Chapter TWENTY-FIVE

For several days after she had received the welcome wireless signal which informed her of Howard Redmond’s safe arrival in Honolulu, Mary Ingleton constantly speculated on the possibilities of her early escape from her island prison. Ever since her terrific struggle with the aerial pirate shortly before she received the wireless signal she had been greatly perturbed. Would Redmond be able to get assistance quickly and come to her rescue before Levanter tried to molest her again? Would Johnston keep his promise and interfere against his chief, if Levanter should again force his unwelcome attentions upon her; or would Levanter succeed in placating his assistant by some arrangement and then renew his attentions? These were the thoughts which ran successively and repeatedly through Mary’s mind and disquieted her greatly. Her fears were greatly enhanced by the persistency with which she dwelled upon them, for the lack of anything else to do.

Since the incident with Levanter that was ended by the abrupt appearance of Johnston, she had not been molested again. Levanter had remained aloof from her and busied himself with the affairs of his criminal enterprise. The repair work on the airplane that had been started just before Redmond’s departure had not yet been completed, and Levanter was busy each day superintending it. It included a complete overhaul of both the machine and its engine.

While dwelling on the problems before her, Mary was considerably worried that Levanter might at any moment walk over to the place where the wreck of the Hilo was lying piled up on the beach and there discover that the lifeboat of the schooner was missing. The more she thought of this possibility the more worried she became, for she felt certain that if the fact that the lifeboat was gone should be discovered, Levanter would logically surmise that a stranger had been on the island. She was sure that in that case the strange disappearance of Harrison would again crop up in his mind and arouse his suspicions.

As she turned this problem over in her mind Mary tried to think of some way of solving it. Suddenly an idea occurred to her. Why not get hold of one of Levanter’s chemical bombs at the first opportunity, plant it under the Hilo and blow the schooner to fragments? This done, there would not be any possible chance of the pirate’s discovering the disappearance of the lifeboat, and all fears on that score would be eliminated.

No sooner had the idea occurred to her than Mary began revolving in her mind a possible way of putting it into effect. In the first place she did not know just how the bombs were operated. All she knew about them was what Levanter had told her in a casual way at different times. She knew that they were filled with liquid gas and that there was a special detonating arrangement that broke down the vacuum of the container and released the gas so rapidly that it emerged with terrific explosive force. How this detonating device worked she did not know.

She fully realized that it would be extremely difficult to obtain one of the bombs and very dangerous to place it underneath the Hilo in such manner as to ensure the destruction of the schooner. Before she could attempt this, therefore, she had to find out how to handle the bombs, also if there was any way in which they could be exploded by a time arrangement, so as to enable her to get away to safety before the bomb exploded after she had placed it under the Hilo.

Having recognized these facts, she decided, after further thought on the matter, that the only way to obtain the necessary information would be from Levanter himself. In order to do so, she realized that she would have to get on speaking terms with him again. This was extremely repugnant to her, but she decided that it could not be avoided under the circumstances. Therefore she made up her mind to submerge her own feelings in order to achieve the purpose she had in view, which was very vital to her safety and indispensable for her escape from the island. She relied upon the quick return of Howard Redmond to counteract any advances that Levanter might make after she had resumed speaking relations with him.

Now that she had made this decision Mary waited until Levanter was in a good humor and not pre-occupied with the repair work on his airplane. At the first available opportunity she approached him and said:

“I have been thinking things over, and it seems to me that it is very silly for us to be sulky. I am perfectly willing to be friendly with you, if you will not try to interfere with me again as you did the other day. Why can’t you promise me to act like a man and put an end to this ridiculous situation?”

“What’s the idea?” asked Levanter in reply, “I thought you said you hated me.”

“Well, you must admit that was your own fault,” replied Mary. “After thinking it over I don’t believe that you were really responsible for your actions then, so I am willing to forgive you, if you will only promise not to do anything like that again.”

“I don’t quite understand you,” said Levanter suspiciously. “There must be some reason for the sudden change in your attitude now. What is it?”

“Well, I am very lonesome here, and it is very unpleasant not to be able to talk to anyone.”

Levanter began to thaw with this explanation, and he actually smiled.

Did she really mean what she said?

“Well, I think you are right to a certain point. I am glad that you are at last beginning to realize that there is no escape from fate. That makes things much simpler for us. I don’t see though why I should promise you anything. I can say this however. I may be blamed for my actions, but I don’t have to defend any motives. I love you, I have always loved you, and I believe I shall always love you.”

“Well, I accept your apology,” said Mary. “But why can’t you forget what you have just said? You know I don’t love you. I have said that often enough for you to realize it. I have always been determined to marry no one but the man I love. I don’t intend to marry anyone. Let us agree to bury the hatchet, forget all these things and live amicably, since I must stay on the island. But tell me, what are your intentions toward me. Surely you are not going to keep me here all my life. Surely, you don’t intend to live here yourself, do you?”

“I don’t know yet,” replied Levanter. “I haven’t made up my mind what I am going to do. Why do you ask that?”

“Oh, I was just wondering what you intend to do. It explains my reason for wanting to be on speaking terms with you again. I didn’t think that you would live here forever. I felt sure that some time you would quit this island, and of course I didn’t expect you to be so cruel as to leave me here after you left. I was sure that when you did leave, you would find some way to let me get back to my parents.”

“You can go back to them immediately if you promise to marry me,” declared Levanter.

“Now, there you are again, returning to that forbidden subject,” replied Mary. “Why can’t you agree to forget that. You know what my answer is now.”

Suddenly, as she reached this stage in the conversation, an opening occurred to Mary. She would dissemble her real feelings and hold out a hope to the man she despised and hated. Intuitively she felt certain that he would immediately jump at the possibility offered indirectly to him and promise not to interfere with her again while she was on the island. Then having obtained this promise, she could go about her task of destroying the Hilo and lay such other plans to assist Howard Redmond when he returned, as were possible under whatever circumstances might develop. These thoughts flashed quickly through her mind as she was talking, and with only a slight pause to go over them again and make sure of herself, she continued:

“Of course, whether my answer will always be ‘No’, I cannot say at the present, but you will not get me to change my mind if you keep on forcing your attentions upon me, that is certain.”

Mary had angled well and caught her victim on the well prepared hook. Like a fish Levanter rose to the bait and grasped it. The hope contained in Mary’s simple statement arose before Levanter with all its possibilities.

“I think you are right,” he replied slowly. “What I did the other day was done in the heat of passion, and I was not really responsible. I am very sorry and I hope you will forgive me.”

As he said this Levanter extended his hand toward Mary. She grasped it and shook hands with him on the compact. She did it with an apparent show of sincerity, but in her heart there was the bitterest of feelings. She despised herself for doing it, and she still more despised the man whose hand she shook. She consoled herself, however, with the thought that what she had done was necessary to her own safety and freedom, and that the treachery of the man who held her in his power could only be overcome by stratagem on her part, much as she disliked to employ it.

Following the conclusion of the compact, the two continued to converse generally until Levanter was called away by the men working on the airplane. Mary felt that it would be extremely unwise to question the sky pirate on any matter concerning his enterprise so shortly after the reconciliation with him. It would be much better to wait a few days she thought and be extremely friendly with him until he was completely disarmed regarding her intentions before she asked him any questions. Otherwise, she argued with herself, he might guess the reason for such pertinent questions and know that she had approached him solely to get the information wanted.

And so several days passed by without further incident of any kind. Each day Mary made it a point to chat with her captor on some trivial subjects, in order to get him completely off his guard. Meanwhile she had been thinking over the details of her plan. She knew that as long as Levanter was busy with the repair work on his airplane there was very little chance that he would go over to that part of the harbor where the Hilo was lying beached.

As soon as the repair work was completed, however, there was every possibility that he might go over there and discover that the lifeboat was missing. Consequently there was no time to be lost in completing her arrangements.

If she were successful in the task of destroying the Hilo she could take similar steps against the remarkable airplane of Levanter. If she could only shatter one of its wings, or damage its hull, it would be impossible for the sky pirate to take the air again for several months, while there was the possibility that the machine might be completely wrecked. Even if it were only slightly damaged it would give Redmond sufficient time to organize any help that he might need in getting back to the island and rescuing her.

No sooner had this thought occurred to her than Mary began to debate in her mind whether it would not be better to go right out and blow up the airplane instead of the schooner Hilo. If the airplane were destroyed, she argued, it would not make any difference whether Levanter discovered that the Hilo’s boat was missing or not, because he could not leave the island anyhow. If she succeeded in doing this completely it would be a very important thing, and she might be able to do it without attracting suspicion if she went about it carefully. In fact, she continued in her mental argument, Levanter might think that the explosion had been caused by a bomb left on the airplane.

Should she try to blow up the airplane or the Hilo? That was now the all important question in her mind. If she made her attempt on the airplane and failed she might not get another chance, and there was a very great possibility of failure until she had learned how to handle the bombs properly. In the event of failure through premature explosion, or any other similar cause, both Levanter and his crew would be extremely careful with the remaining bombs, particularly as to where they left them, and her chances of getting another would be eliminated.

On the other hand if she made the attempt on the schooner Hilo and it was unsuccessful, she felt certain that Levanter would attribute the explosion to the washing up of one of his mines ashore, and then she would have another chance to try again. Besides, she would learn something from her failure if she did fail. If her attempt was successful, Levanter and his men might still think that the explosion was from one of the mines washed up from the sea. In that case she would have sufficient knowledge in the use of the mines to make the attempt on the airplane at the earliest possible moment.

About a week after Mary had made her reconciliation with Levanter the opportunity she had been looking for arrived. She was conversing with her captor, and he was in an exceptionally good humor. While she was talking with him, Johnston came over and said:

“Say, Boss, we’ve used up all our supply of metal, we’ll have to get some more somewhere for the extra vacuum containers.”

After the two men had discussed this for a little while Johnston left and went over to the workshop. As Levanter turned back to her Mary asked:

“Aren’t you afraid that one of the bombs might wash up from the sea and explode?”

“Oh, no,” he replied. “There wouldn’t be any danger unless they were thrown violently against some object. They have a contact detonator, and as long as the detonator didn’t touch anything they would be harmless.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” replied Mary, “because I was a little alarmed over it.”

“You needn’t be, there’s no danger,” declared Levanter.

“Well, you know that’s stupid of me,” said Mary, “I always thought that bombs and explosive things went off with some kind of a fuse, some kind of timing arrangement, if you get what I mean.”

“They can be made to explode that way,” replied Levanter, “but my bombs are not constructed to explode with time fuses, although they could be set to go off at any predetermined time. Only the shells we use in the guns have the timing arrangement.”

“How interesting, but of course I am very ignorant of those terrible things. I thought they all went off by time.”

“Oh, no. Of course, I am very proud of those bombs because they are my own invention,” continued Levanter. “The bombs are put in the sea for protection against any fool government war-vessels that might come snooping around. A time fuse wouldn’t be of any use for that purpose, because we don’t know when they might come along. If they do come here they will hit one of those mines we’ve got laid around the island and explode it. That would be the end of the snooper.”

“But that’s terrible!” exclaimed Mary, her horror at the thought momentarily overcoming her effort to dissemble her real feelings. “That’s downright murder!”

“Oh, don’t worry Mary,” replied Levanter soothingly. “We don’t expect any of them around here. It’s only a precautionary measure I was compelled to take to protect us here. Even if they did come and strike one of the mines we could rescue the crew and make them prisoners. You see we could then use them as hostages, and they wouldn’t be able to go back and disclose my secret place.”

“But how would you be able to control such a large number of men?” persisted Mary.

“Well, if such a thing were to happen we would find some means of doing it, but we don’t expect such a thing. Anyway, Mary, you know it can be stopped any time you say the word,” said Levanter looking at her significantly.

“Oh, please, please don’t. You promised not to talk about that, can’t you keep your word?” entreated Mary.

“Alright, let’s forget it. I don’t see how this conversation started. I’m so confounded proud of these bombs that I suppose I went too far in talking about them. It can’t be very interesting to you.”

“I realize that you must be proud of them,” agreed Mary, “and really I am very much interested in them, although it’s too deep for me to understand, but I should like to see how you make them. I have never been inside your workshop, and it would help me to pass the time away.”

“That’s alright,” said Levanter, “you can come in any time.”

After a further brief conversation he offered to take her over the shop right away. She readily assented because she was impatient to get her task completed, especially as the repair work on the airplane was almost done.

They strolled over to the house where the entire mechanical plant of Levanter was installed. He showed her the distilling plant with which he made his alcoholic fuel. Then he led her into the room where the liquid oxygen was produced that gave him the energy to fly his airplane. He explained it all to Mary, and she listened carefully, although somewhat impatiently.

Next he took her into the room where the vacuum containers for the liquid gas were made. There were two types of containers, one to carry the fuel for the airplane, and the other for use as bombs. In the former there was a remarkable siphon arrangement that permitted the liquid gas to flow freely into the engine, where its expansion was allowed to take place in such manner that the energy spent by the gas in expanding from the liquid to the gaseous state was fully utilized in the propulsion of the airplane.

The second type of container was equipped with a vacuum cap that included the detonator, thus making the whole thing a very ingenious bomb when filled with the liquid gas. Levanter explained to Mary that a little charcoal was included in the container, as it added to the explosive force of the liquid gas.

After expressing her unqualified admiration at the ingeniousness of their construction, Mary questioned her captor as closely as she dared regarding the details of the bombs. She was anxious to learn as much as possible about them without appearing to be over-curious, or arousing the suspicion of Levanter. At the time he showed her around his plant there were none of the shells used in his cannon under construction but only the bombs which were used to form a protective belt around the island. Picking one up, Levanter explained it to her in detail. He showed her where the liquid gas was placed and how it was put it. Next he showed her the mechanism of the detonator and explained its operation. It was extremely fortunate for Mary that this was the only type under construction, as it suited her purpose admirably, if she could but get possession of one of them.

While Levanter was showing her over the plant she had carefully noted every detail of each room, the position of the doors, and the way in which they swung open. She observed the position of the fixtures in each room and the position of the clear spaces. She had made a complete mental picture of the place, sufficient, she thought, to enable her at any time to enter and find her way without difficulty and without stumbling into anything in case it were necessary to go there at night. In fact she had noted the place with such extreme care that she had paid but little attention to Levanter while he was describing many of the things to her, until she arrived in the bomb construction room. There she gave her undivided attention to him, because of her desire to learn just how to handle the dangerous things.

Immediately after Levanter had finished his description, Mary turned to him with an assumed air of ignorant simplicity and asked:

“I don’t see how you dare carry those dreadful things around if they are arranged to explode on contact. Aren’t you afraid that you might press one of those contacts while you are carrying them?”

“There’s no danger of that,” replied Levanter laughing. “You see this little gadget here on the side,” he asked pointing to a small switch button, “well, when that is pushed over this way it locks the contact studs, and they cannot be pressed inward. That button is really a safety lock. When it’s in this position the studs can’t be pressed in, and therefore the bomb cannot be exploded. That makes it absolutely safe to carry around. When we are planting these mines in the sea we have the safety button on, and take it off just as we lower the mine into the sea.”

“That’s just what I didn’t understand,” said Mary. “What stops the mines from being washed ashore?”

“We anchor them with a weight. You see, we haven’t got any real anchors, because we haven’t got any metal to spare, but we get a great big heavy rock and tie the mine to it and then drop it overboard.”

“But aren’t you afraid that two of the mines will hit each other? They must sway about in the water.”

“Well, naturally the movement of the water does that,” replied Levanter, “and the tides also move them, but we know the length of the rope we use, and we make allowances for that. You see, we plant them so far apart that no matter in what direction they move in, they cannot hit one another. Then we make the whole field wide enough so that a ship trying to come to the island would be bound to hit one of them.”

“How interesting,” said Mary, carefully concealing the horror she felt at the diabolical plan unfolded by the man.

“Yes,” answered the pirate, “we are going to plant a few more of these tomorrow. We are going out in the airplane and will cruise there on the surface. Would you like to come along with us, and see how we do it?”

“Yes, indeed,” said Mary.