The girls looked at each other, distress on their faces.
“We’ve followed a plane, but it’s the wrong one!” cried Terry. “What a stupid thing to do! Prim, how can you ever trust me again?”
“But I thought it was Allan and Syd, too,” replied Prim. “Never mind, these men will help us fix our plane and we’ll be off in an hour or two.”
With a wave of his hand the aviator started upward toward the summit where the girls stood.
“He seems to be friendly,” commented Terry. “But let’s wait here to greet him. How he’ll laugh when I tell him that I thought I was following another plane.” The girls waited at the summit until the stranger came up the winding trail. As they heard his footsteps Terry moved forward to speak, then grabbed Prim’s arm with a nervous grip. The man had come out on the summit and was staring at them with a triumphant grin. His eyes were glittering with a fierce and cruel light that made the cast in his eye more pronounced. It added to the sinister look in his face. The man facing them was Joe Arnold!
A moment later the girls gasped with dismay for their old enemy, Bud Hyslop, came shambling up the trail.
“Well, look who’s here!” said Bud and added sarcastically, “this is a pleasant surprise!”
But Joe silenced his rough-neck follower with a scowl and a low snarl. “Don’t get funny. Shut up!”
Joe Arnold, with menace in his voice, addressed the girls, “Why did you come here?” he demanded. “What do you want?”
Terry stammered for a second then answered: “I was having trouble with my engine after that storm and I knew I’d have to come down, so I followed you here.”