The Deserted Yacht Part 9

"We might go to the police ourselves with the story."

"No, that wouldn't do. Enid would never forgive us. And if harm should befall her father, we'd be largely responsible."

"Then, I don't see what we can do. Unless we strand her tomorrow at Bay City! I might pretend the amphibian broke down."

Madge considered this suggestion a minute before shaking her head.

"I'm afraid that won't do either. Enid would simply go wild. And such a scheme might ruin all chances of ever finding Mr. Burnett. No, we must think up a better plan. We'll have another day to consider it."

"I'd be glad to go to Cedar Point myself if Enid would permit it."

"We'll find some way, Rex. But it won't be easy, for Enid is set upon obeying those kidnappers to the letter. We must protect her against herself."

The motor boat coasted in to a landing and was made fast. Madge thanked Rex and said goodbye to him at the wharf. From his directions, she easily made her way to the telegraph office.

She sat down at a desk and hastily scribbled a message to her Aunt Maude and Uncle George Brady, a.s.suring them of her safe arrival at Cheltham Bay. She signed her name in full, and as she handed the telegram to the clerk in charge, he looked up in surprise.

"Just a minute, Miss," he said, "I believe a message for you just came in. I'll see if it has left the office."

He returned a minute later, handing her a sheet of paper. Madge eagerly scanned the typewritten message which to her astonishment was from Jack French:

"LEARNED OF BURNETT KIDNAPPING THROUGH NEWSPAPERS. CAN I HELP? VACATION STARTS TWENTY-SEVENTH. FREE TO COME."

"If that isn't just like him!" she thought. "You can always depend on Jack when there's trouble on hand. I do wish he were here! Well, why not?

He said before I left he might come to Cheltham Bay, and surely this is the psychological time."

She s.n.a.t.c.hed up a form from the desk and after some difficulty composed a message which satisfied her. She paid for both telegrams, a rather large sum since she had not been sparing of words, and after inquiring the name of a reliable jeweler, left the office.

She walked slowly up the street and presently came to the firm of Dewitt and Prager, which she had been informed was the highest grade jewelry store in the city. The shop was nearly empty. As she entered, a clerk came at once to wait upon her.

Madge felt slightly embarra.s.sed as she fished in her pocketbook for the jade pin. Now that she was in the jewelry shop her mission seemed somewhat silly.

Nevertheless, she placed the pin on the counter before the clerk.

"I'd like to find out if this has any value," she said. "I suppose it's only a cheap pin but I wanted to make sure."

The man picked it up, and looked quickly at Madge who felt increasingly uncomfortable. She watched his face as he peered at the stone through a special eye gla.s.s.

"Where did you get this?" he inquired.

"Why, I-that is, a friend gave it to me," Madge stammered. "It was found."

Again the clerk bestowed upon her a searching glance. She had not counted upon answering questions and realized that her answers were not very satisfactory. It flashed through her mind that the jade pin might have been stolen. In a panic, she pictured herself occupying a jail cell.

Perhaps her expression rea.s.sured the clerk, for he smiled as he returned the pin.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you the value of this stone. Our expert, Mr.

Dewitt is out of the city today. However, I do know that this pin is an unusual piece of jewelry. The carving is unique."

"Is it valuable, do you think?"

"I would judge so, but for any definite estimate, you must see Mr.

Dewitt."

"When will he be in?"

"Tomorrow. Why not leave the pin here until then? Mr. Dewitt has made a special study of jade and I think he may have something interesting to tell you about your stone."

Madge debated for a minute and finally decided to leave the pin. It would be safer in the hands of the jeweler than in her pocketbook, she reasoned, and until she had definite information concerning the stone, she did not wish to risk losing it.

She promised that she would call again the following day and left the shop. Returning to the waterfront she looked about for a boatman to take her to The Flora.

"I hope I see that same man again," she thought.

She pa.s.sed by several boatmen who offered their services and even idled about the wharf for ten minutes, but caught no glimpse of the person she sought.

"He seems to have a way of vanis.h.i.+ng when I'm looking for him," she told herself. "Oh, well, if my suspicions concerning that jade pin are correct, I'll go after him in earnest. I do wonder if he is deliberately avoiding me?"

For the present, she was forced to abandon the idea of finding him. She engaged another man who agreed to take her to The Flora for a nominal fee.

As they rowed for the yacht, her thoughts were chiefly concerned with the jade pin.

"I wonder what Mr. Dewitt will tell me when I go back tomorrow?" she mused. "I hope it will be something that will help Enid."

CHAPTER X Uninvited Visitors

Rex did not forget his promise to take Enid to her home at Bay City. Soon after breakfast the following morning, he swooped down out of the sky with his amphibian, landing a short distance from the yacht as the bay was very rough. The girls had one of the sailors take them out to the plane in the motor boat.

"The old bus is loaded with gas and rarin' to go," Rex declared, helping them into the c.o.c.kpit.

"What do you think about the weather?" Madge inquired somewhat anxiously.

"Oh, we'll make it all right," he returned without concern. "According to the airport weather report we may run into a storm before we reach Bay City, but it probably won't amount to much."

"You take your storms casually," Madge smiled. "Remember, we're not seasoned to it the way you are."

"There's nothing to be afraid of," he a.s.sured her. "We'll not have any trouble unless it is in taking off. The water is pretty rough this morning."

As soon as the girls were comfortably settled in the c.o.c.kpit, he accelerated the engine and they were off. The amphibian moved slowly at first, then with increasing speed. As it planed over the waves, the bow had a tendency to drop into the following trough and Rex was kept busy trying to prevent it nosing in. Once before flying speed was gained, the waves threw the plane a little way into the air. While the girls caught their breath in fear, Rex acted instinctively. He minimized the stall and as the nose dropped, pulled back the stick to level out.

Madge and Enid breathed easier when the amphibian finally shook her wings free from the bay and smoothly climbed. They gazed down over the c.o.c.kpit, distinguis.h.i.+ng The Flora which seemed a mere speck on the water.

It was impossible to talk against the roar of the wind and the motor, so the girls enjoyed the scenery to the fullest measure. Although they followed a water route, seldom were they out of sight of land.