"Wait a minute," said Roy, skimming hastily through the note. It was typewritten and signed:--James Jarvis, Superintendent of Arrangements.

"Dear sir: You are requested to report at the executive tent at once.

An important meeting will take place affecting the compet.i.tors in the races to-morrow."

This was what Roy read. Then he turned to the bellboy and told the lad to inform the messenger that he would be there as soon as possible.

"Queer though," he said to Peggy and his aunt. "I didn't know of any meeting that was scheduled to take place to-night. I guess it's one that's been called at the eleventh hour to make some arrangements."

"That must be it," agreed Peggy. "Shall I come with you?"

"No, thanks, sis," rejoined the boy; "you'd better get to bed. It's going to be an exciting day to-morrow for us all."

The boy s.n.a.t.c.hed up his cap and with a hasty good-bye, was off.

Downstairs in the lobby of the hotel he found the messenger awaiting him,--a shifty-eyed man with a blue chin. It was, in fact, Jukes Dade, who, in a different suit of clothes and with a clean shave and haircut, looked a trifle more presentable than he had earlier in the day when he made himself known to Fanning.

"This way, sir," he said, with a fawning sort of bow.

"Out of this door is the quickest," said Roy quickly, with a feeling that he would rather walk to the grounds alone than with such a companion.

"But we're not going to walk, sir. The committee has sent an auto for you."

"A car, eh?" said Roy; "well, that's considerate of them. I'll tell my sister. She might like to come along, too."

The messenger shook his head.

"Sorry, sir; but we've got to pick up some other aviators on our way and every bit of room in the car will be taken."

"Oh, very well, then," said Roy, "lead on."

The blue-chinned Dade shuffled across the lobby with a furtive air.

"Funny," thought Roy. "I've seen that chap some place before, but to save my life I can't place him."

Cudgelling his brains to try to recall where he had met the man, Roy pa.s.sed through the hotel lobby and out into the street. In the lamplight he saw a big car standing at the curb, shaking as its ungeared engine puffed and chugged. A chauffeur, with an auto mask and goggles on, sat on the front seat. Roy got in behind in the tonneau while the messenger took his seat by the chauffeur.

He said something in a low whisper to the driver and the next instant there was a grinding whirr as the gears were connected and the car rolled forward.

"Well, they've got a good fast car here," thought Roy, as the machine sped along over the roads. "At this rate we ought to be at the grounds in----"

But what was this? Surely the road they were on was not the right one.

Leaning forward he touched the chauffeur on the shoulder.

"This isn't the road to the grounds," he said.

"Oh, yes it is," put in the messenger; "it's a short cut, though. Isn't it, Fred?"

The chauffeur did not speak but merely nodded his head.

Although by no means satisfied with the explanation, Roy made no immediate comment. In the meantime they had pa.s.sed the outskirts of the little town and were now whizzing along an unlighted road bordered with big trees. On and on they went, and Roy, every minute, grew more uneasy.

Where could they be taking him?

"Where are you going?" he demanded suddenly, his suspicion showing in his tone as he rose in the tonneau and leaned forward. "I want you to know that----"

But before he could utter another word the blue-chinned messenger did an astonishing thing. With a quick, imperceptible movement he produced a revolver and thrust its gleaming barrel up under Roy's nose.

"Sit back and keep quiet," he warned, "and you'll be all right. If you make a holler you'll get what's in this barker."

As he spoke the auto began to slow down, and presently a dark form stepped from the shadows of the trees ahead and stood awaiting its coming.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE ENEMY'S MOVE.

Roy's first feeling was one of indignation at the fellow's impudence.

"What do you mean by such conduct," he blurted out angrily. "Take me to the aviation grounds at once, or----"

"That's just where we are taking you away from, young fellow," sneered the man behind the pistol. "Ah! Don't move. I'm very nervous and if I get excited this pistol might go off. It's very light on the trigger."

As he spoke the auto slowed down almost to a standstill, and the man who had evidently been waiting for it, swung himself on the running board and joined the others on the front seat. Like the driver, he wore a motoring mask and goggles which effectively concealed his features, and yet to Roy there was something familiar even about the m.u.f.fled up figure. Once the third man was aboard, the auto plunged forward once more at breakneck speed. It rocked from side to side on the rough road as it flew along.

But the man with the pistol kept his weapon levelled at Roy throughout all its jouncings and joltings.

Like a wise boy, Roy had concluded that it would be worse than foolish to attempt any resistance to his abductors. So he sat motionless and silent as the car tore onward through the night. He had not the least idea where they were, nor for what place they could be bound. Nor had he yet had time to think over the reason for this bold kidnapping.

Now, however, it was plain that the object of the trip was to take him to some place and hold him prisoner till the aero race was over. It struck him with cruel force that, unless he could manage to escape, the object of the expedition seemed very likely to prove successful.

All at once the car struck a b.u.mp in the road with a violent wrenching thud. It leaped into the air like a live thing while a frightened shout burst from the throats of the men on the front seat. Mechanically Roy gripped the sides of the tonneau to avoid being thrown out like a missile.

The next instant, with a rasping grind and a sickening swaying and jouncing the car tore full tilt down the side of the road, which, at this point, was banked, and fetched up motionless and hub-deep in a pool of dark water.

"Don't let the kid escape," came a shout from the man who had boarded the car on the roadside, as the auto ceased to move.

But before the words had left his lips Roy had perceived that the water in the pond was not much more than knee high. Quick as a cat he was out of the tonneau before any of the others had time to collect their wits.

As the man shouted his warning the lad struck out through the oozy ground, seeking, with every ounce of his strength, to shroud himself in the darkness at the pond edge before the pistol wielder could locate him.

But he had not gone more than a few steps when--

Bang!

A red flash cut the night behind him and a bullet whistled by his ear.

"Look out, you fool, you don't want to kill him," came a voice behind him.