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.But slowly the car inched upward, its weight and the extra size ofits tires supplying enough traction to overcome the grade.The car finallytopped the rise, and its springs seemed to echo the relieved sigh that went upfrom the four occupants.But the jeep was now descending another, shallower ravine and the big carturned its nose down again.The ascent on the opposite side, however, was sosteep that some crude road making had been done to render it passable.Thelast several yards below the top were gouged out of the crest, so that thetracks rose at a more gradual angle than the bank itself.When the sedan finally eased itself over the crest, be-Page 33ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlINTO THE QUARBY 79tween two miniature cliffs of stone, it came to an abrupt stop.The jeep hadalready halted, immediately ahead.Ramon cut his lights and the jeep's lights went off too.A moment later theoccupants of both cars were gathered in a close huddle.Gonzalez spoke a wordof command and the guide disappeared into the night."This is the old stone-loading area," Gonzalez told Phillips and the boys."The trail runs on across it for about two hundred feet to the brink of thequarry.The quarry is not in use now, and is full of water.""No trail goes on around it?" Phillips asked."The quarry backs up against a steep cliff," Gonzalez explained."There is noway to drive around it.So this is probably a wild-duck chase, but-""Goose," Sandy corrected involuntarily."Eh?"Just then a low-voiced call reached them and a flashlight winked from acrossthe clearing.The guide's beam glinted briefly on something bright-the chrometrim of a car.They all started toward the light instantly, their flying feet raising littleclouds of thick dust.And then they were standing in a silent group around thegray coupe.It was empty.Four more flashlights winked on, in the hands of Phillips, Gonzalez, and thepolice officers, and swept in wide circles.But of Baron's red convertiblethere was no sign.CHAPTER VIICONTACT BROKENfor a moment they all stared blankly at the gray coupe, as if expecting it toexplain its presence.There was something confusing in seeing this one caralone, when they had been following the two partnered cars for so many miles.Nobody spoke, and only the guide moved.He was still diligently covering thesurrounding ground with the light of his small flash.Suddenly the beam'sgyrations ceased, and the small, silent man spoke a single word in Spanish.Gonzalez spun around.They all followed the direction of his glance and saw what the flashlightilluminated-a set of tire tracks moving toward the edge of the quarry,somewhere ahead in the darkness.Gonzalez spoke a command, but the guide had not awaited it.He was movingslowly along the tracks, following the marks in the heavy dust with the glowof his light.His dark hand, thrust sideways from beneath his scrape, brought them all to ahalt.The tire tracks ended abruptly at the rocky rim of the quarry pit.soCONTACT BROKEN 81The flashlight beam plunged over the edge and they all peered after it.Twentyfeet below them an unruffled expanse of black water reflected the glow oflight.Sandy broke the stillness with his hoarse whisper."Do you suppose they werein it when it went over?""I doubt it," Phillips said decisively."They probably were just getting ridof a conspicuous vehicle.Smart move, of course.And handled smartly.Becauseif the car's disappearance should be traced to this spot, the conclusion wouldprobably be just that-that Baron and his friend had disappeared too.""I agree," Gonzalez said."Our friends are not careless.They do not losetheir heads.I think they do not lose their lives either.""Then do you think they all plan to leave this place in the gray coupe?" Kenasked."And where are they?" Sandy added."Good questions," Phillips said."Anybody got any answers?"There was silence for a moment, and they all stared once more, as iffascinated, at the sight of the tire tracks that disappeared into nothingness.There was no doubt at all that a car had actually gone over into the quarryPage 34ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlpit, Ken was thinking.The edge of the pit between the tracks was slightlycrumbled, where the undercarriage of the vehicle had scraped across it duringthe fatal plunge."I suppose," he said softly, "they may have seen us coming, and gone off tohide somewhere until we go away again.Unless they're very close, theywouldn't know who we are.I don't think any of us has been in the light-exceptthe guide, here.If they think we're hunters, who just stumbled on the place,maybe they82 THE MYSTERY OF THE GREEN FLAMEthink we'll look around and then leave [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]