“Oh, what is it, Prim? What’s the matter?”
Then Terry stood speechless, for the plane beside them was The Crate, her father’s old air craft which Bud Hyslop had borrowed for his trip to Florida. Yet Bud was nowhere to be seen.
What did it mean?
“What’s The Crate doing up here when Bud went south with it?” exclaimed Terry indignantly.
“Perhaps Bud came up to find the boys, the same as we did,” said Prim, but the girl did not believe her own words. Both of them were well aware that Bud hated the boys, they knew that he had done them many a bad turn. And there was no likelihood that he had flown from Florida in the time since the boys were reported missing.
“What’s the answer?” asked Terry.
“Let’s find Bud Hyslop and ask him that question,” replied Prim.
Terry made a quick examination of The Crate. There was plenty of gas and oil. There was no leak in the fuel tank. Terry got into the plane, and Prim turned the propellor. The engine roared. It was working perfectly.
Terry shut it off and remarked with a shrug, “Well, one thing is certain. Bud wasn’t forced down with engine trouble. It’s my opinion that he’s up here on some mischief.”
“Terry,” said Prim quietly, “I don’t think any more of Bud Hyslop than you do. But we oughtn’t to accuse him before we are certain and I don’t believe he’d harm the boys in any way.”