The Mystery of the Blazing Cliffs - M. V. Carey [36]
“There was no need for you to know, my dear,” he said.
“The conspirators who want to get the gold have reached the same conclusion I have,”
said Jupe. “They know the gold is here, but they don’t know exactly where it is. They staged the fire on the cliffs and the takeoff of a flying saucer, and of course the radio message from the spaceship, believing that you’ll take the gold with you when you go to meet the rescuers. Then they’ll have it!”
Charles Barron took a deep breath. “Yes,” he said. “I planned to do that. Perfectly ridiculous. I can’t think why I’ve been so credulous. But only a coward is afraid to admit when he’s made a mistake, and I’m not a coward—or a fool.” He glowered at the three boys, as if daring them to disagree.
“No sir,” said Pete.
Barron shook himself. “Well now, I’ll be blasted if I’ll let a bunch of green striplings in fake uniforms manipulate me! That young man with the jeep is scarcely old enough to shave. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem to deal with him. I have dozens of stout young men of my own, and I have plenty of rifles and ammunition. If we need to, we can drive out of here with guns blazing.”
“Yes, you can, sir,” said Jupe, “provided all of your people are trustworthy.”
“Trustworthy?” said the millionaire. “You don’t think they are?”
“Someone on the ranch has been getting information to the men on the road,” said Jupe. “Bob can tell you about what he heard this afternoon.”
“I climbed the fence when no one was looking,” said Bob quickly. “I got near the tent where the men are camped and I heard them talking. They knew you were beginning to believe in visitors from another planet, and the lieutenant spoke to someone on the field telephone and whoever it was said you were out on your regular tour of the ranch.”
“The field telephone?” Charles Barron snorted. “They said it wasn’t working. Why wasn’t I informed of all this sooner?”
“You haven’t been very available,” Jupe pointed out. “Now, the conspirators won’t let you walk out or drive out, Mr. Barron—not until they get what they came for. I’m sure you want to bring those people to justice, but you can’t do it without proof. And you can’t find out who is the spy on your staff until they make their move. Mr. Barron, you have to give them room so they can trap themselves.”
“Perhaps,” said Barron, “but in the meantime, I’ll arm myself.”
He got up and went into the house. A few minutes later he returned to the veranda.
“Someone has gotten into my arsenal,” he said. He kept his voice steady. “There must be a duplicate key. The lock wasn’t broken, but all the ammunition is gone. We are trapped. We’re prisoners! And there is a traitor! One of the people I chose for my staff. I have been mistaken in one of my own people!”
“Yes, sir,” said Jupe, “and now we’d better find out which one in it.”
Chapter 16
The Aliens Return
IT WAS AFTER NINE that night when Pete and Konrad stole up the lane and made for the meadows to the north of the ranch house.
“I do not understand,” said Konrad. “If it is all a trick, why does Mr. Barron go to the meadow to meet a spaceship? How can he meet a ship when no ship is coming?”
“They tricked Mr. Barron and now he’ll trick them,” said Pete. “It’s all Jupe’s idea.”
“Jupe has good ideas,” Konrad said, “but why does he not come with us?”
“He wants to watch the people at the ranch,” said Pete. “He wants to see what they do after Mr. Barron leaves.”
“I wish he was with us,” said Konrad.
“So do I,” Pete confessed. “Never mind. All we have to do is hide on the upper meadow and keep quiet. Then Mr. Barron will get the drop on the crooks and you and Mrs. Barron will go out over the cliffs to get help.”
“Mrs. Barron will climb up the cliff?” said Konrad.
“She says she will,” Pete told him. “She says she can do it. I’ll bet she can.”
Pete held up his hand for silence. They had reached the edge of the field below the dam.
The moon was up and the grass looked silver grey in the wan moonlight, but there were deep shadows under the cliffs. Pete and Konrad kept to these shadows and worked their way