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diff --git a/45546-h/45546-h.htm b/45546-h/45546-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e8da929 --- /dev/null +++ b/45546-h/45546-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5843 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> + <title>Dangerous Deeds, by Frank Cobb</title> + <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> + <meta content="images/cover.jpg" name="cover" /> + <meta name='DC.Title' content='Dangerous Deeds' /> + <meta name='DC.Creator' content='Frank Cobb' /> + <meta name='DC.Language' content='en' /> + <meta name='DC.Created' content='1927' /> + <style type="text/css"> + body { margin-left:8%;margin-right:8%; } + p { text-indent:0;margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;text-align:justify; } + .sc { font-variant:small-caps; } + .larger { font-size:larger; } + .xlarge { font-size:x-large; } + .smaller { font-size:smaller; } + /* line groups */ + .lg-container-b { text-align: center; } + .linegroup { display: inline-block; text-align: left; } + @media handheld { .linegroup { display: block; margin-left: 1.5em; }} + .linegroup .group { margin: 1em auto; } + .linegroup .line { text-indent: -3em; padding-left: 3em; } + .linegroup .in2 { text-indent: -2.0em; } + div.pbb { page-break-before:always; } + hr.pb { border:none;border-bottom:1px solid silver;margin:1em auto; } + @media handheld { hr.pb { display:none; }} + .figcenter { clear:both; max-width:100%; margin:2em auto; text-align:center; } + div.figcenter p { text-align:center; } + .ig001 { width:325px; max-width:100%; height:auto; } + .ig002 { width:100px; max-width:100%; height:auto; } + .ig003 { width:70px; max-width:100%; height:auto; } + .ic001 { width:325px; max-width:100%; display:inline-block; text-align:center; } + @media handheld { + .ig001 { width:325px; } + .ig002 { width:100px; } + .ig003 { width:70px; } + .ic001 { width:325px; } + } + .c000 { margin-top:1em } + .c001 { margin-top:4em; } + .c002 { text-align:center; } + .c003 { text-align:center;font-weight:normal;font-size:1.4em;page-break-before:auto; + margin-top:1em; } + .c004 { text-align:center;font-weight:normal;font-size:1.2em;page-break-before:auto; + margin-top:2em; } + .c005 { margin-top:2em;text-indent:1em;margin-bottom:0.0em; } + .c006 { text-indent:1em;margin-top:0.0em;margin-bottom:0.0em; } + .c007 { text-align:center;font-weight:normal;font-size:1.2em;margin-top:4em; } + .c008 { margin-left:5.56%;margin-right:5.56%;text-indent:0;margin-top:1em; + margin-bottom:0.0em; } + .c009 { margin-left:5.56%;margin-right:5.56%;text-indent:1em;margin-top:0.0em; + margin-bottom:0.0em; } + .c010 { margin-left:5.56%;margin-right:5.56%;text-align:right; } + .c011 { margin-top:1em;text-indent:1em;margin-bottom:0.0em; } + .c012 { margin-top:1em;text-align:center; } + .nf-center { text-align:center; } + .nf-center-c1 { text-align:left;margin:1em 0; } + </style> + </head> + <body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 45546 ***</div> + +<div class='figcenter'> +<div class='ic001'> +<img src='images/illus-fpc.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> +<p>Lawrence went through the secret manoeuvers but there was no response and he found his anxiety growing.</p> +</div> +</div> + +<div class='pbb'></div> +<hr class='pb' /> + +<div class='nf-center-c1'> + <div class='nf-center'> + <div><i>AVIATOR SERIES VOLUME 3</i></div> + <div class='c000'><span class='xlarge'>DANGEROUS DEEDS</span></div> + <div class='c000'>OR</div> + <div class='c000'><span class='larger'>THE FLIGHT IN THE DIRIGIBLE</span></div> + <div class='c000'>BY</div> + <div class='c000'><span class='larger'>CAPTAIN FRANK COBB</span></div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='figcenter'> +<img src='images/illus-emb.jpg' alt='' class='ig002' /> +</div> + +<div class='nf-center-c1'> +<div class='nf-center c001' > + <div>THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY</div> + <div class='c000'><span class='smaller'>CHICAGO AKRON, OHIO NEW YORK</span></div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='pbb'></div> +<hr class='pb' /> + +<div class='nf-center-c1'> + <div class='nf-center'> + <div>Copyright, MCMXXVII, by</div> + <div>THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY</div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='figcenter'> +<img src='images/saafield.png' alt='' class='ig003' /> +</div> + +<div class='c002'><span class='larger'>AVIATOR SERIES</span></div> + +<div class='lg-container-b'> + <div class='linegroup'> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>1 BATTLING THE CLOUDS,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Or, For a Comrade’s Honor</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>2 AN AVIATOR’S LUCK,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Or, The Camp Knox Plot</div> + </div> + <div class='group'> + <div class='line'>3 DANGEROUS DEEDS,</div> + <div class='line in2'>Or, The Flight in the Dirigible</div> + </div> + </div> +</div> + +<div class='c002'>Made in U. S. A.</div> + +<div class='pbb'></div> +<hr class='pb' /> + +<div> +<h1 class='c003'>DANGEROUS DEEDS</h1> +</div> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c004'>CHAPTER I</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>A heavy fog pressed down upon the city of +Washington. To the boy watching it from the +vantage point of the window in the top floor of the +apartment in which he stood, it spread as mysterious +and as sodden as a flood, enveloping streets, +parks, houses, indeed all but the tops of the highest +structures, the domes and roofs of public buildings +and spires of churches, and here and there a dark, +drowned mass of foliage.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The apartment stood on a height and as the boy +looked he saw a glow in the east, followed quickly +by thin banners of red and orange. Then the Sun +rose and turned the domes and spires swimming on +the sea of mist into fairy flotillas wrought of pearl +and gold.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Just as a churned and angry tide swirls into +some still cove and seems to melt and dissolve into +transparency, the opaque-fog slowly vanished. +Buildings and statues seemed to lift themselves out +of it and finally, broad and placid in the desertion +of dawn, the streets themselves appeared, winding +here and there in the wonderful curves designed by +the master-mind which make Washington one of +the beauty spots of the world.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Because he had looked down on most of the cities +of the world, because, young as he was, he had seen +thrilling shy views of towers and spires and +mosques and temples lifting under many skies, the +boy stood looking at the beautiful Capitol of his +native land with a swelling heart.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Suddenly from somewhere, everywhere, nowhere +came a faint, peculiar humming. Louder and +louder it grew. The boy flung open the window +and, leaning far out, scanned the cloudless sky with +practiced gaze. Far away in the west appeared a +thing of wings and sound flying far above those +other birds, the troubled buzzards, that dipped and +swayed and hung so easily in the invisible tides of +the air.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As the boy watched, another and still another +airplane appeared, close in the wake of the first, +until eleven of them, all light biplanes, dashed headlong +across the sky. Then, their pace slackening +somewhat, they formed in twos and again strung +out to compose the wide V of migrating geese.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The eleventh plane detached itself from the +others which now swung wide and swept around in +a graceful circle, while the single one, an instruction +plane, commanded the manoeuvers by means +of wireless telegraphy. Twice the ten planes circled. +Then the leader, turning sharply, led the +others in the direction of Mount Vernon until they +vanished. The single plane, lazy as the buzzards +below, hung almost motionless, waiting, effortless +and serene, until once more with a faint hum the +planes returned, lined up and hung at attention for +a moment, when the instruction plane turned and +in a wild rush of speed led its charges away in the +direction whence they had come.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Not until distance had stilled the final hum of +the last motor did the boy realize that he was clinging +precariously to the hard granite facing outside +the window, while leaning far out, too far out for +safety even for a young aviator who felt no dread +of falling.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“A great bunch of students,” he reflected, withdrawing +and turning to look at the room in which +he stood. It was the usual “beautifully furnished +bachelor apartment” of commerce. Wall paper +dark, in order not to show soil, odds and ends of +well-worn, not to say shabby mission furniture, a +table, chairs, a desk with a soiled blotter firmly +skewered down on its flat top, a crex rug. Beyond +was a small bedroom, and out of that any sleuth of +a de-tec-a-tive would have guessed there was a bathroom +if he had taken time to listen to the mournful +drip, drip of a leaky faucet.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence Petit looked the bare, unpretentious, +unhomelike room over with a smile. He had never +been so “well fixed,” as he said, but he did not +approve. Like everything else, the apartment was +an incident, a stepping-stone to something better.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He went to his suitcase and took out a pocket +portfolio and with a look of distaste at the soiled +blotter, sat down at the table, tried his fountain +pen and commenced to write. And while he is +busy, we will glance at the past of the young +aviator.</p> + +<p class='c006'>His own beginning he did not know. His first +remembrance was of a sordid, poverty-stricken +cabin where, with a group of other children, he +played and quarrelled and starved, and where a +slatternly woman gloomed or passed from one +screaming rage into another until quieted by a +black bottle brought her by an evil looking, leering +man at whose approach all the children scattered +and hid themselves. The children, when they +spoke to the woman at all, called her Moll. Lawrence +could not remember a time when the question +of his parentage had occurred to him. At this +period of his life he was little more than a healthy +little animal, content to sleep and play and fight +for the scanty food he was given, and, that failing, +to steal from the more fortunate neighbors.</p> + +<p class='c006'>In the woodshed, back of the shanty, a lean-to +scarcely worse than the house itself, stood a broken-down +bureau crammed with odds and ends of rags +and clothing too unspeakable for use. In this one +day, while Moll was digging through its confusion, +she chanced on a worn, black shopping bag. She +tossed it to Lawrence, known wholly at that time +as Snooks.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That’s yourn,” she said. “You keep a-hold of +that and don’t let those kids git it.” Then on second +thought she snatched it away from the child +and hung it on a rafter far out of his reach. For +a little it tantalized him, then it was forgotten until +a memorable morning when the welfare worker appeared +with a couple of officers, a patrol wagon and +an ambulance. Into the ambulance Moll was hurried, +to the children’s amazement. They had failed +to distinguish the ravings of fever from the outcries +attending the frequent visitation of the black +bottle. The dark man had disappeared.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As the welfare worker rounded the reluctant children +into the patrol wagon, Snooks ran back and +with a long stick knocked down the handbag.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What’s that?” asked the welfare lady.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It’s mine,” said Snooks in his hoarse, unchildish +voice. “Moll she give it to me and said to keep +it because it’s mine.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The welfare worker scented one of the strange +clues that often lie hidden for so long before they +appear to clear up a mystery, but the bag, a very +shabby, cheap affair, held nothing but a small +photograph wrapped up in a piece of newspaper, +and on another piece that had evidently been about +some small change as the shape of the money still +marked the scrap, was the name Lawrence, written +over and over as though to try a pen point.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Snooks was put in a home and once more the +bag passed out of his possession into the keeping +of the authorities who had him in charge. A name +was needed, and Snooks was asked to find one for +himself, a feat he was incapable of doing. So one +of the teachers, remembering the scrap of paper, +called him Lawrence and added Petit as the child +was so very small.</p> + +<p class='c006'>So Snooks, dirty, unkempt and blankly ignorant, +became Lawrence Petit, a ward of the city of Louisville.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Bathed, clipped, and neatly clad, the boy changed +almost at once. He seemed possessed by an overpowering +ambition. He learned rapidly,—so rapidly +that he forged ahead of all his classmates. +Lectures on health and strength that bored the +other children held him spellbound. He became +quick and wiry as a cat, with lean limbs and perfectly +trained muscles. As time passed, he heard +stories of homes and of mothers and fathers that +filled him with sick longing, but finally he accepted +his fate and as he grew older made up his mind that +he must remain Lawrence Petit, with no people, no +home, no age, no past; just a nameless waif in an +orphanage.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Two great passions consumed the boy. He was +bound to fly; he was bound to succeed in life.</p> + +<p class='c006'>If any of us want a thing badly enough and long +enough, we always find that we are given a chance +to get it. There was a young teacher in the Home +who spent much time with Lawrence and made it +possible for him to read everything that was +written about airplanes and balloons and all sorts of +aircraft. When an aircraft factory was started in +Louisville to supply the growing demands for private +machines, this teacher secured employment for +Lawrence, and soon he was dismissed from the +Home as perfectly able to care for himself. With +him went the shabby bag; and now for the first +time the boy took time to look at its contents. He +had had no desire to do so before. He looked long +at the scrap with the name Lawrence scrawled over +it, and the other scrap around the photograph he +read carefully, but evidently it had been torn from +the advertising page of a newspaper and had to do +with “Help Wanted, Female.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The picture was that of a most beautiful young +woman. Perfect features and masses of glorious +hair made the face seem almost unreal, but its chief +charm was the look of happiness that filled it.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Who can she be?” the boy Lawrence asked himself. +She did not seem over fifteen or sixteen years +of age. Lawrence put the bag and its contents +back in his trunk but could not forget the lovely, +laughing face. He buckled down to work with a +new ambition. Past he had none. He determined +to make for himself a future that he could be proud +of. And because he had no one, actually no one +in the whole world to call his own, he adopted the +picture for his “folks.” He never named her sister +or mother; he just worked for her and looked at her +when the way seemed hard.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As time passed he developed a perfectly amazing +sense of balance and direction, coupled with more +common sense than falls to the lot of most, and one +day he left the factory and went out to the nearest +aviation field as assistant mechanician. From this +he rose by bounds until he was accounted the best +airman on the field. After he found that most of +his time was to be spent far above the earth, he +commenced to worry about the picture. What if +his things should be burned up? What if the picture +should be stolen? So, cutting a piece of cardboard +the exact size, he went down and bought a +leather pocket case in which he placed the picture, +and always after that he wore it buttoned securely +in his pocket. He felt better then; his “folks” +were with him. Back of the picture he placed the +two scraps of paper, and with this frail safeguard +spread his wings and took flight courageously toward +the goal he had set for himself.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Five years had passed since the signing of the +Armistice and many of the wounds of that unforgettable +war had healed. Many things had happened, +both in America and abroad.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Aircraft had changed both in nature and construction. +Mufflers were in widespread use, indeed +were required by law, and now the wing-filled sky +did not rattle and reverberate with the roar of engines +unless on special class or instruction work. +Traffic machines went with silent, steady directness +along their uncharted courses, while dainty +troops of pleasure craft flitted everywhere, their +brightly painted wings and hulls glistening in the +sun.</p> + +<p class='c006'>To Lawrence Petit the upper air seemed his +home. He remained on the earth only so long as +it was positively necessary; and now, writing busily +on his tablet, he felt that he was on the eve of an +adventure which promised to carry him higher and +farther than any which he had yet attempted. He +referred to the letter before him. It was long and +typewritten on handsome paper. Hamilton Ridgeway, +the writer, was one of the greatest powers in +the United States. It was in obedience to his summons +that Lawrence had come to Washington and +was now waiting impatiently for the hour of his +interview with the great man.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Young as he was, Lawrence had learned to respect +that powerful personality who numbered the +kings and princes of the earth as his friends, who +handled millions as other men handle pennies, who +always stood ready to finance any great national +undertaking, yet who was so simple and kindly that +he never failed to send back a cheery hello to the +newsie who happened to know and speak his name. +Hamilton Ridgeway had been told of the remarkable +feats of the young aviator, and with his shrewd +ability to pick men he was about to interview the +boy to see of what material he was really made.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It was an ordeal that would have made most boys +so nervous that they would have appeared ill at +ease, but Lawrence, as he noted that it was almost +time to start for his appointment, calmly put up +his writing, brushed his hair, glanced at his wrist +watch, and seeing that he still had five minutes to +spare, sat down by the window and opened the +pocket case. Long and tenderly he gazed at the +pictured face.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I will do the very best I know, just for you,” he +said, smiling back at it. “I don’t suppose I will +ever know who you are, but we belong to each other +somehow, don’t we? And I am going to make good +just so I can always like to look at you. Gee, you +are sweet! You must be old enough to be my +mother because you have looked just like you do +now ever since I first saw you back there at Moll’s. +Too bad she died! I always thought she could +have told me something about you, you Pretty, but +I reckon I will never get to know any more of you +than I do now.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He shook his head sadly. “You are so pretty,” +he murmured. “A fellow would do anything for +a mother like you; live clean and keep straight, and +work his head off besides, to make you proud of +him. Tell you what I will do, Pretty. I am going +to make believe that you are waiting for me somewhere, +and I have got to make good before we meet. +How’s that? A bargain?” he smiled back at the +smiling pictured eyes and, placing the case carefully +in his pocket, put on his hat and overcoat and +started off to meet Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER II</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>A little later, sitting in the plain but convenient +office opposite the great man he had come to see, +Lawrence was impressed by the power and force in +the steady eyes that looked so straight into his own, +and in the kind mouth and forceful broad brow +saw a promise of clean dealing and deep wisdom.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I cannot get over my surprise at your youth,” +said Mr. Ridgeway. “It seems a foolish procedure +to give such a great enterprise into the hands of a +boy like you. Are you sure,” he added, laughing, +“that you have not a father or brother to whom I +should be talking?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No, sir; I am the one you sent for,” replied +Lawrence. “I have been fooling with airplanes +and balloons ever since I graduated from kites.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“How old are you?” asked Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I don’t know, sir,” said Lawrence, a flush +mounting to his brow. “I am a waif. I do not +know my own name, or my age. I was taken from +one of the worst parts of the city to the Home where +I was partly brought up. I have no hope of ever +finding anyone belonging to me.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Have you no clues?” asked Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I fear not, sir,” he replied. “At least they are +too slight to be considered. I speak of this because +I think you ought to know that whatever becomes +of me, there is no one to rejoice and no one to +grieve.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I am sorry,” said Mr. Ridgeway simply. “Yet +for my purpose, that simplifies everything. You +will embark on a desperate enterprise if you attempt +what I have in mind for you to do. And I +cannot tell you, indeed I cannot guess the outcome. +It depends largely on your own daring, caution and +ability. Your youth is your best safeguard because +no one would ever believe you to be embarked on +anything like this.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I am willing to take the risks,” said Lawrence +simply.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Then you may try it,” decided the great man. +“I believe there were two other men coming to see +me this morning on this same errand. Step into +my private office until I see them. Perhaps one or +both will do to work in as mechanicians.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Still in the dark as to what Mr. Ridgeway wanted +him to undertake, Lawrence was about to go into +the other room when a clerk rapped on the outer +door and entered without waiting for a summons. +His face was pale, and his eyes rolled wildly. +“M-m-m-ister Ridgeway, sir,” he stuttered, +“those two gentlemen who were waiting outside +for you, they are both asleep.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Both <em>what</em>?” asked Mr. Ridgeway sharply.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Both asleep, and we can’t wake either of them.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Drugged!” exclaimed Mr. Ridgeway, glancing +at Lawrence. “Come on, you may as well see this +thing out before you decide to cast your fortune in +such dangerous places.” He rushed to the door, +followed by Lawrence and the agitated clerk.</p> + +<p class='c006'>On a broad settee in the waiting-room two men +were sprawled. Mr. Ridgeway took one keen +glance at their pallid faces and half closed lids, between +which their pupils, contracted to pin points, +glared strangely.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Drugged!” he said again. Then stepping to +the telephone, he called the office of the great building +and asked sharply, “Office, is the house doctor +there? Ask him to come to Mr. Ridgeway’s office, +nineteenth floor, immediately.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He returned to the settee, where the men still +sprawled. “Lay them flat on the floor,” he ordered.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Scarcely had this been done when the doctor, a +small, keen young man, entered with a little bag +in his hand. His sharp eyes swept the group and +he nodded to Mr. Ridgeway as he hastened to the +two men on the floor and dropped on one knee beside +them.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Drugged,” he said, glancing up.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I thought so,” said Mr. Ridgeway. “They +couldn’t get enough whiskey in as dry a land as +this is now to affect them like this. Besides, their +pupils; do you see them?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Contracted to nothing,” said Doctor Lansing. +He prepared a hypodermic needle and made an injection +in each left forearm.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“If there is no response of the heart action after +fifteen minutes,” he said, “I will know that they +are suffering from one of the three newly discovered +anesthetics which are so deadly in the hands +of a criminal.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Don’t you think we had better get them to the +hospital at once?” asked Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not until the fifteen minutes pass,” said the +doctor. “If the needle takes effect, they will be +all right in an hour or two; at least they could be +taken home, but if it is the other, we will have a +long tussle with them.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, this settles one thing,” said Mr. Ridgeway +decidedly. “We have had every office building in +this and every other large city supplied with house +physicians for the last three years, but another law +must be made requiring every building over a certain +size to equip a hospital room for first-aid.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It would be a great thing,” said Doctor Lansing, +his keen eyes on his two patients, “both for the patients +and the doctors. I have had to send many a +sufferer home or to the hospital when some slight +surgical or electrical care would have finished the +matter within a short time, and with a great deal +less suffering.” He took out his stethoscope, listened +to each heart, and rose. “Well, Mr. Ridgeway, +these men are suffering from administration, +by themselves or others, of one of the new poisons. +Do you know who they are?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes,” said Mr. Ridgeway. “I can tell you +about them, but first get them to the hospital.” He +called for an ambulance, and as soon as he had seen +the unconscious victims of an unknown villain’s +dastard hand carried away, he turned and beckoned +Lawrence to follow him into his private office. +Sinking down in his chair, he passed a hand +through the thick masses of grey hair and sighed.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“There you have it, Lawrence,” he said.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I don’t believe I understand,” replied Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Sit down then,” said Mr. Ridgeway, “and I +will explain.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“In the first place,” he commenced, “young as +you are, you must have felt the dangerous mood the +whole world is in. Of course the adjustment after +a world war necessarily takes several generations. +But to us who happen to be on hand during that +adjustment comes the task of hurrying the thing +along as much as we possibly can. For this comes +the need for absolutely safe transportation of papers, +messages and money. Often, too, there is the +need for the transportation of millions of dollars’ +worth of jewels—jewels enough to ransom whole +principalities, let alone a king or two.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“We have worked this thing out with the greatest +difficulty, trying one method after another, +sending our papers in disguised packages, with +trusted messengers, and using the most intricate +codes. But all the time there are leaks. For instance, +a short time ago a message to the King of +Morania, sent under a triplicate code, that is, a +code that must be translated three times, was intercepted +and only the fact that it was a false message +sent to try out a new system kept us from the +brink of a fresh war.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“These things are only known to the inner circles, +you understand. It would not do to frighten +and agitate the public with intimate affairs of state. +But we absolutely <em>must</em> find a means of transportation +that is as free from danger, free from spies and +thieves, as it is possible to invent.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“As a last resort, we are going to make use of the +dirigible. This of course is where you come in.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“In my private business I have used planes, +hydroplanes and one or two dirigibles and as they +are well known to be used exclusively for passenger +and freight service, they have never been interfered +with in any way. I am not known to be working +with the government, and my one hope was that +we could take the new dirigible that has just been +completed for me and make use of it for the transportation +of these priceless documents that mean +so much to the peace of the world.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What has happened this morning troubles me +more than I can tell you. Someone suspects us, or +else those two men are the victims of a private +enemy.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The telephone bell jingled. Mr. Ridgeway lifted +the receiver and adjusted the delicate needle point +on the desk pad by means of which all telephone +conversations were recorded, a new invention which +Lawrence had heard of but had not seen. Mr. +Ridgeway listened with a frown darkening his +brow.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I will be right out,” he said finally, and replaced +the receiver.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, the new dirigible was wrecked in the +night,” he said. “That looks like business! Come +on; we will go out and look the ground over. That +is, if you care to cast your lot with such a dangerous +game.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Of course,” said Lawrence simply. “I shall enjoy +it.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Good!” said Mr. Ridgeway. “We will draw +up the necessary papers this afternoon. I want you +on your past record as an airman, and your youth +is a good safeguard to you. Also you are not +afraid. Your duties will be whatever the moment +calls for. You may have to drive the car, you may +be simply a passenger, a messenger, or a boy idling +around the hangars. I want you to be ears and +eyes and hands and brain for me. Rather a large +order? Well, you will be paid well for it.” He +paused and then named a sum that made Lawrence +catch his breath, so large was it.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“All our transactions are confidential,” he said.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Entering a small but perfect roadster, Mr. +Ridgeway drove rapidly out of the city to the aviation +field, where he found a group of excited men around +the new dirigible.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Well guarded as the place evidently was, someone +had entered in the night and completely destroyed +the delicate machinery. The propellers too +were unscrewed, and the blades hacked.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence was shocked, and the men around were +furious. It rather reflected on their care when +such an outrage could occur inside of an area where +watchmen were supposed to patrol incessantly. +Mr. Ridgeway, however, showed no signs of anger. +He ordered an investigation and told the head mechanician +to see what could be done with the wreck. +Then, pleasant as ever, he drove back to the city. +“I am certainly glad that happened,” he said as +they left the field behind.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Glad?” said Lawrence in astonishment. +“Glad? Why, it seems <em>terrible</em> to me!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not at all,” said Mr. Ridgeway. “The point is +this. Now we know that we are suspected. We +know that this spying is a serious matter. The +knowledge arms us. As for the dirigible—” he +paused, and to Lawrence’s amazement laughed a +merry, whole-souled laugh as though the loss of +a machine worth many thousands of dollars was a +matter of no consequence at all.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Being my right hand man, Lawrence, I will tell +you a secret,” he said after a moment. “That dirigible +was not as new as it looked. It was an +assembled machine, made up of about a dozen old +ones that had been picked up here and there. I +took good care, however, that all the papers held +long accounts of the wonderful new machine that +was being built for Hamilton Ridgeway, and as I +own a lot of the papers, I assure you the accounts +were glowing. Well, whoever tackled that bunch +of junk in the night was unable to use more than a +small glow from a pocket flash, so, as all the brass +work was carefully polished and every part looked +spick and span, there was no way for even a tried +machinist to tell that the dirigible was not just +what had been so widely advertised and photographed: +Hamilton Ridgeway’s new dirigible for +passenger service and light commercial enterprises.” +He laughed again.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Then as though from force of habit he looked +over his shoulder.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I declare, the only place I like to talk confidences +is in a ten acre lot,” he said, “but there is +no place for anyone to hang on behind here.” He +leaned toward Lawrence. “The new machine, safe +and sound last night at least, is back on the sand +hills in New Jersey, south of Barnegat. Two fishing +launches are there in the inlet, but under the +tarpaulins are small but effective machine guns. +The fishermen fooling around in them are <em>not</em> as +peaceful as they look. They are secret service men. +In a hut back on the rise of ground to the west +three other fishermen are smoking and lounging. +They too have badges under their smocks. So +we fooled ’em this time anyway,” laughed the great +man.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence was silent. He felt the thrill of the +old knight when he went galloping forth in quest +of a dragon. This monster, threatening his country, +was as dangerous and mysterious a dragon as +any of the two- or ten-headed monsters that sent the +fighting men of a long past age scouring over the +downs and moors of merry old England.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Being younger, he was not so much inclined to +laugh as Mr. Ridgeway. He wondered where the +leak was that made it so easy for the dragon to approach.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Parking the car, they went to luncheon and then +returned to Mr. Ridgeway’s office, where they found +a thick-set man pacing the floor of the waiting-room +and showing a good many signs of impatience. +As they entered he walked quickly over to Mr. +Ridgeway and said in a quick tone, “I tried to beat +you in from the field, Mr. Ridgeway, but of course +we busted a tire and had to stop, and then your man +told me he thought you had gone to lunch, so I just +stuck around.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He looked curiously at Lawrence, and Mr. Ridgeway +said,</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Come into my office, O’Brien. You may tell +me anything you have to say before this young man. +He is in my employ now.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Sort of a young kid for our work, isn’t he, Mr. +Ridgeway?” asked O’Brien, smiling a wide, mirthful +Irish smile at Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Pretty young,” admitted Mr. Ridgeway, “but +I don’t think it will hurt him.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It is something he is sure to get over, give him +time,” said the Irishman whimsically. Then as the +heavy door closed, “Well, Mr. Ridgeway, I am the +bearer of news. The watchman that has the beat +from two until four was sick last night and I took +his place, swearing him to silence about the change. +He went to bed in my room, and I went out on the +beat. At about three I sneaked close to the hangar +and thought I could hear something making a sort +of scratchin’ noise inside. I had a auger hole all +fixed a good while ago, and I peeked.”</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER III</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>“Well, what did you see?” demanded Mr. +Ridgeway as the man paused.</p> + +<p class='c006'>But he did not answer. He had been leaning on +the edge of the massive table that Mr. Ridgeway +used as a desk, and his fingers were feeling under +the edge of the mahogany top. Suddenly he sank +to his knees, and peered under the edge. Then he +beckoned Mr. Ridgeway and Lawrence. Totally at +a loss to imagine what O’Brien was doing, they too +sank to their knees and looked under the table.</p> + +<p class='c006'>After a glance Mr. Ridgeway sprang to his feet +and stared at O’Brien, who delivered a huge wink +in the direction of the table. Then he started in +as though he had only stopped talking long enough +to clear his throat.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, I peeked,” he said, “and there was a feller +mauling that dirigible around and hacking at +the propellers. I knew him at a glance; he was a +dude I had discharged last week; wasn’t no good so +I let him go, an’ he wanted to get even, so he done +it by destroyin’ that machine. Of course I didn’t +see his face, but I know the looks of his back,” +added O’Brien, again winking at the table.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway played up gallantly.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I am glad you, found out who it was, O’Brien. +Will you swear out a warrant? I am sorry about +the dirigible, but I can get along without it for +awhile. I am going out to the Golf Club now. +Can I give either of you a lift?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>It seemed to Lawrence as though the two men +were acting a part. He wondered if by any chance +O’Brien had discovered one of the wonderful listening +machines under the edge of the table. If +that was so, their enemy must be close to them. +He kept still, and let the others talk.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No, sir; I am going right over to the police station +and tell ’em what I know,” said O’Brien.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I will have to go down to the Union Station and +see about having my trunk sent up,” said Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien nodded, as though pleased with the boy’s +quickness of perception.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The three walked out, Mr. Ridgeway slamming +the door sharply after him. Then instead of turning +to the elevator, he started toward the back of +the corridor, and reaching a small door inserted a +key and opened it on a narrow, winding stairway +walled into the building. It was nothing more +than a perpendicular tunnel, with a narrow staircase +winding through it. Leading O’Brien and +Lawrence into this dimly lighted burrow, Mr. +Ridgeway, with a sharp glance down the corridor, +closed the door, locked it, and motioned O’Brien, +who was ahead, to ascend the stairs. He went +swiftly, the others close at his heels. Up and up +he went, in obedience to a whispered word from +Mr. Ridgeway, until a ground glass skylight marked +the end of the stairway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Open!” whispered Mr. Ridgeway, and with a +heave of his broad shoulder O’Brien pushed the +skylight up and the three emerged on the pebbled +roof of the building. Replacing the skylight, +O’Brien looked at his superior for further orders.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well,” said Mr. Ridgeway, “I told you this +morning, Lawrence, that I never liked to talk unless +I was in the middle of a ten-acre lot. So they +are listening, are they, O’Brien? Well, we are safe +here, I should think. For this time, anyway. Let +us get away from these chimneys.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>They walked out into the center of the great +space that indicated the size of the building, and +O’Brien, picking up a pebble and tossing it as he +spoke, said:</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, sir, it looks as though there was more in +the wind than we have been bargaining for. At all +events, they have shown us their hand. It is not a +coincidence that so many things have happened to +hamper us, and the destruction in the shops and +around the hangars that has appeared merely +slovenly, sinful waste, has been the work of these +same dirty miscreants. You are spotted, sir, sure +as sure! Known to be working with the government, +and instrumental in passing messages and +what not along to wherever they ought to go. +What are you going to do about it? If you will +excuse me for saying it, sir, I think you ought to +duck.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Duck? Duck where?” asked Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Anywhere you like, say South America, or +Alaska, or there’s good shooting up at Hudson Bay +or was when I was in the Mounted Police of +Canada.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why should I duck?” demanded Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why, sir, they have you spotted, and you are +too valuable a man to this country to take any +chances. Suppose they send you West?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Kill me, you mean?” asked Mr. Ridgeway. +“Well, O’Brien, thank you, but of course you know +that I will stay and take my chance. If they have +me spotted as you say, why, they will spend a good +deal of time watching me, and that will leave the +field clear for you and Lawrence. I will have to +depend on you for a good deal. For one thing, I +think we had better stage a small scrap, when we +go downstairs, and I will discharge Lawrence, and +will order you somewhere out of range. Then we +will not meet without the greatest precautions. +Where are you living, O’Brien?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I have a room and bath over in the southeast +part of the city,” answered O’Brien.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“And you, Lawrence?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Up on the heights, sir. I like to be high.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I wish you were closer together,” mused Mr. +Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“There are twin beds in my bedroom,” said +Lawrence. “I wish you would come over there if +you feel like it, Mr. O’Brien.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I accept without further parley,” said O’Brien. +“Have you a telephone?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes,” said Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“A regular swell, this lad,” said O’Brien, smiling. +“Well, give Mr. Ridgeway our address, and +let’s go down and get fired.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>They descended, reconnoitered the corridor carefully, +and retraced their steps. Mr. Ridgeway entered +his office alone and pressed the button on his +desk. A boy appeared.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I am expecting the young fellow who was with +me this morning,” he said. “When he comes send +him in.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>When Lawrence entered, he said severely,</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I have looked your credentials over, young man, +and I find that in one or two regards they are not +exactly what I desire. If there is anything I can +do for you, I will be glad to do it, but I think our +talk this morning will have to go for nothing!” +He scuffled a few papers on his desk, and Lawrence, +in as disappointed a tone as he could muster, said, +“I am very sorry, sir. If you do not care for my +services, I think I had better go back to Louisville. +I have a standing offer of a job in the Aircraft +Company’s shops there.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>As he spoke he noiselessly stepped forward and +handed Mr. Ridgeway a paper with his telephone +number on it.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I insist on giving you a check for your railroad +fare,” said Mr. Ridgeway, and took up a pen. +What he wrote however was not the few magic +words on a blank check, but the words, “Do not +come here. Go to your apartment and stay there +until ten tonight. Then both of you come to my +address; skirt the wall until you find a gate. It +will be unlocked. Follow the path at the right +until you come to a porch with a French window. +This will be open. Go into the room and wait +there in the dark until I come.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence nodded and handed the note back. +Mr. Ridgeway touched a match to it, at the same +time lighting a cigar so that the smell of burned +paper would not be evident.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Thank you, sir,” said Lawrence as though he +had received a check. “And good-bye.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The door closed, and he was alone. He sat staring +at the edge of the table that hid the wicked little +device which had handed him over into the hands +of his enemies. No wonder plans had gone wrong! +And now when so much hinged on the attitude of +the country to the new Republic in Europe, and +when the question of a mammoth loan was a matter +of the most importance. As he mused, O’Brien +jerked the door open and came in. Although +O’Brien knew that the listener at the end of the +tiny wire could not see him, he was by nature too +much of an actor not to play the whole part. So +he came in swaggering and approaching the table +said truculently, “I come back to see you, sir, on +something important.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Speak up, my man,” said Mr. Ridgeway. “I +am rather busy, and hereafter you will send in +your name.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I won’t send nothing,” said O’Brien, “unless I +get a raise. I work twice as hard and long as any +man at the field, and there are twenty planes to +look over and keep in order, to say nothing of that +dirigible that I will have to nurse back to health. +I want more money.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Impossible!” exclaimed Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No such thing!” growled O’Brien. “I know +you! Take me or leave me!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It’s the latter then, O’Brien. I won’t be bullied +by you or any other man,” said Mr. Ridgeway with +a wink.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Then that settles it,” said O’Brien. “Belave +me when I say I am glad to be through with the +likes of you, and if you will pay me what you owe +I will get me a job where I am appreciated.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He pointed toward the door with his stubby +thumb, and Mr. Ridgeway, taking the hint, said, +“Wait here and I will get your money,” and left +the room.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As soon as the door closed O’Brien proceeded to +abuse Mr. Ridgeway with all the fluency and fervor +of his Irish tongue. Clearly and distinctly he addressed +the air with a shower of choice phrases. +He abused, he threatened, he raved, never once +forgetting to hold his voice clear and steady as though +addressing a stupid central on a buzzing line. According +to his remarks, Mr. Ridgeway had insulted +him. And he would get even. Over and over, he +promised himself that he would get even. And +then in the very middle of O’Brien’s finest flight of +fancy, the door opened. Like turning off a top, +O’Brien shut up, took what Mr. Ridgeway offered +him and with a growl went out, slamming the door.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Good riddance!” growled Mr. Ridgeway in his +turn, then shaking his fist at the table, he too went +out, springing the lock.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The rest of the afternoon he spent at the Chevy +Chase golf course but it is likely that a worse game +was never played over that course. The Honorable +Theodore Miller, who had asked him to play, +went through one fit of amazement and remorse into +another. Amazement that such tops and foozles +could come from a sane man, and remorse that he +was obliged to waste the afternoon with such a +being. Mr. Ridgeway did not notice that he was +playing badly, but thumped and whacked away at +the ball with a frowning look that Senator Miller +took for an earnest desire to mend his stroke, but +which in fact indicated utter absent-mindedness. +Mr. Ridgeway knew that if he was being watched, +he must put up an appearance of unconcern, and +so the Golf Club.</p> + +<p class='c006'>But that night soon after dinner he spoke a few +words over a private wire that led to the private +room of a Certain Great Person, and soon Mr. +Ridgeway was with him in close consultation. He +came away looking more anxious than ever. He +had learned that an answer had been drawn up for +the young republic which needed help, and that +another country close on its borders was ready to +declare war if there seemed to be anything in the +way of affiliation with the United States. Besides +this, there reposed in the strongest of the strong +boxes at the Treasury the crown jewels of a monarch +who had sent them across for safe keeping six +years ago, and who now wanted them returned at +once to figure at the introduction of the Crown +Prince on his twenty-first birthday.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The jewels and the state papers all must be delivered +safely within two months. Otherwise.... +Mr. Ridgeway did not like to think of the otherwise.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The jewels had no business in the country at all. +They had been allowed to come over piecemeal, by +the ill-advised judgment of one who should have +known enough to keep clear of everything to do +with little principalities with their many entanglements +and jealousies. However, the deed was +done.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Walking along Pennsylvania Avenue, Mr. Ridgeway +called at The Willard to see a man who was +then in Bolivia, and took a taxi to the Army and +Navy Club. Then he went home, and to his own +room, where he lighted all the lights and for a +moment stood looking out the window before pulling +down the blinds.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Then hastily he slipped off his shoes and felt his +way down to the library, where he seated himself +in his favorite chair beside the big table and, leaning +back, gave himself up to his thoughts. He +knew that it would be fifteen minutes or so before +he could expect his visitors.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Suddenly a draft of air struck the back of his +head. He knew that he had closed the door leading +into the hall. He turned and half rose in his +chair, but too late. Something descended with a +sickening thud and without a groan he rolled over +on the floor, a dead weight.</p> + +<p class='c006'>When later O’Brien and Lawrence entered by the +window, as they had been told, they sat down on a +couple of chairs that they were able to find in the +darkness and proceeded to wait. But O’Brien was +like a hound. He <em>sensed</em> disaster. Leaning close +to Lawrence, he whispered, “There is something +wrong here. I can smell it. I am going to light +up.” With the words, he pressed on his electric +searchlight, and slowly turned the brilliant ray +about the room. What he saw caused him to leap +to the window, lower the blind, and then switch on +the big ceiling light.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Half under the table lay a tumbled figure. All +the drawers were dragged out and ransacked and +scattered papers which had been hastily unfolded +and read were scattered everywhere.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Is he dead?” gasped Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien listened to Mr. Ridgeway’s heart. +“Niver a bit! Sure he’s coming round pretty quick +belike. What’s in that vase of posies? Wather? +Gimme!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He turned the big vase over on the unconscious +man, and while nearly drowning him, it brought +him to consciousness with a gasp. He looked up.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Don’t rise, sir!” begged O’Brien. “Lay still +now and collect your thoughts. Golly, that was a +crack! I told you what would happen, didn’t I +then? You are needing a nurse, and a steel jacket +and a tin lid like the good old times of the late war +if so be you are going to get tapped like this.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>In a few minutes Mr. Ridgeway was able to sit +up, and with a rueful look gazed around at the disordered +room. With a little help he got into his +chair, and sighed. O’Brien, as though he had always +been an inmate of the house, went through +the dining-room, and beyond in a little breakfast +room found a percolator all ready for breakfast. +In a jiffy he had the coffee ready, and returned to +Mr. Ridgeway with a steaming cup which he insisted +on him drinking. The hot liquid seemed to +revive Mr. Ridgeway, and presently he sat up, +asking:</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, O’Brien and Lawrence, what part did you +play in the late unpleasantness?”</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER IV</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>O’Brien burst out with an exclamation of anger, +“By gosh, sir, this thing is going too far! I don’t +intend to stand by and see you murdered. You +have had a close shave here tonight, and something +has <em>got</em> to be done. Where is Mrs. Ridgeway?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“She is in England visiting some relatives,” said +Mr. Ridgeway with a triumphant laugh. “So you +won’t get any backing from her. I sent her over +there three months ago.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, <em>something</em> has got to be done all right, all +right,” said the secret service man sullenly.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway pressed his aching head. “I +think this will end it,” he said. “They have found +no papers, and they will let well enough alone. +You know as well as I do, O’Brien, that they will +know that I will be on guard after this. And I <em>will</em> +be. I will set a lot of detectives around here, each +with a badge as big as a dinner plate. And I will +sit and do nothing, and you can do the work.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“All right; that is more like what I want to +hear,” said O’Brien, smiling at last. “You are doing +enough, Mr. Ridgeway, when you finance the +affair. You have had all those airplanes built, and +those dirigibles, and if you sit tight and boss, that +is all we will ask for. Just you let me and Lawrence +push the rest of the work.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I will have to keep quiet for a day or two anyway,” +said Mr. Ridgeway. “I feel sort of old tonight. +I wish I had a son or two to look out for +me. But you are all right, O’Brien. Do whatever +you like.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Then to bed you go, first of all,” said the practical +Irishman, “and whilst I get some plainclothes +men here for a guard, you can sit with him, +Lawrence, and don’t you let a soul in the room.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“The servants are all in bed and there is no one +else to come,” said Mr. Ridgeway drowsily.</p> + +<p class='c006'>With a good deal of help he managed to get to the +little automatic elevator, and they put him to bed. +While Lawrence put cold compresses on the bruised +head, O’Brien telephoned for the police and placed +a guard around the house. Then he summoned +Mr. Ridgeway’s doctor, who examined the wound +and assured them that there was no concussion. +By the time all this was done, it was nearly three +o’clock in the morning.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Let’s to bed,” yawned O’Brien. “It’s coming +home with you I am, Larry. I expect you’ll loan +me the matter of some pajammies?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Sure!” said Lawrence. “But I don’t know +how they will fit.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Fit, fit!” said O’Brien, hailing a passing taxi. +“Fit? Sure, I could sleep this night in lead pajammies, +any size whatever.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>True enough, O’Brien rolled into bed and was +asleep in a moment, but Lawrence tossed restlessly +a long time before he could quiet himself. He was +worried about Mr. Ridgeway, and he wished +O’Brien would wake up and tell him just what he +feared from the spies or conspirators, or whatever +they were. And he wondered about Mr. Ridgeway, +and was sorry that he had no sons, and wished, +poor Lawrence, that <em>he</em> was Mr. Ridgeway’s son. +How proud he would be! But he knew that he +would always be Lawrence Petit, the waif, with +only a pictured face for a family.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien snored on gently and endlessly, and at +last, lulled by the sound, Lawrence went to sleep. +When he awoke, O’Brien was in the bathroom running +a bath, and singing <em>Sweet Rosy O’More</em> in a +mellow baritone. He sounded like a man who has +not a care in the world.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence jumped up. It was eight o’clock. +They had overslept an hour. But when he asked +O’Brien how he had happened to sleep so late, that +songful gentleman declared that there was nothing +to do but enjoy themselves and he intended to go +to a movie and sit through it twice, so he could +think.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Will you go along with me?” he asked.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I would rather fly,” said Lawrence. “I wish +I could get hold of a plane. I would feel better if +I could get off the earth for a while. I can never +think so well as when I am up a few hundred feet.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Go as high as you like,” said O’Brien. “Here, +I will give you a bit of a paper, and just you go out +to the field and give it to the man in charge there, +and all that you will have to do after that is to pick +which plane you want. You can’t use the dirigible +because it is smashed up.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I would rather have a plane to-day,” said +Lawrence. “I want to get used to the country +around here. I shall drive the dirigible when it is +in order, but I like to take my bearings first. It +is funny, I have flown all over the United States +and Europe, but this is the first time I was ever +in Washington.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, take one of the little sky-flivvers and have +a good time, but be careful about landin’. A nose-dive +or a tail-spin makes good readin’ in the Sunday +papers, and you get a grand write-up all about +the darin’ young aviator So-and-So, but it’s little +interest <em>you</em> feel in the article yourself.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence took a street car out as far as he could, +and after a brisk walk reached the field. Everything +was going smoothly. He offered his paper +to the man in charge, and that individual, after +grumbling a little at letting a kid go up with a +perfectly good machine, let Lawrence look the +twenty planes over and choose the one he fancied.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence refused a passenger, and with a good +start soared off the field and rose until the city of +Washington lay far below him. He had not made +a flight for a couple of weeks, and his heart thrilled. +After a few wide circles that took in the shipping +at the Navy Yard and all the outlying parts of the +city, he flew over Baltimore. The return he made +low, and studied the woods and landing places, to +make himself sure of his ground.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As he neared Washington again, he saw a plane +approaching from the south. It came straight for +him, and he had an idea that it was trying to communicate +with him by means of the wireless. He +glanced down and found that, contrary to usage, +his own machine was not equipped. So he paid no +attention to the stranger other than to swerve out +of the way. But the plane turned and followed. +Lawrence, curious to know what it was up to, +slowed down and allowed it to overtake him. His +trained ear told him by the sound of the engine +that his own plane was the faster and more powerful +but he had no intention of racing as he thought +the other pilot wanted to do.</p> + +<p class='c006'>So he slowed down, and as the other machine +came alongside he saw that they were flashing messages +with a mirror, using the Morse code, which +had become one of the requirements in the public +schools.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Who are you?” demanded the stranger. +“Who are you?” over and over. Lawrence had no +mirror and for a moment was at a loss how to reply. +There was something threatening about the +manner of the other plane, and Lawrence had no +desire to get into a combat in the clouds over +nothing. He had an idea, and as the other plane imperiously +repeated the words he managed to take +off the muffler, and in the roar of the engine he +spelled out:</p> + +<p class='c006'>“A tourist seeing the sights. Who are you?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Where from?” demanded the mirror.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Louisville. Who are you?” repeated Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The plane evidently had the answer they wanted +and, sheering off, shot away without a reply. +Lawrence set his teeth. If they could be so discourteous +he could follow at all events, and see +where the curious plane hailed from. He wheeled +his machine and, taking a higher level, sailed off +in pursuit, keeping a good distance behind. An +hour’s flight brought them above a small open field +and here the plane suddenly dipped, and going at +a breakneck angle dropped to the ground. Then +as though by magic it disappeared. There was +no hangar, yet the machine went under cover as +though the earth had swallowed it.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Again and again Lawrence circled the field, and +it worried him to imagine the chuckles the other +pilot was indulging in at his expense.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Try as he might, he could not locate any sign of +life. It struck him as a rather queer thing. He +turned his nose upward again, and located the field +by some trees and other landmarks, then turned toward +the home field.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Dropping easily down, he found O’Brien +surrounded by a group of men, all of whom seemed to +be watching him with a good deal of interest.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Hey, young felly,” called O’Brien, “do you always +make so neat a landing as that last?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I suppose so,” answered Lawrence. “What +was there about that one?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It was all right; that was it,” said O’Brien. +“If that’s the way you fly, you can have all me +pretty toys at once, on a string.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“One is enough,” laughed Lawrence. “Don’t +you want to go up?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I wouldn’t mind a short flight, just to see how +you manage it,” said O’Brien, gently relieving the +man next him of his helmet and goggles.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Rising once more, Lawrence waited until they +had gained a good height, then as they sailed along +in a steady current, he told O’Brien of his encounter +and the curious thing about the landing +place of the strange car and its sudden disappearance.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Let’s go over there,” said O’Brien. “It’s just +the sort of thing I have to look after. What with +the country full of Reds, and all other colors of the +rainbow, we want to keep as many of the wild +lunatics under observation as possible.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>They soon reached the spot where Lawrence had +seen the plane land and, sure enough, there was +not a sign of anything that could be taken for a +hangar.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You sure this is the place?” asked O’Brien.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Sure!” replied Lawrence. “What do you say +to landing? I can make it easier than he did.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Land away if ye like, and let’s have a look,” +said O’Brien, “but don’t you smear me all over that +nice green grass, I warn you.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I won’t,” promised Lawrence, and dropped to +earth as lightly as a bird.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As the plane slid along the grass and came to a +standstill, O’Brien gave a smothered exclamation.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That’s funny!” he said. “Look!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Stepping out of the machine, Lawrence turned +in the direction O’Brien was looking. The hangar +they were looking for was there, but covered with +a thick-set camouflage of brush. The doors were +open, as though no one would possibly find the +place, and inside the hangar were three cars: one +a dirigible, one the car Lawrence had encountered, +while the third was a long, rakish model mounting +an aircraft gun.</p> + +<p class='c006'>One quick look, and O’Brien backed out, drawing +Lawrence with him. He motioned him into their +own plane, gave it a push and hopped into his place +as the speedy little flyer danced along for a moment, +then rose into the air.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As they fled, O’Brien mopped his brow.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I didn’t feel that place to be so healthy for us,” +he said. “And a gun looking so fit! Who said the +war was over these five years? Now what in the +world of wonders does all that mean? I dunno. +Do <em>you</em>?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence shook his head.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Don’t go there again,” warned O’Brien. +“Whether I’m with you or no. Do you mind? +We have got to find out about it. Did you notice +anything funny about that dirigible? No? Well, +you don’t know as well as I do, but that old tube +is exactly like the one that got cut up last night. +Down to the last seam, and even a dent in the +steerin’ gear that I made meself trippin’ against it +with a hammer in me hand.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“How do you suppose that happens?” asked +Lawrence, his eyes fixed in the distance.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That’s what I dunno,” said O’Brien. “But +the joke is that I don’t think it happens at all. +There is something funny about that. Dang +funny!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Where do you suppose the people were?” asked +Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Off amusin’ themselves, or up to some mischief,” +answered O’Brien. “They have such a +good hidin’ place that they don’t bother to guard +their cars at all, at all.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>They landed, O’Brien still sputtering. But +Lawrence was silent. He quizzed O’Brien about +the locality and learned that it was not far from +the railroad. Then finding that O’Brien had an +engagement for the evening, he went quietly away. +He first went to his rooms, took some money from +the trunk, and put on a dark suit. Then he hurried +down town, and reaching the Union station, +boarded a train and was soon out of the city. He +had dinner on the train, and at about nine o’clock +reached the little station of Linden, where he +dropped off and not waiting for the train to pull +out, slipped across the track and was swallowed +up by the shadows.</p> + +<p class='c006'>For all his athletics, Lawrence hated walking, as +most aviators do, and he groaned in spirit as he +trudged over the country in what he hoped was the +direction of the mysterious aviation field. It had +not occurred to him to ask anyone how to reach it. +Instinctively he knew that the mysterious cars had +not been heralded to the country at large.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He lost time, and several times had to turn aside +and almost retrace his steps, but at last he knew +from the lay of the country that he was in the +right neighborhood. The moon had risen and was +full. It cast the densest shadows and Lawrence +slipped from one patch of blackness to another. +He felt silly. He was not sure that this was not +a wild goose chase. The cars might be the property +of some eccentric man who wished to keep +them in seclusion, and possibly he was trespassing +on private ground. He plodded on, however, urged +by an impulse he could not understand.</p> + +<p class='c006'>At last he emerged suddenly on the very aviation +field itself; and on the other side he saw the big +bulk that was the hangar. Once more plunging +into the underbrush, he skirted the field and circled +it until he found himself at the back of the hangar. +There was a small door here, half open, and from +within he heard voices.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He could not hear what was being said, however, +and he took the chance an older man would have +thought plain suicide. Entering the door, and +fairly holding his breath, he stepped slowly and +carefully along the side of the building, crept close +to the little plane, and finally lay down and wriggled +beneath it toward the dirigible. On the other +side of the long body four men were sitting over a +game of cards. Not until Lawrence felt the cool +box of the plane above him did he think of danger. +And then it came to him clear as the tolling of a +bell ... discovery meant his death!</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER V</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>It was a strange game the men were playing, +something far less quiet and controlled than poker, +or any of the other American games that Lawrence +was accustomed to see played by the men working +round the planes. There was much slapping down +of cards and a great deal of laughter from three of +the players, while the fourth poured forth a steady +stream of abuse and profanity. Strangely enough, +while Lawrence was sure that they were foreigners, +they all spoke English with no more accent than a +slight twist of the syllables.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The game went on, and Lawrence gathered that +one man was losing steadily.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Luck fluctuated between the others and they accepted +gains or loss with careless unconcern. Not +so the fourth man. He lost money as painfully as +a man loses his very blood. It put him in a sort of +wild panic, yet he could not leave the game. He +kept hoping for a turn in the bad luck which pursued +him and played on, cursing his luck, the cards, +the unsteady light, and his partners themselves. +Finally his evil temper commenced to grate on the +mood of the other three. They too commenced to +be faultfinding, until the dealer swept the cards +together and announced that the game was over.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The men did not trouble to rise; they merely +kicked the table over, and leaned back in their +chairs.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What of the night?” said one of them, peering +out the crack of the big door.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Clear as a bell,” said another, “and the moon +big as the dial of the clock at Nuremberg. I say +we take the two planes and go out.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence felt a small chill travel down his spine. +He held his breath for the answer, while all his +muscles tautened for a quick retreat.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not tonight,” answered the oldest man. “The +machines both need tuning up. I have worked on +that dirigible so constantly that I have neglected +all else. But there is no haste. No haste whatever, +with their broken dirigible and what happened +last night.” He commenced to laugh, and +in response the man who had lost at cards began to +swear again.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes; what happened last night?” he said. “A +knock-out staged by a pair of fools!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It was an accident,” said another man sulkily. +“Fifteen minutes before I saw him at the Army +and Navy Club. Then I opened the door, after +seeing that every servant in the place was sleeping +sweetly, and there he sat and he <em>saw</em> me. There +was nothing else to do. The Chief had forbidden +a fight. I gave him a good knock. Wonder if I +killed him!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I don’t think so,” said the oldest man. “I +stepped on his leg as I was going around the table, +after we had looked over his papers, and there was +a live feel to the flesh. You should have struck to +kill. Then there would have been a hue and cry +and we could have worked so much better. He is +the master mind.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“We have nothing to do with him, of course, but +it galls me to think any man can be so close. Not +a soul knows what he will do next, that Ridgeway; +no one knows where he will turn. I cannot understand +why he was so careless with that dirigible, +leaving it there in that hangar for all the world to +see. And advertising it for traffic! Now as soon +as it is in shape again, I must deface our dirigible +with just the same marks and mends. It must be +so similar that not even the driver of the Ridgeway +machine, after we kidnap him, will feel the least +hesitation about taking our dirigible where he has +been ordered to go.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“When will we see the Chief?” asked the loser +at cards.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I have been expecting him since yesterday,” +said the oldest man, “but he won’t take the chance +of coming out in daylight now.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>They sat smoking, and Lawrence, whose chances +seemed to be getting slimmer every moment, wondered +how he could escape before the men made a +move. He was not sure that his feet were not +sticking out at the other side of the plane, and +although the hangar was pitch dark except where the +dim light above the group of men made it possible +for them to see, Lawrence did not like to feel that +they might at any moment make a move toward the +small door back of him, and trip over him. But +there was not a chance of moving while they sat +silently smoking. If they would <em>only</em> commence to +talk!</p> + +<p class='c006'>As they sat engrossed in their pipes a current of +air fanned Lawrence and he knew that the big door +of the hangar had silently swung open. He heard +the four men spring to their feet as a soft voice said, +“Good evening!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Good evening, Excellency,” said the four, and +the newcomer replied in an irritated tone:</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not that! How many times have I told you +not to call me Excellency? There are no longer +any Excellencies. I am plain Mr. Smith. Such a +good, honest name and a good, honest man! You +know I travel for a book concern, and all my anxiety +is for the number of copies of their book I sell. +Do you understand?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, your—Mr. Smith,” said the men, and Mr. +Smith sat down on the nearest chair.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Shut that door,” he ordered. “Why do you +infernal blockheads leave it open with all this light +streaming out?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It was closed until you came in, Mr. Smith,” +said the oldest man in an apologetic, submissive +tone.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Then all the more reason for shutting it!” said +the newcomer.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He felt in his pocket and drew out a silver cigarette +case. One of the little tubes fell out as he +fumbled for it, and selecting another, the man +lighted it and commenced to smoke. His back was +squarely toward Lawrence, and even his figure was +not discernible in the poor light.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence settled himself for whatever was to +come. He knew somehow that a single move on +his part would be detected by a pair of ears far +keener than those others. In fact, there was something +so sinister about the carriage and tone of the +man who called himself Mr. Smith that Lawrence +was not at all sure that he would not turn at any +moment and say, “Come out of your hiding place, +Lawrence Petit!” He felt himself grow cold all +over. Once a rattlesnake had crawled over his +foot and he had stood like a statue waiting for the +deadly thing to creep away without being stirred +to anger, and the same feeling of oppression chilled +him now. He knew instinctively that he was in +the presence of the most deadly and merciless human +being he had ever encountered. Yet all he +could pin his feeling to was the dim shadow of a +form and the sound of a voice which was certainly +soft and agreeable to the ear.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The cigarette which had fallen out lay on the +ground and added to the boy’s danger. If Smith or +one of the others should stoop to pick it up, they +might easily discover him. As the oldest man commenced +to talk, Lawrence made a cautious movement +backward. That instant Smith held up a +hand and whispered, “Silence!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence stilled his very heart beats. For an +interminable time there was not a sound, then +Smith lowered his hand and said, “Go on! I was +sure I heard something, but I must have been mistaken. +If I lose my sense of hearing I will be out +of luck.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The men laughed in a guarded way. “If you +lose nine-tenths of it and nine-tenths of your eyesight, +you will be about like the rest of us,” said +the oldest man.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Thanks!” said Mr. Smith dryly. “Now for a +report. Did you discover anything at all at the +Ridgeways? I presume you went, as I ordered.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, we went all right,” someone answered out +of the gloom. “It came near being a good deal of +a mess. We got in the house all right. I had been +there for two days looking over the electric wiring +for the city, and had seen to it that all the servants +went to bed with just enough dope in their food to +insure them a good night’s sleep. Then we went +outside to look things over, and I went downtown +and ran right into the gentleman. So I dogged +him, and he went into the Army and Navy Club, +and I came back. I walked, and he must have +taxied because when we opened the door from the +hall, there he was sitting in the library in the dark. +I can’t imagine what he was doing that for. He +was wide awake and when I opened the door he +turned round. Of course I had to hit him.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, what next?” asked Smith as the other +paused.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It was a good one,” said the man. “He fell +like a sack of sand, and we switched on a light and +went through everything in two minutes. There +is not a thing there. Not a thing, and no wall safe, +and no secret drawers!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, that is odd,” mused the newcomer. +“You left him unconscious?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, but he was alive,” said the man.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I don’t understand,” said Smith. “There was +not a thing in the morning paper about this, and +no mention of illness or anything else. I remember +especially noticing that Hamilton Ridgeway would +lay the cornerstone for a new orphanage or something +of the sort this morning. I don’t believe you +hit him at all!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“He did!” said the third man. “It was such a +crack that I was sure he had killed him.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, it is strange,” muttered the man called +Smith. “We must find out more about this. Are +you through with your electrical job?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes. I was careful to finish that up yesterday. +That was why the butler asked me to supper in the +servants’ hall. I made a hit with all of them belowstairs.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Smith sat for a long while thinking. “All +right,” he said finally. “I will have a look at +things. You had better go back to your old job +at the Ridgeway field. Say you have been off because +you were sick. And put down a note of every +scratch and dent and seam on that dirigible of +theirs so you can reproduce it. Remember one +thing. There are powerful forces back of us, but +all they want is the papers that will sooner or later +go across in that dirigible.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What <em>we</em> want is money, and I tell you, men, if +this thing goes through, it will bring us millions. +Just that: millions!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>A sort of stifled groan of covetousness went up +from the listeners.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“If we succeed there will never be a time when +we will any of us have to do another stroke of work. +If we fail, it will mean death. Fail? Why, you +won’t <em>dare</em> to fail! I will kill any man of you with +my own hand if he shows the white feather.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He laughed, and Lawrence thought he heard the +rattles of the coiled snake ready to spring. The +men listened in silence. Lawrence wondered if his +face carried the same chill as his words and voice.</p> + +<p class='c006'>After a pause, one of the men spoke. “I think +we are all taking big chances,” he said. “All I +object to is working in the dark. Here we are +working and plotting, killing if necessary, all on +the promise of immense rewards, yet you will not +tell us where these rewards are hidden. It all rests +on your word.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Did I ever fail you?” asked Smith violently, +striking his hand on his knee. “What about the +jewel robbery in Paris? The diamonds in New +York? Did I even send them to Amsterdam for recutting +before showing them to you, and weighing +them up? Was there not a fair division when the +job was done? You thankless dogs, you would be +picking pockets if I had not taken charge of you!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That is all right, Chief,” said the big man, “but +it would give us a good deal more interest if we +could know where all this money is being kept.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Smith laughed. “I suppose you want to know +so if I should get a tap on the head myself some +night you could go after it. Isn’t that about it?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No,” said the man, “but part of it is true. +What if anything <em>should</em> really happen to you? +Where would <em>we</em> be?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“And suppose I should tell you on my word of +honor that the riches are buried here, right here in +this hangar, where would <em>I</em> be?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Somehow Lawrence sensed a straining forward +of the four listeners.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Sit still, sit still!” said Smith. “It is not +here, so it won’t pay you to dig a nice hole in search +of it, and incidentally bury me after you have finished. +No, the treasure—ah, <em>such</em> treasure, glittering, +golden, jewelled treasure such as you have +never dreamed of, is not here. It is quite safe elsewhere. +Quite, quite safe!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Again he laughed.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Where is it?” asked the oldest man again. +“We want to know!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Perhaps it is only fair,” said Smith, shrugging +his shoulders. He took out another cigarette and +lighted it leisurely. “Perhaps it is only fair,” he +repeated. “Besides, you might like to go and look +at the beautiful strong old casket that holds the +jewels and treasure. Well, then if you must +know,” he blew a cloud of smoke tantalizingly toward +them. “Your treasure, and mine, is in the +United States Treasury.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You, you—” sputtered the oldest man.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Don’t tell me I <em>lie</em>,” warned the smooth voice. +“I do occasionally, but no man dares to <em>tell</em> me +that I do. And this is the truth. Your treasure +and mine is in the Treasury Building. Until it is +taken out, we must wait. Even I cannot offer to +break into that stronghold.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I don’t understand,” said the loser at cards.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Of course you don’t!” said Smith. “You +don’t have to! Only one head is needed on a body. +<em>I</em> am the head. Do my bidding, you hands and +feet, and all will be well. Millions, remember; +<em>millions</em>, and one-fourth to be divided amongst you. +I am going,” he said, abruptly dismissing the topic. +“Come!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He rose, and before Lawrence could gather himself +for the shock of discovery, the group, led by +the rattlesnake, passed out the big door of the +hangar, and Lawrence heard the lock snap loudly.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER VI</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>Lawrence could scarcely credit his good fortune. +After a little he tried to change his position, +and found that he was so cramped that he +could scarcely move. Carefully he took his pocket +flash out of his pocket and, turning it around, acquainted +himself with the position of the doors. +He also saw the cigarette which the Rattlesnake, +as Lawrence henceforth called “Mr. Smith,” had +dropped, and he crawled over and put it in his +pocket. Then with the utmost caution he made his +way back to the small door which still swung open, +and with a smile at the carelessness of the men, he +made his way out. He had gone a hundred yards +perhaps when a thought struck him, and he retraced +his steps. Once more entering the hangar, he approached +the machine nearest him, paused beside +it for five or ten minutes, passed on to the next +where he stood for the same time, and then went +to the big dirigible. With a chuckle he waved a +hand at the silent aircraft, and for the last time +passed through the door. This time he closed it, +and finding a spring lock hooked carelessly through +a strong staple, he adjusted it and clasped the lock. +The hangar was securely fastened. Lawrence +judged, and correctly, that when the men returned +in the morning each would think that one of the +others had closed and locked the small door, and +not caring to be caught in so flagrant a piece of +carelessness, not one would confess that he had forgotten +it.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As for the boy, he sped rapidly back across the +country he had traversed earlier in the evening and +by great good fortune caught a train to Washington +about two minutes after reaching the little station. +As no one had seen him arrive, his departure +was not noteworthy.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence was tired out when the train reached +Washington, and he thought with dread of the long +trolley ride to the Heights, when he happened to +remember that he was now able to afford any number +of taxis. He stepped into one at the door of +the station, and luxuriously giving his street and +number, he leaned back and dozed all the way home.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien was there before him, a worried man.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Now then,” said he, “where have ye been the +while?” He shoved a chair toward Lawrence and +offered him a ham sandwich from a paper bag. +Lawrence took it eagerly. “You look dead beat +and starved and ginnerally tired out. What’s the +word?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You are going to be mad,” said Lawrence, “because +you told me not to do something and I did +it.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Then consider me frothin’, and tell me what’s +what and get it over with. Sure, these fits of +temper are bad for me heart.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“All right,” said Lawrence, and he proceeded to +tell O’Brien his evening’s adventure. When he +produced the cigarette O’Brien took it with careful +fingers.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Whew!” he said as he examined the paper, +smelled the tobacco, and tried to make out the interwoven +letters of the intricate monogram.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It looks like r’yalty,” he said finally. “Those +same cost, me boy, they cost! I only wish you had +had a look at the gentleman. Well, I should say +you had a narrow escape. I don’t like it all the +same, although we know more than we did. Mr. +Ridgeway is a bit close, too. We didn’t know it +was jools like that that we were handlin’, did we?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“We haven’t handled them yet,” said Lawrence. +“But I reckon they are just where Mr. Smith said +they are, and it looks as though we were going to +have to cart them somewhere or other. I don’t see +why we take the dirigible,” said Lawrence, “when +the planes are faster.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“There is some good reason,” said O’Brien. +“For instance, that dirigible will carry a crew +large enough to give a pretty good fight if it was +necessary. That’s <em>one</em> thing. Another is that Mr. +Ridgeway doesn’t know that they know anything +about the freight he is to carry. Gee, there is a +leak somewhere! That’s one thing. Now to bed +with you, me wild adventurer, and get some sleep +what’s left of the night. We will have to see Mr. +Ridgeway the morn, so he can talk to us. I +called there tonight and found him much better. +Get you to bed, and don’t talk. I want to think. +Somewhere or other I have seen a mate to this cigarette.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He carefully wrapped it in a bit of paper and +put it in his cigar case. “That’s a good souvenir,” +he remarked, nodding his head.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence tumbled into bed. He was too tired to +realize the narrow escape he had had, and wanted +nothing more than a good sleep. He did not realize +his fatigue either, and when he awoke in the +morning he found that what he had thought was +the dimness of early dawn was the darkness of +closely drawn blinds. O’Brien had tricked him. +There was a note on the dresser, and Lawrence +read:</p> + +<p class='c008'>“Dear Lawrence:</p> + +<p class='c009'>“There’s no place so safe for a lad of your tendencies +as the same cot you are snoring on at this second. +I leave you to your dreams and hope they +are sweet. As for me, I am pulling down the +blinds and disconnecting the telephone, and then I +am makin’ off: for I have a pretty idea all of my +own. I will see you later. By the way, you took +my gloves last night, and I can find but one. If +you have lost that glove it costs you a pretty penny, +gloves being in a high altitude since the late war. +Good-bye. Go see what is happening to the dirigible, +go see Mr. Ridgeway, go to a movie, go have a +good time however you like but don’t you <em>dare</em> follow +any clues today. Against orders, and meet +me here; HERE, mind you, at seven tonight. I +may have news.</p> + +<div class='c010'>“<span class='sc'>O’Brien.</span>”</div> + +<p class='c011'>After he had had a meal which was neither breakfast +nor luncheon, but combined all the most agreeable +features of both, commencing with grapefruit +and cereal and ending with pie, Lawrence went out +to the Aviation Field, where he found the men +busily working on the dirigible. A week at most +would find it in working order again. O’Brien +was not there. After taking a little flight in his +favorite plane, a flight which took him over the +scene of last night’s adventure, he came down, and +returned to the apartment where he loafed and read +until seven, when O’Brien came in.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I flew over that field again this afternoon,” +said Lawrence. “I did not see a soul.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That’s all right,” said his friend. “I have +been there all day meself in a tree-top, with a pair +of glasses strong enough to spot the Queen of England +powdering her nose from the base of the +Statue of Liberty. There was not a sign of ’em and +I have it all worked out. They know we can’t use +the dirigible, and of course by now they know the +minute when it will be in shape again. So why +work? Why hang around that bleak spot? And +Mr. Ridgeway being laid up, there’s no use for Mr. +Smith to sit with his ear glued to the listening post +down there below Ridgeway’s office. No. It’s all +hands take a vacation, and I’m thinkin’ I will do +the same. I am going on a still hunt for our dear +little book agent.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I forgot to tell you,” said Lawrence, “that before +I left there last night, I fixed all three machines +so they won’t fly very soon. I learned a few +twists back in the aircraft factory, and I can put +a plane out of tune so no one will guess that it has +been touched, but there is the mischief to pay. +And I touched up the dirigible too. Just a screw +or two loose, and a couple of pinholes where they +will do the most good.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You are like a woman’s postscript,” said +O’Brien. “All the meat of the letter in it.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I meant to tell you before,” said Lawrence. +“Well, if you are going after the Smith man, what +am <em>I</em> to do?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Go see Mr. Ridgeway and tell him all this you +have told me. Take the cigarette; it’s evidence.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Suppose we go to the theatre tonight,” suggested +Lawrence. “I have not seen a show in a +month of Sundays.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Sunday is no day to go to shows on, anyhow,” +said O’Brien with mock severity. “But this bein’ +a weekday it’s not against me conscience to accompany +you.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>They decided on the vaudeville, and securing +good seats settled down to an evening’s enjoyment.</p> + +<p class='c006'>At the beginning of the second act two men came +in and took the seats just behind them. As they +fumbled for the hat-clips under the seats and leaned +close to O’Brien’s broad shoulders, Lawrence +heard one say to the other, “Did you bring the key +to the hangar?” and the other answered swiftly, +“No; Mr. Smith took it.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence felt his blood stop in its course. For +a moment he could scarcely breathe. Two of the +mysterious men were behind them! He dared not +say much to O’Brien, but he whispered, as the orchestra +blared out a jazz accompaniment to a +dancer: “See who is behind you?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien turned. To Lawrence’s utter amazement, +he nodded gaily and said, “Good evenin’, +Brown! A good show, I’m thinkin’.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It seems to be, Mr. O’Brien,” said the slow, +deep voice Lawrence so well remembered.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The boy’s head whirled. O’Brien knew the man!</p> + +<p class='c006'>Between the acts, in the intermission, Lawrence +led the way out to the sidewalk. He was shaking.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Those men!” he managed to stutter. “Those +men behind us! They were in that card game!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Crazy!” said O’Brien calmly. “The big one +works at the Aviation Field. He’s a good worker, +but mortal stupid.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, <em>believe</em> me, O’Brien!” begged Lawrence. +“I know them both. They were sitting so I could +see their shapes, and just now I heard the big one +ask the other if he had the key to the hangar, and +he said, no, Smith had it.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why, I <em>know</em> the man,” insisted O’Brien again. +“He don’t know enough to be in a plot.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That’s just what Smith said,” said Lawrence. +“He said they could be feet and hands, and he +would be the head. That is why everything goes +wrong with the dirigible. He is right there where +he can do what he likes, and <em>you</em> trust him.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien laughed and patted the boy on the shoulder. +“This thing is getting on your nerves,” he +said soothingly. “However, come back and have +another look at your two friends.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No,” said Lawrence. “You go back, and I +will wait outside, and when they come out I shall +follow them. They don’t know that we came together. +We didn’t talk much and they will just +think I met you in the theatre.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Have it your own way,” said O’Brien. “I will +say the remarks were suspicious enough, but I tell +you, man, I know that fellow.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“All right,” said Lawrence doggedly. “I mean +to know him, too, before I get through with him. I +have not seen him at the Field since I came. +Where does he keep himself?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Dunno,” said O’Brien. “I will find out.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He went back into the theatre and sat down. As +soon as the curtain went down on the next act, he +turned and spoke to the big man.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Are you working at the Field yet, Brown?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No, I quit a week ago,” said Brown, leaning +forward. “I couldn’t stand the foreman they have +out there. A mean, suspicious lunkhead, always +snooping around and giving orders.” He laughed +uneasily. “So I quit.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Out of a job, are you?” said O’Brien.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, I am,” said Brown.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, I don’t blame you much,” said O’Brien. +“That foreman is a disagreeable cuss. If I can +help you any way, let me know.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Thanks,” from Brown. “I am thinking some +of going away. If I stay here I will let you know.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Do!” urged O’Brien. “I wouldn’t like to miss +seein’ you.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The next act came on, and O’Brien turned to the +stage. He missed seeing the glance that passed +from one man to the other, and chuckled as he +thought of the fancy Lawrence had had. When +the show was over, the two men walked down toward +the cafés, and O’Brien was amused to see the +slight figure of Lawrence sliding along after them. +His collar was turned up, and his soft hat had disappeared. +In its place was a plaid cap.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Detective stuff!” laughed O’Brien. “The kid +is having the time of his life. But it does seem +queer. However, there’s no distress about the affair +so long as I can see. We wait our chance, and +off we go with our precious bundles when they are +not looking. It is too simple to be funny. They +have overstepped with their slugging Mr. Ridgeway +and cutting up our dirigible. They can’t hurt +us now. Forewarned is forearmed.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He strolled along until he came to The Willard, +where he went in and approaching the news stand +commenced to look for a magazine that was adventurous +enough to suit his fancy. As he stooped, +the man beside him let a cigarette fall from his +hand. Someone had jostled him. It dropped directly +under O’Brien’s eyes, and gleaming up at +him he saw the intricate gold monogram of Smith’s +cigarette. Before he could straighten up and face +the man, a foot was planted on the cigarette and +he rose to see no one but an old gentleman beside +him smoking a fat black havana. It was certainly +not Smith. Besides, a voice loudly proclaimed the +old gentleman as “Hemmingway, old boy,” and +O’Brien, furious with his luck, hung around the +lobby for hours, hoping for another chance to see +the expensive monogram and delicate cork tip.</p> + +<p class='c006'>After awhile he gave up and went back to the +apartment that he now shared with Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The boy was there before him, walking the floor +in a great state of excitement.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, O’Brien,” he burst out, “I ran them +down!”</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER VII</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>In a wild rush of words Lawrence told what he +had discovered. O’Brien listened closely and at +the end of the account nodded his head.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You have ’em pickled this time, me jool,” he +said. “It is damnation enough if they so much +as live in that place you’re mentionin’. I know the +local cutthroats and pipemen, while every son of +Ham that walks there has a razor ready for use, +right in his closed fist. I’m that glad you came +out with a whole skin. Now don’t talk; lave me +think.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He filled a pipe and slowly drawing on it, sat +with his eyes fixed on a corner of the room, a look +of abstraction on his usually jolly face.</p> + +<p class='c006'>At last he spoke.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Here’s how I dope it. It’s plain Mr. Ridgeway +has picked you on your recommendations to drive +that dirigible. All right. Tomorrow you go to +Mr. Ridgeway as his guest or long-lost nephew or +what not. Anyhow, you <em>stay right in his house</em> +as his guest. There’s that much less chance of +losin’ you if they get on to who you are. And it’s +a slick crowd we are buttin’ in on. When it comes +time for you to start with your silly little papers +and your shiny little jewelry wherever they belong, +(and Mr. Ridgeway will have to tell that,) +you can just start on, and O’Brien will take the +job makin’ the other crowd miss their train, as you +might say. What’s the time o’ night?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Twelve thirty,” said Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Pretty late,” replied O’Brien, “but let’s have a +try.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He picked up the telephone and almost immediately +had Mr. Ridgeway on the wire. After a +moment’s talk, he took his hat and told Lawrence +to follow him. In a taxi, they arrived at Mr. Ridgeway’s +house and found that gentleman reading in +his room.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien outlined his plan.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That is a very good idea,” said Mr. Ridgeway. +“Of course if this was merely an affair of +those crown jewels, it would be easy to outwit our +friends but those jewels mean little or nothing to +the man who calls himself Smith. What he wants +are the papers. Either he, or someone back of him, +is staging a little revolution, I think, and the papers +are their most important weapon. Who is Smith? +Can’t you make a guess, O’Brien?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien shook his head. “I can’t, sir,” he said +regretfully. “All I want is some good-luck fairy +to point him out to me.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You will find him, never fear,” said Mr. Ridgeway. +“You have done too many clever jobs for +me to feel worried about this one. Well, +Lawrence, I will be glad to have you here with me. +When will you come?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“He is here now,” laughed O’Brien. “I take +no more chances. I’m like yourself, sir; I’m +thinkin’ that the matter of these papers is an affair +of nations.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway looked grave. “I can only say +that the safe transfer of those papers is all that can +possibly keep this country out of another war as +destructive and as deadly as the last. They have +clever spies, and the only thing they have not surmised, +guessed at, or proved about this journey is +the identity of the pilot. As I said at the first, +Lawrence is protected by his youth.” The great +man sighed. “Lawrence, I wish you were my +son!” he said.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“A nice kid,” commended O’Brien with a +twinkle. “But hard to manage, sir, and tellin’ +too little.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>For four days Lawrence was a guest in the big +house, spending most of the time with his host and +growing more and more devoted to the kindly, +shrewd man. He often repeated his regret that +there was no son to carry on his name, and one +night in a confidential mood told Lawrence that +there had been two little boys.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“But we lost them both when they were scarcely +more than babies,” he said brokenly. “I cannot +talk about it.” He stopped and Lawrence, +respecting his grief, turned away, not daring to offer the +sympathy and affection he felt.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The subject was never referred to again, but now +Lawrence knew the pathetic meaning of the two +small, beautiful faces which had been rendered in +glass and which formed the central medallion in +a great stained glass window in the library. Near +it, on the wall, was a portrait of Mrs. Ridgeway, +painted only the year before. It was a most gracious +figure, with a sweet, beautiful, appealing face, +full of sorrow bravely concealed. It held a strange +fascination for Lawrence, who found himself looking +at it by the hour. Mr. Ridgeway never spoke +of the picture, although Lawrence knew that no +two people ever loved each other better than the +great man and his beautiful wife. That she had +been sent away to avoid possible harm was clear to +Lawrence, and he felt that Mr. Ridgeway was very +lonely. Lawrence tried to show him all the little +attentions that he could think of, and it pleased +him to see how eagerly Mr. Ridgeway accepted +them. Only once in awhile a sigh told the boy that +the big heart still mourned for the two little fellows +who had met an untimely death so long ago. But +no further word was spoken on the subject.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The fifth day of Lawrence’s visit fell on Tuesday. +He took his bath and hurriedly dressing, went down +the broad stairs three steps at a time. For the +cleverest sky pilot in the world was hungry just +as though he had been an ordinary boy with no +thought above the Saturday football game or a +coming exam. He fell upon the delicious breakfast +with an amount of energy that made Mr. Ridgeway +smile with pleasure.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I want you to eat a good big breakfast, old +man,” he said. “I want you to take me for a spin +in the air after while.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That’s good,” said Lawrence. “If I don’t fly +more than I am doing now, I will have to give up +my license and take a job as instructor somewhere. +I am getting all out of practice.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You can have some practice today,” said Mr. +Ridgeway. He went from the breakfast table to +the telephone, and immediately they hurried out to +the Aviation Field in Mr. Ridgeway’s runabout. +There the first person who met them was O’Brien, +all in leather, with his goggles in his hand.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Your things are in the locker room,” he said to +Lawrence. “Get into them quickly. Mr. Ridgeway +is plannin’ quite a little trip for you.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Ten minutes later, they embarked in one of the +larger planes, and went sailing off, O’Brien at the +wheel, cutting a straight course toward the east. +In a wild rush of speed, reeling league after league +of sky behind them, they reached the Atlantic +coast and, swerving, made for the desolate reaches +of Barnegat. Lawrence, to whom this was new +territory, watched everything with the greatest interest.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The tide was out, and just below the Inlet a half-mile +stretch of beach, hard and firm, afforded a +wonderful landing. O’Brien dropped brilliantly, +and leaving the plane, they walked back until they +came to the hangar where the new dirigible was +housed. Lawrence gave a quick sigh of delight +when he saw the balloon. He had never seen anything +so clean-lined and so sporty looking as the +new model. For it was absolutely the latest thing +in construction, and Lawrence longed to get his +hand on the steering gear.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What do you think of that?” asked O’Brien as +Mr. Ridgeway went outside with one of the men, +who seemed to be in charge.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I never saw anything so fine!” declared Lawrence. +“I never saw anything just like it. Even +the new models in the pictures in the trade journals +are not as good in outline, and do not look as light +in construction.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“They are not,” said O’Brien. “This is the first +time I have seen this but I know it was designed +for Mr. Ridgeway.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What is its fuel?” asked Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Hyolax,” said O’Brien. “In a year no gasoline +will be used except for old type autos and +farm trucks. I tell you hyolax is some bird when +it comes to power!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I wonder if I will have any trouble managing +it,” said Lawrence dubiously. “I ought to try it +out, seems to me.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That is what we came for,” said O’Brien. “I +have an idea you are going across very soon. And +Mr. Ridgeway wanted to let you have one chance +anyhow to get used to this type of dirigible. As +far as hyolax goes, it works exactly like gasoline +except that it is about twenty times more concentrated +and its driving power is much greater. You +will be crazy over it.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>A few minutes later the big dirigible, manoeuvered +into the open, rose lazily from the sand and +in obedience to a command from Mr. Ridgeway, +they turned out to sea. For the next two hours, +high above the tossing waves, Lawrence manoeuvered +the balloon, learning its tricks as a good +horseman learns the whims of a favorite steed. +Lawrence was crazy over it, as O’Brien had said, +and the two older men, Mr. Ridgeway and O’Brien, +as well as the two mechanicians who accompanied +them, were astounded by the delicate perceptions +and skillful handling that the boy pilot gave the +balloon.</p> + +<p class='c006'>When at last they had, as O’Brien expressed it, +“put the tube to bed” and had once more mounted +in the invisible roads of the air, Lawrence was at +the wheel of the plane, and bad work he made of +it for the first ten minutes. It was like driving a +flivver after a twelve-cylinder touring car. The +plane wobbled and shifted until he hit his stroke +again. Reaching the home field, Lawrence silently +hopped out of the plane and followed Mr. +Ridgeway and O’Brien into the auto. He was very still +all the way home. The day was gone, and dinner +was served soon after their return. Then Mr. +Ridgeway sat frowning, and presently leaned forward +to say:</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I will have to have a talk with you both, and +on my life I don’t know where we will be safe. I +am afraid everywhere.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Right you are!” said O’Brien. “But I have +just the place. A brother of mine has a drug store +over on H street. There is a basement where he +keeps his surplus stock. The stairs is at the right +of the store as you go in, away back behind the +screen where they dodge to make you up tonic pills +out of newspaper and sugar.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I will go ahead, and tip me brother off, and +then you come along wan at a time, and when you +go in hold on to the left lapel of your coats so he’ll +know you and go right back to the stairs and down +’em. I will have chairs ready.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The plan worked, and Mr. Ridgeway and Lawrence +wandered through the small drug store and +down the concealed stairs, to find O’Brien ready +with three soap boxes for seats.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Four walls, covered with rows of bottles of all +sizes under the sun, comprised the furnishings. +As O’Brien said, there was not room enough anywhere +for a kitten to hide. There was a door at +the top of the stairs, and this O’Brien closed and +locked. Another door at the bottom he also closed, +then turned expectantly to Mr. Ridgeway. That +gentleman smiled.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Now then,” he said, “it is time for me to show +you all the cards. You know, O’Brien, who this +Smith is?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“The most dangerous scoundrel in Europe, and +the slickest knave that ever planned the downfall +of his own country to satisfy his own miserable +ambition. That much and more I know, but try +as I may I can’t get my eyes on him, nor yet my +hands.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“He is slick all right,” agreed Mr. Ridgeway. +“But thanks to this extra dirigible and the place +at Barnegat, we will elude him. That is all I want +now. After we are off, O’Brien, start something +that will bring that gang inside the law, and arrest +the whole bunch on suspicion or what not. Anything +to keep them from doing any mischief.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“But Mr. Ridgeway, sir, it is now, <em>now</em> while +you are here that they are dangerous.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway shook his head.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Unfortunately not.” He took a paper out of +his pocket and handed it over to O’Brien. Lawrence +looked over his shoulder and slowly spelled +out the words of a curiously printed anonymous +letter. It was written on heavy wrapping paper, +and read:</p> + +<p class='c006'>“This is not a threat. It is simply to tell you +what will happen. If the crown jewels that are +lying in the Treasury Building and the papers +intended for a certain republic are taken out of this +country, that day, mind you, the President of the +United States will forfeit his life and so will you. +You will remember this, because it is the truth. +Make no mistakes.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien whistled. “So <em>that’s</em> your little scheme, +is it?” He pondered. “Of course it will be easy +to take care of the president,” he said. “And you +will be safe up in the air, but no one knows what +else they will do. I think it’s up to O’Brien to get +after them. Well, thanks to this lad, I know where +to find most of the gang. When do you start?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I want to go tomorrow,” said Mr. Ridgeway. +“You see we have really two journeys to make; +two errands to accomplish, and the sooner we do +accomplish them, the better it will be. I will go +from here to the White House and have my papers +put in order, and have the custodian of the jewels +ready with them tomorrow morning.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Do you specially mind when you start?” asked +O’Brien. “I wish you could set the time for evening. +I want a whole day to get hold of my little +family party. Even if I start tonight, it may take +me that long.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not at all; not at all!” said Mr. Ridgeway. +“It makes no difference, only you can see by this +letter that those miscreants must be locked up.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I will attend to that if I have to have a fight +with them myself,” said O’Brien.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Then let us be going,” said Mr. Ridgeway. +“Lawrence, do you want to come down as far as +Pennsylvania Avenue and keep the car there for +me?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, indeed,” said Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>When Mr. Ridgeway left the car a safe distance +up the broad glittering avenue, Lawrence settled +back and proceeded to enjoy himself. One of the +most beautiful thoroughfares in the world stretched +before him, and along it went representatives of +every country and clime. He was intent on the +pageant when a whining voice at his elbow recalled +him to the present. A beggar, ragged, blear eyed, +and out of place in the dazzling cleanness of the +avenue, had shuffled up to the curb and was begging.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As Lawrence looked at the man, some strange +picture in his brain, long forgotten and hideous, +suddenly sprang into view. Where had he ever +seen the face before him? Where had he heard +that peculiar, deep, grating voice?</p> + +<p class='c006'>As he stared, the man looked him straight in the +face for a minute and Lawrence saw a deep, three-cornered +scar on the man’s chin. On the spur of +the moment he leaned down, and said:</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Moll certainly soaked you a good one, didn’t +she?” at the same time pointing to the scar.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The man leaped back with an oath. “Who are +you?” he demanded, and then, “Moll’s dead,” he +added.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I know,” said Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Who are you?” repeated the man.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Snooks,” said Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Dressed like that, sittin’ in an auto?” cried the +beggar. “You must ’a’ found your folks!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No; I am driving for the man who owns this +car,” said Lawrence, his sense of caution keeping +back the facts of the case. “I never found my +folks.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You want to advertise,” said the man. “Tell +you all I know about ’em for a dollar. Thanks! +See that there Moll, she read about gettin’ ransoms +for folks and she hired out for nursemaid. I never +knew who to. She didn’t trust me, an’ me married +to her lawful! But one day ’bout sundown she +sneaked in with two kids dressed dandy. And I +ast her what was it she had, and she said, ‘Oh, +about two hundred thousand dollars.’ I didn’t like +it, an’ I said so, so she got mad and walked off with +the two little beggars down toward the river.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“She told me afterwards. She took off the little +fellers’ shoes and stockin’s. It was ragin’ hot, mid-summer; +and she laid them on the bank with her +own hat and their little bunnits, and then she +let ’em paddle. They just could walk. How she +told it, she just turned round, and there was one +of ’em out in the current a-sinkin’, and the other +rollin’ down the bank. She grabbed him, but the +other had went; and she was so scared she comes +runnin’ home and there we was with another kid, +which was you. Moll didn’t go away nor nothin’, +but we kep’ close about it, because it might ’a’ +meant the chair. They found the bunnits, and +nex’ day or so they got the other kid’s body. And +the papers said Moll and the two kids was all +drownded. But you wasn’t drownded. And Moll +used to say that woman in the pitcher Moll had in +her bag would’ve gave a million dollars to get a +track of you, but we didn’t darst do a thing. Besides,” +said the man, “there’s a plenty of kids!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Can’t you remember the name of the people?” +asked Lawrence anxiously.</p> + +<p class='c006'>With a look of sly cunning, the man shook his +head. “No, I don’t remember. They don’t want +you by now, and you are all right. Let sleepin’ +dogs lay is my motter. I ain’t goin’ to put my head +in no noose to oblige anybody. What they ever +done for me, I say?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I won’t tell on you,” begged Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The man looked around, then as he saw a procession +of some sort moving gaily up the avenue, +he said, “No, you don’t get no chance. You are +doin’ well. Let sleepin’ dogs lay,” and dodged +quickly across the line of the procession and was +lost to sight, just a miserable human fragment on +the tide of humanity.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence, his brain whirling, pressed a hand +over the pocket containing the photograph.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, Pretty, Pretty!” he said in a whisper. +“Are you my mother, dear?”</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER VIII</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>An hour passed, during which a whirling horde +of hopes, ambitions and anticipations, not unmixed +with fears, passed through Lawrence’s mind. +There was so much to hope for; so little to build +on. It had been a long while since the day when +Moll went down to the river with the two little +children, the hapless babies whose tender little feet +had been so rudely torn from the pleasant paths +that Fate had set for them. Lawrence thought +sadly of the little brother who had gone down in the +sly and ruthless current of the Ohio River.</p> + +<p class='c006'>At first he could scarcely wait to share his news +with Mr. Ridgeway; then the habits of a lifetime +of self-dependence commenced to assert themselves. +Mr. Ridgeway was involved in an adventure that +might turn out to have a serious, indeed possibly a +fatal outcome. Lawrence smiled. The knowledge +that had come to him in such a strange and unexpected +way seemed of more importance than all the +crown jewels in the world. Jewels!...</p> + +<p class='c006'>Why, he had a chance at last for a name, for +a home, for people of his own! The thought made +him dizzier than any flight through the uncharted +upper reaches of endless ether. Yet after all, the +affair did not touch his new employer and friend, +and Lawrence doubted the wisdom of bothering him +about it. It would be better, he finally decided, to +wait until the job was over, and then hurry back +to Louisville. It would be easy enough to find out +from the records or old files of the papers when +two little children and their nurse had been +drowned. That was all that he needed to know. +It made him wild to think that he had lived so +many years, poor, cast-off, lonely, in the same city +with his own people. That they might have left +Louisville did not occur to Lawrence. He imagined +them still there, still sadly and tenderly grieving +for the lost babies.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Yes, he would wait! He would see the thing +through himself. Then he would return to Mr. +Ridgeway and tell him the glad news. Perhaps +his mother and father would accompany him. But +like a cloud came the thought, suppose in all the +passing years death had overtaken father or mother, +perhaps both?</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence could scarcely endure the thought, and +put it from him with a determined effort to let +nothing mar his happiness. But all the more he +decided he would keep it all locked in his own +breast until the present task was well accomplished. +He felt tenderly of the flat square in his pocket, +the outline of the case holding the photograph. A +warmth seemed to spread from it. No, she at least—mother, +sister, some one, the owner of that +loving and beautiful face—was waiting for him. On +earth, living, he felt that some day he should greet +her. He patted the case. “Oh, who are you, +dear?” he whispered.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway came rushing up and jumped into +the machine.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It is all set now!” he exclaimed. “Everything +ready! Everything arranged! I have just sent +one of the White House messengers with instructions +to O’Brien. The man will return to my private +secretary with O’Brien’s personal receipt. I +have also sent a telegram to the man in charge at +Barnegat. I want you to drop me at the house +and take the car up to your apartment. Have you +a suitcase? Pack in it just what you will need +while we are in the dirigible. When we get across, +we will buy everything we need in the way of +clothes. As soon as you get your things packed, +come back and join me. We will spend the night +quietly at home, and about four o’clock tomorrow +morning we will go to the field, stuff the suitcases +in one of the airplanes, and sail down to Barnegat. +At dawn, O’Brien is to make a fuss around the field, +and will start off with the dirigible that is there. +If any chasing is to be done, those scoundrels will +chase <em>him</em>. He is to have a good crew with him +and is to follow our general direction but keep out +of sight of us. We can pick him up by wireless any +time. I don’t believe there is a flaw in the whole +thing!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence agreed to this, and dropping Mr. +Ridgeway went on to his apartment, where it took +him about five minutes to pack. He was back at +the house in no time, and soon in bed.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Little did either of them dream of the adventures +befalling O’Brien. O’Brien, having read the letter +of instructions from Mr. Ridgeway, buttoned the +letter in an inside pocket. He then changed his +coat and putting on a cap, took a car and went +within walking distance of the disreputable flat +building which housed the gang. O’Brien was +going to pin all his hopes on what he would find in +their rooms. He had changed his coat and had +slung a small packet over his shoulder.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien was now a plumber! He entered the +flat whistling, walked up an interminable number +of stairs to the top floor, where Lawrence had +tracked the two men. Here the whistling which +had grown very low ceased entirely as O’Brien, +putting an ear to the door, listened for sounds from +within. Hearing nothing, he resumed the whistle +and rapped gaily on the panel. There was no response +and O’Brien repeated the knock. It was +not late, but he feared that one or more of the +gang might have taken that night of all nights to +get some sleep. The silence continuing, O’Brien +cast a keen glance around the small and sordid +hallway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Once more O’Brien turned his attention to the +door. He slipped a skeleton key from his pocket +and noiselessly tried it. The door opened under +his touch. O’Brien’s manner changed. He was +no longer the merry-eyed plumber, whistling as he +came in a hurry call to tighten a leaky gas jet +that threatened to snuff out some worthy without +whom the country could doubtless stagger along. +He became keen eyed and cat like. Slipping in, he +closed and locked the door.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The room in which he stood had a ceiling cut +into many angles and irregularities, and the front +part of it was the inside of a tower or turret which +formed the top ornamentation of the building. +This part of the room alone had a flat ceiling, and +in the center of it was something that looked like +a small trap door. That too looked unused. In +the back part of the room was a door leading into +a back room. Out of this still another door opened +into a dark passageway, and there was a steep +flight of stairs. At the sight of the stairs O’Brien +nodded. He meant to use those himself if he happened +to be surprised while on his tour of inspection. +He commenced to be sorry that he had not +brought another detective with him. But hurrying +back to the front room he commenced a careful +search for the papers he was hoping to discover. +There were but few places to put anything, and +O’Brien’s hopes went steadily down as he looked. +All over the wall loose plaster hung or crumbled +off as he brushed against it. He finished with the +front room and went carefully over the back room, +where two cots and a deal table comprised the furnishings.</p> + +<p class='c006'>On the floor beside one of the cots stood a bottle +almost full, and an empty glass. O’Brien picked +up the bottle and smelled of it.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“The proper stuff for a nightcap,” he said to +himself and taking a small bottle out of his pocket, +shook the contents into the larger bottle. “A druggist +for a brother is a handy thing,” he chuckled +as he returned to the front room.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He stood irresolute for a moment, then looked +up at the small square trap above him. A rickety +table stood near one of the windows, and setting +it under the trap he leaped lightly to its soiled top. +The ceiling was very high, but he managed to +reach up and shove the trap aside, and catching the +ledge swung himself up.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien was no fairy, and it was a tight squeeze, +but he wriggled through with no greater damage +than a torn coat and a barked knuckle. Using his +flashlight, he saw that he was in a small circular +space about twelve feet across. The top was cone +shape, and there was no floor. Dust lay inches +deep on the rafters where he sat uncomfortably. +Then he saw something that caused his heart to +leap delightedly. Directly beside him, tied with +a cord and covered with broken seals, lay a packet +of papers. O’Brien knew that his hunt had not +been in vain. Buttoning the papers carefully inside +his coat, he put a leg down through the trap +when a sound below caused him to drag it quickly +back and clap the trap over in its place.</p> + +<p class='c006'>A key grated in the lock. Someone was coming.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“An all night job for me!” sighed O’Brien, then +remembered with a gleam of hope the powder he +had added to the contents of the bottle. Changing +his position, he stretched himself along a rafter, +nearly losing his balance as he did so. But he +managed to save himself from bursting through +the plaster, although he heard it crack beneath the +foot that had pressed on it for a moment.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Who left the gas on?” said someone with an +oath.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien recognized the gruff voice of Brown.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Search me!” someone else answered, and another +hastened to clear himself of the charge.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It must have been John,” said Brown. +“Where is he? I thought he was right on our +heels. He is no good at all. Wish someone would +croak him!” He slammed the door, and came over +to the table under the trap. A moment later one +of the other men came into O’Brien’s narrow range +of vision, carrying the bottle and glass. He set it +on the table, and looked at Brown.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Leave it there for awhile. There is none too +much in it. If Smith comes he will want most of +it.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien’s heart leaped. So they were expecting +Smith! This was almost too good to be true. He +grinned. He prayed that Smith <em>would</em> want most +of it. The fourth man came, but no one thought +to ask him about the gas. Chairs creaked and the +cheap cots groaned and squeaked as the men flung +themselves down to rest. At the table, Brown, who +was the only one within O’Brien’s line of vision, +took out a pencil and commenced to jot down something +on a piece of paper. No one said anything. +O’Brien sensed discord in the air, and a tense +nervousness. It was clear from the very atmosphere +that the four cutthroats hated each other +cordially.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Almost an hour passed. Someone snored. +Then a gentle tap sounded on the door, the +sleeper awoke with a snort, someone opened +the door, and there was a low murmur of greetings.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The mysterious Mr. Smith came over to the table +and took Brown’s chair. As he looked down +O’Brien nearly groaned. A broad brimmed fedora +was drawn down over the man’s face, and O’Brien +was unable to see a feature of the arch-plotter. +But at least he could hear him talk.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It was evident that Smith was in a bad humor.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, what have you to tell me?” he demanded +in the silky, smooth tones that had irritated Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Nothing,” said Brown. “Won’t you have a +drink?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not yet, thank you,” answered Smith politely. +“Afterwards, perhaps. Where do you get this?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Downstairs,” said Brown, who seemed to be the +spokesman.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, <em>I</em> have news and plenty of it,” said Smith. +“Not much longer will we have to eat our hearts +out here. In an hour, two hours, I shall give you +the best of news. Yes, indeed!” He nodded. +“But first there is something for you to do, you +over there, and you, Brown. I will sit here, perhaps +comforting myself with this friendly bottle, +while you take a taxi and bring O’Brien here.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Bring O’Brien?” cried Brown.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The fedora nodded.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Just that!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why, he won’t come! Where is he?” asked +Brown.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Either at the Ridgeway place or his own apartment. +Oh, I have it all clear now, and O’Brien is +in the thick of it. He is what you call the solution. +He knows all. He is going to be made to tell. +Won’t come? Of <em>course</em> he will come! That is +what you are for, Brown. A messenger from the +White House gave him a letter tonight. Go and +bring him here.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“He won’t come easy,” growled Brown.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Smith was angry. He brought his fist down on +the table with a bang.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Bring him if you have to carry him!” he said +in a low, hissing tone. And O’Brien, listening, +knew why Lawrence had called him the Rattlesnake. +Then with a muttered curse Smith swept +off his broad hat, and flinging it across the room, +leaned back in his chair. Looking down full in +the upturned face, O’Brien involuntarily gave a +violent start. Instantly there was a crackle and +a piece of plaster half the size of the turret came +down with a crash. It missed hitting Smith by a +hair and surrounded him with a cloud of dust, but +he did not start. Instead, with the quickness of +light, he flashed an automatic from his pocket, and +covered the leg he saw lying along the beam above +him. Then getting the direction of a man’s body +as the dust cleared, he aimed full at O’Brien’s body +and drawled, “Come down!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Sure!” said O’Brien obligingly. “The jig +bein’ up, I will that!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He pushed the useless trap aside and swung down +to the table, someone snatching off the bottle and +glass as he did so.</p> + +<p class='c006'>They did not even make a move to seize him. +The odds were too great in their favor. He jumped +off the table and stood looking at the group of astonished +villains, then his eyes turned back to +Smith and sneered.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I will say I never suspected <em>you</em>!” he said. +“Of all the double-faced, low, lyin’, sneakin’ +scoundrels, you are the worst!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Don’t make your end harder than it needs to +be,” warned the man Smith. “Keep a civil tongue +in your head and hand over your revolver. Search +him, but don’t kill him,” he added, as O’Brien +struck out fiercely at the first man who moved toward +him.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Someone in the rear flung a rope over his head +and instantly his ankles were bound and a gag inserted +between his lips. O’Brien realized that a +struggle was worse than useless. He saw them +take away the papers he had found up in the ceiling, +and a moment later from the inner pocket +came the precious letter from Mr. Ridgeway. +O’Brien bitterly reflected that he should have destroyed +it. Smith read his thought and laughed.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Never, never carry important documents +around with you,” he said as he opened it and read +the clear, concise instructions. Nodding, he placed +it in his pocket. “Well, Brown, it wasn’t so hard +to get him here, was it? Is he securely tied?” +He glanced at his watch.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It is all clear now,” he said. “Their dirigible +is at Barnegat Inlet. It is not the one you have +been looking after at all, Brown. They start tomorrow +night with the papers and jewels, and +O’Brien here is supposed to follow in the other +dirigible. This he will use as a decoy, if we follow +him. (It is too bad, O’Brien; too bad to spoil +your fun!) Then if he succeeds in shaking us, he +will follow them and pick them up soon as possible. +So he will be able to see the finish; be in at the +death, as they say. You will be <em>that</em> all right, +O’Brien!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He laughed a chill laugh: the rattles again, and +pulled out a cigarette which he lighted. O’Brien, +watching, all at once recognized the brand and the +monogram. But it was <em>not</em> an S.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I am going now, to see that everything is ready +for our flight. We will follow the dirigible straight +out to sea, and——”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“He hears, Excellency,” said Brown. The word +Excellency went unrebuked.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, he hears now, but it does not matter,” said +Smith. He went on talking. “We will follow the +dirigible straight out to sea, and when we get close +enough to the other side, just there where the white +cliffs show up, we will begin shooting. There will +be a fishing boat below filled with our men. We +will get the telling shots before they doubt that +O’Brien follows. That will be about all, except the +division of the treasure.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What are we going to do with O’Brien?” asked +Brown.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, <em>him</em>,” said Smith as though he had forgotten. +“Oh, yes, to be sure.” He opened the cigarette +case, and from a slot in one side took out a +hypodermic needle which he filled from a tiny vial.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Shooting is too noisy,” he said as he bent over +his infernal little contraption. “And knifing is +very untidy. Even here in this hole it won’t do. +Brown, you will come with me. Go at once to the +hangar and see that the dirigible is in order, then +keep out of sight. We have plenty of time. You +three others, listen to me. All your safety and the +jewels themselves hinge on your obedience.” He +laid the hypodermic needle on the table, padding it +round with his own handkerchief.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Now listen. You will be interested too, +O’Brien. I want plenty of time for an alibi, but +not too much time. I want to start at dawn instead +of tomorrow night, as dear Mr. O’Brien +planned. It is now twelve o’clock. How the +hours do fly when we are in pleasant company! At +exactly three one of you will administer this little +dose in the left forearm. Very soon the patient +will show every sign of extreme intoxication, and +you will then take off his bonds, hurry him downstairs +and out into the street. Go around the block +and into the alley. By that time you can ease him +gently to the ground and leave him. Empty that +bottle and put it in his pocket.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“He will yell,” said one of the men.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not a sound!” the fiend said smoothly. “The +first action of this admirable dose is complete paralysis +of the vocal chords and the tongue. Really, +O’Brien, it might be worse. It would be if I did +not feel that caution is most necessary. There is +no pain until the last. Only about half an hour, +O’Brien. Sorry to cut you off, man, but you should +not have chosen such a profession.” He turned to +Brown. “Come on!” he said, then as an afterthought +to the three assassins, “Don’t drink any +of that stuff. You want all the wits you have. +Good-bye, O’Brien!”</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER IX</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>As Smith and Brown closed the door gently behind +them, the four men listened to the receding +footsteps, then the three turned with one impulse +and stared at the man lying bound and gagged on +the cot. Although they studied him curiously, +they found not a sign of flinching or of fear in the +bright, steady eyes that looked at them over the +bandage. Instead, he wriggled his shoulders in a +derisive way.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I must say,” said the man who had lost at +cards, “this job is not at all to my taste. I have +killed before, but to bump a man off in cold blood +and sit around waiting for it to come three o’clock +to do it, I don’t relish!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No other way out,” said the short man. +“Smith fixed that when he told him everything he +knew. Now we can’t let him go and save our own +skins. He is too wise. I don’t care, anyhow. +Let him pass along! What’s it to us?” He +stared insolently at O’Brien, and the eyes smiled +at him.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The third man, who had not spoken, shivered a +little. “Let’s have a drink,” he suggested, going +over to the table.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The fallen plaster puffed up under his feet as he +went.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You know Mr. Smith forbade it,” said one of +the others.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I don’t care!” said the first speaker. “How +is he to know whether we have a drink or not? He +was afraid of us getting full.” He held up the bottle. +“There is only enough for three good drinks +in there, and I am cold.” Again he looked at +O’Brien and shivered. It was evident that the job +of killing did not appeal to his taste. O’Brien held +his eyes with a wild, revengeful look. Then again +he moved his shoulders.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What’s the matter with him?” demanded the +man. “Do you want to talk?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Don’t ungag him,” said the one they called +John hastily. “One yip, and somebody would be +up here.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That’s not what he wants,” said the other, +watching O’Brien. “The rope hurts him.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What if it does?” demanded John. “It won’t +hurt him any after three o’clock. Leave him +alone!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I am going to loosen that rope,” said the other. +“If <em>I</em> was going to die at three I would just as +soon take a little comfort while I waited.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, don’t take the gag out,” counseled John. +“Here, I will fix him.” He loosened the cord that +held O’Brien’s hands tightly bound behind his back, +bent them in front of him and fastened them in +such a way that they were free unless he tried to +reach his face. He could not quite touch the gag.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Come on, let’s have a drink,” said the man who +had advised it before.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You heard!” warned John.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I don’t care <em>what</em> I heard!” said the man, almost +whining. “I want a drink and I am going +to <em>have</em> a drink! Didn’t Smith tell us to put the +empty bottle in his pocket?” He uncorked the +bottle and gave it a little shake. The fumes were +strong.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien, hoping, praying, watching, could see +that the men, used to stiffening their grit with +liquor, smelled the fiery stuff and weakened. Hoping, +praying, watching, yet seemingly with nothing +in his eyes but apprehension, O’Brien watched the +three draw up to the table and commence to smoke. +In the center between them the bottle sat, its cork +out and the empty glass beside it.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, if you are going to disobey orders,” said +John suddenly, “it is as well that we should be on +the same boat. Are there any more glasses?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“On the shelf there,” replied another man, pointing. +He grinned happily. “Smith is a fool. A +glass apiece couldn’t hurt a flea. Not a flea! And +I am cold. I say we give him a little too.” He +nodded toward O’Brien.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien turned chilly himself. With his life +hanging on the merest thread, he did not want to +get a dose of drugged whiskey! But he nodded +his head violently, and looked as wistful as he +could.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“There is not enough for four,” said John coldly. +“Perhaps where he is going there will be a drink +ready for him.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He set the grimy glasses in a row and with great +care poured out a portion for each. The division +filled the glasses pretty well, and O’Brien wondered +if there would be <em>four</em> dead men before the night +ended.</p> + +<p class='c006'>One of the men looked at his watch.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Two o’clock,” he said. “What’s the use of +waiting? Let’s give him the shot and take him +down. I want to go to bed.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“<em>Bed?</em> What are you talking about?” demanded +the other. “You have got to catch that +four o’clock train for the dirigible.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“We have an alarm clock. We can get a little +snooze. That is why I want to get this job done.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That is why Smith told you to wait ’til three,” +said John. “Come, take your drink and have a +smoke, and then it will soon be time to put our +guest on his homeward way.” He laughed evilly +and lifted his glass. O’Brien noted with delight +that his was the largest share. Drops of perspiration +stood like beads on O’Brien’s forehead as he +lay there bound and gagged, waiting to see if the +powder in the whiskey was going to work. What +if it should taste and rouse suspicion in the breasts +of the three villains? But the three drank down +their several potions without a blink. They did +not follow it with water, but let the fiery liquid +run down their leathern throats as though it was +milk.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Then filling their pipes, they settled back in their +chairs to await the hour set for O’Brien’s death. +For fifteen minutes they talked and laughed and +quarrelled about the exact time of administering +the poison. But John stood firm. Smith had said +three o’clock, and not one moment earlier would he +hear to. He yawned as he spoke, and yawns from +the others answered him. Suddenly he looked up +with a queer look of surprise on his face.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I feel funny,” he said. “Funny!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The others sat staring at him.</p> + +<p class='c006'>John tipped forward in his chair. The others, +still staring, slid backward and at once, it seemed, +three heavy bodies swayed in their seats and slid +to the floor. For a few moments the air seemed +full of the sound of breathing rough and irregular; +then slowly the breathing grew slower, deeper and +more regular. It sounded like three great animals +breathing together. They lay almost as they had +fallen.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Painfully O’Brien raised himself to his elbow. +He sat up. He could do no more as his feet were +bound together. After a moment’s thought, he lay +back across the cot and commenced to slide toward +the front edge. When his body was well off the +edge he stiffened his neck and, carefully sliding +along, went to the floor without a thump. Sitting +there, he wondered what he would do next. If +there was one thing he wanted, it was to avoid making +a noise that might alarm the people who were +cheerfully quarreling in the flat below. Not yet +was his own head out of the noose, and he wanted to +get help so that he could have the three unconscious +men arrested. But there he was, still +bound and, worse still, gagged! At any moment +Smith might return to see that his orders were being +carried out. O’Brien knew Smith too well +to hope that he would leave anything as important +as his, O’Brien’s, execution to an underling. Haste +was of the greatest importance. O’Brien knew +that his life would not be worth a penny if Smith +should drop in on the group now assembled on the +floor.</p> + +<p class='c006'>But O’Brien’s arms were bound at the elbows +and the gag covered all of his face except the +twinkling eyes. Suddenly he had a thought. Beside +John on the floor lay a box of safety matches +where they had dropped when the owner fell from +his chair. Reaching them with a series of wriggles, +he succeeded in getting a match in his hand +and striking it on the box. As the match flared +up, he bent far back and held the flame close to the +rope that bound his ankles and legs. Twisting his +head painfully around, he saw that the scheme was +working. The little flame for a moment bit into +the strands of the rope. Another and another +O’Brien lighted and carefully guided to the rope. +Once in awhile the match went out, and as O’Brien +saw the supply giving out, his anxiety became more +intense. Time was flying. It was almost three +o’clock. There were still three matches. In the +silence the breathing of the three men sounded +loud and ominous.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Two matches burned out. For the twentieth +time O’Brien strained at his bonds. He lighted the +last match, held it close to the rope until it burned +his fingers. Then he strained on the rope. Alas, +it did not give! He jerked and twisted, and it +seemed as though he could feel the fibres giving, +yet they held. As he paused to rest, he saw a single +match still clasped in John’s fingers. Rolling over +and over, with the empty box in his hand, he +secured the match, lighted it, and held it carefully +to the rope. It singed his ankle and burned his +finger. Then once more he strained mightily. +Once, and twice; at the third struggle the rope +parted so suddenly that it unwrapped and spun +out straight before him. His feet were free!</p> + +<p class='c006'>The loosening of the ropes around his ankles +loosened one end of the rope that bound his elbows. +A series of twists and wriggles and he slipped out +of the coils and stood a free man once more. Tearing +the gag from his mouth, he swallowed, and +rubbed his bruised lips.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He was free! Free! And ten minutes before +he had been as good as a dead man, his sentence +pronounced, his doom lying on the table. Hastily +pocketing the hypodermic needle he picked up his +hat and hurried out of the back door, locking it +as he went. Carefully and noiselessly he slipped +down the black, narrow stairs, feeling his way and +not daring to use his flashlight. Every few steps +he would stop and listen. He was shaken by the +narrow escape he had just had, in spite of his coolness +and courage. It was not pleasant to lie bound +and gagged with what seemed to be certain death +staring him brutally in the face. O’Brien was +braver than most, but it had shaken him. As he +collected himself, he was filled with a cold, still +rage: rage against the men lying senseless above +him, rage against the arch-plotter who called himself +Smith. And O’Brien, thinking of the man and +of the position he had seen him occupying for the +past months, grew colder and more furious still.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Reaching the street, he hurried over to the nearest +call box and sent in a demand for a patrol +wagon and a half dozen officers. There was a station +near, and almost immediately the wagon came +tearing up. O’Brien was ready for them. Three +senseless forms were hurriedly bundled into the +wagon, a couple of officers were left to watch the +entrance of the building, and O’Brien, taking a +last look at the room to see that it was in the order +that it would naturally be left in if the men had +accomplished their purpose with him, hurried off.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It was four o’clock. O’Brien commenced to +realize that he was very tired. But his papers had +been stolen, and the two most dangerous members +of the gang were still at large. A hasty telephone +to the house of Mr. Ridgeway was answered by one +of the servants, who said that Mr. Ridgeway and his +guest were not at home. The man could not or +would not say more. O’Brien called the Aviation +Field and learned from the night watchman that +one of the planes was gone.</p> + +<p class='c006'>That was all he wanted to know. Hurriedly he +secured a taxi and broke the speed laws in a mad +dash for the Field. Arousing a couple of the best +men, he opened the hangar where the dirigible, once +more fit for any flight, swung lazily.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The men manoeuvered it into the open, O’Brien +selected the two whom he wanted, and almost before +they realized what they were doing, the big car +rose into the inky blackness of the morning sky. +O’Brien, at the wheel, steered a straight course for +the hiding place of the dirigible Smith intended to +use.</p> + +<p class='c006'>There was a glow in the sky as they approached, +and as they paused over the field, they looked down +on a burning mass of tumbled timbers that had +been the hangar. O’Brien would have liked to +know whether the dirigible had sailed up in the sky +or gone up in smoke. He sped on, however, reaching +Barnegat as the first streaks of day showed in +the east.</p> + +<p class='c006'>There the hangar doors swung open; the dirigible +had gone. O’Brien straightened up and gave a +quick glance over his big car. He knew that it was +in the pink of condition, and his heart was glad, +for he knew that the chase was on; a chase possibly +to the death.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Somewhere ahead of him, out over the waste of +waters that tossed and tumbled far below, the dirigible +carrying Mr. Ridgeway, Lawrence, the state +papers and the crown jewels, sailed swiftly. And +behind it, instead of the guardian dirigible from +their own Field and driven by O’Brien, another +machine followed—a machine its very twin in +looks and speed, but bearing a cutthroat crew.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien pressed a lever, shoving it far to the +front, and the big machine answered with a burst +of speed. His men, moving carefully about, were +looking over every nut and screw and brake, and +finding all in perfect condition.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien wondered how much of a start the other +cars had. He did not think that he was far behind, +so he settled to a good rate, and kept it, as mile +after mile was left behind.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As the sun came up O’Brien was more and more +conscious of an intense fatigue. Finally deciding +that he would be needed most at the close of the +race, he called one of his men, and directing him +to keep up the speed and the direction indicated, he +went back, and lying down on the floor of the tiny +cabin went instantly to sleep. His jaw was sore, +and every muscle ached. In his sleep he twitched +and tossed and muttered so that one of the men +covered him with his own sheepskin coat, and at +last he quieted down until the lines in his face +smoothed out and he relaxed.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It would be worth listening to, to hear what +O’Brien has been doing these last few hours,” said +one of the airmen as they watched their chief.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Some scrap, I’ll bet!” said the other. “See +his face? No bruises like a blow, but those two +red welts stretching out from each corner of his +mouth. I never saw that but once before, and that +was on a man who had been gagged all night.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“They don’t look pretty, do they? I’ll bet he +has been in some close corner. I’ll bet he has been +gagged.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, Billy, I bet so too, so there are no takers,” +said the other airman.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well,” said Billy, “if I had your pull with +O’Brien, Hank, I would sort of bring the conversation +around to scraps and gags and things of that +sort when he wakes up, and see what he says.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You don’t know O’Brien very well, do you, +Billy?” asked Hank. “Well, <em>I</em> do, and I can tell +you that the first question some gazaboo puts about +O’Brien’s own private affairs, there will be another +gagging episode and O’Brien won’t be the one to +worry about who is going to come and untie him. +Not much!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, I wasn’t goin’ to <em>ast</em> him anything,” said +Billy hastily.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER X</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>While O’Brien slept and the two airmen speculated +about him, far, far ahead two dirigibles flew +straight into the rising sun. The first one might +have outdistanced the second with the utmost ease. +Indeed sometimes it was hard for her young pilot +to temper his speed to the pace he knew the second +balloon could make. The dirigible from Barnegat +Inlet proved to be a wonder. It was a swallow, an +arrow, a flash of light, a dream. All these terms +and many more passed in turn through the mind of +Lawrence as he held the wheel and felt the big +cylinder respond to the slightest turn.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The lighter-than-air machines, while seemingly +bulky, have a strange feeling of buoyancy that the +planes do not possess. Lawrence seemed to partake +of this lightness. He was happy beyond words. +All was well. In his breast lay his new and wonderful +secret. All the anxieties concerning the errand +that had sent them overseas were past, with +the treasure and the papers safely hidden.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Just in sight was another dirigible coming on +at top speed. Lawrence kept it in sight, but was +too anxious to proceed to allow the convoy to approach +nearer. There was nothing that they +wanted to say to O’Brien, nothing that he could +want of them. In case of accident—well, there +were the waterproof suits that were guaranteed to +uphold the wearer safely, warm and dry, for forty-eight +hours. Suits capable of offering a cup of hot +chocolate and a biscuit to the fortunate possessor! +Lawrence almost wished that he could try his out! +As for O’Brien, he had a wireless which he could +use if necessary.</p> + +<p class='c006'>In the meantime everything moved smoothly and +pleasantly. Lawrence, his hand on the pulse of +the machine he was guiding, marvelled at the propelling +power of the new fuel, hyolax, and rejoiced +to think that he had been honored by the position +he was occupying. His thoughts turned to Mr. +Ridgeway with gratitude. He hoped his own father +would be as pleasant and as good to him.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As for Mr. Ridgeway, for the first time in a good +many days he was at ease. It is true that he had +been worried at the failure of O’Brien to turn up +at Barnegat but he had appeared so soon after +their own start, hustling along dim and mysterious +in the early dawn, that Mr. Ridgeway’s last +fears were silenced and he felt that the journey +could assume the aspect of a pleasure trip, a vacation +from care. He settled himself in an easy corner +and sat looking out through the clouds that +were rising about them from the sea. They were +shot with rainbow tints as the rising sun pierced +them. Mr. Ridgeway wished that his wife might +see them. He would have much to tell her when he +saw her in the old English house where she was +staying, utterly unconscious of the fact that her +staid husband was literally flying to meet her!</p> + +<p class='c006'>Not a foreboding crossed his mind. The papers, +carefully protected by wrappings of oiled silk, as +well as the crown jewels, lay in a cleverly constructed +cylinder under his feet.</p> + +<p class='c006'>This cylinder was an invention of his own. The +size, weight, and shape were exactly identical with +the cylinders that held the hyolax. There were +ten of these cylinders lying side by side under a +close grating that served as floor in that end of the +cabin. Their polished steel sides gleamed prettily +through the slats. They were made especially to +fit the under curve of the boat-shaped cabin, and +were ample to carry enough hyolax for three oversea +trips, but Mr. Ridgeway wanted no question of +insufficient gas to worry him. But the end can +held the treasure. With his own hands, under the +eye of the Keeper at the Treasury, he had wrapped +the priceless crown jewels in cotton, and had stored +them in the big steel shell. Their individual boxes, +cases, and caskets made of finest leather and carved +oak and gold, were returned to the Treasury. +Some other time they could be returned to their +anxious royal owner. Now the only thing that +mattered was the jewels themselves. Mr. Ridgeway +smiled as he thought of the splendid glittering +things. Never before in the world’s history had +they been handled by any hands other than those +of noblemen and women.</p> + +<p class='c006'>And here they were, their only guardian a man +of the people, yet safe on their way home to their +royal resting place.</p> + +<p class='c006'>So Mr. Ridgeway rested, his eyes on the east and +his thoughts far ahead. Occasionally talking to +Lawrence, reading or planning, he spent the daylight +hours.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Behind came what seemed O’Brien’s car, never +gaining, but following steadily.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Staring steadily at the dirigible ahead, like a +snake that fixes its baleful eyes on its prey to +hypnotize and devour, Smith bent forward, tense +and untiring. He had not slept for forty-eight +hours, yet his pale eyes were clear and keen, his +face, a little pale, was unlined by anxiety. Why +should he be anxious? All was going well. He +knew the very spot off the coast where the white +cliffs rose so bleakly, the very place where even +now the schooner would be waiting. All he needed +was a little patience, just a little. Then he would +send out the signal for help ... and he knew Mr. +Ridgeway. He would stop to help O’Brien, no matter +how anxious to make speed on the last lap of the +journey across the ocean.</p> + +<p class='c006'>There was but one thing, such a <em>little</em> thing, +seemingly so unimportant. And this one thing, +passing in a whispered conversation between +O’Brien and Lawrence, he did not know. But +Lawrence remembered and put his knowledge to +the test, and the result worried him. Again and +again he made the manoeuver, so far to the right, +back as far to the left, and a spurt ahead, but +there was no sign of acknowledgment from the +plane following.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien could not have forgotten. O’Brien +never forgot <em>any</em>thing. Lawrence tried the manoeuver +until he was afraid to repeat it, and like a +star shell exploding in his brain came the thought, +“<em>That is not O’Brien’s car!</em>”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He took the glasses and studied the car. He +could see by its quick tremor that the engines were +being pressed to their utmost in order to keep up +with their speedy leader, but otherwise there was +nothing to make him think that O’Brien was not +at the wheel. Yet he could not cast out the strange +thought, “O’Brien is not there!” If not, who was +in the car? Who was rushing it directly in their +aerial wake? He hated to answer that question.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Surely if it was not O’Brien, there was reason +for caution. And the only caution that now occurred +to Lawrence was to keep ahead. Also he +decided not to say anything about his suspicions to +Mr. Ridgeway until something really serious occurred. +And Lawrence hoped with all his might +and main that his suspicions were all wrong. That +seemed more than likely. Lawrence knew that his +nerves were tuned up to the snapping point. He +was suspicious of everything. Glancing over his +shoulder, he could see Mr. Ridgeway taking it easy. +With an effort of will, Lawrence laughed his fears +away. Yet every little while he looked back at +the tiny object following them, and twice Lawrence +slowed down his powerful engine until the car was +in plain sight.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The second time he fancied that the other dirigible +also slackened speed as though the pilot preferred +not to lessen the distance between them.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Patiently Lawrence went through the secret manoeuvers +but there was no response. Either the car +was not O’Brien’s, or else O’Brien was never at the +wheel. In either case, Lawrence found his anxiety +growing.</p> + +<p class='c006'>There was no anxiety in the second dirigible. +Smith was only conscious of a sense of annoyance +to think that he was obliged to use the counterpart +of O’Brien’s dirigible instead of his own racing airplane.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He felt almost unable to brook the delay of the +few hours that must pass before they saw the white +cliffs of England. Yet he knew that even if he +had had the plane it would have been most unwise +to attack in mid-ocean, where Mr. Ridgeway would +be forced to sink the papers and gems if the battle +reached that end. He had not known Mr. Ridgeway +so long without having to learn that in a +question of honor he would sacrifice his life rather +than fail in his trust.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Over and over again he mentally tested out every +small detail of his plot. Over and over he tried out +his plans. There was but one flaw. Not one of +the three men whom they had expected had appeared +to take passage in the dirigible. Smith +and Brown were alone. Where had John and the +others been sidetracked? Not for a second did he +doubt that they had obeyed him to the letter concerning +O’Brien.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He chuckled as he thought of O’Brien. He was +certainly a good man to have out of the way. +There was something indeed snaky in the way +Smith, holding the wheel with sure and practiced +hands, allowed himself to dwell on O’Brien. How +nearly the Irishman had come to tricking them all! +If the plaster had held ... but it had fallen, and +so had O’Brien! All was well. Somewhere back +in Washington, in a dark alley, a crumpled, dishevelled +figure had already met the eyes of the first +passerby. Smith chuckled again as he saw it with +his mind’s eye, and seemed to hear the stranger muttering +“Drunk!” as he approached the tumbled +figure that had been O’Brien. Then he lazily imagined +the change in the man’s expression as he +stooped curiously over the fallen man and saw in +the bruised and soiled face not the sodden look of +liquor, but that ominous, austere mask that death +and death alone draws over the human countenance. +Running, stumbling, the passerby would +dash for the nearest street, colliding perhaps with +a policeman, yawning away the last of his night +beat. Then the quick return, the tap-tap-tap on +the ringing pavement, and soon the rattle and clang +of the city ambulance. But not before a crowd +had gathered, one of the crowds that gather at any +hour from everywhere and nowhere; curious, cold, +morbid. And then the hasty shuffle through the +fallen man’s pockets, and the awestruck whisper +between the policemen, “It’s—it’s O’Brien! +O’Brien, the detective!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Then how their manner would change! No common +drunk this, lying crumpled in the filthy gutter. +O’Brien was one of themselves. If it could +happen to O’Brien, it might happen to one of them. +Hastily, yet with utmost care, they would hunt for +clues, for cuts, for bruises on the dead man, to find +nothing, to come up against a blank wall. Doctor, +lawyer, merchant, or thief, no one could find a mark +on O’Brien that meant murder. And Smith knew +they would look for murder. A blank wall! To +save their own skins, Smith knew that John and +the others would leave the hypodermic in an unrecognizable +state far away from the scene of the +crime. Yes, he could trust the three cutthroats he +had left behind. Smith did not depreciate himself. +He knew that he ruled his underlings by fear, a +cold loathing that they could not understand or +overcome.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Smith never made the mistake of underpaying +his servants, so common to many criminals. No; +if possible he always gave them rather more than +the shares they expected. So there was in everything +he plotted the thrill of big rewards, of big +profits. And they always knew that slip one word +of rebellion, and for them, no matter where in the +whole round world they might hide, sooner or later +a shot out of the dark, a drop of poison in their +cup would be the finish of the tale! Smith kept a +clean slate.</p> + +<p class='c006'>These thoughts were pleasant ones for Smith as +he steered his ship through the gentle currents of +the upper air. He was glad that O’Brien was dead; +he was glad that his eye was on the treasure boat +ahead; he was not even sorry that the three men +had missed their appointment with him. He knew +that in an encounter such as lay ahead he and +Brown would be perfectly capable of sending the +dirigible ahead plunging down into the sea. And +they would go down easily and quickly because of +the fishing schooners that they would take for +friends, and so let themselves down to the surface +of the sea as soon as they could.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Smith really was enjoying a very cheerful +journey. He kept the wheel until he was tired, +then put Brown in the pilot’s seat, and throwing +himself down on a pile of rugs, lay looking up at +the sky. Evening gathered around them like a +cloak, and the stars, large and intimate, commenced +to sparkle. He took the wheel long enough for +Brown to set the lights properly. There were rules +of the road even for these wayfarers in the +sky—really traffic rules that must be observed. Then +he once more resigned the wheel to his henchman +and went to look at the guns.</p> + +<p class='c006'>There were four of them, the latest model, rapid +fire, small bore, any one of them throwing a bullet +that would pierce a dirigible at the maximum distance +of any shooting machine made. They cost a +small fortune and had been secured by the syndicate +of scoundrels who at that very moment were +waiting so anxiously for the papers under Mr. +Ridgeway’s feet. Smith had personally seen to the +mounting of them. Solid as the very wood and +steel they were screwed to and blocked by, they +pushed their wicked thin little noses up as though +trying to look through the tarpaulins that covered +them. When the dirigible had been anchored in +the hangar outside of Washington, these guns had +been concealed by seats that ran around the swinging +cabin. These Smith had tossed aside, and they +had afterwards been destroyed in the fire that had +burned down the hangar. That this fire had occurred +and that his own cigarette had started it, +Smith did not know.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Once in a while something happened that Smith +did <em>not</em> know, although he would not have admitted +it.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Having looked the guns over, Smith went back +to his rugs and, lying down, stared at the sky until +sleep overcame him. He could afford to sleep. +All was going well. At the wheel, like a big gray +wolf, Brown sat staring toward his prey through +the deepening dusk. He could feel the soft cool +shape of countless jewels dripping through his +fingers. What did <em>he</em> care if they were stained +with blood?</p> + +<p class='c006'>Brown also wondered a little about John and +his friends. He could have told Smith that he +was not altogether sure of the three precious +scoundrels. He did not feel that they were quite +as afraid of Smith at long range as they were when +his pale, baleful eye was fixed on them. Brown +could have told Smith that and more, but one was +not invited to exchange confidences with Smith. +That was his mistake. Brown did not doubt the +death of O’Brien unless something had come up to +put the three in danger. He knew that they were +first, last and always intent on saving their own +necks. Brown mistrusted them as much as they +mistrusted Brown. And that was wholly. Yet it +was funny they had not showed up when they knew +that the jewels were to be secured on that very +trip. They would have enjoyed the fight, would +have enjoyed the first glance of all the flashing, +glowing things in the cabin of the schooner. What +indeed would <em>they</em> have cared that the gems were +stained with blood?</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XI</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>In the third dirigible, as the night dropped down +the dead awoke! O’Brien stirred, rubbing his +bruised face and working his stiff jaws. Other +than the small discomfort of feeling that his countenance +had been stepped on, he felt once more like +himself, ready for anything.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“The top av the night to ye,” said O’Brien +briskly, sitting up. “Also Mizpah, Selah, Judah +and the rest of them intertainin’ east-side sayin’s. +I never did know was they a t’reat or a promise. +Back when I was ridin’ in the Mounted Police of +Upper Canada, there was a felly always said ... +but that’s neither here nor there.” He checked +himself. O’Brien never told stories of the North +and its frozen trails although his friends spent +hours trying to trick him into some of the hair-raising +yarns that they knew he could tell if he +only would. But no use. O’Brien was silent as +the grave. <em>More</em> silent, some of the fellows +grumbled. You could dig into a grave. Nothing +could pry into or dynamite O’Brien.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Have a good sleep?” asked Hank, looking wistfully +at O’Brien’s welted face.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“So-so,” said O’Brien. “I dreamed. And it’s +no time at all for dreamin’. What’s gone on since +I slept?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Nothing,” Bill assured him. “She is sailing +as smoothly as a swallow, and the lights ahead are +steady.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, ye have ’em sighted, have ye? Did ye try +creepin’ up since night fell?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes,” said Bill. “But we are making our best +speed, and the balloon ahead is doing its best too. +We can tell that through the glass by the way she +shivers.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Any sign of any other balloon?” asked O’Brien, +rising and stretching himself.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not a sign!” said Hank.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, what shootin’ irons have ye?” demanded +O’Brien next. He glanced at the two revolvers +held out to him. “Two dear little pill-boxes, those! +Carry wan foot. See these?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He opened a case and disclosed four of the new +model revolvers that had just been perfected. The +design was unique. Instead of the steel cartridge +clip holding six cartridges as in the old style revolver, +the new invention consisted of a light case +at the base of the hand grip. This held a coil of +cartridges fastened by aluminum clips to a light +webbing. This had necessitated the rehanging and +rebalancing of the whole revolver, but the perfected +weapon proved to be a great improvement on the +old gun, and almost “fired itself,” O’Brien explained. +The small, round clip holder at the end +of the grip was not at all in the way and was +so light that it was not cumbersome. Counting +the six cartridges that were strung in the grip and +the ones lying in the coil, the revolvers held eighteen +shots. Also a new explosive called “Marsden,” +after its inventor, added a terrific force to +the projectile. The barrels, longer than the squat +model that had been so long in use, were octagonal.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien viewed them with pride.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“See me babies?” he purred. “The pretty +pets! So neat and dainty and willin’! Willin’ is +no name! I’m not sure you couldn’t nick that big +sassy star over yonder, so be ye aimed straight. +And I’m goin’ to trust you with one each. Don’t +be afraid you can’t shoot straight after usin’ the +old model, because ye can. These are hung exactly +like the ould guns on that account. The man who +invented ’em had a grain of sense. He saw no reason +why everybody in the world should have to +learn his shootin’ all over again, so he balanced +this new barrel and modelled the clutch so they +would hang the same. All the difference is it’s +simply a new gun from stem to stern, and Marsden +is a great felly himself. They do tell of him that +when he was tryin’ out his new explosive that he +planted enough to go on a tin cent piece down a +well, and sat a fuse, and now ’tis a bottomless pool +with thousands payin’ a nickel to just peek over +the edge. It is sure wonderful. And no noise! +It is going to make scraps like the one I think is +ahead both noiseless and orderly.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, I should say these are beauties,” exclaimed +Hank, bending over the case with respectful +tenderness. “Beauties; no less!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You have said the word, me boy,” rejoined the +detective. “Help yerselves to anny you like, they +bein’ as like as four peas, and pass one on to Ollie +at the wheel, and tell the lad be careful of it. +Here’s the fourth and lasht for me; and I trust it +means the same as a slice of bread.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Slice of bread! How’s that?” asked Hank.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Did ye never hear now the great impartance of +takin’ the lasht slice uf bread on the plate? No? +Dear, dear, how neglected ye’ve been! Ye’ve only +to take the lasht slice of bread and ye are sure of a +handsome wife. It’s a thrue sayin’ at that, because +I could have had a handsome wife—yes, +and a dozen of ’em—if only they would have consinted +to marry me. It niver, <em>niver</em> fails! I’m +a strong belaver in signs. I have missed havin’ +many and many a million dollars just by neglectin’ +to say, ‘Money-money-money-wisht-I-had-a-million-dollars’ +when I saw a fallin’ star. Else I’d be rich +now!” O’Brien sighed and regarded the young +men with eyes that twinkled. “Just where are +we?” he asked after a slight pause.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The men told him.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Good!” exclaimed O’Brien. “Dawn or thereabout +will see us off the white cliffs of England; +and I’ve not seen Ireland for a dozen years. ’Twill +be a small hop across the continent of Europe after +we see the cliffs, and then we are due a vacation, +I’m thinkin’.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>All at once O’Brien’s face changed.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Boys, ye see the welts here and here?” he +pointed to his face.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Bill and Hank felt a pleasurable shiver travel +up and down their spines.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes,” they said together.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Good!” said O’Brien. “They belong in another +story quite. What I am tellin’ you is this. +I picked you back there because I think you are +two bould lads wit’ no fear in ye, havin’ seen you +do stunts of all sorts aloft and below; so if you +think I have let you in for danger, take it that it +was meant as a true tribute to your manhood.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Hank and Bill did not venture a reply. He was +likely to stop right there. But he did not. He +pointed out into the darkness of the east.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Ahead,” he said crisply, “sails the lowest, +meanest, cruelest, sneakin’ scoundrel that goes +unhung! And he is stalkin’ the finest, grandest, +truest gentleman that ever served his country and +his God wit’ a whole heart. And here are we. +And Mr. Hamilton Ridgeway,—for the first gentleman +is him—thinks that it’s meself trudgin’ along +behind. And the saints alone know what the demon +in the middle machine thinks of us. Does the +wireless work?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Perfectly!” answered Hank.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien frowned. “See that it is tuned up +ready for instant use,” he ordered. “I don’t like +to use it unless I am invited, but I’ve a hunch the +man just ahead may want to ask me a question or +two. If he calls, don’t say a wurrud ’til I can get +to the receiver. And keep your guns limber and +your hearts willin’, because it’s the man ahead put +me in a most embarrassin’ position wit’ a gag in me +teeth and me arms and legs bound and a dose of +poison yearnin’ at me on the table. And that no +later than lasht night. And bein’ where he is, I +know he means death and destruction to the finest +man and the most promisin’ boy in this wurruld. +And he’s after some written words meant for a +dinky little locality across Europe which is sittin’ +up nights waitin’ for ’em; likewise there’s a quane +next door like, who can’t go to her son’s comin’-out +party without her crown jewels, the same which +Mr. Ridgeway is takin’ her, her husband havin’ +placed ’em in our Treasury durin’ the war and it +takin’ him five years to get things cleaned up enough +to get ’em home again.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“And that man ahead has his plans all laid. +Bein’ he thought I was well out of the way, he was +careless with his instructions. He has laid the +plan for his attack off the cliffs ahead, and I am +afraid to have a fuss so far out as this because we +are too far out of the track of steamers, should +wan of us go down. Likewise, Mr. Ridgeway +undoubtedly thinks I am ahead there. I wonder if +we could reach him by wireless?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Wouldn’t that give the alarm to the man +ahead?” asked Hank anxiously.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It might,” said O’Brien. “I don’t see what to +do but keep watchin’ and wait for day. I know +Mr. Ridgeway has a balloon that can make double +the speed of either of these boats, and sure he don’t +want to speak to me. So why should he bother +to get in range with that felly? Of course he +has guns, but how big I dunno. All we can do is +watch.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Hank and Bill sat silent, thinking rapidly. +They were having thrills enough now. As O’Brien +went forward to speak to Ollie, Hank dug a sharp +elbow into his mate.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Gosh, doesn’t some people have all the luck?” +he wailed. “Gagged and bound and ’most poisoned! +All in one night! Just like a movie!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Bill stared at him disgustedly. “Yes, you nut,” +he retorted, “and suppose he hadn’t uv escaped? +How would you like <em>that</em>?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“But he did,” said Hank. “Some people have +<em>all</em> the luck! Cousin of mine was in the war, and +he got gassed and shell shocked and had five shrapnel +wounds, and one of ’em took the top of his head +off, so he wears a silver plate and the gassin’ took +off all his hair so he wears a wig and his face is +all smooth and shiny, and he has gold wire on his +jaw where a piece of shrapnel broke it.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Hully gee!” cried Bill. “You don’t call that +<em>luck</em>, do you?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Of course!” maintained Hank stoutly. +“When anybody asts him, <em>he</em> always has something +to talk about.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, I’ll say I will talk about the weather,” +said Bill. “I don’t want any conversation whatsoever +that has to be made out of pieces of me. I +don’t mind doing any job like the one we are on, +and I was sore because I was too young to get into +the war. I wouldn’t have been afraid of anything, +and you know it, but there’s no use inviting trouble +by wanting to make conversation out of it. I guess +not!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>After a little O’Brien returned. “It looks like +a fog was coming,” he remarked. “I wish this +English coast would clean up its fogs.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“We can get above it, can’t we?” asked Bill.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not an English fog,” said O’Brien. “The only +place above an English fog is Heaven and the only +place below it is deeper than I think of travelin’. +I do hope we won’t have anything like that to +bother us.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The night dragged along, and the men anxiously +watched the banks of vapor rolling around them. +O’Brien insisted on Ollie and Hank and Bill taking +a good nap while he, O’Brien, sat motionless at the +wheel. He was leaving his next move to fate. +Just how he should act his part he did not know. +As he had told Hank and Bill, he was sure that the +speed of the car leading was the greatest protection +that they could have or would need. And he remembered +happily that he and Lawrence had settled +on a signal which he was sure Lawrence had +since tried out. If Lawrence only suspected that +he was not in the car following, there would be no +danger at all for Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien was glad the night was passing.</p> + +<p class='c006'>But the passing of the night brought only a +shivery gray light as they rolled through billows +of heavy fog. O’Brien, at the wheel, set the delicate +tentaclever, the wonderful little instrument +by which they were able to find the whereabouts of +any other aircraft within a hundred miles. It at +once caught the direction of the balloon ahead, and +reported on its dial that there was no balloon following. +So they had not passed one of the other +balloons in the fog. They were within two hours’ +flight of the coast of England. A half hour passed +and there occurred one of the strange freaks of a +dense fog. It suddenly lifted, and ahead they saw +the dirigible they were following and ahead of that, +far, far away, the airship containing the treasure. +A moment later the wireless commenced to hum and +click. Hank and Bill and O’Brien reached it together.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien adjusted the receiver. The message +ticked faintly.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Something wrong with their machine or ours,” +said O’Brien anxiously.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Finally he got the words. “Who are you?” +O’Brien sat staring. Then “John” he answered.</p> + +<p class='c006'>For a second it occurred to him to send out a +call for help but he knew that Smith would only +too gladly see his co-partners drop into the ocean +and drown. So O’Brien sent the single name, and +waited. There was no response.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why?” called O’Brien.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Still there was no reply. Then, “Something +wrong with your wireless, John,” came to him. +“Can’t make out anything you send. Take this +if you can. Cliffs about two hours ahead. I am +going to—” there was a buzzing and a flutter and +dead silence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien listened and called in vain. Something +had gone wrong with the wireless. Once more +baffled, O’Brien sent out call after call. There was +no response. Once more Smith had escaped for +O’Brien could not help thinking that the words he +had been about to send would have made everything +clear.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As O’Brien threw down the receiver with an exclamation +of bitter disappointment the fog again +drifted about them like a pall, and O’Brien, silent +and bitter, took the wheel, and with his eyes on +the indicator kept the balloon headed toward its +invisible foe ahead. They were nearing the cliffs.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XII</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>“There are the cliffs!” said Mr. Ridgeway, +pointing through the fog as it broke for a moment. +“Sail high, Lawrence, as you approach the coast. +As soon as you are over the cliffs, set your course +to the southeast and keep straight on. We will +reach our destination this afternoon, and tomorrow +we will go on to our second stop, to return the +papers.” He gave a sigh.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, we have escaped the thieves this time, +Lawrence, and I <em>do</em> feel relieved! I am growing +a little too old for this sort of thing. If I had +been engaged in escaping bandits all my life, I suppose +I would have an appetite for it. It must be +the way some people like big doses of pepper in +their food. But I am a peaceful man, and I would +rather do ’most anything than go scooting around +the world with a pack of hyenas on my trail. Perhaps +if I had sons, a son like you, Lawrence, things +would be different. Both Mrs. Ridgeway and myself +would feel that there was more to live for. +But the death of our sons sort of took the zest of +living away from us. I have had to live for my +wife and she for me. We never mention our loss. +You must be careful of that, Lawrence. She cannot +bear it even now. You noticed her picture in +the library, did you not? It is a good one, but I +carry a better one with me.” He undid his heavy +leather coat and fumbled in an inside pocket just +as the indicator announced that the wireless was +working. Mr. Ridgeway buttoned his coat again, +and turned to the wireless table.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“O’Brien is calling,” he said.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence put a hand on his arm.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Mr. Ridgeway, be sure that it <em>is</em> O’Brien, and +not someone else,” he begged. “I don’t feel good +about that ship behind there. I suppose it is, +O’Brien, but there is something that keeps telling +me to be careful.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway smiled. “I wish I had known before +that you were anxious, my dear boy,” he said. +“The simplest way to settle that is to ask a question +or two. We might have called yesterday and +saved you the anxiety.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He took up the instrument and adjusted it. In +a moment the message from the other ship commenced +to flow smoothly in. O’Brien greeted his +chief and asked for a little help. Before they +passed over the cliffs, would Mr. Ridgeway please +slow down and allow him to come up? He could +not make the speed that the Barnegat airship +could make. Indeed he was straining his engine +to keep in sight.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway agreed to do as O’Brien asked. +He hoped there was nothing wrong with O’Brien’s +engine. Nothing serious, came the reply.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Is anyone following?” asked Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes,” answered the wireless. “We are followed +by another dirigible. I suppose Smith is +driving it, but they are far behind and cannot +catch up before you cross England. They think +they are following you. I will lead them toward +the north as soon as we are well over the land.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That is satisfactory,” answered Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Ask him why he didn’t answer my signal,” +prompted Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why didn’t you answer the signal Lawrence +sent out yesterday?” asked Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Too busy,” came the answer. “This engine +was off all day, and we were working on it all the +time.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“See?” said Mr. Ridgeway. “That is all right. +The signal was nothing important, was it?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I suppose not,” said Lawrence. “But can’t +you ask him something or other that only O’Brien +would know?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway laughed. “You <em>are</em> a suspicious +kid all right, aren’t you? Well, here is something +no one but O’Brien and myself and one other person, +a very distinguished person indeed, could possibly +know. I will ask him about the letter from +the White House.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He turned to the instrument.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“O’Brien,” he asked, “Lawrence wants something +as evidence that you are really there. He +seems to doubt his senses. Just tell me if there +was anything peculiar about the paper I wrote my +instructions on.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Lawrence won’t have any doubts about <em>anything</em> +when I see him,” flashed back. “Yes, I remember +the paper. It was the private stationery +of the President and instead of signing your name, +it was signed with your private seal, the carved seal +you always carry on a chain under your waist-coat.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“O.K.” answered Mr. Ridgeway. “I think that +is clear enough. We will slow down immediately. +Keep to the right. We cannot see you in this fog. +It is getting thicker as we go in. I can’t afford +any accident now.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“All right!” came the answer.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway turned to Lawrence. “I think +that ought to satisfy you, my boy. O’Brien received +my message written in the President’s private +study on his private paper and sealed with this +seal. It never leaves me and cannot be duplicated. +There are secret lines in the carving, as delicate +as the lines on a bank note. Oh, it is O’Brien all +right! And he says that Smith is behind, but evidently +following him. Just as we planned every +bit of it.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence gave a sigh of relief.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I am certainly glad,” he said. “I don’t know +what made me so suspicious.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, I hope you are satisfied now,” replied +Mr. Ridgeway, laughing.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I am,” said Lawrence slowly; “but I know I +am <em>not</em>.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway slapped him on the back. “What +a boy!” he exclaimed. “Within an hour at most +O’Brien will be laughing at you, and I will, too. +I wish this fog would lift. It is dangerous for +two balloons the size of these to approach when +they cannot see to manoeuver. However, we are +all right. Unless it is absolutely necessary to borrow +something for his engine, O’Brien will not try +to board us. We can swing him almost anything +he wants.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I can hear him coming now. There <em>is</em> something +wrong! The engine on that ship never made +a noise like that.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence listened, and wondered dully if it was +O’Brien’s car, but he did not care to be laughed +at, so kept silence, only asking, “Shall I take the +wheel?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Perhaps you had better,” said Mr. Ridgeway, +“and when the cars come together allow for the +wind. It is blowing from the north, and I told +O’Brien to keep to the right as he came up. Coming +on the left, we might be blown together and +entangled. So allow for that and keep pretty well +away until we know what he wants.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence went to the wheel and settled himself +for a pretty piece of airmanship. He too could +hear the pulsation of the engine behind them. It +sounded choked and muffled in the fog, which was +now so thick that objects five feet away looked +hazy.</p> + +<p class='c006'>More and more distinct came the sound behind, +and suddenly like a phantom the dirigible appeared. +Mr. Ridgeway gave a shout of surprise +and anger as the balloon, instead of following his +directions, slid close to them on the left. The +cars bumped violently, and two muffled figures +rapidly lashed them together fore and aft They +had had the ropes ready and it took but a moment +to secure them.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Then, almost before Mr. Ridgeway realized his +predicament, he and the two men who comprised +the crew found themselves looking into the muzzles +of the revolvers held by their strange visitors.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Hands up!” said a smooth voice which Lawrence +recognized as that of their arch enemy. “No +fooling! We intended to shoot you all, but if you +give up the jewels and papers, Mr. Ridgeway, you +may save your life and that of the boy over there. +Keep that wheel steady,” he ordered, “or I shoot!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He turned to Mr. Ridgeway. “If the papers and +jewels are in my hands in two minutes, you are +safe. Otherwise down into the sea you will go. +However, perhaps it will be as well to wait until +I hear my men coming up. There is a dirigible +behind, with the rest of my men. The dirigible is +the one O’Brien was going to take. O’Brien is +dead, by the way.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Under the air mask Smith grinned.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Who are you anyway?” demanded Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The man laid one of his revolvers down and tore +off his mask. Mr. Ridgeway looked at the smooth, +smiling face and staggered backward.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“My private secretary!” he gasped.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Nicely done, wasn’t it, Mr. Ridgeway? I +don’t at all blame you for trusting me. I brought +such wonderful recommendations!” The fiend +chuckled. “Indeed, kings themselves have trusted +me before this. However much as I might desire +to talk over old times with you, I will ask you to +tell me where the jewels are.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Then before Mr. Ridgeway could answer, his face +lighted.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Ah, an inspiration” he said. “No need at all +for unwilling disclosures. We will just change +ships. Why did I not think of that before? +Brown, just escort those mechanics over the side +into our car, then tie them for the present and fix +the guns. We won’t want to trouble our friends +with the care of the little beauties. You know +what to do, Brown.” He listened. “No sound +yet,” he said, and as the men went over the side, +he turned to look at them.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Silently in that moment when Smith’s eyes were +following the movements of Brown and his two +prisoners, Lawrence stole a hand along the side +of the ship and grasped a fine cord that hung within +his reach. He gave a quick pull and heard aloft in +the fog a little sound which he instantly disguised +by a flood of hyolax in the carbureter. The engine +sputtered furiously but Smith only glanced at him +idly, thinking that fright had deprived him of his +common sense.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway had followed Lawrence’s quick action, +however, and he hung back as Mr. Smith with +a wave of his revolver indicated that he too was to +follow over the side into the other ship.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Look here, Van Arsdale,” he said quietly, “I +don’t see why we can’t talk this thing over. You +have the upper hand certainly. Name your price, +and let us keep the jewels. Name your price, and +although it is a crime to do it, I will give you a +certified check for your money. You know I always +have certified checks with me.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Van Arsdale pondered. “I don’t know but +there is a good deal to that, Mr. Ridgeway. I know +just how you feel. You want it said that you were +a trustworthy custodian. And as far as I go, I +would rather handle cash than bother trying to +have a bushel of old diamonds and rubies recut and +marketed. As for the papers, they must have a +price of their own because in giving them up, I +relinquish my hopes of greatness for awhile and +will have to think up some other scheme to attain +my ends. So, Mr. Ridgeway, what do you offer?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“A million,” said Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Pounds or dollars?” asked Van Arsdale.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Dollars,” replied Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not enough!” said Van Arsdale. “Dear Mr. +Ridgeway, we have discussed the value of the jewels +so often, you and I, when I was your trusted secretary. +A million won’t do at all. Come, bid up! +What am I offered?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Two millions for the jewels and papers,” said +Mr. Ridgeway. “I can’t go higher.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Three or nothing,” said Van Arsdale sullenly. +“I will take three, and I want it before those fellows +come up. They expect the jewels, and they +would murder anybody for cash.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“All right,” said Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence saw that he was deadly pale and his +hand shook. “This cleans me out, Van Arsdale.” +He took a check book and fountain pen from his +pocket and commenced to write. Van Arsdale +stepped up to him and looked over his shoulder. +Instantly Lawrence jerked the cord again, and silently +in the wet fog a sort of claw with a razor +edge on it fell in his lap. He shoved it hastily out +of sight just as Van Arsdale looked up and asked: +“What makes this boat list so?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Because you are tied up to us,” answered Mr. +Ridgeway quickly. “There is your check, Van +Arsdale, and I hope I can get even with you some +day!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I wish you all the success in the world!” +laughed the plotter. “I do advise you as a friend +to keep out of my path.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He called sharply and Brown, who had secured +the two men, stepped over the side and approached +his master.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Tie the wheel, and toss that boy over!” he ordered.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Into the sea, Excellency?” asked Brown.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No, idiot; into the other ship! No, take this +man first!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What do you mean?” demanded Mr. Ridgeway. +“You have your money. Put up those guns and +get out! A bargain is a bargain, and I suppose +there is honor even among thieves.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Among <em>some</em> thieves, no doubt,” said Van Arsdale, +smiling his snaky smile. “Also there is another +motto. <em>Business is business.</em> It was a good +touch to get the three million as well as the jewels +and papers, was it not? Yes, it has been quite an +education to be with you, Mr. Ridgeway. In my +place, you would at once retire and allow me to +proceed on my way. But you see there are some +brave fellows following who look to me for their +daily bread, their all. They will not like it when +they find you have not gone down to feed the fishes, +but never mind. You know how tender-hearted I +am.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Even about O’Brien. I don’t mind telling you +that I had three ways of detaining him, and I chose +the least painful one. Come, Mr. Ridgeway, over +the side at once. That boy over there can follow +you. He is no good. This ship is listing more all +the time. Come, come! I want to true up the +engine.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He took a step toward Mr. Ridgeway, his two +revolvers still levelled. Like a flash, Mr. Ridgeway +hurled the wireless table full at his captor. +Instantly both revolvers went off wild, and Brown, +seizing a heavy hyolax case, brought it down on +Mr. Ridgeway’s head. If it had struck him +squarely, it would have killed him, but Lawrence, +springing forward, had been just in time to seize +Brown’s arm and the blow glanced. Even then +Mr. Ridgeway dropped without a sound and lay as +though dead.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Brown had seized Lawrence, and as he held him +in a rough grip the sound of an approaching dirigible +was heard through the fog.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Lemme drop them overboard, Excellency, and +cut loose and go!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No! I do owe something for the three millions, +Brown,” said Van Arsdale. “Think what a nice +division that is going to make! By rights it is all +mine, but I am not small; I will divide. Here +come our men. Hoist Ridgeway over the side into +the other boat. Don’t try any funny work! If +he goes into the sea, so do you. He shall have his +life in exchange for the money. You cub, you get +over there! If my men come up, I will have hard +work saving your precious young neck!” He +lifted Lawrence and tossed him over with little +ceremony, as Brown tumbled the unconscious figure +of Mr. Ridgeway into the other ship.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Now get out!” said Van Arsdale to Lawrence. +“If you can steer get out as fast as you can! The +dirigible behind is armored and armed like a battleship. +And they won’t waste sympathy on <em>you</em>!” +He cut the ropes between the two ships and turned +toward the wheel, shoving his revolvers into his +pockets.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence watched him as the two ships sheered +off, then as he heard the exhaust of the approaching +ship bearing its load of cutthroats Lawrence +realized that their chances of life were dwindling. +Nothing mattered except to let Van Arsdale know +that they were not afraid even at the moment of +death.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He leaned over the edge, and as the car sheered +off a little, he yelled derisively like a street urchin, +“Say, mister, your bag is leaking and pointed upward!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Van Arsdale looked. Slowly, very slowly, the +big bag was collapsing.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XIII</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>With an execration Van Arsdale fired. But in +the second that it took to aim at the grinning lad, +Lawrence had disappeared. Lying flat on the +floor, he wriggled over toward the wheel which he +found lashed in position. The ship, drifting about, +commenced to wobble. Second by second Lawrence +waited for the shots that would put the bag +above him in a worse condition than the one he +had just fixed. He could not doubt that they were +doomed. He knew very well that even when offering +them a chance for life Van Arsdale had fully +intended to let them get away and then shoot up +the ship and drown them all. But now he could +see through the open slat left for sweeping off the +deck that Van Arsdale was trying to keep the dirigible +up until reinforcements should come. And +in a minute or two Lawrence knew by the sound of +the engine they would hail them.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Many thoughts passed through his mind as he +lay there waiting to hear the first shot clip through +the billowing silk above him.</p> + +<p class='c006'>His first thought was a heart-breaking one. He +would never know his own people, never feel the +touch of his mother’s soft and loving cheek against +his own! Bitterly he regretted that he had not +told Mr. Ridgeway the whole thing.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He could not make himself believe that Mr. Ridgeway +too was doomed. He wanted Mr. Ridgeway +or someone to take a message to the dear ones he +so longed for. He wanted them to know that the +son so long lost loved them and had built his young +life out of the best he had, for their sakes. Mr. +Ridgeway lay motionless, and the roar of the approaching +engine sounded loud in Lawrence’s ears. +In a moment he heard it close in on the other side +of their dirigible and shouts sounded. Unable to +withstand his curiosity, Lawrence popped his head +above the bulwark and witnessed a most amazing +thing.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As the newcomer broke through the fog and +swung to the left, a burly figure hanging over the +bulwark swept the tableau through his goggles. It +was astonishing enough. On the right was the big +dirigible with the punctured gas bag struggling +with all the might of its powerful engine to keep in +the air.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Brown had already mounted the network and was +trying to stop the leak.</p> + +<p class='c006'>At the wheel stood Smith, a smile frozen on his +face as he swept his eyes over the newcomers. Even +with all their coats and wrappings, he knew that +John and the others were not there.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The newcomer saw the figure of Mr. Ridgeway +lying in the bottom of the ship nearest; he saw the +boy wigwag frantically from the bottom; he saw +the two bound and gagged mechanicians.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He uttered an imprecation, and leaping lightly +into the middle ship called to his men as he did +so. Then hauling out his revolver, he made another +leap which landed him in front of Van Arsdale. +As he landed, he tore off his mask and goggles and +stripped off the heavy leather coat.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Ye lyin’, stealin’, murderin’ villain!” he +shouted. “I won’t defile me new pistol on ye! +Fight! Fight, can ye? Fer I’m goin’ to slay ye +wit’ me own hands!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>As he made a lunge for Van Arsdale, the man +attempted to shoot, but the weapon was dashed +from his hand.</p> + +<p class='c006'>This much Lawrence saw, then he found there +was something else for him to do besides watch the +maddened O’Brien rushing his snaky adversary, as +the balloon almost imperceptibly settled into the +fog. The machine he was in was reeling around as +the wheel turned and the rudder swung to and fro. +Lawrence trued it and lashed the wheel. Then he +shouted an order to Hank and Bill who were on the +point of following their leader with their new guns +in hand. Hank sprang for the wheel with an order +to Ollie. Quickly the dirigible rounded the bow +of the middle ship, and dipping a little, lashed fast +to the sinking balloon and held it steady. Hank +drew a bead on Brown, still clinging to the ropes +on the side of the gas bag, and ordered him down. +In the meantime, Lawrence was ripping the gags +out of the mouths of the two men but he could not +free them as the anklets and handcuffs were locked +on, and he did not know where to look for the key. +He tried only for a moment, for Mr. Ridgeway +claimed his attention. Dashing some water over +his set and pallid face, he was relieved to see the +eyelids quiver, and a broken sigh well up from the +sunken chest.</p> + +<p class='c006'>His friend and benefactor would live!</p> + +<p class='c006'>Panting cries and gurgles sounded from the collapsed +dirigible, and Lawrence looked over upon a +terrific encounter. Both Van Arsdale and O’Brien +were large men, O’Brien stocky and full muscled, +Van Arsdale built pantherlike and slim.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Van Arsdale fought with the surprise that one so +low as a mere detective should raise a hand against +him and with a furious resolve to punish, mangle +and kill his opponent.</p> + +<p class='c006'>But something deadlier, colder and deeper stirred +in O’Brien’s blood. He remembered his own death +sentence on the lips of this man now delivered into +his hands. He could hear the smooth voice say, +“It will not be painful, only for half an hour, +O’Brien!” O’Brien wondered as he lunged out at +his enemy, delivering slashing blows, he wondered +how many men and boys and indeed women had +gone down to death by his hand or by his orders.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Hank, clinging to the ropes and trying to watch +Brown as he came slowly down, saw the conflict out +of the corner of his eye, and muttered, “Some folks +has all the luck! I bet one of ’em get killed!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>As O’Brien delivered a terrific blow and Van Arsdale +reeled back against the rail, O’Brien looked +him in the eye.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Come on, you snake!” he gritted. “No quarter! +I’ll make you pay for what you did to me. +You lily-fingered murderer, you! See if you can +fight a white man’s way!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Van Arsdale sprang forward, murder in his eye. +O’Brien read it there and laughed a laugh that was +like the flick of a whip across the face of the man +before him.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It was not O’Brien’s first fist-fight. Many and +many the time he had encountered men his equal in +size and strength on the mat, but in the long nights +in the frozen north O’Brien had met men of many +kinds and races, and his joyful laugh and ready wit +and square open nature had made him many friends. +From one and another he had learned tricks worth +remembering: the feint, the unexpected stoop, the +rush and instant withdrawal.</p> + +<p class='c006'>And as the struggle went on up there far above +the sea, jewels worth a king’s ransom under their +scuffling feet, the fog close about them, the punctured +bag doubling and flopping overhead, and here +and there the small steel muzzles that yearned to +speak their short, sudden summons of death, as they +fought on and on it became apparent that at last +O’Brien had met his match.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He could despise Van Arsdale, could hate him, +but O’Brien had to acknowledge that the man could +fight. O’Brien was rushing. All his fighting was +offensive. Van Arsdale, on the defensive, parried +and sidestepped O’Brien’s bull-like rushes.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien couldn’t rid himself of the idea that Van +Arsdale was fighting for time. It puzzled the detective, +but with the one idea of administering a +drubbing that would forever mark his cold and +handsome adversary O’Brien fought on while the +fog slowly cleared and the dirigible hung low between +the supporting ships.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The little wind that had been blowing from the +north grew suddenly stronger, and as a curtain +rolls up and is forgotten, so the thick fog disappeared +and left the strange group swinging over the +sea that washed the white cliffs of England. They +shone in the morning sunlight, and on the gray sea +beneath a schooner rocked lazily.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Van Arsdale, buffeted against the rail by one of +O’Brien’s sledge-hammer blows, saw the schooner +and his heart leaped. He knew that the two ships +supporting the dirigible in which they were fighting +were slowly seeking a lower level. It was not a +killing height from the sea if he could manage to +hit the water right. O’Brien, hammering one blow +after another, was punishing him badly, but he was +also returning enough blows to keep O’Brien from +landing a knockout. Once in awhile O’Brien would +land a slashing blow on his face. He felt the bridge +of his nose crack under a terrific slam, and a moment +later it crashed in. One eye was closing. +Again, in a moment when both rested for breath, +Van Arsdale measured the distance to the sea. He +knew the schooner would pick him up, and safe in +his pocket rested the check for three million dollars.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He was growing tired. O’Brien rushed him +again and with the quickness of light Van Arsdale +slipped his left hand in his breast. There was a +narrow silvery flash as the hand lifted and came +down straight for O’Brien’s heart. Van Arsdale +knew where to strike and knew he could not miss +as he leaned lightly forward. He had meant this +ending but somehow could not bring it about sooner. +The knife descended in a true path, but something +happened. Eyes as quick as Van Arsdale’s own +watched under O’Brien’s set brows, and with a +leap he writhed aside. The razor-edged blade slid +through the slack of his coat, and instantly O’Brien +had clasped his man in the Indian wrestler’s grip.</p> + +<p class='c006'>There was a moment of mighty effort, when the +trained muscles gathered and tightened to their +task. Then all at once the watcher there heard a +strange crackling snap, as Van Arsdale was lifted +high over O’Brien’s head and went whirling down, +and down, and down, a limp and grotesque figure +that met the tumbled sea and disappeared beneath +the waves forever.</p> + +<p class='c006'>There was a long silence while O’Brien leaned +panting against the rail and the others strained +their fascinated eyes to see if Van Arsdale’s body +would appear. But there was no break on the surface +of the sea. Only Hank found his voice. For +want of a better listener he addressed Brown. +Prodding him recklessly with the muzzle of his new +automatic, he demanded, “Didn’t I say so? Sure +I did!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>But Brown made no reply. A man who can feel +the exact shape of a gun muzzle against his third +rib never feels in the mood for bandying words. +He stood quite still. Brown knew that for him the +end had come. He lowered his wolfish head and +cringed. Even when they put him in irons he did +not speak.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien was the first to collect himself. He +opened his coat, and parting the slashed cloth +traced the course of a clean-cut scratch that commenced +at the left breast and curved downward for +twelve inches. He turned and showed it to Hank +and Bill. A trickle of blood marked its course.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Gee!” said Bill.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That’s going to leave a scar,” said Hank hopefully.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Naw, it won’t!” Bill retorted.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It will if he rubs salt in it,” said Hank.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, what in time would he do that for?” the +much-tried Bill wanted to know.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why, salt is an epidemic,” said Hank. “Best +thing in the world!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Whadder you mean: <em>epidemic</em>?” demanded +Bill.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“He means antiseptic, I suppose,” smiled +O’Brien, almost too tired and blown to talk.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, antiseptic, or epidemic, all the same thing,” +Bill replied. “Stuff to rub, on a sore spot, and she +gets well. If you don’t, piff! you get blood poison +and swell up, and swell up till you die.” He grew +silent, seeming to gloat over the picture of swelling +up and swelling up. Then “Turrible!” he said.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, I won’t swell up unless we have let Mr. +Ridgeway die while we were settling things with +Smith. Get over there, you two, and lay him down +on the rugs.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The two young men leaped back and, followed +rather stiffly by O’Brien, found Mr. Ridgeway lying +with open eyes, while Lawrence laid cloths +soaked in cold water on his head. He looked very +ill, and O’Brien was frightened when he saw his +condition. Lifting him gently, he examined the +bruise made by the blow, then went to attend a little +to his own hurt.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“About a millionth of a inch more and he would +uv croaked him,” Hank assured Bill in an undertone +as they brought cushions and tucked them +around the injured man.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Bill merely glared.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I never saw anybody like you in this world!” he +said finally.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“All right,” said Hank. “Say it all you please, +but I don’t see as anybody has thought of what <em>I</em> +am a-goin’ to do <em>next</em>, and it’s what he needs worst +of all.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He vaulted over into the ship they had come in, +and disappeared into the tiny cabin. In a few +minutes he appeared with a covered basket. This +in hand, he went back to Mr. Ridgeway and knelt +beside him. Uncovering the basket, he took out a +pot of tea, boiling hot, and a couple of slices of +toast. Mr. Ridgeway tasted it languidly, then +drank with relish as the hot liquid warmed his +chilled frame.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I never tasted anything quite so good,” he said +as he finished his second cup. “You had better +pass some of that to O’Brien, young man. I never +did know before how good tea could be.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Hank returned to the cabin with his basket and +a jeer for Bill.</p> + +<p class='c006'>O’Brien, scorning the “epidemic,” had bound up +the scratch and now commenced to manoeuver the +three planes in toward the cliffs. The punctured +bag hung heavy between the others, but he thought +he could manage to clear the rocks and drop the +useless dirigible on the plain beyond. Mr. Ridgeway +insisted on going on with the papers and +jewels, and suggested to O’Brien that he should +give him Hank and Bill, while he could stay to see +to the dirigible and have Brown placed in prison. +Also the two men who were still wearing their iron +bracelets and anklets were clamoring loudly for release.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Brown, the prisoner, kept an unbroken silence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>After trying in vain to make Mr. Ridgeway wait +over or let O’Brien go in his place, everything was +settled in the way stated and the slow aerial procession +made its way to the top of the cliffs or over +them, and carefully led the broken dirigible, with +O’Brien, Brown, the two manacled mechanicians +and Ollie in the other balloon.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As Bill skillfully propelled their machine up into +the higher currents, Lawrence looked at the cylinder +which had been lifted into their machine, and +marveled that it could make so much trouble. +However, once more they were safe, he was lying +beside Mr. Ridgeway, and a wave of love seemed +to flood him. Lawrence wondered if he could ever +care so much for his own father back there in the +States.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It was a clear and sunny day; not a cloud in the +sky; not a cross current to bother them. Almost +mid-day indeed, yet Lawrence, dead tired, dropped +asleep.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XIV</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>Lawrence slept for hours. When at last he +awoke he saw that they were circling above a large +city bright with flags and bunting.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Getting dolled up for the Prince’s coming-out +party,” Hank said as he leaned far over and levelled +the glasses on the brilliant broad streets below. +Throngs of people passed to and fro, and one and +all stared upward at the dirigible as it came slowly +downward. Not until they had located a beautiful +villa nestling among the trees of a vast park on the +outskirts of the city did Mr. Ridgeway give the +order to descend. A mile from the villa there was +a large aviation field and there they landed. A delegation +approached composed entirely of admirals, +or so it seemed to Hank and Bill and Lawrence, so +loaded with gold braid were they and so overtopped +with plumes.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway showed no nervousness at all and +entered a big automobile, while Hank and Bill +lifted in the big hyolax case and sat themselves +down on either side of it as a sort of guard. They +were still in their aviation clothes, which Mr. +Ridgeway said would be considered a uniform. As +they started off, another company of admirals +deployed around a corner, overtook them on the run, +and trotted along on all sides of the car, which was +forced to proceed at a crawl. Sitting on the back +seat with Lawrence, Mr. Ridgeway looked stern +enough to quell any number of admirals. The bandage +under his hat was commented on frequently +in a tongue the boys had never before heard. It +was a short ride to the gates of the great park, and +there another automobile was waiting, with another +guard. These seemed to be the “pick of the +whole b’ilin’,” as Hank said, for the admirals were +in pale blue uniforms and were a head taller than +the others.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Here Mr. Ridgeway, after seeing that the cylinder +was placed on the seat in front of him, took out +his automatic and rested it across his knees.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The boys were to wait for him at the gates. A +number of the pale-blue soldiers mounted the running +boards and hung on behind; the others closed +in on either side and the car moved slowly out of +sight, while the guardian closed the center leaves +of the gates, leaving only a smaller gate open at +either side.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Hank leaned back and sighed.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, <em>don’t</em> that beat you?” he said. “Wish +we could go up and see what the queen looks like. +I bet she is nifty lookin’. Nuthin’ to do but load on +the jewelry, and try on crowns.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“We have had some awful democratic, commonplace +kings and queens back in Washington last few +years, but I bet that’s all put on. They want to +put it over on us; make a hit with the unions and +all that when they come visitin’; but I bet when +they are home it’s different. Now that prince the +party is for: it’s his coming-of-age party, Mr. Ridgeway +said.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, but even that is different,” said Bill. +“Mr. Ridgeway told me the heir to the throne here +in this country is of age when he is fifteen. That’s +so if anything should happen to the king, the boy +could go right to kinging it without any lawyers +having to be hired to make out papers.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Fifteen, eh?” mused Hank. “I’d like to see +him now. I seen a picture in the Corcoran Art +Gallery. It was named <em>The Young Prince</em>. He +was all of that, I will say; with a long blanket like +around him, and ribbons on his golf pants and a +hat all feathers.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, you make me tired!” said Bill. “I seen +that pitcher myself. That guy was born way back—back +before the Cuban war.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>A violent discussion seemed started, but a diversion +was made by the sudden appearance of a bareheaded +lad on a shabby bicycle. He came tearing +through the small gate, saw the automobile drawn +up at the side of the road in the shade, checked his +pace, and with a shake of the head as though asking +for silence, he dismounted, threw his wheel into the +tall grass, and running around the car, lay down +along the running board. So rapidly had he acted +that no one had had time to speak, and immediately +another bicyclist trundled through the gate. This +time it was a ruddy-faced, middle-aged man with a +couple of books strapped over his shoulder, a butterfly +net across his chest, and a tin box rattling +on his hip. He rode like a man in a hurry, gave one +uninterested glance at the occupants of the auto, +and rattled on, gazing earnestly down the dusty +road.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The boy at once sat up.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Thanks!” he said in a pleasant voice, and with +very little accent. “That was a close shave. If I +had had to catch another butterfly today I should +have exploded. He will ride ten miles or so looking +for me!” He chuckled wickedly.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What do <em>you</em> have to learn about butterflies +for? You are no girl!” said Hank scornfully.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That’s what <em>I</em> say,” said the boy, smiling cheerfully +at Lawrence. “They don’t stick you with +that sort of stuff in England. My people sent me +over there to school for awhile, and it was great. +Are you English?” he asked Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“American,” answered Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Better yet!” said the boy. “Not that England +isn’t all right, but they say America is so big and +so roomy and a fellow can do as he pleases.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not much he can’t,” said Hank bitterly. “I +never seen anything like it. It’s ‘don’t step on the +grass,’ and ‘don’t pick the flowers,’ and ‘don’t tease +the animals,’ and ‘don’t chip a piece of this here +house for a sooveneer.’ Don’t, don’t, don’t every +way a feller turns!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The boy looked surprised.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Why should anyone <em>want</em> to tease the animals +or chip pieces off the houses?” he asked.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“They don’t,” replied Hank. “At least they +don’t ’til some smart Aleck sticks up a sign and +puts it into their heads. And then of course they +gotter.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, well,” said the boy, “there are lots of other +things you can do that you can’t do here.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not much, I bet,” said Hank, but Bill interrupted.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Don’t be forever kickin’ on your home town,” +he said. “It does rub me the wrong way. You are +a regular Bullsheevikky.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“They ain’t any more of them,” said Hank triumphantly.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“What is your name?” asked the boy of Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Lawrence Petit,” said Lawrence. “What is +yours?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Modo,” said the boy.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Sounds like a girl,” said Hank, “but I will say +you don’t look the part. I should say you look like +a real honest-to-goodness feller.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I am glad of that,” said the boy simply. +“Names don’t mean much.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not sometimes,” replied Hank. “I bet the +young Prince in there don’t answer to anything +simple as that Modo. I bet he has a name long as +your arm, even just with his own folks.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“He means the one that’s going to have the +party,” explained Bill.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Oh, the crown prince!” said the boy, rumpling +up his black hair. “He has a lot of names. Seven, +I think.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Whee!” said Hank. “Think of that! Every +time his mother calls him, calling like John-Henry-George-Washington-Christopher-Columbus-James.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The boy laughed until he cried. “I don’t believe +they use them all at once,” he said. Then he +turned to Lawrence. “If you are an American, +you know all about football, don’t you?” he said. +“The boys here don’t know how to play it, and I +am crazy to start a team. The English game is +not like the American at all, they say.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence hopped out of the car, eager to talk on +his favorite subject, for next to flying he loved football. +Together the boys wandered down the slope, +and sitting at the foot of a tree with their knees +drawn up, they chewed grass roots while they +discussed the great American game. After awhile +they returned to the car and sat on the running-board +while Lawrence wrote his address for Modo, +who was going to write to him for some books on +the subject. Hank and Bill, smoking lazily in the +car, leaned over with words of advice.</p> + +<p class='c006'>They had been sitting there only a few minutes +when another bicyclist rolled through the small +gate. This time the rider was in the uniform of a +house servant, impressive with silk stockings and +much gold lace. He spied Modo, and with an +abrupt motion stopped his wheel and dismounted +with a low bow.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Your Highness, Her Majesty desires your attendance,” +he remarked to the boy impressively, +bowed again and, backing off a pace, mounted his +wheel and went back through the gate.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Mother is all fussed up about this party,” said +Modo smiling. “And I suppose she wants to drill +me in something. It is an awful nuisance.” He +looked at Hank and laughed. “I hope you don’t +mind,” he said. “And they <em>don’t</em> call me all seven +names every time!” He waved a merry good-bye +to the petrified airmen, shook hands with Lawrence, +and promising to write soon, ran off, trundling his +wheel.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Somebody pinch me!” begged Hank, after a +long pause. “<em>Your Highness</em> and me joshing him +about his name, and all that!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“A real boy!” ejaculated Bill.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Yes, sir! Nuthin’ but a <em>real boy</em>! Kind you +see anywhere. And the crown prince! ‘Mother +is all fussed up’ says he. Well, I am in mother’s +class on that! Say, he’s dropped his pencil! I’m +goin’ to keep it. Gosh, this will make talk back +home. ‘One morning in Morania,’ says I, ‘me and +Modo was talkin’.’ ‘Modo who?’ says somebody, +and I says, ‘Why, you nut, don’t you study hist’ry? +I mean His Highness the Crown Prince Modo of +Morania!’ And then I’ll flash this pencil with a +crown printed on the side of it. Wow!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, thank goodness we come!” said Bill. +“Now you have something to gas about besides +accidents and murders.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You bet!” said Hank, and fell silent.</p> + +<p class='c006'>A moment later Modo came hurrying through the +gate on his wheel. He dismounted, and flashing +his bright and friendly smile mounted the running-board +of the car.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“They are going to make a big fuss over my +birthday,” he said, “and some medals have been +struck off to commemorate it. I thought you might +each like one since you won’t be here to the party. +I am to give them out and pin them on myself.” +He fastened glittering medals on Lawrence, Bill +and Hank as he spoke.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“There!” he said. “Don’t forget me! Good-bye! +It was great fun to be just a boy. Good-bye, +Lawrence! Don’t you forget to write and send me +all the football news!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He mounted his wheel and disappeared for the +last time.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“And they says,” murmured Hank, “they says +‘Whatcher got on?’ and I says, ‘Where?’ and they +says, ‘Why, that breas’pin!’ and I says, ‘Oh, a +little decoration the Crown Prince of Morania +gimme.’ Big stuff, eh?” he prodded Bill gaily.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“These are beauties all the same,” said Lawrence, +“and here comes Mr. Ridgeway.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Talking in “close formation,” as you might say, +they displayed their medals and recounted their +incident. Mr. Ridgeway also had a medal, and +another decoration as well: a broad purple ribbon +with a gold Greek Cross blazing with jewels. It +was to signify that he had been made a member of +the Order of the Crown. “For bringing back the +jewels,” he explained, laughing.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“When do we start home, Mr. Ridgeway?” asked +Hank.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Do you men want to look around the city for +an hour or so?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I don’t,” said Hank. “I seen it from above, +and there’s no use wasting time.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“All right then; we will go back to the dirigible +and start for our little baby republic. I should +have made that my first errand, but this saves a +few hundred miles, and I want to get to England +as soon as I can.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>As they rolled along toward the aviation field, +Mr. Ridgeway outlined their plans.</p> + +<p class='c006'>He was anxious for a rest. After visiting the +President of the new republic, he wanted Hank and +Bill to drop Lawrence and himself down at the +country house where Mrs. Ridgeway was staying. +There they would stop until the dirigible was in +order. Then one of them could report and Mr. +Ridgeway would motor over to the plane and look +it over. They could then divide, and take the ships +back to the United States.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You may like to stay and return with Mrs. +Ridgeway and myself,” he said, turning to Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The boy shook his head.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I must go back, sir. I have something very +important to do.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“You won’t think so after you get acquainted +with Mrs. Ridgeway,” said Mr. Ridgeway. +“Everyone is crazy over her, and she likes boys.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I would like to stay,” said Lawrence, “but it +seems as if the business just couldn’t wait a day.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, we will talk it over later,” said Mr. Ridgeway. +“Perhaps I can help you. At all events, I +will take you with me until the dirigible is mended. +It will not be a long job. I hope O’Brien is feeling +well. He must have been stiff and sore after that +bout. We will have a lot to tell Mrs. Ridgeway.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>They got the dirigible up safely and sailed off in +the direction of the young republic, Bill declaring +that hobnobbing with royalty had utterly ruined +Hank as a machinist.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Four hours later they had reached their destination +and were once more waiting for Mr. Ridgeway +to get through the complicated ceremonies of meeting +the heads of the new nation. Messengers raced +here and there, telephones buzzed, lights flashed up +in the state hall, and finally while Lawrence and +the others dozed in the lobby of the nearest hotel, +the President and Cabinet indicated their readiness +to receive the messenger from the big republic +across the sea.</p> + +<p class='c006'>An hour later, when Mr. Ridgeway saw that the +meeting was to be a long one, apparently to impress +him, he telephoned to the patient waiters to have +supper. They obeyed with great cheer and then +settled themselves for another long wait.</p> + +<p class='c006'>When Mr. Ridgeway finally appeared it was so +late and his bruised head was throbbing so that +Lawrence suggested spending the night there.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Hank and Bill went back to the dirigible, and +Mr. Ridgeway secured a large room with twin beds +for himself and Lawrence. It was a comfortable +novelty to find themselves between clean sheets +again, and they were almost too comfortable to go +to sleep immediately.</p> + +<p class='c006'>So they talked awhile, of the fight, and Van +Arsdale, and the jewels, and the journey, and its +pleasant ending, and a hundred times Lawrence +started to tell Mr. Ridgeway about himself and +stopped. More and more the feeling had come that +perhaps there was nothing in it after all, and in +that case he decided that no one should ever guess +what high hopes had filled him, or what black disappointment +had followed.</p> + +<div class='chapter'> +<h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XV</h2> +</div> + +<p class='c005'>Noon the next day found them over England, +searching out one of the aviation fields that had +been arranged at frequent intervals since the end +of the Great War.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Airships of all sorts were so commonly used that +this was a necessity. All Country Clubs had them, +as well as extra hangars for visitors. At most +fields there were instructors, most of them American, +just as golf instructors are almost always +Scotch. And the finest fields had wide exercise +fields where beginners and children could potter +around in safety.</p> + +<p class='c006'>At one side of the aviation fields ran a low line +of sheds for motors where men driving out from the +city could lock and leave the cars they had come in +while they were aloft in the airplanes or dirigibles, +though dirigibles were but little used, on account +of their size and expense. Even the small racing +dirigibles like Mr. Ridgeway’s pair, and the one +Van Arsdale had owned, were not common. It was +like approaching in a state chariot, Lawrence found, +and he commenced to understand that the use of the +big balloon had been partly to impress the Moranians +and the republic.</p> + +<p class='c006'>At least twenty slim, graceful planes were flying +here and there as they commenced to descend to the +field, and quite a flock of them, bright and saucy, +flitted round them as they went down. In the distance, +they could see brightly clad little figures trotting +around the golf course, and nearer, on the +tennis courts, groups of what looked like dancing +dolls hopped and pranced over the smooth surfaces.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Makes me homesick to see all those planes,” +said Bill.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Awful poor pilots, most of ’em!” Hank replied, +watching a monoplane go jerking around just above +the ground. “Look at that! Oh, lordy! Well, +he did miss the Club House, didn’t he? But I bet +the mortar is peeling out from them stones from +fright. Must be a kid at the wheel. No, by +gummy, see the old duck steerin’?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>And as the plane careened near them, Hank +leaned out and flung hot words of scorn and advice +after the uncertain holder of the wheel.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Poor old dear!” said Hank. “Don’t you suppose +he ain’t got no folks? He ought to have some +grandchildren or somebody that loves him, that +ought to keep him with his feet on the ground where +he belongs. There he goes again! See the leaves +he clipped out of that oak tree. Well, I can’t look! +I just can’t watch and see him destroyed.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“He’s going down,” said Bill, looking after the +careening plane. “He does lay a queer course.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Queer course!” exclaimed Bill. “If it was so +you could run a trail behind him, it would look like +a ball of rickrack braid after a kitten had played +with it.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>After the dirigible had been secured, the party +started over to the Club House where Mr. Ridgeway +hoped to get a motor. Bill and Hank sauntered +along in the rear.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“There’s that precious old Methuselah that was +reelin’ around in the plane,” said Hank suddenly. +“I got a mind to go tell him what I think.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Don’t butt in!” advised Bill. “Remember +what you just went through back there in Morania. +That old bird may be the Emperor of Switzerland +for all <em>you</em> know!”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Hank seized a passing caddie. “Hey, kid!” he +ordered, “who is that old chunk of trouble amblin’ +along there in the giddy plaids?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The caddie looked.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Over there?” he asked. “With the eyeglass?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“The same!” said Hank. “Now whose grandpappy is he?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“That’s his grace the Duke of Mountjoy and +Pewanit,” said the boy glibly, “and he is waving to +the Prime Minister.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Thanks!” said Hank. He passed on, and after +a moment lifted up his voice in a sort of chant.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“And the folks will say, ‘What did you do with +yourself when you wasn’t flyin’?’ and I will say, +‘Oh, we found a pretty decent Club. Old Dook +Mountjoy-and-Thinggummy belongs. Used to meet +him there with the Prime Minister.’”</p> + +<p class='c006'>Bill glared. “Honest; I tell you one thing right +now. You can commence to talk straight United +States <em>NOW</em> or we go back in separate dirigibles.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Aw, I’m just practicin’,” Hank replied.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not on <em>me</em>,” said Bill. “Hurry up now, can’t +you see Mr. Ridgeway beckonin’ or can’t you see +anybody any more but dooks?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I can see enough to guess it’s dinner time,” +Hank returned cheerfully, and they hurried up to +find that that was the very item Mr. Ridgeway +wanted to discuss with them.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway seemed to be at home wherever his +airship happened to light, and signing the visitors’ +book, he took his party into the dining-room, where, +in a secluded corner, they disposed of a fine luncheon +and watched the people come and go.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Mr. Ridgeway found a friend who was going right +down into the country where Mrs. Ridgeway was +staying and he offered to take him and Lawrence +down with him.</p> + +<p class='c006'>So here they parted, and for a long, long time +Lawrence was to see no more of the two clever, +honest fellows who had gone through such dangerous +deeds with them. Lawrence watched them go +off together toward the aviation field where the +dirigible was waiting.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“A good pair,” said Mr. Ridgeway. “Honest, +faithful, and the best airmen that one could ask. +Almost as good as you, Lawrence boy. And now +we will wait for our friend to take us to Gray +Towers where we will find Mrs. Ridgeway. We +will surprise her. She does not expect us so soon.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>The road to Gray Towers took them through the +loveliest part of lovely England. To Lawrence, it +seemed a wonderful experience to bowl along between +trim hedges and high walls, then through +wonderful forest preserves and clean toy villages.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Their host, Mr. Alden, lived on the estate next to +Gray Towers, and gladly took them to the door of +the old castle, although Mr. Ridgeway assured him +that they could easily walk the short cut of two +miles from the great gates to the door. Lawrence +would have been glad of the walk when he got +glimpses of the deer between the trees, and when +dozens of rabbits flashed across the road before +them. Lawrence looked so pleased and happy that +Mr. Ridgeway put his arm about his shoulders, and +asked, “Now aren’t you glad you came?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Are we going to stay here in these woods?” +asked Lawrence.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Right here!” Mr. Ridgeway assured him. +“The place belongs to my sister’s husband. She +married an Englishman, Lord Gray of Gray Towers +and there,” he added, “are the Towers themselves.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>A sort of awkwardness filled Lawrence. “I +don’t belong among such people,” he muttered, but +Mr. Ridgeway either did not hear or did not wish +to reply.</p> + +<p class='c006'>They drew up at the broad steps, where carved +lions stood on great square blocks of stone.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The friend, eager to get home, drove on as a lady +came out of the door and ran down the steps to meet +them.</p> + +<p class='c006'>She wore a kilted walking skirt and sweater, and +the sun glinted on her fair hair in which the white +showed plainly.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Hello, Sis!” called Mr. Ridgeway, hurrying to +greet her. “How are you all, and where is that +wife of mine?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“It is a wonder you wouldn’t give us more warning +of your arrival,” said the lady. “That wife of +yours has been in London for several days, and she +can’t possibly return before tomorrow morning. +Your wire did not come in time. I have telephoned +her, however, and she will call you later.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>She turned inquiringly to Lawrence, and Mr. +Ridgeway introduced him.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I am glad you came,” said Lady Gray cordially. +“I have two boys about your age. You will be +great friends, especially as they are both anxious +to fly.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>She studied him thoughtfully.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Whom does he remind you of, Hamilton?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“No one that I can think of,” said Mr. Ridgeway.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The lady sighed. “Come in!” she said.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The two boys were nice chaps and asked a million +questions which Lawrence was well able to answer. +When he told them that he was going back to the +United States probably the next day, they refused +to consider it at all.</p> + +<p class='c006'>But now that all the danger was over, and the +thrills of the journey, Lawrence felt himself once +more drowned in loneliness. All the cheery affection +and the atmosphere of home oppressed him to +the very soul. Even if his own people were poor, +no matter how humble they were, Lawrence wanted +them with a longing that was almost agony. He +<em>had</em> to go back! He <em>had</em> to know!</p> + +<p class='c006'>So he stood firm, although Mr. Ridgeway assured +the boys that he was going to have a good talk with +Lawrence when they went to bed, and he was willing +to bet that he could coax him to stay.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Go to bed early then!” cried the boys.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It was early when they said good-night, and went +up the wide stairs. Mr. Ridgeway was still suffering +with his head and needed rest. As they prepared for +the night, he said:</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Well, Lawrence, how do you like them all?”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“They are fine!” said Lawrence heartily. “I +think Lady Gray is beautiful.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Not as beautiful as Mrs. Ridgeway,” replied +that lady’s husband. “You don’t get her look in a +picture. Her beauty is her changing expression +and her color. The painting at home is magnificent, +but it does not give you the right idea of her. +When she is happy she looks like a girl. I have an +awful crush on her, Lawrence.” He laughed, and +fumbled in his pocket. “This is the picture I like +best,” he said, taking out a pocket case. “It was +taken years ago for my birthday, and she has never +had another that pleased me so well. It is just like +her.” He pulled the reading lamp over and laid +the open case down on the table under the strong +light.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence looked.</p> + +<p class='c006'>For a moment he saw the picture clearly, and +then as he stared, it swam off in a sort of mist. He +kept his eyes on it and it came back, and gazed +gently, radiantly up at him. But he could not +speak. He felt his knees giving, his heart hammering. +It couldn’t be true! Something was wrong! +With fingers that fumbled and shook, he felt for his +own case, found it, dropped it, recovered it, and +at last managed to open it and place it beside the +other.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Then he groaned.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Eh?” said Mr. Ridgeway, coming back from +the dresser. “Lovely, isn’t it?” He looked past +Lawrence’s bowed head at the two pictures, and +with a great cry, seized them.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Lawrence...boy...merciful heavens...where did +you get this...explain!” came bursting from his +lips.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lawrence gently took his picture, felt under the +photograph, and offered the two pieces of paper—the +scrap written over with his name and the torn +bit of newspaper.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“I was stolen,” he said, his lips almost too dry +and trembling for speech. “My brother was +drowned. I did not know until just before we set +out. I have always had these. A woman said to +keep them. She said they would lead me to my +people.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>So far Mr. Ridgeway had listened. Then with +a great and terrible cry, the cry of a strong man +who has been too brave to voice his agony and has +borne it for years, he took Lawrence to his heart.</p> + +<p class='c006'>The tears of men and the embraces of men should +be sacred, and it was with a feeling that his soul +had been washed clean of everything but thankfulness +and love that Lawrence found himself sitting +beside his father later when they were composed +enough to talk. Mr. Ridgeway’s arm about his +son’s shoulder still trembled, and their hands were +still clasped as though they were afraid of losing +each other. Again and again they told each other +of the past, again and again Mr. Ridgeway wondered +if his wife would ever be able to stand the +shock of joy.</p> + +<p class='c006'>It was late when they heard the light footfall of +Lady Gray as she passed down the corridor to her +room.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Let us tell her,” said Mr. Ridgeway. “She will +know what to do.”</p> + +<p class='c006'>He went to the door, and asked her to call her +husband and come in.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Their joy was as great as it could be when they +really accepted the wonderful fact. It seemed as +though no one <em>could</em> go to sleep. Finally toward +morning they settled down, but Mr. Ridgeway could +not close his eyes, and Lawrence, although he obediently +shut his, lay awake listening to his father’s +uneasy breathing as he stared through the dawn at +the beloved son that had been given back to him.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Lady Gray had warned them all not to tell the +boys, as they might let the news slip before her sister +was prepared for it. So breakfast was made +possible by their appeals to Lawrence to stay on +and help them build a plane.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As the time for Mrs. Ridgeway’s return approached, +Lawrence grew almost unbearably nervous. +What if she should not like him? He +brushed and rebrushed his hair. He had asked +Mr. Ridgeway to tell her all before they met. +Lawrence wanted his first sight of that pictured +face to be the face of his mother, not a stranger +who would give him a friendly hand to shake.</p> + +<p class='c006'>So he ran, actually <em>ran</em> for refuge to his room +when he heard the motor come up the winding +drive. Gay voices and greetings floated up to his +open window, but he could not look out.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Downstairs his father would now be taking his +wife into the dim library. He would draw her over +to the divan and seat her in the circle of his arm. +Just as they had planned, he would tell her carefully +and tenderly that her son, her own son was +found at last, that not both little fellows had been +doomed to the flood.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“But what if she doesn’t like me? What if she +doesn’t <em>want</em> me?” Lawrence asked himself over +and over.</p> + +<p class='c006'>Time dragged on; it seemed the day had gone +past, yet his watch had counted off but half an +hour. He could not stand it! He took out the +case and, laying the picture on the table, gazed +down into its tender eyes. Then, unable to bear it, +he sank to his knees and put his face against the +picture.</p> + +<p class='c006'>“Mother, what if you do not love me?” he asked, +his heart starving.</p> + +<p class='c006'>As if in answer, the door opened. Springing to +his feet, Lawrence wheeled.</p> + +<p class='c006'>She stood in the doorway, the picture itself, his +Pretty; his mother!</p> + +<p class='c006'>Their eyes met and held. She did not speak. +She gave a little crooning cry. Her arms were +wide and waiting.</p> + +<p class='c006'>And Lawrence went home.</p> + +<div class='c012'>THE END</div> + +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 45546 ***</div> + </body> + <!-- created with fpn.py 1.76 on 2014-04-30 09:26:45 GMT --> +</html> |