Stuart realized he could do nothing. He had been decoyed. He was merely the victim of a practical joke so far as Mayo's action was concerned. Stuart could not help Harry; he could not even serve as a witness if Harry should be killed along with Hawthorne!
There was only one course. It came to Stuart in a flash. Dashing away from the astounded man with the lantern, Stuart started toward the lodge, drawing his revolver as he ran. He would settle this with Sherwood Mayo! Settle it at the point of a gun!
Stuart stopped suddenly. Perhaps that was what Mayo wanted! Would it be wise to go back there now?
As Stuart hesitated, he heard the roar of an airplane motor. A bright light rose above the trees. The speed plane whirred overhead, northward bound. Its brilliant light and its droning zoom were mighty mockeries to the frustrated man who stood below!
Chapter XXI — Four Men of Murder
It was nearly midnight. The clearing in front of Paul Hawthorne's cottage was black and still. There was nothing to indicate the presence of hidden enemies.
Yet they were here tonight. In the fringe of the woods directly in front of the house, two men were crouched, waiting.
An automobile swung in from the road. It pulled up before the house. A man alighted and walked into the glare of the headlights. His face showed plainly as he turned. The pallid features of Paul Hawthorne were revealed to the men who watched.
"He's back," whispered one.
It was Jeremiah Benson who spoke. Grady was his silent comrade.