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diff --git a/old/39576-0.txt b/old/39576-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bde4aff --- /dev/null +++ b/old/39576-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5555 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Radio Detectives, by A. Hyatt Verrill + + +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 Detectives + + +Author: A. Hyatt Verrill + + + +Release Date: April 30, 2012 [eBook #39576] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RADIO DETECTIVES*** + + +E-text prepared by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading +Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by +the HathiTrust Digital Library (http://www.hathitrust.org/digital_library) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustration. + See 39576-h.htm or 39576-h.zip: + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/39576/39576-h/39576-h.htm) + or + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/39576/39576-h.zip) + + + Images of the original pages are available through the + HathiTrust Digital Library. See + http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t7rn3vd3d + + + + + +[Illustration: “HELP! SEND FOR HELP!”] + + +THE RADIO DETECTIVES + +by + +A. HYATT VERRILL + +Author of “The Deep Sea Hunters,” “Isles of Spice +and Palm,” “The Book of the Motor Boat,” etc. + + + + + + + +D. Appleton and Company +New York :: 1922 :: London + +Copyright, 1922, by D. Appleton and Company + +Printed in the United States of America + + + + +CONTENTS + + CHAPTER I—TOM TAKES UP RADIO + CHAPTER II—MYSTERIOUS MESSAGES + CHAPTER III—THE RADIO DETECTIVES + CHAPTER IV—THE BOYS DRAW A BLANK + CHAPTER V—THE UNDER-SEA WIRELESS + CHAPTER VI—THE RED MENACE + CHAPTER VII—THE CRY FROM THE DEPTHS + CHAPTER VIII—ASTOUNDING DISCOVERIES + CHAPTER IX—THE BATTLE BENEATH THE RIVER + CHAPTER X—RADIO WINS + CHAPTER XI—HENDERSON HAS AN INTERVIEW + CHAPTER XII—THE CONFESSION + CHAPTER XIII—RAWLINS’ PROPOSAL + + + + +THE RADIO DETECTIVES + + + + +CHAPTER I—TOM TAKES UP RADIO + + +“Oh, Dad! I’ve made a new set,” cried Tom, as he entered the dining +room. + +“That so, Son?” replied Mr. Pauling interestedly. “Seems to me you boys +do nothing but junk your sets as fast as you make them and build others. +Does this one work better than the last?” + +“It’s a peacherino!” declared Tom enthusiastically. “Just wait till you +see it and listen to the music coming in.” + +“I’ll come up after dinner,” his father assured him. “Let me know when +the fun begins. I’ve some papers to go over in the library first.” + +Throughout the meal the talk was all of radio, in which Tom and his boy +friends had become madly interested and in which Tom’s father and mother +had encouraged him. + +“Go to it, Tom,” his father had said when the boy had glowingly +expatiated on the wonderful things he had heard on a friend’s instrument +and had asked his father’s permission to get a set. “I’m glad you’re +interested in it,” he had continued. “It’s going to be a big thing in +the future and the more you learn about it the better. But begin at the +beginning, Tom. Don’t be satisfied merely with buying instruments and +using them. Learn the whole thing from the bottom up and use your +mechanical ability to build instruments and to make improvements. Wish +they’d had something as fascinating when I was a kid.” + +Tom had lost no time in availing himself of his father’s permission, and +of the roll of bills which had accompanied it, and there was no prouder +or more excited boy in Greater New York than Tom Pauling when he +triumphantly brought home his little crystal receiving set and exhibited +it to his parents. + +“I can’t understand how a little box with a few nickel-plated screws and +some knobs can do all the things you say,” was his mother’s comment. +“But then,” she added, “I never could understand anything mechanical or +electrical. Even a phonograph or an electric light is all a mystery to +me.” + +Mr. Pauling looked the instrument over carefully and listened +attentively to Tom’s graphic explanation of detectors, tuners, +condensers, etc. + +“H-m-m,” he remarked, “I guess I’ll have to take a back seat now, Son. +You evidently have a pretty good grip on the fundamentals. Sorry I can’t +help you any, but it’s all Greek to me, I admit.” + +“Oh, it’s all mighty simple,” Tom assured him. “Frank’s coming over this +afternoon and we’re going to put up the aërial and then you and mother +can hear the music and songs from Newark to-night.” + +But despite the fact that Mrs. Pauling declared it the most remarkable +thing she had ever seen or heard, and his father complimented him, Tom +was far from satisfied with his first set. He didn’t like the idea of +being obliged to sit with head phones clamped to his ears in order to +hear the music from the big broadcasting stations; he felt that it was +mighty unsatisfactory for only one person to hear the sounds at one time +and he soon found that despite every effort he was continually +interrupted by calls and messages from near-by amateur stations. + +Being of a naturally inventive and mechanical mind and remembering his +father’s advice to try to improve matters, he spent all his spare time +studying the radio magazines, haunting the stores where radio supplies +and instruments were sold and arguing about and discussing various +devices and sets with his boy friends. Hardly a day passed that he did +not arrive at his home carrying some mysterious package or bundle. +Accompanied by his chum Frank, from the time school was over until late +in the evening he kept himself secluded in his den while faint sounds of +hammering or of animated conversation might have been heard within. + +“What’s all the mystery, Son?” his father had asked on one occasion. +“Going to spring some big invention on an unsuspecting world?” + +Tom laughed. “Not quite, Dad,” he replied, “but I’m going to give you +and mother a surprise pretty soon.” + +When at last all was ready and his parents were invited to Tom’s holy of +holies they were indeed surprised. Upon a small table were various +instruments and devices and a seeming tangle of wires, while, tucked +away on a bookshelf, was the little crystal set which had so recently +been Tom’s pride and joy. + +And still greater was their surprise when, after busying himself over +the instruments, the faint sounds of music filled the room, coming +mysteriously from the apparent odds and ends upon the table. + +“It’s all homemade,” Tom had explained proudly. “But it works. Frank and +I rigged it up just as an experiment. Now I’m going to reassemble it and +put it in a case and have a regular set.” + +“Wait a minute, Tom,” his father had interrupted. “You’ll have to +explain a bit. If that lot of stuff can give so much better results than +the set you bought, why didn’t you make it in the first place, and +what’s the difference anyway?” + +“Well, you see, Dad,” Tom tried to explain, “I had to start at the +bottom as you said and a crystal set’s the bottom. This is a vacuum tube +set. Those things like little electric lights are the tubes and they’re +the heart of the whole thing, and I’ve a one-step amplifier and that has +to have another tube. I didn’t have enough pocket money to buy +everything so Frank lent me some of his. You see it’s this way——” + +“Never mind about the technicalities,” laughed his father. “As I said +before, go to it. Get what you need and keep busy. It’s a fine thing for +you boys. Now turn her on again, or whatever you call it, and let’s hear +some more music.” + +From that time, Tom’s progress was rapid although, as his father had +jokingly remarked, the boy’s chief occupation appeared to be building +sets one day only to tear them down and reconstruct them the next. + +Tom’s room had assumed the appearance of an electrical supply shop. +Tools, wire, sheet brass, bakelite, hard rubber knobs, odds and ends of +metal, coils and countless other things had taken the places of books, +skates, baseball bats and papers, and the fiction magazines had given +way to radio periodicals, blue prints and diagrams. Mrs. Pauling was in +despair and complained to her husband that Tom was making a dreadful +mess of his room and expressed fears that he might get hurt fooling with +electricity. + +“Don’t you fret over that,” her husband had advised. “Tom and his +friends are having the time of their lives. As long as they are learning +something of value, what does it matter if they do keep his room in a +mess? Besides, it’s clean dirt you know—and it’s orderly disorder if you +know what I mean. They’re exploring a new world and haven’t time to look +after such trifles as having a place for everything and everything in +its place. That will come later. Just now they are fired with the zeal +and enthusiasm of great inventors and scientists. We mustn’t interfere +with them—such feelings come to human beings but once in a lifetime. I +consider this radio craze the best thing for boys that ever occurred. It +gives them an interest, it’s educational, it keeps them off the street +and occupies their brains and hands at the same time. Do you know, if I +didn’t have my time so fully occupied, I believe I’d get bitten by the +bug myself. Besides, they may really discover something worth while. I +was talking to Henderson of our staff to-day—he had charge of our radio +work during the war—and he tells me some of the best inventions in radio +have been made by amateurs—quite by accident too. I expect Tom knows +that and that’s what makes the kids so keen on the subject—it’s a +wonderful thought to feel you may stumble on some little thing that will +revolutionize a great science at any moment.” + +“Yes, I suppose you’re right, Fred,” agreed Tom’s mother resignedly. +“But I do wish it were possible to have boys amuse themselves without +tracking shavings all over the halls and burning holes in their clothes +and having grimy fingers.” + +But Tom’s mother need not have worried. Gradually order came out of +chaos. As the boys progressed, they found that the accumulation of odds +and ends and the disorder interfered with their work; many experimental +instruments and devices had been discarded and were now tossed into a +junk box in the closet; a neat work table with the tools handily +arranged had been rigged up and Tom and Frank had developed a +well-equipped and orderly little workshop with the completed instruments +on an improvised bench under the window. + +Both Mr. and Mrs. Pauling had noticed the gradual improvement, as from +time to time they had been summoned by Tom to witness demonstrations of +the latest products of the boys’ brains and hands, and both parents +congratulated the boys on their handiwork and the strides they had made. +So, on the night when Tom had assured his father that his latest set was +a “peacherino,” the two grownups entered a room which, as Mr. Pauling +expressed it, reminded him of a wireless on a ship. + +And then, after Tom with the glowing eyes and flushed face of an +inventor and the pride of a showman, had exhibited his latest +achievement and had explained its mysteries in terms which were utterly +unintelligible to his parents, they sat spellbound as the strains of a +military band fairly filled the room. + +“Fine!” declared Mr. Pauling when the concert ended. “You have got a +‘peacherino’ as you call it.” + +“Oh, that’s nothing,” declared Tom deprecatingly. “I can get Pittsburgh +and I can get spark messages from Cuba and Canada, and last night I +picked up a message from Balboa. I’ll hear England and France before I’m +satisfied.” + +“Bully!” exclaimed his father. “Tell you what I’ll do. I’m off to Cuba +and the Bahamas, Monday, you know. I’ll radio from the ship on the way +down and after I get there you can see if you can pick up my messages +direct and can talk back.” + +“Oh, I can’t do that, yet,” declared Tom. “I haven’t a sending set. You +have to get a license for that, but I’m going to get at it right away. +It will be fine to be able to hear you. I’ll bet I can get your messages +from Cuba and Nassau. Say, it will be almost like hearing you talk.” + +“How shall I address them?” chuckled his father. “Tom Pauling, The Air?” + +“Gee! I hadn’t thought of that,” ejaculated Tom. “I haven’t any call +letters—only sending stations have them—I’ve got it! When you send a +message, just address it as if it were a regular message and then I’ll +know it’s for me. And send them the same time every time—then I’ll be +sure to be here and waiting to get them.” + +“Righto,” agreed his father. “I’ll be sending a good many official +messages, I expect, and I can get them all off together each day—say +7:45. How will that be?” + +“That’ll be fine,” assented Tom. “I’ll be here at half-past seven every +night listening. Say, Dad, do you suppose those smuggler fellows use +radio?” + +“Why, I don’t know; what made you ask?” + +“Oh, I just happened to think of it,” replied Tom. “I guess your +speaking of sending official messages and starting for Cuba and the +Bahamas just put it in my head.” + +“Well, if we don’t find how they’re getting liquor into the States by +wholesale pretty quick, I’ll begin to think they’re sending the booze in +by radio,” laughed Mr. Pauling. “It’s the most mysterious thing we’ve +been up against yet. Can’t get a clue. Perhaps they are using radio to +warn one another, or maybe they’re onto our codes. Suppose you keep +track of any odd messages you hear, Tom. I don’t suppose there’s +anything in it, but it will give you another interest and one never +knows what may happen through chance or accident. Remember that coup I +told you about that we made during the war—that meaningless message that +passed all the censors and that, by pure accident, led to the capture of +the worst lot of German plotters in the country?” + +But Frank had not heard the story and so, from radio, the conversation +drifted to Mr. Pauling’s experiences as an officer of the Department of +Justice during the war and from that to his present problem of tracing +to its source the mysterious influx of liquor which was flooding New +York and other ports despite every effort of the government to stop it. + +It was on this work that he was leaving for the West Indies, and long +after he and Mrs. Pauling had left the room, Tom and Frank remained, +talking earnestly, and with boyish imagination discussing the +possibilities of aiding the government through picking up some stray +information from the air by means of their instruments. + +“We ought to have better sets,” declared Tom. “These are all right for +getting the broadcasted entertainments and spark signals, but we can’t +get the long waves from the big stations. And we don’t always get +farther than Arlington or Pittsburgh with this. Last night, we heard +Balboa, but the night before that we couldn’t get Havana. If we’re going +to hear Dad from Nassau or Cuba we want a set we can depend upon.” + +“I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” replied Frank. “Let’s put everything that +we both have together and have a fine set here in your room. I’ll bring +my stuff down and we can work together—have duplicate sets and +everything—and I’ll just keep that little old set of mine so I can use +it when I happen to be home.” + +“That’s a good idea,” agreed Tom, “Dad’s so interested in our work I can +spend a lot more money on instruments and he won’t mind and school will +soon be over and we can devote all our time to it. Gosh, I bet we have +the best sets of any boys in the whole of New York! Say, won’t it be +great when we can hear messages from England and Germany and France?” + +“Yes, and we want to get busy on a sending set too. It’s twice as much +fun when we can talk to others as well as hear them. And say! my folks +are going to Europe next month. If your mother and father don’t mind I +could stay here with you.” + +“That’s bully! Of course mother won’t mind and Dad will be glad to have +you,” declared Tom. “We’re not going any place this summer and so we can +give all our vacation to radio. Say, we may make some big discovery or +invention. I was reading the other day about how many things there are +to be done in radio yet and the fellow that wrote it said he believed +some of the big things would be discovered by boys or beginners +accidentally.” + +Mrs. Pauling was very glad to have Frank plan to stay with Tom while his +parents were absent and for several days the two boys were busy packing +up Frank’s radio outfits and carrying them to Tom’s house. + +When at last everything was there the boys had a veritable treasure +trove of materials, for Frank had not been stinted in the amount he +could spend on good tools, supplies and instruments and, while he did +not possess the mechanical or inventive ability of Tom, yet he was a +very careful and painstaking worker and everything he had was of the +best. + +Tom, on the other hand, preferred to make everything himself and, +although his father was willing to let him have any sum within reason to +carry on his radio work, he spent most of the money for tools and +supplies and had built a number of special instruments which even Frank +admitted were big improvements over ready-made devices. In addition, he +had a very complete library of radio books as well as scrapbooks filled +with clippings from the radio columns of the various newspapers and +periodicals. Hence the two boys made most excellent partners for +carrying on their experiments and building their sets. Fortunately, too, +they were not the type of boys who soon become tired of a subject and +take up one fad after another and, while they were both strong, +red-blooded, out-of-door boys, always ready for the most strenuous +games, long hikes or hunting and fishing, they found radio so much more +fascinating than football, baseball or other sports that practically +everything else had been abandoned. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +MYSTERIOUS MESSAGES + + +For the next few days the boys were very busy perfecting their +instruments and, when Mr. Pauling bade Tom and his mother good-by and +sailed southward, Tom assured him that he would be able to pick up any +messages he sent. + +“Maybe I’ll surprise you by sending a message,” he declared. “I’m going +to apply for a license next week and make a sending set. Of course it +won’t be able to send clear to Cuba or Nassau, but freak messages _do_ +go long distances sometimes and anyway, I can get in touch with your +ship before you reach port coming back.” + +“Great!” exclaimed his father heartily. “And don’t forget about stray +messages—you may help us out yet. I spoke to Henderson about your idea +that the bootleggers were using radio and he says he should not be a bit +surprised. They’re right up to date in their methods, you know.” + +That evening, Tom and Frank hurried to their sets promptly at 7:30 +accompanied by Mrs. Pauling who seemed as interested as the boys in the +result of their first attempt to pick up a message intended for them. +She was rather disappointed, however, when Tom clamped on his phones and +told her she wouldn’t be able to hear anything. + +“You see,” he explained, “if the message comes in, it will be just code +signal—dots and dashes in International Morse—and wouldn’t mean anything +to you and I might miss it if I used the loud speaker.” + +Slowly the minutes slipped by. From out of the silent air came various +sounds to the boys’ impatient ears—little buzzing dots and dashes from +local stations; the faint sounds of a phonograph from some amateur’s +radiophone; fragments of speech from a broadcasting station. Carefully +the two waiting, expectant boys tuned their instruments, for they had +taken the precaution of asking the wireless operator on the ship what +wave length he used and with their sets tuned as nearly to this as +possible they cut out the amateur senders with their short wave lengths +and the broadcasting stations with their evening entertainments on 360 +meter waves and heard only the meaningless or uninteresting Morse +messages passing from ships to shore or vice versa. + +Over and over Tom and Frank glanced anxiously at the little +nickel-plated clock ticking merrily on its shelf, until at last the +hands pointed to 7:45 and the boys fairly thrilled with excitement. +Would they hear the message from the speeding ship? Would they pick up +that one message that they were expecting? Would they, in a moment more, +be listening to the dots and dashes that represented Mr. Pauling’s +words? Neither boy was yet expert at reading Morse if sent rapidly, but +the wireless man aboard the _Havana_ had laughingly agreed to send Mr. +Pauling’s messages slowly and the boys were not worried on that score. + +Suddenly, to Tom’s ears, came a sharp buzz—faint and blurred, and with +trembling fingers he tuned his set, adjusted the variable condenser and +as the short, staccato sounds grew sharp, loud and clear he knew that +the long-hoped-for message was coming to his ears. “Dah, dah dah dah, +dah dah, dee dah dah dee, dee dah, dee dee dah, dee dah dee dee, dee +dee, dah dee, dah dah dee,” came the dots and dashes, sent slowly as if +by an amateur and mentally Tom translated them. Yes, there was no doubt +of it, TOM PAULING were the words the dots and dashes spelled and Tom’s +heart beat a trifle faster and his face flushed with excitement as he +heard his own name coming out of space and realized that, across a +hundred miles and more of tossing sea, his father was talking to him and +steadily he jotted down the letters as they buzzed in dots and dashes +through the air from the distant ship. + +“Hurrah!” he fairly yelled, as with the final “dee dah dee dah dee” the +operator signified that the message was finished. “Hurrah! I got it. +See, here ’tis, Mother!” + +Frank also had received the message on his set and the two compared the +letters they had written down. + +“Of course we made some mistakes,” explained Tom as his mother puzzled +over the unpunctuated, apparently meaningless letters. “See,” he +continued, “you have to separate the letters into words and sentences +and this one should be an “N” instead of an “A” and I guess this is a +“D” instead of a “B,” Frank’s got it that way. One’s a dash and three +dots and the other’s a dash and two dots.” + +As he spoke, Tom was busily copying the letters and forming words and +presently showed his mother the finished message. “That’s it,” he +announced proudly. “Just think of Dad talking to us—and he’ll do it +every night all the way down and after he gets there. Gosh! It’s funny +to think we can hear from him that way. Say, isn’t radio great?” + +“But I thought you could hear him talking,” said his mother in rather +disappointed tones. “He could send messages that way by the regular +radio companies or by cable.” + +“Of course he could,” agreed Tom somewhat disturbed because his mother +was not more enthusiastic over his achievement. “But you see the fun is +in getting it ourselves this way. It wouldn’t be any sport to have the +messages brought in an envelope like ordinary telegrams. Gee! I just +wish we could hear him talk over the phones. Some of the ships have +talked with the shore farther away than he is, but I guess the +_Havana’s_ radio isn’t up-to-date.” + +“I think it’s fine and splendid of you boys to be able to do this,” +declared his mother. “What I meant was, that I had expected to hear your +father’s voice and I really _was_ disappointed when I found it was so +different.” + +“Well, I’m going to fix a set to talk back to him,” said Tom. “And just +as soon as I get the sending set done we’ll get to work and make a +better receiving set, won’t we, Frank?” + +“You bet!” agreed Frank. “Perhaps by the time your father is on the way +back we can really talk to him.” + +“Now let’s have some music,” suggested Tom, and for the next hour they +all listened to the broadcasting station’s program as the loud speaker +filled the room with the sounds of music, singing, speeches and news. + +For the next three nights the two boys picked up Mr. Pauling’s messages +regularly and were as proud as peacocks when they managed to get the +first message from Havana telling of his safe arrival in Cuba. And by +their enthusiastic studies and the practice they gained by deciphering +the messages, the boys were successful in passing the required +examination and proudly exhibited their license to maintain and operate +a sending station. + +It was a red letter day in their lives when they at last had the +transmitting set in working order and flashed a message into the night, +to have it promptly answered by an unknown boy in Garden City. Each +night, too, they sent out messages directed to their father in the vain +hope that, by some chance or by the same mysterious combination of +conditions which had wafted other messages to vast distances beyond the +range of the instruments, their words might be picked up in Havana or +Nassau; but no reply came and at last they gave up in despair. + +Then, their sending set being no longer a novelty, the boys set +diligently to work on other matters and worked early and late. + +“What on earth is that?” asked Tom’s mother, when finally the new +idea had assumed concrete form and she was invited to witness a +demonstration. “It looks like some sort of a huge birdcage,” she +continued as she seated herself and glanced at the wooden framework +wound with wire that stood on a small table. + +“Well, I don’t suppose you can understand,” replied Tom, with the +superior air of one who is master of an art beyond ordinary +comprehension, “but I’ll try to explain. That’s a loop aërial.” + +“But I thought the aërial was that wire clothesline-like affair on the +roof,” objected Mrs. Pauling. “You see,” she laughed, “I _am_ beginning +to learn a little.” + +Tom grinned, “Oh, yes, that’s an aërial, too,” he replied. “But this is +another kind. With this we don’t need any ground or lead-ins or +lightning switches. And it’s directional too. That is,” he hastened to +explain, “by turning it one way or another we can pick up signals from +certain directions and not from others. Some people call them compass +aërials and they’re used on ships for locating other vessels or for +finding their way. And besides, they cut out a lot of static.” + +“Now please, Tom, what _is_ all this you’re talking about? What _is_ +static?” + +“Well that’s mighty hard to explain,” said Tom, scratching his head +reflectively. “It’s a sort of electricity in the air—lots of it around +when there are thunderstorms and lightning.” + +“Lightning!” exclaimed his mother. “Do be careful, fooling with all +these things, Tom. I’m always afraid you’ll get a fearful shock or +something.” + +“Nonsense,” laughed Tom. “Static doesn’t hurt any one and lightning +won’t do any harm. An aërial is just like a lightning-rod and if it’s +struck the lightning is just carried down to the ground harmlessly; but +this loop aërial’s different. Now let’s hear how it works.” + +Adjusting the instruments and attaching the loud-speaker, Tom slowly +turned the cagelike affair about and suddenly, as it faced the west, the +sounds of music burst out from the horn. + +“There ’tis!” cried Tom, exultantly. “That’s Newark. Now, see here.” As +he spoke, he swung the loop aërial to one side, and instantly, the music +died out. “Now, listen carefully,” he continued and turned the loop +slowly around until, somewhat fainter, the sounds of a human voice came +from the loud-speaker. “That’s Pittsburgh,” declared Tom. “Now you see +how it works. If it’s turned towards Newark we get Newark and if towards +Pittsburgh we get that.” + +“Yes, it’s all very interesting,” admitted his mother. “But what +advantage is it? You used to hear both Newark and Pittsburgh with the +aërial on the roof.” + +“Oh, it’s no advantage for ordinary work,” replied Tom. “But it’s a fine +thing in some ways. Now, for instance, if we heard a fellow’s message +and didn’t know where it came from we could tell by turning this back +and forth until we got his direction. Then, if we wanted to locate him +exactly, we could put it up somewhere else and in that way we could find +out just where he was. Frank and I have a particular scheme in hand, but +that’s a secret and I’m not ready to tell it yet.” + +His mother laughed. “I’m not a bit curious,” she declared. “I suppose +some day I’ll wake up to find you two boys have astonished the world.” + +But had Frank and Tom told Mrs. Pauling what their secret was she would +have been both curious and surprised. Several times within the preceding +weeks the boys, listening at their instruments, had received messages +which they could not locate. At first they had given no heed to these, +thinking they were merely from some amateur, but when, after repeated +requests for the unknown’s call letters, no answer was received and the +messages abruptly ceased, the two boys began to be curious. + +“There’s something mighty funny about him,” declared Frank. “Every time +we answer him or ask a question he shuts up like a clam. Say, Tom, maybe +he’s a crook or a bootlegger.” + +“More likely some amateur sending without a license and afraid the +government inspector will get after him,” suggested Tom. “But I _would_ +like to find out who it is.” + +A few days later Frank, who was poring over the latest issue of a radio +magazine, uttered an exclamation. “Gosh! here’s the scheme,” he cried. +“Now we can find out who that mysterious chap is.” + +“What’s the big idea?” queried Tom, who was busy making a new +vario-coupler. + +“Loop aërial,” replied his chum. “Here’s an article all about it. It +says they’re used aboard ships to find the location of other vessels and +are called compass aërials.” + +Tom dropped his work and hurried to Frank’s side. + +“Well,” he remarked, after a few moments’ study of the article and the +diagrams, “I don’t see how that would work in our case. It says one ship +can find another or can work its way into port by using the loop aërial +like a compass, but the trouble is the ship’s moving and so the thing +will work, but we can’t go running around New York City or the state +with a set in one hand and a big loop aërial in the other.” + +“No,” admitted Frank rather regretfully, “but we can tell in which +direction his station is.” + +“Yes, and it will be fun to make one and experiment with it,” agreed +Tom, “especially as the article says the thing cuts out static and +interferences and it’s getting on towards warm weather now when the air +will be full of static.” + +“Well, let’s make one then,” suggested Frank. + +As a result, the boys had constructed their loop aërial and a special +set to go with it and the very first time they tested the odd affair +they were overjoyed at the result. Again they had picked up the messages +which had aroused their curiosity and, by turning the loop one way and +then another, they were soon convinced that the sender had a station to +the southeast of their own. + +“Well, that’s settled,” announced Tom, “and the only things southeast of +here are the East Side, the river and Brooklyn. That fellow is not far +away—he’s using a very short wave and his messages are strong. I’ll bet +he’s right here in New York.” + +“I guess you’re right,” agreed Frank, “but that doesn’t do much good. +There’s an awful lot of the city southeast from here.” + +“Sure there is,” said Tom, “but, after all, what do we care. I still +think he’s just some unlicensed chap—probably some kid over on the East +Side who can’t pass an examination or get a license and is just having a +little fun on the quiet.” + +This conversation took place two days before Tom received his father’s +message telling of his safe arrival in Cuba and no more messages from +the mysterious stranger were heard until the day after Mr. Pauling’s +message had been received. + +Then, as Tom was listening at the loop aërial set and idly turned the +aërial about, he again picked up the well-known short-wave messages. +Heretofore the messages had been meaningless sentences in code, dots and +dashes which the boys out of curiosity had jotted down only to find them +devoid of any interest—items regarding shipping which Tom had declared +had been culled from the daily shipping lists and were being sent merely +for practice—and so now, from mere habit, Tom wrote down the letters as +they came to him over the instruments. Suddenly he uttered a surprised +whistle. + +“Gee Whittaker!” he exclaimed in low tones. “Come here, Frank.” + +The other hurried to him and as he glanced at the pad on the table +beside Tom he too gave an ejaculation of surprise. The letters which Tom +had jotted down were as follows: LEAR P IN HAVANA ARRIVED YESTERDAY GET +BUSY. + +“They _are_ rum runners!” cried Tom as the signals ceased. + +“Gosh, I believe they are!” agreed Frank. “But of course,” he added, “it +may not mean your father by ‘P’ and we don’t know the first part of the +message. Maybe they were just talking about a ship—that ‘lear’ might +have been something about a ship clearing for some place.” + +“You _are_ a funny one,” declared Tom. “Here you’ve been insisting all +along that there was some deep mystery or plot behind these messages and +I’ve said it was just some amateur and nothing to it and now, just as +soon as we get a message which really means something, you shift around +and say it’s only about some boat.” + +“Well, if it’s anything secret why do they talk plain English?” asked +Frank. “That’s what makes me change my views. When they were sending +things that sounded like nonsense I thought they might be code messages, +but now that they send things that are so plain it doesn’t seem +mysterious.” + +“Yes, there’s sense in that argument, I admit,” replied Tom. “But +perhaps there was just as much sense in the others—if they _are_ +bootleggers. Of course as you say, they may not mean anything about Dad, +but it would be a mighty funny coincidence if any one or anything else +beginning with ‘P’ arrived in Havana yesterday and it happened to come +in with this message and with a ‘get busy’ after it. I’ll bet you, +Frank, they’re smugglers and that’s a message to some boat or something +that the coast’s clear and to unload their stuff. Let’s go down and tell +Mr. Henderson about it.” + +“No,” Frank advised. “He’d probably laugh at us and it wouldn’t be any +use to him anyhow. We’ll keep the message and all others we hear and if +anything else is going on we’ll get some more messages, you can bet. And +I’ve a scheme, Tom. I know a fellow down at Gramercy Park and we can go +down there and set up a loop aërial and see if this chap that’s talking +is still southeast of there.” + +“That’s a bully scheme!” cried Tom with enthusiasm. “We can turn radio +detectives—that’ll be great! And if we find he’s north or west or east +of Gramercy Square we can try some other place. Probably your friend +knows fellows who have sets all around that part of the city.” + +The next day they visited Frank’s friend and after making him promise +secrecy they divulged a part of their plan, omitting, at Tom’s +suggestion, any reference to their suspicions of the messages coming +from a gang of bootleggers. Henry fell in readily with the idea of +locating the messages, which he had also heard repeatedly, and was +deeply interested in the loop aërial. He had an excellent set and +numerous instruments and supplies and the three boys soon rigged up a +compass set in Henry’s home. + +“Now, you listen with this and try to pick him up,” instructed Frank. +“Keep turning the aërial about in this way and, as soon as you hear him, +write down what he says. We’ll listen too, whenever we have a chance, +and will let you know. Then, if you haven’t picked him up, you can turn +the loop until you do. Too bad you haven’t a sending set so you could +tell us.” + +“But he’ll hear you and quit,” objected Henry, “and how can I hear you +if I don’t happen to have the loop pointed your way or am listening to +this fellow?” + +Frank looked puzzled. “Gee!” he ejaculated, “I hadn’t thought of that. + +“Oh, that’s easy,” declared Tom. “You’ll hear us over the other set with +the loud-speaker you have. That works with a regular aërial and is +entirely separate from this set. And we’ll arrange a code so he won’t +know what we’re talking about. Let’s see, I guess we’d better use the +phone and not send dot and dash, we’ll just say ‘we’ve got the message’ +and you’ll know what it means.” + +“No, that’s no good,” declared Frank. “That’s not a bit mysterious or +exciting. We’re radio detectives, you know. We must have something like +a password or code or something. Say, let’s begin with ‘loop,’ then +Henry’ll know we mean him. We’ll say ‘loop, be ready to receive.’” + +“Yes, and have him know something’s wrong when we don’t begin to send +anything,” said Tom. + +“I have it!” exclaimed Henry, “Say, ‘loop, coming over,’ and then any +one’ll think you are telling me you are coming over here. But say, +how’ll I get your message if I don’t sit at my set and tune to you?” + +“That’s easy,” said Frank. “Just as soon as we get home to Tom’s we’ll +begin to send and you listen and tune until you get us good and loud and +then mark your knobs so you can set ’em whenever you want to hear us. +Then ring us by regular phone and tell us it’s O. K.” + +Thus, all being arranged, Tom and Frank went up town and as soon as they +reached Tom’s room began to send calls for Henry as they had agreed. +Very soon the telephone bell rang and Tom ran to the instrument. + +“It’s all right, Frank,” he announced as he returned to the room. “Henry +says he got our calls finely and has marked his knobs. He’s going to +turn them about and then set them back at the marks and we’re to call +him again. Then if he gets us right off he’ll know he won’t miss us next +time.” + +When, a few minutes later, the phone rang again and Henry told Tom that +the message had come in on the adjusted set the boys felt sure that +their fellow conspirator would not miss any calls they might send him. +So, having nothing else to do, they worked at another step of +amplification for their new set, and listened for any signals or +messages that might come in from the person whom they were endeavoring +to trail by means of radio. + +Evidently, however, the mysterious stranger had no business to transact +and no message from him was received. When at last they were obliged to +leave for dinner they phoned to Henry who reported that he had been +listening all the afternoon, but had heard nothing. + +“We’ll get at it again to-night,” said Tom. “Most of the messages we’ve +heard come in just when the broadcasting stations are giving their +concerts. I’d bet he takes that time so nobody will hear him, or pay +attention to him. If they’re all tuned to 360 meters they’d never know +he was talking, you see, and if they just chanced to hear him they’d be +too busy with the music to bother with him.” + +As Tom had suspected, the mysterious messages did come in that night and +so interesting and exciting did they prove to the boys’ imaginative and +suspicious minds that they were thankful they had foregone the pleasure +of hearing the concert on the chance of the supposed smugglers talking. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +THE RADIO DETECTIVES + + +The instant the boys recognized the long-awaited signals, Frank called +Henry and notified him as agreed and, to their delight and satisfaction, +the mysterious stranger continued to talk, evidently paying no heed to +the seemingly innocent words of the boys, if indeed he had heard them. + +As heretofore, much that was said meant nothing to the boys, but wisely +they jotted every thing down nevertheless. However, both Tom and Frank +were more puzzled than ever, for now that their minds were concentrated +on the messages they suddenly realized that a true conversation, an +interchange of messages, was going on, but, for some inexplicable +reason, they could hear but one of the speakers. It was like listening +to one individual talking to another over an ordinary telephone and the +boys could merely guess at the words of the inaudible speaker. + +“Yes, it’s all right,” came the words on the easily recognized short +waves, “thirty-eight fifty seventy-seven; yes, that’s it. Still there. +Gave them the ha, ha! Azalia. Can’t get anything on her. How about +Colon? French Islands? Sure, they’re just about crazy. No, no fear of +that. Good stuff. No, no rough stuff. Expect her at same place about the +tenth. No, don’t hang around. Cleared the third. Fifteen seconds west. +I’ll tell him. Good bottom. Good luck! Don’t worry, we’ll see to that. +No risk. So long!” + +As the conversation ceased Tom jumped up. “Gee!” he exclaimed. “That’s +the most we’ve heard yet. I wonder if Henry got it.” + +Hurrying to the telephone, he was about to call Henry when the bell +tinkled. “Hello!”—came the greeting in Henry’s voice as Tom took down +the receiver. “This is Henry. Say, did you get it?” + +“You bet we did!” Tom assured him gleefully. “What did you make out? No, +guess you’d better not tell over the phone. We’ll be down there right +away.” + +“He’s east of here,” declared Henry, when Tom and Frank reached his +home. + +“Golly, he must be in Brooklyn or out on the river!” exclaimed Tom. +“What did you make out that he said?” + +Henry showed them the message as he had jotted it down and which, with +the exception of one or two words, was identical with what they had +heard. + +“I couldn’t catch some of the words,” explained Henry. “There was a +funny sort of noise—like some one talking through a comb with paper on +it,—the way we used to do when we were little kids—say, what’s it all +about anyway?” + +“We don’t know,” replied Frank. “Did you hear any one else talking or +anything?” + +“And, Henry, were the sounds weak or faint to you?” put in Tom. + +“Only that queer sound I told you about. The words were fine and strong +here.” + +“Then he’s nearer here than he is to us,” announced Tom. “But I would +like to know who the other fellow was and what he said and why the +dickens we can’t hear him when we hear this chap. Couldn’t you make out +any of the words that the fellow said—those that sounded like talking +through a comb, I mean?” + +“No, they were just a sort of buzzy mumble,” replied Henry. + +“Well if he’s east of here it ought to be easy to locate him,” remarked +Frank. “Do you know any fellows around here who have sets, Henry?” + +“Sure there are lots of ’em,” Henry assured him. “Tom Fleming over at +Bellevue has a dandy set and there’s ‘Pink’ Bradley down on 19th St., +and Billy Fletcher up on Lexington Ave., and a whole crowd I don’t +know.” + +“Well, let’s try it out at Fleming’s place next, then,” cried Frank. “Do +you s’pose you can see him to-morrow and tell him the scheme? And say, +ask him if he’s heard the same talk.” + +“I can phone over to him now—I guess he’s home,” said Henry, “but what’s +back of all this? You fellows aren’t so keen just because you want to +locate this fellow that’s been talking, I’ll bet.” + +Tom hesitated, but in a moment his mind was made up. + +“I suppose we might just as well tell you,” he said at last. “But it’s a +secret and you’ll have to promise not to tell any one else.” + +Henry readily agreed and Tom and Frank told him all they knew and what +they suspected. + +“Whew!” ejaculated Henry. “I shouldn’t be surprised if you’re right. I +couldn’t see any sense to all that talk about boats and the West Indies +and numbers, but I can now. I’ll bet those numbers were places out at +sea—fifteen seconds west—and ‘Azalia’ may be the name of the ship. Say, +won’t it be bully if we can find out something—radio detectives—Gee, +that’s great!” + +“Well, go on and call up Fleming,” said Frank. “Tell him to come over +here.” + +“He’s on the way now,” Henry announced when he returned to the room. +“Are you fellows going to let him in on the bootlegger stuff?” + +“Better not,” advised Tom. “If he’s heard the fellow talking we can tell +him we’re just anxious to locate him. We can make a mystery out of not +hearing the person that was talking back, you know.” + +“It’s a mystery all right enough,” put in Frank. “If that other chap can +hear him, why can’t we? There’s something mighty queer about it.” + +“Search me,” replied Tom laconically. “Maybe he talks on a different +wave length.” + +“I never thought of that,” admitted Frank. “Say, next time they’re +talking one of us will listen while the other tunes to try and pick up +the other man.” + +“And perhaps he’s in a different direction,” suggested Henry. “If he is +of course we wouldn’t hear him with our loops pointed towards this +fellow.” + +“Of course!” agreed Tom. “We _have_ been boobs. Just as like as not the +one we didn’t hear is over to the west or the north and we were all +listening to the southeast. Say, you’ve got sense, old man. Next time we +hear this chap we’ll nab the other one, I bet. Hello! There’s the bell.” + +Henry hurried from the room and returned presently, accompanied by +another boy whom he introduced as Jim Fleming. Jim was undersized and +round-shouldered with damp, reddish hair and big blue eyes behind +horn-rimmed glasses. He had a most disconcerting manner of staring at +one and constantly blinking and gulping—like a dying fish Frank declared +later—and his hands and wrists seemed far too long for his sleeves. He +was such a queer, gawky-looking chap that the boys could scarcely resist +laughing, but before they had talked with him five minutes they had +taken a great fancy to him and found he knew a lot about radio. + +While the boys told him of their interest in the strange conversations, +he stood listening, his long arms dangling at his sides, his big eyes +blinking and his half-open mouth gulping spasmodically until Tom became +absolutely fascinated watching him. + +Mentally, Frank and Tom had dubbed him a “freak,” a “simp,” a “bookworm” +and half a dozen far from complimentary names and they had expected to +hear him speak “like a professor,” as Tom would have expressed it. +Instead he uttered a yell like a wild Indian, danced an impromptu jig +and to the boys’ amazement exclaimed: + +“Hully Gee! So youse’s onto that boid too! Say, fellers, isn’t he the +candy kid though? Spielin’ on that flapper wave an’ cannin’ his gab if +youse ask his call. Say, that boid oughter be up to the flooey ward—he’s +bughouse I’ll say, with all his ship talk and numbers jazzed up an’ +chinnin’ to himself. Say, did youse ever hear a bloke talkin’ to him?” + +“No, we never did,” replied Tom. “Did you?” + +“Nix!” answered Jim. “That’s why I say he’s got rats in his +garret—flooey I’ll say—” Then, suddenly dropping his slangy East Side +expressions, he continued: “Say, he’s had me guessing, too. But I can +tell you one thing. He’s west of my place—I’m over at Bellevue, you +know—Dad’s stationed there—and that’ll bring him somewhere between East +27th St. and Gramercy Square.” + +“But, how on earth do you know that?” queried Tom in surprise. + +Jim grinned and blinked. + +“Same way you found out he was east of here,” he replied. “You needn’t +think you fellows have got any patent on a loop, I’ve been usin’ one for +six months. Ed—he’s my brother—is ‘Sparks’ on a big liner and showed me +about it. But honest, if that fellow isn’t crazy an’ talkin’ to himself, +why don’t we get the other guy sometimes?” + +“That’s the mystery to us,” said Frank. “We decided just before you came +in that the other fellow must be sending on a different wave length or +else was in some other direction. We were just planning to pick him up +by one of us tuning and turning the loop while the others listened to +this fellow, but if you hear this man west of your place that knocks one +of our theories out. If the other chap was west you’d get him, too.” + +“Yep, and ’tisn’t because he’s on a different length,” declared Jim. +“Hully Gee, I’ve tuned everywhere from 1500 meters down trying to get +him, and nothin’ doin’.” + +“Didn’t you ever hear a funny sound like talking through a comb with +paper on it?” asked Henry. + +“Sure, sometimes I do,” admitted Jim, “but you can’t bring it in as +chatter—I put it down to induction or somethin’—but Gee, come to think +of it, it always does come in just right between this looney’s +sentences.” + +“I’ll bet ’tis the other fellow,” declared Henry. “Only if ’tis he’s got +an awful wheeze in his throat or his transmitter’s cracked.” + +“Well, let’s drop that and plan how we can locate this fellow we do +hear,” suggested Frank. + +“Yes, now we know he’s between your place and here we ought to find some +place where we can set up a loop to the north and south,” said Tom. + +“Sure, we can fix that,” declared Jim. “I’ve got a cousin that lives +over on 23d St. and there’s a good scout named Lathrop over on 26th. We +can take sets to their places and put ’em up. They haven’t anything but +crystal sets, and most likely they’ll know other guys and by trying out +at different places we can spot his hangout all right. But say, what are +you fellows so keen about findin’ him for?” + +“Oh, nothing except the fun of it,” replied Tom, trying to act and speak +in a casual manner. “You see we’re just experimenting to find out what +we can do with loop aërials—call ourselves radio detectives—and we +picked on this fellow because his messages seemed sort of mysterious and +are so easily recognized.” + +“Yea, I understand,” said Jim. “Say that’s a lulu of an idea—radio +detectives. Well, I’ll bet we can detect this bughousey guy O. K.” + +It was soon arranged that Jim was to see his cousin and that one of the +boys’ loops would be set up in his home the following evening and that, +while Jim and Frank listened there, Henry and Tom would be at their sets +and would call out as soon as they heard the messages from the +mysterious speaker. All was arranged, but to the boys’ intense chagrin +not a sound came to any of them which remotely resembled the well-known +voice and short wave lengths of the man they were striving to locate. +But they were not discouraged, for they knew from past experience that +they could not expect to hear him every night. + +The following day was Saturday and the boys devoted their holiday to +putting up a set in Lathrop’s home. They now had four loop aërial sets +ready to receive and located within a comparatively small area. They +were sure that the station they were trying to find was within the few +blocks between 20th and 27th Sts., but they were not at all sure whether +it would be found to the east or west of Third Avenue. Moreover, as Jim +pointed out, for all they knew he might be on 27th St. or 20th St. or +even slightly north or south of one or the other, for he stated that his +brother had told him that when close to a sending station the loop +aërial could not be depended upon to give very accurate directions and +that only by taking cross bearings could a certain point be definitely +located. This was exactly what the boys had in view, to take cross +bearings, and then, by means of a map of the city, to locate the man or +the station. + +It may seem as if the boys were devoting a great deal of time and +trouble to something of little importance, but they were, or at least +Tom, Frank and Henry were, thoroughly convinced that the messages +emanated from some one connected with a rum-running gang and they were +as keen on finding his location and as interested as if they had been +real detectives detailed to discover a fugitive from justice. + +So on that Saturday night they sat at their various instruments, waiting +expectantly and with high hopes. No one was stationed at Tom’s home, +for, in order to provide two sets for the test, Tom’s and Frank’s had +been dismantled and reinstalled at the houses of Jim’s cousin and of +Paul Lathrop. + +Henry was the first to pick up the sounds and instantly he hurried to +the telephone and called Jim. But by the time he had Jim’s number the +latter had also picked up the signals and had called the others, for Tom +had not disturbed his transmission set and ordinary phoning was the only +means of communicating with one another at the boys’ disposal. For some +time Tom, at the 23d St. house, could not pick up the sounds, but at +last, with his loop pointed to the northeast, they came clear. +“Congratulations,” was the first word he heard, instantly followed by +the queer buzzing sound which Henry had described. “Golly, ’tis just +like some one talking through a comb,” was Tom’s mental comment and +deeply interested and tremendously puzzled he strained his ears and mind +striving to formulate words or meanings from the strange sounds. Once or +twice he was sure that the sounds were words—he thought he could make +out “last night” following a query of “When was it?” from the other +speaker but, as he told the others later, it was like trying to hear +what a mosquito was saying. + +So intent was he on this that he quite forgot to jot down the plain +words of the other speaker and did not realize it until the sounds +ceased and the conversation was over. + +But he knew that the others would have it and he had the direction, +which was the main thing, and, a few minutes later all the boys were +together and eagerly discussing the results of their experiment. + +“He’s southeast of my set!” announced Frank, when Tom had told them what +he had discovered. “That puts him in between the river front and Third +Avenue and between 23d and 26th Sts.” + +“Well, we’re getting him narrowed down to a few blocks now,” said Henry +joyfully. “Say, what did you fellows make of the talk? Here’s my slip.” + +The words that Henry had written down were as follows: “Everything O. K. +Yes, haven’t an idea. Sure, Fritz told me about it. Must be careful. No, +but price will drop. No use killing the goose, you know. Golden eggs is +right. Not a chance in the world of their getting wise. Nonsense, no one +else has anything like it. Amateurs. Oh, forget it. Well, let ’em guess, +guesses don’t prove anything. Well, if they did they’d never find +anything. Magnolia. Yes, same place thirty fifteen west. Oh, yes, the +French stuff went like hot cakes. Sure, get all you can. Yes she +cleared. Regards to Heinrich. Expect you the eighteenth. Don’t forget +Magnolia. Good-by.” + +“It’s just the same as I made it,” announced Frank. + +“Same here,” said Jim. “Sufferin’ cats! Do you mean to say that nut +isn’t bughouse now?” + +“It _does_ sound a bit crazy, I admit,” replied Tom. “Say, did any of +you fellows try tuning to different wave lengths to see if any one else +came in?” + +“I did,” declared Frank, “but all I got was some one who said ‘for the +love of Mike get off the air.’” + +“Me, too,” chimed in Jim. “No one’s talking to him, he’s just nutty and +chins to himself.” + +“Well, then, we have all the more reason for finding him,” said Tom. “If +he’s really crazy the authorities ought to know it. Now we know he’s so +close we ought to be able to locate him.” + +So, day after day, the boys, their interest and enthusiasm at high pitch +owing to the success of their experiments, shifted their instruments +from house to house, gradually drawing their radio net about the +mysterious sender until they were positive that he was located in a +certain block, a district of small, old-fashioned buildings, warehouses +and garages. + +But beyond this they could not go. There were no boys so far as they +knew within the area and, satisfied that they had done all they could +and that they had proved the value of their loops in locating the +unknown speaker, all but Tom, Frank and Henry lost interest and devoted +their attention to other matters. + +But Tom, Frank, and, to a lesser degree, Henry were still deeply +interested in the mysterious messages and were convinced that they came +either from a gang of rum-runners or from some other law-breakers, for +while there was nothing really suspicious in the messages they could not +rid themselves of the idea, once it had entered their minds. + +“I vote we go and tell Mr. Henderson all we know,” said Tom. “Dad won’t +be back for two weeks or more yet and if Mr. Henderson thinks there’s +anything in it he can have that block searched and find out who owns the +set.” + +“Well, perhaps ’twould be a good plan,” admitted Frank, and accordingly +the two boys went to Mr. Henderson’s office and related the story of +their experiments and told of their suspicions. + +“H-m-m,” remarked the keen-eyed man when they had ended, “this is very +interesting, boys. Let me see the notes you made.” + +For a time he examined the slips of paper bearing the various messages +the boys had scribbled down and his forehead wrinkled in a frown of +perplexity. + +“It’s very indefinite,” he announced at last, half to himself, “but I +agree with you that the whole matter has a suspicious appearance. Too +bad you didn’t take down the earlier messages you heard. Now, let’s see. +You say you have never heard the other party to the conversations and +yet you have been listening in within a block of this chap. Very odd, +yes, most extraordinary. There are several explanations that occur to +me, however. For example, if they wished the conversation to be secret +and unintelligible they might have arranged that one man was to talk +through an ordinary phone and the other by radio. Or they might have +arranged this because the second man had no sending set—exactly as you +boys communicated with one another with only one transmission set among +you.” + +“Gee, but we _are_ dumb-bells!” exclaimed Tom. “Why the dickens didn’t +we think of that? Why we are doing the same thing ourselves. It was so +simple we overlooked it.” + +Mr. Henderson smiled. “That’s often the way,” he declared. “During the +war a lot of messages passed our censors as perfectly innocent and +harmless and yet they were of the utmost importance—they were so frank +and simple we overshot the mark.” + +“Yes, Dad told us about some of those,” said Tom. + +“As I was saying,” went on Mr. Henderson, “if one man was talking over a +telephone you would not have heard him under ordinary conditions, but it +often happens that through capacity inductance a phone message may come +in over a radio set. That might account for your occasionally hearing +those sounds which you describe as resembling words coming through a +paper-covered comb. Do you remember the conditions under which you heard +those sounds? Were you near telephone receivers, touching any part of +your sets or doing anything unusual?” + +The boys thought deeply, trying to revisualize the conditions that had +existed on the few occasions when they had heard the odd buzzing sounds. + +“I’m not sure,” said Tom at last, “but it seems to me that when I heard +them the first time—that time I was on 23d St., I was sitting close to +the telephone receiver on the table—I’d just been called up by Jim +and—yes, I am sure now, I remember distinctly—I had my hand touching the +stand while I was listening to the messages. You see, I was half +inclined to phone to the others to find out if they heard the sounds and +I reached out to pick up the phone and then changed my mind—but sort of +kept my hand there.” + +“Then that’s solved, I think,” declared Mr. Henderson. “If you had taken +down the phone receiver and had kept your hand upon it you would +probably have heard the other speaker’s voice plainly.” + +“Gosh, why didn’t we think of that!” interrupted Frank. “And come to +think of it, the phone _is_ on the same table with the radio set at +Henry’s house.” + +“Well, we’ve laid one ghost, we’ll assume,” went on Mr. Henderson, “but +that does not solve the mystery of the other speaker nor does it +eliminate the possibility that these fellows may be crooks. In our work, +you know, we always assume that every suspect is guilty until we prove +our theory wrong and so we’ll assume that your mysterious speaker is a +crook until we find we’re mistaken. However, before I take any active +steps I think it will be a good plan to try another test. Suppose you +listen in for a few nights more and, as soon as you hear this fellow, +take down your phone receivers and hold the instrument against your body +or arm and see if you get the voice of the other chap. Let me know the +results and then we can plan our next move.” + +“Hurrah! Now we _are_ real radio detectives working for the government!” +cried Tom enthusiastically. “Do you really think they’re bootleggers?” + +“I make it a point never to form a hard-and-fast opinion,” replied Mr. +Henderson with a smile at the boys’ excitement. “However, I should not +be in the least surprised if they are, and if so and we round them up, +Uncle Sam will have to thank you boys. Go to it, boys! Perhaps we may +have to organize a radio detective corps yet, and I’m not sure that boys +may not be able to show us old hands a few tricks at our own game.” + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE BOYS DRAW A BLANK + + +Hardly had the door to Mr. Henderson’s office closed behind them before +Frank commenced to dance and caper wildly about. + +“Hurrah!” he shouted. “This _is_ great! We’re real detectives and +working for Uncle Sam!” + +“Yes, but don’t make such a row,” cautioned Tom. “We don’t want every +one in the place to know it and they’ll think you’re crazy. Come on, +let’s hurry and tell Henry.” + +When they reached Gramercy Square and dashed into Henry’s room and told +him of their talk with Mr. Henderson, he was as excited and pleased as +Frank. + +“Say, it _was_ funny we didn’t think of that fellow using a telephone!” +he exclaimed, when the boys had told him of Mr. Henderson’s theory. “And +he’s right about that capacity effect of a fellow near a phone. I _was_ +a fool not to have thought of it. Why, Jim told me about that long ago. +He even said his brother Ed showed him with his set on the _San +Jacinto_. But I guess it must have been because we were so intent on the +messages that we couldn’t think of anything else. I’ll bet we can hear +folks on the phone through my set right now.” + +“That _is_ funny!” declared Tom, when, a moment later, the boys were +listening to a telephone conversation coming to them through Henry’s +set. “Say,” he continued, “there isn’t much privacy nowadays, is there? +Why, if you could amplify that enough, every one could hear everything +that was going on over the telephones.” + +“Yes, and to think we were so close to getting that other chap’s talk +and never realized it,” said Frank. “Mr. Henderson must think we are +great radio fans! I’ll bet he had a mighty good laugh at our expense +after we left.” + +“Well, we’ll not be fooled again,” declared Tom. “If that fellow begins +talking to-night we’ll nail him, too.” + +“But we can’t locate him,” objected Henry. “So what good will it do?” + +“That’s so,” admitted Tom. “But the main thing is to hear what he says. +Then perhaps we can make sense out of it.” + +“Say,” suddenly exclaimed Henry, “did you fellows notice that every time +we heard those messages the fellow mentioned a flower? First ’twas +‘Azalia’ and then ‘Magnolia’ and then ‘Hibiscus’ and last time ’twas +‘Frangi Pani.’ I’d like to know what that meant.” + +“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Tom. “Of course Azalia and Magnolia and +Hibiscus are flowers, but what’s Frangi Pani—sounds like some sort of +Japanese thing to me. I guess this fellow must be talking about boats. +Lots of ships are named after flowers, you know.” + +“Well, he must have a whole fleet then,” said Henry. + +“Perhaps it’s perfumes or he may be in the flower business,” suggested +Frank with a laugh. + +“Perhaps we’ll get the answer to that when we hear his mate,” said Tom. + +“Hope we hear him to-night,” remarked Henry. “Say, what do you think of +this scheme?” + +For some time the boys forgot all else in examining a new hook-up which +Henry had devised and at last left him with final cautions to be at his +instruments that evening and each night thereafter until they again +heard the unknown speakers. + +But it was several nights before the mysterious messages again greeted +their ears. Then Frank and Tom caught them at the same instant and both +boys gave a little start and looked at each other in surprise, for the +first word they heard was “Tuberose.” Once more the name of a flower had +entered into the conversation and mentally wondering what in the world +this meant the two boys slipped the receiver of the desk telephone from +its hook. Hardly had they done so when they almost jumped, as clear and +loud, they heard a human voice; but the next instant their spirits sank +to zero and they glanced at each other with disgusted expressions, for +instead of the voice of the man they had expected to hear they heard a +woman’s voice and her words were: “Number, please?” + +With a savage jerk, Tom hung up the receiver. + +“Gee!” he exclaimed. “Of course we’d get _her_. I’ll bet Mr. Henderson +knew that and just tried to jolly us. Now what _are_ we going to do? If +we—Hello! What’s that?” + +Clearly to his ears, and interrupting the words of the mysterious man +whom they had almost forgotten in their disappointment, came another +voice, evidently that of a woman, and pitched in high tones. “Oh, yes!” +it exclaimed. “I’m _so_ glad, my dear. Do you know—” Tom drew his hand +from the desk phone on which it had been resting and the words trailed +off into a faint indistinct buzz. Tom and Frank grinned. + +“Well, it works!” ejaculated Frank. “Of course it doesn’t make any +difference if the receiver is off or not—we aren’t getting waves over +wires. Henry kept the receiver on to-day, didn’t he?” + +“I don’t know,” replied Tom. “But say, we’ve got to get busy. That +chap’s been talking for the last five minutes and we haven’t put down a +thing he’s said.” + +Trying to make up for lost time, the two boys jotted down the words that +came in, now and then placing a hand on the desk phone to see if they +could hear the other party to the conversation, but each time the nasal +voice of the woman, gossiping with a friend, was all that came to them. +Then the man’s voice ceased and after a few moments’ wait the boys rose +from their seats. + +“Darn that old hen!” exclaimed Tom, petulantly. “How the dickens could a +fellow expect to hear anything with her tongue going like a house +afire?” + +“Just think what it’ll be when every one’s talking by radio,” chuckled +Frank. “And won’t the women have the time of their lives hearing all +their neighbors’ gossip?” + +“Government’ll have to license ’em to talk, I guess,” muttered Tom. +“Come on, let’s go over to Henry’s and see if he had any better luck.” + +But Henry had nothing to tell them. He had heard no conversation over +the phone except some man talking business with a friend, but he had +written down all the words the mysterious man had spoken and showed them +to the boys who had explained how they had forgotten to get the greater +part of the conversation. + +“Tuberose,” Tom read. “We’ll begin next week. Getting stocked up. I’ll +bet it’ll wake things up. Too bad we didn’t know then. Might have been a +different tale, eh? Oh, Oscar’s all right. Yes, same old place. Nothing +doing, old man. Never a suspicion. Oh, it’s a cinch. I don’t know. Some +kids, I expect. Got to see him to-night. So long, old man.” + +“Just the same old stuff,” commented Tom when he had finished. “Only no +figures this time.” + +“And another flower,” added Henry. + +“Jim would swear he was crazy if he noticed that,” chuckled Frank. “I’m +beginning to think that may be it myself.” + +For three consecutive nights the boys heard the conversation and despite +all efforts failed to hear anything of interest over the ordinary phones +while the radio words were coming in, although they heard various scraps +of conversations between other persons. + +“Mr. Henderson was off that time,” declared Tom, when the boys rose from +their sets on the third night. “His theory was wrong. The other chap’s +not talking on a telephone, I’ll bet.” + +“Doesn’t look that way at any rate,” agreed Frank. “Let’s go down +to-morrow and tell him.” + +Accordingly, the three boys visited Mr. Henderson the next day and +reported the results of their experiments. + +“That _does_ puzzle me,” exclaimed Mr. Henderson as they finished. “If +you heard others it’s pretty conclusive evidence he’s not on a wire. Did +you hear those buzzing sounds or words again?” + +“I did,” said Henry, “and I heard ’em just as plain and no plainer when +I was a long way from the phone as when I was touching it.” + +“Well, we’ve drawn a blank there,” smiled Mr. Henderson. Then, after a +moment’s thought, he exclaimed, “Boys, I’m going to take a chance. I’m +pretty well convinced something’s going on that’s crooked and I’m going +to send some men out and search every building in that block from cellar +to garret. You understand, of course, this is a profound secret. No one +will know who they are or what they’re after. It must be a surprise +visit so don’t even talk it over among yourselves. But I want you to +help us a bit. I’m going to start the men out at eight o’clock sharp, +to-night. You must be at your sets and listening. If the fellow’s +talking, you’ll know when my men find him, either by what he says or the +way he shuts off, and if he goes on talking without interruption for +half an hour you’ll know you’ve made some mistake and he’s not in that +block. Meet me here to-morrow at about this time and we’ll have +something to report—or nothing.” + +“Oh, and there’s something else,” announced Tom as the boys turned to +leave. “Henry called attention to those names of flowers yesterday. We’d +almost forgotten about them. Every time that fellow talks he gets a new +name of a flower. Have you noticed it?” + +Mr. Henderson chuckled. “You’re getting a pretty good training at this, +boys,” he replied. “Yes, I’ve noticed that—that’s one thing that +influences me more than anything else. There’s some code to those names, +I think, and they may prove the key to the whole thing. We’ll find out +sometime probably.” + +Remembering Mr. Henderson’s injunction about discussing the proposed +raid the boys refrained from mentioning it to one another, but could +scarcely restrain their impatience until the time came for them to be at +their instruments. + +Eight o’clock came and, excited and expectant, the boys listened, hoping +to hear the message coming in and to learn from its words or its abrupt +ending of the success of the raid. But the minutes ticked by, the hands +of the clock pointed to half-past eight, and nine o’clock came and went +without a word from the source they so longed to hear. + +Anxious to learn the result of the search, the boys hurried to Mr. +Henderson’s office the following day. + +“Another blank, boys,” he announced when they entered his office. “There +wasn’t a sign of a wireless outfit in that block. Did you hear anything +last night?” + +The boys admitted that they had heard nothing. + +“But—but there _must_ be a set there,” insisted Tom, utterly unable to +believe that they had been mistaken. “Why, we were all around there with +our loops and we got cross bearings and knew he was there.” + +“It’s a bit mysterious, I grant,” replied Mr. Henderson. “I fully +expected we’d locate it, but my men will swear there isn’t even a piece +of radio apparatus in the block. They went through it with a fine-tooth +comb. Either you boys were mistaken or else the fellow’s moved away. If +you hear him again you’ll know whether he’s changed his location. I’m +afraid you’ll never locate him by your instruments, though. I’ve used +those loops as direction finders at sea and to some extent ashore and I +admit I can’t see how you went wrong, but we’ve got to face the fact +that he’s not there—at least not now.” + +Thoroughly disappointed and discouraged, the boys left the office and +for hours discussed the matter with one another, but at the end of the +time were no nearer a solution than ever. + +“Oh, bother the old thing, anyhow!” exclaimed Tom at last. “We’ve had +our fun and now let’s do something else. Dad’s leaving Nassau to-morrow +and we can try sending to him when he gets nearer. Wonder what he’ll say +about this thing.” + +“Yes, but it gets my goat to think that Mr. Henderson will think we’re +such dubs,” said Frank. “He thinks we’ve made some big mistake and put +him to all that trouble for nothing.” + +“Well, let’s forget it,” suggested Henry, and this seeming the best +advice the boys followed it and were soon so busy experimenting along +new lines that the mysterious conversations almost slipped from their +minds, and as no further messages were heard from the same source they +decided that by some coincidence the sender had moved bag and baggage +from his former location just in time to escape detection by the men Mr. +Henderson had sent on the search. + +Tom and Frank were overjoyed when, a day before Mr. Pauling’s ship +docked, they succeeded in getting a message to him. + +“That’s pretty near 300 miles,” declared Tom jubilantly, “and our set’s +only supposed to send 100. Say, that’s a real freak message.” + +But when, a few moments later, they heard some one calling their letters +and this was followed by a question as to their location and the +information that the inquirer was the government operator at Fort +Randolph, Canal Zone, Panama, the two boys could only stare at each +other in utter amazement. + +“Jehoshaphat!” exclaimed Frank at last. “We were heard clear down in +Panama! Why that’s pretty near 2000 miles!” + +“Almost as good as that fellow over in Jersey who was heard in Scotland +and Honduras!” cried Tom. “Hurrah, Frank! Let’s try again.” + +But despite every effort the boys failed to get a reply from any one +more than fifty or sixty miles distant and realized that, by some +peculiar atmospheric condition, their dots and dashes had been carried +through the ether for twenty times and more their normal sending range. + +“That’s something to tell Dad,” declared Tom, and rushing down the +stairs he excitedly told his mother of the wonderful feat. + +“I suppose it is remarkable, if you say so,” said Mrs. Pauling, “but +really, I can’t see why you should not talk to Balboa or Europe or any +other point if you can talk to your father’s ship out at sea. One is +just as wonderful as the other to me. But I’m proud of you just the +same, Tom.” + +When, the next day, Mr. Pauling arrived, Tom could scarcely wait to +relate the story of his freak message and his father was enthusiastic +enough to satisfy any boy. + +“Marvelous!” he declared. “And the operator on the _San Jacinto_ tells +me you’ve improved a lot since he first talked to you. Says you can send +well and had no trouble in getting his message at regular speed. I’m +mighty glad you’ve done so well, Son. Just as soon as I have a chance +I’m coming up to see that wonder set of yours. How many have you built +since I’ve been gone?” + +Then Tom told his father of the mysterious messages and what had come of +their attempts to locate the sender. + +Mr. Pauling laughed heartily. “Well, if you got old Henderson interested +he must have believed there was something in it. I don’t know but what +there was. I’ll talk it over with him. But I can imagine your +disappointment, and his too—when nothing came of it. No, Son, I can’t +offer any explanation and we’re as much in the dark as ever about the +smugglers. By the way, I met a chap down at Nassau that was just about +as keen on experiments as you boys only he’s not a radio fan. No, he’s a +diver. He’s invented a new type of diving suit—self-contained he calls +it. Just a sort of rubber cloth shirt and a khaki-colored helmet and +lead-soled shoes. He goes down without ropes or life lines or air hose. +Gets his air from a little box or receptacle strapped to his body. I +don’t know what is in it, but it’s some chemical which produces oxygen +and he can walk about where he pleases on the bottom. It’s the weirdest +thing I’ve ever seen to watch him wade out into the water and disappear +and then, half an hour or two hours later, have him bob up somewhere +else.” + +“Gosh, I’d love to see that,” declared Tom. “Suppose he wants to come up +from deep water without walking ashore, how does he manage?” + +“He just produces more oxygen so he floats up,” replied Mr. Pauling. +“And you’ll have a chance to talk with him next week. He’s returning to +New York and I’ve asked him to call and see us. Nice young chap, name’s +Rawlins. The only trouble with his outfit is that he can’t communicate +with others ashore or on the boats. Of course he can take down a line or +even a telephone, but then he at once destroys one of the great +advantages of his invention. A trailing line or wire is as liable to be +caught or tangled in a wreck or in coral as an air pipe or any other +rope or line and it means some one must be stationed in a boat over him. +He claims one big advantage of his suit will be the fact that as no boat +or air pump is needed, no one can tell where he is. That would be a fine +thing in time of war, of course. Think you’ll take a great fancy to him, +Tom.” + +For a moment, Tom was silent and then he suddenly let out a yell like an +Indian. + +“I have it!” he fairly screamed. “Radio! Submarine radio! I’ll bet it’ll +work.” + +Then, filled with enthusiasm, he started to explain his ideas to his +father. + +“All right! All right!” cried Mr. Pauling, laughing and holding up his +hands in protestation. “I’ll take your word for the technical end of it. +Wait and tell Rawlins about it. But honestly I don’t know but what there +may be something in it. You and Rawlins can work it out.” + +So filled with his new idea was Tom, that he fairly rushed to tell Frank +when the latter arrived, and for the next ten days the two were +ceaselessly at work, drawing plans and diagrams, making and discarding +instruments, purchasing countless rolls of wire and knock-down +apparatus, as they strove to put into concrete form the vision in Tom’s +brain. + +But they found innumerable difficulties to be overcome and were almost +discouraged when one evening Rawlins called. + +He was such an enthusiastic and interesting man that the boys took a +huge liking for him and as soon as Tom told him of his idea he at once +fell in with the boys’ plans. + +“I do believe it can be done!” he declared, when Tom had shown him the +plans and had described his ideas fully. “I don’t know much about radio, +but if you are right about the matter there’s no reason I can see why +you shouldn’t get it to work. I tell you what, Tom, we’ll fit up a +workshop and laboratory down at my father’s dock—it’s down near the foot +of 28th St. and we don’t use it except for storage. The old gentleman’s +gone out of the wrecking business and has sold all his outfit except the +things stored there. It’s a fine place to work and experiment. There are +tools and a machine lathe and about ten tons of odds and ends that may +come in handy. My father had his office and workshop there—did all his +repairing of pumps, diving suits and tugs there, and never threw +anything away. I learned to dive there—my father and grandfather were +deep-sea divers, too—and there’s a trapdoor where the divers went down +to test their suits and pumps. I made my suits and even my under-sea +motion picture outfit there and it’s private and no one will disturb us. +The only way we can test out this idea of yours is by actual trial under +water. If we do get it, it will be a mighty big thing—greatest +improvement in sub-sea work ever. I’ll get the place ready and cleaned +up a bit to-morrow. I’m just as crazy as you are to try it out.” + +Mr. Henderson also was deeply interested in the boys’ new experiments +and declared he believed their ideas might be worked out successfully. + +“You’ll run across a lot of unexpected and unforeseen difficulties,” he +warned them. “One never knows what new laws and phenomena one may run up +against in a thing of this sort. During the war our government and the +Allies, and no doubt Germany also, carried on a good many experiments +with under-water radio, but as far as I know they never came to much. +Radio had not progressed so far then and there were more important +things to be done and not enough men to attend to it. We _did_ use +vacuum tubes and amplifiers for detecting submarines, however. By the +way, I have a few things that may be of help to you boys and I’ll be +glad to let you have them. Among them is a remarkable tuning device of +German make and I don’t think it has ever been tried out. You’ll need +something that is simple and accurate and easy to control and this may +do the trick.” + +By the end of a week a snug little laboratory had been set up on +Rawlins’ dock and the boys and their diver friend spent every available +moment of their time there. + +Tom and Frank were as interested in seeing Rawlins go down in his odd +suit as he was in their radio work, and the first time he put it on to +demonstrate it to the boys they became tremendously excited. Rawlins +carefully explained all about it, pointing out its various parts and +showing them how the oxygen generator worked. + +“You have to be careful about this,” he said, “if a drop of water gets +into it, it blazes or flames up and may kill a fellow. That’s the only +danger about it. If a man forgets and takes the mouthpiece from his lips +to speak without shutting it off and water gets in, he’ll have a red hot +flame inside his helmet. It’s easy to get accustomed to it though—comes +as natural as breathing, after a bit of practice.” + +But even now that it had been explained to them it seemed a most +remarkable feat for Rawlins to don the shirtlike suit and helmet and, +with only these over his ordinary garments and with no rubber trousers +covering his legs, descend the ladder and disappear in the water without +lines, pipes or ropes trailing after him. Both Tom and Frank were crazy +to go down, but Rawlins refused to permit it until he had made the suits +“fool proof” as he put it. Even then, the boys’ parents objected until +they had visited the workshop and Rawlins had proved to their +satisfaction that the boys were perfectly safe in shallow water when he +accompanied them. + +“We’ll have to go down to test out the radio,” argued Tom, “so we might +as well learn right away.” + +At last the fathers gave in and Tom went down first with Rawlins. For a +week afterwards he could think or talk of nothing else and never tired +relating his sensations and experiences to his parents and his boy +friends, and Frank did the same. But after the first few times the +novelty wore off and the boys soon became quite accustomed to going to +the bottom of the river. Rawlins, however, never allowed them to stay +down more than a few minutes at a time and after the first few descents +the boys found little fun in it. They had expected to find a smooth, +hard bottom and to see fishes swimming about and to be able to look up +and see passing boats overhead. To their surprise, they found they could +not walk upright, but leaned far forward and had a peculiar dreamy +sensation when they attempted to walk, their feet seeming to half-drag, +half-float behind them and that, despite the fact that the bottom of the +river was soft and muddy, they did not sink into the bottom to any +extent. As Tom put it, it was like trying to hurry in a dream when one’s +feet seem tied to something and one can’t possibly run. Moreover, they +found the water dark and so filled with sediment that they could see but +a few feet and even near-by objects, such as the spiles and abutments of +the dock, the ladder down which they descended and the figure of their +companion were scarcely visible a yard distant and took on strange, +hazy, indistinct and distorted forms. Indeed, Rawlins always held their +hands when they went down, explaining that should they stray a few yards +away they might be lost or might be swept off in some current. + +But they were glad of the experience and realized that in order to carry +on their experiments with any hopes of success they must learn to use +the suits, for Rawlins had not yet mastered the details of radio. + +In the meantime, however, they worked at the radio devices and at last +Tom announced that he had a set which he believed might work. + +“It’s only an experimental set,” he explained to Rawlins. “And it won’t +stand up long under water, but if the idea’s all right and we get any +results we can go to work and make a good outfit on the same principle.” + +Rawlins was almost as excited as the boys when the day came to test the +new device and at Tom’s suggestion was to go down alone with the +receiver in his helmet while the boys remained on the dock and attempted +to communicate with him. + +“We’ll try receiving under water first,” said Tom. “If it works we’ll +get it into good shape and then get busy on the under-water sending +set.” + +So, with the compact but complicated little set inside his helmet, which +was specially made to accommodate it, and with the receivers clamped +over his ears, Rawlins backed down the ladder while the boys, feeling +like explorers about to set foot on some new and unknown land, watched +his head disappear beneath the surface of the river. + +It was little wonder that they were wildly excited for now, in a few +moments, they would know beyond question whether their ideas had been +right and whether all their work and trouble had been thrown away or +they had made an advance in radio which might revolutionize under-sea +work. + +At first the boys had not fully realized what the success of their +efforts would mean and had gone into it enthusiastically merely as +something new and strange. + +But as soon as Rawlins had explained the possibilities which a +successful under-sea radio telephone would open up, they understood how +much might hinge on the triumph or failure of their plans. + +“Why,” Rawlins had exclaimed, “think what it will do if it works! A man +can go down and walk about any place he chooses and yet can talk back +and forth with men on a ship or on shore. In wrecking, he could go all +through a ship with no danger of getting his life-line or air-hose +tangled and he could direct the fellows on the tug or lighter, telling +them just where to lower chains or tackle or anything else. And think +what it would mean in time of war! Why, a man could walk out from shore +anywhere, go under a ship and fasten a mine to her and blow her up and +hear all that was going on aboard the enemy’s ship. And just think what +a dangerous sort of spy a man would be—out of sight under the sea and +yet able to hear all the talk and messages of the enemy! I tell you, +boys, up to now diving’s been like blind man’s work—mostly feeling and +signaling by jerks on a line. Of course the ordinary phone was a big +advance, but with that you still had to trail a wire along and there was +a visible connection between the diver and the surface. With my suits +and your radio the country that owned the secrets would be mighty near +masters of the sea, I’ll say.” + + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE UNDER-SEA WIRELESS + + +As soon as Rawlins was out of sight the boys commenced to talk, Tom +speaking through the transmitter while Frank wrote down what he said, +for of course they could not know if Rawlins heard them, and the only +means of determining if he had received all the words was to keep a +record for comparison when he came up. They were busily engaged at this +and tremendously interested and excited, when the telephone bell rang. +Telling Rawlins to wait a moment, and explaining the reason, Tom ceased +speaking while Frank answered the call. + +“Hello, Frank,” came Henry’s voice. “I just rang up to be sure you were +there. How’s everything going?” + +“Fine!” replied Frank, “come on down, we’re just testing it out for the +first time. When did you get back?” + +“Last evening—but didn’t have a chance to run around to see you. I +called up, but the maid said you were out with Tom. Didn’t she tell you? +I’ll be right down, you bet. Say, I’ve some news for you. So long.” + +“I’m glad he’s back from that trip with his father and is coming down,” +said Tom, “Won’t he be interested and surprised if this works? Wonder +what the news is.” + +Then, turning to his set, he continued his interrupted talk, or attempt +to talk, with Rawlins until, five minutes later, Henry was pounding at +the door. + +“Gee, but you’ve a fine place here!” he cried as he glanced about the +little laboratory, “and you’ve diving suits and helmets and everything. +Say, I was just crazy to get back when I got your letter telling about +your experiments and everything. Where’s the diver fellow? Oh say, +you’re not really talking to him under water! Crickety! Isn’t that +wonderful to think he can hear you down under the river!” + +Tom laughed. “Don’t know if he can,” he replied. “We’ll have to wait for +him to come up and tell. You see we haven’t got an under-sea sending set +rigged up yet and the one he’s got is just a sort of makeshift for +experimenting.” + +“Have you fellows heard anything more of that mystery chap?” cried +Henry, suddenly changing the subject. + +“Not a word,” Tom assured him. + +“Well, I have then,” declared Henry triumphantly. “I heard him last +night and I got him again to-day just before I called you fellows. He +was in the same old place, too.” + +“Honest? Say, that _is_ funny!” exclaimed Frank. “What was he saying?” + +“Don’t know,” replied Henry, “He was talking some foreign lingo that I +couldn’t make out, but I got one word. Bet you couldn’t guess what +’twas—another flower—Oleander this time.” + +The boys were so interested in Henry’s news that they had temporarily +forgotten their under-water companion until Henry uttered a half +surprised exclamation and jumped away from the square opening in the +floor over the river. + +“Gosh, there he comes!” he cried, as overcoming his first surprise at a +gurgling splash he glanced through the trapdoor and saw the diver’s +helmet appearing. “Don’t he look like a regular sea monster?” + +A moment later, Rawlins was removing his suit and helmet. + +“Did you hear us?” cried Tom the moment Rawlins’ face was visible. + +“Did I!” exclaimed the diver. “Did I! Let me tell you I wished I had +cotton stuffed in my ears. You must think I’m deaf,—yelling like that. +Did you think you had to shout loud enough to have your voice go through +the water? And I’ll tell you I thought a tornado’d struck the place when +your friend here arrived. I even heard the telephone bell.” + +Tom and Frank fairly danced with delight. “Hurrah! It works! It’s a +success! We’ve solved it! It’s under-sea radio!” shouted the excited +boys. + +“I’ll say it works!” declared Rawlins. “But what the deuce were you +trying to talk Dutch for?” + +“Talk Dutch?” cried Tom in a puzzled tone. “We weren’t talking Dutch or +anything but United States.” + +It was Rawlins’ turn to be amazed. “Well, who in thunder was then?” he +asked. “I heard some one jabbering Dutch or some other foreign +language—don’t know what ’twas except it wasn’t French or Spanish.” + +Henry gave a whoop. “It was that other fellow!” he cried excitedly. +“I’ll bet ’twas. He was talking just before I rang up as I told you. +Jehoshaphat! Mr. Rawlins must have heard him under water.” + +“I guess that’s it,” agreed Tom. “Funny it didn’t occur to me. Of course +there’s no reason why he shouldn’t have been heard under water. We’re +using a tiny little wave length and so’s he, and he’s close to here, you +know. Did you hear him loudly, Mr. Rawlins?” + +“Well, not so as to deafen me the way you did,” replied the diver with a +grin, “but if I’d understood his lingo I could have told what he was +talking about. The only word that sounded like sense to me was something +like Oleander.” + +“Then ’twas him!” fairly yelled Henry ungrammatically. “That’s the name +he was using when I heard him.” + +“Well, it just proves this new thing is a peacherino,” declared Tom. +“Now let’s get busy and fix it up in good shape and make a sending set +to try out.” + +Now that the boys’ first experiment had been such a huge success they +were more enthusiastic and excited than ever. They had been confident +that the diver would be able to hear sounds or that he might even +distinguish words under water, but they had not dared to hope that their +very first efforts would result in the sound being carried to the ears +of the man beneath the water as clearly and loudly as though he had been +present in the same room with the speaker. + +“I’ll bet water carries electromagnetic waves better than air,” declared +Tom. “Why, if this little set can respond to these short five watt waves +in this way, think what it would mean to a submarine with big amplified +sets and getting messages sent with hundreds of watts. Why a fellow +could sit in Washington and talk to submarines and divers all over the +Atlantic.” + +“You’ve hit on a wonderful possibility,” Rawlins assured him. “Of course +I was pretty close—I didn’t go over a hundred yards from the dock and +it’s shoal water. I’m anxious to try it down a hundred feet or so and a +mile or two from the sender. We’ll do that after we get things right—go +down to my hangout in the Bahamas and give it a real honest-to-goodness +tryout.” + +“It’s all in that new amplifying arrangement and that single control +tuner Frank hit upon,” said Tom. “And we’re not really responsible for +either. Mr. Henderson gave us the idea for the tuner and a friend of +Dad’s invented the tube, but couldn’t get any one interested. You see, +Henry, this tube is just about 400 times as much of an amplifier as the +other tubes, and we get a detector and amplifier all in one. Look +here—it’s the smallest bulb you ever saw—about the size of a peanut and +we operate it on a flashlight battery with a special little dry cell for +the filament. Of course they don’t last long, but a fellow can’t stay +down more than an hour or two anyway and the batteries will run the set +steadily for five hours. For under-sea work the cost don’t count. What +we’re up against now is to make the sending set to go with it. The +receiver was easy. That fits in this special helmet all right and don’t +have to be waterproof, but the sending set’ll have to be outside and +it’ll be an awful job to keep the water from short circuiting it.” + +As he talked, Tom was showing Henry the set and pointing out its many +novel features. + +“This single tuner is great,” he continued. “It’s fixed so it’s set at a +certain spot for the normal wave lengths sent from the diver’s home +station. See, here in the middle at zero. Then, if he wants to get a +shorter wave he turns it to the left which gives him a range down to +half his normal wave length, or for longer waves he turns it to the +right and gets twice his normal length. If he wants to go to long wave +lengths—for example, if he was a spy or something and wanted to get the +big sending stations—he’d turn the knob clear to the left and then back +to the right and around to opposite the zero point. Then he’d be on +about 2500 meters and that being his utmost length he just has to tune +slowly towards zero again. And the rheostat works automatically with it +and so does the variable condenser and it’s not very complicated +either.” + +“But what does he do for an aërial?” queried Henry. + +“Doesn’t use one,” replied Tom. “Just has this sort of wire cage +sticking from his helmet, like a loop, but made of two grids set at +right angles to each other. But gosh! I never thought about there being +interferences under water.” + +“I suppose Henry understands all that,” interrupted Rawlins laughingly, +“but it means about as much to me as that Dutch talk I heard. Somehow or +other I can’t get on to this radio a little bit. When you get that +sending outfit rigged you’ll have to go down and test it. I’d probably +bungle something. I didn’t even dare meddle with this gadget for tuning. +I tried it once and when your voice stopped I just shoved her back and +let it go at that. That’s when I heard that Dutchman.” + +“Then he’s on a different wave length and it proves _we_ can tune out +under water,” declared Tom gleefully. “That’s another feather in our +caps.” + +Henry quickly grasped the boys’ ideas and together the three worked +diligently until sundown while Rawlins busied himself devising the +fittings for his suit to accommodate the sending apparatus and helped +the boys tremendously with suggestions for rendering a set watertight +and with advice as to mechanical and other details. + +By the time they were obliged to stop their work the plans for the +under-sea transmission set were well worked out and, with high hopes and +flushed with the success of their achievements, they locked up the +workshop and walked up town discussing plans for the morrow. + +The following day they went to the dock right after breakfast, for +school was over for the season and they had all their time to +themselves. Rawlins was already there and before they left that night +they had the set nearly completed and Tom declared they would be able to +give it a test the next day. + +Mr. Pauling was of course deeply interested and enthusiastic over the +boys’ work and promised to go down himself as soon as the instruments +were perfected. He listened to the boys’ glowing accounts of their work +and their success and later, when Mr. Henderson called, he too became +most optimistic regarding their under-sea radio. + +“It’s merely a question of experimenting, boys,” he declared. “We were +on the right track during the war, but radio’s jumped ahead a lot since +then and whatever the government experts accomplish is kept mighty +quiet. I’m glad that single control works out so well. We’ll have to +thank the Huns for that. We found one on a captured U-boat, but as far +as I know the government never took it up seriously—don’t know why +unless it was because there was no particular need of it. We never did +find out what the Germans used it for—for all we know they may have been +experimenting along under-sea lines too. And if that new tube of +Michelson’s proves good he’ll make a fortune and have you boys to thank +for it. I’m coming down to see your outfit just as soon as we get a +breathing space. We’re rushed to death just now.” + +With nothing else to do the boys amused themselves listening at their +sets which, with so many other interests, had been sadly neglected of +late, and, out of pure curiosity and never expecting to hear anything, +Tom turned his loop aërial to the southeast and tuned for the short wave +lengths used by the mysterious talker they had once followed and tried +to locate so persistently. To his surprise, the sound of words came +clearly over the set. + +“There he is again!” Tom exclaimed to Frank who was listening to a +broadcasted speech. “Get him and we’ll see what he says.” + +But despite the fact that the boys could both hear the man plainly his +words were meaningless, for he was speaking some guttural, +harsh-sounding tongue. + +“Oh, pshaw!” ejaculated Tom disgustedly after a few minutes of this. +“Who cares what he’s saying. I guess it’s some crazy foreigner.” + +So saying, he again picked up the broadcasting station and forgot all +about the incident in his interest as he listened to a lecture on new +developments in radio. + +“Some night we’ll be listening to that fellow talking about the new +under-sea radio,” chuckled Frank as the talk ceased and the boys laid +aside their receivers. “Say, won’t it be sport to hear him telling about +us and know all the fellows are listening to it?” + +“Well, we won’t count our chickens just yet,” declared Tom sagely. “Just +because that receiving set works isn’t any proof the sending set will. +And without being able to talk back a diver isn’t any better off—or at +least much better off—if he can hear what’s going on in the air.” + +But Tom might have been far more confident, for the following day when +the test was made it worked much better than their most sanguine +expectations had led them to think possible. To be sure, their +experiments came to an abrupt ending right in the midst of the test, for +the sending set on Tom’s suit leaked and, with a feeble buzz and +sputter, his words trailed off to nothingness. + +But when, upon reaching the surface, Rawlins reported that he had heard +everything Tom had said and Frank and Henry in the shop had also heard +him, the boys knew that their plans and the principles of the outfit +were all right and that only the question of making the set absolutely +watertight remained to be solved. + +“I don’t see why it should not be inside the suit,“ declared Rawlins, as +the boys were discussing the matter and were at a loss to know how to +accomplish their aims. “You say these wireless waves go through +everything and we get them through the suit in the receiving set so why +shouldn’t they go out through everything just as well. Look here, I was +thinking over this last night and here’s my idea.” + +As the boys gathered about, the diver rapidly sketched his plan of a new +suit in which the sending set could be placed within a receptacle full +of compressed air. + +“I believe that _would_ work,” cried Tom when he grasped Rawlins’ +scheme. “I don’t see why compressed air should affect the outfit any and +it’s easy enough to make watertight fittings where the wires come out +and there’s no tuning to do, We can always use a special wave length and +if several men were talking under water each one could have his own wave +length. Yes. I’ll bet you’ve solved the puzzle, Mr. Rawlins.” + +Keen on the new plan the boys started a new set, or rather two new sets, +for they wished to make a test to determine if two men under water could +converse, while Rawlins busied himself on the special suits and air +pockets to be used. + +“We’ll have to balance the weight of the set against the increased +buoyancy of this compressed air,” he remarked as he worked. “But I see +where that’s an advantage. One of your troubles has been the weight of +batteries and by this air caisson arrangement weight won’t cut any +figure under water.” + +“But suppose the air pocket springs a leak?” queried Frank. “We’d be +just as badly off as before.” + +“Well, I don’t calculate to have it leak,” replied Rawlins, “but if you +make the sets as near watertight as you can, they’d still go on working +for some time before they got soaked. And if I can’t make a little +caisson that’ll hold a hundred pounds of air for ten or twelve hours +I’ll give up diving and drive a taxi.” + +Several days, however, were required to get the set and the air pocket +suits ready and when, after a test in the workshop, everything seemed in +perfect working order, Tom and Rawlins donned their suits and prepared +to descend the ladder through the trapdoor. + +Just before his head dipped beneath the surface of the water Tom spoke +into his mouthpiece and Frank, listening at his instruments, gave a +start as his chum’s voice came clearly to his ears. + +“So long, old man,” came Tom’s cheery voice, which somehow Frank had +expected would sound muffled. “Keep your ear glued to the set and be +ready for great news. I’ll bet we give you a surprise.” + +The next instant only a few bubbles marked the spot where Tom had sunk +beneath the surface of the water, and little did he or the others dream +how much truth was in his parting words or what an amazing surprise was +awaiting not only Frank but himself. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE RED MENACE + + +During the weeks while Tom and his friends were busy at their work on +the under-sea radio, grave and sinister events were taking place, of +which the boys knew little or nothing, but which kept Mr. Pauling, Mr. +Henderson and their men in a perpetual state of worry, and of sleepless +nights and unceasing work. + +Close upon the heels of the unprecedented influx of contraband liquor, +which despite every effort continued undiminished and which had +completely baffled the officials, came a flood of Bolshevist propaganda +of the most dangerous and revolutionary character. Suddenly, and without +warning, it had appeared throughout the country. Every town, city and +village was filled with it and so cleverly were the circulars, booklets +and handbills worded, so logical were the arguments and statements they +contained, so appealing to the uneducated foreign element and the +dissatisfied army of the unemployed that they were greedily read, +accepted and absorbed until the country was menaced by a red revolution +and officials went to bed never knowing what bloodshed and destruction +the morrow might hold in store. + +Almost coincident with this came a wave of crime. Hold-ups, burglars, +murders, kidnaping and incendiarism swept like an epidemic through the +big cities. Scarcely a day passed that the daily papers did not bear +glaring headlines announcing some new and daring crime. Bank messengers, +paymasters, cashiers and business men were held up at the point of +revolvers or were blackjacked on the public streets in broad daylight. +Stores and shops were boldly entered by masked bandits who held up and +robbed the clerks and customers alike. Taxis and motor cars were +attacked, their occupants beaten into unconsciousness and robbed and the +vehicles stolen under the noses of the police. Homes of the rich, banks +and business houses were entered and ransacked despite electric burglar +alarms and armed guards. Each day the daring criminals grew bolder. From +thugs they were changing into murderous bandits; where formerly a man +was knocked down or blackjacked the victims were now shot in cold blood. +Murders and homicides were of daily occurrence. Even on crowded +thoroughfares within sight of hundreds of passers-by men were killed and +the bandits escaped and no one felt that life and property were safe. +The police seemed powerless and at a loss. Now and then a bandit was +captured. Occasionally one would be shot down, wounded or killed by an +officer or by some prospective victim, but still the crimes continued +unabated. Indeed, the more the police strove to check the bandits the +more they appeared to thrive and increase and the bolder they became. +Lawlessness was rampant and, while the public wondered, criticized, +clamored for protection, and countless theories were put forth, those in +the inner circle, the secret agents of the government and the trusted +ones, knew that, back of it all, the underlying cause and the root of +the evil was the red propaganda which they were powerless to check. + +Many were the secret meetings, the closely guarded conferences held +between the untiring officers detailed to run the menace to earth, to +stamp the venomous Bolshevist serpent underfoot, to bring the country to +its safe and sane law-abiding state of the past. And prominent in all +such closely guarded, mysterious councils were Mr. Pauling and Mr. +Henderson. + +“There is some one mind directing it all, in my opinion,” declared Mr. +Pauling. “Some arch criminal—a Bolshevist emissary—some man with a +tremendous brain, marvelous executive ability, immense personal +magnetism, but whose mind, heart and soul are warped and twisted. One +who is such a criminal as the world has fortunately never known before. +If we can lay our hands on him the rest will be easy. Without a leader, +without a directive brain, these common criminals will be lost. They are +arrant cowards, mere tools and yet, by some almost superhuman power, are +controlled, directed, moved like pawns on a chessboard, by an unseen, +mysterious being who so far has completely baffled us.” + +“I agree with you perfectly,” said Mr. Henderson. “I believe the same +man, the same arch fiend, is back of the rum-running; that this is +merely a tryout, a test, to see if we can detect him and that through it +all is a deep-laid, dastardly plot to inflame the people and at the same +time enrich himself. To my mind, it savors of some one far greater in +brain power, in intrigue and in ability than those unshaven, misguided +Russians. It looks far more as if it were German work—perhaps some high +officer of the Prussian army or navy—who, afraid of his own republican +countrymen and filled with a fiendish desire for revenge, is devoting +himself to the destruction of law and order in the United States.” + +“That is very plausible as a theory,” remarked another man, “but it does +not get us anywhere. If this is so, where does this master mind stay? +Where are his headquarters? Surely he must have underlings,—lieutenants +and trusted emissaries and some place, some headquarters, from which his +nefarious schemes are sent forth. Nothing comes in by mail or by +passengers we know. Every alien who enters is known. Not a word that +tends to bear out your theories had been wrung from the men captured +even though they were on the verge of death or were about to go to the +electric chair. No, I do not agree with you. It’s merely the aftermath +of the war. Men were taught to handle firearms and to kill their fellow +men. They were fed up, encouraged and lived with excitement and constant +peril. The war ended; they were out of work, they pined for the thrill +of danger and their viewpoint of life, of property and of right and +wrong was distorted. Banditry offered an easy way of securing funds; it +filled their desire for excitement; it satisfied their grudge against +society and their country and, like all crimes which succeed, it became +contagious and got a grip on more and more men. It’s all the logical +outcome of the war and in my opinion the red propaganda has nothing +whatever to do with it.” + +Mr. Henderson smiled. “Perhaps I may be able to change your views, +Selwin,” he remarked. “I wanted to know your ideas before I came out +with it. As you all know, I was on special work during the war—detailed +to decode all suspicious messages that came in by radio or cable and to +use my vivid imagination to try to find hidden meanings in apparently +innocent messages. You all know the result, and there is no need of +recalling specific cases, such as the famous sugar shipment to Garcia +and the announcement of a baby’s birth but which, thanks to my ‘hunch’ +or imagination or whatever you wish to call it, led to the apprehension +of the most dangerous female spy of the time and the confiscation of +those incriminating documents which saved the _Leviathan_ from +destruction, prevented several thousand of our boys from going to the +bottom of the sea, kept Brooklyn bridge from being blown to bits, thus +blocking the Navy Yard, and prevented countless women and children from +being widows and orphans. But perhaps you do not all know that, back of +that stupendous plot, that greatest attempted coup of the enemy to +terrorize and cripple the United States, that supreme effort of a dying, +beaten nation to turn the tide of war and transform her from the +vanquished to the victor, was the work of one man. To him was entrusted +this almost superhuman task. The reward, if he succeeded, was to be +honors and riches beyond conception. Had he won he would to-day be +seated upon the throne of England—the despotic, iron-handed governor of +a German colony with his feet upon the neck of the British people and +with the colossal indemnity, which it had been planned to exact from our +country, as his monetary reward. If he failed, his life was to pay the +forfeit. Not only his life was to be sacrificed, but his lands and +property were to be confiscated, his family imprisoned, degraded and +exiled. It was, I think, the greatest, the most stupendous gamble ever +known. And the gambler lost! By the merest chance, by pure accident, by +a coincidence which no human being could have foreseen, his messages—the +vital message—came into my hands and, through a tiny mistake, an error +which might have passed a thousand eyes unnoticed, the conspirator—this +gambler in nations and life—was betrayed and all his efforts, his +widespread plots, his carefully organized plans came to nothing. But yet +he escaped. Evidently he considered a gambling debt one that could be +disregarded. His country, or rather his emperor, had overlooked a most +important matter. He had failed to provide for getting hold of the +gambler to collect his debt. No doubt, had Germany been victorious, some +emissary of the Kaiser would eventually have found this man and would +have exacted payment in full. But with Germany’s downfall he was safe—at +least as long as he remained out of Germany—and so completely did he +efface himself that we came to the conclusion that he had committed +suicide. But, gentlemen, I am willing to wager my reputation that he +still lives. I have evidence which to my mind is absolutely conclusive +that he is at the bottom of this Bolshevist propaganda, this influx of +liquor, this wave of crime.” + +Amazed, the others gazed at Mr. Henderson as he paused after this +surprising announcement. + +“Jove! That’s some statement!” cried one. “If you’re right, Henderson, +we’ve got our work cut out for us. I can see why he might do it though. +I know who you mean—there’s no use mentioning names even here. And if it +is he I can understand why he has picked on Uncle Sam. But, by Jove, old +man, if ’tis he, then watch your step! He’s no man to forgive or forget. +He’ll have his eye on you and mark you for a come-back, I’ll wager.” + +Henderson smiled grimly. “He has already,” he remarked dryly. “That’s my +proof that he’s the man. Like all of his kind he’s so confoundedly +conceited, so cocksure of himself, so puffed up with his own importance +that, sooner or later, he’s bound to overdo himself. He cannot resist +the temptation to let some one know what a big toad in the puddle he is. +He must boast or bust and such men always hang themselves if you give +them rope enough. Here’s the rope he’s hung himself with!” + +As he finished, Mr. Henderson tossed a sheet of paper on the table and +the others crowded close to examine it. + +To the casual observer, it would have meant little. A sheet of ordinary +note paper with a single line written by a typewriter across it. There +was no date, no signature, merely the words: “Remember Mercedes and +Garcia.” But to these keen-eyed, square-jawed, quiet men those words +carried grave import. To them, it meant more than pages of writing might +have carried. + +“I guess you’re right,” exclaimed Selwin. “That is, as far as his being +alive and this coming from him is concerned. But why do you think he or +this has any connection with the other matters?” + +“Another coincidence—or perhaps you’ll say imagination,” replied Mr. +Henderson. “Examine this pamphlet—the latest effusion of our red +propagandists. Do you notice anything peculiar about it?” + +Each man shook his head as the flimsy pamphlet passed from hand to hand. + +“Very well,” commented Mr. Henderson. “You notice that it’s not +printed—that is, with type. It’s a zincotype impression from +typewriting. And if you look closely you’ll also see that the small “a” +has a broken tail, the capital “T” has a little twist in one arm of the +top, the small “e” is flattened or battered and the “B” always shows a +tiny smudge above it where the character on the same key struck the +paper owing to the type bar being bent slightly. Now, kindly examine +this terse note I showed you and see if you do not find the identical +defects in the same letters.” + +“By Jove, yes!” cried one, as they again studied the paper. “Henderson, +you’re a winner. The machine that wrote one wrote the other. Not a shade +of a doubt of it. But how about the rest of these dirty sheets and how +about the bandits and the liquor?” + +“I’ve examined several thousand circulars and pamphlets,” replied Mr. +Henderson, “and all that are typewritten are the same. Our friend is +doing all the writing on one machine. I imagine he is hanging out +somewhere and takes no chances by entrusting his work to outsiders. A +man could do all the typing and could make zinc photo plates in a single +small room. As for my hunch that the rum-runners are connected with the +same gang, it’s based on this.” + +As he spoke, he placed a small metal object on the table, a bit of lead +about half an inch in diameter and resembling a small coin. The others +picked it up and examined it curiously. + +“Well, what’s this to do with the matter?” asked one. + +“This note,” replied Mr. Henderson, “was left at my door and to prevent +it from blowing away this bit of lead was placed upon it. You don’t see +anything suspicious about it, but you may when I draw your attention to +the fact that this is a metal seal from a particular brand and make of +an extremely high-priced French West Indian liquor. Until the day after +I received this reminder of Mercedes and Garcia, there was not, to the +best of our knowledge and belief, a single bottle of that Pére Kerrman +liqueur in the United States—except possibly in the private stock of +some millionaire or exclusive club. Two days later, the country was +flooded with it.” + +“You win!” cried Selwin. “Now about the bandits. Have you got them dead +to rights, too?” + +“Ask Pauling,” replied Mr. Henderson. “He’s the next witness.” + +“Here’s my exhibit A,” said Mr. Pauling, as he drew a creased paper from +an inside pocket and placed it before the assembled officials. + +“H-m-m, another threat, eh?” remarked the first one who examined it. + +“Yes, commanding me to drop investigation of that hold-up gang that the +police nabbed on West 16th St. last week. Nothing was said while the +police were at it, but as soon as I took hold I received this.” + +“And written with the same old machine!” exclaimed Selwin. “All right, +Pauling, I may be from Missouri, but you and Henderson have shown me. +Now let’s plan a campaign.” + +“If these two notes were sent by the same man, as they appear to have +been,” remarked a quiet man who heretofore had said nothing but had been +steadily consuming one black cigar after another by the process of +chewing them between his strong white teeth, “then our game is right +underfoot, so to speak—right in little old Manhattan probably.” + +“Bully for you, Meredith!” cried a small, wiry, nervous man, clapping +the other familiarly on the back. “‘The mills of the gods,’ etc., you +know. Where did you fish that idea from?” + +“From some place you lack—a brain,” retorted Meredith continuing to bite +savagely at his cigar. “But, fooling aside,” he went on, “it’s a cinch +he is. Henderson and Pauling get their notes only two days apart and, +what’s more, Pauling gets his within twenty-four hours after he starts +that investigation. No time for word to get any other place and have a +bit of typewritten paper get back.” + +“Huh! Then, according to you, all this red rubbish is also written right +in the old home-town, eh?” snorted the thin man. + +“Yep,” replied Meredith. “Expect that’s why we haven’t nailed its source +yet. Fact is, I believe there isn’t any rum being smuggled in. Been +stored here and just being distributed now. Bet we’ve all been walking +over the trail star-gazing. So darned sure it was all coming in from +outside we never thought of it being right alongside of us.” + +“That’s a possibility,” admitted Henderson and then, dropping their +voices, the half dozen men earnestly discussed plans, offered +suggestions, examined mysterious documents stored in a hidden and +massive safe in the wall and pored over maps and diagrams which no one, +outside of this inner circle, would ever see. + +At the end of two hours, the conference broke up. The papers and +documents were replaced in their secret vault, the maps and diagrams +were locked in a steel box and thrust in another safe and the men +chatted on various matters, discussing the latest news, arguing the +respective merits of motor cars, expressing opinions as to the next +pennant winner, telling jokes and thoroughly enjoying themselves as if +they had not a care in the world and were not literally carrying their +lives in their hands day and night. + +“What’s that boy of yours doing in radio now?” asked Meredith, +addressing Mr. Pauling when the conversation finally turned towards +wireless. “Henderson was telling me about their ‘radio detective’ stuff. +Great kid—Tom.” + +“Oh, he and Frank Putney are working on a submarine radio scheme. I met +a young chap at Nassau with a new-fangled diving suit and he and the +boys are trying to work out a radio outfit to use under water. Say, +they’re succeeding, too.” + +“Jove! that’s a great scheme!” exclaimed another. “Under-sea wireless! +Well, I’ll be hanged, what won’t our kids be up to next!” + +“Wish we’d had anything as good to tinker with when we were kids,” +declared Selwin. “I remember how every one laughed at Marconi when he +first started wireless. My boy’s crazy over it now. Well, I must be +getting on.” + +Rising, Selwin slipped from the room, sauntered casually about the +corridor, noted the seemingly inattentive janitor brushing imaginary +dust from a window frame, knew that the lynx-eyed guard was on his job, +and without a sign of recognition made his way to the elevator and the +street. At intervals of half an hour or so the others left, some by the +same corridor, others through an outer room, where an office boy seemed +dozing in a chair over a lurid, paper-covered novel—but upon whose +boyish, freckled cheeks a closely-shaven, heavy beard might have been +detected by a near examination—while still others took a roundabout +route and descended to the street on the opposite side of the building. +At last, only Mr. Pauling and Henderson were left and the two friends, +glad of a chance to have a quiet smoke and to be free from care for a +short time, sat chatting and talking over Mr. Pauling’s last trip to the +West Indies. + +“It was positively baffling,” stated Mr. Pauling in reply to a question. +“I knew they were filled to the gunwales with liquor and I knew as well +as I wanted to that the cargo was going to the States and yet, when they +got here and our men boarded them they were either empty or carried +legitimate cargoes or else they never touched our ports and came back +empty. It’s common talk that the stuff is going to us, but no one has +given away how it’s done yet. Why, I even had one trailed—shadowed by a +disguised cutter—and they kept her within sight for days and then I’ll +be hanged if she didn’t come back without a sign of cargo. Now where did +they land it? Only solution is they got cold feet and heaved it +overboard.” + +“More likely they met some other craft during the night and +transhipped,” suggested Mr. Henderson. “I imagine that’s how they get it +in. Have some prearranged signal and spot and ship the stuff in at +another port while they sail boldly into harbor. Of course we’re +watching for them and let up on other places and while we’re boarding +the suspect the other craft gets in on some unfrequented bit of coast +and meets a truck or car. It’s not hard. We can’t guard _all_ the coast +with our force and I’m sure that game’s played sometimes, if not always. +We’ve taken a lot of stuff that afterwards proved to be colored water or +cane-juice and of course they didn’t bring that from Cuba or the Bahamas +just for the sake of getting our goats.” + +“And then there were the Chinese,” resumed Mr. Pauling. “Of course there +we’ve another difficulty because, once set ashore or near shore, John +can look after himself and doesn’t need a truck to carry him out of our +sight. Just the same I’d give a lot to know the secret of their putting +it over on us.” + +“I’ve often wondered if those boys—Tom and Frank—weren’t right about +that strange conversation they overheard,” ruminated Mr. Henderson. “I’m +morally certain they were all right in their cross bearings with their +loops, although I didn’t tell them so—and yet we found nothing there. +Have you asked the boys if they’ve heard anything more of it lately?” + +“No, but I will,” Mr. Pauling replied. “They’ve been so busy with this +new idea I expect they’ve forgotten all about it. I promised I’d go down +to see their— Hello, there’s the phone. Wonder who ’tis.” + +Leaning forward, Mr. Pauling drew the extension phone towards him, +lifted the receiver and placed it at his ear. + +“Yes, this is Mr. Pauling speaking,” he said. Then his face blanched, +his cigar dropped from his fingers and in anxious, frightened tones he +cried, “What’s that you say? Frank! What’s that? Tom under water! +Calling for help! Having a fight with—with what? Never mind! Calling +through the radio! Yes, I’ll be down instantly!” + +Slamming the receiver on its hook Mr. Pauling leaped to his feet. + +“It’s Frank!” he cried. “Says Tom’s calling for help from under water. +Lord knows what’s up! Send Jameson and a bunch of men. Order a patrol +down. Rawlins’ dock, foot of 28th. You know the place. Come yourself, +too!” + +Jerking open a drawer, Mr. Pauling grabbed up a heavy revolver, shoved +it into his pocket, dashed through the door and as he passed the +supposed janitor gave a terse order. “Get inside!” he exclaimed, +“Henderson needs you.” The next instant he was plunging down the stairs. +With a bound he cleared the last few steps, hurtled like a football +player through the pedestrians on the sidewalk, leaped into his waiting +car and the next instant was violating every traffic law as he drove +madly through the streets. Once only did he slacken speed when, as he +rounded the corner, he caught a glimpse of one of his men and with a +gesture summoned him. Instantly, the man obeyed, leaped on the running +board and as the machine again darted ahead clambered in beside Mr. +Pauling. + +Before Mr. Pauling’s footsteps had sounded on the stairs, before the +secret service man in the janitor’s overalls could dodge inside the +room, Mr. Henderson was talking over a private wire to the nearest +police station. Ten seconds later, he was rushing downstairs with the +erstwhile janitor at his heels and hard on the wake of Mr. Pauling’s car +his runabout went tearing in the same direction. + +As they swung from Fourth Avenue into 28th St., gaping crowds lined the +sidewalks craning their necks and peering down the street where, far +ahead, the police patrol was startling the neighborhood with its +clanging bell as it followed the lead of Mr. Pauling’s car. + +What had happened, what danger was menacing his boy, Mr. Pauling could +not guess. But that Tom was in deadly peril he felt sure. Frank’s +agonized tones proved that, and while his incoherent, stammering words +carried no explanation Mr. Pauling knew that his son was calling for aid +from under the water, that something terrible had occurred. Through his +mind had instantly flashed the threat of the bandit chief, the threat to +make him sweat blood if he continued his investigations. Could it be +that? Had the thugs captured or attacked Tom to injure his father? And +where was Rawlins? With nerves already strained from overwork and +failure to accomplish what the government demanded of him, Mr. Pauling, +who was noted for his self-possession, his calmness and clear-headedness +in the most trying and perilous moments, was now mad with fear and his +teeth actually chattered with nervousness. His car, racing at break-neck +speed, seemed almost to crawl. Every corner seemed to be purposely +blocked by traffic. He thought he had never seen so many persons +crossing the streets, so many slow-moving, horse-drawn vehicles impeding +his progress. He cursed aloud, handled his levers with savage jerks, +gritted his teeth and mentally prayed he would not be too late. Now, +behind him, he could hear the clanging, oncoming patrol truck—he knew +Henderson had lost no time. Before him lay the end of the street, the +river and the docks. With a reckless twist he swung the car into the +waterfront street, took the turn on two wheels, drove it diagonally, +regardless of cursing truck-men, across the cobbled road, and with +squealing brakes, brought it to a skidding stop by Rawlins’ dock. Before +it had lost headway he had leaped out, the detective at his side, and as +he burst into the boys’ workshop a crowd of blue-clad policemen were +jumping from the still moving patrol and were crowding at his heels. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE CRY FROM THE DEPTHS + + +Henry watched Tom’s head disappear, he saw the little silvery bubbles +rising, for an instant he could distinguish the darker shadow in the +water which marked his friend, and then nothing but the rippling green +surface of the river was visible through the open trapdoor in the floor +of the dock. He and Frank were alone, Tom and Rawlins were beneath the +river, and yet, down there at the bottom of the gurgling water, the +unseen two could hear every word spoken in the room above. It was +marvelous, fantastic and almost incredible. But even more wonderful and +impossible events were about to take place. Frank had already heard +Tom’s parting words over the set, although not a sound had issued from +his helmet, and now, with the others under the water, Frank was again +talking. + +“Yes, I can hear you finely,” he said. “Say, it’s wonderful. Where are +you? Right under the dock? I’m going to let Henry talk to you. I feel as +if I were dreaming!” + +As Henry listened at the set and Tom’s words came to his ears he +actually jumped, for he had never expected the words to come as plainly +and distinctly as if Tom had been in the room with him and talking to +him direct. + +“That you, Henry?” came Tom’s voice. “Gee, but it’s great. I can hear +you just as well as if I were up there. Does my voice sound loud?” + +“Loud as if you were standing alongside of me,” Henry assured him. “I +can’t believe you’re really under water.” + +So, for some time, the three boys and Rawlins conversed, chatting and +laughing, expressing their wonder and delight in boyish expletives and +overjoyed at finding their plans and their work had proved such an +immense success. + +“We’re going off a ways,” announced Tom, at last. “Mr. Rawlins wants to +find out how far away we can hear and send. We’re going to walk down the +river. You keep talking and after we’ve gone a few hundred yards we’ll +call you. If you don’t reply that you heard us we’ll keep walking back +and trying until you do get us. Then we’ll know our range.” + +For a time, the two boys on the dock kept up a steady conversation with +Tom and Rawlins, and, much to their surprise, the sounds of their +friends’ voices continued as loud as when they were directly under the +dock. + +“It’s a funny thing,” remarked Frank during a lull in the under-sea +conversation, “I thought they’d get out of range very soon. I never +would have believed that these little fifty-meter waves could carry that +far with only a two-foot grid for an aërial. The water must be a heap +better for waves than the air.” + +Then there was an interval when no sounds came in and Frank was about to +call to Tom when, to his ears, came a suppressed “Wha—wha” followed by a +hoarse “Sssh!” + +Whether Rawlins had intended this for Tom or himself Frank did not know, +but he decided that, for some unknown reason, the diver wished silence +and so wisely refrained from speaking. + +“I would like to know what Mr. Rawlins wanted to be quiet for,” said +Frank, holding his hand over the mouthpiece of his microphone. “But I +suppose there’s some good reason for it.” + +Scarcely had he ceased speaking when he was startled by a sharp +exclamation of surprise from Tom. + +So unexpected was it that Frank responded involuntarily. “What’s that +you said?” he asked, exactly as though Tom had been there in the room. +But there was no audible reply, merely some faint sounds like subdued +whispers, followed by silence. + +“Gee, there’s something mighty funny going on!” exclaimed Frank, +addressing Henry. “Tom said ‘Gosh’ something and then, when I answer he +doesn’t say a thing—just some little sounds like whispers. Say, I _do_ +wonder what they’re up to!” + +“Oh, I expect they’re trying to see if they can talk together without +your hearing them,” suggested Henry. “Probably that’s why Mr. Rawlins +told you to be quiet.” + +“Well, I’m going to find out,” declared Frank. “They’ve no right to keep +us wondering like this.” + +“Hello!” he cried into the microphone. “What on earth’s the matter? I +haven’t heard a word from you two for five minutes. Can you hear me?” + +But instead of Tom’s voice in reply Frank was amazed to hear thick, +guttural words rapidly spoken, and among them he made out only one that +he understood, the name “Oleander.” + +“Henry!” exclaimed Frank, speaking in hushed tones as if he feared being +overheard, “Henry, there’s that fellow talking again—the one you and Mr. +Rawlins heard—talking in Dutch or something!” + +Then the strange voices ceased and very faintly and indistinctly Frank +heard Tom’s voice asking, + +“What does it mean?” + +Frank was puzzled. “What does what mean?” he inquired into the +microphone. But the reply, if Tom made one, was drowned out and confused +by Rawlins’ voice. Frank could not distinguish all the words, but he +knew from the sounds and intonations that Tom and the diver were +discussing some matter between them and he refrained from interrupting. + +Then the voices ceased and Frank called, begging Tom to explain matters, +asking if anything was wrong. But for a moment there was no reply and he +wondered if his voice could be heard. + +Then to his ears came Tom’s familiar “Gosh!” a few unintelligible words +and a shrill whistle, followed by Rawlins’ voice. Part of it Frank could +not catch but as he strained his ears he distinctly heard Rawlins +exclaim: + +“We’re in a dangerous place! Come on. Let me go first!” + +Frank’s face paled. “Jehoshaphat!” he exclaimed to Henry who, realizing +that something mysterious was taking place beneath the river, was +bending close. “Jehoshaphat! They’re in danger! Say, what _can_ it be? +Maybe they’re caught in quicksand or a current or under a boat.” + +Pleadingly, with fright and worry expressed in his tones, Frank begged +Tom to reply, to tell him what was wrong, what the danger was. For a +space he waited anxiously for his chum’s reply and then, at last, it +came. + +“It’s all right,” called Tom. “Don’t worry. Stop talking and just +listen!” + +Frank turned to Henry and disconnected the microphone by throwing off a +switch to make sure that no sound could be sent. + +“I guess they’re all right,” he said. “But I’m worried just the same. +Why should he want me to be quiet and just listen. Oh, I _do_ wish +they’d come back.” + +“There’s those foreign words again,” he announced presently, “and, say—I +didn’t think of it before—there are two talking now.” + +Then followed silence, not a sound, not even a hum or buzz of +interference greeted his ears and anxiously he listened, half fearful +that some awful casualty had happened to Tom and Rawlins out there +somewhere under the turbid waters of the river. + +The moments passed terribly slowly to the two boys and then Frank again +gave a start as he heard Tom ejaculate “Gosh!” followed by some rapid +low-spoken words, only one of which Frank could catch—the word “wreck.” + +“That’s it,” he announced to Henry with a sigh of relief. “They’ve found +a wreck. Gee! perhaps they’ve found treasure.” + +Henry laughed gayly. “Oh, that’s good!” he exclaimed. “Treasure in the +East River! You must think you’re down in the West Indies or somewhere.” + +“Well, I don’t see what’s so awful funny about finding a wreck or +treasure in the East River,” declared Frank petulantly. “Lots of boats +have sunk here and why shouldn’t one of ’em have treasure on it? I don’t +mean millions of dollars worth of gold or jewels of course—like pirates’ +treasure—but there might be a box of money or something.” + +“You’re way off,” replied Henry. “They wouldn’t leave a wreck here for a +week. They’d get it up or blow it up right away. Why, a wreck here would +block the channel. No, sir, you heard ’em wrong.” + +“I did not!” stoutly maintained Frank. “I know Tom said something about +a wreck. I don’t care what you say. How do you know there isn’t some old +wreck out there somewhere? It may have been there for years; how would +any one know?” + +“Why, Mr. Rawlins and Tom aren’t the only divers who ever went down +here,” insisted Henry. “The city and the government and wrecking +companies and contractors have divers going down all the time. I’ve +watched ’em working heaps of times. Father’s a construction engineer and +I know he always has divers at work around New York. Some of ’em would +have found a wreck if it had been there.” + +“Well, anyway we’ll know pretty soon,” said Frank. “They can’t stay down +much longer. They must——” + +With a startled cry his words ended and his scared, pale face told Henry +that something dreadful had happened. Ringing in Frank’s ears, shrill, +filled with deadly terror, the shriek of a boy frightened almost out of +his senses, came Tom’s despairing cry—a wordless, awful scream. + +“What’s the matter?” Frank forced his paralyzed tongue to form the +words. “Tom! Oh, Tom! What’s wrong? Why did you yell?” + +“Help! Send for help!” rang back the answer. “It’s awful”—followed by +words so filled with mortal terror that Frank could make nothing of them +and then—“Get Dad! Get the police!” + +Frank waited to hear no more. Dropping the receivers he leaped across +the room, jerked the receiver from the telephone and frantically called +for Mr. Pauling’s number. But in his fright and terror, his fear for +Tom, his hurried words were a mere jumble to the operator. + +“Can’t hear you,” came the girl’s voice. “What number did you say?” + +Again Frank yelled. “Watkins 6636!” he cried, striving to make his words +clear. + +“Watkins 3666?” inquired the girl, and Frank could almost hear her +masticating gum. + +“No, 6636!” he screamed. “Hurry!” + +The seconds that followed seemed like years to Frank. Across his brain +flashed a thousand fears and he suffered untold agonies as he stood +there, sweat pouring from his face. What if Mr. Pauling should not be in +his office? Suppose the line were busy? What if the girl got the wrong +number? How slow she was! Had she forgotten the call? Would no one +answer? And then, when he was sure he must have waited hours, his heart +gave a great leap, a load seemed lifted from his mind as he heard Mr. +Pauling’s cheery, deep-throated: + +“Hello! Who is it?” + +“It’s Frank!” fairly screamed the boy. “Tom’s in trouble! I don’t know +what—he’s under the river—with Mr. Rawlins. He wants help! Sent for you! +Wants police!” + +Then, when at last Mr. Pauling had succeeded in grasping the message and +in excited tones had shouted, “All right, I’ll be down instantly!” Frank +sank limply to the floor. + +But the next second he was up and at the table by the radio set. + +“Have you heard anything?” he inquired anxiously of Henry, who had taken +up the receivers and had been listening while Frank called Mr. Pauling. + +“Not a word,” replied Henry. + +“Oh, gosh! Oh, I _do_ wish they’d hurry!” exclaimed Frank. “Oh, they’re +terribly slow! And how _will_ they get to him? How do we know where he +is?” + +Slowly the minutes dragged by. Each tick of the cheap clock on the table +seemed to spell Tom’s fate and still no sound came from beneath the +river. Once, Henry thought he caught a word, an exclamation half +suppressed, but he could not be sure. He had called Tom, but no reply +had come. Were the two dead? Had some awful calamity overtaken them at +the bottom of the river? Was this to be the tragic end of all their +experiments? Was Tom’s death the reward for their success? + +Then, from far up the street, came the clamor of a bell, and the screech +of a motor horn sounded from nearer at hand. + +At the same instant Henry uttered a glad, joyous cry. “They’re all +right!” he shouted. “I just heard Rawlins tell Tom to go ahead!” + +With a quick motion, he threw in the switch and at that moment Frank’s +ringing shout of joy filled the room. + +But before Henry could call to Tom, before he could utter a sound, +hurrying, tramping footsteps echoed from the dock, the door burst +inwards with a bang and into the room leaped Mr. Pauling. Beside him was +a heavy-jawed man with drawn pistol and over his shoulder through the +open doorway the boys saw the visored caps and blue coats of police. + +“They’re safe!” yelled Frank, trying to make his voice heard above the +excited, shouted interrogations of Mr. Pauling. “We just heard them.” + +Mr. Pauling leaped towards the open trapdoor, the police crowding at his +heels. Henry dropped his instruments and joined them and all crowded +forward. + +A shadow seemed to hover in the dull water and a slender affair of wire +broke the surface. + +“They’re here!” screamed Frank. + +“Thank God!” echoed Mr. Pauling fervently. + +Hardly had the words of thankfulness left his lips when he uttered a +startled cry, and, throwing himself face downward at the edge of the +trapdoor, plunged his arms into the swirling water. The dim shadowy form +of the diver whose helmet had just appeared, had swayed to one side; his +hands, clutching the upper rungs of the ladder, had loosened their +grasp, his arms had wavered and had taken a feeble stroke as if trying +to swim and from the receiver on the table had issued a despairing cry, +a choking, gurgling groan, ending in a gasp. + +Whether the swaying, half-floating form was Tom or Rawlins, Mr. Pauling +could not know, for in the suits identity was lost, but trained as he +was through long years in a service where to act instinctively meant +life or death, he instantly dropped to the floor and clutched at the dim +figure beneath. Had he delayed for the fraction of a second he would +have been too late, but, as it was, his fingers closed on one of the +diver’s wrists. The next instant he had grasped the other arm and a +moment later, with Henderson’s aid, he had dragged the dripping, limp +form onto the dock and the two men were cutting the suit and helmet from +the unconscious form. But they already knew it was Tom. The boy’s limbs +projecting from the short tunic had proved this and Mr. Pauling’s face +was white and strained as they dragged the khaki-colored garment and the +helmet from his son. + +“Thank Heaven Rawlins fixed those suits so he could not breathe flames!” +exclaimed Mr. Henderson, as the helmet was drawn from Tom’s head. “He’s +breathing, Pauling!” + +As he spoke, there was a disturbance at the door and the police stood +aside as an ambulance surgeon pushed his way hurriedly into the room. He +bent over Tom in silence for an instant and then he glanced up and Mr. +Pauling read good news in his eyes. + +“Don’t worry!” he exclaimed. “He’s not hurt. Hasn’t breathed any water. +Just in a faint, I think. He’ll be around in a moment. Hello! Here’s +another!” + +While he had been speaking, another helmeted form had appeared, dragging +a limp figure, and, holding to the latter’s legs still another diver was +climbing up the ladder. + +“What the dickens!” exclaimed Mr. Henderson glancing up. “Who the devil +are these? Two divers go down and four come up!” + +Dropping the apparently lifeless diver on the floor Rawlins dragged off +his helmet, glanced about in a puzzled way and then, without waiting to +ask questions exclaimed, “Here, Doctor! Quick! Get at this chap!” + +At his words, the doctor and his assistant sprang to the side of the +form on the floor and rapidly stripped off his helmet and, as the man’s +face was exposed, even the hardened surgeons could not restrain a gasp +of horror and amazement. The face was horrible to look upon. It was +scorched, seared, blackened, the eyebrows burned off, the eyelids +hanging in shreds, the sightless eyes staring white and opaque like +those of a boiled fish. Rawlins gave a single glance at him. + +“Oh, Lord!” he ejaculated. “He’s done for! He’s had flames from the +chemicals in his helmet! Poor devil, he _must_ have suffered!” + +Then, turning to Mr. Henderson, he exclaimed. + +“Better get the suit off this other chap. Don’t know who he is, but he’s +something rotten! Guess it’s a good thing the police are here.” + +As Mr. Henderson and Rawlins stepped towards the man who still wore his +suit, the fellow raised an arm and leaped, or tried to leap, away, quite +forgetting the heavy, lead-soled boots he wore. The result was that he +tripped and fell heavily and, before Rawlins or Henderson could reach +him, he was twisting and rolling towards the gaping trapdoor. An instant +more and he would have been in the water, but just as he reached the +edge of the opening, Frank, who with Henry had been staring open-mouthed +and dumbfounded at the surprising and incomprehensible events taking +place so rapidly before them, sprang forward and slammed shut the door +which, in falling, pinned the fellow’s legs beneath it. Then, as if +fearing the man might wriggle free, the excited boy jumped upon the +heavy planks. But there was no fight or attempt to escape left in the +fellow and, as several policemen rushed forward and seized him, he +submitted without the least resistance and a moment later had been +stripped of his suit. + +Once more it was Mr. Henderson’s turn to be amazed, for, as he caught +sight of the man’s face, as he saw the closely-cropped, bullet-shaped +head, the tiny, close-set piggish eyes and the big loose-lipped mouth he +could scarcely believe his eyes and uttered a sharp exclamation of +wonder. + +“Put the bracelets on him and don’t give him a chance!” he ordered the +police and, as the shining irons snapped with a click about the man’s +wrists and the officers led him to one side, the small piglike eyes +glared at Mr. Henderson with such mingled hatred, brutality and ferocity +that the boys shivered. + +Rawlins was now bending above Tom beside Mr. Pauling and when, a moment +later, the boy took a long, deep breath and his eyes fluttered open, the +anxious, strained expression upon the diver’s face vanished. + +“I’ll say he’s a good sport!” he ejaculated. “Poor kid! Don’t wonder he +went clean off! And he saved my life too—with his under-sea radio at +that!” + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +ASTOUNDING DISCOVERIES + + +Perhaps it may seem as if the boys had met with success too easily and +had accomplished far more in a short time than would be possible. But as +a matter of fact they had encountered innumerable difficulties, had made +numbers of mistakes, had been faced with failure or negative results +time after time and would have given up in despair had it not been for +the encouragement of Mr. Pauling and Mr. Henderson and the never-ceasing +optimism of Rawlins. Indeed, Rawlins had done fully as much to make the +under-sea radio a success as had the boys. + +Although he did not or could not become an adept at radio and insisted +that it was all Greek to him, yet he was a born inventor and a +mechanical genius. He had been diving since he was a mere boy, his +father and grandfather had made deep-sea diving their profession, and he +felt as much at home under water as on land. Hence, to him, there was +nothing mysterious or baffling about the depths and he could see no +valid reason why anything that could be accomplished on shore should not +be accomplished equally well under water. He had distinguished himself +by devising a submarine apparatus for taking motion pictures at the +bottom of the sea and it was while engaged in making a sub-sea film that +he had invented and perfected his remarkable self-contained diving suit. +To him, with his experience, the shortcomings of the suit—the danger of +the chemicals flaming up if they came in contact with water—were of no +moment, for, as he had explained to the boys, he automatically shut the +valve if for any reason he removed his lips from the breathing tube, the +action being as natural and unconscious as holding one’s breath when +swimming under water. + +But he at once realized that if the suits were to become a commercial or +practical thing, or if the under-sea radio was to be used, it would be +necessary to make the apparatus absolutely safe and fool proof. He +therefore set to work at once to devise an entirely new system and +absolutely refused to allow the boys to don suits and go down until he +had thoroughly tested out and proved the new equipment. It was not an +easy matter, but in the end he succeeded, and, risking his own life in +the experiment, he gave the safety suit a most severe tryout. It +fulfilled his greatest expectations and feeling sure that no matter how +careless or inexperienced the wearer might be there could be no +accident, as far as the suit and oxygen generator were concerned, he was +satisfied. + +He freely expressed his satisfaction and his indebtedness to the boys, +insisting that if it had not been for them and their radio he never +would have improved the suit and made it practical for any one to use +without danger. In addition, there were innumerable other changes and +alterations which had to be made to adapt the suits to radio work, and +so, by the time the boys were ready to make their tests, they were using +suits which bore but little resemblance to those Rawlins had first shown +them. + +Upon the helmets were the odd grids of wire at right angles like some +great crown; the compressed air receptacles containing the sending sets +were attached to the shoulders like old-fashioned knapsacks, and the +front of the helmet resembled some grotesque monster’s head with the +protuberance which contained the compact little receiving set like a +huge goiter. Indeed, as Henry had remarked when he first saw Rawlins +appearing dripping from the river, they looked like weird and fearful +sea monsters. So, if the reader imagines that the boys and Rawlins had +had an easy time or that their success was of the phenomenal kind which +occurs only in fiction, he is greatly mistaken and the impression is due +wholly to the fact that their failures and troubles have not been +chronicled. + +And now, having explained this, let us return to the boys when, their +sub-sea sending set complete, the test was about to take place. As Tom +sank beneath the water and slowly descended the ladder he was more +excited and thrilled than ever before, for he was about to try an +experiment which, if successful, would mark a new era in radio telephony +and he was keyed up to a high pitch when at last he dropped from the +final rung of the ladder and settled, half-floating like some big, +ungainly fish upon the river bottom. Through the half opaque green water +he could see the irregular, grotesquely distorted and hazy form of +Rawlins appearing gigantic and phantomlike. He might have been fifteen +or fifty feet away, for despite the fact that Tom had been down several +times he could never accustom himself to the deceptive effects of +distance under water and when he stretched his hand towards the +indistinct figure he gave an involuntary start when he found Rawlins +within arm’s length. As his hand touched the clammy rubber surface he +uttered an exclamation of surprise and the next instant gave a joyful +yell, for at his ejaculation he had heard Rawlins’ voice in his ears +asking, “What’s wrong?” + +“For heaven’s sake, don’t yell so!” came Rawlins’ words in response to +Tom’s, “Hurrah, it’s working!” + +“I’ll tell the world it’s working!” continued the diver, “but don’t +shout. I’m talking in my lowest tones. Here, how do you like this?” + +Tom’s ears were almost split as a thunderous bellow filled his helmet, +and involuntarily he clapped his hands to the outside of his helmet over +his ears. + +“That’s a lesson,” he said in his lowest tones. “Sorry I didn’t know, +Mr. Rawlins. It won’t happen again. I guess these helmets act like +sounding boards or something. Hello, there’s Frank’s voice.” + +Clear and distinct they could hear Frank asking if there was trouble and +Tom barely checked another outburst as he realized that the boys on +shore could talk with them and could hear what was going on under the +water. + +“We can hear everything you say,” went on Frank’s voice. “Can you hear +us and each other?” + +“Gee, you bet we can!” replied Tom. “Isn’t this just great?” + +“Say, are you whispering?” inquired Frank. “I can hardly hear your +voice.” + +“No, but don’t shout so,” answered Tom. “Down here everything just +roars. We have to talk low or we’ll deafen each other. I’ll bet we don’t +need head phones on our ears under water.” + +“Henry’s going to talk with you,” Frank announced, “he’s just crazy to +try.” + +For the next half hour the boys talked back and forth between the +workshop and the bottom of the river and then Rawlins and Tom ascended +the ladder and removed their suits. + +For fully five minutes, the boys pranced, danced, hurrahed, yelled, +laughed and made such a racket celebrating their success that it was a +wonder the river police did not break in thinking a horde of Indians had +taken possession of the dock. And if the truth must be told, Rawlins was +just about as excited and acted as crazily as the youngsters. + +But at last they calmed down and Frank, mad to go down, donned Tom’s +suit. + +“Try it without the phones,” Tom advised him. “Then you can talk loudly +enough to be heard up here without deafening Mr. Rawlins.” + +To Tom, listening at the set on the dock, it seemed little short of +uncanny to hear Rawlins and Frank talking from under the water, and +indeed, it impressed him as even more remarkable than hearing those on +shore when he was below the surface. + +Both Rawlins and Frank assured him that the sets worked far better +without the receivers on their heads, and even when Frank spoke in his +loudest tones Rawlins replied that it did not deafen him as before. + +“Now let’s try tuning, Frank,” said Tom. “I’m going to vary my wave +length and see if you can pick it up. Then change yours and I’ll see if +I can get you.” + +As Tom spoke, he altered the sending waves slightly and breathlessly +waited. Presently Frank’s voice came in. + +“Got it!” he exclaimed. “Had a bit of trouble at first, but it’s all +right now. Now see if you can get this.” + +As he spoke his words ended in a high, shrill squeal, but an instant +later, as Tom turned the knob on his tuner, the words suddenly returned +in a most startling way, the squeal seeming to change magically into +words. + +“Hurrah, I got it!” cried Tom jubilantly. “Come on up, Frank, Henry +wants a chance.” + +“You’ve certainly struck a wonderful thing here,” declared Rawlins, when +he and Henry came up and had removed their suits. “How far do you +suppose it will work?” + +“That’s something we’ll have to find out,” replied Tom. “But the sounds +come so loudly I’ll bet it’s good for a long distance. Somehow or other +we get sound a lot louder inside a helmet than outside. I don’t just get +the reason, but I expect it’s either because the whole air vibrates to +the diaphragm of the receivers inside the helmet and no sound waves are +lost or else because the helmet itself acts like a sounding board or +maybe there are some sort of amplified waves set up.” + +“I guess it’s the air being inclosed,” said Rawlins. “When I used to +wear a regular suit and used an ordinary phone under water it was the +same way, but I never thought of it in connection with radio. The whole +thing gets me, there’s millions in this if we can patent it. Let’s go +down once more and give her a real tryout. We’ll take a hike down river +a few hundred yards and see if the boys get us. If they don’t we’ll come +back and keep trying and if they do we’ll go on down as far as we can. +Then, if we find it’s O. K. we’ll try to get your folks to let you go +down to Nassau and we’ll show the world, I’ll bet.” + +“That’s a good idea,” agreed Tom. “You keep listening and now and then +talking, Frank, and as soon as we lose your voice we’ll send and then +walk back until we get you again. That way we can find if we can hear +farther than you can or whether it’s the other way about.” + +Donning their suits, Tom and Rawlins once more descended the ladder and +half-floating, half-walking turned downstream. Rawlins had already +cautioned Tom to keep close to his side and to hold to his hand, for, +with the mud stirred up by their feet and carried by the current with +them, it was impossible to see more than a few feet and Rawlins knew the +danger that lay in becoming separated. + +Even with the radio connecting them with the boys on the surface Tom +might easily get confused and hopelessly lost if he strayed or was +carried from sight of Rawlins and while Tom knew that, by turning on +more oxygen, he could bob to the surface, yet danger lurked in this as +he might emerge in the path of some steamer or motor boat and be run +down or torn to pieces with the propellers. As long as they kept close +to shore, following the docks and piers, there was no danger, for the +only vessels in the vicinity were canal boats and barges which were not +in use, the piers for several hundred yards having been used merely for +storage and as warehouses for some time. Moreover, by keeping under the +docks they were perfectly safe and Rawlins had no intention of going out +into the channel with its swift currents and constantly passing tugs, +ferryboats and small craft. So, half feeling his way and moving by the +diver’s intuitive sixth sense of direction and holding to Tom’s hand, +Rawlins moved slowly down the river. + +Frank’s words were constantly in their ears and now and then they +replied, and somehow to Tom there was a most remarkable sensation of +making no progress whatsoever. There was nothing visible by which to +gauge their motion and, as the voice through the set continued to sound +exactly the same and did not grow fainter with distance, he seemed to be +standing still, although exerting himself and constantly stepping or +rather pushing himself forward. He was so intent on this and so +interested in the novel experience that he scarcely realized that +Frank’s voice had suddenly grown faint and was interrupted by an odd +buzzing sound which instantly brought back the memory of the sounds they +had heard when listening to the mysterious speaker with their loop +aërials. He was just about to speak and ask Frank if he could hear when +he felt Rawlins jerk his arm. He floundered forward and the next instant +was dragged between the spiles of a dock where the water was dark with +shadows. + +“What,—what—” he began, but instantly checked his words as a low “Ssh!” +from Rawlins reached his ears. Not knowing what had happened or why +Rawlins had suddenly acted in this strange manner, confused and +bewildered, Tom peered about through the murky water. At first he saw +nothing save the surrounding spiles, seeming to move and sway in dim, +shadowy forms—the bottom of a canal boat with yard-long streamers of sea +weeds waving from its barnacle-encrusted planks; a piece of trailing, +rusty cable; a few rotting, water-soaked timbers protruding from the +mud; and a shapeless mass which might have been almost any piece of +jetsam cast into the river. Then like phantom shapes, so indistinct, +hazy and formless that he was not sure they were not shadows in the +water, he saw two figures—two moving things that, for a brief instant, +he thought must be huge, dull-green fish nosing about the mud. And then, +as he gazed fixedly at them from between the spiles, a strange +unreasoning fear clutched at his heart and he felt an odd, prickly +sensation on his scalp and at the back of his neck, for the moving, +sinister, unnatural things were approaching, moving noiselessly, slowly, +but certainly towards him as though they had scented his presence and +were bent on hunting him out. + +What were they? What strange, unknown, impossible sea monsters were +these? He was frightened, shaking, and in his terror had forgotten +completely about the radio outfit. Glad, indeed, was Tom that Rawlins +was beside him, that the diver was armed—for Rawlins, he knew, never +went down without a hatchet in his belt ready for use in case of an +emergency such as fouling a rope or timber. But why didn’t Rawlins +speak? Why had he ordered him to be silent? The sea monsters could not +hear; what was the reason? + +And then, so suddenly that it came as a shock, he realized that the +approaching forms, the grotesque shapes, were no sea creatures, no +gigantic savage fish, but men! Men in diving suits much like their own. +Men walking in the odd, half-sprawling, half-floating, forward-leaning +posture he knew so well. But great as was Tom’s relief at this discovery +his wonderment was doubly increased. Who were they and what were they +doing here? Why had Rawlins drawn him into hiding? What did it all mean? +Then, just as he was about to disregard Rawlins’ whispered orders and +ask, the two figures disappeared. Without reason, without warning, they +vanished from sight as if by magic. + +So dumbfounded was Tom that involuntarily he uttered an ejaculation of +surprise and fairly jumped when, faint but clear, he heard Frank ask, +“What’s that you said?” + +But before he could reply, Rawlins was speaking. “Come on!” he +whispered, his voice being as low as if he feared the others might hear +and, quite forgetting that he was under water, cut off from all +conversation with other human beings save the boys. “Come on, I don’t +know who they are, but there’s something funny. They’ve got suits like +mine and the Lord knows who they are or how they got ’em. I’m going to +find out where they went.” + +Slipping between the spiles with their slimy, weed-grown surfaces, +Rawlins, holding to Tom’s hand, struggled forward into the lighter +water. Beside them rose a dark wall of masonry and reaching this Rawlins +proceeded to feel his way along it. Before they had traveled ten feet +the diver uttered a sharp ejaculation. Beside them in the wall, loomed a +huge, black hole, the mouth of a great sewer. + +“They went in here,” whispered Rawlins. “Come on!” + +A moment later they were in utter blackness, feeling their way forward +along the walls. + +And now, very thin and faint, Tom heard Frank’s voice again. “What on +earth’s the matter?” he asked. “I haven’t heard a word from you two for +five minutes. Can you hear me?” + +Tom was about to answer for they were evidently at nearly the limit of +receiving range and his mouth opened, his lips formed the words of his +reply, but no sound issued from them. Clear, loud and harsh, guttural +words rang in Tom’s ears. This was not Frank’s voice nor Henry’s; the +words were not even English. Amazed and uncomprehending Tom was +speechless and then, among the incomprehensible foreign syllables, came +a word he recognized, the one word “Oleander!” + +Instantly he knew that by some strange freak, by some mystifying +coincidence he was again hearing that unknown man to whom he had so +often listened. It seemed strange, weird, uncanny to have it coming to +his ears here in the old disused sewer, but after all, he reflected, why +not? Rawlins had heard it once before, there was nothing remarkable +about it and he was on the point of asking his companion if he had heard +and of trying to tell Frank, when once more his words were stayed. +Before him the stygian darkness suddenly grew light, a brilliant beam +stabbed down from overhead and through the strangely illuminated water +Tom saw the two men in diving suits standing beneath a square opening +down which a ladder was being thrust. But why, he vaguely wondered, was +the water so transparent? How was it that he could now see clearly for +many yards? And then, with a start, it dawned upon him that he was not +looking through water, that there was nothing between him and the trap +save air. He was standing with head and shoulders out of water. + +And now the gruff, guttural words were once more beating in his ears and +the next instant he saw the strange divers seize a dangling rope, tipped +with a great iron hook, dip it under the water and then, as the hook +again ascended, he saw a dripping, cigar-shaped object like a torpedo +slowly rise from the water and disappear in the opening above. Close +behind it the two divers followed up the ladder, the ladder was drawn +up, the light snapped out and the next instant Tom and Rawlins were once +more in absolute darkness. + +“What does it all mean?” exclaimed Tom, finding his voice at last. + +“What does what—” commenced Frank’s voice, only to be overwhelmed and +drowned out by Rawlins’ louder words. + +“Search me!” replied the latter. “Something rotten going on here. Don’t +know what, but I intend to find out. Did you hear them talking?” + +“Hear them?” replied Tom not understanding. “Of course not. But I heard +that same chap you heard the other day—talking Dutch or something.” + +“That was them!” announced Rawlins decidedly. “Tom, they’ve got +under-sea radio, too. It’s those chaps we’ve been hearing, I’m beginning +to get it. That word Oleander. That’s a password—a countersign. Just as +soon as they spoke it the door opened. There’s some deep mystery here. +What the deuce that torpedolike affair was I don’t know. Perhaps they’re +trying to blow up some building. This sewer is under a busy part of the +city. Hear those trucks and surface cars overhead?” + +Absolutely dumbfounded, heedless of Frank’s insistent but weak voice in +his ears, striving to grasp all this astounding statement of Rawlins’, +Tom stood speechless for a moment. And then an idea flashed through his +mind. + +“Gosh!” he exclaimed. “Say, Mr. Rawlins, they’ll find us. If they’ve got +radio they can hear us too! Say, perhaps they’re listening to us now. +Come on, let’s get out of here.” + +Rawlins’ surprised whistle came shrilly to Tom’s ears. + +“You’re right!” replied the diver. “We’re in a dangerous place. Come on. +Let me go first.” + +Crowding past Tom, Rawlins hurried as fast as the constantly deepening +water and the darkness would permit and presently, though to Tom it +seemed hours, a lighter space appeared ahead and a few moments later +they once more were standing at the bottom of the river. + +They had turned to retrace their steps towards their own dock and were +following along the old wall when once more they were halted in their +tracks. Again to their ears, borne to them by the radio waves, came the +harsh foreign words. + +So close did the words sound in their ears that instinctively, without +stopping to think that the speakers might be hundreds of feet or even +yards distant, the two crouched back in a recess of the masonry, +flattening themselves against the slime-covered, weed-draped stones and +gazing apprehensively towards the spot where the old sewer pierced the +wall. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +THE BATTLE BENEATH THE RIVER + + +As they crouched there, Frank’s voice was taking on a frightened tone +and Tom could now hear it much more plainly. But Tom’s mind was filled +with the danger of being discovered and he scarcely dared reply, for +somehow, although there was no foundation for his fears, he was filled +with a terrible dread of these under-sea workers, these unknown +mysterious divers who had lifted the ominous-looking metal cylinder +through the trapdoor in the disused sewer. That, even if they heard him +and his friends, they could not trail them or locate them under water +never occurred to him. In fact, he had quite forgotten that he and +Rawlins were under water or were as invisible to others a few yards away +as other objects were to them. He felt as though he could be as easily +seen as if on land, and that, if he spoke, his words would at once +betray his whereabouts. But he also realized that Frank’s voice could be +heard by others as well as by himself and so, steeling himself to the +effort, he called back, “It’s all right. Don’t worry. Stop talking and +listen.” + +Instantly, Frank’s voice ceased and Tom drew a breath of relief and then +he gulped and pressed close to Rawlins, for before him in the water, as +if attracted by the sounds of his voice, the two dim forms of the +strange divers once more appeared. For a space they remained motionless +as though listening and perspiration broke out on Tom’s forehead and +chills ran up and down his spine as he heard distinctly the sounds of +low-toned words in the same guttural tongue, and he was certain, +positive, that his voice had been heard, that the others were striving +to locate him, and that at any moment Frank or Henry might become +curious or impatient and speak. In his terrified mind he could picture +those big, sickly green, distorted beings creeping towards him, their +wide-flung arms waving uncertainly like the tentacles of a huge octopus +as they lurched forward; he could imagine the fixed, expressionless +stare of those great goggle-eyed glasses in the squat neckless helmets +and, as the current caused light and shadow to waver and change, the +figures seemed actually moving towards his hiding place. + +It was terrible; he no longer thought of them as fellow men, no longer +looked upon them as human beings; his fears had transformed them to +submarine monsters, weird, uncanny, intelligent but bloodthirsty +creatures, and so great was the tension, so fearful the vision conjured +up by his overwrought imagination that he would have screamed had his +mouth not been parched and dry and incapable of uttering a sound. It was +like a nightmare, a dream in which one is powerless to move or to cry +out; where one cannot compel muscles or mind to function; where one +feels that it cannot be real, cannot be possible and yet is filled with +sweating, blood-curdling terror that it is. And then, after what seemed +hours of torture, but was barely ten seconds from the time the men had +emerged from the sewer, their voices ceased and to Tom’s inexpressible +relief they appeared to fade into the murky green water. They were +moving away, soundlessly, mysteriously, without visible effort, and Tom +noticed with his fright-filled eyes that above them was poised an +indistinct, cigar-shaped object, the same torpedolike affair he had seen +lifted from the sewer, and he realized that somehow, by some means, the +men were dragging this along with them into the dim, green distance. + +He was aroused by Rawlins’ whisper and a touch on his arm. + +“I’m going to follow,” were the barely audible words. “No danger. Must +see where they go. Come on.” + +Recovering from his fright, now that the divers were retreating, and +rather reassured by the sound of his companion’s voice and words Tom +moved forward from the wall but still grasping Rawlins’ hand. + +They could not see the figures before them, for the muck stirred up by +the others’ passage concealed them as effectually as a smoke screen, but +it also served to betray their whereabouts and to conceal Tom and +Rawlins as well. For some distance—several hundred yards Tom +thought—they moved along, following close to the wall that bounded the +shore and ever with the slowly drifting column of muddy water to guide +them. + +Once or twice the murk seemed to drift away, and each time Rawlins +instantly halted, waiting to see if those they were trailing had come to +a stop, but each time the mud again rose before them and they resumed +their way. + +Tom had no idea of the distance or direction they had traveled. The +effort he made to walk was his only guide and he knew that the same +effort, the same number of steps on land, would have carried him a long +way, but he also knew that under water his progress was snail-like, that +a step might carry one a few inches or several feet or not at all, +depending upon the current, and he wondered vaguely if Rawlins knew his +way, if he could find his way back, or if he intended to bob to the +surface to get his bearings when he finally decided to return to the +dock. And Tom smiled to himself as he pictured the looks of surprise, +the screams of fright which would greet their unexpected and sudden +appearance if Rawlins did this and they should bob up beside some +crowded recreation pier or ferry ship. But Rawlins had halted again. + +Before them now the mud was thinning out, the water was being swept +clear of silt and Rawlins drew Tom beside him behind a huge block of +stone which had been dumped at the base of the wall. Slowly and +gradually the water cleared. It was evident that those they were +following were no longer stirring up the mud and so must have come to a +stop and, as the sediment drifted off and the dim green light filtered +through the water, Tom peered into the vast illimitable void. It was +like looking through thick green glass or like glass made half-opaque by +one’s breath upon it and for a time Tom could see nothing. Then, as the +water became still clearer, he saw the faint outlines of timbers and +spiles and a dark object looming ominously, like a cloud, which he +recognized as the bottom of some vessel. Against the lighter water over +his head, a shadow passed and the greenness quivered and wavered and he +knew a small boat was being rowed above them; but no sign could he see +of those they had been following. + +Then Tom noticed something else, something that rose above the dark +bottom of the river as a darker mass, something that resembled a great +bank of mud or a reef of rock. Irregular in outline, dark green as seen +through the water, unlike anything he had ever seen, yet somehow it had +a vaguely familiar look; it did not seem quite like mud or rock of any +natural formation, but rather like some sort of boat. Yes, that was +it—like the hull of a boat—it reminded him of a picture of a sunken +wreck. Perhaps it was. Yes, now that the thought had entered his head, +he could see that it was a wreck; he could make out the stump of a mast, +the remains of deck houses, something like portions of rails. But what +was it doing here? Why should a sunken hulk be lying in the East River? +Of course it was out of the channel, it was lying partly beneath a dock +or pier and Tom noticed that the spiles of the pier sagged and that +several were broken off under water. Evidently the pier was an old one, +perhaps disused, and maybe the old hulk had been sunk during some fire +which had destroyed the pier at the same time. + +All these thoughts flashed through Tom’s mind as he peered into the dim +greenness and then all were wiped from his brain as he caught a glimpse +of the two divers moving from among the spiles. Tom was as much at sea +as ever as to the distances under water. He could not tell whether the +wreck was fifty or five hundred feet away. He was not at all sure that, +if he reached out, he could not touch the old hulk or even the moving +forms. The next moment the two had reached the side of the wreck and +then, to Tom’s amazement, they seemed to disappear within it, to step +through the sides as though it were only a shadow in the water. + +“Gosh,” he ejaculated unconsciously, “they went into that wreck!” + +“Wreck!” came Rawlins’ whispered words. “Wreck! That’s no wreck. That’s +a submarine. That’s their hangout!” + +So absolutely thunderstruck was Tom at Rawlins’ words that he could not +even reply. But now he saw that what he had mistaken for a waterlogged +sunken hulk was indeed an under-sea boat, a submarine and a big one. He +had never seen a submarine except from above water before. He had no +idea how such a craft would appear under water. He did not realize that +the narrow deck almost awash, the tiny superstructure and conning tower +which are all the landsman sees are but a very small portion of a +submarine’s whole; that out of sight, and never exposed above the +surface of the sea, is a big boat-shaped hull with rudders and +propellers; that the cigar-shaped Jules Verne type of submersible so +familiar in fiction is not a thing of fact; and that the modern +submarine if seen under water might easily be mistaken for an ordinary +vessel’s hull. + +It was not at all surprising therefore that Tom had mistaken the +submerged craft for the hulk of a steamer or ship, for submarines were +the last thing in his mind and no one would have dreamed of seeing one +here beneath the surface of the East River. + +Now, however, Tom could see that what he had mistaken for the stump of a +mast was the conning tower; what he had thought were shattered deck +houses and rails were the superstructure; and he could now even make out +the lateral horizontal rudders and the vertical rudder and screws. + +But this made the mystery still greater. It was even more wonderful to +find a submarine here than a sunken vessel. Of course, Tom knew there +were plenty of the navy’s submarines forever knocking about, and for an +instant it occurred to him that it was one of these engaged in making +some test and that the divers whom they had seen were members of the +boat’s crew. + +Then instantly he remembered the men had spoken in a foreign tongue, +that they had carried a mysterious object to the trapdoor in the sewer, +and that they had taken the same or a duplicate object from the sewer. + +It was all inexplicable, puzzling, unfathomable. + +Rawlins’ voice recalled him to the present. + +“They’ve gone,” said the diver. “I want to find out who and what she is. +You stay here. I’ll be away only a moment.” + +As he spoke, he released Tom’s hand and with a final caution for the boy +not to follow or move away, Rawlins floundered towards the submarine. + +Interestedly Tom watched him. He noticed that Rawlins did not stir up +the mud and then, for the first time, he discovered that the bottom was +hard and sandy. Somehow all sense of fear and danger had left him. How +foolish he had been, to be sure! No doubt, he thought to himself, it was +the unexpected appearance of the men and their grotesque forms which had +aroused his imagination. There was Rawlins, still moving away and +looking as terrible and awesome as had the others—even more so, if +anything, with his proboscis-like helmet topped by its grid and the +container on his shoulders giving him the appearance of being +humpbacked. + +He wondered how far the submarine was from where he stood. Rawlins now +seemed close to it and yet he could not possibly tell whether his friend +was really near to the craft or not. It was all most interesting, most +baffling and most unreal and dreamlike. He wondered what Frank and Henry +would think of his long silence. He wondered if they could hear him or +he could hear them. Surely there would be no danger in speaking now. +Even if those in the submarine heard him they could not tell whether it +was some one under or above the water who was speaking. Why hadn’t he +thought of that before? There never _had_ been any danger. Of course, if +these men had under-sea radio they must hear messages from those on land +as well as the boys. + +In that case they would never have had suspicions if they had overheard +the boys’ conversation. They would never dream that others possessed the +apparatus and would have assumed that the speakers were on shore. There +was no danger; he was sure of it, and he was about to call to Frank when +his attention was arrested by Rawlins’ actions. + +Tom had been idly watching him and had seen him reach the submarine. He +had seen Rawlins moving around the craft, evidently examining it, and he +had lost sight of him as Rawlins had slipped around the blunt bow. But +now Rawlins suddenly appeared, backing into view, waving his arms to +maintain his balance and floundering. And he held something in one hand, +something that he waved menacingly above his head, some object that +glittered even in the dull, subdued, green light. + +For the space of a second, Tom was puzzled and then he knew. It was +Rawlins’ hatchet! Something or some one was attacking him and scarcely +had this knowledge flashed through Tom’s mind when, from behind the +submarine, the two figures appeared, clutching arms pawing at the water +as if swimming, bodies bent far forward, their every attitude, every +motion betokening speed, speaking of straining efforts to come within +reach of Rawlins, despite his threatening, keen-edged hatchet. + +Wildly excited, filled with deadly fear, terrorized at Rawlins’ plight +as was Tom, yet through his mind ran the thought, the subconscious +feeling, that it was all unreal—a dream or a delusion. It was +unspeakably and inexpressibly uncanny to see the three men evidently +exerting every effort and yet moving so silently and slowly, seeming to +float like weightless bodies in some semi-transparent, green medium. It +reminded Tom of a slow motion picture—one of the films where a man or a +horse, leaping a hurdle, appears to float lightly as a bit of +thistledown through the air—and watching, the boy was fascinated. But +only for the briefest moment. + +Scarcely had the three come within Tom’s view when Rawlins stumbled over +an upjutting stub of spiling, the hatchet flew from his hand and before +he could half rise the others were upon him. + +At this, the spell was broken. Tom screamed aloud and the next instant, +like a voice from another sphere, he heard Frank speaking. + +“What is the matter, Tom? What’s wrong?” came in troubled, worried +tones. “Why _did_ you yell?” + +Here then was help. They were still within reach of those ashore and in +terse, excited, fear-wrung tones Tom answered. + +“Help! Send for help!” he yelled, entirely forgetting that no one knew +where he was or where to send help even if help could have reached them +there under the river. + +“It’s awful!” he continued. “Two men—divers—from a submarine—fighting +with Mr. Rawlins! They’re attacking him—struggling with him! Get Dad, +get the police!” + +Then, faint and as from a vast distance, he heard Frank’s voice calling +excitedly for Mr. Pauling’s telephone number. He knew his chum was +summoning aid and he sat rigid, watching with staring eyes the struggle +taking place beneath the river. Rawlins had arisen; by a tremendous +effort he had flung aside one man, but the other was grappling with him, +fighting desperately, and as Tom saw something flash in the water above +the struggling men’s heads he realized that the stranger held a knife. + +Now they had drawn closer, they were some distance from the submarine +and the very instant Tom noticed this a wild cry of alarm rang in his +ears. + +At the sound, Tom saw one man start to plunge towards the under-sea +boat, and to the boy’s astonishment he saw that the craft was moving and +was slipping rapidly from its resting place. Although the man struggled +desperately to reach it he might as well have stood still, for scarcely +did Tom realize that the submarine was under way ere it was a mere +shadow and a second later had faded into the murky green. + +And now Tom saw that Rawlins was the aggressor, the man who had been +chasing the submarine was swaying drunkenly, whirling in a half-circle, +his arms waving helplessly, while his companion had broken away from +Rawlins and was standing, with hands upraised, and backing slowly away +from the latter who leaned towards him with the other’s knife in his +hand. + +“Kamarad!” Tom heard in thick tones. “Kamarad!” and the boy’s heart +jumped as he heard the words of surrender, the words which had become so +familiar to thousands of men in the trenches, and Tom, with a shock of +surprise, realized that the divers were Germans. + +Now he could hear Rawlins’ words, spoken as if to himself or as if he +thought the others could hear. + +“Yes, you dirty skunk!” Tom caught. “I’ll tell the world you’ll +surrender. All right, right about face and forward march and no nonsense +or I’ll puncture that suit and your hide under it.” + +And then Tom’s brain had another sudden jolt. Of course the German could +hear. Of course Rawlins had heard his cry of surrender. What a dolt he +had been! They had radio sets, they could hear everything that was said +as readily as he could. That was why they had given up the fight, yes +that was it, that was why the submarine had cleared out. They had heard +his cry for help, had heard him tell Frank to summon police. How could +they know that their whereabouts was not known, that it was mere chance +that he and Rawlins had stumbled upon them? No doubt they imagined they +had been watched, trailed and surrounded and the submarine, rather than +run the risk of being captured, had deserted the two men at the first +sound of alarm being given. It was all clear to Tom now. The battle was +over. Rawlins was victorious, the men were his prisoners. Now Rawlins +was speaking again and Tom saw that the second man was being +half-dragged along by his fellow. But Rawlins’ words aroused Tom to +instant activity. + +“Are you all right, Tom?” asked Rawlins. “Come over here. We need a +hand. This chap’s hurt somehow. Can’t get an answer out of him. Short +circuited or something. We’ve got to get him out somehow.” + +Lunging forward, Tom bumped into Rawlins before he had taken six steps +and gave a startled exclamation. Was it possible the fight had taken +place so close? But he had no time to think on this matter. The second +man was helpless, dead, as far as appearances went, and Rawlins, +stooping quickly, cut the lead-soled boots from his feet. + +Thus relieved of the weights, the body partly floated and with Tom +holding to one arm and the captured man grasping the other, while +Rawlins kept a hand on Tom and directed the way, the strange under-sea +procession floundered through the water, along the wall, past the black +sewer mouth and towards Rawlins’ dock. + +And now Tom again heard Frank’s voice. + +“Where are you?” it asked. “Your father’s coming. How can they find you? +Are you all right?” + +“Everything’s all right,” answered Tom. “We’re coming back. Be there +soon!” + +Hardly a minute later, Tom saw the familiar piers near their own dock. +He had thought they had wandered far, but they had not been two hundred +yards distant at any time. A moment later, they reached the foot of the +ladder. + +Telling Tom to go up, Rawlins half lifted the unconscious man and with a +gruff warning to his fellow started to mount the rungs. Evidently the +words were heard by the anxious, waiting boys above, for Tom heard +Frank’s shout of joy and he called back as he drew himself towards the +open trap. + +But before his head emerged from the water, a crash like thunder sounded +in his ears, there was a sound of tramping, hurrying footsteps, shouts +and cries and Tom’s brain reeled. What was happening? Had the men’s +confederates learned of their capture? Were their fellows breaking into +the laboratory to rescue them? Were the ruffians wreaking vengeance on +Frank and Henry? + + + + +CHAPTER X + +RADIO WINS + + +As the confused sounds, the crash, the tramp of rushing feet, the +excited men’s voices and Frank’s high-pitched tones came dimly to Tom’s +ears, a deadly sickening fear swept over him. Had they escaped the men +from the submarine only to fall into the clutches of their confederates? + +He had been under a tremendous strain, he had been terribly frightened, +his heart had been almost bursting with excitement and he had been under +water for much longer than ever before. The combination was too much for +him. His head swam, he reeled, swayed; fiery sparks and flashes seemed +to dance before his eyes; he felt a numbness stealing over him. Wildly +he clutched at the ladder in a last despairing effort and seemed +sinking, slowly, softly into a vast billowy void. + +He opened his eyes and uttered a surprised cry. He was lying on the +floor of the laboratory and his father, anxious-eyed, was bending over +him while close at hand were Frank, Henry and Rawlins. Beyond and as a +confused mass Tom’s eyes saw blue-clad figures and with a start he rose +to a sitting posture. + +“Gosh!” he exclaimed, staring about and for the moment not +comprehending. “What’s the matter, Dad? What’s happened?” + +“Are you all right, Tom?” asked Mr. Pauling. “We got you just in time. +You fainted just as you reached the ladder top. Don’t you remember?” + +Tom’s senses had now fully returned. + +“Yes, Dad,” he replied. “I do now. Did Mr. Rawlins tell you about it? +Gee! We _did_ have a time! Are those men here?” + +“Safe and sound, Tom!” Mr. Henderson’s voice assured him. “That is, one +of ’em is. The other’s in bad shape.” + +“Yes, Rawlins told us something of what happened,” put in his father as +Tom rose unsteadily to his feet. “Look out, Son! You’re weak yet. Sit +down or you’ll go off again.” + +Leaning on his father’s arm, Tom staggered to the proffered chair and +dropped weakly into it. Then he gazed about the room and at the crowd of +men within it. + +His father and Mr. Henderson, Rawlins, Frank and Henry were there. +Near-by, was a strange, heavy-jawed man and beyond, near the door, were +half a dozen policemen. But where were the two divers they had captured +under the river? Then Tom saw that a heavily built, tow-headed man stood +between two of the blue coats, his hands manacled and a sullen glare in +his piglike eyes while, half hidden beyond two stooping men, was a form +stretched upon the floor. But before he could form a question his father +was giving quick sharp orders to the men. + +“Get the Navy Yard!” he commanded, and as the heavy-jawed man jumped to +the telephone, he snapped out: “Tell the commandant that Pauling’s +speaking.” Then, before the operator had even asked the number, Mr. +Pauling was uttering commands to the police. “Leave a couple of men here +to guard the prisoners and get over to that block quick as you can. Get +all available men you can pick up. Draw a cordon around it and don’t let +any one in or out. Take my car! It’s up to you fellows to nab this +bunch—if they haven’t got wise. On the jump now, Reilly! Take every one +and everything that seems suspicious! Get me?” + +Even before his last word rang out the policemen were hurrying towards +the street, and an instant later, Tom heard the roar of their motor and +the clang of their bell as the patrol dashed off. + +“Navy Yard on the wire!” announced the man at the phone and Mr. Pauling +grabbed the receiver. + +“This is Pauling!” he announced shortly. “That you, Admiral? All right! +Got important matter.” + +Then, to Tom’s amazement, his father broke into the most utter +gibberish, calling out a confused but rapid list of figures and words. + +“That’s done!” he exclaimed, as he slammed back the receiver and turned +towards Tom. “There’ll be a dozen destroyers and chasers combing the sea +for that sub within fifteen minutes.” Then, with a different note in his +voice, he asked, “Do you feel all right, Son?” + +As Tom answered, his father turned towards the men bending above the +figure on the floor. “Come here when you have a chance, Doctor,” he +called. “Want you to have a look at my boy.” + +At his words, one of the men rose and hurried to Tom’s side. + +“Had a close call, my boy!” he exclaimed, as he took Tom’s wrist and +drew out his watch. “Good thing Rawlins fixed up these suits so you +couldn’t inhale flames. Different case with that chap yonder. He’s in +bad shape. Trying to fix him up to get him to hospital. Afraid there’s +no hope for him though! Oh, you’re O. K. Fit as a fiddle! Pulse fine! +Nothing wrong with him, Pauling. Just a bit of nerves, I expect, and +strain of being down too long.” + +Hurrying from Tom’s side he again devoted himself to the injured man. + +Things were moving so rapidly that Tom was dazed and was striving his +best to gather his wits together and to understand all that was taking +place. Mr. Henderson and Rawlins were talking earnestly in low tones, +but Tom could not hear a word they said and was busy replying to his +father’s, Henry’s and Frank’s questions and plying them with queries in +turn. + +Presently Rawlins and Mr. Henderson rose and as the former came to Tom’s +side the other strode across the room and, facing the prisoner, stared +fixedly into his face. + +“I guess you’re all right, Tom,” said Rawlins, the tone of his voice +betraying far more solicitude than was conveyed by his words. “You’re +some kid, I’ll tell the world! You’ll be famous if you don’t watch out. +Say, old man, I’m mighty sorry I kept you down so long. Never thought +about you not being accustomed to it. I was so darned interested in that +sub and those men I forgot about the danger to you, Tom. And say, Mr. +Henderson thinks we’ve made some haul! I’ve been telling him the whole +yarn—the Dutch talk and all the rest. Henderson thinks he recognizes +that Hun we brought up and sees a big plot behind all this. Too bad the +other fellow got flames and can’t talk. Your radio’s all to the mustard, +I’ll say!” + +At this moment Mr. Henderson’s voice interrupted them. As he had stared +searchingly but silently at the prisoner the latter’s shifty eyes had +fallen and he shuffled his feet uneasily. Then, without warning and so +suddenly Tom and the others jumped, Henderson snapped out: + +“Open your mouth!” + +So unexpected was the command that the prisoner, long trained to instant +and implicit obedience to orders, involuntarily threw back his head +opened his enormous mouth. + +“Thought so!” ejaculated Mr. Henderson and then, even before the +surprised man’s jaws closed, he yanked aside the fellow’s denim shirt +exposing the hairy freckled chest with a livid white scar diagonally +across it. + +“That’s enough!” snapped out Mr. Henderson. Then, addressing Tom’s +father he remarked, “It’s he, Pauling. No question of it. Good day’s +work this—thanks to Rawlins’ suits and Tom’s under-sea radio.” + +“Wha-what’s it all about?” demanded Tom, absolutely at a loss to grasp +the meaning of all the orders, the strange telephone message and Mr. +Henderson’s statements. “Who _are_ the men and _what_ were they doing?” + +“Never mind now,” replied his father. “We’ll get home first. Feel ready +to go?” + +“Oh, I’m all right now,” declared Tom. “Only a bit tired out.” + +“Call for a couple of plain-clothes men to stay here,” Mr. Pauling +ordered, turning towards the heavy-jawed man. “Don’t want any one +meddling with the instruments. Keep that trap shut and bolted and don’t +sleep on the job.” + +Then, to the surgeons, “Soon as he comes to and can talk, call me up. If +he says anything, write it down. Don’t let any one—any one, mind +you—speak with him.” + +The surgeon nodded in assent and as the other man again went to the +telephone Mr. Pauling and Rawlins half lifted Tom, and, accompanied by +Frank, Henry and Mr. Henderson, the party left the workshop. Already the +two policemen had left with their prisoner and were pressing through a +curious crowd which had gathered outside and which was held in check by +more stalwart, blue-coated men. + +“Gosh! you’ve got the whole of the New York police here!” exclaimed Tom. + +“Not quite that,” laughed his father, “but Henderson surely did call +enough of them. Guess they thought we were going to raid a liner.” + +“Well, you didn’t name any limit,” replied Mr. Henderson chuckling. “You +said ‘call the police’ and I called ’em. Might as well be on the safe +side, you know.” + +As Mr. Pauling helped Tom into Mr. Henderson’s car he saw the man whom +Rawlins had captured in his spectacular battle under the river being +shoved into a patrol wagon. + +“Do tell me who he is,” begged Tom. “Is he a German spy?” + +His father laughed. “You’ve forgotten the war’s over and done with and +there are no spies,” he replied. “No, my boy, he’s not even a German. +But you’ll have to wait a bit before I can tell you anything more.” + +“Well, where did you send those policemen, then?” asked Tom. “You can +tell me that.” + +Mr. Pauling’s eyes twinkled. “They’ve gone to get your phantom radio +man,” he replied. “Henderson’s men couldn’t find him before, but I’ll +wager we located him this time. You see, Reilly happened to know about +that old sewer and he says it runs under the block where you located the +sender of those odd messages. Henderson thinks if he finds one he’ll +find the other. We’ll run around past there and see if anything is +happening.” + +As Frank and Henry crowded into the little car, the boys saw a stretcher +bearing a shrouded form being carried from their workshop to an +ambulance, and the next moment they were moving slowly through the crowd +which reluctantly made way before the insistent screams of the horn. + +Close behind them came another car with Mr. Henderson and Rawlins and a +moment later they were through the crowd and speeding towards the block +to which Mr. Pauling had dispatched the police. + +As they swung around a corner they saw a surging, densely packed throng +blocking the street, while from beyond came the sounds of shouts and +cries. Above the heads of the people the boys could see the glaring +brass and shining paint of two patrol cars and, moving here and there, +rising and falling as if tossed about upon a troubled sea, the +low-visored, flat-topped caps of policemen. + +“Can’t get through there!” declared Mr. Pauling, as his horn screeched +and fell on unheeding ears. “Looks like a riot!” + +Mr. Henderson had leaped from his car and was beside them. “Guess the +men found something,” he remarked. “I’ll push through and see what’s +up.” + +With Rawlins by his side, he wedged his way into the crowd and the two +were instantly swallowed up. But a moment later they reappeared, hats +and collars awry, coats torn open, and panting. + +“Whew!” exclaimed Mr. Henderson. “Might as well try to get through a +solid wall. Hello! There’s another wagon!” + +As he spoke, a bell clanged harshly and above the heads of the mob a car +crowded with police could be seen forcing its way towards the center of +the disturbance which appeared to be a large garage. + +At this moment a huge, lumbering motor truck crept slowly from the +garage door and an angry bellow rose from the crowd. But even an East +Side mob must give way before a five-ton truck and the crowd, surging +back to make way for the truck, swept around the boys and the two cars +and engulfed them like a sea of rough clothes and angry, grimy faces. + +“How the dickens can we get clear now!” exclaimed Mr. Henderson, as to +save themselves from being knocked down and trampled underfoot he and +Rawlins leaped upon the running boards and flattened themselves against +the body of the car. + +“Expect we’ll have to stick here until the crowd leaves,” replied Mr. +Pauling, and added, “Unless they pick us up car and all and carry us +out.” + +Now the crowd was surging still farther back as though pressed by an +irresistible force and above the bellowing, moving, multicolored wave of +human heads and shoulders appeared a half-dozen mounted police, their +well-trained horses forcing back the human wall which, despite jeers, +taunts, threats and imprecations, gave way steadily before them. + +As the police drew near and the crowd thinned out, one of the officers +caught sight of the two cars and their occupants. + +“Here you!” he shouted, urging his horse towards the car. “Get them +flivvers out o’ here! Right about now and move lively!” + +Mr. Pauling chuckled and Mr. Henderson grinned. “Show us how!” cried +back Mr. Pauling. + +“No sassing back there!” stormed the policeman now riding close. “Get a +move on or I’ll pinch the bunch of ye for interferin’ with the police, +resistin’ an officer and blockadin’ traffic. I’ll get enough charges +against ye to send youse to the island for a year.” + +Mr. Henderson and Tom’s father were shaking with laughter. “Don’t be +foolish, officer. Don’t you see we can’t move?” Mr. Henderson asked. + +The policeman’s face grew purple with anger and he pushed his mount +close beside the car, calling to a fellow officer to help him. + +Exasperated by the crowd, naturally quick-tempered and in a frenzy of +rage at these “swells,” as he mentally dubbed them, defying his orders, +he drew his club and raised it threateningly. + +Mr. Henderson leaped from the running board to the policeman’s side and +in tones which even the angry blue coat recognized as authoritative +exclaimed, + +“Here, that’s enough from you! You’ll find yourself broke if you don’t +look out. Your job’s to protect citizens—not to abuse them!” + +A look of mingled amazement and anger swept over the officer’s face. + +“An’ who may youse be?” he began, hunching himself forward and shooting +forth his pugnacious jaw. + +Mr. Henderson stepped a bit closer and turned back the lapel of his +vest. + +The sudden change in the man’s attitude and expression caused the boys +to burst out laughing. Surprise, incredulity, fear, and regret all +spread over his big Hibernian features in turn. His half-raised arm +dropped to his side, he seemed to shrivel and shrink in size, his pale +blue eyes seemed about to pop from between his red-lashed lids. + +Then Irish humor came to his rescue. Drawing himself stiffly up he +saluted and with a twinkle in his eyes blurted out, + +“B’gorra, Sir, ’tis sorry I am. But how was I to know, Sir? What with +your kelly dinted in and your tie adrift and all. Sure I’ll see ye +through here in a jiffy.” + +The crowd had now been driven far back, and, escorted by the mounted +men, the two cars proceeded slowly up the street until opposite the +garage. A few idlers were still hovering about and were being chased +away by blue coats, but inside the garage the boys could see a closely +packed mass of men with policemen’s caps much in evidence, while the +broad doorway was blocked by officers with drawn clubs. + +As Mr. Pauling brought his car to a stop, a plain-clothes man pressed +through the line of police and hurried to the car. + +“What’s up?” demanded Mr. Pauling as the man came close. “Find +anything?” + +“Find anything!” repeated the other, his gimlet eyes fairly glistening +with satisfaction. “You bet your—beg your pardon—I’ll say we did. Got +the whole bunch—men, cars, booze an’ all. Want the story now?” + +“No, don’t stop now, Murphy,” replied Mr. Pauling, “After everything’s +cleaned up come around to the house and we’ll hear the whole yarn, the +boys are entitled to know it. I’m expecting a call to the hospital at +any time and must be on hand. Glad you got them.” + +“I guess I’ll stay and see the fun,” said Rawlins, “that is, if I may.” + +“Let Mr. Rawlins in, Murphy,” commanded Mr. Pauling. “He’s one of our +crowd and all right. Wouldn’t have got this job over without his help. +See you later.” + +As the car drove off, the boys saw Rawlins pushing through the cordon of +police by Murphy’s side and all three breathed a sigh of regret that +they, too, could not remain to see what exciting and interesting things +were taking place within the garage. + +But they realized that it was no place for boys and, to tell the truth, +all three were quite ready and willing to go home and have a chance to +calm down and rest. Tom, of course, had been through a racking +experience and was utterly exhausted nervously and physically, and +Frank, who was younger and of a far more nervous temperament, had been +so worried and frightened over Tom’s plight and the uncertainty of what +was occurring under the water that he had become almost hysterical when +it was all over. Even Henry had experienced enough excitement to last +him for some time and boylike was crazy to rush home and tell his +parents all about the remarkable adventures of the afternoon. + +Leaving Henry at Gramercy Square, Mr. Pauling drove the car home while +Mr. Henderson went to his office and Tom and Frank, who was staying at +the Pauling home while his parents were in Europe, breathed a sigh of +satisfaction when they found themselves once more in the cool, quiet +interior of the house on Madison Avenue. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +HENDERSON HAS AN INTERVIEW + + +When, after parting with Mr. Pauling and the boys, Mr. Henderson drove +towards his office, he was in high good humor. The afternoon, thanks to +the boys’ radio and Rawlins’ diving suits, had been a most eventful and +highly satisfactory one. Not only had the discoveries resulted in the +raid on the garage, the seizure of a vast amount of contraband and +probably the breaking up of the gang of rum-runners which for so long +had baffled his men and himself, but it had brought in two prisoners, +one of whom at least he had recognized and was mighty glad to see. + +But despite all this he was sorely puzzled and cudgeled his brain to +find a reasonable explanation for many things which seemed inexplicable. +If, as it seemed, the garage had been a hiding place for smuggled +liquor, what connection did it have with the submarine and the divers +Rawlins had captured? Had the contraband been brought there in the +under-seas boat, and if so how? He knew, as Rawlins had already pointed +out, that a submarine could not go in and out of any port—in the West +Indies or elsewhere—without attracting immediate attention, for there +were not many of the craft knocking about and even if the natives of the +islands had kept the secret some of the government’s agents who were +scattered through the West Indies would either have seen or heard of the +craft. Mr. Pauling, for example, had personally been to Cuba and Nassau +and while he had seen schooners leave with cargoes only to return empty +without being reported from any American port, still he had found or +heard nothing which would indicate a submarine unless, yes, that might +be possible—the schooners might have transferred their cargoes to the +under-sea boat in mid-ocean or at some uninhabited island. + +But even in that case, the native sailors, the mulattoes and negroes, +surely would have talked about it. To them, a submarine would have been +far too remarkable and interesting a thing not to have told their +wondering cronies and families about it. And where, assuming this was +so, had the bootleggers secured the vessel? + +Rawlins had assured him the submarine was a German U-boat of a recent +type, such as had been off the United States coast during the latter +days of the war, but she could not be one of these, for the Navy, he +knew, had accounted for them all. Had the Germans taken to rum-running? +Had they secretly retained one or more submarines, and, knowing the +enormous profits to be made, put them to use carrying cargoes of liquor +from the West Indies to the United States? Of course this was possible, +but somehow Mr. Henderson, who was famed in the Service for his +“hunches,” which nine-tenths of the time proved right, had a feeling +that there was something deeper, some mystery behind it, and he had high +hopes of fathoming this or at least of throwing some light upon it by an +interview with the unharmed prisoner. + +That he would obtain a confession or even much information from the +fellow, he very much doubted, for he knew the man of old—knew him for a +sullen, arrogant and thoroughly desperate man and one who could and did +keep his mouth shut under the most severe grilling. Mr. Henderson deeply +regretted that the other prisoner had been injured by inhaling the +flames in his helmet, for with two men, each thinking the other had +betrayed him, there would be a good chance of getting at the bottom of +things, but it was almost hopeless now. The surgeons had stated that the +man was doomed, that he could not possibly survive his terrible burns +and that it was doubtful if he ever regained consciousness. Mr. Pauling +was to be summoned when the wounded man came to his senses, if he ever +did, and in the meantime the other prisoner was to be brought before Mr. +Henderson by two of his own men whom he had despatched for the purpose, +for, while he and Mr. Pauling coöperated with the police in many ways, +they had no desire to let the police learn of many matters that were +taking place or hear statements or confessions which they might repeat. + +As soon as Mr. Henderson reached his office, where the erstwhile janitor +was on guard, he hurried the latter off and then, taking some documents +from a safe and lighting his pipe, he proceeded to study the papers with +minute attention. He was interrupted in this by the return of the +messenger who was accompanied by a small, wiry, dark-haired man whom Mr. +Henderson addressed as “Ivan” and who seated himself in a proffered +chair and proceeded to make himself quite at home with an immense black +cigar. + +“It’s Smernoff!” announced Mr. Henderson presently. “Got him to-day +under very remarkable circumstances—no matter what. Recognized him at +once although he’s shaved off his beard. Examined his mouth and chest to +make sure. I expect him here in a few moments. Do you happen to know if +he ever served in the German army?” + +“Sure, yes, I know,” replied the Russian. “Not in the army, no, but the +navy.” + +“What was his job?” demanded Mr. Henderson. + +“That I do not know,” replied the other with a shrug of his shoulders. + +“H-m-m,” muttered Mr. Henderson. “Well, I want you to be here to +interpret. He doesn’t speak much English or won’t. I guess they’re +coming now.” + +A moment later, there was a rap on the door and the janitor—once more in +jumper and overalls—left by another entrance and armed with dustpan and +broom proceeded to busy himself in the hallway exactly as if he had not +been interrupted several hours previously by Frank’s excited summons to +Mr. Pauling. + +At Mr. Henderson’s “Come in!” two heavily built men in civilian clothes +entered, crowding closely one on either side of the sullen man who had +been captured by Rawlins. + +Not until they had seated themselves at Mr. Henderson’s orders would any +one have suspected that the pig-eyed man was a prisoner or was +handcuffed. For a space, Mr. Henderson gazed steadily and silently at +the prisoner who returned his stare, hate and venom in his eyes, and +then, turning to Ivan, Mr. Henderson ordered him to ask the fellow +certain questions. + +It is not necessary to repeat the conversation, or rather the queries +and replies, and for some time no satisfactory information was brought +out, the captive absolutely refusing to admit anything or to say a word +which might incriminate himself or his fellows. But when, after a deal +of questioning, Mr. Henderson had Ivan hint that the men captured in the +raid on the garage had betrayed the Russian and his fellow diver, the +man’s face took on a demoniacal expression, his eyes blazed and a +torrent of curses and foul oaths burst from his lips. + +A moment later, he checked his furious outburst and replied quickly to +many of the interrogations put to him through the interpreter. + +It was soon evident, however, that he was either extremely ignorant of +many matters or else was an accomplished liar, and, while the +information he gave cleared up many matters which had puzzled Mr. +Henderson previously, still the most important and mysterious features +of the whole case remained as much a mystery as ever. + +“I guess that’s all we can find out, or all he’ll tell,” declared Mr. +Henderson at last. “Take him away and be mighty careful to have him well +guarded. He’s a slippery rascal and we don’t want him getting away this +time.” + +As the men with their prisoner left the room, Ivan rose as if to go. + +“Sit down!” Mr. Henderson ordered him. “I may need you again at any +minute. We’ve got another man to question yet.” + +Ivan’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but he had long been employed as an +interpreter in Mr. Pauling’s service and had learned not to ask +questions or make comments, no matter how amazing or perplexing a matter +might appear. So, again seating himself comfortably, he lit another of +his huge cigars and waited patiently and silently for further orders. + +Meanwhile Mr. Henderson was going over his hastily written statements of +the prisoner and with his knowledge of the man’s past and his “hunch” +was striving to dovetail the information with surmises and records so as +to form a complete whole. + +It was interesting and fascinating work—this building up a case from +fragments and conjectures—a sort of jig-saw puzzle with many of the +parts missing, and Mr. Henderson was an adept at it. Indeed, he often +spent hours, when he had time to spare, playing the game with imaginary +or hypothetical cases exactly as a person will play a game of solitaire. +It was this ability to piece together stray bits of evidence, and his +almost uncanny intuition, that had secured the high position he held and +had won the envy and admiration of all in the Service who knew him, +although his friends good-naturedly chaffed him about his “imagination,” +as they called it. + +But on more than one occasion his imagination, or intuition or sixth +sense or whatever it might be, had brought most astonishing results; as, +for example, the capture of a band of plotters; to which he had referred +when discussing the flood of Bolshevist literature and the wave of crime +with his coworkers. + +Now, as he studied his notes of Smernoff’s statements and at times half +closed his eyes as if concentrating on some far-off matter, a smile +spread across his features and from time to time he nodded approvingly. + +“I’d wager it is,” he commented to himself. “Everything points that way. +The submarine, Smernoff—a fanatical socialist—those remarkable deep-sea +suits—the under-sea radio, the mystery about it all and yes—the time +hitches perfectly. Bloody sort of brute he is—wish I could get him for +that—sorry it’s out of our hands. Jove! I hope that mate of his lives +long enough to give us what we want. Smernoff admits _he_ knows. By +Jove, it would be a coup! Wonder if those boys even dream what their +experimenting has led up to!” + +He was still deeply engrossed in his occupation when the phone bell rang +and Mr. Pauling’s voice came to him. “He’s conscious,” said the latter, +“Come to the hospital as quickly as possible. Yes, I’m going this +instant. Of course. Bring Ivan.” + +“Come along, Ivan!” exclaimed Mr. Henderson, as he hung up the receiver, +and grasping his hat he hurried from the room into which the janitor +instantly popped like some sort of automaton. + +As soon as the ambulance bearing the injured prisoner had reached the +hospital, the man had been taken to a private room and the doctors had +devoted every attention, every latest appliance, every resource known to +modern medicine and surgery to patching the horribly burned and +disfigured fellow up in order to prolong his life until he could regain +consciousness. In the hospital a more thorough examination had revealed +the fact that the interior of his mouth was not so seriously burned as +had been thought when first aid was being administered at the dock. +Evidently he had had presence of mind enough to snap off the valve and +to shut his lips at the first burst of flames from the chemicals when, +startled by the submarine deserting them, he had instinctively cried out +a warning to his mate and had allowed water to enter the tube. + +“There’s about one chance in ten thousand that he may live,” announced +the gray-haired surgeon to his assistant. “He has not inhaled flames and +it all depends upon his constitution. The shock was enough to kill an +ordinary man outright, but it will be no kindness to have him survive. +If it were not for Mr. Pauling’s orders I’d take the responsibility of +letting him go, I believe. Gad! Can you imagine any one living with a +face like that or caring enough to live to undergo the agony that he’ll +suffer if he becomes conscious?” + +“Not me!” replied the younger man. “I’d think it a Christian act to let +cases of this sort find relief in death, but I suppose every man has a +right to his life if he wants it. Have any idea why Mr. Pauling’s so +keen on having him come to and talk?” + +The elder man gazed at his assistant in a peculiar manner. + +“No!” he snapped out at last. “And I’m not fool enough to ask or wonder. +It’s none of our business and I intend to follow orders to the letter. +But you can bet it’s something important. Just peep outside the door.” + +With a puzzled expression, the young doctor opened the door cautiously +and looked to left and right. On either hand, standing silently, but +with watchful eyes, were two heavily built men, dressed in civilian +clothes, with soft, dark felt hats on their heads and, even to the +intern’s unpracticed eyes, detectives. + +“Guess there _is_ something doing,” he remarked as he closed the door, +“couple of Bulls out there. What do they think—that he’s going to jump +up and run with that face and with both eyes burned out?” + +The other glanced up from where he was bending close above the cot and +raised a finger for silence. Then, an instant later, he straightened up. + +“Get Mr. Pauling at once!” he commanded. “Tell him the man is liable to +become conscious at any instant—that he may live, but if he wants to be +sure he had better come immediately.” + +In the mean time, at the Pauling home, Tom had been relating his story +of the strange and exciting events which had taken place under the +river. + +“Now, Son,” said Mr. Pauling, as Tom had thrown himself upon the lounge +in the library while his mother hovered anxiously over him, “if you feel +able, tell us all about it. Rawlins told us the main facts while you +were getting over your fainting spell, but, as many important matters +and far-reaching consequences may result from your discoveries and +captures, I would like to know all the details. Just as soon as you feel +tired, stop. Your health and welfare are the most important +things—everything else can wait if necessary. I would not ask you now, +only I know your mother is anxious to hear the story and, moreover, if I +am called to the hospital, I would like to have as much information as +possible. A lot may hinge on that.” + +“Oh, I’m quite all right, Dad,” Tom assured his father. “Of course I’m +tired, but I don’t mind talking. In fact I’d like to.” + +So, for some time, Tom narrated his adventures, beginning with the +descent to test the set at a distance and ending with the crash that +sounded in his ears as he was about to emerge from the water and leaving +out no detail of his sensations, thoughts or fears. + +“I think it’s all quite clear,” declared Mr. Pauling when he had +finished. “I’m sorry I cannot divulge everything to you now or explain +all the mysteries which surround the astounding discovery that you boys +and Mr. Rawlins have made. But later I can and will, as I know you must +be dying of curiosity. And I can assure you of one thing: Uncle Sam will +be under a great obligation to you and your radio.” + +“But you said you’d tell us who the man was whom we captured and what +they were doing in the garage,” Tom reminded him. + +“Yes, I can do that,” replied his father, “but you two boys must learn +to keep secrets and not repeat anything I tell you. The man you and +Rawlins brought in—the one who was not hurt I mean—is a Russian, a rabid +‘red,’ and Henderson recognized him and later identified him beyond +question by a peculiar tooth and the scar on his chest. At one time he +was convicted of a serious crime against our government, but escaped +mysteriously from prison. I doubt very much if we get much information +from him, as he knows he must serve out his term—with a bit added to +it—and he is a close-mouthed rascal. We hope more from his companion, if +he recovers consciousness and can talk. If he knows he is dying he may +confess at the last minute. As far as the garage is concerned, as you +know, we put two and two together and decided the blind sewer had some +secret opening in the block where you boys located the mysterious +sending set. The fact that both those messages and the conversations you +heard under water included the names of flowers convinced us that they +emanated from the same source and as Rawlins assured us the conversation +in what he called Dutch, but which was probably Russian, came from the +men under water, it confirmed our suspicions that the man you boys +located was talking to men under water or on the submarine and that +somewhere in the block we would find the key to the mystery and more. +From what Murphy says, and the appearance of things, we succeeded beyond +our expectations. I was afraid that the rascals might have overheard you +and Rawlins or that the submarine, which evidently knew that they were +discovered, might have warned them. If so, we moved too quickly for +them.” + +“But _are_ they bootleggers?” asked Frank. + +“No doubt,” replied Mr. Pauling, “and many other worse things. When +Murphy and Rawlins arrive we’ll probably know more and if the wounded +man confesses we’ll solve many mysteries which remain to be unraveled.” + +“Well, I’m mighty glad the old under-sea radio worked,” declared Tom, +“but I wouldn’t go through that experience again, not for—no, not for +Uncle Sam himself.” + +At this moment the doorbell rang and a moment later Rawlins dashed into +the room, his eyes bright and a happy grin on his boyish face. + +“I’ll tell the world it’s great!” he exclaimed, “They got pretty near +everything—booze, trucks, men, and that mysterious radio. And a +truckload of books and papers—cleaned out a regular nest. That man +Murphy is a corker, Mr. Pauling. He said to tell you he’ll be over in a +little while. They were just cleaning up when I left.” + +Tom jumped up. “Hurrah!” he cried. “Then we were right all along! We +always said that fellow was one of a bootlegger gang. Gee, Frank! They +can’t laugh at radio or radio detectives now. It wins!” + +“I’ll say radio wins!” cried Rawlins. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +THE CONFESSION + + +Before the conversation could be continued, the desk telephone rang and +Mr. Pauling instantly answered. + +“Hello!” the boys heard him say. “Hello! Good! Right away. Call +Henderson. Yes, have everything ready. He’ll live perhaps? Yes, +Henderson will bring Ivan. Keep a record of everything. Good-by!” + +As he ceased speaking, Mr. Pauling sprang up. “It’s Doctor Hewlett,” he +announced as he started for the door, “The man’s regaining +consciousness. He may talk at any moment and I must rush there. If +Murphy calls, send him over.” + +An instant later, Mr. Pauling was hurrying to his car and the boys, Mrs. +Pauling and Rawlins commenced discussing the events which had followed +one another so rapidly during the past few hours. + +Rawlins had to tell the story all over again to Tom’s mother and Frank +gave his version. Then all speculated on what the mystery surrounding +the submarine and the raid on the garage might be. + +“It’s rather too bad that Fred can’t tell us anything yet,” said Mrs. +Pauling, “but I realize, in his position, secrecy must be maintained. +However, after it’s all over I suppose we shall know—that is, if the +newspapers don’t tell us first. They usually manage to find out such +secrets somehow.” + +“Well, I admit I can’t see head nor tail to it,” declared Rawlins. “Of +course, as long as Mr. Pauling says those chaps are Russians and were +talking Bolshevik I suppose they are and were; but I _know_ that sub was +a Hun boat—not one of the big, latest U-boats, but the kind that was +over on our coast here once or twice. I’ve done a lot of work studying +submarines and they can’t fool me. Now, of course there’s no reason why +a Russian should not use a German sub if he could get hold of it, but +what were they doing over here in the East River is what gets me. I +don’t believe they were just rum-runners, even if Murphy and his crowd +did find a lot of booze over there, and what was that cigar-shaped +sub-sea gadget they were pulling along with ’em?” + +“Why, I think that’s all simple,” declared Tom. “They probably brought +liquor in here with the submarine and carried it to the garage in that +torpedolike thing.” + +Rawlins shook his head. “No, old man,” he replied. “A sub would never do +for a rum-runner. Why, every port in the West Indies is watched and the +whole world would hear if a sub poked her nose into a harbor and tied up +to a dock to load rum. It’s too bad we didn’t tackle those chaps out +there before they got to the sub. We might have brought in that torpedo +arrangement, too.” + +“Gee, I’d forgotten all about that!” exclaimed Tom. “What became of it?” + +“Why, didn’t I tell you?” replied Rawlins. “They shoved it into the +submarine. I was watching ’em do that when they spotted me. If they’d +had sense they’d have gone in after it and cleared out, but instead, +they had to try rough-house stuff and got left. I expect they thought +we’d seen too much and didn’t know I was armed. Then, when their mates +in the sub heard you yelling for help and heard Frank’s replies, they +thought the game was up and pulled stakes without stopping for the two +chaps below.” + +“I wonder if they’ll get her—the destroyers, I mean,” said Frank. + +“I doubt it,” replied Rawlins. “The sea’s a mighty big place and the +Lord knows where she’ll emerge. No knowing which way she headed either. +For all any one knows she may have scooted over to some hangout on Long +Island or swung around up the Hudson or slipped into the sound or stood +out to sea. But I doubt if she’ll try getting out of the harbor +submerged. Too risky. She might bump into a liner or a ship any minute +and she’d have to go blind—no periscope out, you see, because she’ll +know we’d have chasers, looking for her. No, I expect they’ll submerge, +rest on the bottom in shallow water somewhere and wait until night. Then +she could sneak out to sea with just her conning tower out. There’s +about one chance in a million of finding her and that’s the only way we +slipped up. Just as soon as I saw her I knew something crooked was going +on—knew it soon as ever I put eyes on those fellows in self-contained +suits—infringing my patents, darn ’em—and I planned to get back and +notify the authorities. Then we could have nabbed her and her whole +crew. Slipped up by letting those Bolshevik birds spot me. And Tom—did +you notice those fellows didn’t have those gadgets on their helmets? How +do you suppose they worked their radio without ’em?” + +“Gosh!” exclaimed Tom. “I didn’t think of it at the time, but it’s so. +Say, what became of their suits? We can examine their outfits and find +out all about it.” + +“Suits are safe enough down at the dock,” Rawlins assured him. “You’ll +have some fun examining them, I’ll say.” + +“Why didn’t you ask Mr. Murphy all about what it meant?” inquired Frank, +who had been pondering on the mystery. + +Rawlins gave a hearty laugh. “You don’t know friend Murphy,” he +answered. “I’ll say I asked him, but you might as well ask a lamp-post. +I know why they call potatoes Murphys now—all eyes and no mouth. That’s +him, too. Nice and pleasant and everything, but not a mite of +information. When I asked him first time he just looked me all over as +if I was some kind of a rare specimen. ‘Mr. Pauling says youse is on the +level,’ he said, ‘and I’ll take his word if he says the devil himself +has turned saint. But my orders is to say nothing to nobody till I +reports to Mr. Pauling and my orders stays orders till he gives me new +ones. He’s told me to let youse in here and to look after youse and that +I’m doin’, but never a word did he say about tellin’ of youse anything, +an’ that I won’t. What youse can see youse can see and welcome and what +youse may overhear youse can hear, but I’d advise youse to not repeat +it, and now draw your own conclusions.’” + +The boys laughed. “He looked like that,” said Frank. “I can just imagine +him saying it.” + +“And what did you say?” inquired Mrs. Pauling. “I have met that man +Murphy—he’s one of Fred’s right-hand men.” + +“Oh, I knew he was right and just slapped him on the back and told him +he was a good skate and I’d put in a good word for him at any time. Told +him I didn’t want to butt in and wouldn’t bother him with any more +questions.” + +“Didn’t you see anything?” asked Tom. + +“About as much as you could see when we were in the crowd in the car,” +laughed Rawlins. “The garage wasn’t packed full, but there were about a +million plain-clothes men and police there and Lord knows how many +trucks, and everything that was going on was in the center. But I did +see them piling a lot of boxes and papers and a lot of radio stuff into +a truck and I heard a policeman smack his lips and say: ‘Glory be, but +it’s a burnin’ shame to think of all the good booze that’s goin’ to +waste nowadays. Sure it makes me throat feel dry as a load of hay to +think of it.’” + +“Perhaps,” suggested Mrs. Pauling. “These men you found have some +connection with the Bolshevist threats and crimes that the papers say +are taking place. Fred never lets us know much of what is going on, as +he thinks I’ll worry. But whatever it is, I feel sure it has something +to do with the troubles and worries Fred has had recently. Both he and +Mr. Henderson have been working hard both day and night on something and +Fred has looked as if he had some great problem on his mind.” + +“Well, I hope it’s that,” declared Tom. “Say, wouldn’t it be great if we +really _had_ helped Dad and the government on something more important +than smuggling liquor.” + +“There’s the bell again,” exclaimed Frank. “Perhaps that’s Mr. Murphy.” + +Frank’s surmise proved correct and Mrs. Pauling repeated her husband’s +orders to him. Scarcely waiting to hear, the detective turned and +hurried off. + +“I suppose we might as well have dinner,” said Mrs. Pauling, after +Murphy had gone. “There’s no use waiting for Fred, he may be away all +night. You’ll have dinner with us, won’t you, Mr. Rawlins?” + +Dinner over, the four returned to the library and hour after hour +dragged on with no word from Mr. Pauling. + +Finally, Rawlins rose to go and was saying good night when the front +door opened and Mr. Pauling, Mr. Henderson and the detective Murphy +arrived. + +“Didn’t wait dinner for me, did you?” cried Tom’s father, a note in his +voice that his wife knew meant relief and elation. “Glad you didn’t. +Sorry we were so late, but couldn’t get away a minute sooner. Didn’t +even have a chance to telephone to you. But we’re as hungry as bears. I +suppose there’s a bite to eat.” + +Then, seeing Rawlins, hat in hand, he continued, “Don’t go, Rawlins. +Soon as we’ve eaten we’ll try to satisfy your curiosity and the boys’ +and,” he added mischievously, “the wife’s, even if she does say she +hasn’t any.” + +“They’re in mighty good spirits,” declared Rawlins when the three men +had disappeared in the direction of the dining room. “So I guess +everything’s come out O. K.” + +“Yes, Fred’s had a great load lifted from his mind, I know,” agreed Mrs. +Pauling, “and I’m very glad. I’ve really been worried about him lately.” + +“Well, we’ll soon know what ’tis,” said Tom. “Gosh! I can scarcely +wait.” + +At last they heard the voices of the three men, laughing and chatting, +as they left the dining room, and an instant later they entered the +library. + +“Now I suppose you four want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but +the truth,” laughed Mr. Pauling, as he motioned the others to seats and +settled himself in his own favorite chair. “I don’t think there’s much +that I cannot reveal now—except a few matters which have no direct +bearing or interest on the part you boys and Mr. Rawlins have played. +Well, let’s see. I guess I’d better begin at the garage—you know already +that Henderson identified the prisoner and how we had a hunch that the +affair centered in that block where the boys’ radio compasses located +the phantom speaker. I had an idea our men would have to surround the +entire block and make a house-to-house search, but the rascals saved us +that trouble. Evidently their friends had warned them that something was +wrong and Reilly’s men arrived just in time. They found a truck just +leaving the garage, and, remembering my orders to hold every one and +everything that looked suspicious, they stopped the truck—when the +driver put on speed as soon as he glimpsed the police. That was +suspicious and when they overhauled it they found it loaded with liquor. +Inside the garage, they found four more trucks and a crowd of men and +Murphy here tells me they put up a mighty good fight. That, of course, +drew a crowd and East Side crowds have no use for the blue coats. The +result was a free for all until another wagon arrived with reserves and +in the fracas several of the men in the garage broke away and +disappeared in the crowd. + +“However, they got six and found enough contraband liquor in the trucks +and in a secret room under the floor to stock a dozen saloons. Most of it +was in this hidden room or cell under the floor, and very cleverly +hidden, too. Had a door formed by a false bottom to a repair pit and all +they had to do was to run a truck over the pit as if being repaired and +pass up the goods from below. There were other things in that room, too. +About twenty-five thousands dollars’ worth of furs and jewelry—all stolen +here or hereabouts; opium to the value of a hundred thousand or so, to +say nothing of morphine, cocaine and other drugs. In addition, there were +several thousand copies of red propaganda circulars and pamphlets, a neat +little engraving and printing plant and a second trapdoor that opened +into the old sewer. And the radio set was there also. A receiving +set—made in Germany by the way—and the transmission outfit. That was the +cleverest thing yet—according to Henderson who knows more about it than I +do. He tells me the what-do-you-call-it—aërial—was a folding affair +stretched across the inside of the roof and so arranged that it could be +drawn back between the girders entirely out of sight. Now I don’t know +any of the technical part of this and I’ll let Henderson explain it all +to you boys later if you wish. But the main thing, as I understand it, +was that they could send several thousand miles with the outfit on one +kind of a wave or could talk to a person a few blocks away with another +sort. At any rate, we never would have found that if we hadn’t found the +secret cell and the machine and a man at it. I’m not surprised +Henderson’s men never located it. + +“That’s all about the garage. It was the headquarters and clearing house +of a dangerous gang of international cutthroats and rogues. They had +been robbing right and left, carrying their loot in motor cars and +trucks to the garage and hiding it in the secret room. Then from there +it had been carried in watertight containers, like miniature +submarines, through the old sewer to the submarine by the divers. Each +time the submarine came in she brought a cargo of liquor, drugs, cigars, +plumes, and other contraband and took away all the valuables and +receipts from sales. The conversations you overheard were between those +in the garage and other members of the gang, and the reason you boys did +not hear the other speaker was because he used a radio telegraph +instrument—that’s right, isn’t it, Henderson—and a very weak or short +wave—let’s see, a ‘buzzer set’ you called it, wasn’t it? Well, you can +get all that from Henderson, anyway.” + +“But how on earth did you find all that out?” asked Rawlins, as Mr. +Pauling ceased speaking to light a cigar. + +“Well, it took a little urging,” replied Mr. Pauling. “Murphy and his +men hinted to their prisoners that they’d been given the tip by the men +on the submarine and so, of course, they told all they knew in the hope +of getting lighter sentences and Henderson had the Russian up at his +office with Ivan and let _him_ think we knew all about him and the +submarine through tips given by the other crowd. As a result, we got +pretty complete information from both sides. But”—here Mr. Pauling +lowered his voice and signaled for Murphy to stand guard at the door—“we +couldn’t get what we wanted from either the Russian or any of the gang +at the garage. They’d tell us certain things—give us details and facts +about matters of which we already knew—such as the means of +communication, the submarine, etc., but beyond that they would not go. + +“Short of torture I don’t believe they’d let out a word. And we knew—we +were positive—that back of it all was something deeper—a stupendous plot +aimed at the very heart and life—the very existence of the United States +and England. And we felt equally positive that back of this was an arch +criminal or rather arch fiend—a man with a tremendous brain, almost +unlimited power and marvelous resources. We could see many things which +linked this petty smuggling, the hold-ups and burglaries, the +rum-running and drug-importing with events of far greater importance. +But we had no proof, no evidence to go on. + +“Some of our men thought they knew who this head—this nucleus of the +whole affair was but they could not be sure—they would not even dare +mention his name—and so we were handicapped, working in the dark. But +now we do know. We know far more than I dare tell any one, than I dare +think. The injured man has placed it all in our hands. It was the most +astounding revelation I have ever known or ever expect to hear. I cannot +tell you all—I did not even permit Murphy or the doctor to be by the +man’s bedside while he spoke and as soon as I knew he could speak and +understand English I sent Ivan off, too. Only Henderson and I heard what +he said. This man was—yes, I say ‘was,’ because he is dead—was one of +those misguided men who plotted against England and became a tool of the +Germans. He betrayed his cause and his leaders, and, despised, hunted +for the traitor and coward that he was, not safe either in England, +Ireland or Germany, he became a man without a country, an enemy of all +organized governments, a fanatical ‘red’ and a trusted emissary of this +arch criminal I referred to. + +“When he became conscious he raved and cursed frightfully, swearing he +had been betrayed and in his mad desire for vengeance—knowing he had but +a few moments to live—told us as best he could with his scorched and +blackened lips and tongue what we longed to know. It was unbelievable, +incredible, more marvelous than Jules Verne’s stories, but true, we +know, from the way it dovetails in with other facts in our possession. + +“Among other things, we learned that many mysteriously missing ships—the +many passenger and merchant vessels which never reached port—were +deliberately sunk, torpedoed without warning and all survivors put to +death in cold blood merely to secure the gold and other valuables on +board. All this treasure, all the loot from robberies and crimes +committed in the United States and abroad, all the receipts from +smuggling and the sales of drugs and liquors were to swell the fund this +master plotter was accumulating to accomplish his final purpose. + +“This he told us towards the last—when each breath was a mighty effort, +when each word was wrung from him with torture—and he even tried to tell +us where it was hidden, where this vast treasure is concealed, cachéd, +and where we might find the headquarters of this monster in human form. +He was telling us and was striving, straining to give us the location. +He had mentioned the locality in a general way, was giving us the +latitude and longitude and had gasped out three figures when he died—the +words unfinished, the secret sealed within his lips and—most important +of all, with the name of that ruthless, relentless master-fiend +unspoken.” + +The boys’ eyes had grown round with wonder as Mr. Pauling was speaking. +Mrs. Pauling leaned forward, her face flushed, her lips parted. Rawlins +had remained as silent, as immovable as if carved in stone, and even Mr. +Henderson and Murphy had been so engrossed, so interested, although they +knew the story as well as Mr. Pauling, that they had allowed their +cigars to go out. + +“Jehoshaphat!” exclaimed Tom, when his father ceased speaking. “Gosh! We +_did_ butt into something worth while!” + +“Oh, Gee!” ejaculated Frank in disappointed tones. “Then you don’t know +where that treasure is after all!” + +“No,” replied Mr. Pauling, “not within several hundred miles. But the +treasure is not the important thing, it’s the man himself we want.” + +Rawlins rose, his eyes shone with unwonted brilliancy, his face was +flushed. + +“I’ll say that’s some day’s work!” he cried. “But I’ll bet we _can_ get +that loot—and that whole bunch of crooks, too. I’ve a scheme, Mr. +Pauling, but I want a little time to think it over and get my brain +straightened out. There’s been too much crowded into it during the last +ten hours.” + +Mr. Pauling stared at Rawlins as if he thought he might have taken leave +of his senses. Then, realizing that Rawlins was in earnest, he said +quietly, “All right, Rawlins. I don’t know what your scheme may be, but +I’ll be glad to hear it whenever you’re ready. Call me up and we’ll hear +it when you have it worked out. We owe you more than I can express to +you now.” + +A moment later Rawlins had gone and hardly had his footsteps died away +when the telephone tinkled. + +“Yes!” exclaimed Mr. Pauling as he listened. “Remarkable! Absolutely +deserted! Well, I guess that chapter’s closed. Thanks for letting me +know.” + +“Sorry Rawlins has gone,” declared Mr. Pauling as he hung up the +receiver and wheeled about. “That was the Admiral calling. One of the +destroyers has found the submarine!” + +“Gosh! then they’ve caught more of the gang!” cried Tom. + +“That’s the astounding part of it,” replied his father. “She was found +drifting, her upper works just awash, about one hundred miles out to sea +and _not a living soul on board her_!” + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +RAWLINS’ PROPOSAL + + +When Rawlins called on Mr. Pauling the following day the first thing +that greeted him was the announcement that the submarine had been found. + +So excited were the boys that for some time they could not convey an +intelligible idea of the matter and before Rawlins could grasp the +details of the discovery they were plying him with questions as to his +opinion in regard to it. + +“What do you think became of the men?” cried Tom. + +“Do you suppose it was their boat?” demanded Frank. + +“How do you think it got so far away, if it’s theirs?” put in Tom. + +“We puzzled over it for hours last night and no one can explain it,” +declared Frank. + +“Easy, boys, easy!” laughed Rawlins. “One thing at a time. Shorten sails +a bit and let me get my bearings. You say the destroyer found a +submarine floating just awash and absolutely deserted one hundred miles +off the coast? I don’t believe it _was_ that sub!” + +“Could you identify it by a description—anything about it?” asked Mr. +Pauling. + +“Well, I don’t know,” admitted Rawlins. “I know it was a German sub and +I’d recognize it if I saw it; but whether I can be sure of it by a +description depends upon the description.” + +“They’re towing her in,” Mr. Pauling informed him. “She was disabled and +unable to come in under her own power. Until she arrives all we know is +that she is a German boat—one of the medium-sized craft—that she carries +torpedoes and a gun and that she is painted sea-green.” + +“Fits her like an Easter bonnet,” declared Rawlins. “Under water I could +not be sure of her color, but it was not black or gray—everything takes +on a greenish look under water. Did they find anything suspicious on +her?” + +“That I can’t say,” replied Mr. Pauling. “They didn’t report whether +they made any discoveries or not.” + +“But if it _is_ the submarine, where are the men?” reiterated Tom. + +“Search me,” replied Rawlins. “A lot of things may have happened to +them. Something may have gone wrong so they were obliged to come up and +knowing they would be captured they took the sub’s boats. Or again, they +may have decided to desert the sub and scatter—probably they knew the +chaps we got, and suspected they’d confess. It would have been an easy +matter to run in close to shore, take to the boats and land and then +sink the boats in shallow water so as to leave no trace. Or some ship +might have picked them up. By the way, I’ve been puzzling over +something. How do you suppose that sub got in and out of the West Indies +without being seen and reported. If she carried contraband in and loot +out she must have gone to some port.” + +“Why, didn’t I explain that?” asked Mr. Pauling. “Must have slipped my +mind when relating the story yesterday. The prisoner told us how they +managed. The submarine never entered any port—unless you consider the +hiding place of the chief of the gang a port—but picked up her cargoes +in mid-ocean.” + +“Oh, I see, transferred them from another ship, eh?” said Rawlins. +“Stupid of me not to think of it.” + +“Not quite right yet, Rawlins,” chuckled Mr. Pauling. “It was this way. +A vessel would sail from a West Indian port with a cargo and would drop +it overboard at a designated spot. Then the submarine would pick it up. +If they had transferred on the surface they might have been seen and +rough weather would have interfered. Moreover, if those on the schooners +saw the submarine or knew of her they might have talked. They imagined +the things were to be grappled or brought up by divers. The head of this +bunch takes no chances.” + +“Ah, now I see a light dawning!” exclaimed Rawlins. “I think that solves +several puzzles. You remember those messages you boys heard? Well, they +always, or nearly always, included numbers—‘thirty-eight fifty, +seventy-seven’ was one, I believe—and ‘good bottom’ and similar things. +I often wondered about those, but I’ll bet those were the spots where +the sub was to find cargoes dumped. Hasn’t that Russian Johnny come +across with anything more about the high Muck-a-Muck of the bunch and +where he hangs out?” + +“No, I had another long session with him, but he swears he knows nothing +about it and for once I am inclined to think he is telling the truth,” +replied Mr. Pauling. “He insists that he never visited the place—never +saw the chief and does not even know who he is—except that all spoke of +him as of a supreme being or a king. His story is that only a few +men—just enough to man the submarine—including the fellow who died, went +to headquarters. That the others, including himself, were always put +ashore at a small island in the West Indies where they had a camp and +that they walked to the island from the submarine and from the shore to +their under-sea craft in diving suits.” + +“That’s a probable yarn,” assented Rawlins. “Did he tell you the name of +the island?” + +“He says he doesn’t know it himself, that there were a few natives there +when he first arrived, but that under orders from their superiors they +murdered the blacks in cold blood.” + +“Dirty swine, I’ll say!” exclaimed Rawlins. “Well, I know the West +Indies a lot better than I know New York and if we can squeeze some sort +of a description from old pig-eye I’ll wager I can locate that hangout. +But now about that other business—those messages—have you got the notes +you made of them, boys?” + +“Sure,” replied Tom, “At least, Mr. Henderson has. We gave them all to +him.” + +“Well, we’ll need ’em if Mr. Pauling thinks my proposition all right,” +said Rawlins. “I hadn’t got it quite settled as to details when I came +in, but the capture of that sub—if she is the one—has cleared it all +up.” + +“I can tell you better what I think of any proposal you may have after I +have heard it,” said Mr. Pauling. + +“All right, here goes,” laughed Rawlins. “You see from what you told us +about that dead fellow’s confession, I am pretty sure the big ‘I am’ of +the bunch is hanging out somewhere in the West Indies. You said he was +giving you the place and had mentioned three figures of latitude and +longitude when he kicked off. Now I don’t know what those figures are, +but there are not such an everlasting lot of combinations of figures in +the islands—that is, where a man could have a secret hangout—and I know +’em like a book—better than any book in fact—and if I had those figures +I’ll bet I can locate the old Buckaroo. Not only that, but with my suits +and the boys’ radio and my submarine chamber—the same as I use for +taking under-sea pictures—we could get the loot and everything else if +he’s got any of it under water. + +“I rather figured, from what you said, that might be where he’d hide it, +especially as he seems stuck on under-sea work. Why, if the old cove +himself had a house under the sea I could find him! If they used this +new-fangled radio under water up here you can bet your boots the old +guy’s using it where he hangs out and if we’re any place near we can +pick him up and the boys can locate him with that radio compass +business. You see he probably won’t be wise to any one else being on to +the radio business. I was afraid that sub might get back and give it +away, but the chances are that if the men aboard her got ashore they +either won’t dare show up down there and will just fade away or else we +can beat ’em to it. + +“Taking that sub gave me another idea and a good one. We can fix up the +old boat and go scouting for old Stick-in-the-mud in that. If he or any +of his gang see her they’ll think it’s all right and that their gang’s +still in her. I know a pretty good lot about handling a sub and we can +pick up a few good ex-navy men I know. Now don’t you think that’s a +corking good scheme, Mr. Pauling?” + +Mr. Pauling hestitated, thinking deeply, before he spoke. + +“It has its good points,” he admitted at last, “but it’s rather a wild +scheme—just what I should expect from a boy who’ll tackle two strangers +and a submarine single-handed under water—and there’s not one chance in +ten thousand that it will succeed. You see, the West Indies are a pretty +good-sized place and you’d have to go by guess work a great deal, even +with the figures the man gave us. However, I’m willing to aid and abet +the scheme, as any chance—no matter how remote—of getting that arch +fiend is worth trying. I can get the submarine without trouble and can +secure men who can be depended upon, but who’s going with you on your +wild-goose or wild-man chase?” + +“Why, we are!” cried Tom and Frank in unison. + +“The dickens you are!” exclaimed Mr. Pauling. “I should say not!” + +The boys’ faces fell. “Oh, Dad, please let us go,” begged Tom. “It will +be great—going in a submarine and trying to find that fellow with our +radio. Why won’t you let us go?” + +“Too much risk,” replied his father. “I’ve had one fright over you and +that’s enough.” + +“Well, that rather knocks out my plans, too,” declared Rawlins. “I’d +counted on the boys going to work the radio end of it—seems kind of hard +on them to let some one else do it after they invented the thing and +were responsible for getting the men and the sub. If it hadn’t been for +them I’d never have got ’em, as it was their hearing Tom yell for help +that made ’em surrender, and you’d never have thought of that block and +the garage if they hadn’t located those messages with their radio +compasses. I don’t think there’s any danger, Mr. Pauling.” + +“I don’t agree with you,” declared Mr. Pauling in positive tones. “If +you go after that man there’s every danger. You can’t tell what force he +may use or how an attempt to capture him might turn out.” + +“But I had no idea of attempting to get him alone,” replied Rawlins in +surprise. “My plan was to have a trim little destroyer right handy and +then, when we’d located Mr. Big Bug, we’d report to the jackies and let +them do the dirty work. The boys wouldn’t have to be where there was any +scrapping going on and that old ex-German sub is never going to be my +coffin if I can help it, I’ll tell the world. No, sir, my idea was just +to do the scouting, so to speak—secret service under the sea—and let the +boys be in on the preliminary intelligence work running the secret +service of the air as you might say.” + +“Well, I suppose in that case there would be little risk,” admitted Mr. +Pauling, “and as you say, they _are_ really the ones who should be +allowed to have charge of their own apparatus as they have earned the +right to it. I’ll have to give a little more consideration to the matter +before I decide, however. Possibly I may wish to go along also—or I may +be asked to, when I put this matter before my superiors. Now here are +those figures given by the dying man and the notes made by the boys.” + +Unlocking a drawer, Mr. Pauling took out a packet of papers and spread +them before Rawlins, while the two boys, now that events had taken a +more hopeful and promising turn, laughed and talked excitedly to each +other, wildly enthusiastic at the bare possibility of going on the +unique search. + +For a few minutes Rawlins studied the various sheets intently and +silently, comparing the figures which the boys had heard spoken and the +ones given by the dying Irishman, and at last he glanced up. + +“These numbers of the boys’ will need a lot of study,” he declared, “but +these the chap in the hospital gave are dead easy. One of ’em is +nineteen and as there’s no longitude nineteen in the West Indies, or +within two thousand miles of the islands, it must be latitude, so there +we have a clue right out of the box—nineteen north latitude. Now if we +take a map and follow along nineteen we’ll know it must be within a few +miles of it that we’ll locate old Beelzebub. It can’t be over sixty +miles north of that meridian or the man would have said twenty instead +of nineteen, and it can’t be south of it or he’d have said eighteen and +something. So we can be dead sure the old duck hits the hay somewhere in +a sixty-mile belt bounded by meridians nineteen and twenty. Now here are +the other two numbers—sixty and seventy-five. You say he sort of lost +consciousness between these and you thought he said southwest by south. +Well, sixty might be longitude—the sixtieth meridian is in the West +Indies—but he might have meant sixty anything and so, if it _is_ +longitude he was getting at, it brings us down to a space six hundred +miles east and west and sixty miles north and south—quite a considerable +bit of land and water to search—about 36,000 square miles—but only a +little of it’s land, so it don’t cut such a figure. That’ll take +in—let’s see—some of the Virgins, I think, and a lot of little cays and +quite a bit of Santo Domingo, but shucks, that’s not such a heap. But +I’ll admit this seventy-five gets my nanny. It’s not minutes—’cause +there are only sixty minutes to a degree and it’s a dead sure cinch that +it’s not latitude or longitude if those other numbers are, and if it’s +latitude it would be in the Arctic instead of the Caribbean and if it’s +longitude it’ll knock calculations out for about a thousand miles and +will take in all of Santo Domingo and Haiti, a bit of Cuba and most of +the Bahamas. Looks as if we might have some jaunt. And I don’t get those +compass bearings. However, maybe when they get that sub in and search +her we’ll find some chart or something. When do you expect——” + +At this moment the telephone rang and Mr. Pauling answered. + +“Ah, fine!” he exclaimed. “Expect to be in within an hour! Yes, I’d be +glad to. I’m bringing some others with me—Mr. Rawlins and the boys. Yes, +queer we were just talking of it. Good.” + +“It was the navy yard,” explained Mr. Pauling as he hung up the +receiver. “They say the submarine is coming in now and will be at the +yard in half an hour. The Admiral wants me to be on hand to board her as +soon as she arrives and I’d like you and the boys to come along.” + +“Hurrah!” yelled the two boys. “Now we’ll see what they had on her.” + +“And we’ll know if she’s the right sub,” added Rawlins. “Though it’s +dollars to doughnuts that she is—it’s not likely there’s more than one +lost, strayed or stolen sub knocking about in these waters.” + +When they reached the Navy Yard the submarine was just being docked and +twenty minutes later they were entering her open hatch. The boys had +never been within a submarine before and were intensely interested in +the machinery, the submerging devices, the air-locks and the torpedo +tubes, but their greatest interest was in the radio room. But here, much +to their chagrin and disappointment, they found practically nothing. +There were a few wires, some discarded old-fashioned coils, some +microphones and receivers and a loop aërial. Everything else had been +removed and nothing was left to show what sort of instruments had been +used. The boys were about to leave when Tom noticed something +half-hidden under a coil of wire, and, curious to see what it might be, +pulled it out. + +“Gosh!” he exclaimed as he saw what it was. “These chaps were using that +same single control. This is part of it. Look, Frank, the dial is just +the same as the one Mr. Henderson gave us.” + +“Gee, that’s right!” agreed Frank. “But then,” he added, “after all it’s +not surprising. You know Mr. Henderson said the one he gave us came from +a German U-boat.” + +“Not a thing in the radio room,” announced Tom, as the boys rejoined Mr. +Pauling. “Everything’s stripped clean, but they used the same sort of +tuner that Mr. Henderson gave us. Where’s Mr. Rawlins?” + +“Somewhere under our feet,” laughed his father. “He went down to examine +the hull. Wants to be sure this is the same boat.” + +A few moments later the door to the air-lock was opened and Rawlins +appeared. + +“I’ll say it’s the same old sub!” he exclaimed. “There’s a dent in her +skin near the stern on the port side. I noticed it before and it’s there +all right. Found anything up here?” + +“No, nothing of any value to us,” replied Mr. Pauling. “The boys say the +radio’s been stripped from her and we haven’t been able to find a chart +or a map or a scrap of paper aboard. We found two of those carriers +though—the cigar-shaped affairs you saw the divers towing through the +water; but they’re both empty. If these fellows took anything from the +garage they disposed of it before they left the submarine.” + +“Were the boats on her when they found her?” asked Rawlins. + +“No, no sign of them,” replied the officer who was with them. “I boarded +her first thing, but there was no sign of life aboard and no boats.” + +“It’s darned funny!” commented Rawlins. “If these lads took to the boats +they did it deliberately and took mighty good care to clean the old sub +out before they left. That disposes of the theory that they were +compelled to leave. Do you know what the trouble was with her machinery, +Commander?” + +“Haven’t found out yet,” replied the officer. “We’ll have the engineers +aboard as soon as Mr. Pauling is through inspection.” + +“Didn’t see any signs of small boats near where you found her, did you?” +inquired Rawlins. + +The officer shook his head. + +“No,” he replied, “but it was pretty dark and they might have been +within a few miles—very low visibility.” + +“And no other vessel that might have picked them up?” continued Rawlins. + +“Not a sail in sight—except a fishing smack about ten miles off. We ran +down to her and boarded her. Thought they might have sighted the sub, or +picked up the men. They hadn’t done either. Bunch of square-heads that +didn’t seem to know what a sub was, just dirty fishermen.” + +“Dead sure they were?” asked Rawlins. “Didn’t notice where she hailed +from, did you?” + +The officer flushed. + +“Afraid we didn’t,” he admitted, a trace of resentment at being +questioned in his tones. “She hoisted sail soon after we left her.” + +“And nothing peculiar about her in any way, I suppose?” suggested Mr. +Pauling. + +“Well, I didn’t see anything,” replied the commander, “but I believe one +of my bluejackets made some remark about her rig. He’s a bo’sun’s mate +and an old man-o-warsman—Britisher but naturalized citizen and served in +the British navy. Would you like to question him? I’m no expert on +sailing craft myself.” + +“Better talk to him, Rawlins,” suggested Mr. Pauling. + +As there seemed nothing more to be discovered on the submarine the party +left the under-sea craft and walked to the destroyer which had found +her. The sailor to whom the officer had referred proved to be a grizzled +old salt—a typical deep-sea sailor and the boys could not take their +eyes from him. Touching his gray forelock in salute, the man hitched his +trousers, squinted one eye and reflectively scratched his head just over +his left ear. + +“Yes, Sir,” he said, in reply to Mr. Rawlins’ question. “She _was_ a bit +queer, Sir. Blow me ef she warn’t. Man an’ boy Hi’ve been a sailorin’ +most thirty year an’ strike me if Hi ever seed a Yankee smack the like +o’ her, Sir. What was it was queer about her, you’re askin’ on me? Well, +Sir, ’twas like this, Sir. She had a bit too much rake to her marsts, +Sir, an’ a bit too high a dead-rise an’ her starn warn’t right an’ her +cutwater was diff’rent an’ her cuddy. She carried a couple o’ little +kennels to port and sta’board o’ her companion-way, Sir—same as those +bloomin’ West Hindian packets, Sir. An’ as you know, Sir, most Yankee +smacks carry main torpmas’s and no fore-torpmas’ while this e’er hooker +was sportin’ o’ sticks slim an’ lofty as a yacht’s, Sir, an’ a jib-boom +what was a sprung a bit down, Sir. But what got my bally goat, Sir, was +the crew. Mos’ of ’em was Scandinav’ans, Sir, but the skipper was a +mulatter or somethin’ o’ that specie, Sir, an’ blow me hif he didn’t +talk with a haccent what might ha’ been learnt at Wapping, Sir.” + +Rawlins whistled. + +“I’ll say there was something queer about her!” he exclaimed. “Anything +else? Did you note her name and port?” + +Once more the old sailor scratched his head and shifted the tobacco in +his cheek before replying. + +“Cawn’t say as how Hi did, Sir,” he announced at last. “You see, Sir, +she had her mainsail lowered, Sir, and a hangin’ a bit sloppy over her +stern, Sir, an’ we was alongside an’ didn’t pass under her stern, Sir.” + +“What sort of boats did she carry and how many?” asked Rawlins. + +“Dories, Sir, six of ’em,” replied the sailor, “anything more, Sir?” + +“No, I think that’s all. Thanks for the information,” replied Rawlins +and then, reaching in his pocket he handed the man several cigars. + +Touching his forelock again and with a final hitch of his trousers the +sailor turned and strolled off with the rolling gait of the true +deep-water seaman. + +“Well, what do you make of it?” asked Mr. Pauling, when the sailor was +out of earshot. + +“I’ll say it’s blamed funny that packet was hanging around near the +sub,” replied Rawlins. “It might be a coincidence—Bahama smacks _do_ +come pretty well up here during the summer—and she might have been a +rum-runner, but putting two and two together I’d say she was waiting for +the sub and that the crew were on board her when the destroyer came up.” + +“Jove!” ejaculated Mr. Pauling. “Then you think she was a West Indian +boat?” + +“I don’t think, I know!” answered Rawlins. “A Bahama schooner—not any +doubt of that. Only Caribbean craft carry those two deck-houses and that +sprung jib-boom and the darkey skipper with the English accent just +clinches it. I’ll bet those square-heads were Russian Johnnies or Huns +off this darn sub. Say, if we don’t get a move on they’ll beat us to the +islands yet!” + +“Gosh!” exclaimed Tom. “I’ll bet they took their radio outfit aboard.” + +“I’ll say they did!” declared Rawlins. “And like as not they’ll be under +full sail for the Caribbean by now and working that radio overtime to +get word to the old High Panjandrum down there.” + +“Not if I know it!” cried Mr. Pauling. “Come along, Rawlins. I’m going +to see the Admiral.” + +The result of that hurried and exceedingly confidential interview was +that, as the boys and Mr. Rawlins were crossing the Manhattan Bridge in +Mr. Pauling’s car, they looked down and saw a lean, gray destroyer +sweeping down the river with two others in her wake, black smoke pouring +from their funnels, great mounds of foam about their bows and screeching +an almost incessant warning from their sirens as they sped seawards +bearing orders to overhaul and capture a Bahama schooner that, under a +cloud of canvas, was plunging southward on the farther edge of the Gulf +Stream, her mulatto skipper driving his craft to her utmost, while aloft +two monkeylike negro seamen were busily stretching a pair of slender +wires between the straining lofty topmasts. + +Two days later, a black-hulled liner steamed out from New York’s harbor +and dropping her pilot also headed southward for the Bahamas. Upon her +decks stood Tom and Frank with Mr. Pauling and Mr. Henderson by their +sides, while in the Navy Yard, with a marine guard tramping ceaselessly +back and forth about her, a submarine was being feverishly fitted for a +long cruise. + +After much discussion, Mr. Pauling had at last given consent to the boys +joining in the search for the mysterious master mind whose plans had so +far come to grief through their efforts, although he refused to consider +letting them go south on the captured submarine. But the boys had no +objections to this, for they did not look forward with any pleasure to +an ocean voyage in the sub-sea boat and were filled with excitement at +the thoughts of the adventures in store for them when they joined +Rawlins, and the submarine at a prearranged meeting place in the +Bahamas. + +As they watched the skyline of New York fade into the mists of the +summer afternoon and the smooth gray-green sea stretched before them +beyond the Narrows, they were thinking of the adventures which had so +strangely fallen to their lot in the great city and Tom chuckled. + +“Remember when we first called ourselves radio detectives?” he asked +Frank, “Gosh! we never thought we’d even strike anything the way we +did.” + +“You bet I do!” rejoined Frank. “Say, wasn’t Henry sore because he +couldn’t go and wasn’t he crazy to find out what we were going for? It’s +great! And we’re real radio detectives now—working for Uncle Sam, too!” + +“Rather, I should say, ‘radio secret service,’” said Mr. Henderson who +stood beside them. “But don’t talk about it. Remember the first thing +for a person in this service to learn is to hear everything, see +everything and say nothing.” + +“We will!” declared the boys in unison. + +“That’ll be our motto!” added Tom. “Isn’t it a bully one?” + +“As Mr. Rawlins would say, 'I’ll say it is’!” said Frank. + +THE END + + + + +BY A. HYATT VERRILL + + THE RADIO DETECTIVES + THE RADIO DETECTIVES UNDER THE SEA + THE RADIO DETECTIVES SOUTHWARD BOUND + THE DEEP SEA HUNTERS + THE BOOK OF THE MOTOR BOAT + ISLES OF SPICE AND PALM + +D. APPLETON AND COMPANY + +Publishers, New York + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RADIO DETECTIVES*** + + +******* This file should be named 39576-0.txt or 39576-0.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/9/5/7/39576 + + + +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. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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