The Radio Boys with the Revenue Guards Part 22

"By the way, Captain," interposed Frank, "keep us posted, will you, on how this affair turns out? Let us know if Higginbotham is located."

"I'll do that," the other promised. "Well, good-bye."

And bowing to the girls, he crossed the lawn to Jack's side and the two swung down the drive to where Jack had left the car parked by the side of the main road at the gate.

On Jack's return, he informed his chums that the liquor at the Brownell place had been removed to the Nark, the captives placed aboard, and that then Lieutenant Summers had steamed away, leaving a detail of men on guard at the house and the radio plant to round up any of the smugglers who, thinking the place deserted, might straggle back.

"He gave me a bit of advice to be pa.s.sed on to you fellows," Jack added, out of hearing of the girls. "That was, to go about armed for a time, and to be on guard."

"Why?" asked Bob, in surprise.

"Well," Jack replied, "he said some of those fellows who escaped into the woods undoubtedly would have it in for us for having spoiled their plans, and that it was barely possible they might have learned where we live and might try to waylay us. He pointed out the men were a desperate lot, and that some of them were Italians who are notoriously revengeful."

"Huh," grunted Bob, contemptuously.

Frank, however, showed anxiety.

"That's all right, Bob," he commented. "But Captain Folsom wouldn't have given Jack that warning if there were no grounds for it. Look here, Jack," he added, "Uncle George won't be home to-night. Have you heard from your father?"

"The housekeeper received a message while I slept that he wouldn't be out for several days," Jack replied.

"Well," said Frank, "I believe it would be a good plan for you to sleep at our house. At any rate until your father returns home. You can bunk in with me. I've got a big bed. Then, if anything happens at night, we'll all be together."

"All right, I'll do that," Jack agreed. "Not that I expect anything will occur. But, as you say, if there is trouble, it is best to be together. Well, now let's join the girls. We've still got some daylight left, and we might make up doubles for tennis."

CHAPTER XX

OUT FOR REVENGE

After dinner, which the five young people ate without the presence of their elders, as even Mrs. Temple was absent, having been picked up in a friend's motor car during the afternoon and whisked away to a country home near Southampton, all adjourned to the gallery. A desultory conversation was maintained, but presently at a whisper from Frank, Della slipped indoors with him. Then from the long french windows of the music room came two voices mingling harmoniously in the strains of an old Southern melody to an accompaniment played by Della on the piano.

The others listened until the conclusion which they greeted with spirited applause. Then by common consent all three arose and went in to join. Thereafter for an hour, the singing continued, with first Della and then Miss Faulkner at the piano.

When the common repertoire of songs had been nigh exhausted, Bob who had wandered off to a window and stood there in the breeze, looking out at the play of moonlight on the lawn, returned with a suggestion that they all go for a short spin in the motor boat. The others eagerly a.s.sented. What a lark. A spin in a speed boat under the moonlight.

Wraps and sweaters were procured, for although the night was warm it would be cool on the water, especially if any speed were attained.

Then the party set out, Jack and Bob squiring Miss Faulkner, and Frank slightly in the rear with Della.

On the walk to the boathouse Della reproached Frank for having taken so many risks the previous night. He regarded her slyly.

"But Jack and Bob took risks, too," he said.

Della flushed. Was the young rascal intimating her interest in him was greater than in the others. She was about to reply tartly, but Frank awkwardly took her hand and squeezed it, then hurriedly released it again. Demonstrations of affection were not frequent between these two, yet they had a pretty good understanding. They walked on in silence.

"Just the same, Frank," said Della presently, "you must take better care of yourself."

Frank nodded. He did not trust himself to speak. The interest shown by this girl with whom he had grown up, living in the same household with her from early boyhood, threw him into a softened mood. Then, too, the moonlit surroundings were not without their effect. He knew that if he spoke now, he would say something "soft." So he maintained his silence.

The trio ahead meanwhile chattered gaily. And at length the boathouse was reached. Bob swung back the door and, all pushing together, the boat was trundled out on its little trucks, removed to the chute in which rollers were set, and rolled down to the water and launched.

Then all climbed in, Bob examined the fuel supply and found the boat well stocked, Jack seized the tiller, they seated themselves in the little c.o.c.kpit and, with Bob manipulating the engine, the boat moved away, gathered speed and, with a roar, began zipping out to sea.

It was glorious sport, to which four of the five were accustomed, but which they enjoyed enormously no matter how often engaged in. To Miss Faulkner it was a revelation, and bundled in a sweater, her hair loosed and flying back in the wind, her eyes dancing with the zest of the adventure, she looked like an elf, as Della told Frank in a whispered aside. Frank nodded and grinned.

"Bob thinks so, too," he whispered in reply. "He can't keep his eyes off her. If we didn't have the whole sea ahead of us, he'd run into something sure."

Up and up and up went the speedometer. The boat seemed no longer to be rushing through the water. It spurned that heavier element, and took to the air. It leaped from crest to crest of the swells. The girls shrieked, the boys let out great chesty whoops of pure animal delight.

Then Bob cut down the speed and Jack, controlling the tiller, swung her about towards home. They had been out only half an hour, but the sh.o.r.e was miles away. However, the return was made without incident or trouble of any kind, the motor working perfectly, and once more they stepped ash.o.r.e at the boat landing.

"Which do you like best, Mr. Temple," asked Marjorie Faulkner, as big Bob rejoined the party on the landing, after locking the doors; "boating, flying or motoring?"

"Oh, I don't know," replied Bob, "there's something fascinating about every one of the three. To feel that powerful engine under your control, that's what grips me. It's power, you know; you have vast power under your control. They're all good," he concluded, with a quick look at the others who were moving away, "but to-night I like boating best."

He looked at her so pointedly that her eyes dropped. Then she laughed.

"And think of you saying that," she declared. "Why, Della always told me you were a perfect bear and never made a pretty speech to a girl in your life."

"Neither did I," said Bob, boldly, "before to-night."

Once more the girl laughed as she danced away after the others, but Bob following her was sure he had not displeased.

Events of the previous night were far from the thoughts of any of the boys, as they moved across the open sandhills along the beach and approached the grove separating them from the Temple home. There was no thought of danger in their minds.

But barely had they entered the narrow trail, walking single file, Jack in the lead, followed by Frank, Della and Miss Faulkner, with Bob bringing up the rear, than from the trees on either side darted a number of men who sprang upon them. The girls screamed in fright and alarm, their shrieks rending the silence of the night.

Cursing, several of the attackers sprang for them, too, they were seized, and rough hands clapped over their mouths.

But, attacked thus unexpectedly though they were, and without weapons, the boys fought desperately. How many their a.s.sailants numbered they could not tell. There was no time to take account. Frank was bowled over by the sudden rush, Jack borne back against a tree, Bob managed to keep his footing, his arms wrapped about the body of his own a.s.sailant.

Every muscle and nerve taut, Frank sprang up as if actuated by a spring, tripped the man who had attacked him and leaped towards the fellow who had Della in his arms. In falling, his hand had come in contact with a stone the size of his fist and he had clutched it.

Della's a.s.sailant had seized her from the rear and was bending her backward, a hand across her mouth. His back was towards Frank. The latter brought down the stone on the man's head with a tremendous crash, and the fellow's arms relaxed, setting Della free, then he fell to the ground, stunned.

The man whom he had tripped made a leap for Frank, but his blood up, the boy dodged aside to avoid the blind rush and, as the man lurched past, he lashed out with his right fist. The blow caught the other under the ear, a fatal spot, and sent him toppling to the ground.

Meantime, Jack, with his back to a big tree, was hard pressed by two men. In the hand of one gleamed a dagger. Good boxer though he was, Jack could not ward off an attack like that for long, and Frank realized it. He sprang forward to go to the rescue. Then a blow on the head felled him, and all became darkness.

That blow came from a blackjack in the hands of Marjorie Faulkner's a.s.sailant. Seeing the danger to his comrades from Frank, he released the girl and attacked Frank. But his act brought down on him a perfect fury, tearing, scratching at his face. It was Della, crying with rage at the danger to Frank, insensible to everything else. She was a whirlwind and the man had all he could do to ward her off. In fact, he did not fully succeed, for her hands found his face and her tearing fingers ripped a long gash down over his right eye, from which the blood began to spout. Temporarily blinded, he dropped his blackjack, and stumbled back, cursing.

Della did not follow up her advantage, but dropped to her knees beside Frank and pillowed his head in her lap. His eyes were closed. The blow that had felled him had been a shrewd one. Fortunately, however, instead of descending full on his head, it had glanced off one side.

As she cradled him, smoothing back his hair and crying unrestrainedly, Frank opened his eyes and gazed up.

For a moment his daze continued. Or did it? Was there not a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes, quickly veiled, as he saw who had come to his rescue?

Then he started to struggle to his feet.

All this had taken very little time and, while it progressed, Bob had been gripped body to body with the biggest of the attacking party, a husky fellow of his own six foot height but with the added weight of a greater length of years. As this man leaped for him from the woods, arm upraised with a blackjack clutched in his hand, Bob had seized the descending wrist and thrown his other arm about the fellow's body.