Mystery Wings
did happen?" they were asking. "Who's to blame? Who were the men in that plane?" Two men had been seen. They were not close enough to be recognized. Had the Centralia crowd hired them
every side. The mystery of the dark-skinn
rested Hillcrest's hopes of victory, h
ll have to go in there and win the game. And
olds out," F
favorite. He had been a successful pitcher until his arm had tak
ine. The score stood 6 to 5 against him. This wonderful crowd had turned out to see their team win. The
lp it!" Fred set
hey do to me the thing they did to the 'Prince,' whate
im back to earth. Motioning the batter to
n bands, as the ball went speeding to cut the plate and land with a
!" He set hi
had lost one game, could
m, with men on second and third and only one man out, the game might be lost with a sing
hrough his mind: "Who is this 'Prince'? What happened t
ered for the third time as
the umpi
sign to the catcher. They met half way between the mound a
ate. He did not seem to care. Then, just as he
llowed from the bleachers of the opposing team.
mad roar that ende
at a weak one, it was his privilege. "And after that?" an Imp seemed to be whisperin
. "Just listen to them howl
!" a big voice roared as th
e as Fred slippe
oar with the
rik
al
ce roared. "Two and three! L
ee balls, two strikes, and-"If only the
owed the ball. Lucky break! The batter connected. He sent a bouncer straight into Fred's mitt and he half way to
ared. And so it was. The inning was over
s with the skill of a genius. He allowed only five hits, and left but three men on base. Hillcrest sco
esday, and we'll win!
up to congratulate him. "This is not the end. It is only the beginning. We m
way Fred pitched those last innings,
." It was Fred who spoke. H
an?" Johnny ask
feel all sort of lifted out of yourself and you do things well without seeming to try. But when it's all over you say, 'That was great! But I better never try that again. If I
lf who at last br
e smiled. "Our old friend, the 'Prince'
uncle find him, Meggy? Who is he? Where's he been hi
now," Megg
ng down at his laboratories for more
esn't tell me much about the laboratories. There are always so many secret investigations going on down there, so many processes being developed-things he ca
e hide out so?"
nized, that's why," Johnny said i
e passing from lip to lip all over this quiet little city. "A strange pitcher! A mysterious dark stranger! And in a town li
have to have him next Wednesday when we go against Fairfield. They're the toughe
ted two and a half inn
to say was, "Something rather terrible happened to him."
ta be anklin' on home. Good
a ridge that lay above the town. Be
ered. "Place of mystery. Hom
ehind heavily glazed windows in the laboratories. Far from that. Colonel Chamberlain had
elf. "Wonder where he went? He always knows a lo
rlain's secrets. He alone, of all the town's boys, had crossed the threshold
y to find things out, to do things that have never been done before, like making rubber out of crude petroleum or paper out of sunflower st
ery," he went on, "they sell
e a lot of things I can't talk about. He says maybe some day I
es knows something about this 'Pr
. "Seems to drag his feet," Johnny whispered. Just then the newcomer looked up toward the sun. Johnny got a full view
se. Johnny decided to go on a little detective cruise all by himself. Mounting his bicycle, he rode east nine
Did any of you fly a plane over the
ger of the two men loo
nny dropped into a seat p
never a word, the young aviator looke
e said, turning to Johnn
guess," Joh
lookers, but well-dressed. Said they lived in Hillcrest. They wanted to go over the ball game. Kept telling me t
" Johnny
the young av
se I do.
we went down closer than I like to. Then we flew away. S
ying anything?
g that
anything
think? Think we operate a
hat." Johnny lap
tor stared at him hard. "W
ohnny's tone did not chan
to this one. A short while back I took a long trip, thousand miles or
when we were coming down. It
shing up. One said, 'Say! W
know,'
hem yelled. 'This is a Federal
ve right away.' That's
ed for breath. J
ights came on, bright as day, just long enough for me to
lane, there was a man with him, a slim, dark-faced man. He
y." Johnny spoke low. "Sho
with me that night, my passenger, was one of the best known and most hi
to himself, recalling the aviator's wo