“He’s watching us. If we try to get out, I’m afraid he’ll carry out his threat to shoot.”
“We can’t hope to get away,” Judy admitted. “But there’s one outside chance we can get through to ranger headquarters on the radio phone. I’m going to risk it.”
Now that she knew her friend’s scheme, Kathleen obediently shifted her position, so that her back temporarily shielded Judy from view.
In an instant, Judy had snapped the radio phone on.
“Car 23 to Headquarters!” she called excitedly into the transmitter. “Emergency call! Emergency call!”
“Headquarters to Car 23,” came the reply. “Who the deuce is this? Diethelm—”
“I’m a Girl Scout—held a prisoner in Diethelm’s car,” Judy broke in. Aware that Diethelm himself had dropped the gasoline can and was striding toward the coupe, her words tumbled over each other in her haste to get them out. “The hi-jackers are at the cave! Their truck—”
The car door was jerked open at that point, and the radio phone ripped from Judy’s hand. Diethelm clicked the switch off, pulling the girl bodily from the coupe.
“Now you’ve done it!” he snarled, shoving her so hard that she fell to the ground. “Little fool!”
Despite his previous threat, Diethelm did not touch his revolver. His face contorted by worry, he seemed uncertain what to do for a moment.