“I came to America, made the hinged door to the hangar, rewired the switches to get light by day to prepare the amphibian.
“I hired Tommy Larsen—he didn’t know the truth at first. Then I saw Jeff was getting suspicious, changed my plans and got a seaplane. I even went with Atley to see my own plan carried out,” he screeched.
“But everything went wrong. The life preserver hid the gems. I knew that, and made my sister run off with the wrong preserver, that I took from Jeff’s airplane. I thought the right preserver was in the seaplane, but Tommy was ‘wise,’ and refused to do any more than watch me, and when my sister came to get the emeralds, he tried to prevent me from getting away with it. You can piece out the rest. You’ll never punish me! You’ll never—take me alive!”
Eluding them, he dashed straight down to where Jeff’s amphibian, its prop still turning, stood fifty feet from the end of the runway. Tumbling into the cockpit, he threw the throttle wide. Down the few feet the amphibian roared, gathering speed.
The rend and crash, the tear of metal, wood and fabric as the craft dashed against a tree, was followed by a shrill scream from the stewardess.
In one thing the fanatic prophesied truly. They did not take him alive. But still they did not know where the emeralds were!
Next morning the Sky Patrol, the millionaire and others took the train from camp to the harbor.
But although Mimi showed which she thought was the right belt—although they ripped apart every life preserver on the yacht—no jewels appeared.
“I’ve thought of every possible hiding place,” Sandy told his chums, “and the only thing I can see to do is—if they were in a life preserver at all—what do you say to trying this—”
He outlined a plan. So promising did it seem that both Dick and Larry agreed to it.