Free The Flickering Torch Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon

my heart beat!” It pounded with the excitement of danger.
    The men took another step forward. Suddenly a heavy boot came down squarely on Joe’s back. The boy let out a scream and jumped to his feet. Frank did the same.
    Their double action stunned their pursuers momentarily. With an elbow thrust Joe knocked the wind out of the pilot, who had stepped on him. Frank’s left jab caught Zinn flush on the chin. He fell over backward and lay still.
    Without a word, Frank and Joe snatched up the men’s flashlights.
    By the time the two regained consciousness, the Hardys were well out of sight. All the boys could hear were curses behind them.
    â€œWe nearly got it that time,” Frank said, pulling himself out of the edge of the swamp onto firmer ground.
    â€œBut we’ll have to look out for Nick, whoever he is,” Joe warned.
    They tossed the big flashlights on the ground. Making their way in total darkness, the young detectives climbed the short embankment and reached the side of the road. Around a curve came two headlights. Frank and Joe ducked for cover again.
    A car drove by slowly and a spotlight flashed across the marsh. But the cattails gave perfect cover to the boys. The car turned about and drove back toward the airport.
    Minutes later Frank and Joe stood beside the road again, cold, wet and muddy, peering into the darkness.
    â€œLucky the girls are waiting for us,” Frank said and took out his pencil flashlight. He gave a long beam, then three short ones. Several minutes went by, but there was no sign of the convertible.
    An owl hooted in the distance, and the growl of an engine sounded as another plane took off.
    â€œThat’s strange,” Joe observed. “Why do you think the girls don’t react?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Frank replied. “Let me give them a couple more signals.” He flashed the light again. Still no response.
    â€œGood night!” Joe said worriedly. “Do you suppose something’s happened to Callie and Iola?”

CHAPTER XI
    No More Rocks
    HAD the mysterious Nick come upon Iola and Callie in their hiding place? If so, the girls might be in danger!
    Frank and Joe hastened along the edge of the road, giving the flashlight signal.
    Suddenly, from a turnoff in the woods, a pair of headlights snapped on. For several seconds they glared into the darkness, then they went off, only to reappear in three quick blinks.
    â€œOur signal!” Frank exclaimed, running toward the place of concealment. Joe followed him in full stride.
    There was the convertible, backed into a clump of big bushes, between a stand of pine trees. Callie and Iola stepped out to meet the boys.
    â€œAre we glad to see you!” Callie said, grabbing Joe’s right arm with both her hands.
    â€œSame here,” Joe replied.
    Iola said, “We thought you’d never come back! What happened?”
    â€œDidn’t you see our signal?” asked Frank. “You really had us worried.”
    â€œOf course we saw it,” Callie answered. “But there was another car patrolling the road. We couldn’t reveal our position!”
    â€œGood thinking,” Frank said. “We saw that car, too. Some guy named Nick was out to find us.”
    â€œWho’s he?”
    â€œHe’s part of the mob,” Joe said as the boys climbed into the convertible. Briefly they told what had happened and pledged the girls to secrecy.
    He slid behind the wheel and drove onto the highway, but instead of turning to the airport, he took the opposite route back toward Beemerville.
    â€œWhere are you going?” Iola inquired.
    â€œThis Nick might still be watching for us around the airport entrance,” Joe replied. He explained that he would take an alternate route which would bring them into Bayport on a parallel road. After about three miles, Joe took a left turn and made a long detour to a secondary highway. He kept the car at speed limit all the