of searching
parties finding them.

The girls and Jackie were ordered to the larger of the two cabins.

"You take care of the boy. It'll be just too bad if anything happens to
him," said Bardo darkly. They had been joined by a third man, evidently
the pilot of the seaplane. Like the gunmen who had captured the
transport, he was dark and swarthy.

Jackie was a delightful youngster and Jane and Sue admired his calm
courage.

"Of course I was scared," he said, "but I didn't dare let those fellows
know. I guess we'll just have to wait until someone comes along and
rescues us."

He was brave about it, but Jane knew that no one was going to come
along and rescue them. They would be held until Jackie's mother paid
the ransom demand or----. But Jane couldn't think of the other
possibility and she set her mind to working on some plan of escape.

There was plenty of food in the cabin and the girls and Jackie were
given the freedom of the beach. That first night Jane couldn't sleep
much, turning and tossing as she tried to evolve some plan of escape.
To attempt to flee in the transport was impossible for she didn't know
the first thing about piloting one of the big ships. But the seaplane.
That was different. Of course she had never flown one, but it looked
like a common biplane only instead of wheels it had pontoons. Certainly
the operation must be the same.

Jane was up with the dawn. The seaplane was still moored a few yards
from the beach, the canvas cover shielding the motor.

Throughout the day she waited, hoping the men might leave the beach for
a few minutes, but her hopes were unavailing. Night came and they were
locked in the cabin.

When she was sure that no one was within earshot, Jane told Sue and
Jackie what she hoped to do.

"If I can get out to the seaplane and get it started I'm sure we'll be
able to get away," she whispered, "but first we've got to get out of
the cabin."

They tried the windows, one by one, and the third appeared loose.
Working quietly with a kitchen knife they finally slid the window
aside.

The darkness was heavy and Jane slipped through the window first.
Jackie was second and finally Sue. The lights were out in the other
cabin and they moved swiftly down to the beach. Little waves lapped the
sand.

"Do you think the water's deep?" Sue whispered.

"I've got to chance it," replied Jane. "The rowboat's padlocked. Here
goes."

She plunged in boldly. The bottom fell away grad