The Treasure Hunt of the _S-18_ By Graham M. Dean THE GOLDSMITH PUBLISHING COMPANY ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright, 1934 The Goldsmith Publishing Company PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS 1. The Man of Mystery 2. A Secret Service Case 3. The High Flyers 4. The Mad Pursuit 5. Death Rides the Air 6. Another Visitor 7. On the Trail of "Mr. Seven" 8. A Sudden Attack 9. In the Valley 10. "Mr. Seven's" Secret 11. Rescue from the Air 12. Against Time 13. Eastward Bound 14. The _S-18_ 15. An Unknown Intruder 16. The First Test 17. On the Bottom 18. The Missing Cook 19. The Warning Note 20. Isle of the Singing Trees 21. The Battle with the _Iron Mate_ 22. Trapped 23. Desperate Hours ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Treasure Hunt of the _S-18_ CHAPTER ONE The Man of Mystery The high pitched drone of a wasp engine sounded over the municipal field at Atkinson and Tim Murphy, famous flying reporter of the Atkinson _News_, poked a grease-smudged face out from behind the cowling of a trim biplane and squinted skyward. Against the brilliant sky of the late summer afternoon was the outline of one of the new high speed transports of the Red Arrow Transcontinental Air Express Company. The _Day Express_, Chicago to the west coast, was swinging around, preparatory to landing on the smooth, crushed-rock runway. Tim watched with appreciative eyes. The new transports, capable of winging their way from coast to coast at better than three miles a minute, always fascinated him. He envied the trim, clear-eyed young chaps who sat at the controls while they in turn would have been willing to exchange their daily routine for the adventurous news assignments which often came Tim's way. The twin motors, mounted in nacelles projecting from the sturdy wing, idled as the ship drifted downward to touch lightly on the runway and roll smoothly toward the main hangar. "Star gazing again?" asked a quiet voice at Tim's elbow. The flying reporter turned quickly. Carl Hunter, manager of the airport, was beside him.