

Pris

n the car which Captain Magee sent. Not one of the Carter family appeared at the meal, and there was no message of a

ar which then took them to the airport. A large cabin plane, capable of accommodating six persons, ha

t her, Miss?" inquired one

er two licenses-mechanic's and tran

e whiz! Will wonders never cease? It's the fi

a la

map out the quickest course to Okefenokee Swamp! I want to get into

onsult some one in the hangar, and L

may get," she said, cheerfully. "I think too, that you had better send fo

d into the cabin while the mechanic fired the engine. The plane taxied along the runway and r

n!" shouted the one named "Worth," who ap

play. But wait till it comes to landing on that island in the

ully. "I'm not afraid. I'm enjoying the flight. It i

landscape below. They flew over the island where they had left Susie, and Linda made a ment

se from the air, but Linda had succeeded in spotting the little stream down which the boys had paddled the canoe, and she resolved to foll

ace large enough to make a landing. Finally she found what must be the edge of the island, for the water came up unevenly, but this b

nsiderable speed toward her field; as she approached it, she swung her airplane from sid

looked at Linda in alarm. Had she lost control of th

expression allayed their fears. This girl kn

such as a square of canvas; it was no wonder that she now felt sure of her

exclaimed Worth

prepared to get out of the pla

arlton!" he ordered. "Thi

you where the camp

that you are our pilot. If anything happened

of the cabin until she should be summoned. She sat there tensely, while the

ee, and a bullet whizzed past over their heads. A cry burst from Linda's lips,

er hands so tightly together that they grew numb with the p

st imagine that she was in an actual war zone. But the volley lasted only a moment, for the thieves were short of

f. Then suddenly she remembered the third member of the gang-the man nick-named "Doc." Wher

t Worth to come back to her. Leaving the two thieves in charge of the other men, who i

he cabin and whispered her warning into h

rlton," he said. "You stay right here-behind

, expecting every moment

she heard Worth shout, as

f 'em sneaked off. Double-cr

orth, instantly, hoping to surp

muttered Jake, seeing that he had

ptuously. "We know all about the bank robbery-and other jobs, to

action, to hear what had happened to the "Doc," who evidently was not

have beat it later on in the day-while us two was still asleep. Took the boat and the cash. We

as terribly disappointed to learn that the money was gone. That meant that they had failed to accomplish the main purpose with

y. "I had to help bury some boxes of jewels there while I was a prisoner-and

d, in surprise. His admiration for thi

ake these men direct us if I f

difficult feat, with a large plane, but the experienced aviatrix calculated everything before she made the attempt, and the airplane left the ground at the exact time that she had planned. She directed it eastward

and she led the way through the underbrush. Unrolling the stone, and pushing the sand aside at her dire

contents in speechless amazement. Two diamond necklaces, a string of real pearl

nt Worth, the perspirati

detectives. "And these pearls solve the myst

" added another, breathlessly. "Say, does thi

rd for Miss Carlton," remarked

hook he

there is any reward, it can be divide

iss Ca

said. "If you can't use it yourselves,

etectives-a quiet man, who had scarcely spoken duri

midly at Sergeant Worth, almost as if she were about to ask a

ten all about lunch-but it must be way past noon. Griggs,"

irl in her linen flying suit. Linda could not help smiling to herself as she thought of what Jackson Carter's horror would be at her association with peo

its capacity. So she mapped her return trip in a straight line back to the city of Jacksonville. Late that afternoon she landed at the ai

lized how tired she was. What a strain she had been through! How she longed for relax

a newspaper for her companion. She brightened, however, when the idea came to her to call her Au

was herself summoned to the telephone. Who could it be, she wondered. Nothing interesting, probably, for none of h

t was Jackson Cart

the hotel to see

rter?" she inquired, instea

all r

to mee

o have kept the truth from her, but he could not lie to a gir

doesn't approve of you. She says I may not invite you out her

better that an acquaintance like ours end as casually as it start

n't let you go

ietly replaced

was worth it. Oh, the glorious feeling of power which she had experienced that morning when she stepped into that huge plane, and knew that she could control its flight! The sat

suddenly heard a beloved voice behind her. Two voices-three voices-then two pairs of ar

th girls at once. "Am I dreami

again. "When we read about your long flight south, and then heard not

I might have known you would! Wh

eing lost in the

ou get a room, and I'll tell you the whole story aft

lied Louise, "so long as you are all right. But Dot'

ouldn't eat. I just felt sick. Worse, far worse than my flight to France, bec

be dying to hear from you-and we'll have you a

da, giving the girl an extra hug in her jo