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diff --git a/39574.txt b/39574.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2764cbc --- /dev/null +++ b/39574.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6264 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Radio Boys on Secret Service Duty, by +Gerald Breckenridge + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Radio Boys on Secret Service Duty + +Author: Gerald Breckenridge + +Release Date: May 1, 2012 [EBook #39574] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RADIO BOYS *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was +produced from images made available by the HathiTrust +Digital Library.) + + + + + +[Illustration: They were all crouched low to avoid being seen from +the deck.] + + + + +THE RADIO BOYS ON SECRET SERVICE DUTY + +By GERALD BRECKENRIDGE + +Author of + +"The Radio Boys on the Mexican Border," "The Radio Boys with the Revenue +Guards," "The Radio Boys' Search for the Inca's Treasure," "The Radio +Boys Rescue the Lost Alaska Expedition." + +A. L. BURT COMPANY + +Publishers, New York + + + + +Copyright, 1922 + +By A. L. BURT COMPANY + +THE RADIO BOYS ON SECRET SERVICE DUTY + +Made in "U. S. A." + + + + +CONTENTS + + CHAPTER I--FRANK "LISTENS IN" + CHAPTER II--LOOSE ENDS OF A PLOT + CHAPTER III--THE MAN OF MYSTERY AGAIN + CHAPTER IV--ENTER INSPECTOR BURTON + CHAPTER V--THE SOUND DETECTOR + CHAPTER VI--IN THE ENEMY'S TOILS + CHAPTER VII--A BREAK FOR LIBERTY + CHAPTER VIII--CHINATOWN WINS + CHAPTER IX--THE POWER OF THE UNDERWORLD + CHAPTER X--CARRIED CAPTIVE TO SEA + CHAPTER XI--"BEST LAID PLANS" + CHAPTER XII--A STORM AT SEA + CHAPTER XIII--HOPE IS "IN THE AIR" + CHAPTER XIV--THE UPPER HAND REGAINED + CHAPTER XV--ABANDON SHIP + CHAPTER XVI--DOCTOR MARLEY EXPLAINS + CHAPTER XVII--LOST TRAIL + CHAPTER XVIII--CLOSING IN + CHAPTER XIX--THE SOUND DETECTOR DETECTS + CHAPTER XX--IN AT THE DEATH + CHAPTER XXI--AT SANTA CRUZ ISLAND + CHAPTER XXII--IN THE SMUGGLERS' COVE + CHAPTER XXIII--A SIGNAL FROM THE RADIO STATION + CHAPTER XXIV--A SPY CAPTURED + CHAPTER XXV--A FORLORN HOPE + CHAPTER XXVI--A SURPRISE ATTACK + CHAPTER XXVII--BLACK GEORGE CAPTURED + CHAPTER XXVIII--REWARDS AHEAD + CHAPTER XXIX--A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE + + + + +CHAPTER I--FRANK "LISTENS IN" + + +"Excuse me for butting in, stranger," said a pleasant voice at the door +of the Pullman stateroom, "but I heard you talkin' to these boys about +the old mining camps in these California mountains. It's kind of +tiresome with nobody to talk to, ridin' all day. Mind if I come in? +Mebbe I can tell you some things interesting to easterners. I'm an +old-timer here." + +"Come right in," said Mr. Temple, rising and extending his hand. "My +name's Temple, George Temple. And this is my son, Bob, and his chums, +Jack Hampton and Frank Merrick." + +"My name's Harlan, Ed Harlan," said the other, advancing. "I was born +and raised in the mountains. My dad was a forty-niner from Tennessee." + +He was a slim middle-aged man in black, with a black sombrero worn at a +rakish angle. + +Those who have read _The Radio Boys on the Mexican Border_ are familiar +with Mr. Temple and the three chums. Living in country homes on the far +end of Long Island, they had been drawn by a web of circumstances into +international intrigue on the Mexican Border. Jack's father, +representative of a syndicate of independent oil operators, had been +kidnapped by Mexican rebels seeking to embroil the government with that +of the United States. The boys had gone into Mexico and rescued him. Now +Mr. Temple, a New York importer, was making a business trip to San +Francisco and taking them with him. + +Radio had played no unimportant part in their adventures. In fact, it +had been instrumental in bringing them to a successful conclusion. It +was Mr. Hampton, a scientific man enthusiastic over the development of +radio telephony long before the craze swept the country, who had +introduced the boys to it. He was licensed by the government to build a +transmission station on his Long Island estate and use an 1,800-metre +wave length for trans-oceanic experiment. When he went to the +Southwestern oil fields, he also erected a station there, using the same +wave length previously assigned him. + +These two stations not only provided exceptional opportunities for the +boys to learn the intricacies of radio telephony but also provided a +method of helping defeat the ends sought by the Mexican rebels. In their +invasion of Mexico, moreover, the boys found several radio stations +which were links in a chain that had been built by German spies +operating in Mexico against the United States during the World War. + +Frank and Bob also owned an all-metal airplane outfitted with radio, +which had played a leading role in their Mexican border adventure. Frank +was an orphan living with the Temples. Bob's mother was dead. The two +estates of Mr. Hampton and Mr. Temple adjoined. Jack, the oldest of the +trio, was 19, while Frank and Bob were a year younger, Frank being the +youngest of the three. All attended Harrington Hall Military Academy, +and were on their summer vacation when the Mexican border adventures +immediately preceding these about to be recorded occurred. + +On their way to San Francisco the party had gone by a circuitous route +through Denver in order to visit the Mile High City of the Rockies. They +were now on the last day of their journey and passing through the +Sierras down the famous Feather River Canyon. + +Accompanied by Mr. Harlan the group made its way to the observation +platform on the rear of the Flyer. Hour after hour they sat there while +the scenery about them gradually changed its character with the passing +of the afternoon, the mountains giving way to foothills and seeming to +recede farther and farther to the rear. In reality, of course, the train +was drawing away from them and descending into the lower ranges. + +Harlan was a pleasant companion, and from him the boys learned more +intimate history of California than they ever had been able to obtain +from textbooks. He told them of the days of '49 and the treasure +seekers; how the latter had come overland by wagon trails in some cases, +fighting Indians and starvation, leaving many in nameless graves by the +wayside during the long trek across the desert and through the +mountains; how, in other cases, the adventurers had sailed in +windjammers, or ships propelled by sails alone and without engine power, +spending as much as a year in the long trip from the eastern seaboard +clear around South America and Cape Horn, although the majority had +sailed merely to the Isthmus of Panama and crossing by horseback or in +wagons, had taken ship on the other side for San Francisco. + +"Those were the days," said Harlan. "Of course, I didn't experience them +personally, for I'm just a young man now. But my father was a +forty-niner, came out from Tennessee. And the stories he used to tell of +San Francisco in the early days made me mad because I hadn't lived there +then. + +"She was just a crazy little town of crazy little wooden shacks, built +any whichway over the hills, but the people that built her were the +hardy spirits of all the world and the breath of romance must have been +in the very air." + +At a question from Frank, who, like his chums, was intensely interested +in these stories of early California, Mr. Harlan launched into a +description of the Spanish Dons inhabiting the land before the invasion +of the gold seekers. + +Mexico, he recalled to the boys, used to own California. The best +Spanish families lived there on grants of land from the King of Spain +which had been passed down from generation to generation. + +The estates were huge, and the Dons lived on them pretty much absolute +masters of their Indians and peons. It was an easy, gracious sort of +existence, without hurry, without the bustle and haste introduced later +by the Americans with their multifarious machinery. If the Don stirred +abroad, he rode a mount jingling with fanciful and costly trappings, and +he himself dressed like a cavalier of old. At night his hacienda would +resound to music while the gentry from miles around danced and their +carriages and horses filled his ample stables and stood under the +drooping pepper trees. + +Then came the gold seekers scarring the hills of the northern part of +the state with their mines. And in their wake came the farmers and +ranchers with their new-fangled farm machinery. They took the rich +valleys where the countless herds of the Dons had roamed in the past, +and began making that marvelous soil produce crops of wheat. The old +order with its lazy ways could not survive before the new day with its +energy and modern business methods. The Dons went to the wall. + +"To-day," said Harlan, in his drawling southern voice, "there are some +of their descendants left. But they cut little figure in the present-day +California." + +Jack spoke up with unexpected heat. + +"Well, I think it's a shame," he said. "I know that we are supposed to +believe our own ways of living are the best, but I, for one, wish +California had stayed the way it was." + +Bob leaned toward Frank and assumed a confidential tone. + +"He's thinking of Senorita Rafaela," he said. + +She was the daughter of Don Fernandez y Calomares, a wealthy Mexican of +pure Castilian descent living in a palace in northern Mexico. The Don +was leader of the Mexican rebels who, as related in _The Radio Boys on +the Mexican Border_, had captured Mr. Hampton. Jack and Bob in the +latter's airplane had gone to the rescue, and the young Spanish girl had +given them valuable aid. + +At Bob's words, which although low spoken were intended to reach Jack's +ear, the latter flushed. Then he reached over and pulling Bob's cap down +over his eyes started to shake him good-naturedly. In a moment all three +boys were entangled. Mr. Temple laughed and explained the situation to +Mr. Harlan. The two men watched the chums amusedly, until a sudden lurch +as the train whirled around a sharp curve threatened to send Jack flying +overboard. + +With a quick movement Mr. Harlan seized Jack by the coat and pulled him +back to safety. + +"That was a close call," said Mr. Temple gravely. "You boys ought to be +more careful." + +At Oroville, which he explained was in the heart of the apple country, +Mr. Harlan left the party. All were sorry to bid him farewell, for he +had been a jolly and informative companion. Dinner was served, and the +party returned to the club car where Mr. Temple settled down with his +cigar and a newspaper. Presently the chums grew tired of reading, and +once more sauntered out to the observation platform. + +They would not sleep aboard the train again as they would reach their +destination near midnight. For a time they gossiped in low voices, so as +not to disturb two men whispering together on the other side of the +platform. All three sat in silence, slumped down in their chairs and at +first staring out at the landscape bathed in magical moonlight. +Gradually Jack and Bob yielded to the soporific influences of their +surroundings, with the car wheels beating a monotonous and +sleep-inducing lullaby. + +Presently the two men who had been whispering raised their voices +slightly in argument. Then one ceased abruptly, cast a keen glance +toward the boys, said a word or two in a low voice to his companion, and +they arose and entered the car. Frank, who like his companions had been +sitting with his cap pulled down over his eyes, had not been asleep, +however, and as the others left the platform he shook Jack and Bob into +wakefulness. + +"Did you hear that?" he demanded excitedly. + +His two chums rubbed their eyes, and looked puzzled. + +"Hear what?" asked Jack. + +"What those fellows said." + +"What fellows?" asked Bob. + +"Why, those two men who were out here," Frank said impatiently. "I +believe you were actually asleep." + +"Guess I was," said Bob, yawning. "But what was it they said? And were +they talking to you?" + +"They were whispering to each other," said Frank. "I didn't mean to +listen. But they raised their voices, and I overheard. Then one of them +looked our way--to see if we heard, I suppose--and they got up and left." + +"Well, what was it?" demanded Jack. + +"Shh," said Frank, nervously. "The door's open and that man--the one that +got suspicious of us--is staring out at us. Listen," he whispered, "I'm +going in to talk to Uncle George. You fellows stretch and yawn presently +and get up and go to our stateroom. Then pretty soon I'll bring Uncle +George in, and we can shut the door and I'll tell you." + + + + +CHAPTER II + +LOOSE ENDS OF A PLOT + + +"Now, what is it, Frank?" asked Mr. Temple, when he and the three chums +were all gathered in their staterooms with the door locked behind them. +"What's all this mystery?" + +"Yes, what is it you overheard out there on the observation platform?" +demanded Jack. "You certainly seem excited enough. What's it all about?" + +"Spoiled my nap," grumbled big Bob. "It better be good or they won't be +able to find you." + +And picking up a pillow he started to belabor his chum with it. Frank +laughed and warded him off. + +"Take him away," he said. "He's a wild man. How can I talk if he +smothers me?" + +"Sit down, Bob," Mr. Temple commanded his son. Bob sank back on the +couch grumbling. + +"Uncle George," said Frank, assuming a serious manner and lowering his +voice, "I know you are puzzled by my request for you to come back here. +But I didn't dare explain out there in the club car. Those men were +sitting too close, and I believe they were watching me. One was, at +least. You see, while Jack and Bob were snoozing out on the observation +platform, I was awake. And I overheard just enough of the conversation +between those two men to understand there was a big plot afoot." + +"Plot?" queried Mr. Temple. "What plot? What are you talking about? Plot +against whom?" + +"Against the United States," said Frank. "I tell you I couldn't hear +much. Only a few words here and there reached me. But I gathered there +was a plot afoot to smuggle a large number of Chinese coolies into the +country, and that these men had a hand in it." + +Mr. Temple leaned forward. + +"What's that?" he said. + +"Yes, sir," answered Frank, stoutly. "That's what they said. I can't +repeat the exact words. There were only snatches here and there that +reached me. But my mind kept following the thought between the words. +Oh, you know how it is." + +Mr. Temple nodded. He had a great respect for Frank's intelligence. +Often before he had been witness to the lad's almost uncanny ability to +guess another's thoughts. + +"But just what was said, Frank?" he asked. "Anything that you could hear +definitely?" + +"Yes," said Frank, "there was. There was something about Ensenada. Isn't +that in Mexico, on the seacoast somewhere?" + +"Peninsula of Lower California, Mexican territory," said Jack. "Go on." + +"And there was something, too, about Chinese coolies and motor boats and +night running and----" Frank paused for dramatic effect. He obtained it. + +"And what?" demanded big Bob. + +"And radio," added Frank, triumphantly. "That was when I heard best. One +of the two men was explaining something to the other, and he became +excited and raised his voice. He said: 'With Handby in the revenue force +keeping us in touch, we'll be fixed right. We've got the radio station +at the cove completed, and can guide the coolie boats past every +danger.'" + +"Radio?" cried Jack. "Whew. These fellows must be well organized." + +"And a spy in the revenue forces, too," commented Bob. "You certainly +did have your ears open, Frank." + +Frank turned to the older man. + +"So there you are, Uncle George," said he. "That's what I heard. Then, +after one of them said that about the radio station and this man Handby, +in the revenue forces--I'm sure the name was Handby--he suddenly realized +they had raised their voices and might have been overheard. So they left +the platform. But I'm sure he was suspicious of me, although we all did +seem to be snoozing. Now what had we better do?" + +"This is a serious matter, boys," said Mr. Temple. "Do you know anything +about the smuggling traffic in Chinese coolies?" + +"I know we have some kind of law barring them from entrance into the +country," said Jack. "But I'm hazy about it." + +Frank and Bob nodded agreement. + +"Well," said Mr. Temple, "in the days when this country of California +was being settled by pioneers and immigrants, not only from the eastern +part of our country but from foreign lands, too, the white people grew +alarmed at the arrival of large numbers of Chinese laborers or coolies, +as they are called. + +"These people had utterly different standards of life. Due to the +crowded conditions in their country, for China you will recall has about +one-quarter of the entire population of the world, the Chinese coolie +learns to exist on less food than the white man and to dress more +cheaply, too. + +"Accordingly the Chinaman works for less than the white laborer or the +Negro, even. Consequently, the early-day Californians began to worry at +the influx of coolies, fearing they would cheapen living conditions and +wages. Their legislators made such a fuss that the government at +Washington made a treaty with China barring Chinese coolies from the +country." + +"But we have a good many Chinamen here, Father," big Bob protested. + +"Oh, yes," said his father, "the treaty created exempt classes. That is, +Chinamen who are merchants, professional men, students or travelers are +admitted." + +"How long ago was that, Uncle George?" asked Frank. + +"During President Arthur's administration," was the reply. "The treaty +was signed at Washington in 1881 and ratified at Pekin a short time +later." + +"And have there been no Chinese coolies admitted since then?" asked +Jack. + +"Not officially," replied Mr. Temple. "During the World War some labor +battalions of Chinese coolies, under contract to do work behind the +lines in France, passed through the country, but they were guarded to +prevent escape. + +"However, as I understand it, there has been a steady traffic along our +borders in the smuggling of Chinese coolies into the country. This is +especially true along the Pacific Coast, although smuggling rings have +been discovered in operation along the Mexican and Canadian borders in +the past, and only a few months ago a cargo of Chinese coolies was +smuggled into New York harbor. + +"The reason for wanting them, of course, is that they provide cheap +labor, the cheapest, in fact. There are men and syndicates in +California, operating ranches, fruit and truck farms, who will pay well +to have a batch of coolie laborers delivered to them, and no questions +asked. Consequently, smuggling rings come into being for the purpose of +supplying this illicit demand." + +"Well, what shall we do about this information, Uncle George?" said +Frank. "Don't you think we ought to tell the authorities?" + +"I certainly do," said Mr. Temple. "When we reach San Francisco, I shall +lay this matter before the Secret Service the first thing tomorrow, and +you will have to go along to tell them what you overheard." + +"Meanwhile," commented Jack, "these two fellows would escape." + +"Well, we can't help that," decided Mr. Temple. "We are not officers of +the law, and can't arrest them. As for shadowing them, to see where they +go on reaching San Francisco, for I suppose that's their destination, +that is out of the question, too. In the first place, they already have +a suspicion that Frank overheard them, and accordingly they would be on +watch. In the second place, we all will be ready for a good night's rest +when we arrive. Anyhow, I imagine that from what Frank overheard the +revenue officers will get a good enough clue to enable them to run down +this gang." + +"You mean," questioned Frank, "that knowing this man Handby is a spy, +they can watch him and learn who are his confederates?" + +"Something like that," said Mr. Temple. + +After that the conversation became desultory. Mr. Temple lay +outstretched on the couch with cigar and newspaper. The boys wandered +out again into the club car, and beyond to the observation platform. It +was growing late, and they were nearing Oakland. The transcontinental +railroad lines end at that city on San Francisco Bay, and the trip to +the metropolis is completed by ferry--a short run of twenty minutes. + +"I can sniff the salt water," said Jack. "Smell it. We must be getting +close to the Bay." + +All three chums grew exhilarated at the prospect of soon reaching the +world-famous city, which is the Gateway to the Pacific and is unlike any +other city in America, with the Latin-like gayety of its populace, its +30,000 Chinamen forming a city of their own within the larger city, and +its waterfront crowded with traffic of the Orient--spicy and mysterious. + +"I don't see those fellows," whispered Frank to his chums, surveying the +figures in the club car behind them. "Maybe they left the train." + +But at that very moment, the coolie smuggler who had suspected Frank of +overhearing him was tipping the porter to learn to what hotel the boys +and Mr. Temple had ordered their baggage sent. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +THE MAN OF MYSTERY AGAIN + + +"Well, boys," said Mr. Temple at breakfast next morning. "I'm going to +be busy today talking business with my Pacific Coast representatives. +First of all, however, Frank and I shall have to go and lay before the +government people this information as to what he overheard. I suppose, +Bob, that you and Jack want to go along." + +"Righto, Father," said Bob. + +They sat at table in the Palace Hotel on Market Street in San Francisco. +This is one of the most famous hostelries in the world. Lotta's Fountain +is on Market Street outside. Nearby is the intersection of Market, Geary +and Kearney Streets--the busiest spot in all the great city. The offices +of the big newspapers are adjacent. The hotel itself has housed famous +men and women from all parts of the world, has been the scene of great +municipal balls and other festivities, and in addition is the Mecca for +which head all the prospectors of the gold country and the Yukon when +they strike it rich, as they say. + +Mr. Temple's business in the city was to consult with the western +representative of the big exporting and importing firm of which he was +the head. Frank's father had been his partner, and on his death had made +Mr. Temple his son's guardian and administrator of his estate. + +"We'll stay a week, if all goes well," said Mr. Temple. "Of course, if +my business engagements take up too much of my time we might stay a day +or two longer, as there are some points of interest I intend to visit +while here. I've been in San Francisco before, but, for one thing, I've +never gone to the top of Mt. Tamalpais, across the Bay in the Marin +County peninsula. I want to make that trip. I suppose," he added, with a +smile, "you won't object if I am forced to stay more than a week." + +"Oh, yes," said Jack laughing, "we'll be awfully put out. We don't want +to see a thing." + +Suddenly Frank pushed back his chair and with an incoherent cry started +to dart away. Bob seized him by the coat. Frank writhed in his grasp and +attempted to twist free. He was highly excited. + +"Hold on," said Bob. "What's the matter?" + +Then Frank managed to obtain sufficent control of his voice to explain. + +"Let me go," he demanded. "I saw that man who was on the train--the +fellow who was explaining the smuggling plot." + +"Where, where?" demanded Bob, also gaining his feet. + +"He was breakfasting over there," said Frank, pointing to a table near +the exit. "I caught just a glimpse of him. I think he was watching us. +Come on." + +Turning, he darted off with Bob at his heels. + +"Don't leave the hotel," called Mr. Temple, sharply. "People are +watching us." + +"Excuse me," said Jack, who had stood undecided whether to follow his +chums. "I'll be right back." + +And he, too, walked rapidly away. + +With a sigh, Mr. Temple picked up his morning paper. But he was unable +to concentrate on his reading. His eyes wandered anxiously toward the +door despite himself. In a few minutes, however, his anxiety was +relieved. He saw the forms of the three boys appear. From their +expressions, he gathered that they had been unsuccessful. + +"No use," said Frank. "He had disappeared." + +"There are three doorways to as many streets," explained Jack, sinking +into his chair. "Each of us went a different way, but we couldn't see +him." + +"Maybe he's a guest here," said Bob, "and went to his room." + +"Good idea," said Frank. "Why didn't I think of that before? I'll just +go and describe him to the room clerk and see if he's here, and maybe I +can learn his name." + +He would have gone at once, but Mr. Temple restrained him. + +"Finish your breakfast first, Frank," said he. "You have barely touched +your eggs and bacon. If the man is a guest here, you can get the +information just as well a half hour from now." + +The boys finished breakfast in record time. Mr. Temple sighed. + +"You fellows are in such a hurry," said he. "If you are going to lead me +the wild chase here that you did in New Mexico I'll wish I had never +brought you. Here I go and plan a little sightseeing trip, and the first +thing you do before ever arriving at San Francisco is to become involved +in a plot. It won't do, you know." + +Nevertheless, he got to his feet, signed the breakfast check and +followed the boys toward the clerk's desk. + +"No," said the latter, after Frank had described minutely the mysterious +stranger. "I am quite sure I was not on duty last night when the Flyer +came in, but I was talking to the night clerk when the arrivals +registered. I remember your faces well, for instance. I am quite sure I +would have noted such a man as you describe if he had been among the +number." + +Disappointed, Frank turned away. + +"So much for that," he said to his friends. "But, do you know? I wonder +if that fellow happened to be in the breakfast room by accident, or +whether he was watching us?" + +"Watching us?" said Bob. "Oh, you've got this plot stuff on the brain, +old thing. Why would he be watching us?" + +"To see whether we went to the authorities," said Frank. "If he saw us +go to the authorities, he would be pretty certain we had overheard +enough of his conversation out on the observation platform last night to +make us suspicious, at least." + +Mr. Temple was struck with the force of Frank's reasoning. + +"Look here," he said, to the three chums. "Frank is right. If there is a +big plot afoot, and this fellow suspects us of having gained some +knowledge of it, he probably would do just as Frank says." + +"Suppose you called up the Secret Service men, Mr. Temple," suggested +Jack, "and asked one of them to call on you here at the hotel? Wouldn't +that be better than to go to them?" + +"Very good, Jack," approved the older man. "A government agent could +make his way direct to our suite without arousing suspicion if he takes +precautions, while, if Frank is correct and we are being shadowed, we +could not stir out of the hotel without being followed. Do you boys stay +here and keep your eyes open, while I go to our rooms and telephone. If +you see any more of this fellow, call me. If not, come up in half an +hour. By then probably a government man will have arrived." + +The half-hour passed quickly for the boys who sat in the lobby, +intensely interested in the life of the big hotel going on around them, +and especially in the Oriental men-servants in their gorgeous native +costumes flitting in and out on noiseless soft-soled slippers. They saw +no sign of the man Frank believed was shadowing them and, at the end of +the allotted period of time, took the elevator to their third-floor +suite overlooking Market Street. + +Barely had they entered the sitting room than there came a low knock on +the door, repeated three times, and Mr. Temple sprang to open it. + +"There's the government agent," he said. "That's the signal he said he +would give." + +As he opened the door, an alert, slim man of 30 stepped inside and +closed the door quickly behind him. + +"Pardon my abruptness," he said, in a low voice. "Are you Mr. Temple?" + +"I am." + +"And I am Inspector Burton," said the other, flipping back the right +lapel of his coat and displaying a small gold shield. "You wanted to see +me?" + +"I did," said Mr. Temple. "Won't you sit down?" + +Inspector Burton took off his hat and accepted the proffered chair. He +looked inquiringly at the boys. Mr. Temple introduced them. + +"Now," said Mr. Temple, "you probably were somewhat mystified by my +message. I did not want to say anything over the telephone about the +nature of the business on which we wanted to see you. Yet I did want you +to come here without being seen. That was why I asked you to take +precautions." + +The other nodded. + +"In our business," he said, "we receive many strange calls. So I was not +much surprised. I may as well tell you, however, that the clerk, who can +be trusted, knows that I am here." + +He shot a searching glance at his hosts. + +Mr. Temple nodded. + +"I see," he said. "We might have been enemies trying to lure you into a +trap. That was a wise precaution on your part. But," he added, leaning +forward, "we are not enemies; merely good citizens who have come into +possession of certain information which we believe you ought to have." + +"Wait a minute," said Inspector Burton, in a low voice, and leaping to +his feet, he gained the door in two strides, threw it open, peered out, +then disappeared. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +ENTER INSPECTOR BURTON + + +While the others still sat where he had left them, regarding each other +in speechless surprise, Inspector Burton returned, closed and locked the +door, and resumed his chair as if nothing out of the ordinary had +occurred. + +"Thought I heard someone listening outside the door," he explained. +"When I opened it there was nobody in sight. Your room is only two doors +from an angle in the hall. So I ran to the turning and looked along the +corridor, but it was empty." + +"Now, what is it?" he asked. + +Mr. Temple explained, and when he had concluded, Frank once more +rehearsed the scraps of conversation which he had overheard the two +low-voiced men drop on the observation platform of their train the +previous night. + +Inspector Burton's eyes blazed with satisfaction. He pounded one +clenched hand into the palm of the other, repeating the gesture several +times. + +"Good," said he. "Good." + +Turning to Frank he commanded: + +"Describe these men for me." + +Frank complied. At the description of the man who had scrutinized Frank +on the train and whom Frank believed he had seen again at breakfast, +Inspector Burton uttered an exclamation. + +"Do you know him?" asked Frank, eagerly. + +"Indeed I do," said Inspector Burton. "I believe I saw him in the lobby +downstairs, although he did not see me as far as I could tell. He was +lurking behind a pillar." + +"Who is he?" + +"He's a man of many aliases. Folwell will do as well as any other. +'Black George' is his name in the underworld, because of his swarthy +complexion and raven black hair. He's the leader of a powerful gang of +underworld characters, a gang with ramifications in many cities not only +here but on the China Coast, too. He's been responsible for many +deviltries on the Pacific Coast for years, but we have never been able +to lay anything definite at his door. It'll be a feather in the cap of +any man who can get the goods on 'Black George'." + +Frank was excited, and showed it. His chums were, too. Mr. Temple could +not restrain an exclamation. + +"Then what this young man overheard will be of some value to you?" he +demanded. + +"Value?" repeated Inspector Burton. "It will, indeed. Lately the +smuggling of Chinese coolies into the country has enormously increased. +We know they are coming in but we cannot stop them. We suspected, of +course, that there was a leak somewhere in our forces. We have managed +to stop the smuggling across the border on land pretty well. But all our +efforts to put a stop to bringing in of Chinese by water have been +unavailing. We have a fleet of fast revenue cutters and sub chasers +operating off the coast of Southern California, but somehow the coolie +smugglers coming up from Mexico manage to elude us in the night and land +their human cargo in some unlocated cove whence, undoubtedly, they are +whisked inland by waiting motor cars and hidden." + +"I should think you could patrol the whole coast, if necessary, and +locate the rendezvous," said Jack. + +Inspector Burton shook his head with a wry smile. + +"My young friend," said he, "if you knew more about the ways of +government, you would think differently. We have to do a tremendous +amount of work on small appropriations and with a limited force. Ours is +not a spectacular branch of the service, and the gentlemen in Congress +see no occasion to spend money on us. They prefer to spend it where it +will show. Moreover, now that the World War has increased the national +debt, they are shouting for economy. Instead of giving us more men and +money, the men who hold the purse strings are cutting us down." + +Mr. Temple nodded understandingly. + +"But this tip about Handby," said Frank, returning to the first subject, +"won't that help you?" + +"It will, indeed," said Inspector Burton. "Handby is employed in +Southern California, operating out of Los Angeles and San Diego. Just to +show you how valuable I consider your information, I'll say that since +sitting here I have made up my mind to make a trip immediately to the +south myself. Handby shall be put under surveillance at once." + +"Won't you arrest him and try to make him confess?" queried Jack. + +"No. That would scare off the others. I'll watch Handby in hope that he +will lead us to his associates, and thus we will be enabled to scoop in +a number of the crooks and break up the smuggling ring." + +"About this radio station in the cove?" said Frank. "You remember? I +told you I overheard 'Black George' telling his companion the radio at +the cove would keep in touch with the coolie boats?" + +Inspector Burton nodded. + +"That's important, of course," he said. "But as I told you we haven't +sufficient men to make a systematic search of the coast. We'll have to +depend on Handby to betray the station to us." + +"Not necessarily," interrupted Jack. + +Inspector Burton glanced at him inquiringly. + +"The government certainly has a powerful radio station or two out here +on the Pacific Coast," said Jack. "Hasn't it?" + +"Why, yes," answered Inspector Burton. "There's a big one right here in +San Francisco. But, to tell you the truth, I've never paid much +attention to radio." + +"Well, Jack has," said Mr. Temple, smiling. "He and his father are radio +fans. They have several big stations of their own under special +government license, on Long Island and in New Mexico. Jack probably +knows more about radio than about anything else." + +"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or a slap," laughed +Jack. + +"A compliment, my boy, a compliment," said Mr. Temple, patting him on +the shoulder. + +"Well," said Jack, "I'll confess I was caging a bit when I asked whether +the government had stations out here. I know it has. You know, you +fellows"--turning to his chums--"how dad and I have studied the history of +radio development. I remember that as far back as 1910 or 1912 the +Federal Telegraph Company carried on radio experiments out here between +stations at San Francisco, Stockton, Sacramento and Los Angeles." + +"Is that so?" said Inspector Burton, regarding Jack with increased +respect. "Well, what did you mean awhile ago when you intimated it +wasn't necessary to trail Handby in order to locate the smuggling ring's +radio plant." + +"Can you obtain the use of the government radio stations?" countered +Jack. + +"Certainly." + +"Well, then, to begin with, we can obtain the approximate location of +the smugglers' radio. Of course, they will speak in code, and probably +they will use a high wave length in order to avoid the confusion of any +amateur sending stations cutting in. Let the government stations here +and at Los Angeles tune until they pick up code. If it is weak here and +strong at Los Angeles, then the station sending code is nearer the +latter city." + +"Well, that won't help us much," said Inspector Burton, disappointedly. +"We know, of course, that it is bound to be in the southern part of the +state, probably even below Los Angeles, in order that the coolie boats +can make their run from Mexico in one night." + +"I see," said Jack, composedly. "But that wasn't the only thing I had in +mind." + +"What else?" + +"Let an expert at solving codes listen in when once the code +conversations are picked up. He can take down what he hears. The +probability is he can work out a solution. To a genuine expert, as I +understand it, there is no code that cannot be solved." + +"But," objected Mr. Temple, "the code picked up and deciphered might be +from some station like yours, Jack." + +"In which case you mean it would be about legitimate business?" said +Jack. "But the government will have licensed stations listed, and their +codes on file. No, I believe it would be a good move to put a code +expert at work at the Los Angeles station." + +"So do I," said Inspector Burton, warmly. "I want to thank you. And I +want to thank you, too," he added, turning to Frank. "Your information +will undoubtedly prove to be of the very greatest value." + +He rose. + +"I shall have to go now," he said. "I suppose you all will be viewing +the city and taking in the sights. I wish I could stay to show it to +you. But that cannot be. What you have told me makes it necessary for me +to leave at once for the south. I shall arrange my affairs here and take +the night train to Los Angeles. I may not see you again. But I know you +will be interested in the outcome and"--turning to Mr. Temple--"if you +give me your address I promise to let you know." + +Mr. Temple took out a business card and handed it to the other. Then he +accompanied him to the door. + +"Good-bye," called the chums, in chorus. "Good luck." + +"Well," said Bob, when his father returned, "that's that. Now, Dad, you +will want to attend to your business affairs today. What do you suggest +we do?" + +"Hire a car," said his father, promptly, "and drive around the city. Be +back here at five. Then we'll dress and have dinner in one of the city's +famous restaurants. San Francisco is noted for its wonderful dining +places. Afterward, we can all go to a theatre or just walk around and +view the city at night." + + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE SOUND DETECTOR + + +"Where to, first?" queried Frank. "I vote for the Cliff House and Seal +Rocks. Here in the guide book it says 'the seals play sportively in the +restless tide.' And Sutro Baths are nearby, too, I gather--the largest +indoor salt water pool in the world." + +All three chums stood on the Market Street sidewalk before the Palace +Hotel. The hour was near eleven. The usual early morning fog which had +hung over the city, as it does practically every day of the year, had +been dissipated for an hour or more. The sky was cloudless and blue, the +sunshine brilliant. A brisk breeze blew along the tremendously wide +thoroughfare, which is the widest of all the great city streets of the +land, so wide, in fact, that it accommodates four street car lines with +the width of an ordinary street left over on each side between the outer +tracks and the curbs. + +"How delightfully cool and exhilarating!" commented big Bob, drawing in +and expelling great lungfuls of the crisp air. "I haven't felt so peppy +in days." + +"The guide book says that's the San Francisco climate," said Frank. +"Cool, snappy days all the year round." + +"Your car, sir," said a uniformed doorman to Jack. + +They looked up to find a handsome limousine drawn to the curb. This was +the car they had ordered for the day. The boys moved toward it. + +"We ought to decide right now where we want to go," declared Frank. + +Jack had an inspiration. + +"I'll tell you what, fellows," he said. "Father gave me the name and +address of a man who invented some new radio equipment, and advised me +to look him up. Suppose we do that, first. Then we can go sightseeing. +It just occurred to me. Wonder where that address is." + +He began leafing over the pages of a small memorandum book. + +"Here it is. Bender, Silas Bender. 1453 Mission Street. Let's ask the +chauffeur how far away that is." + +After a little discussion, it developed the address given--on the first +street paralleling Market to the south--lay on the route to Golden Gate +Park, the Cliff House and Seal Rocks, whither the boys wanted to go. +Accordingly, all piled into the car and sped away. + +Mr. Bender maintained a little equipment store supplying radio +apparatus. The shop was empty of customers when the boys arrived, and, +at the ringing of the bell on their entrance, a medium-sized man, brisk +and alert, came from the rear room outfitted as workshop. His thinning +hair was rumpled. He was in his shirt sleeves. + +"What can I do for you, gentlemen?" he asked inquiringly. + +Jack stepped forward. + +"Are you Mr. Bender?" + +"I am." + +"Well, I'm Jack Hampton," said Jack, extending his hand. "Here's a note +from my father. I believe you have met him." + +"Mr. Hampton the engineer?" + +Jack nodded. + +"Say, I am glad to meet you," said Mr. Bender enthusiastically. "Yes. I +know your father. When he was on the Coast some years ago on his way to +Alaska I met him. He's enthusiastic about radio telephony. We had a +number of very pleasant talks. I remember him very well. But here, I'm +keeping you standing. Won't you come back into my workshop and sit down. +Bring your friends." + +Jack accomplished the necessary introductions, and they followed Mr. +Bender into the room in the rear. + +For a time the boys were kept busy examining various radio appliances, +which the energetic Mr. Bender kept thrusting at them. All the time he +kept up a running fire of comment. + +"Now this," he said, taking up a small device of unusual shape, "is a +sound detector. The only similar device in the field so far is the radio +compass, but it is clumsy and unreliable. With this device, however, I +am quite certain I have solved the problem of locating the point of +origin of any strange or unusual sounds in the air." + +Jack gave an exclamation. + +"What say?" asked Mr. Bender, turning toward him. + +Jack could hardly conceal his impatience. + +"How does it work?" he asked eagerly. + +"Well, suppose we wanted to locate the point of origin of some strange +message heard at the radio station out at Golden Gate Park. First, we +would use a sound detector there, and find out along what line the +strange sound came to the station. It might be up the coast or down, or +east, southeast or northeast. Suppose it came from down the coast, or +south. Then, at a point southeast of this city, we would again apply the +sound detector and again at a third point south of the second. When at +all three stations, the strange sound was loudest, we would have three +bearings upon the point of its origin. Where they intersected, the----" + +"The smuggler's cove would be located," said Frank quick-tongued. + +The next moment he was covered with confusion as Mr. Bender regarded him +blankly. So intent had the inventor been upon the description of his +device and the method of its operation that he was aware only of an +interruption but did not realize the nature of it. + +Jack and Bob glared at Frank. + +"Eh?" said Mr. Bender. "What say?" + +"I just said something about the point of origin being where the lines +intersected," declared Frank, considering it wise to withhold the whole +truth, inasmuch as the matter of the smugglers was not his to divulge. + +"Yes, certainly," said Mr. Bender, abstractedly. "Yes, project imaginary +lines from each station and where they intersect will be the station you +are hunting." + +Abruptly he put aside the sound detector as if, now that he had +explained its operation, it were of no more value. + +"Here," he said, taking up a suitcase, and swinging it around, "is a +radio receiving device that can be carried easily in this small +suitcase. And here"--putting down the suitcase before the boys could +examine it and taking up a finger ring from a workbench--"is the smallest +receiving set I have yet devised. It is, as you see, in the shape of a +ring and can be worn without the presence of the device being +suspected." + +"Mr. Bender," said Frank, "will you excuse my friends and me for a few +moments while we step aside and have a little confab. I believe we will +have a proposal to make that will interest you." + +"I know what you mean," said Frank, as Mr. Bender withdrew, leaving them +alone. "That sound detector, hey? If the Secret Service man had that he +would be able to locate the smuggler's cove." + +"That's it, exactly," said Jack. "Inspector Burton said he would not be +leaving for Los Angeles until tonight. I believe we ought to get hold of +him at once and tell him about this possibility." + +"I'm with you," said Bob. "But we don't know how to reach him. Suppose I +call Father at the office of his business representative, and ask him to +get Inspector Burton." + +"Good idea," said Jack. "I didn't know just how to work it. But if your +father gets Inspector Burton to come up here, we will not be revealing +anything to Mr. Bender, and the inspector can tell as much or little as +he wants." + +"Then I'll telephone father," said Bob. "I saw a telephone in the store +when we came in. I suppose Mr. Bender will let me use it." + +"And I'll explain as much as necessary to Mr. Bender," said Jack. + +Accordingly, he called the inventor back to the workroom while Bob +telephoned Mr. Temple, and explained they were inviting a man to come up +and talk to him about the sound detector. + +"I can't tell you any more than that now, Mr. Bender," said Jack. "But I +promise you, of course, that your invention is not in any danger of +being stolen. On the contrary, the man we have asked to come here may +put you in the way of making your fortune." + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +IN THE ENEMY'S TOILS + + +"Look here," said Mr. Temple, "you boys have done a fine stroke of +business for the government today. Suppose you play a little tonight?" + +They were finishing dinner at a famous restaurant. All about them were +tables with gay little parties. The concealed orchestra was playing a +popular air. Mr. Temple leaned back, sighed comfortably and lighted a +cigar. The boys went on with their dessert. + +"It was a good stroke of business, Dad, wasn't it?" said Bob. "Getting +that old inventor with his sound detector at just the right moment, and +catching Inspector Burton before he left for the south. With that +invention, he ought to be able to locate the smugglers' radio station." + +"Sh, Bob, not so loud," warned Frank. "Somebody might hear us." + +All looked around furtively. They occupied a separate table, however, +and there was none other near enough for its occupants to overhear their +conversation. + +"For my part," said Jack, "I'm sorry we aren't going to be in on the +outcome of this business." + +"Same here," said Frank. "Here we go and start the ball to rolling, and +then have to drop out, without a chance to see where it rolls to." + +"Hard luck," agreed Bob. "That's what it is." + +Mr. Temple shook his head. + +"I should think you would have had enough adventures on the Mexican +border," he said, "to last you the rest of your lives. Yet here you are +lamenting because you can't have more. Besides, this matter can be of no +particular concern to you." + +"Just the same," said Frank, "it is. We have a personal interest in the +matter. We started it by overhearing the plotters. Then we found this +inventor with his sound detector that probably will enable the Secret +Service to locate the smugglers' radio plant and secret cove. Now we are +calmly shouldered out of the way. It's hard luck, as Bob says." + +Mr. Temple smiled tolerantly. + +"You can't expect me to sympathize with you very much," he said. "Well, +now, which shall it be? The theatre or a prowl around Chinatown?" + +Chinatown? In a moment the pessimism of the boys vanished. They were all +smiles. + +"Chinatown by all means," said Jack, emphatically. + +"Righto," agreed Bob. + +"With its opium dens and hatchet men and gambling clubs and all," +declared Frank. + +"Oh, it isn't what it used to be," deprecated Mr. Temple. "I understand +Chinatown is quite civilized now. Nevertheless, I expect we shall find +much to interest us. I'll speak to the head waiter. Probably he can +direct us to a guide." + +On being consulted, the head waiter agreed to obtain them a guide. +Presently, the boys and Mr. Temple were on their way by auto to the +unique city within a city which constitutes San Francisco's Chinatown, a +quarter housing more than 30,000 Chinese. Oriental in every +characteristic, with narrow alleys and courts, cellars, sub-cellars and +sub-sub-cellars, the dragon roofs of Chinatown lie just below Nob Hill, +the old aristocratic quarter of San Francisco with its veritable palaces +of stone. From the terraces of the latter, one can look down into the +alleys of Chinatown. So close neighbors are these two opposite districts +of the city by the Golden Gate. + +At the corner of Grant (once called Dupont) and California Streets, the +guide halted their car and the party alighted. The boys looked around +them with delight. In every direction were houses and stores speaking of +the Orient. Close at hand on one corner was a Catholic church, one of +the landmarks of the district. On another corner was a restaurant from +which came strange Chinese music. + +Up the California Street hill droned a strange little cable car, its +sides open and passengers facing outward. Below, clear in the moonlight, +lay the Bay with a lighted ferryboat making the crossing. + +While the boys were drinking it all in, and staring owl-eyed at the +slippered Chinamen in baggy pants and blouses shuffling past, their +guide was in converse with a stranger. Now he approached Mr. Temple and +touched his cap. + +"Sorry, sir," he said, "but this is where I leave you. I'll turn you +over to this man." + +Mr. Temple regarded him sharply, then looked at the other. + +"Isn't that a bit unusual?" he asked. + +"No, sir," said the original guide, "this man has certain territory here +which we let him cover by agreement. When he has shown you around, +you'll find me here, sir, and I'll continue with you. Shall I dismiss +the car, sir? You'll spend some time here, and might as well dismiss it +now and get another later, rather than have it eat up fares." + +"Very well," said Mr. Temple. "Here." And he handed the man a bill. + +Under the conduct of the new guide, the party started down Grant Street. +The original guide watched their disappearing figures several minutes, +then walked over to the chauffeur at the wheel of the hired car. + +"Gave me a tenner, George," said he. "Here's your split. I wonder what +'Black George' wants with 'em. Look like fruity pickin's all right." + +"Easy, pal. Easy," said the chauffeur, low-voiced. "What the Big Chief +wants with 'em is his own business. We had our orders to pick 'em up an' +we carried 'em out. Climb in and we'll blow." + +The other complied, and the car departed. + +Meantime, midway of the next block the party had come to a halt. The new +guide, a capable man of middle age with a twinkling eye turned to Mr. +Temple. + +"Now, sir," he said, "just what would you like to see?" + +"Nothing rough," said Mr. Temple hastily, looking at the boys. "Just +show us the usual tourist places." + +"Oh, Father," protested Bob, aggrievedly. "We want to see the sights." + +"The young man wants some excitement," said the guide, slyly. "Well, +maybe we can show him a thing or two." + +Mr. Temple did not like the man's tone. Nevertheless, he made no +comment. + +"Lead on," he said shortly. + +Flanked by Bob and his father, and followed by Jack and Frank, the guide +brought them presently to the mouth of a dark alley. There he paused. + +"Up here's the Joss House," he said. "Chinamen's temple, you know. +Follow me single file. It's dark in this here alley, but we'll soon be +all right." + +Obediently, they fell into line behind him and stumbled along through +Stygian darkness, only the dim light from the street over their +shoulders. Presently, the close walls on either hand turned sharply to +the right, and they emerged into a narrow courtyard. It was so dark +their surroundings could only be guessed at. + +"Look here, my man," said Mr. Temple, "I went to a Joss House in +Chinatown once years ago, and I don't seem to remember this route." + +"It's all right," said the guide. "The place is just ahead here through +a door. Follow right along." + +Mr. Temple took several more steps, the boys after him, then halted +again. Once more he started to protest, but at that moment the guide +turned and grappled with him while a number of other shadowy forms +materialized out of the darkness and closed with the boys. + +The boys and Mr. Temple fought valiantly, but numbers were against them. +Moreover, the attackers threw over the head of each a sack that muffled +their outcries and prevented the boys and Mr. Temple from directing +their blows. Taken altogether by surprise, they were quickly overcome. +Then their hands were tied and they were raised to their feet, and the +sacks, which were almost suffocating them, were removed. + +A revolver was shoved threateningly into each face. + +"Won't do you much good to scream," said a voice in the darkness, "but +if you do, you know what you'll get." + +There was a grim earnestness about the tone which commanded belief. + +"If it's money you want----" gasped Mr. Temple, who was breathing heavily. + +"Shut up," said his guard. "Now march." + +With two guards to each, the four prisoners were shoved along the broken +cobbles of the dim courtyard until a door in a wall was reached. Through +this they entered a corridor even blacker than the courtyard behind. +There were no lights. One of the guards, however, threw the rays of a +flashlight ahead. + +An iron door barred the way. A little wicket was opened as the +flashlight played over it, and a slanting almond eye stared out +unwinkingly. The man with the flashlight advanced, uttered a word in a +low voice that the boys could not overhear, and then the door was +opened. + +Down another pitch black corridor, several turns, and the party halted +before a second door. The procedure was similar to that gone through +with at the first door. Again they were admitted. + +All this time, shuffling along in a silence broken only by an occasional +stumble or muttered curse, on the part of one of the guards, they had +been descending. It seemed to the boys as if they had stumbled down so +many various flights of steps that they must be in the very bowels of +the earth. At last a third door was opened, and Mr. Temple and the boys +were shoved ahead accompanied only by the man who had been their guide +and betrayer. + +They stood in a dimly lighted room of Oriental magnificence. + +Two men sat at a table. One was inscrutable. He was an old Chinaman. The +other wore a sinister smile. He was the man of the train--"Black George." + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +A BREAK FOR LIBERTY + + +The heavy iron door closed behind them with a slight grating sound. Jack +turned his head. The door could not be distinguished from the wall. +Hangings of thick silken stuffs covered it. + +"Black George" continued to smile unpleasantly, the Chinaman to regard +them inscrutably. Neither spoke. The atmosphere was close and heavy, and +pungent with strange Oriental odors and scents. The boys waited for Mr. +Temple to take the initiative, and he was sizing up the situation. + +Obviously they were trapped. And not for money. The presence of "Black +George," whom they had overheard on the train and who had spied on them +since at the Palace Hotel, meant only one thing to Mr. Temple. That was, +that the underworld leader suspected them of having learned something of +his plans. + +Why had he brought them here? Again, there could be only one answer. He +wanted to prevent them from informing on him to the authorities. Either +he would hold them prisoner, or intimidate them with threats so that, +when released, they would fear to betray him. + +How much did he know? Was he aware that they already had conferred with +Inspector Burton? Had he shadowed the boys to the inventor's store? Did +he know or suspect the plan to utilize Inventor Bender's device for +locating the radio station at the smugglers' cove? + +Mr. Temple told himself it was not possible that "Black George" knew to +what lengths they had gone already. Otherwise, of what use to him to +capture them? The damage already was done. And, if he did not know that +they already had laid their information before the authorities and that +even now the move to locate the smugglers' radio was launched, then it +behooved him and the boys not to tell. For, if they told, "Black George" +would be forewarned, and Inspector Burton's plans to round up the +smuggling band would be thwarted. + +Mr. Temple glanced quickly at the boys. Would they tell? Each in turn +caught his eye and gave him a scarcely perceptible nod of reassurance. +It gave him something of a shock, for he realized that their active +minds also had been sizing up the situation and, probably, had arrived +at the same conclusions as he. They were letting him know that they +could be counted upon. + +Good boys! For a moment, a little mist obscured his eyes. He had been +accustomed to thinking of them only as youngsters. But this summer was +opening his eyes. They had played men's parts on the Mexican border. +They could be counted on in this unfortunate business, too. + +All these thoughts, which require some time to record, had passed +through Mr. Temple's mind with lightning-like rapidity. Not a word had +been spoken since their entrance. + +"Black George" continued to smile at them evilly, the Chinaman to regard +them with the impassive and inscrutable countenance of his race, their +false guide to stand motionless to one side. + +"What is the meaning of this outrage?" demanded Mr. Temple angrily. + +He determined to adopt the attitude that the ordinary citizen not in +possession of the key to the situation would be likely to adopt under +similar circumstances. It would not do to let "Black George" see they +suspected his reason for entrapping them. That would indicate to him +that they already had taken action against him. + +"If it is money you want," he said, "say so and be done with it." + +"Black George" spoke at last. + +"My dear Mr. Temple," he said, "perhaps we may get some of your money, +too, before we finish with you. But that isn't our first object." + +Turning to their attendant he commanded: + +"Bring some chairs and then leave us." + +Silently but swiftly, the man brought lacquered stools without back +supports, placed one behind each of the four, then lifted the hangings +and disappeared. + +"Sit down," said "Black George" in a suave voice, "and let us talk +things over." + +They complied. + +"I hope," said "Black George," "that my men did not handle you roughly. +They had instructions not to, and if they disobeyed they shall be +punished." + +"Come, come," said Mr. Temple, "drop this note of hospitality and come +to the point. We are prisoners, we have been foully entrapped. What is +your object?" + +Dropping something of his suavity and letting more of his true character +show, "Black George" leaned forward. + +"I think you know, Mr. Temple," He said, "my reason for bringing you +here." + +"What do you mean?" + +Mr. Temple was determined to maintain an attitude of outraged innocence. + +"I mean," said the other, his voice growing more harsh, "that you have +been meddling in matters that did not concern you." + +"Explain." + +"Your young men"--with a sweep of the hand that indicated the three +chums--"overheard words not intended for their ears on the Flyer from the +East. They sat on the observation platform while I was in conversation +with a companion." + +"Well?" + +"No, it's far from well," said the other menacingly. "You called +Inspector Burton to your apartment at the Palace." + +He paused and looked fixedly at Mr. Temple. + +"Now," he resumed, "I want to know just how much of my conversation +these boys overheard, and just what they told Inspector Burton." + +Further pretence of innocence was useless. + +"And if we refuse to tell?" queried Mr. Temple. + +"Black George" grinned evilly. He looked long at Mr. Temple and the boys +in turn. Then he addressed the silent old Chinaman. + +"Would your men like to play with them?" he asked. + +"Um." + +"Would they like to torture those young boys?" + +"Um." + +"Would they like to apply the water cure and the red-hot needles?" + +"Um." + +"And pull out fingernails?" + +"Um." + +The old Chinaman never changed expression. + +In spite of their courageous spirits, the boys shivered. Mr. Temple +thought only of the boys, not of himself. Would these scoundrels really +torture them? It was unbelievable. Yet if they should---- + +"Look here," he said gruffly, "quit this nonsense. This is the twentieth +century, and such things are not done. We are not children to be +frightened by such talk." + +"Ah," said "Black George" smoothly, "but this is San Francisco's +Chinatown. Don't forget that. You probably thought it was not possible +to trap you, either. But you notice it was done. Your presence here +ought to be sufficient indication to you that torture is not +impossible." + +"You, scoundrel," blazed Mr. Temple, "you'll pay for this. Others know +where I have gone. My original guide from the restaurant is waiting for +me, and----" + +"One of my men," said "Black George" succinctly. "And your chauffeur, +too." + +"Well and good, but the head waiter at the restaurant has my name and----" + +"My man, too," said "Black George." He rose suddenly, walked close to +Mr. Temple, and leaned over and glared into his face. + +"Furthermore," he added, "supposing you get out of this scrape, don't +try to make trouble for them. My agents don't know all I do, but I +protect the men useful to me. Understand?" + +As Mr. Temple kept silence, controlling his features, but in reality +sore at heart, "Black George" started to move backward slowly. + +Suddenly big Bob, who all the time had been quietly working his hands +free from the hastily tied bonds, leaped upon him. Bob's hands went +around the other's throat, throttling him and preventing him from crying +out. + +At the same moment, Frank and Jack, who also had been working at their +bonds and with equal success, leaped for the old Chinaman. The latter +moved with surprising swiftness for one of his age. Springing from the +chair, he waved a long dagger which mysteriously appeared in his +talon-like hand and began to shout a shrill jabber of Chinese words. + +Jack leaped in low, arms extended, making a flying tackle as he so often +had done on the football field at Harrington Hall Military Academy. The +old Chinaman started to move backward, waving his dagger. + +Frank swung the lacquered stool upon which he had been seated aloft and +sent it hurtling through the air. His aim was deadly. The heavy stool +caught the Chinaman square on the side of the head, just as Jack pinned +him around the knees. + +He went down like a log, his dagger clattering to the floor. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +CHINATOWN WINS + + +The old Chinaman, whose name they came later to know as Wong Ho and who +was a very evil man with many ruffians at his command, was unconscious +but breathing heavily. When Frank ascertained that, their fears that +they had killed him passed away. While Jack attended to tying him up, +Frank turned his attention to Bob and "Black George." + +Mr. Temple was out of the fight. He had recovered from his amazement and +dashed in to help his son with more valor than discretion. "Black +George," threshing about wildly in the endeavor to break Bob's grip on +his throat, had lashed out with his feet. A tremendous kick had caught +Mr. Temple in the stomach and sent him reeling and gasping to the floor, +where he was very sick, indeed. + +Like a bulldog, Bob held on. Yet in "Black George" he had an opponent +worthy of his mettle. That underworld leader had not gained his +supremacy by his wits alone. He was a tremendous rough-and-tumble +fighter. + +Back and forth they threshed on the floor as Frank paused above them, +uncertain where to strike to aid his comrade. Bob still gripped "Black +George" about the throat, but the gangster had so powerful a grasp on +his hands that he was unable to bring a fatal pressure to bear. + +Suddenly, and by an almost superhuman effort, "Black George" heaved +himself up to his feet with Bob clinging to him. He must not be allowed +to win. Frank swung aloft another lacquered stool, remembering the +execution wrought previously on Wong Ho by the same method, and brought +it down on "Black George's" head. + +The stool splintered in his grasp. "Black George" relaxed, went limp, +then collapsed. + +"Whew," said Bob, panting. "I guess I'd have gotten him, Frank, but I +don't know. He's a tough fighter." + +Jack's voice behind them rose in a scream. + +"Look out. Here they come." + +They whirled to face the new danger. And in through the doorway behind +the hangings poured a dozen ruffians. Jack bounded to the side of his +companions. The newcomers were Chinese, and evil looking they were in +the dim light of that subterranean room, with their glaring almond eyes +and yellow faces. They gripped revolvers and long knives, and as their +eyes took in the two figures of their leaders on the floor a hoarse +murmur arose and they started to surge forward. + +It was a tense moment. The boys resolved to sell their lives dearly. + +Then two things occurred. The leader of the newcomers and only white man +of the group--the same man who had acted as their guide and betrayed +them--halted the onrush with a gesture of authority. And Mr. Temple, +pallid from the effects of the kick in the stomach, pulled himself to +his feet and stood swaying in front of the boys. + +"We surrender," said Mr. Temple, "but I warn you not to ill-treat us." + +The leader nodded, turned to the group behind him, bade two of their +number step aside, and the others to leave. Grumbling and unwilling but +evidently cowed by his authority, they obeyed. + +As the hangings fell behind the last to leave, the guide, whom later +they came to know as Matt Murphy, turned to them, his face grim enough. + +"Ye showed sense," he said. "They'd ha' killed ye." + +Stooping over "Black George" he examined him hastily. Then he did the +same by Wong Ho. + +"Here," he said to the two Chinese attendants, "one of you get Doctor +Marley at once. The other help me." + +With the man who sprang to his aid, Murphy started to lift the +unconscious form of "Black George." Then he bethought him of his +prisoners, and addressed Mr. Temple. + +"Stay in this room," he said, "and I can protect ye. The only way out is +the way you come, an' nothin' could save ye from these yellow devils if +ye get started. I'll be back." + +Without more ado, he and his silent assistant disappeared with their +burden, returning almost at once for the still unconscious Wong Ho. + +After his second departure the three boys and Mr. Temple were left +undisturbed for a long period. Their first act was to take account of +injuries. Frank and Jack had come off unscathed. Bob was sore about the +shins from kicks delivered by "Black George," but otherwise unhurt. Mr. +Temple's kick in the stomach had been the most serious injury received, +but he was rapidly recovering. + +"I'm not blaming you boys for your gallant attempt to win freedom," said +Mr. Temple, "but our position now could hardly be worse." + +"I'm sorry, Dad, if you think I made matters worse by jumping on that +rascal," said Bob. "When I saw him threatening you I saw red." + +"Anyhow," declared Frank, "if we had captured them, Uncle George, +without being surprised by these others, we might have used them as +hostages to obtain our freedom." + +Mr. Temple shook his head. + +"Perhaps," said he, "but it was a very long chance. However, we shall +have to make the best of it." + +"At least we have won a respite," said Jack. "We have pretty well laid +out their two leaders. They won't recover for some time to come, if I'm +any judge of broken heads. And meantime it isn't likely, is it, that +this other fellow, who seems to be one of their lieutenants, will do +anything to us?" + +"Probably you are right, Jack," said Mr. Temple, "and we will be kept +prisoners but not harmed, pending the recovery of this 'Black George' if +not the Chinaman. But afterward----" + +He left the sentence unfinished, but Bob took up his thought. + +"We can face that when we have to, Dad," he said. "We're safe enough." + +"Yes, I presume we are safe for the present," said his father. +"Nevertheless, do you realize there is no friend at large who has any +idea of our whereabouts, or knew that we came sightseeing to Chinatown +tonight? We did not tell the clerk at the hotel. The only persons who +know are the people that villain declared are his creatures--the head +waiter at the restaurant, and the chauffeur and our original guide." + +"But surely," expostulated Frank, "when we fail to return to the hotel, +there'll be a big uproar. You are a man of importance, and your business +representative here as well as the hotel people will get the police on +the case." + +"Very true," said Mr. Temple, thoughtfully. "Yet this is evidently a +well-organized gang that has captured us, and we might be hidden away +forever in such a place as this without being found." + +"But you forget Inspector Burton," said Frank. "When he hears of our +disappearance, he will put two and two together and will realize that we +have fallen into the hands of the man whose plans we thwarted--namely, +this 'Black George'." + +"Yes," admitted Mr. Temple, "there is a little hope for us there. Yet +Inspector Burton planned to leave for southern California tonight to +watch Handby as well as try to locate the smugglers' radio with Inventor +Bender's sound detector. He may not hear of our disappearance for some +time." + +"But, Dad," said Bob, "it'll be in all the papers in a day or two. The +news will be telegraphed to the papers in southern California, and +probably he will read it." + +"There is some hope of that, of course," admitted his father. + +For some time longer the discussion continued along this vein. Then +Murphy again made his appearance, and put an end to it. + +"You're to write a note to the Palace," he said, "telling the hotel +people to cancel your rooms an' give your baggage to bearer. Send a +check, too, for your bill. An' don't write nothin' phony. Tell 'em +you're goin' for a sea voyage with a friend. That'll fix it if there are +any questions asked about you by friends you may have in the city. +Here's paper an' pen," he added, laying the articles on the table. "Git +busy an' write." + +"And if I refuse?" demanded Mr. Temple. + +"If you're a man of sense," said Murphy roughly, "ye'll do as you're +told." + +All thought of that devious passage which was the only entrance to the +room, of the barred doors across it, and of the villainous, armed +Chinamen along the route. Murphy was right. Mr. Temple would have to +obey. + +"But, look here," he said, taking up the pen and preparing to write. +"What are you going to do with us?" + +"The Big Boss is gonna take ye to sea with him while he recuperates," +said Murphy. "Ye give him a fractured skull that'll take him a while to +get over. But the minute he opens his eyes he plans what to do with ye +an' tells me. He says he'll save ye up to deal with when he recovers. +He's savin' ye up for himself. See?" + +They saw. Only too plainly. "Black George" was a vengeful man who meant +to exact full measure for his injuries. With a sinking heart, Mr. Temple +wrote the note demanded. Note in hand, Murphy paused at the door for a +last word ere departing. + +"I wouldn't like to be in your shoes," he said. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +THE POWER OF THE UNDERWORLD + + +This was a blow. Decidedly, a blow. + +As the door closed behind Murphy, Mr. Temple and the boys looked at each +other with dismay written plainly on every countenance. They were to be +taken to sea at once, and to an unnamed destination. Furthermore, Mr. +Temple had been compelled to write to the Palace Hotel management a note +which would prevent suspicion being aroused by their failure to return +to their rooms. Mr. Temple's business associates would inquire for him +at the hotel next day, when he failed to keep appointments, and would be +told of the explanation contained in the note. They might consider his +departure abrupt and unusual, but certainly they would not be likely to +consider it so strange as to demand investigation by the police. + +What hope was there that their disappearance would cause a police +investigation that might, possibly, lead to their relief? Or that at +least would be heralded in the papers, and so come, perhaps, to the +attention of Inspector Burton, who could guess the solution? + +None. + +Without a word spoken, these thoughts passed through the minds of all. +They realized they were in the hands of a very shrewd scoundrel, who had +foreseen the possibilities of the situation and had taken care to guard +against the arousing of public suspicion over their disappearance. + +There was this other phase, too, to be considered--namely, that "Black +George" might vent his anger against them for their attack upon him in +fiendish tortures. As Mr. Temple thought of this, he groaned aloud. + +"Boys," he said, without raising his head from his hands, "I've +certainly gotten you into a terrible situation." + +Big Bob laid a hand on his father's shoulder. + +"Don't take it so hard, Dad," he said. "We aren't dead yet." + +"No," said Frank, his spirits rebounding, "and we are not likely to be +dead, either, for some time to come. Why, Uncle George, we have bested +this rascal at every turn so far. It's true, we are his prisoners. But, +without his knowing it, we already have set the machinery of the +government in motion to put an end to his smuggling of Chinese coolies. +And in the fight, we most certainly got the best of him and his Chinese +friend." + +Mr. Temple raised his head, and looked a bit more hopeful. + +"Besides," declared Jack, "we were in some pretty tight places on the +Mexican border, and yet came through with flying colors. And I'm +confident we will do so again." + +Mr. Temple even essayed a trace of a smile, as he regarded the tall, +handsome, curly-haired lad. Jack was a year older than Bob and, though +not so stout of frame, was fully as tall. Both were an inch under six +feet. And Jack, like his companions, was hard as nails. + +"Why, Jack," said Mr. Temple, "I believe you like to be in a bad hole. +Actually, I believe you are enjoying yourself." + +"Bob and Jack had most of the fun on the Mexican border, flying to the +Calomares ranch and rescuing Mr. Hampton, while I was left behind at the +cave with nothing to do but----" + +Big Bob thwacked his chum on the back resoundingly. + +"Yes, with nothing to do but save the day and half kill a husky Mexican +officer," he said. "You certainly were out of luck!" + +"Oh, that's all right," said Frank. "Just the same, you fellows had more +fun out of that adventure than I did. Now it looks as if I was declared +in. And I can't say that I'm entirely grief-stricken." + +Mr. Temple shook his head. + +"You boys will be the death of me," he said. + +Nevertheless, their sturdy courage and optimism cheered him greatly. + +For some time the talk went back and forth, the boys doing their best to +cheer Mr. Temple. They realized dimly how great was his anxiety, far +more on their account than on his own. And by belittling the dangers and +persisting in regarding the whole matter as a lark, they hoped to dispel +his gloom to some extent. + +The various objects of the room came in for attention. The room itself +proved to be steel-walled, and circular, the walls covered with heavy +Oriental hangings. No lights were suspended from the ceilings. The only +light came from several tinted bowls on a massive walnut table, very low +and stained with age. Investigation disclosed electric light bulbs +within the bowls. + +"Let's find the switch and throw the room into darkness when they come +for us," cried Frank eagerly. "Then we can jump them and gain the upper +hand." + +The big door close to where he stood grated slightly and swung open and +Matt Murphy stood in the aperture. + +Had he heard, wondered Frank. He gave no sign. + +"Come," he said. + +Mr. Temple and the boys regarded each other gravely. Without a word +spoken and without premeditation, they clasped hands. Then Bob sprang to +take the lead from his father. If danger threatened in the corridor, he +would receive the brunt, rather than let his father accept that exposed +position. Jack forced Frank to fall in behind Mr. Temple, and then +himself brought up the rear. + +But nothing unexpected occurred in the corridor, and they reached the +dark courtyard, after passing through the guarding doors, without +mishap. If any of them thought to cry out for help now that the outer +air was gained, that thought speedily was dispelled. Matt Murphy leaned +close, revolver in hand. + +"One word and you are all dead men," He said. Then he waved toward a +clump of shadowy figures ahead, which the boys and Mr. Temple could +discern as their eyes became more accustomed to the darkness. + +"Chinese," he said, "an' awful quick with their knives. I'm warnin' ye. +That's all." + +Thereupon Murphy fell silent, standing beside Mr. Temple. And the group +ahead, between the prisoners and the dark mouth of the alley exit to the +streets of Chinatown, also was motionless. A slight sound, sibilant, as +of whispering, came from it. Murphy, however, vouchsafed no +conversation. + +"What are we waiting for?" whispered Frank, the irrepressible. + +"Ye'll see in a minute," answered Murphy, shortly. + +Out of the doorway behind them, a moment later, debouched a little +cavalcade. In the center of a group of six or eight bobbing heads rose a +dark object that swayed perilously as it lurched through the door. +Murphy sprang toward it with a low-voiced curse. + +"Careful there, ye haythens," he commanded. + +The object steadied and came closer. Then the boys could see it was a +closed palanquin, borne by eight Chinese. + +"Whew," whispered Frank, impressed in spite of himself. "I didn't know +there were any of those things left in existence." + +"Must be that old Chinaman we laid out," ventured Bob. + +The burden bearers passed the little group. Silken curtains were drawn +tightly about the palanquin, and the boys could not see within. It +disappeared with its bearers, looking in the darkness like some gigantic +spider, into the mouth of the alley across the court. Murphy joined +them. + +"Come," he said. "An' remember. One cry out o' ye an' ye are all dead." + +"Was that the old Chinaman?" whispered Frank. + +Murphy, a talkative man himself, already had noted that irrepressible +quality in Frank. He chuckled grimly. + +"Ye'd talk in hell, youngster, wouldn't ye?" he said. "No old Wong Ho +stays here. That was the Big Boss." + +They were moving across the courtyard, obedient to Murphy's command. The +guard of Chinamen had closed around them. + +"But, say," asked Frank, "will they carry that thing through the +streets?" + +"Shut up," growled Murphy, "an' do what you're told. Here we are. Now in +with you." + +They had emerged upon the dimly lighted street of Chinatown whence they +had approached the courtyard trap under the impression they were being +taken to a Joss House. Not a shuffling sandal slithered up or down the +block. All was deserted as a graveyard. There was a reason. Guards at +either end of the block, unostentatiously loitering on the sidewalk, had +dropped a word, and in that quarter it was sufficient. No whites +happened to be passing, and as for the Chinamen they scurried away +without looking back. + +"In with you," repeated Murphy, pushing the boys and Mr. Temple into a +taxicab with blinds drawn, which stood at the curb. It was the same in +which they had approached Chinatown, although they did not realize that +fact. + +A motor van stood behind. The palanquin had been placed in it with the +ends of the supporting poles resting in leather thongs dependent from +the sides. This was calculated to break any shocks of the passage to the +pain-wracked form of "Black George." + +Murphy swung in with his prisoners, as did one of the Chinese guards. +The taxi started downhill. Behind lumbered the van. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +CARRIED CAPTIVE TO SEA + + +"What did you say your name is, Mister Enemy?" questioned Bob of Murphy +who sat next to him. + +"Murphy'll do," grunted the other. "Matt Murphy." + +"Well, Mr. Matt Murphy, you don't mind if I talk a little, do you? It +relieves my feelings." + +"Talk all ye please," said Murphy, "so long as I hear ye. But don't +shout. An' don't try any funny business, because ye have no weapons, +none of ye, while I an' my little Chinee friend have 'em to spare." + +"Then," said Frank, impudently, "why don't you spare us some, and make +matters more even?" + +"Gwan wid ye," said Murphy, secretly amused at the boy's daring. "None +o' yer lip." + +Frank was not speaking thus without cause or merely from folly. He +cherished the hope that perhaps their two captors could be thrown off +guard and overpowered, whereupon they could proceed to overawe the taxi +driver outside. But he quickly realized Matt Murphy was on the alert, +while the Chinaman, whose head showed in the little light coming in from +the front window, undoubtedly also was ready to cope with any attack. It +was difficult for Frank to realize that in a great city they could thus +be carried away captive. Yet he was forced to admit to himself that such +was the case. A similar realization of the hopelessness of their +position, had he only known it, was being borne in on his companions, +too. + +If he alone were in danger, thought Frank, he would shout for help, +attack his captors, and run the risk of being shot or stabbed. But when +he thought that such an attempt to gain freedom might result in Bob or +Jack or Mr. Temple being killed, he shuddered, and could not bring +himself to make the attempt. Similar considerations restrained each of +the others. + +All this time the auto had been making good progress, although the boys +from their sketchy knowledge of San Francisco's topography were unable +to make any surmise as to the direction in which they were being driven. +They had climbed and descended several hills and were now on a stretch +of level going which, however, was rutted and uneven and far from +smooth. + +Abruptly the auto was brought to a stop. The chauffeur tapped on the +window in front. All but a small oval of the partition was boarded up, +and the Chinaman's head obscured that. At the signal, Murphy reached for +the door, but the chauffeur was ahead of him and opened it from the +outside. + +"Here we are," said Murphy. "Climb out." + +Mr. Temple and the boys descended, the Chinaman bringing up the rear. +The motor van drew up behind them at almost the same moment, its rear +doors were swung open and the palanquin was thrust out and lowered to +the shoulders of its former bearers. + +They stood in a lonely spot on the northern shore of the peninsula where +San Francisco is built. The nearest habitations were rusty ship +chandleries and homes of Italian fishermen on a ragged street some +distance in the rear. A suspended street lamp, swinging in the wind, +cast strange shadows over the rough frame structures as the boys looked +back. Not far away rose Telegraph Hill, with other lights starring it in +irregular pattern. + +About them were scattered odds and ends of the waterfront, broken oars, +tarry barrels and even the skeleton of a long boat from which the boards +had been ripped away, exposing the curved ribs half buried in the sand. + +Ahead and not far distant lay an unroofed wharf with a steam craft of +considerable size beside it. Toward this the palanquin was borne, and up +a gangplank to the deck of the boat. Beyond the bow of the craft, +pointing into the stream, showed the dark waters of the Straits, with +the wooded and mountainous Marin County shore opposite, and the lights +of Sausalito shining in the distance. + +A last desperate hope of escape was in each boy's mind as they glanced +anxiously about. But the surroundings were not prepossessing. Who was +there to hear a cry for help in those desolate surroundings? Who to lend +a helping hand? No, it would be folly to make a dash for freedom now. +Especially, inasmuch as not only did they have Matt Murphy, his Chinese +satellite and the chauffeur to reckon with, but also a half-dozen others +indistinguishable in the gloom, who stood a little to one side, prepared +to deal with them if necessary. + +Obedient, therefore, to Murphy's command, they followed toward the +vessel, trod the loose boards of the wharf with lagging feet, passed up +the gangplank beneath the light and stepped aboard. Not giving them any +time for looking about, Murphy immediately led the way to a small salon +from which opened a number of cabins. Mr. Temple and Bob were given one, +Frank and Jack another. Their bags from the Palace Hotel already were in +the rooms, and on a bunk Mr. Temple found a small heap of silver and +bills with a brief note of explanation that this constituted change from +his check. A receipted bill was with the money. + +"This looks bad, boys," said he, pocketing the money. "This scoundrel +Folwell evidently has a tremendously effective organization. The way in +which we were brought here, this steam trawler--for such I take her to +be, and that means a ship that can weather heavy storms, the expedition +with which our belongings were brought from the hotel, even the careful +accounting for my money--all these give convincing proof that it is no +common desperado with whom we have to deal." + +Frank yawned. They were all gathered in the little cabin assigned Mr. +Temple and Bob. + +"Ho, ho," said Frank, stretching, "I'm sleepy." + +The older man regarded him enviously. + +"I wish I could feel like that," he said. + +"Well, I don't see anything much to worry about," said Frank. "We're +going on a sea voyage, and I love the sea. We are on what practically +amounts to a pirate ship, and pirates always have fascinated me. We +don't know where we're going, but I'll bet it's to the smugglers' cove. +And we don't know what dark and dreadful fate is being reserved for us, +but we can cross that bridge when we come to it." + +"For my part," he added, lowering his voice, "I'll bet that before he's +through with us Mr. 'Black George' Folwell will wish he had let us +alone. Such trusty adventurers as Bob and Jack here, to say nothing of +myself--notice my modesty--are liable to take his ship away from him +before we're through with this business." + +Jack clapped him on the back, and Bob roughed his hair. + +"Attaboy." + +"That's the idea." + +Frank merely had given an expression to their own sentiments. + +"If we only had a weapon or two," mourned Jack. + +Mr. Temple, with an exclamation, reached for his bag. Then he groaned +dismally. + +"No use." + +"What's the matter, Dad?" asked Bob. + +"Oh, Jack made me think of an automatic which I carried in my bag. But +you see the bag's open. These fellows foresaw the possibility of their +containing weapons and probably have gone through them all." + +"Let's have a look, anyhow," said Bob, starting to rummage. He was +unsuccessful. The revolver had been taken from the receptacle. + +"Oh, well," said Jack, "we'll have to keep our eyes open and our wits +about us, that's all. In a shipload of armed men, it would be strange if +we couldn't come by a weapon somehow." + +"Or, maybe, make a friend who will come over to our side," said Bob +suddenly. The big fellow was slower in his mental processes than his two +chums, but when he spoke it usually was to the point. + +"That's right, Bob," said his father, brightening, "of course, of +course. Why hadn't I considered that possibility before? A cruel man +like Folwell must make some enemies among his men, especially if they +have finer instincts and are not content merely to get their pay and +carouse." + +"I was thinking of Matt Murphy," said Bob. + +"Speak of the devil," said Frank, but so low his words were not heard. + +For at that moment, Murphy put his head in through the door. + +"We're off," he said. And it was true. The engines began to clank, the +screw to churn. The trawler quivered and headed out into the channel. +"In ten, fifteen minutes, we'll be passin' through the Golden Gate," +said Matt Murphy. "Them portholes ain't big enough to jump out, so I +ain't worried. But put your eye to 'em an' ye'll see." + +Abruptly then, as if half sorry for his display of interest, he closed +the door and they were once more alone. They looked from one to the +other, and Mr. Temple nodded satisfaction. + +"You're a discerning lad, Bob," he said. + +The others nodded. That was all. But, rightly or wrongly, the impression +was beginning to grow upon them that in Matt Murphy, "Black George's" +right-hand man, they might eventually find a friend. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +"BEST LAID PLANS" + + +"How fast do you imagine this boat is going, Mr. Temple?" + +Jack asked the question at the breakfast table next morning. None of the +four were seasick. At their homes on the far end of Long Island they +maintained a speed boat. Bob and Frank, in addition, owned an airplane. +All, as a consequence, were long since seasoned to the pitch and toss to +which they were now subjected. + +Breakfast had been served in the salon by several Chinamen under the eye +of Matt Murphy. The room, as well as their cabins, they saw had been +refitted luxuriously. The quarters were considerably larger than one +would expect to find aboard a trawler, and the furnishings were those of +a wealthy sportsman's yacht. In addition to the two cabins opening from +one side of the salon and which they occupied, two others were similarly +located opposite. One was occupied by Matt Murphy who, apparently, was +captain of the vessel, and the other by "Black George." + +"Oh, I don't know," said Mr. Temple in answer to Jack's question. "But a +boat such as this is not built for speed. Its especial quality is +staunchness." + +"Well, but how fast do you imagine it is going?" + +"About eight knots an hour or thereabouts," said Mr. Temple, +considering. "That would be nine to ten miles. A nautical mile, or knot, +you know, is between one and one-sixth and one and one-seventh land +miles. But, why, Jack? What have you in mind?" + +Jack glanced at "Black George's" door. It was closed. The other, he +knew, lay there helpless to move, under care of a man whom they had not +yet seen. So much had been gathered from Matt Murphy. The latter had +disappeared above deck. Leaning closer, Jack lowered his voice. +Instinctively, to hear him better, all put their heads together. + +"It was midnight when we came aboard," said Jack. "It is ten in the +morning now. That means we have been at sea ten hours. We have gone one +hundred miles, if you are correct about our speed. Now we are heading +south. Our cabins are on the port side and the sun from the east is in +our portholes. + +"Do you know what?" He leaned closer. + +"What?" asked Frank. + +"I believe we are heading for the smugglers' cove. And that's in the +south somewhere." + +The others nodded. + +"Well," continued Jack, "I've been thinking this over. San Diego is +about six hundred miles south of San Francisco, isn't it, Mr. Temple?" + +"Roughly that. Go on. What have you in mind?" + +"Just this. The smugglers' cove is either above or below San Diego, said +Inspector Burton, and not far from it in either direction. We shall +reach San Diego in forty-eight hours more, at this rate, or about this +time day after tomorrow. If the cove is this side of it, probably we +would make it tomorrow night. If it is below San Diego, probably we +would reach there the following night. + +"Now, hold your horses, Frank," Jack interrupted, good-naturedly, as he +saw Frank growing impatient. "I'm coming to the point. + +"What I have in mind is simply this: With 'Black George' _hors de +combat_, and Matt Murphy lukewarm, we may have a chance to seize the +ship before we reach the smugglers' headquarters. If we don't do it +before landing, our chance to gain our freedom later will be slim. And +the way I figured it out, we can't reach the smugglers' cove until +tomorrow night at the earliest, which gives us the best part of two days +in which to see what we can do." + +Warm approval was voiced by Frank and Bob. Mr. Temple, however, spoke of +the almost insuperable handicaps--their lack of any sort of weapons, +their ignorance as to the numbers or composition of the crew, or even as +to the physical characteristics of the ship. He pointed out they had +been forbidden to go above deck and, consequently, would know nothing +beforehand of their field of battle. + +"I agree with you, boys, of course," he added, in conclusion, "that, if +we can seize the ship, we must do so. But it is one thing to conceive an +idea, and a far more difficult matter to work out the details. However, +let us go into my cabin and leave the door open into the salon. There we +can discuss the situation from every angle with less fear of discovery." + +"There is one thing I haven't mentioned yet," said Jack. "I've been so +excited that it slipped my mind this morning. That is, I have a radio +receiving set that may come in handy." + +"Yes. That ring set which Inventor Bender showed us. I persuaded him to +sell it to me, you remember?" + +The boys nodded. + +"Well, when we went out sightseeing last night, I wore it on my left +hand, and there it still is." And Jack held up the device for +inspection. "The inventor said it had a receiving radius of ten miles. +It may mean a lot to us before we see the end of this adventure." + +The ring-radio of Inventor Bender is worthy of more extended mention +and, inasmuch as later it was to play a noteworthy part in the +adventures of the boys, perhaps it would be well to describe it at this +time. + +In the first place, Inventor Bender's ring-radio was not, strictly +speaking, his own invention, but rather an adaptation of a similar +device earlier invented by Alfred G. Rinehart, a young radio wizard of +Elizabeth, N. J. + +The young inventor had not patented his device, but to an interviewer +representing The Radio Globe of New York he had given a sketchy +description of its operations, suppressing details. This had come to +Inventor Bender's attention. With no desire to steal another's idea, but +merely for his own amusement, he had taken up the matter and devised his +own ring-radio, and this it was which he had sold to Jack. + +The head phones and connecting wires from the ring to the phones and to +aerial and ground were intact in his traveling bag, Jack already had +ascertained. Whoever had searched the bag for possible concealed weapons +had not considered it important to take them. + +"Even my umbrella is strapped to my bag," said Jack. "You remember +Inventor Bender said I could connect a lead to the metal stem of the +umbrella for aerial and stick a screwdriver into the earth for my ground +connection. Of course, there is no earth here, but salt water will do +even better." + +The ring of this set was the coil, slender, only slightly more than an +eighth of an inch in diameter, and encircling the finger. The mounting +comprised the controls and measured only 1 x 1-2 x 7-16 of an inch. +These measurements included the brightly polished bakelite panel on +which were mounted a diminutive crystal detector and small switch +control connected with the coil by nine taps, permitting of nine +different tuning adjustments by means of a movable band making +connections in the heads of nine tiny brass studs set in the panel in +the form of a semicircle. The whole was no larger than many ornate +rings, and resembled one in appearance. + +"Mr. Bender said it would receive on wave lengths up to and including +550 meters," Jack explained. "This trawler undoubtedly has radio. In +fact, I saw the aerial when we came aboard. Probably, sooner or later, +it will open communication with the radio at the smugglers' cove, and we +can hear it." + +"But any conversation would be in code," protested Frank. "Besides, they +might use a very high meter wave length, and your set would be unable to +receive." + +Jack looked thoughtful. + +"I've considered that," he said. "Naturally. Nevertheless, I have the +feeling that this little radio ring will be mighty handy, indeed." + +Meanwhile, the party had adopted Mr. Temple's suggestion and retired to +his cabin. The conversation now was directed by the older man into a +consideration of the possibilities. If they were to make an attempt to +capture the ship, he declared, it was vitally necessary to their plans +to know something of the composition of the crew and the physical aspect +of the vessel itself. + +Frank, Mr. Temple believed, seemed to have won Matt Murphy's regard to +some extent by his breezy manner. To him, therefore, was delegated the +delicate task of sounding Murphy in an effort to learn how strongly he +was attached to "Black George." + +"Be careful, however, not to give him any indication of what we have in +mind," warned Mr. Temple. "If you report that you saw any sign in +Murphy's words or manner that we could construe favorably, why then, +I'll have a talk with the man if possible." + +It was Mr. Temple's thought that he might appeal to the cupidity of Matt +Murphy by the offer of a substantial reward and to his fear by letting +him know how close upon his leader's trail were the officers of the +government. + +Like many well-laid plans, however, this was to come to naught. All that +day the barometer acted queerly and Matt Murphy kept the deck. And at +nightfall, after a growing mugginess that made it almost unbearably hot +below deck, the sky which had been growing steely, as they could see +from their cabin portholes, became entirely overcast. Soon the entire +patch of sky visible from the portholes was black as ink, and had it not +been for the switching on of the lights by a Chinese attendant sent down +by Matt Murphy it would have been similarly black in the cabin. + +"Isn't a storm in this part of the ocean at this time of year unusual, +Dad?" asked Bob. "I understood never a storm occurred along the +California Coast between June and late September." + +"Yes, Bob, it is unusual," answered his father, occupied in reading a +sea story which he had found on a shelf of books in the salon. "Listen. +What's that?" + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +A STORM AT SEA + + +A sound as of a vast drum being beaten, a drum bigger and more sonorous +than anything ever conceived of, suddenly filled the salon. The walls +seemed to quiver. So great was the noise, so shattering, that all put +their hands to their ears, as if their very eardrums were threatened. +The boys and Mr. Temple who were alone, looked at each other in alarm. + +The next moment the trawler, which until then had been riding on even +keel, heeled far over, so far, indeed, that it seemed as if she could +not right herself. Caught off guard the boys were tossed against the +doors of their cabins and bruised badly by the impact. Then slowly, like +a swimmer coming to the surface after a dive, the ship righted herself +only to begin a tossing motion that was frightful. + +"First the rain," shouted Mr. Temple, who by clutching the table had +maintained his equilibrium, "and now the wind. That's all." + +The door of the companionway was thrust back rudely, admitting a cascade +of water that washed across the floor and the reeling form of Matt +Murphy. His head hung low and there was that in his attitude which told +Frank, the most sensitive of the boys, that he was in trouble. Frank +sprang to his assistance. + +"Good boy," said Murphy, thickly. "Shut the door or the whole Pacific +Ocean will be in here." + +Frank slammed the watertight door and then turned to Murphy. His +companions also had gathered around. Murphy grasped the table with his +left hand. The right arm hung useless. + +"Me arm's broke I guess," he said. "Git that doctor out o' the Big +Boss's room. Calls himself a doctor, anyhow." + +Frank hastened to pound on the door of "Black George's" cabin. At first +there was no answer. Then a weak voice began to curse, the sounds barely +audible to Frank above the roar of the storm. + +He was uncertain what to do and turned to appeal to Murphy. The latter, +reeling and clutching the table, interpreted his action aright. + +"Open the door," he said. + +Frank complied. + +On a tumbled berth lay the form of "Black George," with head bandaged, +recumbent, relaxed, breathing heavily. In a corner on the floor, as if +tossed there by the action of the ship, half lay, half crouched a little +fat man with gray hair and ragged gray mustache. As Frank opened the +door he looked up, through bleared eyes, ceased mumbling and stared in +fright. + +"Don't take me, Mr. Devil. Please don't take me," he pleaded piteously. + +Frank was thrust aside by Matt Murphy, who had come to investigate. +Despite his broken arm, which must have been giving him great pain, the +latter advanced to the cowering form in the corner. + +"Why, you're not even drunk," he said, after a moment's scrutiny. "I +believe you're just scared. Come. Out wit' ye." + +Seizing the other's collar with his sound arm Murphy started to drag him +into the salon. It was the boy's first sight of the man taking care of +"Black George." Since they had come aboard he had not left the cabin to +their knowledge. Chinese servants had taken his food to him. For that +matter, they had seen nobody in authority except Matt Murphy. First +mate? Second mate? Engineer? If the vessel owned them, at least they had +not been seen. + +Now the frightened little fat man grasped Murphy by a leg and almost +pulled him to the floor. He babbled incoherently. Murphy tugged at him a +moment, then tossed him back into his corner in disgust and started to +withdraw. His eyes fell on the still form of "Black George." He stooped +over him, raised his eyelids, let them fall, and with an oath of disgust +quit the cabin for the main salon, slamming the door behind him. + +Dispiritedly, he slumped against the table. + +"Master down an' out wit' drugs," he said. "That's what comes av +association' wit' these Chinee people. You get to be a dopefiend. An' +doctor so scared he's av no use. Uh." + +Frank advanced. + +"Look here, Mr. Murphy," he said. "If your arm's hurt, let us examine +it. Bob here is a pretty good hand at rough surgical work. He took a +course in first-aid, so he could help out in football accidents at +school." + +Murphy looked up hopefully. + +"That so? Well, have a luk, lad. Here"--addressing Frank--"ye'll find +bandages an' splints an' iodine in that cabinet in my cabin. Go an' git +'em. An' bring me that bottle o' licker ye'll find there, too. I nade +somethin' to put sperrit in me this night." + +One long pull he took at the bottle of liquor, then ordered Frank to +take it away, after Mr. Temple had declined his offer of a drink. + +"One's enough," he said. "I've got work to do an' must kape my head. Now +lad"--extending his arm and addressing Bob--"go ahead." + +Murphy was without a coat, and Bob's first move was to cut away the left +sleeve of his flannel shirt. Deftly Bob worked, aided now and then by +his companions, while Murphy sat without a groan throughout the whole +operation. Beads of perspiration dotted his forehead. At the end, +however, his arm was neatly and stoutly bound in splints and lashed +across his chest. + +"That's wan I owe you, boys," he said, when the operation was completed. +"Matt Murphy don't forgit. Now I'll be on me way to the bridge, or that +Chinee at the wheel will be droppin' away from the wind an' there'll be +the Divil to pay." + +As he rose to his feet and started for the door, Frank intervened. + +"Won't you let me come up to have a look around, Mr. Murphy?" he begged. + +"I will not," said Matt Murphy, violently. "Don't ye know why I kept ye +below all day? 'Tis because the Chinees have it in for ye for +half-killin' Wong Ho. There's only two I kin trust an' them's the wans +as cooks for ye an' serves the food. Stay where ye are an' be safe." + +With that he opened the door, reeled back before the force of the wind +and the swirling gray hail of rain, then lowered his head and charged +through, pulling the door to behind him. + +"So that explains why we've been kept below here," said Mr. Temple +thoughtfully. "Well, the prospect if we fall into the hands of the +Chinese crew doesn't look pleasant." + +"I've heard," said Jack, "that the Chinese idolize certain leaders, and +will go to any lengths to obtain revenge for injury to them." + +Mr. Temple nodded. + +"Nevertheless," he said, hopefully, "this man Murphy seems a pretty good +sort, rough as he is. He'll do his best to protect us." + +"Yes," declared Frank, "it seemed to me tonight that he was beginning to +regret being a party to our captivity. He doesn't want us to fall into +the hands of the Chinamen. And he's disgusted, too, with his employer. +Maybe, we'll get him on our side yet." + +"He'll protect us from the Chinamen all right," said Bob. "But when his +boss, 'Black George,' recovers, he will be powerless. If this scoundrel +is saving us in order to exact vengeance on us for the way we laid him +out, we'll be in a pretty fix." + +"Listen," said Jack. "I have an idea." + +"What?" + +"Why, here is 'Black George' helpless, with only a fright-crazed little +pudding of a doctor to help him. Let us take possession of 'Black +George' and gain the whip hand over Murphy. Then we can compel Murphy to +come over to our side, perhaps." + +"How?" + +"Why, we'll buy our freedom with the freedom of Murphy's master." + +"I don't believe it can be done, Jack," said Mr. Temple thoughtfully. +"It isn't only Murphy with whom we have to reckon, but these Chinamen, +too. With them above all. 'Black George' probably doesn't mean much to +them. They would rather see him killed than see us escape their clutch. +They probably feel that when we reach the smugglers' cove they can +compel 'Black George' to turn us over to their tender mercies, and that +is the only reason they have been content to keep hands off so far." + +Jack was silent. The force of Mr. Temple's reasoning was apparent to +him. + +"Well, then," he said presently, "we'll have to capture the ship in some +way. That's all. And, perhaps, we can persuade Murphy to give us weapons +and help us overawe the Chinese crew." + +"Perhaps we can," said Mr. Temple. "Meantime, let us all turn in and get +some sleep. Tomorrow will be the day on which we must make whatever +attempt we decide on. And we'll need all our strength and alertness +then. Frank, do you and Jack be sure to lock your cabin door again as +you did last night, and we will do likewise. Let us each take a heavy +chair into our rooms, too. In case of a night attack, we can at least +pull the chair apart for clubs. And now, good night." + +Mr. Temple thereupon turned in. For some moments, more, however, the +boys chatted and tried to read, but at last they, too, retired. As far +as they could tell, the storm continued to rage undiminished. + +"I wonder what tomorrow will bring forth, Jack," said Frank, just before +going to sleep. + +"I wonder," said Jack. "Good night." + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +HOPE IS "IN THE AIR" + + +Jack waked early the next morning and lay in his berth wondering +drowsily for several moments as to what caused his feeling that there +was something unusual in the situation. Then he jumped alertly to his +feet and ran to the porthole. + +The trawler was motionless. When he retired it had been tossed about by +the storm. Now its engines were stilled, its screw was not turning, and +except for a slight rolling motion it lay as calm as in a harbor. Could +it be they had reached the smugglers' cove during the night? It was this +alarming thought which sent Jack to the porthole. + +But a look at the outer world convinced him to the contrary. There was +no land in sight. And as he was on the landward side, he considered this +a pretty good indication that they were not in port anywhere. Of course, +the trawler might have swung about, so that her starboard side lay +toward the land. He sniffed. There was no land smell in the salty air. +He listened. No land sounds came to his ears. + +Perhaps the trawler had broken down in the storm, perhaps something had +happened to engines or screw. Jack had the natural curiosity of a young +fellow in his 'teens and wished that he might go on deck and +investigate. He thought of Matt Murphy's prohibition, of the Chinese +crew thirsting for the blood of himself and his comrades. + +But, after all, he reassured himself, if he merely poked his head up the +companionway nobody would see him. He would be safe enough. And at the +recollection of that clean sunshine flooding all the world outside, +which he had seen through the porthole, and of the magically calmed sea, +he decided he would have to obtain a glimpse of the world above decks, +get a lungful of fresher air, no matter what happened. + +All this time he had been hurriedly getting into his clothes. A look +showed him Bob slept on. Unlocking the cabin door, he stepped +soundlessly into the salon. + +It was empty of human occupants other than himself. The door of the +Temples' cabin was closed. "Black George's" cabin door was closed. So, +too, was that of Matt Murphy. Jack gave fleeting thought to the question +of how that worthy had survived the stress of the night. Was he still on +deck? Or had he retired to rest? If the latter, who was in command? + +"Certainly is a queer layout, anyhow," Jack mused. "Murphy and the +doctor the only white men we have seen other than 'Black George.' Aren't +there any officers? Are all others aboard Chinamen? Well, here goes." + +And trying the handle of the outer door, and finding it turn +soundlessly, he opened it inch by inch. The companionway was empty. A +short flight of steps led to the deck. Mounting several, he found his +head on a level with the deck and started to raise it cautiously to peer +out. + +The sound of low-voiced conversation came to his ears, and instinctively +he bent down again. Listening a moment, he decided that he had not been +seen, for the whispering went on. It came, he believed, from a point not +far to the right, on the other side of the wooden bulwark of the +companionway. + +He held his breath, straining painfully. Whoever they were, they were +speaking in English. Yet neither voice was that of Matt Murphy. Who +could they be? He had to see. + +Slowly, slowly, scarcely moving, yet edging forward all the time, Jack +peered around the bulwark. Presently he saw them. They were two in +number, and one was the little fat doctor who looked after "Black +George." The other was a sodden-looking man of middle age, with a smudge +of grease over one eye and his face generally dark with grime and coal +dust. He was in his undershirt and carried a wrench in his right hand. + +"We'll soon have her fixed now, Doc," this latter individual was saying, +"nothing wrong but a couple of bolts shaken loose in the storm. Thought +I'd better lay up and tighten things generally. That's all. Well, so +long, I have to keep them Chinks moving or we'll never get the work +finished." + +The engineer, Jack correctly surmised. He started to move on. The fat +little doctor laid a detaining hand on his arm, and glanced around +nervously. Jack hastily withdrew his head, only to advance it again +cautiously a moment later. The doctor's back was turned. + +"Mr. MacFinney," he said to the engineer. "You don't know what's +happening to your engines while you're away, do you?" + +"Not with them Chinks around," said the other, laughing a little. "They +don't know much about machinery." + +"The Chinamen," said the doctor, darkly. "That's just it." + +"What's the matter with you, Marley?" said MacFinney, thrusting his face +closer to the other's. "Out with it, man. Have ye something on your +mind? Or is it just the drink again?" + +Doctor Marley drew his fat little form upright, as if to resent the +rough remark. He was cursed with the habit of secret drinking, and it +was on that account he had lost his practice and had fallen into the +state of a creature to "Black George." But resentment did not last. He +was frightened. The next moment he laid a trembling hand on MacFinney's +arm. + +"Mr. MacFinney," he said, low and hurried, "I'm afraid the Chinese may +have put your engines out of commission, or may be doing it now while +you are absent. You know our Chinese cook is a strange fellow, hates the +others, or at any rate has little to do with them. And he said +something----" + +MacFinney started forward with an oath. + +"If they're up to any monkeyshines, I'll fix 'em." + +Doctor Marley ran after him, laying a hand on his arm. + +"Oh, do be careful, Mr. MacFinney," he pleaded, all a-twitter with fear, +as Jack could observe. "Please be careful. What--what would I do, if +anything happened to you?" + +MacFinney regarded him scornfully. + +"So it's yourself you're thinking of. What might happen to me doesn't +matter on my account. But you need me for protection, hey?" + +"Oh, Mr. MacFinney. Oh. You mustn't think that. But it's those boys that +Mr. Folwell brought aboard. They injured Wong Ho. I bound up his head +before I left. And he's their leader, he's----" + +"Yes, yes, I know," interrupted the engineer, impatiently. "But don't +delay me. If what you suspect is true, and I wouldn't put it past them +Chinks, it's high time I was gettin' below." + +Jack waited to hear no more. He did not want to be discovered by Doctor +Marley, if the latter chose to return at once. Retreating noiselessly +down the companion, he re-entered the salon. It was just as he had left +it. But when he opened the door of his cabin, he received a surprise. + +Frank was at the porthole with his back turned and the headphones of +Jack's ring-radio set clamped to his ears. Jack's thoughts flew at once +to the ring, and he remembered having taken it off before retiring and +placing it on a stand against the wall. He looked. It was not there. +Obviously, Frank, on awaking, had noticed it and had been impelled to +take the parts from Jack's bag and make an attempt to listen in on the +ether. + +On tiptoe Jack crossed the cabin and peered over Frank's shoulder. His +chum had one arm through the porthole, clutching the extended umbrella. +One wire led to the wire stem. Another wire dangled downward to the sea, +although Jack could not, of course, observe more than the fact of its +direction. Here were aerial and ground. Jack tapped his chum on the +shoulder, but Frank, with serious face, frowned at him, and Jack +interpreted the look to be a request for silence. Perhaps Frank was +hearing something of moment. He stood to one side, waiting for Frank to +speak. + +Evidently his chum was straining hard to hear. He even closed his eyes, +the better to concentrate. What could it be? Jack had news of his own to +impart, important news, but in Frank's attitude he sensed something that +bespoke importance too. Suddenly Frank opened his eyes. + +"That's all," he said. "The conversation grew fainter and fainter. Now I +can't hear at all any more." + +"What was it? What did you hear?" + +"Just two ships talking, Jack. That's all." + +Frank smiled teasingly, as he folded the umbrella and pulled it back +through the porthole, then laid off the headphones and began hauling in +the ground wire. + +"Just two ships, that's all. You don't mind my taking liberties with +your toy, do you, Jack?" + +"Of course not. But, look here, you heard something that excited you, +Frank. Quit joshing. What was it?" + +Frank turned a serious face, his eyes gleaming. + +"Jack, the funniest thing. I heard two ships talking, or rather, only +one ship talking to another. The replies of the second I couldn't hear +at all." + +"That ring-radio has a radius of about ten miles," said Jack. "Perhaps +not quite that much. That accounts for it. You heard the ship that was +within our radius, but not the other because it was too far away to be +heard. But what was said? Business, I suppose?" + +"Business, my eye," said Frank. "The one nearby was the U. S. Sub Chaser +X-51. And as far as I could gather, it was talking to a coast liner +bound north for San Francisco aboard which was Inspector Burton. He was +asking the sub chaser to run alongside the liner and take him off. +Remember, I could only hear what the sub chaser replied. I gathered from +something said that the liner could not be so very far away. The sub +chaser started for it, however, and as it drew away from us the radio +got fainter and fainter until I lost it altogether." + +"A sub chaser that close to us," said Jack, highly excited. "That +decides me. We've got to act at once. Come on." + +He seized Frank by an arm and propelled him toward the door. + +"But here. Wait a minute. I'm not half dressed yet. What's the matter +with you?" + +"Jump into your clothes quick. Meantime I'll get hold of Mr. Temple and +Bob and bring them back here. We have got to talk to that sub chaser and +turn her this way." + +"Talk to her?" said Frank, perplexed. "You must be crazy. With this +little receiving set, I suppose." + +"No, with the trawler's radio. But I'll explain when I return. Jump into +your clothes." + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE UPPER HAND REGAINED + + +Jack was highly excited as he dashed into the main salon and made for +the door of the Temples' cabin. And with reason. He believed that now, +if ever, they must attempt to seize the trawler. + +The Chinese crew threatened to get out of hand and seize the ship +themselves, in order to make sure of their vengeance upon the boys for +what they had done to Wong Ho. If the boys anticipated them, and got the +upper hand, they could send a call for help by radio to the sub chaser. +It would be a matter of only a very short time before that speedy craft +could swing about and come to their rescue. Moreover, they would thereby +capture "Black George" Folwell. And Inspector Burton had said it would +be a feather in the cap of any man to accomplish that undertaking. + +The main salon still was deserted, and the doors to the cabins of "Black +George" and Matt Murphy still closed. Jack did not know, of course, +whether Doctor Marley had returned to his patient. But he believed that +probably the frightened little man had waited above deck to see whether +Engineer MacFinney found any signs of sabotage. + +The Temples' door resisted. It was locked. But Bob's voice called +sharply: + +"Who's there?" + +"It's I, Jack. Open up quickly." + +He heard Bob hit the floor, and grinned, even in the midst of his +excitement. The big fellow evidently was sleeping late. By the time Bob +had opened the door Frank stood beside Jack, completing a sketchy toilet +by tucking shirt into trousers. + +"Bob, Mr. Temple. We have got to try and seize the trawler at once." + +This was Jack's opening remark, as he and Frank closed the door to the +salon. + +Father and son, pajama-clad, sleepy-eyed, looked at him in amazement. + +"Are you crazy, Jack?" asked Bob. + +The older man, however, regarded Jack keenly. + +"You've heard something, Jack," he said. "What is it?" + +Briefly and graphically Jack related his morning's adventurous prowling +and the result of his eavesdropping. Then he told what Frank had +overheard by the use of the ring-radio. + +"That decided me," he said. "When I heard there was a sub chaser near, I +felt we just had to make an effort to capture the trawler's radio room +at least, and call for help. We can hold out until the sub chaser comes +up." + +Mr. Temple grew grave. + +"But without weapons," he said, "what chance have we against the +Chinese?" + +"Look here," said Bob, slowly, "I'll bet this fellow 'Black George' has +a revolver or two in his room. He's bound to keep a weapon handy. Well, +he was helpless last night, and probably still is. What's to prevent our +going in there and taking it from him?" + +"Good idea, Bob," said Frank. "And there's my friend, Matt Murphy, too. +According to Jack, he isn't up yet. Probably put in a bad night and is +sleeping while the ship's engines are being repaired. He undoubtedly has +a revolver, too. Suppose we compel him to give it to us. His arm is +broken, and surely if we burst into the room we can overawe him." + +The others nodded approvingly, and the eyes of the three boys lighted up +with enthusiasm. Mr. Temple shook his head gravely, but continued to +make a hasty toilet nevertheless. + +"Pants and shirt, Dad," said Bob. "That's all we need. Have to hurry." + +In a trice the two were thus sketchily clad, standing in their bare +feet, and then Jack, who had assumed command, gave his orders. + +"Mr. Temple," he said, deferring to the older man's judgment, "I believe +we had better split into two parties and enter the two cabins +simultaneously, don't you? If we all go into one cabin first, either +'Black George's' or Murphy's, intending to follow into the other later, +the probability is that we would alarm the occupant of the other cabin +and put him on his guard." + +"Yes, Jack, that's right. Suppose Bob and I tackle 'Black George' and +you and Frank go after Matt Murphy." + +"Right," said Jack, his hand on the door. + +"One thing more, boys," cautioned Mr. Temple. "Go in quickly and +quietly, and get your man before he has a chance to fire. We shall do +likewise." + +The boys nodded. Then Jack opened the door and, with beating hearts, the +four filed out. Jack tiptoed across the salon to prevent his shoes +making any sound. The others were in their stockinged feet. Two and two +they ranged outside the doors of the two cabins. Mr. Temple nodded that +he and Bob were ready. Jack did the same. Then they flung open the doors +and dashed in. + +Jack and Frank found Matt Murphy sleeping heavily. One look showed an +automatic in an ammunition belt suspended from a nail above his head. +With one swoop Jack caught the weapon and belt to him. The movement +disturbed Murphy, who was lying fully clothed on his berth, the bandaged +arm across his chest. He looked at them, then with a roar raised up, but +Frank pushed him back on his pillow. Jack drew the weapon and presented +it at him. + +"Quiet now," he said, in a low voice. "We don't want to hurt you. But +our lives are in danger from the crew and we mean to protect ourselves." + +Murphy lay back, and a gleam came into his eyes. He looked from one to +the other. + +"Are they attackin' ye or do you just guess they're goin' to?" + +"They haven't attacked us yet," replied Frank. "But we're not waiting +for what we know would come. Look here, Mr. Murphy, you know what the +sentiment of the Chinese is toward us. Well, my friend Jack here +overheard something this morning which indicated the Chinese planned +immediate action. Now----" + +"Come right in," invited Murphy sarcastically, looking over Frank's +shoulder. "This is my hour for receivin' callers." + +Frank whirled. + +Mr. Temple and Bob were in the doorway. + +"What luck?" he asked eagerly, while Jack, not to be diverted, continued +to keep eye and revolver trained on Murphy. + +"The man is still drugged," said Mr. Temple. "We found not only one +revolver, but two and a knife besides." + +"Was the doctor there?" asked Jack. + +"No." + +"Mr. Murphy, where is the radio room?" Frank demanded. + +"On top av this cabin," replied the recumbent man. "But little good +it'll do ye. MacFinney, the engineer, is the only wan aboard who can +operate it, an' till the engines git goin' there'll be no juice if it's +callin' for help you mane to do." + +They looked at each other in dismay. Here was a contingency that had not +occurred to them. Jack groaned aloud. But ere any of them could speak, +the stamp of the engines suddenly began. MacFinney had gotten them +repaired, whether his Chinese had tried sabotage or not. The engines +seemed to gain confidence. A slight quivering shook the trawler. + +"There's your juice, lad," Matt Murphy said gruffly, reaching out his +sound hand to pluck Frank's sleeve. + +Frank whirled, a broad smile on his face. + +"Look here, Mr. Murphy," he declared, "I believe you are on our side at +heart, aren't you?" + +Murphy sat up on the berth, swinging his legs over the side. + +"Not I," he said. "I'm Folwell's man. But when ye point a revolver at me +an' order me to get up an' navigate the ould tub, what can I do?" + +"Right," said Frank gravely, although his eyes were dancing and the +corners of his mouth twitched. "Well, captain, will you please +navigate?" + +"Sure," said Murphy. "Follow me." + +As they started out of the salon and up the companionway stairs, Bob +pressed a revolver into Frank's hand. + +"Take this," he whispered. "I have the knife." + +"But Bob----" + +"But nothing. If it comes to fighting at close quarters I've got more +beef than you. You keep them off with that revolver, d'you hear? Don't +let them get near you." + +Frank, the smallest of the three chums, pressed Bob's hand gratefully, +grasped the revolver, and followed in the wake of his big comrade, thus +bringing up the procession headed by Matt Murphy. + +The latter paused as they reached the deck and looked toward the wheel. +He had left it lashed. Not a soul was in sight. The others grouped +themselves about him. He addressed Frank. + +"I don't like the looks av things," he said. "The Chinks must all be in +the fo'c's'le, hatchin' their plots. Will ye trust your prisoner to go +below an' see how MacFinney is comin' along? An' do you meantime while +the engines are turnin' over, an' ye have your chance, go into the radio +room off the bridge. 'Tis up this ladder." He indicated a narrow +iron-runged ladder beside him, leading to the tiny bridge above. Keenly +he regarded the boy. "Can ye use it when you're up there?" + +"Yes, indeed," said Frank. "Well, here goes before a Chinaman sees me. +Come on, gang." + +And shinning up the ladder, he entered the room opening from the bridge, +with Mr. Temple followed by Bob and Jack hard on his heels. One glance +around, and he saw what he was looking for. The control apparatus for +sending messages was on a stand against the opposite wall. Adjusting a +headphone, and pulling a microphone toward him, Frank reached for the +knobs and began calling the Sub Chaser while manipulating them. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +ABANDON SHIP + + +"A fine place for defense," commented Jack, looking about him. + +"If we keep down, they may not even discover us," said Mr. Temple. + +The front wall of the little radio room was composed of stout wooden +panelling to half a man's height from the floor with glass above. Mr. +Temple, Bob and Jack knelt or crouched behind this protective screen, +their heads showing just above it, as they looked along the deck toward +the forecastle where the crew was housed. The forecastle door was +closed. + +On the narrow deck below were two immense hatches opening into the hold +where when the trawler was legitimately employed, fish would be packed. +But "Black George" used that big hold in which to pack Chinese coolies. +Beyond the hatches rose a stout derrick, and beyond that the forecastle. +Behind the bridge and the radio room, or aft in the trawler, lay the +engine room. That way the view was cut off by the blank wall of the +radio room against which stood the instruments which Frank was now +trying to use. + +"Listen," whispered Jack. "Frank's talking." + +All three withdrew their gaze from the deck and glanced around. + +"He's got the Sub Chaser," whispered Bob, gleefully. "Say, this is too +easy. Why, we'll have help here before the Chinese ever realize what has +happened. Hear that. Old Frank's giving the Sub Chaser our bearings +right now, just as Murphy gave them to him." + +A slight scratching sound caused Jack to face about in alarm. The door +from the bridge stood slightly ajar, as they had left it on entrance. He +listened. Someone was creeping up the ladder. Now he was on the bridge, +creeping on hands and knees toward the door. Jack nudged Bob who was +next to him, and laid a hand on his lips. They as well as Mr. Temple who +was farthest away were all crouched so low to avoid being seen from the +deck that they themselves could not look out. + +In the silence Frank's voice rang clearly: + +"Prisoners, I tell you. Yes, that's our position. What's that? I can't +hear you. Hurry. This is ticklish. We've got their radio room, yes. They +haven't discovered us yet. But when they do, they'll cut off our juice. +We'll hold out, all right. But come your fastest." + +The creeping sound outside had ceased. Jack could bear the anxiety no +longer. He raised his head cautiously. Nobody in sight as the deck came +into view. The door of the forecastle still was closed. He rose a trifle +higher to bring the bridge into view. Then he yelled as the door was +dashed inward against him, knocking him to the floor. + +"Black George," tall, powerful, his head bandaged, his eyes aflame with +maniacal rage, stood swaying in the little doorway, crouched to spring. + +Bob sprang forward. He had given his revolver, the one taken from "Black +George's" room, to Frank. He had retained the long knife, but the +unaccustomed weapon lay on the floor where he had placed it when he +knelt, forgotten. He was unarmed. Mr. Temple shouted in alarm, and +raised his revolver to fire. Then he dropped it again. He would hit his +son. + +Bob's right fist shot out, but "Black George" dodged and the blow slid +harmlessly over his shoulder. With a snarl, "Black George" flung his +arms about Bob's waist. They reeled out to the bridge, tight-locked +together, swayed a moment on the edge, and then fell with a crash to the +deck at the foot of the ladder. + +It all happened so suddenly that by the time he could regain his feet +and dash out to the bridge, Jack was too late to prevent the disaster. +Revolver in hand, Mr. Temple was a step ahead of Jack and started down +the ladder, with eyes only for the two figures below, apparently not +much hurt by the fall and writhing now on the deck. But Jack saw what +the older man missed, and shouted a warning. + +"Look out, Mr. Temple, here they come." + +Frank had heard the shouts. With a last word to the Sub Chaser, he +ceased radioing and ran out on the bridge. He too saw the menace, and +realized there was no time to lose. + +For out of the forecastle, aroused by the shouts, seemed literally to +boil a dozen Chinamen. + +Throwing up his revolver, Frank fired over their heads to scare them. +Jack did likewise. Then both boys leaped to the deck beside Mr. Temple, +who, oblivious of all but the danger to his son, was bending over the +latter as he threshed about at grips with "Black George." + +Some of the Chinamen sprang behind the derrick. Others flung themselves +down behind coils of rope, several of which lay about the deck. In a +twinkling the deck was cleared. Not a human mark was left to shoot at. +Were they armed? That was the question the boys anxiously asked +themselves. The answer came quickly, not in bullets, but in a knife that +whizzed unpleasantly close to Jack's head, burying itself inches deep in +the bulwark behind him, where it stuck quivering, and in another that +struck the deck at Frank's feet and would have caught him in the stomach +had he not leaped backward in the nick of time. + +"Fire a couple of shots to scare them, Frank," panted Jack, whose chest +was laboring with the excitement. "Keep them down while I help Bob. +We've got to get under shelter." + +Obediently, Frank sent a bullet pinging into the derrick mast and +another into a coil of rope. The latter shot brought a howl of fright, +and a Chinaman darted from behind the rope and like a rabbit into the +open forecastle door. Frank sent another bullet into the deck behind him +to hasten his flight. The shots had a salutary effect, not a Chinaman so +much as poked forth an arm to fire weapon or throw knife. + +Jack meanwhile leaped to where Mr. Temple was trying to pull "Black +George" from his son. But neither wrestler was willing to release his +grip. + +"We've got to get under shelter, Bob," cried Jack. "Break away." + +"Let me alone," panted the big fellow. "I've got him now. Ah." + +And with a sudden mighty heave, Bob rose upward. "Black George" rose +upward, too. Over Bob's head he went hurtling through the air. They all +turned to look. There was a cry of anguish. Then a thud. Out of the +engine room door Engineer MacFinney, emerging at that crucial moment, +was met by the body of "Black George." Both fell to the deck together, +then rolled backward down the engine room steps. + +Several shots from the direction of the Chinese thudded into the +bulwark. Frank replied. + +"One of them behind the derrick has got a revolver," cried Frank, +pumping several more shots into the derrick mast. "Keep up the fire on +his position, Jack, so he can't take aim. I've got to reload." + +Jack pressed the trigger. No result. He tried again. + +"It's jammed," he groaned. "Mr. Temple, try your revolver." + +The respite was enough for the armed Chinaman. Perhaps he saw Frank +working frantically to put a fresh clip of cartridges in his automatic. +He fired, just as Mr. Temple raised his revolver. The bullet sent the +weapon spinning. A yell of triumph went up from the concealed Chinese. + +It was a critical moment. Another such shot, and the Chinese would be +encouraged to break from cover and make a rush across the deck. Frank +succeeded in reloading. But he was trembling so much from excitement +that he could not steady his hand sufficiently to pump his bullets into +the derrick mast as before, and the shots went high. + +"This way, lads, quick," cried a voice. + +It was Matt Murphy. He stood aft at the stern post, beckoning, and +beside him was the fat little Doctor Marley, white with fright, +trembling, wringing his hands. Bob, Jack and Mr. Temple started towards +him. Frank who had taken one swift glance around, called that he would +guard their rear and, sending an occasional shot along the deck, walked +backward after his companions. + +"Come on, come on," called Murphy's voice impatiently. + +What did he want? What was his intention? Frank found time to wonder. +Nevertheless, he did not relax his vigilance. Sending several more shots +along the deck, he bumped into a form and whirled about. It was Murphy. +Then the boy saw a boat in the water below, with the doctor and Mr. +Temple already in it, Jack climbing over the thwarts and Bob sliding +down the rope. + +A yell of rage went up from several Chinese sufficiently courageous to +peer from their hiding places and realize that their prey were escaping. + +"Give 'em another shot to hold them," commanded Murphy. + +Frank complied. + +Several Chinese who had gained their feet and started forward threw +themselves prone again on the deck. + +"Now give me that gun," said Murphy. "I fixed your friend's gun for 'im, +so ye'll have one in the boat. And down the rope with ye, an' cast off." + +"But, but----" + +"No buts about it," said Murphy, roughly. "I heard ye callin' for help +an' I want none of Uncle Sam's men puttin' me in jail for the rest of me +life. Over ye go, Jonah, an' good luck to ye." + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +DOCTOR MARLEY EXPLAINS + + +Frank slid down the rope which Mr. Temple, braced in the bow of the +boat, held steady for him. Jack and Bob already were at the oars and +fending off from the side of the trawler. Fat little Doctor Marley +crouched frightened in the stern. + +"Give 'way," cried Matt Murphy, from above. + +As he made his way across the thwarts toward the stern, the better to +trim the boat, Frank glanced up. Over the rail of the trawler leaned +Matt Murphy waving farewell with his uninjured hand, in which was +clutched the revolver taken from Frank. + +Frank waved as his chums bent lustily to the oars and the boat began to +dance across the still water, widening the gap between it and the +trawler. A feeling of regret at parting with Murphy crossed Frank's +mind. A strange man, a leader of crooks, was Murphy. Yet Frank had been +quick to sense the finer instincts beneath the surface and companionable +traits which drew him strangely. + +From the deck of the trawler there floated to them now a high jabbering +of Chinese. They were in sight, and the thwarted Orientals were angry at +seeing their prey escape. They ran to the rail and leaned over, +jabbering away. One--the man with the revolver--whipped up his arm and +fired. The bullet skimmed the water close to the stern, and Doctor +Marley whimpered and threw himself flat on the bottom boards. + +The next moment they could see Matt Murphy coolly raise his weapon and +fire. But not at them. His shot caught the Chinese gunman in the arm, +and the latter's revolver fell into the sea as he seized the injured +member and danced about in shrieking agony. + +"Look," cried Frank, "he's driving them back into the forecastle." + +Murphy was, indeed, driving the Chinese away from the rail. His voice +came only faintly to the boat, but its occupants could see him kicking, +striking with clubbed revolver, forcing the Orientals below. One by one +they disappeared into the forecastle door until the deck was cleared of +them. Then Murphy turned, a tiny figure now on the deck, and waved once +more to the boat. + +"Lay on your oars now, Jack," advised Bob. "Murphy said to lay here +until the Sub Chaser, which had our position, picked us up." + +"So Murphy gave you some explanation about things, hey?" asked Frank. +"I'm all at sea all right, in my mind as well as the boat. What's it all +about? Where did he come from so suddenly? How, with that broken arm, +did he get this boat lowered? Why did he drive us off the trawler? And +why did we come away, anyhow? We were in a ticklish position, but still +might have held on until the Sub Chaser arrived. Then we'd have had our +birds." + +Bob glanced around the horizon. + +"Not a sign of smoke indicating the Sub Chaser," he said, "unless it's +that tiny film off there"--pointing to the southwest. "What position did +the Sub Chaser give, Frank, and how far away was it?" + +"That's the Chaser, all right," said Frank. "She was southwest from us +and about fourteen knots away. Said she'd be up in an hour easy." + +He pulled out his watch. + +"Why," he declared, "it must have stopped. No"--listening--"it's going all +right. But it certainly is hard to believe. Only twenty-five minutes +since we left the cabin. I looked at my watch then. And less since I +called the Chaser. It'll be some time before it comes up." + +"Look," cried Jack pointing, "the trawler's belching a thicker smoke. +And, yes--she's beginning to steam away from us." + +"I suppose," said Mr. Temple, "that Murphy is going to try to escape." +He called to Doctor Marley. "Doctor, you were with Murphy and helped him +lower this boat. What did he say to you? Why did he help us at all? Did +he tell you?" + +The fat little man crouching at Frank's side, still in an attitude of +fright, looked up for the first time. As he saw the distance between the +trawler and boat steadily widening an expression of relief lit up his +face. + +"Chinese frighten me dreadfully," he said, shuddering a little. "I'm so +glad I escaped. And that man, 'Black George,' too. I have attended him +before, and so his men came and got me out of bed the other night when +he was injured. But I never dreamed of being taken on his boat. Oh, I am +so glad I escaped." + +"Yes, yes, Doctor," said Mr. Temple. "But tell us what you know, +please." + +"There isn't much to tell," he said. "I gathered from a hint dropped by +the cook that the Chinese aboard wanted vengeance on you people because +of the way you had laid out old Wong Ho, their leader. There is some +queer clannishness, some tie, that I don't understand. But it is quite +certain they did thirst for your blood. + +"So I went to Engineer MacFinney and warned him the Chinese might try to +break down his engines, in order to seize the ship before it reached its +destination and thus get you in their power without interference from +Folwell's land forces. He went below, and presently called me and I +joined him. + +"He had the engines working. The dozen Chinese aboard were busy under +his directions. He took me aside, out of their hearing, and ordered me +to go to the Chinese cook--who, for some reason, probably because he was +of another tong or clan, was not on good terms with the rest of the +crew. + +"'Tell him,' he ordered me, 'to go into the forecastle and take away all +the revolvers hidden there. He'll know where to find them. These fellows +always carry their knives, but if they have any revolvers around, we'll +appropriate those at least.' + +"I was frightened, gentlemen. I am a man of peace. But the burly +engineer overawed me, and drove me forth to do his bidding. The cook +found a number of revolvers and appropriated them, hiding them in his +pans. But evidently, he overlooked one revolver or else the man +possessing it carried it with him, for you were shot at several times by +one of the Chinese." + +"I'll say we were," declared Frank, slangily. + +"Then," continued the doctor, "when I returned to the engine room, the +Chinese all left. Perhaps they suspected some treachery toward them was +going on. At any rate, they scampered for the forecastle, and Engineer +MacFinney couldn't stop them with his curses and blows. + +"A moment or two later, Matt Murphy came into the engine room. Mr. +MacFinney was working at his gauges. Murphy beckoned me, and I followed +to the deck. He asked me to help him lower a boat and tie it to the +stern. He said the Chinese were plotting an attack even then, and that +if I wanted to save my life I must carry out his orders. I obeyed. + +"As we worked, I asked whether he was coming, too? 'No,' said he, 'ye'll +be picked up by Uncle Sam's men. Them byes are calling a speedy patrol +boat by radio right now. I want to get 'em off an' away quick, so we can +escape in the trawler. I don't want to be put in prison the rest o' my +life.' + +"'But this trawler is slow,' I protested. 'How can you hope to escape +from a fast patrol boat?' + +"'Fog,' said he. 'I can smell it comin'. After last night's storm, it's +bound to come up. If it only comes in time we can hide in it, an' that's +our chance.'" + +"Fog?" cried Frank, alarmed. + +So interested had all been in Doctor Marley's narrative they had paid no +attention to their surroundings. Now, at Frank's cry, they glanced +around. + +"Here it comes, too," Frank added, pointing toward the trawler. The +vessel was more than two miles away, and making fast going. As Frank +pointed, a wall of fog sweeping across the water engulfed it. One +moment, the trawler stood out clear and distinct. The next, it had +disappeared entirely from sight, and the fog was rolling toward them. + +"Good heavens," cried Doctor Marley, "we'll be lost in mid-ocean. How +can the patrol boat find us?" + +"Here she comes now," Frank shouted, pointing to the southwest, where +the sun yet shone. + +"Two or three miles away yet," said Jack, anxiously, estimating the +distance to where the speedy little craft was sending up two columns of +water before her prow. + +"Wow, and here's the fog," shouted Bob. + +"Frank, you hold the rudder so that we make a small circle, and Bob and +Jack, do you row easily," called Mr. Temple. "That will be better than +merely drifting. The Sub Chaser evidently sees us. It must, for it is +undoubtedly on the lookout. It ought to be up in fifteen minutes. +Presently we'll begin to shout." + +His directions were approved and carried out. Some twenty minutes later, +in response to their shouts, a muffled hail came across the water. The +boys plied their oars. Hails were repeated back and forth. Soon a dark +bulk loomed ahead, they bumped into the Sub Chaser, and then one by one +clambered to the deck. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +LOST TRAIL + + +As they gained the deck of the Sub Chaser they were confronted by a +young ensign in the uniform of Uncle Sam's navy. He regarded them +keenly, then offered his hand to Mr. Temple. + +"It seems we came just in time," said he. "A bit later and we would have +had difficulty in locating you in the fog. As it was, we got your +position through the glasses before the fog closed down. Did they set +you adrift?" + +"No, we broke away of our own volition, in a way of speaking," said Mr. +Temple. "But explanations can come later. My name is Temple, George +Temple of New York. This is Doctor Marley, and these young men are my +son Bob and his chums, Jack Hampton and Frank Merrick." + +"And mine is Arthur Warwick," said the other, acknowledging the +introductions, "Ensign Arthur Warwick, U. S. N., at your service. Let us +go to my quarters." + +Turning, he led the way with Mr. Temple beside him and the others +following, under the gaze of a number of American sailors scattered +about. + +"Are you going to stick to the trail of the trawler?" queried Mr. +Temple. + +"We shall try to," said the other. "Although if this fog continues long, +our chance of success will be small. We were heading for the S. S. Bear, +a north-bound coast liner, to take off Inspector Burton of the Secret +Service, when your radio caught us and faced us about. Now, from what +Mr. Merrick said over the radio, I fancy we had better stick to this +trawler as long as there is a chance of capturing her. If we miss her, I +shall speed up to catch the Bear. Meantime, I have given orders to slow +down with muffled engines, so that if we hear the trawler in the fog we +stand a better chance. Let us go below, for I want to hear your story in +greater detail." + +In the tight little cabin of the Sub Chaser they were considerably +crowded, but by disposing themselves as compactly as possible all found +room. Then Mr. Temple and the boys told their story. It took +considerable time in the telling, for Ensign Warwick asked so many +questions they were compelled to begin at the very beginning of things +with Frank's overhearing the words dropped by "Black George" on the +train. + +Ensign Warwick nodded warmly many times during the course of the +narrative, evidently in high approval of the courage and resource shown +by the boys. He himself was a young man, not more than twenty-five, tall +as Bob and of much the same deep-chested frame with tanned face in which +twinkled honest blue eyes that impressed the chums favorably. + +"You fellows certainly have been having a lot of fun," he said, half +enviously, half laughingly. "While here am I with nothing exciting to +brighten things for me since the war ended." + +"Were you on the other side?" asked Frank eagerly. "Golly, how I wanted +to go over, but Uncle George said I was too young." + +Warwick nodded. + +"I was on convoy duty," said he, "and had several brushes with German +submarines. I was torpedoed twice, and once sunk a sub." + +The three chums regarded him with the greatest interest. + +"Just now," he continued, "I've been loaned to the Secret Service. Left +San Pedro harbor only yesterday morning to report to Inspector Burton at +Santa Barbara. Evidently he had boarded the Bear at that port, however, +and then changed his mind about going north, for he radioed me to take +him off." + +A rap on the door interrupted and Ensign Warwick called an order to +enter. A sailor stood in the doorway, coming smartly to salute. + +"Fog's not lifting, sir," he said. "And no sound to indicate the +trawler. Your orders to report in an hour, sir." + +"Right, Farrell," answered Ensign Warwick. "You may go." + +The young sailor withdrew. + +"How far down the coast are we now, Ensign?" asked Frank. "Murphy gave +me our bearings aboard the trawler, so I could radio them to you. But I +have no idea where that is on the map. We had been trying to compute the +distance we traveled from San Francisco, but when we awoke this morning +the trawler's engines were still, and I don't know how long she had lain +there. You spoke of Santa Barbara. Are we near that point?" + +"About fifty or sixty miles west-north-west," said the naval officer. He +rose. "Shall we go on deck? In this weather I ought to be there." + +They followed him from the cabin. + +"Say, Bob," said Frank, as the pair dropped behind, "wouldn't it be fun +to take a cruise aboard this Sub Chaser in pursuit of 'Black George's' +gang?" + +"Great." + +"I mean not just after the trawler. Probably we'll lose her in this fog. +But to go on a regular expedition, maybe to nose out the smugglers' +rendezvous, maybe clear down into Mexican waters?" + +"Great," agreed Bob again. + +"Well, we've already had considerable fun out of this," declared Jack, +joining them and leaving Mr. Temple and Doctor Marley to continue with +the naval officer. + +"Haven't we, though," agreed Frank. "Why, when we get back to Harrington +Hall in the fall, and tell the fellows about this----" + +"And about our Mexican border adventures, too," supplemented Jack. + +"Huh. They'll think we're awful liars," said Bob. + +All three laughed. + +Mr. Temple turned and beckoned to them to approach. + +"We are going to turn about and make a run for the Bear," he said. +"Ensign Warwick believes this fog will not lift for some time, and that +the trawler has pretty well given us the slip." + +"Well, he's in command," said Frank, ruefully, "but I did hope we'd +capture the trawler. I don't care so much about capturing 'Black +George,' although it's a pity to let him slip through our fingers. But, +do you realize that we're not very presentable for polite society? I'd +like to recover our wardrobes." + +For the first time it was borne in upon them that Mr. Temple, Bob and +Frank were, indeed, scantily clad, and that most of their possessions +were aboard the trawler. In their haste to act quickly in seizing the +radio room, all but Jack had set forth clad only in shirt and trousers. +They were even without shoes. In their excitement theretofore, none had +thought of this. + +"Fortunately, they did not take my wallet," said Mr. Temple, pulling it +from a pocket, and examining the contents. "I have plenty of money here, +so that as soon as we reach port somewhere we can send Jack ashore to +buy us some clothing." + +"We're a fine-looking bunch of thugs, now, though, Dad," said big Bob. +"You and I both need a shave badly. Frank and Jack have such light +whiskers, you can't tell whether they've shaved or not." + +This was a cruel thrust at which Bob's two chums bridled. Bob's whiskers +were heavy, and he had been shaving for years. Frank and Jack, however, +only recently had taken on man's estate in this respect. + +"Some folks are proud of being hairy as an ape," said Frank cuttingly. + +Big Bob merely laughed good-naturedly, and ruffled his smaller chum's +hair. + +Ensign Warwick with difficulty suppressed a grin. + +"I can let you have razors," he said, "and probably we can find shoes +for all of you of some sort. But I have no civilian clothes, and it +would be against regulations for you to wear uniforms." + +"Good thing the weather's warm," said Bob. + +"Say, I have an idea," cried Frank. "Suppose I call Inspector Burton on +your radio, Ensign, and ask him to see if he can't dig us up some +clothes aboard the Bear. He knows us well enough to estimate our size, +and, of course, I can give him further specifications." + +"Go ahead," said the naval officer. "I planned to call him, anyhow, to +report why we were delayed." + +"Good idea, Frank," approved Mr. Temple, who did not relish the prospect +of going any longer than necessary clad as he was. "Tell him I'll pay +any price within reason for good outer clothing." + +"You see," said Frank, starting away, "he may not want to put into any +port for some time, and then we'd be out of luck." + +"But you will be going aboard the Bear, won't you?" said Ensign Warwick. +"I hadn't thought of that before, but, of course, that will be the thing +for you to do. Then you can return to San Francisco." + +The three boys glanced at each other in dismay. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +CLOSING IN + + +"Dad, we have got to see this thing through," declared Bob, turning +toward Mr. Temple and voicing the desires of himself and his chums. +"Surely, you won't put us aboard the Bear and return to San Francisco +now!" + +Mr. Temple smiled. + +"Boys, I sympathize with you," he said. "But you will have to look at +this matter reasonably. We have been drawn into this plot by force of +circumstances, and so far have been unable to keep out of it. But we +came to the coast for a week's business trip on my part, with you boys +accompanying me to see the sights. I have got to return to San +Francisco. Business demands my presence. And things have turned out +providentially to enable me to do so." + +"But, Uncle George----" + +It was Frank who spoke. Mr. Temple shook his head. + +"No, Frank," he said. "I'm sorry for your sakes. I know how all this +adventuring must appeal to you young fellows. But do be reasonable. It +isn't our business to run these crooks to ground. And besides, you have +had plenty of adventure out of the situation already. I know I have had +enough to last me a lifetime. When you get to be my age----" + +Bob grinned as he regarded his father's sturdy figure, and disreputable +appearance, unshaven, clad only in a shirt, trousers and stockings. + +"Age?" he interrupted. "Why, Dad, you look fit to tackle any pirate. And +you needn't tell me you haven't enjoyed yourself pretty thoroughly." + +Mr. Temple sighed. + +"Oh, to be a boy again," he said. "You young rascals can't realize how I +have worried over you this summer, not only in this situation but down +on the Mexican border, too. Well, that will do. It's impossible for us +to continue, if for no other reason than that there is no room for us +aboard, and so, Frank, you radio Inspector Burton to get us some clothes +and cabins aboard the Bear." + +Ensign Warwick who had stood a silent witness to the scene, but +sympathizing with the boys, interrupted to confirm Mr. Temple's +statement about lack of room aboard the Sub Chaser. + +"It's true we have no room for passengers," he said. "You saw our tiny +cabin under the bridge. There are bunks for only captain and mate. +Forward we have bunks for a crew of ten and a smaller cabin with four +bunks for the engine-room crew. The latter also have two bunks in the +engine room that can be used in emergency. And that is our total of +housing space. You see, this boat, one hundred and ten feet long and +with a maximum speed of twenty-four knots an hour, is built for speed +and not for passenger traffic. I am not carrying a mate, and Inspector +Burton will bunk in the latter's place. So you see, there is no room for +you, at all." + +"Have you a full crew?" asked Jack, unexpectedly. "I've seen only a half +dozen men?" + +"What you see," answered Ensign Warwick, "is the deck watch. We carry a +crew of twenty-two, divided into three watches." + +"Oh, where do they all sleep?" + +"Some of them swing hammocks." + +"Well, couldn't we swing hammocks, too?" + +"Why, yes, I suppose you could," answered Ensign Warwick. "Of course, I +could not take you if I were on regular duty. But as I have been put at +the command of Inspector Burton of the Secret Service, I could manage to +accommodate you after a fashion if he agreed." + +"Come, come," interrupted Mr. Temple. "This is nonsense. Frank, go and +call Inspector Burton." + +Frank retired to the tiny radio room, accompanied by Jack while Bob +leaned moodily on the rail and his father fell into conversation with +Ensign Warwick. Doctor Marley stood unobtrusively aside. + +Presently Frank and Jack approached Bob with eager faces. The naval +officer had disappeared with Mr. Temple. + +"Where's your father?" asked Jack. + +"I don't know. Gone to get some shoes, I believe." + +"Listen." + +Then all three put their heads together, while Frank and Jack whispered +to Bob tidings which quickly erased the gloom from his countenance. + +"I'll go and call Dad," said Bob, finally. + +At that moment Mr. Temple reappeared, shod in white canvas deck shoes. + +"Uncle George, I've just been talking with Inspector Burton," said +Frank. "The Bear has a full passenger list. Summer travel is heavy, it +seems. Inspector Burton suggests that we stay aboard the Sub Chaser, as +he is going to return to Santa Barbara. He will put us ashore there, he +says, and we can catch the night train to San Francisco and be there +tomorrow morning, ahead of the Bear." + +"Very good," approved Mr. Temple. "That will give us time to buy clothes +in Santa Barbara, too. Also, you boys can stay aboard this boat a bit +longer, and I know that appeals to you." + +The boys looked meaningly at each other. Then Frank laughed: + +"That isn't all," he said. "The Inspector was delighted when he heard +our story, and----" + +"You told him everything?" queried Mr. Temple. + +"Oh, no, I did not have time enough for that. But I did tell of our +escape from the trawler. And he said the presence of the trawler here +fitted into something he had in mind, which he would tell us about when +he came aboard." + +"I think," said Jack, "that he meant he had a clue to the smugglers' +cove, and that it was somewhere along this coast." + +Mr. Temple laughed. + +"Oh, you boys," he said. "You can't give up hope of being in at the +death, of having a hand in the round-up of the smugglers, can you?" + +Doctor Marley venturing a timid question as to how he was to return to +San Francisco, Mr. Temple entered into conversation with him. Ensign +Warwick went to attend to his duties. The boys drew aside, and, leaning +on the rail, stared into the thinning fog ahead and discussed their +chances of seeing further action. + +All were agreed that the veiled hint dropped by Inspector Burton +indicated he had obtained a clue that the smugglers were somewhere along +the adjacent coast. They speculated upon whether Inventor Bender's sound +detector had provided the clue, or whether there had been sufficient +time for the detector to be brought into play. + +"You see," Jack pointed out, "the inventor planned to use sound +detectors at several places pretty widely scattered, and it would take +him some time to set them up." + +"That's true," said Frank, "but the device required no time at all to +hook up. The time needed would be for making the trip from San Francisco +to the other stations. Say----" + +His face lighted up. + +"What?" asked Bob. + +"Why, didn't Inspector Burton, when we saw him last in San Francisco, +say one of the government radio stations which he planned to utilize in +employing the sound detector was in the mountains behind Santa Barbara?" + +"I don't remember that," said Bob, and Jack also shook his head. + +"Well, that's what he said," declared Frank. "I'm certain of it." + +"In that case," said Jack, "perhaps through the use of sound detectors +at San Francisco and in this mountain station, they were able to locate +the smugglers' radio earlier than had been expected." + +"Or, at any rate, they have obtained some clue which induced Inspector +Burton to put back to Santa Barbara," said Frank. "You see, he said he +had boarded the Bear for a port farther up the coast, not San Francisco +but some small place near here at which the steamer touches, because he +figured he could get there more quickly than by auto--which would be the +only other way, as it is not on the railroad. Then he got a code message +by radio, calling him back, and he radioed this Sub Chaser to pick him +up." + +"Aren't we slowing down?" asked Bob. + +The boys had been so interested in their discussions they had not +noticed a dark bulk looming across the waters in the thinning fog. Now +the Sub Chaser slowed to a complete stop and lay, rocking gently in a +mild swell, while a small boat put off from it for the Bear. + +Presently, the boat returned and Inspector Burton stepped aboard. The +big steamer and the little Sub Chaser saluted each other with toots, and +parted company. Soon the Bear disappeared. + +After greeting Ensign Warwick and his unexpected guests, Inspector +Burton asked that they head for Santa Barbara with all speed. Then he +turned to the boys. + +"Your inventor friend's device," said he, "has done wonders. And with +what you have told me about your adventures in these very waters, I've +been able to put two and two together, and to arrive at the conclusion +that we are closing in on the smugglers' mysterious cove." + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +THE SOUND DETECTOR DETECTS + + +During the three-hour run east-southeast to Santa Barbara, which the Sub +Chaser reached between two and three o'clock that afternoon, the fog +lifted and the sun shone again, not only on the surrounding scene but on +the spirits of the three chums as well. + +For one thing, Mr. Temple was persuaded not to hurry their departure by +train for San Francisco that night but to lay over in Santa Barbara a +day. For another, the boys received from Inspector Burton's confidences +the impression that in the next twenty-four hours developments of moment +would occur in the situation into which they had been drawn. And, being +on the ground, they believed they would be witnesses to such +developments at least, if not active participants. + +For the Secret Service man confided that Inventor Bender's sound +detector had succeeded beyond his expectations and, incidentally, had +entirely upset his previous calculations by what it revealed. He had +believed, as earlier in San Francisco he had told them, that the +smugglers' cove was somewhere near San Diego in all probability. But the +sound detector very definitely had located it as in the group of wild +islands off Santa Barbara. + +"Those are the islands," he said, pointing to three mountainous +formations rising from the sea to starboard. "Wild, craggy, isolated and +large; sparsely inhabited, and not on any steamer track; not a town nor +even a hamlet on any of them. + +"They lie along this coast in a chain stretching seventy miles. There +are three large ones, San Miguel, the most northern, Santa Rosa and +Santa Cruz--the latter the largest and wildest. Then beyond Santa Cruz on +the south lies the mysterious vanishing island, Anacapa. At high tide it +is a group of little islands, almost submerged. At low tide, sandpits +connecting the low hummocks are revealed. This gives it the name of +'Vanishing Island.'" + +"And is it on 'Vanishing Island' you believe the smugglers are located?" +asked Frank. + +Inspector Burton shook his head. + +"No, that island is practically uninhabitable, and, besides, would be +too open to observation. It is on one of the other three, although which +has yet to be determined. Good as is Inventor Bender's sound detector, +he said he was unable to locate the smugglers' secret radio station more +accurately than to say it was somewhere in that group. He gave me his +reasons, but I know so little about radio that I could not follow him +well." + +"I know a bit about the subject of sound detectors," said Jack. +"Although it was not generally known, radio compasses were employed by +our forces and by the Allies, too, during the closing years of the war +to locate sounds. However, such compasses were not very accurate, and +from Inventor Bender's description of his own improved device I received +the impression that he had made a great advance. + +"Probably," he continued, "Inventor Bender could obtain almost the exact +location of the smugglers' radio if he were able to surround the +suspected area with sound detectors. The detectors, then, would hunt out +the exact hub where the secret radio was in operation. But, if he has +brought only one or two detectors into play----" + +"Three," interrupted Inspector Burton, who had followed Jack's +explanation with keen interest. "They are at San Francisco, at Ventura, +down the coast, and in the Santa Ynez mountains behind Santa Barbara." + +"Then," said Jack, "the probability is that, while able to state the +secret radio is somewhere in those islands, he cannot say definitely +which one. Which one do you consider the most likely?" he queried, +turning to Inspector Burton. + +"I have not formed an opinion," he said. "All three are admirably +adapted for the purposes of this Chinese-smuggling outfit. They are +thirty to fifty miles from shore, unvisited as I said. I believe there +is a launch takes occasional sightseers to Santa Cruz, the nearest, from +Santa Barbara. But they cannot stray far from the landing place and the +island, which is some twenty-seven miles long and five to fifteen miles +wide, with a range of mountains all along its length, can keep its +secrets without fear of discovery by tourists." + +"Isn't it strange we have not caught sight of the trawler, if it was +heading for a refuge in those islands?" asked Bob. + +Ensign Warwick answered. + +"No, the obvious thing for it to do would be to take an opposite course +in the fog, stand out to sea, and run in under cover of darkness +tonight." + +"Moreover," added Inspector Burton, "the smugglers' cove probably is on +the seaward side, while we are running down the channel." + +"Yes," interrupted Mr. Temple, who had been leaning over the port rail, +watching the shore, and conversing with Doctor Marley whom he found a +surprisingly good companion when drawn out, "and we'll soon be in. Boys, +go forward and watch the shore and town. I'm delighted now that you have +an opportunity to see Santa Barbara, especially from this viewpoint. It +is one of the most beautiful cities in the world." + +The Sub Chaser had rounded a point of land, and the curving beach of +Santa Barbara now came into view. Nearest them was a two-story structure +of light-colored stone which Inspector Burton pointed out as the +Natatorium. + +A little park surrounded the structure and south of it, along the +waterfront, extended a boulevard flanked by palm trees of noble +proportions. Farther down the boulevard, amid a variety of tropical +foliage, rose a splendid hotel of huge proportions. + +Back from the beach, rising steadily but gently toward the hills in the +rear, lay the town, embowered in trees. The foothills were crowned with +great houses that, in many cases, amounted to palaces. Behind all lay +the mountains of the Santa Ynez range, seeming almost to encircle the +town. Everywhere was a profusion of color, red-tiled roofs of houses +built in mission style vying with the flame of poinsettias. And over all +was a drowsy, somnolent warmth of sunshine under which the town seemed +to be taking a siesta. + +Only a few bathers were in sight on the sands before the Natatorium, and +Inspector Burton explained that Santa Barbara was a winter resort, +rather than a summer one. It was July. Until September, he said, the +town would drowse under the summer sun with little activity apparent. +Then the wealthy Americans from all parts of the country who maintained +homes at Santa Barbara, and at nearby Montecito, would begin to arrive, +and the town would resume its winter gaiety. + +The boat swung in to a long pier. The beat of the gasoline engines was +stilled. The speed slackened until presently the rakish craft came to +rest by the side of a floating platform, from which a flight of stairs +led to the high pier above. Ropes were thrown which several workmen on +the pier seized, and the boat was made fast. Then a little ladder was +lowered to the float, and Inspector Burton and Jack made their way +ashore. Jack had been commissioned to buy lightweight summer clothes, +shirts and shoes and hats for Mr. Temple and his two chums. He promised +to return as quickly as possible and, waving a hand in farewell, set off +along the pier with the Secret Service man. + +He was not long in executing his commissions and returned in a taxicab +which rattled out to the pier and was kept waiting while Mr. Temple and +the other boys donned the clothing Jack had purchased. All praised his +selections. Then the taxi carried them back uptown to the Victoria +Hotel, some distance up State Street, the wide main thoroughfare. Ensign +Warwick accompanied them. + +There, by pre-arrangement, they were met by Inspector Burton. After +lunching, the entire group retired to the sitting-room of Mr. Temple's +suite to await the arrival of Inventor Bender, who had been summoned by +telephone. + +"You boys have been of such tremendous assistance so far," said +Inspector Burton, "that the least I can do in return is to let you know +what the inventor has discovered. He ought to be here shortly." + +Presently from their windows overlooking the park-like grounds of the +hotel, they saw a huge, dust-covered automobile roll up to the _porte +cochere_, and recognized Inventor Bender beside the chauffeur. + +"He made good time down from the mountains," said Inspector Burton, +glancing at his watch. + +A few moments later the inventor was shown to the sitting room, and +entered with an air of triumph and suppressed excitement. + +"Well," he cried, without even waiting to exchange greetings, "we have +got them." + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +IN AT THE DEATH + + +"So there you are, Inspector. That's what the Bender sound detector +discovered. Human ingenuity could do no more." + +Inspector Burton with difficulty repressed a smile at the inventor's +childlike vanity. Mr. Temple experienced similar difficulty. Ensign +Warwick grew red in the face, and the boys made occasion to bow their +heads. In reality, however, nobody need have attempted to hide his +feelings, for the inventor was so constituted that he paid his auditors +no attention. He was like many geniuses--a supreme egotist. + +Those mentioned were seated in Mr. Temple's suite. Doctor Marley alone +of the party was not present, having been left aboard the Sub Chaser. + +The inventor had spent a considerable space of time relating what had +been learned through the medium of the sound detector. From San +Francisco he had gone directly to Ventura and, after placing a sound +detector in the government radio station at that point, had turned back +to the station on top of the Santa Ynez mountain range behind Santa +Barbara. For two days he had been listening vainly in the attempt to +catch code messages which might be interpreted as coming from the secret +radio station of the smugglers. + +Success had come that morning, just after the storm. The heavy fog at +sea had not reached to the mountains. It had been sunshiny and bright, +and he had taken his listening post at an early hour. + +Then, as he tuned his sound detector to varying wave lengths, had come a +message in code--a code unlike any of the commercial codes registered +with the government and of which he had obtained copies at San Francisco +through the offices of Inspector Burton. + +He listened. A conversation was being carried on between a ship at sea +and a fixed land station. The ship, he now realized must have been the +trawler; the station, the secret radio of the smugglers. + +It seemed to him the sound detector located the fixed land station +south-southeast of Santa Barbara, which would place it somewhere in the +group of Channel Islands. This coincided with a bearing communicated +from the San Francisco station, which also had picked up the code +messages, and had radioed him at once the line along which they had +come. Ventura had not, for some freakish reason, been able to pick up +the messages at all. + +It was then he had radioed Inspector Burton aboard the Bear, and caused +the latter to return. + +Later, however, and very recently, in fact, he had gotten information +more definite. For, since Inspector Burton had telephoned him to descend +from the mountains and confer at the hotel, he had picked up another +message in code in which, moreover, occurred the words "Santa Cruz" +several times. + +"So there you are, Inspector," he said. "That's what the Bender sound +detector discovered. Human ingenuity could do no more." + +"You certainly have done wonders, Mr. Bender. It is your opinion, then, +that the smugglers' radio plant is on Santa Cruz Island?" + +"It seems so to me," said the inventor, nodding with vigor. + +Inspector Burton was thoughtful. The others remained silent, waiting for +him to speak. + +"I believe you are correct," he said at length. "Ensign Warwick, what do +you say?" + +"It certainly looks as if Santa Cruz is the smugglers' hangout." + +"And you, Mr. Temple?" + +The latter smiled and shook his head. + +"I have no opinion one way or the other," he said. + +Then Inspector Burton turned to the boys. + +"Well, lads," he said. "I have a proposition to make to you. I really +believe we have located the smugglers' hangout; that it is on Santa Cruz +Island. And, while it is a big island, yet the smugglers' headquarters +undoubtedly must be on the seaward side, as I earlier explained, and +there are not many places on that rocky shore where a landing could be +made. + +"I was fortunate on arrival yesterday to get in touch with an old +Mexicano, a native of this country, who at one time many years ago +tended cattle on Santa Cruz Island when an early-day rancher attempted +to maintain a cattle ranch there. He found the grazing too poor to make +the venture profitable and gave up his project. This old fellow, whom I +located down in the Mexican quarter of the town, gave me much valuable +information. + +"For one thing, I questioned him closely as to the possibilities for +making a landing on the seaward side of Santa Cruz. He said there was +only one place really practical, and that was the mouth of a creek near +the western extremity of the island. At other places, he said, cliffs +descended abruptly to the sea, and the waves always were high. Boats +could not safely land. + +"Now, if the smugglers are on Santa Cruz Island that must be their +location--up that creek. The ships can stand off shore, while small boats +ply back and forth between the ship and the creek, landing the smuggled +Chinese coolies. Probably, somewhere up the creek, the smugglers have a +number of rude barracks, providing temporary shelter for the Chinese +until they can be dispersed to the mainland. Also their radio plant must +be up there." + +He paused, and Frank eagerly asked the question trembling on the lips of +all three chums. + +"You said you had a proposition to make us, Inspector?" + +The Secret Service man smiled. + +"Yes, I have a proposition," he said. "Briefly, would you care to +accompany us tonight on an expedition to Santa Cruz?" + +"Would we?" + +All three expelled the exclamation simultaneously. + +Inspector Burton turned to Mr. Temple. + +"These boys have shown such ingenuity so far," he said, "and have been +of such aid, that I feel I owe it to them to take them along. Of course, +they must have your consent. And I would be delighted to have you with +me, too, if you would care to come." + +"Not I, thank you," said Mr. Temple, with emphasis. "And I don't know +about consenting to your request in regard to the boys. It is very kind +of you, and I can see you sympathize with their adventurous +inclinations. But, won't it be dangerous? Won't the smugglers put up a +stiff fight?" + +"There is that possibility, of course," said Inspector Burton. "I +believe, however, that when they see the uniforms of Uncle Sam's +fighters, and discover an armed vessel of the navy off shore, they will +surrender without resistance. Most folks, you know, have a great horror +of running foul of the government and its armed forces. Police they +might resist, but Uncle Sam's sailors and soldiers overawe them." + +"Yes, I believe that is true," said Mr. Temple. "Still----" + +"However, Mr. Temple," said the Secret Service man, hastily, "I can +sympathize with your anxiety, and if you object I withdraw my invitation +to the boys." + +"Dad, you have got to let us go," pleaded big Bob. "Why, as Inspector +Burton says, there will be little danger. Besides, we aren't babies. We +have taken care of ourselves pretty capably under trying circumstances +this summer, haven't we? Now, haven't we?" + +He stood above his father as he spoke, having leaped to his feet in his +anxiety. + +"Yes, you have, Bob," said his father. He put up his hands before him as +if for protection, and bent away in mock terror from his big son. "Don't +strike. I surrender." + +The three chums shouted with delight. + +"But, remember," Mr. Temple warned. "I want you to go on this +expedition, bearing the same advice the mother gave her daughter. You +may 'hang your clothes on a hickory limb, but don't go near the water.' +In other words, if there is any fighting, stay out of it. Unless, of +course, you are personally attacked, or your side is hard pressed." + +"Righto, Dad. We'll remember," said Bob. + +"And now, boys," said Inspector Burton, "I have my arrangements to make. +So, if you will meet me at the pier--or, better, aboard the Sub Chaser--at +seven o'clock tonight, I'll excuse myself." + +He arose, asking Ensign Warwick to accompany him. + +"As for me," said Mr. Temple, when the two officers had left the room, +followed by Inventor Bender, "I'm worn out, and am going to take a nap. +You boys have two or three hours of spare time. It would do you all +good, in view of your trip tonight, to try to snatch a few hours' sleep. +But I suppose it would be impossible for you to compose yourselves?" + +"Couldn't be done, Dad," agreed Bob. "We'll go out and look at the town +for an hour or so. We can be back around five-thirty, get a bit of +dinner, with you, and then go to the boat." + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +AT SANTA CRUZ ISLAND + + +It was early twilight when a taxicab deposited Mr. Temple and the chums +at the entrance to the pier. At the suggestion of Inspector Burton, the +boys had purchased and donned corduroy trousers. Each carried also a +heavy sweater to be worn later against the evening chill, for they had +been warned that with the going down of the sun the air would become +sharp. + +"Pass," said a sailor mounting guard at the big gates which, opened on +their arrival, since had been swung across the entrance. "You are +expected." + +He was one of the men who had been on deck watch earlier aboard the Sub +Chaser, and had been placed there because he would recognize them. + +Evidently the others of the party already had arrived, for the guard +barred the gate and followed them. + +"How will I go through the gates when I return," objected Mr. Temple, +turning around. + +"The pier watchman will see you out, sir," said the sailor, a young +fellow, touching his cap. + +Struck by the beauty of the scene, the party paused several moments. To +the boys it was a revelation. To Mr. Temple, who had visited Santa +Barbara in the past, it was a recurring delight. In the west, where the +sun only a few moments before had sunk beneath the waters over the +shoulder of San Miguel, the sky was yet bright. But behind them +deepening twilight lay over the tree-embowered town, while still farther +to the east the mountains were in darkness and lights twinkled here and +there among the houses in the foothills. + +Over all was an atmosphere of peace, of lazy contentment, so much in +contrast with the object of their expedition that it was remarked by the +sensitive Frank. + +"As peaceful as Paradise here," he said. "While out there----" He waved +his hand to indicate the west, and paused expressively. + +The others looked at the distant islands, humped mountainously like +crouching camels against the darkening western sky. + +"I wonder what will happen?" said Bob. + +"Come on, fellows," added Jack. "No time for fancies. The boat is +tooting for us." + +They hurried along the pier to the stairway. Mr. Temple did not descend +to the float, but remained leaning on the railing. He was inclined to be +anxious about the welfare of the boys, but Inspector Burton reassured +him. + +"I'll see they come to no harm," he said. "And young huskies can't be +coddled forever, you know." + +"Yes, I realize that," said Mr. Temple. "They are growing up. I know +such experiences are good for them, and teach them self-reliance and +sharpen their wits in a crisis. That is why I am letting them go. That +is why I let them make that wild dash into Mexico, too. Just the same, +Inspector, one of the three is my son, and the others are as close as +sons to me. And--well, you have to be a father to appreciate it." + +"I'm only an old bachelor," said Inspector Burton. "But I think I can +understand. Well, good-bye, and rest assured I shall look out for their +welfare." + +With that, he descended to the boat, which at once forged away from the +float. The boys stood at the rail, waving farewell to Mr. Temple until +his figure dwindled and was lost to sight in the growing darkness +landward. + +"Good old Dad," remarked Bob, feelingly, as they at last turned away +from the rail and made their way forward. "He'll be worried about us all +the time. But he put his feelings aside, just the same, and let us go." + +"He's a peach," said Jack. + +"You bet he is," Frank echoed, emphatically. + +For some time they stood at the rail forward in silence, each immersed +in his own thoughts. But brooding of any sort was foreign to them. And +presently they shook off the slight thoughtfulness into which parting +with Mr. Temple had thrown them, and began to discuss the possibilities +that lay ahead. + +Presently Inspector Burton joined them. + +"Well, boys," said he in a kindly tone, "not worried about the outcome, +are you?" + +"Oh, no, sir," answered Frank. "Just talking over what might happen." + +"That's right, don't worry," said the Secret Service man. "Probably +there will be no fighting. These fellows may not have any force at their +hangout to speak of. Perhaps, only the crew of the trawler from which +you escaped will be on hand. If we have luck, we can surprise them. And +I doubt very much whether they will put up any resistance against Uncle +Sam's men." + +"How many men have you?" queried Jack. + +"Twenty-two in the crew, including Ensign Warwick, you three, Doctor +Marley and myself--twenty-seven in all." + +"Doctor Marley?" exclaimed Bob, surprised. + +"Yes, he is a peace-loving man," remarked Inspector Burton, with a +slight smile. "But I considered it necessary to have a medical man along +in case of accident, and persuaded him to come. It was rather difficult, +because he fears the anger of 'Black George' if the latter succeeds in +laying hands on him. But he consented when I showed him how preposterous +it was to expect any real resistance." + +"You really expect, sir, that we can locate the smugglers' place in the +darkness?" asked Jack. + +"Thanks to the sound detector which you boys were instrumental in +discovering," said the Secret Service man, "I believe the smugglers are +on the island of Santa Cruz. And such being the case, they probably are +in one certain spot, as I told you before. But, come into the cabin and +I'll show you a map." + +He led the way to the tiny cabin, the boys at his heels, and while +unrolling a large map of the Channel islands, continued: + +"I had hoped, after leaving you this afternoon, to obtain a guide. But +the old Mexicano who earlier had told me about the topography of the +island, was aghast at the proposal that he should accompany us. He was +very superstitious, I could see. Apparently, he feared some sort of +ghost said to roam over the island. I couldn't make much sense of what +he said. At any rate, I had to give up the idea of obtaining him as +guide, and, as it was too late to look for another, I came off without +one. However, I believe we shall have little difficulty making our way. +Now, here is the island. + +"You see from this map," he continued, "the coastline of the mainland is +not north and south here, but almost due east and west. The islands are +south of Santa Barbara. Here is Santa Cruz, and this is its northern +shore, about twenty-seven miles in length. + +"It is on this northern shore that we will land one party, while another +slips around West Point, the extremity of the island. The land party +will make its way through the hills to the headwaters of this little +stream emptying into the ocean on the southern shore. The boat will +continue around the extremity of West Point to that stream. Thus we will +have the enemy between us." + +"You feel that somewhere up that stream the smugglers are located?" +asked Bob. + +"Yes, and probably near its mouth. The old Mexicano told me the stream +broadened out to considerable width, making a small bay in which several +schooners could ride." + +"And which party will we go with?" + +"I think it better for you boys to stay aboard the boat. Ensign Warwick +will command the craft, while I will take a party overland." + +"Very good, sir," said Jack. "But we're not likely to see much +excitement aboard the Sub Chaser, are we?" + +Inspector Burton smiled tolerantly, noting the disappointment in Jack's +voice. + +"Oh, you can't tell," he said, rolling up the map. "You fellows may have +all the excitement. But, come, let us go on deck and see where we are. +It's a run of only twenty-five or thirty miles to West Point and, as +this boat is under forced draught of twenty-four knots an hour, we +should be nearing the island. You see, time has been flying. It's almost +eight o'clock." + +The moon had not yet risen, but the stars were out and a faint afterglow +of sunset still lingered in the western sky. Against that sky, ahead, +there loomed a huge island with a spine of mountains down the center so +lofty as to wring a cry of surprise from the boys. + +"I hadn't expected them to be so tall," said Jack. + +"Two thousand feet," said Inspector Burton. + +The boat altered its course as it approached the land and, with engines +muffled, was running westward at reduced speed. Alongshore, the boys +could see the ghostly white breaking of the surf. + +"Where will we land?" asked Bob. "The mountains seem to come right down +to the sea." + +"We are rounding Diablo Point in the center of the northern shore now," +explained Inspector Burton. "There, ahead, you can see the shore curves +inward. Farther ahead, toward West Point on the other side of this +little bay, the mountains dwindle out, and there is a sandy shore on +which we can land. I'll go ashore with my command and then strike back +through the mountains for that stream--a distance of three or four miles. + +"Ensign Warwick," he said, turning to the young naval officer, who had +joined them in the bow; "after putting us ashore, do you make your way +with as little noise as possible around West Point and down the coast to +the creek. It should not be difficult to locate. + +"Allowing for possible time lost in going astray on our part, we should +be pretty near the mouth of the creek two hours after landing. I shall +fire three shots in rapid succession when we come up with the enemy. +That will be your signal. Do you then make your way into the creek, and +seize the trawler or any other craft you find there. + +"Have your rapid-firers unlimbered and ready for action, in case of +resistance. And remember to throw your searchlight on shore to light up +the scene when I send up a rocket. + +"And now, if your small boats are ready, and the men to accompany me +selected, I'll say '_au revoir_,' for I can see your pilot is bringing +us to, and evidently has singled out the beach where we must land." + +Eleven men were set ashore with Inspector Burton, the small boats which +carried them returned and were hoisted aboard, and then the Sub Chaser +began nosing her way ahead once more. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +IN THE SMUGGLERS' COVE + + +"Don't know whether I'm cold or just plain scared," said big Bob, +laughingly. "But I'm going to put on this sweater, because I'm beginning +to shiver." + +The others were quick to follow his example. + +They stood in the bow of the boat, which long since had rounded West +Point and was proceeding very slowly along the southern shore of Santa +Cruz Island. An hour and a half had elapsed since Inspector Burton and +his party had been set ashore. They were standing close in. And now +again the mountains, which around the western extremity of the island +had retreated inland, had drawn close to the shore. The mouth of the +creek had not yet been sighted by any of those straining their eyes to +gaze shoreward. + +Ensign Warwick joined the boys, snapping shut the lid of his watch. + +"Time's almost up," he said. "Half an hour yet. Surely, we cannot have +passed the creek. Inspector Burton said his information was that it +broadened out sufficiently to admit several schooners." + +"I've watched every inch of the shore," Jack said. "And I haven't seen +it yet. But, look. There." He pointed ahead. + +A break appeared in the surf tossing against the foot of the steep +cliffs that came down sheer to the shore. + +Ensign Warwick stared keenly, then nodded with satisfaction. + +"That's the creek, undoubtedly," he said. "Too bad we have to operate +without moonlight." + +He stepped to the side of the man at the wheel and whispered a +low-voiced direction. Then he signaled the engine room. As a result, the +pilot swung the wheel over, and the Sub Chaser responded by heading for +shore. At the same time, the slow beat of the engines was still further +reduced, and the craft proceeded under its headway aided by the drift of +the incoming tide. + +The farther point of land at the mouth of the creek was low, but a huge +rock towered like a guarding tower on the hither side. Atop of it grew +several twisted, stunted oak trees. These could plainly be distinguished +as the boat slowly drew closer in. + +"Deep water, apparently right to the foot of the rock," said the +leadsman in the bow, drawing in the wet string with its knob of lead on +the end, and reading the record. + +"We'll lay here under shelter of the rock until we hear Inspector +Burton's signal," Ensign Warwick told the boys. "On this still night, +with no other sounds about, the sound of his shots will carry plainly to +our ears." + +He was about to give orders to drop the grapnel, when Jack laid a hand +on his arm: + +"Listen." + +The sound of three shots fired in rapid succession came faintly to their +ears. It was followed by distant shouts, and then several more shots at +ragged intervals, then silence. + +"The signal." + +"Yes," said Ensign Warwick, springing into instant activity, "and our +men are meeting with resistance. We'll have to go in at once." + +He turned away to issue the necessary order. In a trice, the rakish +craft quivered with the sudden picking-up of the engines, the screw +began to revolve with increased violence, her head was put out to sea +and she started to run away from shore. + +"I suppose we'll go out to where we can get a better view into the +creek, and then speed in," said Frank. + +The surmise was correct. The boat swung about in a circle, her nose +pointed straight for the entrance to the creek eventually, and then they +began speeding shoreward again. + +A powerful beam of light suddenly shot over their heads, and the boys +turned with a gasp. It came from the searchlight mounted on the bridge +behind them. They gazed ahead, and saw the light illumine the entrance +to the creek. Then something appeared in the rays which caused them to +shout simultaneously: + +"The trawler." + +There it was, the boat on which they had been carried captive from San +Francisco, riding at anchor in the cove. + +Ensign Warwick approached. + +"I decided not to take a chance on running into any craft inside without +warning," he said. "That's why I turned on the searchlight. I cannot see +a soul aboard the trawler. Can you?" + +"Not I," answered Bob. + +"Nor I." + +"Nor I." + +"Well, I'm going to board her. We'll soon find out how matters stand." + +The Sub Chaser's speed slackened at a signal once more, and she slipped +alongside the trawler. A rope ladder dangled down the side. + +"Fend off, you men, and hold your position," said the young naval +officer resolutely. "I'm going aboard. Do six of you follow me." + +Seizing the ladder, he clambered up swiftly, revolver in hand, peered +over the edge, then swung over the rail and dropped to the trawler's +deck. + +"All right," he called down. "Not a soul in sight." + +Eager to be at his heels, the three chums held back until the six +sailors commanded to follow had complied. Then they, too, gained the +deck of the trawler. Hurried search revealed the craft was deserted. Not +even a watchman had been left aboard. The doors to the cabins they had +occupied were locked. The boys burst the locks. + +With delighted cries they greeted sight of their grips. Quick rummaging +disclosed the ring-radio with its appurtenances, which Frank had used to +such good effect to discover the proximity of the Sub Chaser when they +were captives aboard the trawler. Nothing had been taken away. + +"Locked the doors to keep our stuff from the crew," decided Jack. + +On deck, carrying their recovered possessions, they found Ensign Warwick +preparing to depart. + +"Signs in forecastle and engine room," he said, "that the crew left in a +hurry, and only recently, too. Evidently, they were aboard and were +called ashore for some reason. What did you find in the cabin?" + +"To tell the truth," admitted Bob, "we didn't look around much. Found +our things still aboard, and that occupied our attention. But we can go +back and look?" + +"No, no. That would be a waste of time. I'm afraid the presence of the +land party was discovered, and the crew here went ashore to oppose our +men. We'll have to make a landing and go to their aid. Listen." + +Again down the wind, and this time only very faintly came the sounds of +distant firing. Apparently, the fight was drawing away from them. + +Down the ladder to the deck of the Sub Chaser they scrambled. Then, with +searchlight playing along the shore, the craft moved slowly up the +estuary. Presently, a landing appeared in the rays of the light, jutting +out into the stream, a huge shed or barracks at its end ashore. The boat +was turned toward it, and slid alongside. Sailors with ropes leaped to +the planks of the landing and made fast. + +"The place seems deserted," said Ensign Warwick. "Not a sound. But you +never can tell. We'll have to take precautions. Wouldn't do to go +tearing off this pier, and run smack-dab into a trap." + +He turned to the group behind him. Every man aboard the Sub Chaser with +the exception of Doctor Marley had followed. The worried face of the fat +little physician watched them from the deck. + +"Here, you men," he said authoritatively. "Six of you will have to stay +aboard the boat. Robbins, Dewart, Murphy, Thompson, Berger and Strunk, +you stay behind. Robbins is in charge. Keep the searchlight playing on +the shore. Train a rapid firer on the landward end of this pier. Doctor +Marley," he called up to the physician, "I presume you will prefer to +remain aboard. You boys"--turning to the three chums--"can follow me. You +have those revolvers I served out to you?" + +They nodded. + +"Good. Now, Robbins," he continued, turning to the leader of the party +to be left on the boat, "we will make our way up the pier. If we are +surprised, we will drop to the ground. Do you at once open with the +rapid-firer, shooting high. That ought to be sufficient to rout anybody +opposing us. Then leave two men aboard to keep guard against surprise +and look after the searchlight, and with your other men charge up the +pier. Understand?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Very well. If we find nobody about, we shall follow upstream to attempt +to join the other party. In that case, I shall fire three shots as a +signal of our intentions. Do you keep the searchlight in play along the +pier, with stabs into the sky at five minute intervals as a guide when +we return. We may be led far inland. The smugglers may flee to some +fastness in the mountains. But do you stay by the ship under any +conditions until we return. + +"Morgan," he added, turning to one of the men in his party, "here are my +keys. You will find a box of flashlights with extra batteries in my +cabin. Do you and Doniphan go and get a flashlight for each of us with a +set of spare batteries. Let's see. That will be nine." + +The men sprang to obey with alacrity, and were back on the pier in a +very few moments. The flashlights and spare batteries were parcelled +out. All was in readiness for the advance. + +"The firing has been growing more and more distant," said the young +naval officer, turning to Jack who stood beside him. "Doesn't it seem so +to you?" + +"Yes, it does," said Jack. "For several minutes now I have not heard a +shot, and the last was very faint." + +"From the look of things aboard the trawler, the deserted appearance +ashore, and those receding sounds, I suspect the smugglers fled with our +friends in pursuit," said Ensign Warwick. "Perhaps, however, they hoped +to drive them off, and the crew of the trawler was called ashore to +help. If that is the case, our men may be hard pressed. Come, we have +taken all the precautions possible here. Let's go." + +And with Jack beside him, Bob and Frank close behind and the sailors +pressing on their heels, the young naval officer started up the pier. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +A SIGNAL FROM THE RADIO STATION + + +No signs of life were apparent as the glare of the searchlight played +over the great building, resembling a dock shed in appearance, which +bulked on shore at the end of the pier and slightly to one side of it. + +No other buildings could be seen, nothing but the steep slope of a +summer-browned hill, as, obedient to instructions, Robbins swept the +rays of the searchlight over the surroundings. + +"Nothing but that great warehouse," said Ensign Warwick to Jack. + +"That building seems to me proof positive that this is headquarters for +smugglers of Chinese coolies," said Jack. "Probably 'Black George' +housed them there before distributing them to the mainland. The boats +from Mexico could run in here at night, discharge their coolies into +that barracks, and nobody would be the wiser." + +An exclamation from Frank drew their attention. + +"Look there." + +All gazed in the direction in which Frank pointed. On a shoulder of the +hill behind the barracks, full in the glare of the searchlight, stood +revealed a radio plant and antenna. Whoever aboard the Sub Chaser was +operating the searchlight kept it fixed several minutes on this novel +object. + +"Not a sign of life there, either," commented the naval officer. "If +anybody is around here, he's laying mighty low." + +They were close now to the barracks. Long, low, solid-walled with not a +window in the sides but with traps in the roofs to admit light and air, +it bulked before them--dark, mysterious, forbidding. + +At that moment the searchlight ceased its wandering, and the powerful +glare came to rest full on the huge sliding doors barring the nearer +end. Ensign Warwick turned and held up a hand to indicate he wanted the +light kept in that position. + +"I hear something," whispered Bob. + +All stood immobile and silent, straining to hear. Distinctly there came +to their ear a sibilant, whispering sound. It was from the barracks. + +"Get out of the light," whispered Ensign Warwick. "Half to each side of +the door." + +He divided his forces, and all took up their positions. He motioned Bob +and the sailor called Doniphan to him. + +"You two are the strongest," he whispered. "That door isn't locked. You +can see it is in two halves that roll back. Each of you push back one +side, being careful to keep the door between yourselves and the +interior. We'll crouch on the sides, ready for action if there is +anybody within. The searchlight will play right through the doorway and +light up the interior. Ready? Then, let's go." + +Bob and Doniphan obediently set their shoulders and forearms against the +great beams lacing the front of the doors. The latter swayed slightly, +then gave. Steadily the two young fellows pushed back the doors, and the +light struck through into the dark interior. + +A moaning sound went up that rose and rose into an eerie shriek. The +hair of the listeners stood on end. Frank and Jack crouching to one side +leaned against each other instinctively. + +"What's that?" + +Bob and Doniphan now had succeeded in pushing the doors fully open. Bob +joined his chums who were on his side of the door, Doniphan his comrades +on the other. The powerful glare of the searchlight illumined the whole +interior. It fell on a huddled group of men in the middle of the great +barracks, whose frightened faces shone white and pale in the light. It +was from them rose the shriek. + +They were Chinese. + +"Coolies. Smuggled coolies, as I live," exclaimed Ensign Warwick, "and +scared stiff." + +No wonder. With those doors opening so mysteriously, that strange light +coming from the darkness, brighter than the noonday sun, searching out +every nook of the interior, and with not a human being in sight, it was +no wonder, indeed, that the ignorant coolies were frightened. + +"Poor devils," commented the naval officer to Jack. "I have nothing +against them. They are good enough fellows in their own surroundings, +but have been made the pawns of these smugglers." + +"What are you going to do?" + +"I'm going to try to talk to them. Do the rest of you line up on each +side of the doorway." + +With that he stepped into the open. + +"Who speaks English?" he called clearly. + +The big group swayed a little, as if its members were ready to fly apart +and break into flight. In a moment a Chinaman in civilian clothes, as +distinguished from the sort of convict's uniform of dark blue pants and +blouse worn by the others, stepped a pace or two forward. He moved +unwillingly, but evidently was awed by the appearance of the naval +officer in uniform. + +"Me speakee Englis," he said. "Me Cholly Lung." + +"All right, Charley Lung. I am an officer of the Navy. Out there is a +great big warship. You keep these men quiet and nothing will happen to +them. But if they make trouble the cannon will blow this building to +pieces. You understand? You tell them that." + +"Me unnastan'. Me tell 'em." + +A quick jabber in Chinese followed, as Charley Lung faced his +unfortunate compatriots. + +"Allee boy sclared," Charley Lung declared, facing about. "No maken +tlouble. What shall do?" + +"Send each man to his bunk. Tell them to stay there." + +Again the quick patter of Chinese on Charley's part. The coolies, some +fifty in number, scampered away, diving headlong into the bunks lining +the walls. Then the Ensign beckoned Charley Lung to him authoritatively. +He asked him a quick series of questions as to the whereabouts of "Black +George," his assistants and the crew of the trawler. Charley looked +bland. To every question he answered monotonously. + +"Me no unnastan'. Me no unnastan'." + +"Very well," said Ensign Warwick grimly. "You come with me. I think you +do know." + +Turning to Doniphan, he said: + +"Doniphan, mount guard here. Get a rifle from the boat. We'll wait until +you return. Tell Robbins to keep the searchlight playing in here, and +explain why." + +Doniphan was back in a very short time. + +"Now," said Ensign Warwick. "We'll take up the trail. I haven't heard a +sound for some time. But somewhere up that creek Inspector Burton's +party has met the enemy, and we must go to the rescue." + +Turning to the Chinaman, he said: + +"Charley, you are interpreter here. Don't deny it. You know where 'Black +George' and his party have gone. And you know the road to follow. You +have been violating the laws of this country and you are in my power +now. If you do what I say, it may be easier for you later. Now I want +you to lead the way." + +Charley Lung looked at him through slitted eyes. There was not a trace +of expression on his face to show that he understood or that he feared. + +"A' light," he said. "Come along dlis way." + +He struck off at once at a tangent from the barracks, bending his steps +along a narrow trail following the creek into a canyon between high +hills. The others followed, Ensign Warwick gripping Charley by an arm. + +The three chums were at the rear of the procession. As the others dimly +seen in the darkness turned a bend in the trail and disappeared up the +canyon, Jack chanced to look back. The searchlight still shot steadily, +a golden bar of light athwart the darkness and accentuating it by +contrast. In its rays the barracks stood out clear-cut as an etching, +with the figure of Doniphan, the sentry, before the door. But Jack's +keen eyes saw something else, and he gripped his companions' arms and +pointed upward. + +Their gaze followed. Gradually their eyes picked out the dim bulk of the +radio station seen earlier in the glare of the searchlight. But what had +alarmed Jack? They could see nothing. + +"There. That light. There it is again." + +Through a window in the end wall of the station blinked a light, once, +twice, thrice. Then all was dark again. + +"Signal," said Jack with conviction. "Somebody's up there." + +"Come on, let's find out," said the impetuous Frank, starting forward. + +Jack restrained him. + +"Better tell Ensign Warwick." + +Without a word, Bob turned and darted away up the trail. He was back in +five or six minutes. + +"Can't see them," he said, "they must have left the trail and struck off +at an angle somewhere. I used my flashlight, too, but couldn't see a +soul." + +"Very well," said Jack. "Then there's nothing else for it. We can't let +that light go unchallenged. We'll have to investigate ourselves. Come +on." + +The three chums started picking their way among the loose stones, up the +side of the hill, in the darkness. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +A SPY CAPTURED + + +"I haven't seen any further flashes, Jack. Have you?" + +"No, Frank. Bob, what do you make of it?" + +"Well, you know more about radio than we. As far as I know, that light +wasn't any indication that the radio was in use, because there is no +such indication possible." + +"You're right, of course, Bob. That light was a signal to somebody +somewhere. I wonder----" + +"What?" asked Frank. + +"Whether it was a signal to some ship off shore?" + +"Or to the smugglers who are inland," suggested Frank. + +"It might have been the latter," said Jack. "I hadn't thought of that. +Let's see whether this hilltop commands a view up the canyon." + +They had paused beside a clump of rocks some thirty feet from the +nearest corner of the radio station, after toiling up the steep slope. +They spoke in whispers. Not a sign of life was apparent about the +station, yet they could not have been deceived regarding the appearance +of the lights, ere starting to climb upward. What did it mean? It was +this they had been discussing, and now, at Jack's suggestion, they faced +about. A smothered exclamation broke from Jack's lips: + +"Why, this hilltop must be in sight for miles." + +Even in the moonless darkness, it was apparent that such was, indeed, +the case. The winding canyon, up which had disappeared Ensign Warwick +and his relief party going to the aid of Inspector Burton in his fight +with the smugglers, was commanded for a long distance by this outjutting +hill on which the radio station had been erected. Two rows of hills, +shadowy, bulking in the darkness, stretched ahead on either side and the +canyon lay between. + +"Fellows, our arrival and landing was watched," whispered Frank, with +conviction. "Then when Ensign Warwick set out with his men, the spy +signaled from here by means of a light. And so the smugglers were +informed and forewarned." + +"Yes," said Bob suddenly, "and say----" + +The big fellow did not often speak, but when he did it was usually to +the point. Bob and Jack looked at him. + +"Say what?" asked Jack. + +"Why, that Chinaman Charley Lung. I'll bet he's in on it. He's leading +our men into a trap." + +"I believe you've guessed it, Bob," said Frank, his low voice taking on +increased excitement. "Remember how he looked?" + +"Looked like a heathen idol to me," grunted Bob. "What do you mean?" + +"Oh, a kind of sly look in his eye, and something sly in his voice, too. +'All light,' he said. 'Come 'long.' I tell you, now that Bob has +suggested it, I believe that Chinaman was planning to play the traitor, +and lead Ensign Warwick into an ambush." + +For several seconds all three crouched there beside the rocks, thinking. +And their thoughts were not of the pleasantest. Their party was split. +Inspector Burton with one force was somewhere inland engaged with the +smugglers. Perhaps he had encountered a large force, and was hard +pressed. Certainly, the sound of firing had grown more and more distant +until it could no longer be heard, and that seemed to indicate he was +being beaten back. + +Then there was Ensign Warwick with the second force. And, if their +surmise was correct, the smugglers had been informed by signal from the +radio plant that he was coming, and Charley Lung, moreover, was leading +the naval force into a trap. + +"What could they do? What could they do?" + +That was the question in each mind. Instinctively, as always in a +crisis, the others turned to Jack. + +"First of all," said Jack, "we have got to find who is in the radio +station, and capture him. It won't do to leave an enemy in our rear." + +"What if there is more than one," objected Frank. + +"Not likely," said Jack. "One man to spy and give the signal would be +sufficient. More would be a waste of men." + +"All right. Let's go," said Bob. When action was suggested, he always +was ready for it. + +Jack considered. + +"Listen. We want to be careful, and not run unnecessary risks. It's just +a little box of a station with a window in this end nearest us, a door +there in front, and probably a window on the other end. I think that +window is too small for a man to escape through, don't you?" + +The boys agreed. + +"Big enough for pigeons," commented Bob. "That's about all." + +"Well, see what you think of my plan. We'll creep up to the door, and +crouch to each side of it, then knock and call on whoever is within to +come out and surrender." + +Bob and Frank considered. + +"Sounds all right to me," said Frank. + +"Why not break right in?" grumbled Bob. + +Jack shook his head. + +"Best to be cautious," he said. "Let's go." + +Slowly and with infinite care so as not to dislodge loose stones and set +them rolling down the hillside or to make any betraying sound, the boys +crept to their chosen positions, Bob and Frank on one side of the door, +Jack on the other. The revolvers served out to them by Ensign Warwick +were held ready. Not a sound from within. Was their presence known or +suspected? + +Jack leaned forward and thumped on the door with the butt of his weapon. + +"Come out," he called in a clear, firm voice, "in the name of the United +States Navy I call on you to surrender. Your light was seen from the +warship, and the station is surrounded." + +A moment's silence followed. The hearts of the boys beat so strongly it +seemed to them the very sound must be heard in that tense stillness. +Then the boards of the floor creaked under a light tread, and the door +was slowly pulled inward. + +"Don't shoot," said a voice. "I surrender." + +A slender form appeared in the doorway, hands upraised. Jack shot the +rays of his flashlight upward. A Chinese youth in American clothes +appeared. He was spectacled. + +"Are you alone?" demanded Jack. + +"Yes, sir." + +"Armed?" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Advance and be searched." + +The youth stepped across the low sill of the station, hands still +upraised. Jack motioned to Frank to search him, and the latter ran his +hands over the other's form, abstracting a revolver and a long knife. + +"That all?" + +"Yes, sir." + +Bob spun the young Chinaman around, pulled out his belt and tied his +hands together with it. + +"Keep an eye on him," said Jack. "I'm going to have a look at the +station." + +First casting the rays of his flashlight over the interior and verifying +the Chinaman's statement that he was alone, Jack went inside. Presently +Bob and Frank heard him exclaim, and then he appeared in the doorway +lugging a heavy square wooden box. + +"Look what I found," he cried delightedly. "A portable radio outfit for +field work. This is the very latest equipment. I've examined it hastily, +and it seems to have everything--antennae coiled up and ready for +stringing, some jointed steel poles to attach it to the box and powerful +storage batteries." + +"What'll we do with it?" asked Bob. + +"I don't know yet, but I have a hunch it will come in handy. Well, now I +guess we better go down to the boat and tell this man Robbins what we +have discovered and what we suspect. Then we can talk to our prisoner, +too." + +The latter's face was impassive. In appearance and judging by the choice +of words he had employed, he was an educated youth. Perhaps something +could be gotten out of him by questioning. It was worth trying. + +"All right," said Bob. "Frank, you watch our prisoner and I'll lend Jack +a hand with this radio outfit." + +CHAPTER XXV--A FORLORN HOPE +-------------------------- + +"Wow. Now that we're down, I don't see how we made it with this." + +Bob put down his end of the box containing the portable radio +transmission set, and Jack followed suit. + +"Must weigh all of two hundred pounds," said Bob. + +"Well, the batteries are heavy," said Jack. "The light poles weigh +little, and the coil contains not much more than a pound of wire. But +there are eight 'B' batteries of twenty-two and one-half volts each, and +they weigh about five pounds apiece." + +"Don't see what use the darned contraption will be, anyhow," grumbled +Bob. "Where can we use it?" + +"Oh, I don't know. But I have a hunch it will come in handy. Come on." + +Bob took up his end of the case, and the march was resumed. They had +reached the base of the hill and were at the rear of the warehouse. +Skirting this, they were halted by a sharp challenge as they reached the +front and stepped into the glare of the searchlight from the Sub Chaser. + +"All right, Doniphan," said Jack. "We've got a prisoner." + +The young sailor doing sentry duty in front of the building housing the +Chinese coolies regarded them curiously, as they made their way out the +pier toward the boat. Robbins, the petty officer left in charge with a +half-dozen men felt his responsibility and was on watch on deck. He +hailed them, then leaped to the pier. The boys paused, Jack and Bob put +down their burden, and briefly Jack related their experiences. + +"So you were signallin', hey?" said Robbins sharply, turning to the +young Chinaman whom the boys had taken prisoner. + +"He had a powerful electric light bulb hung in the window of the radio +station," explained Jack. "It could be seen a long distance up the +canyon." + +"No un'stan'," said the Chinaman, a look of stolid stupidity coming over +his face. + +Jack recalled the good English employed when the youth had been called +on to surrender. + +"Oh, come, now," he said. "We know better than that. You're an educated +man." + +The Chinaman shrugged. Stupidity gave way to defiance. + +"Have it your own way," he said. "But I won't tell you a thing." + +Robbins was exasperated. He made a threatening gesture, but Jack laid a +hand on his arm. + +"All right," said Robbins, grinning. "I wouldn't strike him, anyhow. +Against regulations. Wait a minute, you fellows, till I turn him over to +somebody aboard." + +Taking the prisoner by an arm, he marched him to the rail of the Sub +Chaser, where a sailor who had been an interested observer to what went +forward, was leaning. Returning, Robbins, not much older in appearance +than Bob but of slighter build, said: + +"What's to be done?" + +He respected the boys for their quick thinking and courage in +emergencies, and deferred to them. All four looked at each other in +silence. It was a ticklish situation for young heads. + +"Ensign Warwick told you not to leave the boat, didn't he?" asked Jack. + +Robbins nodded. + +"It probably would be foolish for all of us to go chasing off up the +canyon without knowing any more than we do, anyhow," said Jack. + +"Look here, you fellows," said Frank. "What's the matter with our going +scouting up the trail, the three of us? We know there is danger ahead +and have a pretty good idea of what it is, and so we ought to be able to +guard against it. Three men would make a likely reinforcement in case we +find our friends hard pressed." + +"Yes, but nine men would be better," said Robbins. "If there was only +some way you could send back word, in case you find our men bottled up, +I could bring up my outfit." + +"Well, I can run back," said Jack. + +"He's some jackrabbit, too," Frank assured the young sailor. "You ought +to see him in our school field meets." + +"Yes, but suppose you get five or six miles inland," objected Robbins. +"You couldn't be back here in under an hour, and it would be more than +double that time before we could get there with help." + +Big Bob looked thoughtful. Then he kicked against the side of the +portable radio outfit at their feet. + +"If only this weren't so doggone heavy," he said, "we might carry it +with us, and give you a call when we discover anything." + +"I have it," cried Jack delightedly. "The very thing." + +"What?" asked Robbins. + +"Why, we can take that portable radio without any trouble at all. This +creek runs back a considerable distance into the mountains through the +canyon. We can set up the radio in a boat and go up stream that way. The +trail is bound to parallel the stream. Moreover, we stand a better +chance to proceed unobserved, for they will be watching the trail and +not the stream." + +"Why not?" said Frank. "Looks like a good idea to me." + +"All right," said Robbins, "if you fellows want to try it. Here's a boat +right here, tied to the pier. Let's rig her up." + +Everybody worked enthusiastically, and the portable radio apparatus was +quickly in place, except for the aerial. + +"There's not sufficient stretch for the aerial," said Jack. "But if we +do get a chance to use the radio to call you, we can string the antennae +to some trees in no time at all, make our connections, and be all fixed. +I should say this would send about eight or ten miles." + +Frank steering, and Bob and Jack at the oars, the boat shot away +upstream and almost immediately disappeared from sight, so dark was the +night. Robbins listened intently, but the beat of the oars soon died +down. + +"Expert oarsmen," he commented to himself. "Wonder who those fellows +are, anyhow? They certainly act in a hurry." + +Then he went aboard to caution one of his men to remain at the radio, +ready to catch the boys' message should they call. + +Meantime with oars so skilfully handled as to make scarcely any sound, +the boys forged upstream. Minute after minute flew by, without a shot, +or any human sound, breaking the stillness. Bend after bend was +cautiously rounded, but nothing lay ahead. Several times Frank looked at +his watch. An hour had passed. + +"We must have come three or four miles," he whispered. "Let's take a +breather. I'll spell Jack when we go on. Pull in under this left bank. +The trail is on the right side, and we'll keep away from it." + +Bob and Jack pulled slowly over as Frank swung the tiller, and the boat +came to rest beneath the drooping branches of a pepper tree that grew on +the very edge of the stream. + +"I'm afraid we can't go much further in the boat," Jack said anxiously, +his voice barely audible. "Stream's getting very shallow." + +"Suppose one of us pushes ahead to reconnoiter while the others stay in +the boat," suggested Frank. + +"I expect that's what we better do," said Jack. "It's getting quite +shallow." + +After some further whispered conversation it was decided that while one +of the trio to be chosen by lot should push ahead on foot, the others +should busy themselves stringing the aerial. + +"If I find out anything to tell Robbins," said Frank, who had been the +one selected to spy out the land, "the radio will be working when I come +back." + +Scarcely had he stepped ashore on the left bank than the sound of +revolver fire, ahead and seemingly close at hand, was heard. Frank +jumped back into the boat. + +"Put me ashore on the other side," he said. "I'll go up the trail. That +shooting can't be far away." + +"Be careful," warned Jack, anxiously, as his young chum again leaped +ashore. + +A quarter of an hour passed, during which Jack and Bob busied themselves +stringing the aerial between two trees on opposite sides of the stream. +They stopped work frequently to listen. One more burst of firing was +heard, and a faint sound of shouting. Then Frank's voice hailed them, +and he scrambled aboard. + +"Nobody along the trail," he explained as soon as he could recover +breath, for he had been running. "But around the bend ahead the canyon +broadens out into a rather wide valley, and up above it on a hilltop on +the right is a stockade. Our men are in there, and the smugglers are +besieging them. The way I could tell the smugglers are outside was by +blundering almost on top of a clump of Chinamen directed by 'Black +George.'" + +"Guess we better radio Robbins to come up with his men," said Jack. "Bob +and I just completed stringing the aerial. Now to see if the outfit will +transmit." + +He began adjusting the tuner and detector knobs and sending out his +signal. + +CHAPTER XXVI--A SURPRISE ATTACK +------------------------------ + +"I hear someone coming," whispered Bob. + +While Jack continued working at the radio, Bob and Frank listened +intently. Jack began speaking into the transmitter, indicating he had +opened communication with the Sub Chaser. Bob put a hand on his arm, and +set his lips to Jack's ear. + +"Tell 'em to wait," he whispered. "Someone coming. Mustn't risk being +overheard." + +Nodding, Jack breathed an injunction to wait into the transmitter. All +three chums sat silent and tense. The faint sound first noticed by Bob +grew louder. Footsteps were approaching along the trail. Not those of +one man but of a number. Fortunately, the bank of the stream was high +and they were sheltered below it. Besides, down here at the bottom of +the canyon, with the narrow walls not far from the stream on either +hand, it was dark as a wolf's mouth. Even to each other they were almost +undistinguishable thickenings in the gloom. + +The footsteps came closer. They could hear men passing on the trail +above. Frank, who was nearest, suddenly swung ashore. Bob divined he was +going to clamber up to watch the trail, and considered it a risky +proceeding. He put out a hand to stop Frank, but too late. + +Not even daring to whisper, Bob and Jack held their places in the boat +and watched Frank's figure melt silently into the darkness. + +Presently the sound of men passing ceased. Not a word had been uttered +among them that Bob and Jack could overhear. Nor had the chums ventured +to speak to each other. What had become of Frank? Bob looked at his +watch with the illuminated dial. Ten or twelve minutes had passed. There +was no longer any sound on the trail above. He could stand the suspense +just about three minutes more, he whispered to Jack, and then he, too, +would take the trail to see what had become of Frank. + +He was preparing to put his plan into execution when Frank reappeared, +swinging down the bank with less precaution than before and obviously in +a state of high excitement. + +"Fellows, that was 'Black George' and his engineer and nearly a score of +Chinese," he said. "They're moving fast down the canyon. Matt Murphy and +a handful of men have been left behind. I overheard 'Black George' and +his engineer in whispered conversation, and I gathered what their plan +is. I was crouching in a tree up here above the trail. Their plan is for +Matt Murphy and his gang to keep our men bottled up in the stockade, +while 'Black George' goes down to try to surprise and capture the Sub +Chaser." + +"Evidently Ensign Warwick's Chinese guide was a traitor all right," said +Jack. + +"First thing, Jack, is to radio Robbins and warn him what's coming," +suggested Bob. + +"Right," said Jack, and turned to comply. + +Frank again swung up to the trail to guard against surprise while Jack +telephoned. At the conclusion of his conversation, Jack called to him in +a low voice and Frank returned to the boat. + +"Robbins suggests that we attack Matt Murphy and his party from the +rear," he said. "Murphy cannot have many men left, probably merely +enough to keep dropping a shot now and then and lead our men in the +stockade to believe all 'Black George's' men still face them. If we open +vigorous fire from different quarters it will seem to Matt's men that +reinforcements have arrived to attack them in the rear and they may make +a break to get away. Moreover, the sound of the firing will induce our +fellows to come out of the stockade. Shall we try it?" + +"I'm game," said Bob. + +"Me, too," declared Frank, ungrammatically. + +"One thing we must all remember, however," Jack said firmly. "That is, +not to take chances. Keep a considerable distance from the enemy. We +don't want to shoot any of them, but merely to frighten them into +withdrawing." + +"All right," said Bob, impatient for action. "Come on." + +Examining their revolvers by flashlight to see that all was in order, +the boys scrambled ashore with Frank in the lead, as he had acquired a +familiarity with the route. The boat was tied securely to the bank. + +Walking in Indian file, they proceeded along the trail to the bend +earlier described by Frank. Rounding it, they saw open before them the +valley of which Frank also had spoken. Although there was no moon, their +eyes were accustomed to the darkness, and by the pale light of the stars +they could see sufficiently well to gain a good idea of their +surroundings. + +The valley broadened out to the width of, perhaps, half a mile. Close to +them on the left was the hill crowned by the stockade. This hill, bare +of verdure and low, jutted up from the floor of the valley and +independent of the higher hills behind it. The posts of the stockade +made a serrated line against the clear night sky. + +"Murphy's men must be close at hand," Bob whispered. + +"It was right here that I almost stumbled on them before," answered +Frank, low-voiced. "We must be careful." + +"Look there. I saw someone moving," said Jack, gripping Bob's arm, and +pointing ahead. + +They stood pressed against the canyon wall, trying to pierce the +darkness. Everything was so shadowy and unreal, however, that Frank's +gaze following where Jack indicated could make nothing of it, nor could +Bob discern anything to indicate the presence of the enemy. At that +moment Matt Murphy's voice raised in a guarded hail came from the +shadows in the direction to which Jack had pointed. + +"Who's there? That you Mac?" + +Murphy believed one of "Black George's" party had returned. Probably, +from the name he employed, he considered it was MacFinney, the engineer. +Jack thought quickly. + +"Down. Crouch down, and scatter," he whispered. + +Frank and Bob dropped and disappeared to right and left respectively in +the low brush. Murphy called again, a note of anxiety in his voice: + +"Who's there? Answer or I'll fire." + +Jack's reply was a shot from his revolver, purposely aimed high. He had +no desire to injure Murphy. Then he ran to one side, fired again, and a +third time and then taking shelter behind a rock awaited developments. +Bob and Frank who, it had been agreed beforehand, should go not more +than twenty paces away in order that they all might keep in touch with +each other in case it was necessary to come together again for +protection or make a dash back to the boat, also opened fire. + +Murphy fired only once, after Jack's first shot. The bullet pinged +against the canyon wall. Then he turned and, although the boys could not +see him, they could hear him dashing back, and surmised he was going to +rejoin his men. + +Jack decided a little noise now would not come amiss and would help to +increase the alarm and mystification of Murphy's party as well as +apprise their own men in the stockade that friends were at hand. He +began to yell "Attaboy, give it to 'em." Bob and Frank, closer at hand +than he thought, joined in vociferously. They made a praiseworthy din +that would have done credit to a dozen men at least. + +In the midst of it, answering cheers came back from the stockade and +then over the palings leaped Ensign Warwick and Inspector Burton with +their men. The boys could not see, but they could hear. Shots and cheers +rang out, and the boys not to be outdone redoubled their former efforts, +at the same time keeping up a brisk revolver fire at the sky. + +It was too much for Matt Murphy and the half-dozen Chinese left in his +charge. Their only thought one of escape, they bolted for the trail down +the canyon. A surprised grunt from Bob indicated that one of the fleeing +Chinese had blundered into him. Bob landed a blow on the side of the +fellow's head that was sufficient. It bowled the man over, and Bob +leaped forward and sat on him. + +Frank saw a dark form scuttle along near him and, unwilling to fire, +picked up a stone half as big as his fist and let fly with it. The +missile caught the fugitive behind the ear and he, too, went down. Frank +ran forward and bent over the still form. By the bandaged arm, he could +tell it was Murphy. + +Alarmed, he bent closer. But Murphy was breathing heavily. He had merely +been knocked out. Frank stood over him undecided what to do. A voice +hailed from the darkness: + +"Where are you, Frank?" + +Frank called, and Jack came up. + +"Hello, you've got a prisoner, too. Why, it's Murphy. Bob also captured +a man, a Chinese. Four or five others ran by me and hit the trail." + +A hail from the darkness ahead in Ensign Warwick's voice came to their +ears: + +"Where are you, Robbins?" + +"It's not Robbins, sir," answered Jack. "But Jack Hampton. My chums are +with me." + +"Thank God," cried the young naval officer, running forward, and while +still some paces away. "So you three fellows are safe? I didn't miss you +until we arrived here, and then things happened so rapidly I couldn't go +back to look for you. What happened? But, wait, here's Inspector +Burton." + +The Secret Service man approached, throwing the glare of his flashlight +over the boys. A number of the sailors closed around them. Others who +had followed the fugitives a short distance along the trail but had +turned back, according to orders to stick together, could be seen +approaching. A number of flashlights lighted up the scene. + +"Why, you're wounded," said Jack, glancing at a blood-stained +handkerchief bound about the Secret Service man's forehead. + +"A nasty crack, but nothing dangerous," replied Inspector Burton. "But +where in the world did you boys drop from? Ensign Warwick thought you +lost or captured." + +"And where is Robbins? I thought it was he attacking, and that's why we +left the stockade," supplemented the naval officer. + +Briefly as possible, Jack recounted their adventures, interrupted +frequently by expressions of approval and warm commendation from Ensign +Warwick and Inspector Burton. The boys wanted to know what had happened +to the other two parties, but Ensign Warwick said: + +"That story will have to wait. Meantime, if we hurry we can get to the +landing almost as soon as 'Black George.' Leave the boat tied up and +come with us. You can make better time." + +CHAPTER XXVII--BLACK GEORGE CAPTURED +----------------------------------- + +Murphy and the captured Chinese were bound and put aboard the boat. But +first Robbins was apprised. "Black George" had not appeared yet. No time +was wasted detaching the aerial. It was abandoned. Then one of the +sailors, who had been shot in the fleshy part of the right leg and thus +could not maintain the rapid pace of the party, was put at the oars with +instructions to follow down stream until he reached the landing. + +With that the others set out at a trot. All were young and active, even +Inspector Burton being still in his thirties and in excellent physical +condition. They were unencumbered with baggage of any sort. + +Ensign Warwick in the lead set a killing pace. Jack, Bob and Frank, +however, thanks to their training in long-distance running at Harrington +Hall, were enabled to keep up without difficulty. Inspector Burton +surprised them all by sticking close. + +"I've always been a bit of a runner," he explained during one +three-minute halt for the recovery of breath. + +So hard did Ensign Warwick push forward that in half an hour they neared +the mouth of the canyon where it broadened out into the little +landlocked harbor. A halt was called. Not a shot had been heard yet. + +"Those Chinese we routed," whispered Ensign Warwick, "would give the +alarm that we are behind them if they caught up with 'Black George.'" + +"Perhaps they took to the hills," suggested Jack. Inspector Burton +nodded. + +"It might easily be that they had a stomachful of fighting," he said. +"They might have decided to save their own skins and let 'Black George' +shift for himself." + +"But if they have given warning, we might be ambushed," said Frank. "A +little way ahead there, at the mouth of the canyon, would be a fine +place for an ambuscade." + +A distant sound of firing, followed by a pandemonium of high-pitched +yells, shattered the silence. + +"They're attacking," cried Ensign Warwick. "Come on. Ambush or not, we +must go forward. Every man for himself and watch the sides of the +canyon. On the run now, fellows. Let's go." + +Turning he plunged ahead. Behind him came Inspector Burton and the three +chums. Close on their heels were the fifteen or eighteen young sailors. + +There was no ambush after all, and they later learned the Chinese they +had routed at the stockade had fled to the hills without seeking to warn +"Black George" of the Nemesis on his heels. + +Dashing out of the canyon, around the sharp turn at its mouth, they came +upon a wild scene. The Chinese coolies in the warehouse were shrieking +in terror, and the sounds of their yells and of the blows they rained +wildly upon the sides of the building came clear to their ears. They +could see three crouching figures before the door, rifles presented, +guarding against any attempt of the coolies to bolt. + +The searchlight from the Sub Chaser played over the scene a moment +longer as they watched, bringing it out in sharp relief. Then the light +was swung away and brought to bear upon the trawler. "Black George" +appeared on the deck, firing his revolver futilely at the Sub Chaser. + +Ensign Warwick running rapidly reached the pier, with the boys close at +his heels. He dashed out to the Sub Chaser and leaped aboard. + +"Beggars must have gotten into the warehouse from the roof," Robbins +explained rapidly to his superior officer. "Stirred the coolies up to +make a break for it, thinking to divert us. Would have done so, too, if +I hadn't had your warning. But we kept the coolies in bounds. Meantime, +the rest of their outfit must have swam out to the trawler. Planned to +set her adrift, I guess. Tide's running out. Heard something that made +me suspicious and put the light on them, as you see. And here you are." + +"Good enough," approved Ensign Warwick. + +Advancing to the other side of his little craft he called to "Black +George" to surrender. + +"If you try to escape," he called, "I'll train a machine gun on you. +Better surrender and avoid bloodshed." + +With a curse of rage, "Black George" raised his revolver and fired. +Ensign Warwick leaped aside, as the bullet struck the deck at his feet. +A shot rang out from the Sub Chaser. The revolver spun from "Black +George's" grasp, and he jumped up and down grasping the stunned wrist in +his other hand. + +"Who did that?" queried the naval officer. + +"I did, sir," said Jack. "I merely shot his weapon away to disarm him." + +"Pretty shot," approved Ensign Warwick, while several of the sailors +also murmured approval. + +"Folwell, a machine gun is trained on your deck and you cannot escape," +the naval officer continued. "Our men are waiting ashore, and you cannot +escape by swimming. Call your men on deck. A boarding party is coming +aboard." + +"Black George" realized the futility of further resistance, and when +Ensign Warwick with a half-dozen heavily armed men gained the deck of +the trawler he had Engineer MacFinney and eighteen Chinese on deck. They +were searched, and then the Chinese were put in the forecastle under +guard and the two white men were taken aboard the Sub Chaser. + +At sight of the three chums, "Black George" cursed bitterly. + +"You're the cause of all my troubles," he said. "I should have left you +to the tender mercies of Wong Ho's men back in Chinatown." + +"If he only knew how much you three lads have contributed to his +downfall," commented Inspector Burton, as "Black George" was led away, +"he would feel even worse." + +Ensign Warwick approached. + +"Look here," he said, kindly, "you fellows have had a pretty strenuous +time of it. It's a mild night, and I'm going to keep Folwell aboard +here, bed him down in a hammock, where I can watch him. Do you fellows +object to turning in on the trawler?" + +"Not at all," said Jack. "We slept there before, you know." + +"Yes, I know. That's why I proposed it now. Well, if you want to turn in +now, I've got the boat ready to lift you over." + +Amid a hail of "good-nights" the three chums and Inspector Burton were +rowed to the trawler. Once aboard, they lost no time in straightening +the bunks and tumbling in. + +"Way past midnight now," said Bob, examining his watch. "We've got only +a few hours. I, for one, am not going to waste them in undressing." + +And, merely kicking off his shoes, he tumbled over on his berth and +almost immediately fell asleep. The others followed suit. + +CHAPTER XXVIII--REWARDS AHEAD +---------------------------- + +Mr. Temple beamed on the gathering in his sitting room at the Victoria +Hotel. It was the afternoon of the following day. The party included the +three chums and Inspector Burton. Ensign Warwick had duties demanding +his attention. Inventor Bender and Doctor Marley had left for San +Francisco. + +"Well, boys, I can't tell you how relieved I am at the safe outcome of +your adventures," declared Mr. Temple. "I was worried. There's no +denying it. When you left last evening for Santa Cruz Island, everybody +said there would be no danger and that the smugglers would submit +without a fight. But I had a premonition of trouble. Besides," he added, +twinkling, "I knew that where there was trouble, you three youngsters +would be sure to be in it." + +"They were in it, indeed," said Inspector Burton. "If it hadn't been for +them, I don't know how matters would have turned out. Having isolated us +in the stockade, the smugglers might have captured the Sub Chaser. +Anything might have happened." + +The boys stirred uncomfortably under this praise. + +"Inspector Burton, won't you tell us now how you and Ensign Warwick came +to be in the stockade?" asked Jack, to divert the conversation. "So far +you have been busy with other matters, and we haven't heard the story +yet." + +"Yes, I meant to tell you as we crossed from Santa Cruz this morning, +but the questioning of the prisoners kept me so engaged it was +impossible. Folwell wouldn't talk, but that man, Matt Murphy, gave me +much valuable information." + +"He's a pretty good scout," said Frank thoughtfully, "and we took quite +a liking to him. But, somehow, a man that turns traitor to his friends +loses caste with me." + +"That's a natural feeling," said Inspector Burton, tolerantly. "But in +this case, there are extenuating circumstances. It's too long to explain +now. At any rate, I'll be able to make it light for Murphy." + +"Well, tell-tale or not, I'm glad of that," said Bob. "He did us a good +turn when we were captives aboard the trawler." + +Inspector Burton then proceeded to explain that, after landing from the +Sub Chaser on the north shore of Santa Cruz the previous night, he had +led his party through the mountains. After striking the headwaters of +the creek, they followed down the canyon until entering the valley where +the stockade was located. + +This they had inspected. Finding it untenanted, they had proceeded on +down the canyon. When still some distance from the landing, they had +encountered "Black George" and his men in superior numbers, and had +fallen back in the stockade. + +"That was when we first heard your shots. Then they grew more distant as +you retreated," said Bob. + +The Secret Service man nodded. + +Ensign Warwick and his party, he continued, had been ambushed as they +pushed up the canyon, but had cut their way through and taken refuge in +the stockade. + +"Knowing the Sub Chaser was guarded and would wait for us, we determined +to wait for daylight before attacking the smugglers," continued +Inspector Burton. "We were at a disadvantage through unfamiliarity with +our surroundings. Fortunate for all concerned, you boys were on the job. +Otherwise we in the stockade would not have known that the major portion +of the attacking party had gone to the landing, and it might have gone +hard with Robbins and his handful of sailors." + +"I suppose, Inspector, that the breaking up of this gang of coolie +smugglers is a matter of some importance," suggested Mr. Temple. + +"Some importance, indeed," Inspector Burton said. + +He was silent a little while, gazing out of the window at the palm trees +on the lawn and the bright sunshine flooding all. + +"A great feather in my cap, and sure to bring me advancement," he said, +smiling. "The credit really belongs to you, boys, but matters of that +sort are not recognized in official circles. I, as the man on the +ground, will be the one rewarded." + +"And quite rightly, too," said Mr. Temple, warmly. The genial Secret +Service man had commended himself by his actions. "I am sure," he added, +"that these boys feel anything they were able to do was owing to the +accidents of fortune." + +"Yes, indeed," said Jack. + +And Frank chimed in: + +"We were in great luck, sir, to be permitted to have a hand in the +ending of the adventure." + +Bob nodded. + +"Very good of you, boys, to take it like that," approved Inspector +Burton. "But, remember, I have no illusions about the matter. I know of +what help you have been. + +"At any rate," he continued, "the capture of this gang is of the +greatest importance. Smuggling of Chinese coolies into the country has +been growing alarmingly. Who would have thought the smugglers would be +so bold as to operate a distributing point on Santa Cruz Island? Yet, +after all, what better place could they have found? Isolated, +practically uninhabited, it was admirably suited to their purpose. + +"This man Folwell is a smooth crook with a tremendous reputation for +elusiveness. We have never been able to obtain definite information +connecting him with criminal activities. He is the head of a gang that +has its ramifications not only up and down the Pacific but in the east, +too, in New York. + +"Through your instrumentality, we have him by the heels now, and not +only him but his agents in our own official circles as well as old Wong +Ho." + +"What," interrupted Jack, "you have arrested that old Chinaman? Why, we +had no idea where it was in Chinatown that we had been taken." + +"I know," said Inspector Burton, "but from Matt Murphy I obtained +information that I wired at once to San Francisco, and Wong Ho is in the +toils. From Murphy, too, I obtained the names not only of Handby, but of +several others in official positions, who have been spies for Folwell. +They, too, are being watched and either under arrest already or soon +will be. You see," smiling, "I have had a busy morning." + +"And the other boats employed in the coolie traffic?" + +"Ensign Warwick is attending to that matter. They will be rounded up." + +"A good piece of work," approved Mr. Temple, breaking the silence which +followed the Secret Service man's last remark. "And now, boys, we'll go +back to San Francisco for a day or two while I conclude the business +matters which brought me west. Then we'll return to New Mexico where I +will leave you at the Hampton's for the two or three weeks left of your +vacation, while I return to New York." + +Inspector Burton leaned forward, and cleared his throat. + +"Mr. Temple, I have a proposition to make to you," he said. + +The older man regarded him with surprise. + +"Yes? What is it?" + +"Just this," said the Secret Service chief. "These boys have been of +such service to the country that I want them to have some reward." + +"Oh, we're not looking for anything," said Frank quickly. + +Inspector Burton smiled tolerantly. + +"My dear boy, I know very well you aren't. But what I am about to +propose may please you, after all. Have you ever been to Washington, the +national capital?" + +"No, sir. None of us have." + +"Well, wouldn't you like to shake hands with the President? And wouldn't +it be nice to have the Chief of the Secret Service thank you personally +for what help you have done?" + +The eyes of all three chums shone. The unexpected proposal left them +speechless. Mr. Temple spoke for them. + +"That would be fine, Inspector," he said. "You've knocked the wind out +of the boys. They'll tell you what they think of your plan as soon as +they recover." + +"Boy, oh, boy, I guess that wouldn't be scrumptious," said Jack. + +"Something more to tell the fellows at Harrington Hall when school +reopens," said Frank. + +"I'm ready right now," said big Bob, melodramatically leaping to his +feet and grabbing the doorknob. "Come on. Let's go." + +Mr. Temple laughed, and Inspector Burton joined him. + +"Not so fast," he said. "When you leave New Mexico for home, you can go +by way of Washington. That will be time enough. In fact, I'll have to +precede you to arrange matters." + +After some discussion, the chums went out to wander around Santa +Barbara, leaving Mr. Temple and the Secret Service man to make the +necessary arrangements as to time, etc., for their proposed trip to +Washington. + +"Come on. Let's go down to the beach for a plunge," said Bob. "That's +the only way I can get this exuberance out of my system." + +CHAPTER XXIX--A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE +----------------------------------- + +Jack, Frank and Bob reached Washington alone, Mr. Temple, weeks before, +having left them in New Mexico to return to New York. + +"You fellows have given me the longest and most exciting vacation from +business that I ever had," he said, on leaving them at the Hampton +ranch. "Little did I think I would be involved in international intrigue +on the border or engaged in breaking up a tremendous smuggling ring. But +I'm too old for all this excitement, although you youngsters seem to +flourish on it." + +"Old," protested Bob. "Why, Dad, you look fitter after all our +experiences than for years." + +Mr. Temple's eyes twinkled. + +"Well," said he, "I can't say that I haven't enjoyed it all. Quite a +change from business, hey?" he added, appealing to Mr. Hampton, Jack's +father, the mining engineer. + +Mr. Hampton nodded, smiling slightly. He himself led a life filled with +more adventure and excitement than that of the quieter business man. Yet +he, too, had had a considerable increase in thrills that summer, +kidnapped in an airplane and held captive by Mexican rebels at the +Calomares palace in the mountains of Sonora, as related in a previous +tale of _The Radio Boys on the Mexican Border_. + +Life at the ranch had gone along quietly for the boys during the two +weeks after Mr. Temple's departure, filled with riding, several short +trips into the mountains and a visit to Santa Fe, second oldest city in +America, to inspect the ruins of the Spanish occupation. + +Then had come the expected invitation from Inspector Burton of the +Secret Service to visit Washington, and with two weeks left of their +vacation, all three set out for New York via the national capital. + +Now, as they stood in front of the New Willard at Fourteenth Street and +Pennsylvania Avenue, just around the corner from the White House, they +were filled with pleasurable excitement and some nervousness, too. For +they were going to meet the President of the United States. + +"Be at the office of the President's Secretary at eleven o'clock," had +read the note from Inspector Burton, awaiting them at the hotel. He had +written he would be unable by reason of business engagements to meet +them at the hotel and conduct them to the White House, but that he would +meet them there. + +It was a hot August day. Not a cloud was in the sky, and the sun shone +with an intensity that was almost unbearable. Heat waves danced on the +asphalt, and there were few people moving about. Washington in +mid-summer is at its deadest, for then the legislators and major +government officials have fled to seashore or mountain, the city is +depopulated, and those remaining stir abroad no more than necessary. In +its ring of hills, drowsy, somnolent, the governing center of the nation +takes a summer _siesta_ and waits for the coming of crisper autumn when +the wheels once more will begin to revolve. + +For the President to be at the White House was unusual, but urgent +business having to do with a crisis in a little-known corner of Latin +America had demanded his presence. The boys had read of his return the +day previous in their morning paper. + +Being a little ahead of the appointed time they walked leisurely along +Pennsylvania Avenue under the dusty trees, with the broad White House +lawn showing green and pleasant behind the high iron fence, and with the +White House handsome and dignified through the trees. Following +directions, they did not turn in at the wide main gateway, but at +Fifteenth Street turned and retraced their steps to the small +thoroughfare between the State, Army and Navy Building and the left wing +of the White House, where the executive offices are located. + +Down this thoroughfare to the left they went, nervousness increasing, +turned in at a gateway and entered the anteroom of the President's +secretary. It was cool and quiet in there, and empty of its usual crowd +of men and women clamoring to see the President on some business or +other. Inspector Burton rose from a corner, and came forward hand +extended, and at his smile and reassuring handclasp the knees of the +chums ceased to be water and became a bit more solid once more. + +After being introduced to the President's secretary they were taken to +the Blue Room, instead of the President's office, and there, amid the +summer dust cloths covering the furniture, in that room where the +presidents of the past had conferred upon matters that shook the world, +the President greeted them. Tall, elegant, elderly, gray, with a smile +and a homely manner of talking which put them at ease at once in some +magical way, he made a profound impression on the boys. + +"Such boys as you," said he, in parting, "renew my faith in the future +of America." + +Then they were out, and walking along Pennsylvania Avenue with Inspector +Burton, a bit dazed, sure that great distinction had been visited on +them, but not yet able to understand it all. + +At Fifteenth Street, where they had turned back on their previous stroll +along the fenced White House lawn, the Secret Service man took them into +the imposing pile of the Treasury Building. + +"The Chief wants to thank you," was the only explanation he vouchsafed. + +First the President! Now the head of the Secret Service! Things were +coming fast. Jack and Bob looked solemn, but Frank the irrepressible, +catching sight of their long faces, burst into laughter. + +"Brace up, my hearties," he cried, thwacking each on the back. "He's not +going to eat you. I have private information that assures me he won't." + +The tension was relieved, as all laughed. + +Then Inspector Burton conducted the chums into a high-ceilinged office +lined with books, looking more like a student's library than the office +of the head of the nation's great super-police force. A small man, +compactly built, with a close-clipped gray mustache, rose from a desk +and advanced to meet them. + +"Well, well, so these are the young heroes," he said, grasping each in +turn firmly by the hand as the introductions were managed. + +Then he stood back and took a long look at them, a twinkle in his eye at +the mounting color and embarrassed manner of the trio. + +"I'd hate to meet any one of you in a rough-and-tumble fight," he said. +"No wonder you made things fly on the Pacific." + +All sat down then and a general conversation about the break-up of the +smugglers' ring followed. The boys learned that "Black George" and Wong +Ho were in jail, awaiting trial, that three boats employed in the +smuggling traffic had been captured, that Mexico had been asked and had +agreed to prosecute the conspirators operating at Ensenada, that three +employees of the government were under arrest for conspiracy in the +smuggling operations, and that Matt Murphy was free on parole and the +case against him would not be pushed. + +Finally, Inspector Burton arose and the boys took that as a signal it +was time to depart, and also got to their feet. + +"I know of no way to reward you except to give you the thanks of the +Service," said the Chief at parting. "But that is yours. Good-by." + +"Wow," said Frank, when they were alone at their hotel once more, "I +feel as if I owned the world." + +"The common herd had better not talk to me for a while," declared Bob, +grinning. "I wouldn't be able to notice anybody less than a general." + +"Same here," said Jack. "Well, now, fellows, what are we going to do? +Now that we're on the ground with a fine chance to see the sights, we +certainly aren't going to go right home, are we?" + +"I move we stay until we take in everything," said Frank. + +"Second the motion," said Bob. "But I tell you, going around in this +heat is going to cost me some weight." + +"Oh, it'll just get you in condition for football," said Jack. "You're +getting too fat, anyhow." + +That precipitated a general discussion of the forthcoming return to +Harrington Hall Military Academy, the football prospects, the effect +which recital of their thrilling summer would have on schoolmates, and +other matters of similar ilk. It would be Jack's last year, while Frank +and Bob, a class behind him, would have two years more before entering +college. All three planned to enter Yale, of which both Mr. Hampton and +Mr. Temple were graduates. + +Three days they spent in sightseeing, paying visits to Mount Vernon, +George Washington's old home; the national cemetery at Arlington, quaint +Annapolis, where the Naval College is located, and inspecting the +capital and all the great public buildings. + +Browned, looking taller and broader, every one, than at the beginning of +summer, they arrived home at length a week before the opening of school, +and spent the interim mainly in swimming and in reassembling the +airplane owned by Frank and Bob, which had been shipped on from New +Mexico, or in working at Jack's radio plant. + +Frank, as stated in a previous tale, was an orphan and lived with the +Temples, Bob's father being his guardian. Jack, whose mother was dead +and whose father still was in New Mexico, decided to make his home at +the Temples instead of opening his own home. The Hampton and Temple +estates, situated on the far end of Long Island, adjoined each other. + +And here, with their preparations for school, we shall leave our three +friends. But--here's a little secret--the following summer a mysterious +airplane, a sandy and secluded cove and what they found there, strange +lights at sea at night and the imprints of a one-legged man's wooden peg +on the sand of a deserted stretch of beach, all combined to draw the +three chums into adventures as exciting and thrilling as any that had +gone before. And these will be related in _The Radio Boys With the +Revenue Guard_. + +THE END + + + + +THE RADIO BOYS SERIES + +A Series of Stories for Boys of All Ages + +By GERALD BRECKENRIDGE + + The Radio Boys on the Mexican Border + The Radio Boys on Secret Service Duty + The Radio Boys with the Revenue Guards + The Radio Boys' Search for the Inca's Treasure + The Radio Boys Rescue the Lost Alaska Expedition + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Radio Boys on Secret Service Duty, by +Gerald Breckenridge + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RADIO BOYS *** + +***** This file should be named 39574.txt or 39574.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/9/5/7/39574/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was +produced from images made available by the HathiTrust +Digital Library.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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