Impulsively he caught the stick of the dual control to waggle it. That was the only way to attract Bob’s attention; but Al, in his quick way, shook the stick and then held it pretty far to one side, and Bob, not expecting the move and unaware at first that Al did it, felt his heart sink for an instant, fearing that something had gone wrong with the controls.
Al, horrified at the effect of his move, sat, tensely still, waiting for a crash. Bob, alert, decided in a flash that he would do all he could to avert the smash before he gave up hope. He made the necessary moves to correct the slip.
To his delight the craft obeyed promptly, coming back into its proper position quickly. Turning to reassure Al, Bob saw his brother violently gesturing toward the sky to one side. As he looked Bob saw tiny lights and knew them for the flying lights of a craft.
The explanation came at once. Al had attracted his attention to the airplane knowing it must be the brown ‘plane. Probably the two men who had chased Bob had contrived to tell the pilot, before he took off, that—as they supposed—the company books were in Bob’s possession. With a wave of his hand toward Al, reassuring him, Bob set his course for the flying place belonging to the Tredway plant. He was being pursued by the ship he had, recently, followed; it suited him. He would lead the ship back there, contrive some way to attract attention, get Al to drop flares, and then, landing, telephone all the airports nearby to identify and stop the pilot who must eventually alight for fuel.
The pursuer, however had no intention of being lured.
Bob realized it, at the same time that he recalled how swiftly the other pilot had climbed to escape identification earlier at the plant.
Instead, the brown ship had some sinister intent toward himself, Bob guessed, for it was climbing rapidly, and Bob, unaware of the safe climbing angle or stalling angle of his own craft, dared not risk so steep a tilt.
Higher, always higher above him, went the other man’s lights.
The wing over him obscured Bob’s view.
He turned to Al. The younger brother leaned out and stared.