“Hello!” he exclaimed, surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“Don’t you know the plan?” Sandy wanted to take advantage of Jeff’s momentary indecision: perhaps he would “give away” something.
“Yeah! I know what Whiteside planned. But he didn’t plan for anybody to be here. What’s the need?”
“In case the—ghost—got away from the others and knew this airplane was here.”
Sandy got a shock of surprise.
“Why, that-there is so! And if the gas-boat come and filled up the tank—I sent it, this afternoon and that was what Whiteside stayed here for, to see that the ‘phib’ got gassed and oiled up—the—ghost—could use it, if that-there ghost was a pilot.”
“That’s what we thought.”
Jeff chuckled rather sourly.
“Yes,” he said. “And you suspect me. I know you have, ever since the start of this business——”
“Oh, yes—I did.” Sandy thought fast: he decided to clear Jeff’s mind. “But don’t you remember that I turned over a new leaf?”