Fascinated, she watched. The woman had torn the top from a corrugated box containing a unit of their precious cargo and was studying it intently.
“This,” Mary thought, “must be stopped.” Her heart beat a wild tattoo.
In her excitement, she must have made some slight sound. The light blinked out. There came the sound of rushing feet and before she could think or move, she was knocked from the ladder.
Landing on her head, she was knocked unconscious momentarily. But something made her mind fight back. When her senses started returning she could think and hear but could neither move nor speak.
She heard steady, approaching footsteps. “A guard,” she thought. “Oh! If I could only scream.”
With a violent effort she brought back her power of motion. Sitting up, she did scream. It was not a loud scream but enough for a voice said:
“Mary! What are you doing here? What has happened?”
“Sparky! Oh! I’m so glad!” She staggered to her feet.
“What is it?” He was near now.
“The Lady in Black! She was in the plane. She broke open a box. She knows the secret of our cargo. She—she’s a spy. Perhaps she has the roll of papyrus. She will escape and she must not!