diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 6339.txt | 5131 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 6339.zip | bin | 0 -> 86324 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
5 files changed, 5147 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/6339.txt b/6339.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6eebd2c --- /dev/null +++ b/6339.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5131 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Boy Scouts on a Submarine +by Captain John Blaine + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: The Boy Scouts on a Submarine + +Author: Captain John Blaine + +Release Date: August, 2004 [EBook #6339] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on November 28, 2002] +[Date last updated: June 29, 2005] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE BOY SCOUTS ON A SUBMARINE *** + + + + +Scanned by Sean Pobuda (jpobuda@adelphia.net) + + + +THE BOY SCOUTS ON A SUBMARINE + +By Captain John Blaine + + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE UNEXPECTED VISITOR + +A great barking of dogs broke the silence of the sleepy summer +afternoon. Elinor Pomeroy laid down her knitting and slowly +walked around the house. The barking of the three big dogs had +been on a joyous tone. A young man was racing up the long front +drive, the dogs leaping and bounding around him. + +"Three rousing cheers, old dear," he cried. "Three cheers! I +have won out!" + +"Do you really mean it, Lester?" she cried. "Do you really mean +that your invention is a success?" + +"It certainly is, Elinor," he answered, a certain gravity coming +into his face and manner. "I know now that it is all right. We +have even tried it out, and I am sure of it." + +Elinor took her excited brother by the arm and led him to the +wide, swinging hammock. + +"Begin at the beginning," she ordered gently. "I want to hear +the whole thing." + +"Well, then," he commenced obediently, "this morning, as soon as +I got to the plant, I asked for a meeting with the bureau of +management. Well, I went in and told them what I had done; how I +happened on a partial combination when I was analyzing something +for the office. I told them that I had worked it out further and +further, and that finally I found what I was hunting for--a gas +that was powerful enough to affect a large number of men and put +them out temporarily, without injuring them after the effects +wore off. + +"Well, they listened, and when I told them my idea was to use it +along the battle front instead of the ghastly deadly gases used +by the Germans, they commenced to sit up and take notice. You +see, sis, my invention is far reaching than anything yet known. +It puts out thousands of men with the contents of one grenade, and +sinks them into such a deep sleep that they are absolutely helpless +for hours. During this time, our men can occupy their positions, +and send hundreds of trucks to the rear loaded with sleeping +prisoners. When they come to, they are all right. + +"They listened, all right, and then they commenced to ask +questions. I offered to try it out right there, but they didn't +seem to want to. Then Mr. Leffingwell spoke up. You know what a +good sport he is. He said, 'Well, fellows, there may be a lot to +this. I have a couple of hundred cows out Marcellus way, and I'm +going to sacrifice them to my country. Let's take the car, and +try this thing out if this young man has enough on hand for a +man-sized bomb.' + +"Some of the men said he was a fool to risk that herd. My own +opinion was that he thought the stuff wouldn't work at all in the +open. Anyway, we got into the cars, and went out to the dandiest +farm you ever saw. + +"We drove the cows all into one end of a big lot because there +was no way to send the grenade with sufficient force to spread +the gas; but I went as close as I dared, and threw with all my +might. It struck a stone and broke and right quick a couple of +cows close to the grenade sort of crumpled up and laid down, and +some more, and then one on the outskirts of the group looked +around and said, 'Dear me suz, it gets late early now!' and she +put her head on her arm, and went sleepy sleepums--" + +"It's too wonderful; too wonderful!" mused Elinor. + +"Well, the best part is," said her brother, "that it is so simple +and so cheap. That is, it is simple to combine." + +"Where is the formula?" asked the business-like Elinor. "In a +safe, I hope." + +"No, not yet. The only formula in the world is here in my coat +pocket." He patted the coat lying, on the hammock beside him. + +"There!" cried Elinor. "Why, Lester, I call that awfully +careless! I do truly think you ought to put it in a safe!" + +"That's all right," said Lester, leaning back and playing with +one of the dogs. "I have it in my head anyhow. Come on, hon; I'm +dead tired. Let's forget about it for a little while; let's go +see how the grapes are ripening." + +An hour later a well-grown boy came rapidly along the road and +turned in the lower drive which led directly to the carriage. +Putting his wheel on its rack, he hustled into the kitchen where +Elinor, prettier than ever in her long blue apron, her face +softly flushed from the fire, stood dishing up a delicious +supper. + +"You are late, small boy," she cried. "Get your hands washed, +and go call Lester. I think I left him about an hour ago, and +he has been as still as a mouse ever since. He has something +fine to tell you." + +She turned to the old woman who was helping her, and Wugs, +whistling loudly, went through the house and slammed the screen +door as he reached the porch. Elinor went on serving the supper. + +Mr. Pomeroy, her father, was away on one of the long trips he was +accustomed to make. He was a breeder of fine cattle, and bought +and sold continually. His wife was dead, and Elinor was all in +all to the man who was lonely even when surrounded by his three +fine children. Elinor was thinking of the dear little mother who +had passed away, and wishing that she could be with them at a +time when Lester was to know the greatest pride of his life. +Supper was on, and she stood by the table thinking tenderly. +Then she frowned. She was conscious of the racket Colonel, the +big collie was making in his run. It occurred to her that the +dog had been raving for an hour past, but she had been so intent +on supper that she had laid the uproar to Lester who loved to +play with the bunch and get them excited. + +She stepped toward the window to speak to Colonel, when she heard +a shout from Wugs. The shout wavered, and turned to a wild, high +scream of horror. Elinor stood motionless. Then shriek after +shriek split the air, and the girl sped to the front door, dashed +it open, snapping on the porch light as she passed the switch in +the hall. She gained the steps in her mad rush and paused. +Wugs's agonized voice guided her down to the side of the wide +veranda. She dashed to his side and looked down where he was +kneeling. + +Poor, poor Elinor! Her brother--her darling Lester--lay there +limp and distorted, and from an ugly wound on his forehead the +blood oozed slowly. Beside him, her head on his breast, his +Beatrice, his special pet. She was dead; but with her last +strength she had crept to the side of her beloved master she +tried to defend. + +Wugs looked up, his eyes wild with terror. + +"He's dead! He's dead! Les is dead!" he kept saying. + +Elinor knelt, put her ear on his heart, then sprang to her feet. + +"Be a man, John," she, said quietly. "Les is living. We will +have to work fast to save him." + +After that it was all a terrible 'nightmare'. Men came, and +tender, strong hands lifted the unconscious burden and gently +laid it on the bed where the little mother had lain so long +before she had passed away into rest. Other hands, just as +gentle, carried the dead body of little Beatrice around to the +garage where, while decently washing the blood from her poor +battered little head, they found a piece of rough, dark cloth +clenched in the dog's set jaws. + +And the nightmare went on while some one telegraphed to Mr. +Pomeroy, and the doctors behind closed doors worked over Lester. +Nurses slipped silently into the house; detectives appeared, +roped the curious people out of the grounds, and raked the place +for clews. It was then that Elinor had a thought. She called +the chief of police, and took him into the library, shutting the +door. + +"Lester was always teasing me, Chief, because I was so afraid of +spies, but we may as well consider anything now. My brother had +just perfected the most wonderful invention--a war device; and +the board of directors at the works tried it out this afternoon. +The formula was in Lester's coat pocket--the only formula there +is. I know it was there, because I told him I thought it was a +careless way to carry it. He laughed at the idea of any one +around here getting hold of it, and said anyway the formula was +in his head. + +"I have looked in his coat pockets, all of them. + +"The formula is gone." + +"That's it, is it?" gritted the detective. "I am sure you are +right, Miss Pomeroy. We have a reason for the deed now, and one +clew to act on." He opened his hand and showed her the piece of +cloth that poor little Beatrice had torn from the intruder's +garment. + +"Did you ever see anything like this before?" he asked. "That is +an unusual pattern. You have a lot of extra help here just now. +Did you ever notice a coat or a cap like this?" + +Elinor shook her head. "Never," she said. + +"Well, don't you fret, Miss Pomeroy. We'll have to find that +coat. The man who wears it has the formula. And it won't take +long to run down a man who owns a giddy plaid like that. If your +brother could only speak, he could help a lot." + +"Is he no better?" asked the girl fearfully. + +"It's a pretty bad affair, I'm afraid," said the Chief +regretfully. "He'll pull through all right after a while, I +think, but the doctors say there is a piece of bone pressing on +the brain; and they may have to operate. In the meantime, we +can't wait. You see this business of the formula puts things on +a different basis. I will have to get the government secret +service men here as soon as I possibly can. It is a national +affair now. Keep cool, Miss Pomeroy, and don't talk to any one. +I'm going now, but I will leave a half-dozen men on the place. +Don't talk; don't let your brother talk. Who is the old woman +crying in the sitting room?" + +"It is Aunt Ann," Elinor explained. "She is really no relation. +Her husband used to work here, and after he was killed she stayed +on and took care of things for mother. Then when mother died, +why, of course she stayed. She is all alone in the world. She +has or had a son, but he disappeared a good while ago. He was a +very bad boy. The last she heard from him he was in South +America. We think he is dead. Poor Aunt Ann! She loves Lester +as thought he were her own child. I think she would die for +him." + +"She is all right then," mused the detective. "Well, I'll get +along, Miss Pomeroy. Just keep cool." + +Elinor followed him to the door and stood leaning against the big +porch pillar as the detective crunched briskly down the gravel +path. A group of men came hurrying up to meet him, and Elinor +listened eagerly. + +"We got him, Chief!" she heard a voice say triumphantly. +"Walking along the road bold as brass." + +"Why shouldn't I?" an angry tone answered. "The street is +public. Ain't I got a right to go long it? What you pinchin' me +for, anyhow? I ain't full and it ain't vagrancy to walk along the +road to Manlius. You leave me go!" + +"Put him in the car." said the Chief. "And look here, young +fellow. I'll search you later; look here. Here is something for +you to chew on for a while. Hold the flash, Dennis. Look here, +you! See that piece of cloth? It just fits the torn place in +your collar. She nearly got you, didn't she, before you managed +to beat her brains out?" + +Elinor heard a subdued struggle as the police loaded the prisoner +into the car. She rushed into the house to tell Aunt Ann that +the man had been caught. Wugs with a couple of smaller scouts +came up. Wugs followed his sister into the house, and the two +other boys sat down on the steps where they would not miss +anything going on. + +Philip and Benjamin Potter, known to their intimate friends as +Pork and Beans Potter, were twins painfully alike in thought, +word and deed as well as size and looks. They sat side by side. +Each boy leaned his right elbow on his right knee and supported +his chin on his hand. + +"Funny 'bout that coat," said Beans. "Did you see it?" + +"Yes," said Porky. "I was lookin' all the time. You mean about +there bein' two just alike. Kind o'queer, loud pattern. And +funny buttons. You know that man in the road was right under the +big light, so we seen it plain, didn't we?" + +"Sure!" said Beany. He shifted elbows, and in a minute Porky did +the same. "But the man we passed in the road didn't look like +the murderer, did he? Kind of square built. Looked worse than +the real one, I thought." + +"I thought so too," agreed Porky. "But they got the real one all +right on account of the tear in the collar." + +"Yes, of course," agreed Beany. "But suppose they was pals. +Think we ought to tell?" + +"Naw!" decided Porky. "They bought 'em at the same store like as +not. Don't butt in with foolishness. Le's go home and tell mom +an pop." + + + + + +CHAPTER II + +OFF TO SEE THE COLONEL + + +A week went by. In the jail a sullen prisoner, always swearing +his innocence, lay awaiting the outcome of Lester's injury, while +day after day he lay tossing on his bed, delirious, or deep in a +stupor from which it was difficult to rouse him. + +The police were satisfied that they had the man who had struck +down Lester, and had killed the dog, but doubts were creeping +into Wugs' mind. He himself had interviewed the prisoner, not +telling him who he was. The man would say nothing, but Wugs came +off with the feeling that there was something queer afoot. + +"It's the wrong man," his brain kept telling him over and over; +and when he told the police that, and heard their shouts of +laughter, the words kept repeating themselves over and over, +"The wrong man!" + +There was a Boy Scout meeting one night, and Wugs went. After +the usual business was over, gathering them around him in a close +group, Wugs went over the story of his brother's great invention, +its try-out on the herd of cows, his home-coming, and the +terrible ending to his triumphant day. Then in a still lower +tone, as though he feared the very walls might turn traitor, he +told them of his feeling that the man waiting trial for the +attack on poor Lester was not the spy who had taken the formula. + +"That's the thing to find out," said Wugs. "The Police are dead +sure they have the right fellow, but I'll never believe it until +I find that paper. You see, he didn't have a chance to mail it +unless he had a confederate waiting outside to take it away. +That's what we have got to find out." + +"Why, 'course he had a what-you-call-it!" the Potter twins broke +in. + +"Slow down! Slow down!" begged Wugs. "Gee, how do you suppose +anybody can tell what you say when you both talk at once? Let's +have Porky; you claim to be the oldest." + +"See how it was," said Porky, with a free field, leering at his +disgusted brother. "'Me 'n' Beany'd been swimmin'. We went down +to the old water hole where the springboard is, and some cloze +was sitting the bank. We saw a man in the water, an' we watched +him. Say, he could swim, he could! He could just live in the +water. Well, we took off our cloze by-en-by, and went in, and +pretty soon he come out. He never noticed us any more'n if we +wasn't there; only he come out a good ways from us and walked +back where was his things, without lookin' our way. But we seen +him; his lip was twisted sort of funny, and made him look like a +grin. We'll, he dressed like a streak, and stalked off; and +Beany whispered, 'Where did you get that coat?' but seems we +didn't like to yell it right at him. He had a funny look. So we +swam and by-en-by we come away too." + +"You forgot what we found," reminded Beany. "When we came where +his cloze had been we found two papers. One was just a plain +paper in a plain envelope, and the other was a card written all +up, something about admit bearer to all parts of fairgrounds. I +suppose he is going to show something at the fair next week. +Anyhow he'll have to get another, because Porky lost it out the +hole in his pants pocket goin' home. And the other paper--" + +"Wait till you get to it, can't you?" said the other twin, +glaring fiercely at himself, or so it seemed to the boys +watching. "We ain't come to that. But we seen the coat all +right. Well, we got on our wheels and started home." + +"I had the paper in my pocket," interrupted Beany. + +"Yes," said Porky simply. "Beany's pants was new. We come along +through the village, and up just before you get to your first +driveway, Wugs, my handle bars come loose, and we had to get off +and fix 'em. And Beany looks up, and he says, 'Gosh! Here's +another striped coat! And ain't it on a pirate!" + +"I looked and, sure 'nuff, there come along another coat just +like the one over to the swimmin' hole but if that feller was +bad, this one was worse. He had a big black mustache and he +looked at us like he'd like to eat us. + +"When he went by," Beany says, 'Well, I bet he is a pirate all +right!' + +"So we went on home. And after supper when we come to your +house, Wugs, why, you know about that, and there was another coat +like the others being arre'sted. Then we went back; and mother +wanted us to write it all to Uncle Jake. And the lamp made +Beany's head hot, and he took the funny thin paper we found over +to the swimmin' hole and made a sort of shade of it. And when we +had our letter done, Beany went to take down the shade and, +honest to gosh, boys, it was all written on! Wouldn't that frost +you? I s'pose you think we're lyin'; but it's true. All writin' +on two sides!" + +"What did you do with it then?" demanded Wugs. + +"We showed it to mom and she took it and put it in her pocket." + +Wugs groaned. + +"You see, Wugs, they's three of those coats and every one's worse +than the other," finished Porky. + +"We must find those men. Who is going over to patrol the +fairgrounds this year beside me?" said Wugs. + +"Me and Porky," said Beany proudly. + +"What's the first thing to do?" asked Porky. + +"Well, one of you fellows who are not detailed to the fair had +better go over to the Troop D Farm where the Mounted Police are +training, and see when I can see Colonel Handler." + +"What you want of him?" asked a boy named Asa Downe. + +"I want to tell him enough of this so he will fix it to let us +Scouts go wherever we like. So the first thing in the morning, +Asa, you trot over there, and find out when I can see the +Colonel." + +Asa started for the Troop D Farm as soon as he had finished a +hasty breakfast the next morning. He had his part of the +interview with Colonel Handler nicely and neatly rehearsed. He +had worked so hard over it that he said, "Thank you, Colonel," +when his mother had passed the doughnuts at breakfast. + +The more Asa thought of it, the more he thought it would be fine +to take some one along with him; and when he saw ahead of him the +two violently red wheels of the Potter twins, it was settled +right there. He yelled, and they waited. + +"Where you goin'!" he demanded. + +"Over to the Troop D Farm," said Porky, hopping off his wheel to +rest. + +"What for? This is my job." + +"Sure it is!" agreed Beany. "But we knew you'd want some one +along for fear you forgot of the things you wanted to say, and we +knew we always remember better than the other fellows. So we +started out. We knew you'd be along." + +"All right, you're on!" said Asa and they pedaled rapidly along +the beautiful country road. When they reached the Farm, they +found that the Colonel, who stayed at Syracuse with his family, +had not yet arrived. The men were grooming the beautiful horses, +rubbing up the bridles, and airing saddle blankets. + +Porky and Beany and Asa, sitting on the stone wall at the side of +the barn, watched and admired. + +"That's what I'm goin' to be"' whispered Porky. + +"Sure!" agreed Beany. "Wonder how long it will take us to get +that high?" + +"Dunno," said Porky. "I outgrew two pairs of pants last year!" + +"Here's the Colonel," said Asa as a big car was driven up and an +officer stepped down. + +"Wait! Wait!" said Asa, swallowing rapidly. "Let him get through +talking first. You see, he has charge of all the country +patrols, and 'course he wants to give them orders. Gee, how the +spies must hate him!" + +As though in answer, a long, low racing car rolled smoothly and +silently up, and stopped in the road just opposite where the boys +sat on the stone wall. On the little rise where stood the low, +rambling farmhouse, the Colonel, with only a glance at the +strangers, turned his back as though refusing to be interrupted, +and went on with his orders. + +In the car, one of the men half rose, leveled a revolver full at +the Colonel's broad back, and fired. But almost before he could +take his flashing aim, an unearthly screech volleyed from the +Potter twins, and from Beany's good left hand a cobble whizzed +through the air, and struck the assassin's shoulder. It destroyed +his aim. The bullet went wild, and before he could recover, the +Colonel had whirled. With a muttered curse the would-be intruder +fired full at the boys, dropped to the bottom of the machine, and +the car shot forward will in incredible speed. + +Leaping from the veranda with the agility of a boy, the Colonel +barked out a volley of sharp orders. Men came swarming from +their quarters. A man hurried to the telephone. Horsemen dashed +madly up the road. A slim, capable-looking racer slid from the +garage, and the Colonel and a couple of aides came down where the +boys still stood grouped beside the stone wall. Beany held a +flattened bullet in his hand. It had struck beside him. + + + + + +CHAPTER III + +ON THE TRAIL + + +"If it hadn't been for you and your rock, young man, I would have +been a dead man probably," said the Colonel solemnly. "I wish we +had the car number." + +"I got it," said Porky, easily. "They will change it, I suppose, +but it is New York 237,814. And there's a patch on the right +front tire, and the mud guard on that side has been bent and +straightened, and the glass in the wind shield has a crack in one +corner, and the staple on the tool box is broken." + +"Oh, you know the car!" said the Colonel, eagerly. "Tell me that +number again." He wrote rapidly, and called to his orderly. +"Telephone that to Syracuse after you call Fayetteville," he +said, and again turned to the boys, but almost before he could +speak again, he was called to the 'phone himself. When he came +out, he frowned. + +"The car passed through the village about ten minutes ago," he +said. "They were going fast, and headed over toward East +Syracuse by way of the wide waters. I have sent the alarm out, +and as soon as I finish with you boys, I will go myself. Now +tell me in a word just why you boys came over." + +Porky and Beany told him painstakingly. + +"That's all right," said the Colonel. "You did right to come for +a permit. You see, my men are going to police the fairgrounds, +and on account of the large amount of government property +scattered around over there we will have to be very strict. The +day the fair opens, come to my tent, and I will give you a badge +that will allow you to go wherever you like without question." + +An orderly clattered up on a sweating horse. + +"They have found the automobile, sir," said the gallant youth. + +"Good!" cried the Colonel, rising. + +"Yes, sir, it is lying in four feet of water at the edge of the +bluff where the road from the village winds round the curve half +way to Manlius Center." + +"And the men?" the Colonel enquired sharply. + +"They must be pinned under the car, sir," said the soldier. +"We thought if you would detail Dennis and Harrison--they are +crackerjack swimmers--they could soon see what is under there." + +"Tell the men to go at once," said the Colonel. "I will follow." + +The Colonel called his car, and with a nod indicated to the boys +that they were to accompany him. The Colonel's orderly leaped +into the front seat beside the driver and Asa, and on the back, +seat, on either side of the big Colonel, sat the Potter twins +looking so alike that it seemed a loss of time to look at one of +them after you had seen the other, and feeling-well, they felt as +important as you make 'em! + +Arriving at the wide waters, they followed the Colonel and his +men as they went down the gouged out place in the bank where the +car had cut its way to the water, and looked at the smashed +machine that lay almost out of sight. It was in such a position, +however, that it was plain that no one could be concealed under +it. The men had escaped. + +A keen look of anger and surprise came into the Colonel's face. + +"I imagine they have driven the car off the bank to put us off +the scent," he said. "There is a life sentence for those men +when we get them. They meant to kill me. I can't see the point +in it; either." He walked back to his car and, entering it, was +driven back to camp, stopping at the Potter house to drop the +twins. + +After the Colonel's car had disappeared round the bend leading to +the village, a small, wiry, evil-looking figure slipped +cautiously from the dense underbrush at the edge of the road away +from the cliff. He brushed the dirt from his clothes and +laughed. + +"Can't see the point of it, can you? I suppose not, you old +saphead! It takes the Wolf to plan things too deep for the likes +of you." He laughed again, and with a glance in the direction of +the village struck off over the hill into the fields beyond. He +walked listlessly for half a mile, as though there was little +need for haste, and any one watching him would have seen him +finally lie down in a shady lane and, taking a small package from +his pocket, open it and eat a sandwich. Then he drew his ragged +hat over his piercing little eyes, and at once went to sleep. He +slept for hours, scarcely shifting his position. When he finally +stretched and sat up, the sun was going down. He looked at it, +and came to his feet. + +"A couple of hours more," he said to himself, and slowly +sauntered back to the road and struck off toward Manlius Center. + +Night was falling when three men, sitting silently in a bare, +dusty, unfurnished room, looked up as a queer scratching sounded +on the outer door. They glanced at each other. "It is the +Weasel, think you not?" said one, a tall man with a sear across +his cheek. It was a mark that was scarcely noticeable unless he +was angry; then it suddenly went white and stood out clearly +across his brown skin. + +A thick-set man at the table gathered up a greasy pack of cards. +"Yes, it's the Weasel, all right," he said. "I'm glad he obeys +orders. I told him not to show his face here before dark." + +The third man did not speak. He sat in the best of the poor +chairs, and was snowed under with newspapers. He had the look of +an educated man, the jaw of a brute, the cold eye of a panther, +almost golden in color, and the slender hands that held the +printed sheet had the delicate, thin fingers of a thief. + +"Door, Adolph!" he said abruptly. The thickset man rose, +spilling his cards. The third man pierced him with a look. +"Butter fingers!" he gritted, cursing softly in a foreign tongue. +Adolph left the room and noiselessly went down a rickety flight +of stairs. He returned in a moment, the Weasel following at his +heels. The third man did not give him a glance. He sat looking +at his beautiful, slender hands. No one spoke. + +"Well, proceed!" cried the third man irritably. "Proceed! +Proceed! Proceed! Himmel, you must be led step by step! Speak, +idiot! How goes it?" + +A look of hate flashed into the Weasel's lowered eyes and was +gone. He raised them timidly. + +"So far, so good, Excellency. I hung on behind the tonneau. No +one noticed in that lazy village. I could hear the Colonel +talking to the two small boys with him. He can't understand the +attack, but he thinks the force he is building is being attacked +through him on account of a gang of thieves who do not want to +risk detection by his men. He thinks it has something to do with +the fair. The Colonel has gone to police headquarters. The boys +went home." The Weasel commenced to laugh silently. + +The Wolf watched him. Then "Well?" he said again in his low, +cutting voice. + +The Weasel stopped. "Your pardon, Excellency. It is so amusing! +That Colonel, he must be a man forty-five years old. He treated +those small boys, those Boy Scouts, like equals. He talked it +over with them as though they were men. He told them--" + +"That will do," said the Wolf. "I don't want to hear any more." + +And with those words, the Wolf, murderer and German spy, sealed +his doom. + +"Now come here," he said. "You, Adolph, you have done good work. +That formula will mean victory for the Fatherland. Did I but +dare, I would at once take it myself out of the country. But I +have my orders. We must know all things about that concentration +camp at the fairgrounds. Yes, you have done well, Adolph." The +thick-set man smiled a queer, twisted smile with a crooked lip +that always seemed to grin. + +The Wolf continued. "From now on our task grows more difficult. +You, Weasel, will go to the aviation school at Ithaca. You +already understand planes. Get their models; find out the +methods of their management. Cripple all the machines you can. +Report to me here when I call you. Send me a name and address +that will reach you. And, remember, no drinking or flirtations, +Weasel. Don't forget my long arm and heavy hand." + +The Weasel shuddered. "No, Excellency," he said shortly. + +The Wolf turned to the dark man with the scarred cheek, and +pointed to his heavy, bristling mustache. + +"That must come off," he said. "There is a job for you in the +Administration Building where Colonel Bright has his office. You +will clean," as the man scowled, "I know you hate it. Never +mind! Care not! We are in trust. You must do all as I say. I +am your superior officer." + +"What do you do, Excellency?" asked the dark man with something +of a sneer. + +"I come to buy horses, Ledermaim, and my father and Colonel +Bright's father, they were friends. I bring a letter from my +father in Switzerland. Unfortunately the Colonel's father, he is +dead; so I make acquaintance with his son. Do you see, Ledermann +and Adolph, and you too, Weasel, that I take for myself the +hardest job? Now attend. Under no circumstances are you to +speak to me. If it is necessary to communicate with me before +the close of the fair you will wipe your faces with one of these +drab handkerchiefs. Then you will come here, right here; no +place nearer, and wait for me. I will keep all the papers +instead of dividing them as before. You, Ledermann, have plans +of all the plants of any size about here. Thanks." He filed the +papers away. "Adolph, give me the fair ticket, and the envelope +with the blank paper. It looks innocent enough, doesn't it? All +white paper; no writing. Yet there is news indeed on that good, +innocent, little sheet if one knows how to make it tell. I'll +take them, Adolph." + +He waited with a slim hand stretched across the table, while +Adolph plunged a hand into an inside pocket with a grin, felt in +another concealed pocket, and returned to the first with his face +growing grave and pale. + +The Wolf watched him with steely eyes, suspicion dawning in them. + +"Too slow; too slow, Adolph!" he smiled. + +Adolph looked up. "It is not here! It is gone! Some one has +stolen it!" he stammered. + +The Wolf snarled. "Oh, no, good Adolph!" he said silkily. "Look +again." + +Adolph, with fingers that shook, turned his pockets out one by +one, then looked into the Wolf's yellow eyes with a gaze pleading +yet sullen. "They are gone," he said huskily. + +With a flashing motion the Wolf reached across the table and +clutched Adolph by the throat. In a steel grip that he struggled +hopelessly to loosen he was helpless as a child. Brutally the +Wolf bore him back to the wall, where he beat his head savagely +against the door frame. A look of savage glee shone on the +Wolf's smooth countenance. + +Ledermann leaped across the floor and seized the Wolf's arm. + +"Off!" cried the murderer, and with his hand dealt Ledermann a +stinging blow in the face. He fell back. Behind the overturned +table, the Weasel sat looking at the floor. It was nothing to +him what they did. He shrugged his thin shoulders. + +Suddenly the Wolf stopped and let Adolph slip to the floor, where +he lay unconscious. + +The Wolf kicked him. "I won't kill you, you swine!" he said. +"You have got to find that paper. Then I'll see about it. Pick +him up, somebody. I can't trust myself to touch him. Lost that +paper--of course it is written in invisible ink; but suppose some +blundering fool should get it near a fire?" + +"They won't," said Ledermann as he worked over Adolph. "These +stupid country people, what would they know about invisible ink? +It may never be found at all. It may even now be trodden in the +dust." + +"Let us hope," said the Wolf. "Adolph shall retrace his steps +inch by inch until the paper is found, even so much as a tiny +scrap of it, so that I may know where it is." + +"He will find it in the dust," repeated Ledermann and threw water +over Adolph, while the Weasel stood up and tightened his belt. +Then the Wolf counted out to him the money needed for his short +journey to Ithaca. The counting was interrupted with directions +and threats. The Weasel drew a long breath of relief when he was +finally dismissed, and was allowed to slip out into the night, +where he turned toward Syracuse. Ledermann still worked over the +unconscious man. + +The Wolf called at headquarters and was pleasantly received, with +the formula that was to overthrow the world lying in his pocket. +Days went by, and Monday came, and flags flew, and bands played, +and crowds gathered, and the New York State Fair opened at last. + +The Wolf went unmolested; indeed he was an honored guest. Quite +safe he was for just one whole day. Tuesday morning, as he drove +in his fine car, splendidly dressed, his yellow eyes half hidden +behind smoked glasses, a couple of Boy Scouts came out of Colonel +Bright's office as he stopped his car at the steps. Porky and +Beany stopped and stared. + +"Out of the way!" said the Wolf, as he approached the door. + +Porky and Beany stepped obediently aside. For a long time they +stared at the door through which he had disappeared. + +"It's him!" said Beany at last. "He drove the car when the other +man shot at the Colonel." + +"Yes, it's him," repeated Porky. "His ears ain't mates." + +"I know," said Beany. "What we goin' to do?" + +"Keep still and say nuthin'. If you ain't eleven foot tall, +nobody believes you. I found that out. And I got a hunch that +guy has the formula." + +"What makes you think that?" asked Beany. "I got it too; but I +don't believe it." + +"Dunno," said Beany. "Don't you know how you feel it back of +your neck when anybody looks in the window? I know it just like +that. An' we got to do this job all alone. I don't like his +looks neither. Awful smooth' but' murderin'. Are you game, +Porky, to land him ourselves?" + +"Sure!" said Porky. "Ain't I alwus? What comes first?" + +"Le's think," said Beany. + + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +REVELATIONS AT THE FLOWER-HOUSE + + +You would not have thought they were thinking at all as they sat +on the broad brick steps, holding their chins in their right +hands, left hands twisting their puttee lacers. They talked +occasionally but not of the yellow-eyed man who was even then +laughing and talking to the Colonel. + +They came out a few minutes later, and "Captain DuChassis," as +the Colonel called him, ran lightly down and drove off toward the +clubhouse. The Colonel stood looking after him, and the two boys +stood at attention beside him. He looked down and saw them +presently. + +"Boys, did you ever have a hunch?" he said. + +"Yes, Sir!" they said together. + +"Silly things--hunches; very silly! Never let a hunch spoil what +seems to be a very good friendship, or change your opinion of a +man." + +Porky looked quickly up. + +"I got the same hunch, Colonel," he said. + +"Same man," added Beany. + +"Eh, what's this?" demanded the Colonel. + +The boys were silent; and while the officer continued his puzzled +study of the two faces, the long racer swept again to the steps, +and Captain DuChassis stepped out and handed down a lovely girl. +She was in a riding habit, and she ran lightly up to the Colonel +and kissed his tanned cheek. "Well, daddy," she cried, "we are +going to take a ride together, Captain and I!" + +She looked at the young man beside her and smiled. He was +resplendent in riding clothes and returned her smile tenderly. +They stood talking with the Colonel while they waited for their +horses. + +"How does everything go, daddy? Have you heard anything from +Elinor Pomeroy?" She turned, "Elinor is a school friend of +mine," she explained. "She is in dreadful trouble. Her brother +invented a gas that will absolutely whip Germany, and he was +attacked the very night that the gas was tried out, and +frightfully hurt, and the formula taken away from him. Of +course, it wouldn't matter if he could tell some one, but he +never will. I heard to-day that he is conscious now, but the +past is a perfect blank. Isn't that too dreadful? I wish I knew +where that paper is, I'd like to be the one to get it." + +"Would you, Miss Carol?" asked Captain DuChassis. He smiled and +tapped his swagger stick lightly on his boot top. "Perhaps you +are near it now. + +"No such luck! she sighed. + +"There will be luck for some one in it perhaps," said the +Colonel. "Mr. Leffingwell has just offered a splendid prize to +any Boy Scout who finds the formula. He offers an education to +the lucky lad. Two years of prep school, and four years of +college." + +"He is a what you call it safety-first man, is he not?" laughed +the Captain. "Is he pro-German? It looks it, setting such a +task for children." He turned to the young lady. "Shall we +mount? Here are the horses." + +After the Colonel had watched them canter away, he turned once +more to speak to the boys. They were gone. Sadly they had faded +away around the corner, and drifted over to the cow stables, +where they sat miserably down on a bale of hay. + +"What we goin' to do?" asked Beany miserably. "That's the +limit!" agreed Porky. "Here we got it all planned. We got to +find that formula, nobody else has the chance we have, and now +we've spotted one of our men. We will find that formula when we +pull in the bunch that tried to shoot Colonel Handler. They are +all mixed up somehow, you'll find. All right, we find that +formula, because we got to do it for our country; and what do +they do to us? What does Mr. Leffingwell do to us?" Porky's +voice rose to a wail. "What does he do?" he asked again. "He +goes and sticks an education on us! A college education!" + +"Is Mr. Leffingwell going to pick our college?" asked Beany. + +"You bet he won't pick mine!" said Porky, loftily. "Cause there +ain't goin' to be no such animal!" + +"Well, I dunno," mused the other twin. "We got to find that +formula. See, the more people we tell, the more it gums the +works. It sounds cheeky, but we work better alone: me and you. +Le's go look around while we think. I can think better when I'm +lookin I at things. + +"Me too," said Porky. + +They drifted over to the bandstand where the crowd was thickest +and the noise loudest and, wriggling through the press, approached +an ice cream stand. To reach the counter, Porky stooped and +jammed his thin figure between two men. + +They paid no attention to him. + +"Where is the Wolf?" asked one. + +"Riding with the Colonel's daughter," the other laughed. "Trust +the Wolf!" + +"As far as you can see him," said the other. "I have news," said +the shorter man. "Meet me in the flower-house to-night at eight +o'clock sharp." + +Porky was afraid to look up for fear they would take notice of +him. He drummed on the counter, and called loudly for a cone. +The men moved away. Porky looked cautiously after them. For a +second, he thought of telling his brother to follow them, but +remembered in time that they looked exactly alike. He moved over +beside Beany, who was biting scallops off the edges of his cone: +he had not heard. + +"Come here!" Porky said briefly. He handed his cone to a small +child and walked rapidly past the Hospital, around the drive +leading to the beautiful new horse stables and, cutting across +the race-track, threw himself down in the center of the grassy +ring where the saddle horses were shown. For acres around +stretched open space. + +Beany, used to his brother, lay flat in the grass and tipped his +hat over his tanned face. + +"Go on now. Get it off your chest!" he demanded. + +"Want to know what they call the guy that's riding with Miss +Bright?" + +"DuChassis--Captain," said Beany. + +"He's called the 'Wolf,'" said Porky. Even alone as they were, +he lowered his tone. + +Beany sat suddenly erect. "What?" he said. + +"You heard me," said his brother. He rapidly repeated the +conversation he had overheard. + +"Where is the flower-house?" asked Beany. + +"It must be the greenhouse," he said. "I think I have seen the +shorter one of those men helping the head gardener." + +"I tell you what! It's your turn now, because I heard them plan +this. So you go camp at the flower-house by-en-by, and I will +keep watch around the gates to see if they change their minds and +go out." + +"What good will that be?" said his brother. "You didn't see +either of their faces." + +"No, but I saw their pants," said Porky. "I can look at all the +legs, can't I? But they won't be there. I will watch to make +sure; but they will be right where they said, over by the +flower-house. See, they don't use any science. All they do is +get in a crowd, or back up against a good high wall, and tell +each other their real names. If we bring this across, I've a +mind for us to be detectives." + +"There's the college education," Beany reminded him. + +"Well," said Porky, "I suppose detectives ought to know a little +something. Come on back, I want a sandwich. I have lived on hot +dogs now for two days. Notice how small they are getting? The +dog part, I mean." + +As they rounded the grandstand, a heavy automobile truck backed +up to something covered with a tarpaulin. The boys darted into +the crowd. They demanded explanations of anybody who would +answer. A boy spoke, up. + +"Ridin' horse ran away," he said. "Saw it 'myself. Girl ridin' +it." + +Porky and Beany gasped. "Was she killed?" they cried. + +"Didn't hurt her at all," said the strange boy rather regretfully, +it seemed. "But the feller with her, he chased her an' his horse +caught up, and the feller grabbed her bridle, and her horse +'swerved, and he was pulled offen his horse, and his horse come +right bing into the bandstand, and broke his neck." + +"My gosh!" said the twins. "Where did they take the man? Was he +hurt much?" + +The boy looked curiously at the pair. "Say, do you always say +the same thing like that? You ain't the same boy, are you? +Feller went over to the Hospital." + +"Hurt much?" said the boys. + +"There you go again! Why, he limped, and I'll bet he's lame +to-morrow but I guess he ain't in a dyin' condition." + +The boys watched while the unfortunate young horse was loaded on +the truck, then turned toward the hospital. + +"What you got?" said Beany, "A sore throat?" + +"I say not," cried his brother. "That's a symptom of scarlet +fever. They would jug us in the detention ward. I'm goin' to +have a splittin' headache." + +"That's scarlet fever too," said his brother. + +"Pick somethin' a boy's apt to have." + +"Hot dogs then," said Beany. "I got an awful pain." + +A delightful, dimply nurse met them at the Hospital. She heard +their tale of woo sympathetically, and the boys, with a wisdom +beyond their years, beamed back at her. + +"I will fix you something that won't spoil all the rest of your +day," she said; and quickly stirred something in a glass that +looked suspiciously like ginger and tasted like red pepper. + +They were still talking, "stallin' along" as Porky said +afterwards, when a group of people came out of the inner office. +Colonel Bright led the way, his daughter on his arm. + +"Yes, indeed," he was saying to the doctor, "she will be all +right now. It was a wonderfully narrow escape for both of them. +Do all you can for Captain DuChassis. I'm sorry you won't let me +take him home with me to-night. We are really very comfortably +fixed in Syracuse." + +"Well, that's lucky," sighed Porky. "We know where he is for a +few hours anyhow. Now there wont be any murderin' done while we +find out just what's what." + +"People are beginnin' to thin out. What time is it? Just five? +Great Scott! We better be on our way. Where will we meet?" + +"Le's stay in the Mounted Police Camp tonight. Colonel Handler, +told us we could, and this is official business all right." + +Beany reached the greenhouses and amused himself by talking with +Mr. O'Neill, the head gardener. Porky lounged against the gate, +and watched the tired sightseers drag out. By six they were all +gone, and Porky felt that he could go back and sit down awhile. +It occurred to him to get a close look at a wonderful piece of +Mr. O'Neill's work that stood in the center of the beautiful lawn +facing the central gateway. + +The floral piece was a little house, about the size of a large +dog house, all made of growing plants. The sides were green, and +the roof was lovely shades of red foliage plants. They were all +clipped short and smooth, and it was the prettiest thing +imaginable. There was even a door with broad hinges, looking as +though it would really open, and the little windows were glass. +Porky had always thought that the inside must be of solid earth; +but when he walked close, and stooped to look in he was surprised +to find it a real little wooden house with wooden wall and floor, +and over that a steel lattice work where the plants were rooted +in moss and earth. He pushed against the door, and it fell in. +He had trouble in getting it up, and was afraid some of the +guards would happen along, so he crawled inside. It was softly +warm from the hot sun that had beat on the plants and earth all +day, and after he had propped the door it, he leaned against the +wall. And immediately what did Porky Potter do but fall asleep. + +The sun went down and the dusty panes of glass in the little +house reflected the glancing lights of official automobiles that +swept along the smooth drives. Far away on the hill the bugles +sounded taps. Some one leaned against the little house, and +Porky woke with a start. A man's shoulders bulked against one of +the little windows as he lowered himself to the soft grass and +leaned against the house. + +Some one chuckled. + +"Sit down," said a deep, coarse voice. "This is safe as a +desert." + +"What's inside this ornament?" asked another. + +"Nothing and no one. It is not made for anything to get into. +It is all show, my Adolph, all show--like the Countess that our +friend the Wolf loves so back there in Berlin. I wonder what she +would think could she see him here?" + +"She will never see him here or there if I can help it," growled +the other man. "I do not forget this bandaged neck, or this sore +head of mine." He laughed a laugh that chilled Porky. "Watch, +Ledermann, watch! I'll not destroy him while he is busy on the +Emperor's business. But some day, some day, Ledermann--" + +"Never mind", said Ledermann. "Let that all go for now. What +have you to, tell me? First?" + +"First, where is the Wolf to-night?" asked Adolph. "That's what +always worries me most. He will rise at my side in a minute, I +know." + +"Not to-night," said Ledermann. "For once he will not be here. +He was thrown from his horse to-day, and is in the Hospital. I +think he is honestly hurt, because he cannot use his foot, and +when I made an excuse and worked my way in, he whispered, 'Not +before Thursday.'" + +"That will be day after to-morrow," said Adolph. "And we meet +him then, I take it, in the usual place?" + +"Yes," said Ledermann shortly. + +Porky listened breathlessly to know where the place was. But +there was silence. Adolph's great shoulder pressed against the +little windowpane, and a corner broke out and tinkled down. + +"Be careful!" scolded Ledermann. "You don't want to break this +pretty toy. Come now, and tell me all you have done." + +"Not so much," said Adolph, "except I have talked to all the +young recruits. I tell you I have made war something so horrible +that they will sleep restless from now on. I have planted dread +and sorrow on many a heart. I have some plans I found on the +Colonel's table when I was fixing his electric light. I +memorized them and later wrote them down. Here they are." + +"It is too bad you did not memorized the letter of instructions +you lost," said Ledermann. "At home you would be shot for that, +you know." + +"Of course," agreed Adolph. "However, I think the paper is +safely lost, at all events. It has come to me where I lost it. +It was the day I got the formula from that silly young inventor. +It was very hot; and I found a wonderful secluded place, and went +swimming. Ah, Ledermann, how I love the water! I must have lost +that paper out of my pocket. I know I did. I went back but +there was no paper there, but I found my pocket knife close to +the water's edge, so the paper and ticket must have fallen in the +water. What was it anyhow to the finder but a plain, clean piece +of paper? No harm, no harm, Ledermann!" + +"Here is something the Wolf told me to give you," said Ledermann. +"You are to use it whenever you can. Watch the bakery." + +Adolph took something in his hand. + +"The usual thing!" he asked. + +"Yes," said Ledermann. "Poison." + +Porky, scarcely breathing, listened with all his ears. And then +a terrible thing happened. Porky sneezed! + + + + + +CHAPTER V + +ALL BECAUSE OF A SNEEZE + + +Loudly, earnestly Porky Sneezed. It was so sudden, so unexpected +that he could not control or disguise it. It came out, seemingly +filling the little plant house. To Porky it sounded like a large +gun going off. It was followed by an instant of deepest silence +while Porky crouched in his corner and wondered what next. Like +an inspiration the thought came to him as the two men, quick as +cats, leaped for the door and shoved it in. Ledermann had a +flashlight in his hand, and he swept the little room, making an +exclamation as he found what he sought and feared. In the corner +he saw a little boy curled up asleep. + +Adolph seized the boy's foot and jerked it roughly. With a start +he awoke, muttering, "What's the matter?" + +"Come out here!" cried Ledermann, as Adolph hauled the boy out of +the door. + +"What's the matter?" cried Porky. "I ain't doin' any harm! I +was tired, and went in there, and I must have gone to sleep. +How'd you know I was there? Are you police?" + +"Yes, that's it!" said Ledermann. "You've guessed it. We are +policemen." + +"Where's your uniforms?" he asked then. "You ain't policemen. +What you doin' here yourself? You can't arrest me for just goin' +to sleep in this dinky little dog house. Gee, I might have slept +all night! Guess I'll go along. Pop and Mom'll fix me for bein' +so late." He started to rise, but Ledermann pushed him back. + +"Not so fast, not so fast, young follow!" he said slowly. "I +would like to find out, if possible, just how much asleep you +were. You see we don't think you would listen to anything that +was not intended for your ears, but we want you to tell us if you +did hear any little thing. By mistake, of course." + +"Wasting time!" grunted Adolph. "Let me tickle him with my +little toy here. Safety first, as these people always say." + +"Be quiet!" ordered Ledermann. "And you too, young fellow! If +you try to scream, we will kill you." + +"Aw, quit your kiddn'!" said Porky cheekily. "What would I want +to yell for? I don't want to get arrested any more than I am. I +want to go home! tell you, how could I hear anything when I was +asleep? I want to go home! What's it to me what you talk +about?" He sniffed, and drew his cuff across his eyes. + +"Let me have him," said Adolph. "Let me go outside the gates +with him." + +"No," said Porky, using his cuff again. "I ain't goin' with +nobody. I know how to get home. I don't have to have somebody +take me." He tried to wiggle away, but felt Adolph's clutch +close like an iron vise. + +"There, there," said Ledermann quietly, as he nudged Adolph under +cover of the darkness. "All we want to know is how much you +heard. It is nothing to me what you do after that. You see my +friend here does not mean what he says, but--well, I may as well +tell you how it is." He turned the flashlight on the boy's face +and held it there, watching him like a hawk while he talked. "My +friend has invented something that will prove to be a very +wonderful thing for everybody in the world, and he is very +anxious that it shall be kept a secret until he is ready to put +it on the market. Now you are a smart boy, and I will give you +one guess to see if you can tell me what we were talking about. +Tell me what you think he has invented." + +Porky thought a moment with a deep frown on his face. + +"It's a patent medicine he has invented," he ventured finally. + +"That's a good guess," said Ledermann. "Such a good guess that I +think you must have heard some of our talk." + +"I didn't, honest," said Porky. "Couldn't you see I was asleep? +What do you suppose I care about your old patent medicine? So +long as you ain't policemen, let me go. I want to go home!" + +"You shall go," said Ledermann, scowling in the direction of +Adolph, "but I am afraid you might follow us and find out about +the medicine. If you stay right here for a while, why, we will +go away, and you will never know to whom you have been talking in +this pitch dark. So we will just get you to do that much for us. +And if you tell any one how you came to be here, or what we have +said to you, we will come back and kill you and kill all your +people!" + +He hissed the awful threat in the boy's ear, and shutting off +the flashlight, he took a cord from his pocket, and wound it +tightly around the boy's wrists and ankles, tying it in a +peculiar knot. Then with a handkerchief he gagged him. + +"Now," he said to Porky, "you can get that cord off and the gag +out, but you are going to sleep for a little while." He took a +little pill from his pocket and forced it far back in Porky's +mouth. "We will sit outside and watch you a while," said the +spy. He laid the boy down on the floor of the house, propped the +door in place, and all was silent. In the house, Porky, lying +flat on his back, was trying frantically to work the pill out +between his lips before it dissolved. He rolled it forward in +his cheek, and turned on his face and blew hard. + +The pill rolled out on the floor. Porky went limp. Sweat poured +down his face as he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. +There was absolute silence outside but Porky fancied he could +hear the breathing of the watchers. It seemed hours and hours +before he heard the door move, and knew the flashlight was +directed on him. Then he heard a grunt of satisfaction and soft +footsteps padding over the close grass told him that at last the +two villains were gone. + +Porky did not dare to stir, however, and lay thinking out his +next move. He felt that for a little while he was safe. His one +concern was for his brother, who had been watching over the +greenhouses on the other side of the race-track. It occurred to +him that Beany would be waiting for him there. He decided that +for a while at least he would not report the affair to Colonel +Bright. He wanted to find his brother. But he did not dare +leave the toy house, so he lay listening to every sound and +working in the dark with the most extraordinary knot that +Ledermann had tied in the cord cutting into his ankles. + +Beany, who had walked rapidly over to the place allocated for +him, had waited in vain for something to turn up, and long after +the time set for the meeting had commenced watching for his +brother. Something, he felt sure, had happened in some other +part of the grounds. He was strangely uneasy. A great desire to +find Porky came over him. He walked down the road, leading from +the great upper camp, and stood looking in every direction. + watching for his brother. + +As he looked, a familiar car swept past him an and stopped. It +was the Colonel's car, and Colonel Bright himself leaned out and +beckoned him. Beany ran to the machine and saluted. + +"Hop in, hop in!" said the Colonel. "I don't know which one you +are but I want to talk to you. Go on, Sergeant," and the car +leaped forward. + +"You or your brother said something about a hunch. Never mind +which one, I'll bet you both think alike. Now I want to know all +about it. What's that hunch all about?" + +Beany was silent. + +"Come on, I'm listening," he said, urging the boy to words. + +Beany looked up into the strong, rugged face and studied the +keen, kind, twinkling eyes that made the Colonel the best loved +man in the American army, then leaned close to the Colonel, and +told him of the two men at the ice-cream stand, and then, going +back, he told of their recognition of the captain as the man who +had driven the car at the Troop D Farm. The Colonel listened, +even forgetting to smoke, and a frown deepened on his face. + +"Where is your brother now?" he asked. + +"I don't know," said Beany. "At the green house waitin' for me, +I suppose." + +"Would he go home, or back to the Police Camp?" + +"No, sir, we always wait for each other," explained Beany. + +"Well, we are in town now," said the Colonel, "and soon as I do +an errand downtown you may take me to your house, and then the +Sergeant will run you back to the Camp. If you find your +brother, telephone me. I don't need to tell you to keep silent. +Don't forget what a big thing you're doing, my boy, and also what +a great reward if you find the formula. Think of it, a college +education! And I will see to it that you will each have one." + +"Yes, sir," said Beany thickly. "I keep a-thinkin' about the +college education." + +"That's right," said the Colonel heartily. "That's right! Just +think what a fine thing to earn. The chance to have four years, +in fact, to have six years good hard study in a good school and +college. Think of the fellows that would jump at a chance like +that!" + +"Yes, sir," said Beany, and added earnestly, "I wish they had it +to jump at. Here is your corner." He skipped out of the car, +and when the colonel went in to the big office building, Beany +stood on the curb and looked around him. Beany was tired and +dirty and pale through the grime. He had had no supper. He was +low, very low in his mind. All that talk about college again. +Hang it! He had clean forgotten that hanging over him, and had +been enjoying all this spy hunting for its own sake. + +The more he thought of that college education, the more he +glared. He groaned, and turned just in time to face a couple of +men who were hurrying across the sidewalk. They glanced a him, +stopped short, and the smaller man went dead white. + +"Look, Ledermann!" he cried in a choking voice. "It's the same! +What did you give him?" He screamed suddenly, his face worked, +and grew purple. Then down he went frothing in such a terrible +convulsion that Beany bolted into the Colonel's car, frightened +out of his wits. A crowd gathered, and at once ambulance was +summoned, and policemen were taking the names of people who had +happened to be near; but no one thought of taking anything at +all from the Boy Scout who sat so still beside the Colonel's +driver. + +When the ambulance had clattered away with its gong ringing +noisily, the Sergeant turned to Beany. + +"Well, you did for him all right!" he said. + +"What did I do?" demanded Beany. + +"That's all right," said the Sergeant. "I have my eyes all +right, all right. You tell the Colonel or I will. Those bums +give you a look, and threw a fit. Both of 'em. I saw their eyes +stick out a yard. They acted like you was a ghost. You do look +pretty pale, at that! Well, I bet you've done for one of them. +I never saw a harder fit in my life. You certainly gave him some +scare." + +"I never saw him before," Beany said over and over. When the +Colonel came out, the Sergeant gave him a glare, and he repeated +the incident as they drove toward the Colonel's house. The +Colonel said he would telephone to the hospital, as the man +would no doubt come out all right. + +Beany said good-night to the Colonel and slipped back in the seat +beside the Sergeant. + +"Funny about that fellow," said the soldier. "Did you hear what +he said? He said, 'What did you give him?' Looks queer to me. +Looks like he thought you were the ghost of somebody they had +just killed. Must be you looked like somebody--" the man +stopped, and stared at Beany for a startled second. + +"Where's your twin?" he asked suddenly. + +Beany went cold. A thousand frightful thoughts and possibilities +surged up in his mind. Where was Porky? + +He turned and struck the Sergeant a sharp blow on the arm. + +"Drive fast!" he demanded, and settling low in his seat, watched +the road drive at their car and disappear under it, as the +Sergeant, eager as, claimed the privilege of the Colonel's car +and leaped past everything on the boulevard. + +"Where will you go?" cried the Sergeant in his ear. + +"Here by the gate first," said Beany, leaping out of the car. + +The Sergeant stopped his engine. "I'll go with you," he said +kindly. + +It seemed a hopeless task. They did not know where to look, but +first tried all the seats around the bandstand and the settees on +the great porches behind the pillars of the Administration and +Fine Arts Building. + +Then they drove the car over to the greenhouse, but all was quiet +and deserted there. At the suggestion of the Sergeant, they went +to the Hospital but no boy had been brought in. Once more they +approached the gate, and again they left the car, +And looked silently about in the darkness. + +Beany was trembling with fear; fear for the brother whom he +loved. + +He placed his fingers to his lips and gave a shrill, clear +whistle. Three times he repeated the call that sounded like some +night bird's song. + +Then, as they listened, it was repeated. It was a muffled sound, +yet close. Once more Beany gave the signal, this time with a +leaping heart, and the answer came clear and keen, as though a +lid had been taken off. + +Beany ran in the direction of the sound. As he passed the +flower-house, Porky hailed him. + +"Hey!" he said. "Got a knife?" + +Guided by Porky's voice, Beany and the Sergeant raced across the +grass. + +"Here I am!" said Porky, cocky as you please. "Say, I wish you +could see this knot! I have worked about all night over it, and +it gets tighter and tighter." + +The Sergeant whipped out a knife and cut the cord. + +"Who tied you up?" he asked. + +"A couple of fellows," said Porky, stamping the feeling into his +feet and ankles. "Couldn't see who they were." + +"You can see one of them any time now, I'll bet," said the +Sergeant. "Your brother here did for him in the neatest way you +ever saw." He repeated the meeting on Salina Street, while Porky +walked up and down the drive between the Sergeant and his +brother. + +"Yes, sir, he keeled right over and gosh, how he did flop around! +It was a fit all right. I bet he died, too, because he went limp +all at once. He acted like he'd seen a ghost. He yelled, 'What +did you give him?' to the other fellow. What did he call him?" +he asked Beany. "I heard him call some name." + +Porky's elbow went sharply into Beany's ribs. + +"Didn't catch it," said he, obeying the warning for silence. + + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +ORDERS FROM THE COLONEL + + +Over in the Hospital, the dimply nurse laid compresses on the +swollen ankle of Captain DuChassis. She found her patient +wakeful, and worn with pain. The leg was badly wrenched, it +seemed. The dimply nurse talked pleasantly with her +distinguished guest, and to amuse him told him a small joke. It +was an amusing little joke to her. A boy had dropped in during +the afternoon, and had asked for the Captain. He seemed most +anxious to know just how he was getting, along; and when she had +told him that he could not leave the Hospital for another day, +the boy had said, "I wish I could help take care of the Captain. +Say, nurse, what have you done with his boots?" + +"My boots?" said the Captain blankly. "My boots?" + +"Wasn't it funny?" said the nurse. "I suppose he is so crazy +over you, boy-like, that he wanted to see your tall boots. Don't +you suppose so?" + +"Probably," said the Captain. He put a hand over the side of the +bed, and felt to see if his boots were there. Then he grew so +quiet that the nurse slipped softly away, thinking him asleep. + +When she had gone he did a strange thing. He took those boots, +dusty as they were and, placing them under the pillow, went to +sleep. But in the morning, although the nurse came in very +early, the boots were under the bed. + +"If he comes in this morning, send him up here, won't you?" he +begged. "It would amuse me so; and I don't want to get up until +afternoon. I would be so charmed to meet that funny little boy. +My boots! How droll!" + +About ten o'clock two boys strolled into the office and passed +the nurses' sitting-room. The dimply nurse seized on one of +them. + +"I am so glad you have come!" she said. + +"Captain DuChassis wants to see you. I told him how you came in +and asked for him yesterday." + +She went on. "I can't go up for another hour; so you can both go +up and amuse him. I am sure he will tell you wonderful things +about the other side. Through the office and upstairs, boys." + +She shooed them out and Beany and Asa stopped outside the door +and consulted. + +Asa was a good boy but about as progressive as a potato, and +something the color of a peeled one. No amount of sun tanned +him. It made his eye-lashes whiter if anything, and his lips +paler. + +"Were you here at all yesterday?" demanded Beany. + +"Oh, yes," said Asa. "Twice." + +"Well, then, listen here. I want you should go up there, and +when he says are you the boy who was here yesterday, you say yes, +and don't say anything else if you can help it. See?" + +"Oh, yes," said Asa, who did not see at all, but who did not let +that bother lot that bother him in the least. + +"Mind!" said Beany sternly. "I don't want him to know about me +or Porky at all. There are reasons; Scout reasons, Asa, so you +mind out. Got that through your nut?" + +"Oh, yes," said Asa, blinking his white lashes. + +"You ain't afraid of him, are you?" asked Beany, remembering the +Wolf's keen eye. + +"Oh, no," said Asa. + +When Asa came down in a few minutes, he seemed rather upset--for +Asa. He blinked rapidly, and there was something so worried in +his open smile that Beany felt conscience-stricken to think he +had sent him on such an errand. He rose, and they walked rapidly +away, for Asa seemed to be thinking deeply. + +When they reached the seats around the bandstand, deserted so +early in the morning, Beany sat down. + +"Well, let's have it," he demanded. + +"That's a funny guy," said Asa, twirling his Scout hat rapidly in +his pale bands. "I did just what you said. I went in, and I +said, 'Morning!' at all. He just looked at me until I felt like +I wasn't there at all; and he smiled softer than anything I ever +see except, some one--I can't think who it was. Well, I did what +you said, and he said--" + +"What did you do that I said?" said Beany anxiously. + +"Why, nothing," said Asa. "Just stood; and he said, 'Come here, +boy,' and I went closer and he said, 'So you were here +yesterday,' and I said, 'Oh, yes.' And then he says, 'Well, what +do you think of a Swiss Captain's uniform--pretty fine, eh?" I +says, 'Oh, yes,' and he says, ''Specially the boots?' and gimlets +his eyes right into me. I wanted to say I'd never seen no Swiss +Captain's boots, but I remembered what you told me, so I looked +back at him and didn't say anything. And then he laughed and +said, 'All that scare for nothing! My boy, you are a refreshing +draught. Thank you for coming. I am so glad to know just what +you are like that I will tell you a great truth. Remember it. +It is this: all women are fools." + +"Well, go on!" demanded Beany. "What did you say to that?" + +"I remembered what you said," smiled Asa, "and I just said, 'Oh, +yes.'" + +Beany, in spite of his anxiety, howled until he fell off the +bench. + +"What did he say!" he asked as soon as he could speak. + +"Why, he laughed too," said Asa, with a puzzled look, and he +said, "Such wisdom in one so young!' Then I came out. Darned if +I didn't think part of the time he was kiddin' me!" + +"Well, I got to find Porky and go on guard at the Administration +Building!" said Beany. "Where you going?" + +"Over to the clubhouse," said Asa. "I wonder who he looks like +when he smiles." + +"Well, for cat's sake," cried Beany, "forget it; lose it; shake +it! What do you care who he smiles like? Gee--" He turned and +walked rapidly away. He had nearly reached the Administration +Building when he heard Asa calling his name. Beany turned and +waited while the other pounded up. + +"I remembered," he said in a relieved tone. "Gee, for a while I +couldn't think but now I can! He smiles just like our collie +when he's goin' to bite the mailman. That's just who he smiles +like!" He waved a hand and turned away, and commenced to retrace +his steps. + +Beany stood looking after him. + +"Gosh!" he said feebly. + +"Why Gosh, young man!" said a deep voice. + +Beany whirled and saluted the Colonel. + +"It's that Asa, sir," he said and proceeded to give an account of +the past few hours. + +"Where is your brother?" he asked when they had talked things +over awhile. + +"Coming right now," said Beany. + +The Colonel glanced up. "Sure enough, here he is," he said. +"Who is with him? Is that the boy you have been telling me +about?" + +"Yes, sir, that's Asa," laughed Beany. + +"You boys come into my office," said the Colonel. He led the +way, spoke to the orderly, and closed the door. + +"Now, boys," he said, "you are such little daredevils that you +are not going to like the plan we have made at all. I have +consulted with the police, and with Colonel Handler, and now I +want to take you into our confidence. All the credit for +discovering this particular group of spies belongs to you. We do +not want to get you into any unnecessary harm, however, and it is +wisest to have you keep entirely out of it. That seems poor pay, +doesn't it, when you have done such good work? However, right is +right, and you want to be good soldiers and take orders as such. +We are going to raid the house where we know the gang will soon +meet. We have located the place, and the men. The fellow you +gave such a start last night, Beany, will not trouble us again. +He never came out of that fit." + +"My gosh!" said Beany. It gave him a queer feeling. + +"No," said the Colonel, "he is done for. Now, boys, take a day +off. Go home and see your mothers." + +He played with the pen on his desk for a moment. + +"Boys, I am going to tell you something. I am fifty-eight years +old and I don't want you to forget what I tell you. Whatever you +do, whatever gain, wherever you go, remember one thing. Don't +neglect your mothers. No true man will. As long as you live, or +as long as your mothers live, you will seem just little boys to +them. They never think that you grow up. When you were little +shavers, your mothers did for you more than any one else in the +world would do. They did things that a father would do about +once. Then he would be ready to give up his job. But your +mothers went right on day after day, year after year, doing hard, +thankless, disagreeable things. I bet you get this preached to +you a lot, boys, but I want to say it to you, too. If you are +away from them, write a letter, a real letter once each week. It +is not much to do. Do it, boys! And don't forget the kisses. +If you kiss your mother every time you come into the house or +leave it, you will still have all you want for your sweethearts +when you get 'em. Begin to-night when you go home. Will you?" + +"Yes, sir," promised the Potter twins huskily. + +No word came from Asa. The Colonel looked at him. "And you?" he +said. + +Asa swallowed convulsively. A tear glistened on the tip of his +pale, thin nose. He nodded violently; then the words came. + +"Oh, yes!" he said. + + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +HOME AGAIN + + +After all it was a sort of lark to be off duty and go bumming +around the fairgrounds without a single thing to worry about +except where the formula was. Certainly if the Wolf had it, it +had gone off for a little airing, because as the boys came out of +the Colonel's office they saw Captain DuChassis being driven out +of the fairgrounds in an automobile. They could scarcely give +chase, and they had been left out of the raid that was planned. +So there was nothing for them to do but chase around and see +things, and the sun was setting when the boys turned into the +walk leading under the double row of fir trees, up to their +house. Home, not seen for four days, looked good to the Potter +twins. The dining room was lighted, and their father sat reading +the evening paper. Mrs. Potter was "dishin' up." She made swift +journeys to the kitchen, and returned each time with both hands +full of steaming dishes. The boys took a look, and made a dash +for the door. + +The Colonel had talked wisely and well. Porky attacked his +father from the rear, and strangled him in a bear's hug, knocking +off his glasses. + +Beany had his mother round the neck too, but not so roughly. + +He kissed her hurriedly on the ear and then on the check and +lips. Then he released her as Porky came bolting around the +table. Mr. Potter, grinning with happiness, was feeling on the +floor for his glasses; Mrs. Potter's eyes bright with joy. + +"Why, how you do take on! Dear me suz!" + +"Gee, but it's good to get home!" said the twins together. Porky +went back and sat on the arm of his father's chair. Beany +followed his mother into the kitchen. She had hurried out to +wipe her eyes. + +"Didn't think we'd be home, did you, mom?" asked Beany, +pretending to look in the sugar bowl. + +"I kind of plotted on it," said Mrs. Potter. "I felt like it was +a good thing to be on the safe side." She opened a tin box, and +drew forth a cake, a glorious large, dark, chocolate layer cake. + +"Well, what's the news?" asked Porky presently at the table +helping himself to more fried chicken and potatoes and parsnips +and honey. + +"Yes, what has happened?" echoed Beany, taking a portion of the +chicken and potatoes, and parsnips, and adding mustard pickle, +and preserved watermelon rind and jam. "Must be something has +happened." + +"Yes," said Pop Potter, smiling. "You bin away all of four days. +Long enough for everybody round here to breathe easy for once!" + +"Well, things does happen!" said Mrs. Potter. "I saw the Land +boy the other day, and if he ain't drafted!" + +"Yes, and what think she says?" Pop Potter exclaimed. "She says, +'So you're drafted? Well, well, ain't you sorry just for your +own face, that you didn't enlist?'" + +"Well, I so felt!" Mom Potter defended herself. "Dear me, suz, if +you boys had to be drug--well, I dunno what I'd do!" + +"Good for you, mom!" said Porky. "I knew you had the spunk. We +will be in it somehow ruther, if they don't stick us in school." + +"How's that?" asked Mr. Potter. + +The boys proceeded to explain. Mom and Pop, Potter looked slyly +at each other. "Education is a great thing," said Pop Potter, +filling his pipe. "I must say--" + +"Why, dear me suz!" said mom flutteringly. "School and college! +Land sakes! You could both be ministers!" + +"NO!" cried the twins, savagely attacking elderberry pie and the +cake. "Don't you think it!" + +"It's real respectable," said Pop Potter, winking at the boys +when Mom Potter wasn't looking. "And think of all the church +suppers durin' the course of the year!" + +"No Potter's ever been in the pulpit," said Mom dreamily. + +"Yes, there was," corrected pop, "I was there myself oncet. I +grained it golden oak; and if I do say it, 'twas a neat job." + +"My land, you know what I mean!" said mom, quite testily for her. +"It's worth tryin' for, anyhow." + +"Well, we'll hope for the best," said Beany. + +"Pirates?" asked pop. + +"No, detectives" said Porky. "But often are not certain. We +maybe all right yet." + +"I suppose they, will get the spies to-night," said Beany, "and when +they get them, I hope they get the formula too. Say, how is Lester +anyway?" + +"He's come to himself," said mom, "but dear me suz! He don't +know no more what's gone by. He knows his father and sister and +Wugs, because they told him who they was; but he just has clean +forgot such a thing as acids or gases or any of that. He don't +care about anything but the cat. + +"The cat?" said the boys. + +"Yes, a young cat that plays with a string most all day; and he +seems to think it's a great joke." + +"Gee that's awful! I think we better start early enough to go +over there a minute," said Porky sadly. + +"Don't go yet awhile, boys," said Mrs. Potter, bustling round to +clear the table. The boys got up and helped her. "Pop and I +have been reel lonesome without you." + +"We will be home Saturday afternoon," said Beany. "And I do +think we had better go pretty soon. I think we'd better take +that paper over to Colonel Bright. Don't you think so, Porky?" + +Porky put the paper in his breast pocket and buttoned the flap. + +"We'll be home for good now, before you know it," said Beany. +"Mr. Leffingwell says we are to return to his apartments to stay +the rest of the nights. He has a swell place in town. So we are +to go as far as Mr. Leffingwell's in the Colonel's car when he +goes home. Some class to us, don't you say so, mom? Guess we'd +better hike, folkses," he said. "Bye!" + +The boys started for the door, then turned and gave Pop Potter +another bear hug, and kissed their mother with a tenderness that +seemed to deepen with every caress. + +"Seems like it does 'em good to go off," said pop huskily. + +"I won't say that," said mom loyally. "They was always the +nicest boys I ever did see if they was mine; but they do seem +sort of different. Sort of lovin'er, like they was when they was +little. I can't say, Ben, that I ain't missed it. Seems real +pleasant to have 'em let on how much they think. It makes me +feel reel good. Dear me suz!" said Mrs. Potter simply. She took +up her sewing and sat busily working. Once in awhile she hummed +a little tune. + +Pop Potter watched her slyly over his paper, but said nothing. +The canary bird, however, hanging in Mrs. Potter's bedroom window +where he was supposed to bask in the afternoon sun, could have +told that Pop Potter awkwardly kissed Mom Potter good-night, +something he had not done for years. And in the darkness Mom +Potter was far too happy to sleep, and in the fullness of her joy +lay there inventing cakes of such size and creaminess and +lightness that the like was never seen. + +Asa too had had his lesson. The barking collie had foretold his +arrival, and when his mother and three sisters, each as pale and +thin as himself, appeared in the door, he managed to kiss them +all. It was such an amazing thing to have happen that a silence +immediately fell, while two of the girls hastily wiped off their +cheeks. A look of happiness dawned through the surprise on +however, his mother's face, and she shyly kept her hand on Asa's +knobby shoulder as he entered the house. Asa was the center of +attraction at the supper table where he ran the Potter twins a +close second in the amount he ate. The girls, perfectly silent, +sat staring at him round-eyed; and his father, it larger edition +of himself, listened or asked short questions. + +When the Potter twins whistled outside, Asa shook hands solemnly +with his father, and resolutely kissed the sisters and his mother +good-night. When he was out of hearing, and the barking collie +had returned to the doorstep, Mrs. Downe burst into sudden tears. + +"What's up; what's up?" her husband demanded. + +"Asy," she sobbed, "did you mind how he acted? It must be he's +had a call. They's been a hoot owl outside three nights now. I +do believe that's it! Asy's got a call from beyond!" + +The three sisters began to cry. + +"Puffickly ridiklus!" said Asa's father. "Purfickly ridiklus. +That hoot owl ain't got no grudge 'gainst Asa. He's got some new +Scout bee in his bunnit, I'll bet. Don't know but I like to see +a boy make of his wimmin folks, at that. It never looks soft to +me. Don't hurt no man." + +He lifted the smallest girl to his knee. She looked frightened +but after a moment cuddled up to her father, and tucked a warm +little hand around his neck. + +"Don't hurt no man," repeated Asa's father and held the little +girl so closely that she fell happily asleep; while Asa's mother, +working like a whirlwind, thought the night's work strangely +light, with the warmth of her only son's kiss on her check. + +Asa went cantering down the hill to meet the Potters, and +together they strolled over to Wugs' house, that house of +unhappiness where the brightest, happiest member of the household +lay gazing at the sky or for hours playing with the kitten. He +did not know the boys, but when Wugs told him who they were, he +greeted them pleasantly enough. + +It was very painful, and the boys slipped away as soon as they +could and, followed by Wugs, went down to the edge of the lawn, +and talked things over. Wugs could scarcely leave home at all. +He wanted to enlist; he was nearly old enough, and now that +Lester was sick, why, some one ought to help the country--some +Pomeroy. The boys agreed. But his dad and Elinor needed him, +too; so he supposed he would have to wait yet. + +Porky, rolling around on the grass, felt the paper rustle in his +pocket. + +"Here, Asy," he said. "You ought to be in on this. I'm going to +let you carry this paper. It is very important indeed." + +Asa beamed, but as usual said nothing. It was fine to be in on +things. It made him feel important. He patted his pocket, and +sat straighter. The paper rustled, just as any paper would +rustle. Asa, listening, heard no warning in the sound. + +Finishing their talk, Porky decided that it was getting very +late, and they boarded the next car passing. It was nearly +empty, and the boys dozed all the way to town. In fact, they +were so sleepy that the car had reached New York Central Station +before they roused themselves. They had been carried two blocks +too far. + +"Well, we are here, anyway," said Beany, "and I'm going inside to +get a stick of gum." + +"That's a good stunt," said Porky. + +They ran up the steps and entered the great waiting-room. Asa +did not like gum, and, besides, Asa never liked to spend a penny. +He stood looking about him in the middle of the space in front of +the ticket office, while the twins went over to the +penny-in-the-slot machine. + +And then it happened-- + +Asa, turning from his inspection of the ticket window, gazed at a +space over which hung a large sign "INFORMATION." A man who had +been talking turned and started toward Asa. + +It was the Wolf. + +Now when the Wolf, on his way to the station to enquire about +trains, had reached a certain dark corner just outside the city, +he had stopped long enough to do something by the aid of a +flashlight and a little packet. So when he walked into the +station his face was change. It was no longer long and lean and +smooth. His cheeks stuck out, and a long, heavy mustache covered +his mouth. But he could not hide his peculiar, slight limp, or +the cruel yellow eyes; and when Asa saw those eyes he knew them. +He tried to move; to slide out of the way. His one frantic +desire was to escape unnoticed. But the wildness of the boy's +stare caught the Wolf's eye. He looked at the boy carelessly, +then attentively as he saw that the boy recognized him. He too +recognized the boy as the one who had visited him in the +hospital. + +He acted instantly. He stepped forward, and dropped a +steel-fingered hand on Asa's shoulder. + +"One single word, and I'll kill you right here," muttered the +Wolf, and Asa felt that it was no idle threat. + +Asa did not need to be spoken to again. All the wickedness, all +the blood-curdling threats that he had ever imagined, were in the +Wolf's touch on his collar. He was like a rabbit that suddenly +sees the white fangs of the hound close above him. + +He was dumb with fright. He gave his captor one quaking look, +and obedient to the guiding hand, passed out the door into the +street. It was filled with people. The Wolf sought the most +crowded side and mingled with the throngs. + +In the meantime Porky and Beany, having secured their +much-wished-for gum, a hard task on account of a penny jamming in +the slot, turned to join their friend. + +"Where's old Asa? I bet he's having a fit," said Beany, chewing +comfortably. + +"Look! Look!" said Beany suddenly, grasping his brother by the +arm. "There at the door!" + +Porky looked. "That's Asa," he said. "Who's he going off with-- +Beany, it's the Wolf!" + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +IN THE POWER OF THE WOLF + + +The Wolf, walking as though bent entirely on sightseeing, yet +covering ground rapidly, led the way through the busiest part of +the city, and into a quieter residential section, where he sat +down on a bench just within a walled park. The Wolf was not +conscious of his surroundings. He could only dwell on the fact +that the boy at his side had recognized him, was following him. +He did not doubt for an instant that the secret service had made +use of this seemingly innocent and simple tool. + +Asa sat silent under the Wolf's hand. He thought of his home. Little +things occurred to him. Once he nearly giggled when he remembered how +the collie played with the cat; and the Wolf, feeling his shoulders +quiver, looked sharply at him. Asa thought of his father and the +little dragged-out mother. He thought of the three thin, silent +little sisters. They would miss him. He was so glad he had kissed +them all that last night at home. It only went to prove what Colonel +Bright had said. You were always glad afterwards. He was glad. + +It was very dark as they walked slowly back to the entrance, the +boys still stalking them. Outside the gate, the Wolf hesitated. +As he looked, a small figure slipped from a shadow across the +light, whistled a peculiar bar of music, and sidled up. + +"Didn't expect to meet you here, Excellency," said the Weasel. + +"What are you doing here?" + +"Been working at the ammunition plants," said the little spy. +"Wish you'd give me some money. I'm stone broke. Hello," as he +spied Asa. "Where did you pick this up?" + +"I'm taking him to the house," said the Wolf. + +"Better let me have him, Excellency. I'll drop him somewhere +where he will be out of the way. + +"I'll take care of that," said the Wolf, snarling and sinking his +steel fingers in Asa's shoulder. + +The Weasel looked at the man in disgust. "Well, let me have some +money, Excellency." + +"What for?" demanded his master. + +"I have worked hard all day. I want to have a little fun with +it. I have earned it. + +"Not a cent!" rasped the Wolf. "I know you, drinking and +gaming--not a cent! For asking you shall go out and earn your +supper." + +The Weasel whirled round at him. "You give me some money!" he +whispered. In the excitement of the moment he seemed to lose his +voice. + +He seized the Wolf's arm. With an oath the Wolf flung him away. +He staggered and went headlong. The shock seemed to infuriate +him. He leaped silently at the Wolf. There was a sudden flash +of steel, and the Weasel turned with a spring, whirled, and went +down in a heap. The Wolf, almost before he touched the ground, +tightened his grasp on Asa, and dodged back into the park. +Rapidly, through paths that seemed familiar, he gained another +entrance, and emerged on a quiet street. Down this street he +hurried the exhausted boy, turned suddenly into a basement where +it was pitch dark, and rapped on the door. It was a peculiar +rap, and reminded Asa of telegraphy. In a moment the door swung +open, they entered, the Wolf fastened the door behind him, and +for the first time since he caught Asa, he let go of his +shoulder. He struck a match and let the blaze shine in his face. +There was a queer grunt in the darkness. Without speaking, the +Wolf clutched the boy once more, and led him up three flights of +carpeted stairs, and into a huge room lighted by a couple of +candles. It was the Wolf's den. + +He flung Asa into a big, ragged chair, and, throwing his goggles +and hat on the table, sat down opposite Asa, and lighted a +cigarette. Then, reaching under the table, he pulled out a big +square box on rollers, and unlocked it with a key which he wore +on his watch chain. He took out a bottle and glass. Pouring a +full portion, he drained it at a gulp. Another and another glass +he emptied. The fiery liquid went to his head. A new look came +over his face. + +"I've got you, haven't I," he demanded of the boy. "I've got +you, and this time I'm going to keep you!" He took another +drink. + +"How did you come to suspect who I was, you, little fool?" he +demanded. "The day you came to see me in the Hospital and stood +there saying, 'Oh, yes,' to everything I said--who put you on my +track, eh? Somebody was smart--thought I would never notice a +small boy, eh? ho did it?" + +"Nobuddy put me on anybuddy's track," said Asa. "I just happened +around every time." + +"Of course!" said the Wolf. "Of course! You just happened a +round. Funny, as you Americans say. And the letter in your +pocket--it happens that I lost that letter through the idiocy of +one of my servants. You happened to find that also, of course. +Where did you find it?" + +Asa was silent. He determined not to tell. + +"Now I want you to tell me the whole thing. If you tell me +everything, I shall give you a great sum of money and let you go. +Won't that be fine?" + +He paused again, looking keenly at Asa. + +"Come, come!" said the Wolf. "I do not like to be kept waiting. +You saw what I did to the little man down the street. I stabbed +him. I am not afraid to tell you. I shall not stab you. Oh, +no! You are a nice boy; you are going to tell me all about +everything. That little man is dead now, quite dead. You would +not like to be like that, would you? Well, you are going to get +a lot of money, and go free, so you can have a nice time spending +it. Come," he said in a level, patient tone. "Speak!" + +Asa's pale, terrified eyes were fixed on his tormentor, but still +he was silent. The Wolf took a twenty-dollar gold piece from his +pocket and laid it on the table before the boy. + +"Twenty dollars in gold," he said. He took other pieces like it +from his pocket and piled them up. "Wealth!"' he almost +whispered. "Did you ever have as much money as that?" + +Asa shook his head. + +The Wolf leaned confidentially forward. + +"Now tell me all about everything," he said coaxingly. He +studied Asa. + +Asa studied him in return. Like a fascinated bird staring at a +snake, he looked at the cold, glittering eyes, the browned face, +the sear on the cheek. As he looked, the sear slowly turned +white. It gave the effect of its springing out into plain sight. + +He looked carefully all over the Wolf. It was as though he +wanted to remember every little detail. The Wolf smiled. + +"Curious about me, are you?" he said with a snarl, his smile +fading away. "Well, if you won't speak, then I will have to +talk. Now I want to know just who is tracking me, and just how +much they think they know about me. And you are going to tell me +everything." + +Asa woke up. It felt to the tortured boy as though some cord in +his heart or soul suddenly snapped and left him free. Asa, who +had been always afraid to speak, was afraid no longer. Asa, who +found speech difficult, spoke rapidly and violently. + +"No, I ain't," he shrilled. "I ain't goin' to tell a word about +nuthin'. And when I get out of here, I'm goin' to tell the first +policeman I see about that little thin man you stuck the knife +into. And I ain't afraid of you. Not a mite! I don't care what +you do to me, I ain't goin' to tell!" + +The scar stood out white as chalk. + +"No?" said the Wolf. He took another drink, then with a sudden +motion hurled Asa back in his chair and tied him there. Round +and round the thin figure he twisted the rope, until Asa could +not move a muscle. The Wolf propped the boy's feet up on a box, +and took off his shoes. Asa watched him curiously. He +remembered the wild Indian stories he had read. Was this going +to be a trial by fire, he wondered. The Wolf lighted a huge +cigar and smoked it until the end glowed red. Then he drew his +chair close to Asa's feet. He showed him the cigar. + +"That would hurt on your bare feet, wouldn't?" he asked silkily. +"So much pain--and all because you want to be stubborn! Well, I +have taught stubborn boys--and men--many times many times! So +you had better tell me who suspects the Wolf." + +A sound at the door caused him to turn. Ledermann entered. + +"What's this, Excellency?" asked Ledermann. "Whom have we here?" + +"A stubborn little boy," said the Wolf. "A stubborn little boy, +who is going to think better of his course of action in just a +few minutes, and who is then going to tell me ever so many things +that I want to know." + +Asa stared at the Wolf's wicked eyes and shivered. The Wolf +turned away. + +"What news to-night, Ledermann?" he asked. + +"Adolph is dead for one thing," said Ledermann coolly. "He had +one of his convulsions on the street, and it finished him." + +"We were about through with him," said the Wolf heartlessly. He +dismissed the subject. "What else?" he demanded. + +"I have all the papers," answered Ledermann. "And as I could not +get here until dark, I took a room in a safe little hotel where I +would be undisturbed, and I made the copy for you." He handed +over a tiny square of paper. + +The Wolf carefully unfolded it. Then he laughed gleefully. +"Fine; fine, Ledermann! This finishes our work." + +He crossed his leg over his knee, took a peculiar looking wrench +from his pocket, fitted it round the heel of his shoe, and turned +it. The other man caught his arm, and spoke rapidly in German. + +"What possesses you, Excellency; are you mad? This boy--" + +"Bah! What does it matter whether I finish him now or an hour +later?" he asked. "We can't let him go. I was obliged to punish +the Weasel to-night and he saw it. It seemed to affect him +unpleasantly. These American children know nothing of the value +of discipline. He is going to tell me all he knows before I +finish. The little rat--think of him defying me!" + +The heel came off. Asa looked curiously. It was hollow and was +neatly packed with papers like the one in the Wolf's hand. The +Wolf turned out the precious packets, and looked them over +carefully. Ledermann looked from the Wolf intent on his papers, +to Asa, bound in the chair. He looked at the Wolf again. He +swayed a little; the drinks had gone to his head just enough to +make him unsteady and reckless. He had not intended to take so +much; the Wolf was always careful; but to-night--well, the day +had been a hard one, and the end was so near. For months he had +been under a terrific strain--Ledermann shook his head. + +"See how I trust you," said the Wolf in English, looking up from +his papers, "I know you will never, never tell. Oh no, that +would be impossible! Isn't that a fine little place to hide +things?" he chuckled, and replaced the packets, screwed the heel +in place, and stamped his foot on the floor. Then he turned to +his bottle. + +Ledermann had placed it beyond his reach. + +"Give me that!" he demanded violently. + +Ledermann obeyed. + +The Wolf turned to him. + +"Now, Ledermann, no fooling here; turn in all your accounts. +Destroy everything that could give a clew to us. Pack the bombs +in the vault under the cellar floor. We may come back some day, +when we land with our men on the shores of Long Island." He +turned away. "Go and pack. We must be away from here before +dawn." + +Ledermann shrugged his shoulders, looked curiously at Asa, then +turned and left the room. + +The Wolf got up, threw a few things in a small suit-case, +arranged some papers, took off his coat, and stood looking at +Asa. Directly behind him, against the wall, was a large, +old-fashioned wardrobe. Its dark, heavy, walnut doors threw the +lean, muscular figure of the Wolf out as though carved in +granite. He took a step toward the boy, and rolled up his +sleeves. + +"Now, young man, I'll attend to you," he said. + +Hope died in Asa's heart. + + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +TIMELY AID + + +When the Wolf, holding fast to Asa's shoulder, slipped into the +shadows of the Park, Beany raced across the asphalt drive and +knelt beside the little Weasel. He lay a crumpled, limp heap, +and at first Beany thought him dead. There was a faint flutter, +however, as Beany felt his heart, and, turning him gently over, +Beany opened his shirt and uncovered the vicious looking wound +where the Wolf's dagger point had entered. + +Across the square, an auto stopped, and a familiar figure jumped +out and looked around. Beany joyfully recognized his friend the +Sergeant. He knew that they were hidden by the gateway post so +he whistled. Hen came running toward him. + +"Who's this?" he demanded. + +"One of them," said Beany. He looked anxiously at the Weasel's +ashen face. "The Wolf stabbed him. We have got to get him to a +hospital." + +"I'll get the car," said Hen, and was off like a flash. + +They lifted the Weasel into the car and laid him back on the +cushions; the boys rolled up the rugs, and their coats to prop +him up. Again he opened his eyes. + +"Don't start," he said feebly. "I must tell you something." + +He turned his head toward Beany. "I know you," he said. "What +made you leave the Wolf and the little chap? I saw you tracking +them. You ought to have kept right after them." + +"That was my brother," explained Beany. "We look just alike." +He kept a careful hand on the wound. + +"Let's get to a hospital," said Hen. + +"Don't you move!" commanded the Weasel. "If you want to save +that kid, the one with the Wolf, you have about half an hour to +do it in. Don't mind me. He has done for me. I knew he'd get +me, but I will bite yet. Tell him that, will you? Tell him the +Weasel has bitten; bitten to the bone. Lift me a little," he +asked, then continued brokenly: + +"The Wolf is head of a system of spies in America. They have +headquarters in Mexico, St. Louis and 'Frisco, as well as here. +The Wolf is the head; he is master of them all. I don't know who +he is. Nobody knows. They all call him Excellency or the Wolf. +He has a submarine-base laid out on the coast of Long Island. +There is a powerful wireless station in the attic of the house +where we meet. That's where he has gone with that kid. He'll +kill that kid. I know him! He is all ready to leave the +country. That's why he did for me. He wants to shut us all up +before he leaves--I'll fix him--I told him I'd bite." + +He stopped, and breathed heavily. + +"I'm going to drive lickity-split for the hospital," said Hen in +a low tone to Beany. + +"Don't you stir!" commanded the weak voice. "When you get to the +house, go around back, and through the yard to the next house. +There is an outside iron fire-escape on it. Go up that to the +level of the roof of the corner house. It is a story lower than +the house that has the fire-escape. There is a trap door in the +middle of the roof. Lift that, and climb down the ladder into the +attic. The wireless is there. If there is a man there working +the wireless, shoot him. He will shoot you if he can. Got a +revolver?" + +"No," said Beany. + +"Yes," said Hen at the same time. + +"There are some stairs going down from the attic," continued the +Weasel, his voice very weak. "Don't go down that way. Look in +the end of the attic close to the big chimney. There is a pile +of doors and lumber there, and behind it is a narrow stair. Go +down that. It opens into a wardrobe in the Wolf's own den. You +will find him there with the kid, if he is still alive. Take the +Wolf anyhow. Don't kill him. I want him to know that I bit--" +his voice trailed off. + +"Would hot coffee help any?" asked Hen. "I have a thermos bottle +full; but it's under that seat he's on." + +Together they gently lifted the body of the Weasel, and succeeded +in getting hold of the bottle of hot coffee. Hen poured a +steaming portion into the cup, and with difficulty they forced it +between the Weasel's lips. He swallowed a little, and presently +opened his eyes. + +"Close call," he said with a faint smile. He hurried on: + +"The Wolf has enough information written down, up there +somewhere, to defeat America," he said. "I don't know where it +is, but it must be somewhere, where he can put his hand right on +it. Search everything! Try every piece of blank paper for +sympathetic ink. There is a secret room in the cellar full of +bombs. They are to be left there, stored, until America is +invaded. If you could only work that wireless--messages are +coming in all the time the last three days--"' + +"I can," said Beany. + +"Then you will get some news sure. Do you speak German?" + +"No," said Beany hopelessly. + +"I do," said Hen. + +"All right," said the Weasel feebly. "Remember, if he man is +there, shoot to kill--shoot to kill!" + +"I'd like to get the police," said Beany. + +"They are sort of used to this." + +"You will not save the kid," said the Weasel. "The Wolf will +kill him at the first alarm. You can't make a sound. When you +get down in the wardrobe, you will find a nail hole in the upper +corner of the right hand door. I put that there, so I could +watch the Wolf. I have meant to bite for a long while--" He +trailed off, and nearly became unconscious. Then he gathered +himself together. "Tell him I bit." + +"Say!" said Hen suddenly. He put his face close to the drooping +face of the Weasel. "Say, where's the house? You haven't told +us where to go. We got to get a move on, I should say!" + +"The house--the house," he said. "It's number,--it's corner of-- +it's number three hundred and one--" + +"Gosh, this is awful!" said Hen. "Come, try to tell us! Three +hundred and one--what?" + +The Weasel made a mighty effort. + +"Number three hundred and one--" His voice trailed off into +silence. + +"He's dead," said Beany. + +"What shall we do?" said Hen. "He's not dead, but pretty close +to it. We will have to get him to a hospital, and wait for him +to give the street that house is on. That means the kid will be +murdered before that time, I suppose. Gee, it's awful." + +A taxi rounded the square, and stopped close to them. The driver +got out. + +"It's him!" said Hen. "I know that fellow." As the driver +walked toward them, he recognized Hen. + +"Hullo!" he said. "What's new?" + +"Look here," said Hen. "We got to get this man to the hospital. +A fellow came along and did for him." + +"Great Scott!" said the driver, peering into the taxi, where the +electric light shone on the huddled figure in Beany's arms. + +A slight, boyish figure came running along the walk. It was +Porky, out of breath, and excited. + +"I thought you would have him safe in a hospital," he complained. + +"He wouldn't let us," said Hen. "Say, I guess there's, no hope +of saving that kid! This feller here told us all about +everything, and how to got into the place and all, and then he +fainted before he could tell where the house is." + +"I know," said Porky. "I trailed them there. We will get this +chap to a hospital, and get the police, and get the Wolf." + +"Get nothing!" said Hen. He turned to the other driver. "Hop in +here, and take this man to the nearest hospital. Say you picked +him up in the park. They will arrest you probably, but we got +something to do and it won't wait. That on! If they jug you, +get word to Mr. Leffingwell." + +Porky gave the address. Hen reached under the seat and from a +hidden pocket brought out a small, wicked-looking revolver. "I +will take your car," he said. He raced over, and started the +engine. The boys followed, and tumbled in. + +"Hi! Hi!" yelled Jim Morris, the taxicab driver. "What you +doin'? You crazy! What do you want me to do?" + +"Get that fellow into a doctor's hands quick as you can," said +Hen. + +"Then what?" demanded Jim. "You say tell Mr. Leffingwell. What +am I to tell him? Of all the boneheads! What steer do I give +him? Hey?" + +"Bully for you!" said Porky, swinging out the door. "Tell Mr. +Leffingwell we are on track of the Wolf. Remember the name. The +Wolf. Don't say it to any one before you tell Mr. Leffingwell or +you will be sorry for yourself. Ask him to get the secret +service men, and call the police force and come to this address." +He scribbled a street and number on a piece of paper. + +"Say, why don't one of youse boys come and tell this yarn? I can +see where I'm the goat!" + +"Never mind!" cried Porky. "We'll be along some time or other, +and bail you out." + +Hen's mouth thinned down to a straight line as he started the +car. + +"Not too fast!" said Porky. "It is not far." He repeated the +street and number. Hen made a quick turn and glided smoothly +across a side street. Beany, looking behind, saw Jim Morris +give a look after them, then start his car and dash off, the +insensible figure of the Weasel swaying on the back seat. + +He drove to the nearest hospital without the loss of a single +moment's time. Round the monstrous building, with it's spreading +maze of pavilions, he went through a court, and stopped at a +doorway which opened directly on a large elevator. + +He pressed a button, and a white-clad attendant appeared. + +"Drunk?" he asked. + +"Stuck!" said Jim briefly. + +"Stabbed?" asked the attendant. + +"'S what I said," retorted Jim, and almost before he could +realize it, the unconscious Weasel, the attendant and himself +were being smoothly carried to the emergency ward, far above. + +The attendant motioned to Jim, and they went silently into an +office where another man, also in while, sat at a desk, and took +down in a big book the circumstances of the Weasel's arrival. He +finished, then Jim saw him reach under the desk and press a +button. Immediately the door opened, and a couple of heavily +built men in plain blue uniforms entered. They read the entry in +the big book, then looked searchingly at Jim. + +"You are detained, Morris," said the taller of the two, "pending +an examination into this affair." He took up the house telephone. +Presently he turned. "The man is very badly hurt; perhaps dying. +He is unconscious." + +He nodded to Jim. "Come along," he said. "I'll have to keep you +here awhile." + +"That's all right," Jim said airily. "I wish I could send a +telephone message. Don't see what harm there is in that." + +"No, there's no harm in that," said the detective, "providing the +person you wish to talk to is a decent sort." + +"It's Leffingwell--Leffingwell who is Chairman of all the city +committees," said Jim proudly. "Look up his number yourself." + +The detective did so. Jim called and began speaking. + +"Say, is this Mr. Leffingwell?" he asked. "No, I don't want no +Timmons. I want Mr. Leffingwell." + +Jim smiled wickedly into the receiver. "Well, say, young feller, +I'm surprised you don't know me. This is J. P. Morgan speaking'. +I want sell--Huh? Oh, y-y-yes, Sir. Why, yes, sir, Mr. Leffingwell. +I thought I was talking to some fresh guy on the phone. Excuse +me, Sir! Yes, sir! I have news for you. I'm here at the Park +Hospital with a fare what got stabbed. No, sir, it's not a boy. +He's a little thin man. I know where the boys is, and they want +help. Yes, Sir! My car is right here, but I'm been' detained. +Yes, sir, they won't let me go 'til the young feller gets better +or croaks." + +The detective cut in. "Does he want you to come there?" + +"He sure does that!" said Jim. + +The detective took the receiver. He told Mr. Leffingwell the +circumstances. + +He listened attentively. Then "Yes, sir," he said. "I will come +right over with him." + + + + + +CHAPTER X + +BY WAY OF THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR + + +The boys will never know how long it took to drive to the street +and number given them by the poor Weasel. Arriving at the corner +where the old brown stone house stood looking the picture of +desolation, with its closely boarded-up windows, its dusty steps +and seedy doors, the boys passed down the side street and left +the car in the shadow of the buildings there. They separated and +hurried back to the house, one at a time. Slipping through the +dense shadows in the weedy, cluttered-up back yard, a yard that +had once been a trim garden with smooth paths and neat little +hedges, as back yards were once in the olden days, they met under +the iron fire-escape attached to the house next door. This +building, much higher than the corner house, was used as a +private sanitarium or hospital by one of the highest-priced +specialists in the city. The fire-escape, therefore, was in +perfect condition, and safe as such a spidery stairway could be +made, with strong rails and good treads. + +Porky whispered a word of command, and noiselessly the boys +ascended. The night was pitch dark, but their eyes growing +accustomed to the gloom, they made their way without a stumble. +Reaching the place where the lower building met the taller one, +they found they could not get from the stairway to the other +roof. There was nothing for it but to go on up the remaining +story, cross the roof of the building and drop down to the lower +level. They tiptoed over the flat, pebbled roof, clung to the +eaves, and one by one made the long drop in safety, the only +damage being scratched and bruised palms as they sprawled on +the rough roofing. + +A glass skylight was set in the middle of the roof. They hurried +to it and Hen, with a quick twist, worked it loose, and tipped it +noiselessly back on the roof. + +"Take off your shoes!" he whispered. + +They felt their way down the rough ladder that led from the +skylight to the attic, and stood motionless, scarcely breathing +in the dense darkness. + +Hen, who had the flashlight, feared to press the button. There +was not a sound, save a little sputter which they rightly laid to +the wireless machine which the Weasel had told them about. In a +moment, (it seemed years) Hen decided that they must have light, +even at the risk of discovery, and his flashlight illumined the +room in which they stood. Immediately Porky pointed to the big +chimney, and the pile of lumber stacked beside it. He touched +the others, and led the way. They went noiselessly across the +uneven floor, and reaching the boards, found, as the Weasel had +said, a narrow opening in the floor. + +As the three neared the bottom of the ladder, a scream, muffled +and choked but full of agony, sounded close to them. The boys +recognized that thin, boyish tone, even in its torture. They +felt their hair rise on their scalps as they listened. + +Quickly turning in the narrow, breathless space in which they +found themselves, they saw a little star of light pierce the +pitch blackness. It was the little peek hole made in the panel +by the Weasel. Porky put his eye to the place. One instant he +looked, and drew back as Hen pressed close. In turn they peered +through the tiny hole. They shuddered as they did so. Then Hen, +with all the caution he could summon, pushed open the door, and +stepped out, covering the Wolf with a wicked-looking muzzle. The +bound and gagged boy in the chair saw the strange group which had +so suddenly and so mysteriously appeared, but for a moment the +Wolf, who was standing with his back toward the wardrobe, was +unaware of their presence. He was laughing--a cold-blooded, +curdling, low laugh as he stooped toward the boy's bare feet, his +lighted cigar in his hand. Already those feet were marred by +cruel burns along the tender soles. + +As he stopped, he watched his victim's eyes for a sign of +surrender. + +"Give me the names!" he demanded in his low snarling, smooth +voice. He watched his victim's eyes and in them, suddenly, he +saw a strange flash of hope, of amazement. Asa was looking over +the Wolf's shoulder. + +Without the least suspicion of the truth, the Wolf straightened +up, and lazily turned. What lie saw wiped the sneering, +malicious smile from his face. + +Hen, his bulldog jaw set, held the revolver pointed straight at +the traitorous heart. + +"Hands up," barked Porky in a voice which seemed to come from +some one else. He was not himself. The sight that had met his +eyes, the bound figure, the blistered feet, the crouching Wolf +with his low, fiendish laugh--it was all like a frightful +electric shock to Porky, and in that horrible instant he came +into his manhood. Behind him, at his shoulder, his twin brother +went through the same agony of soul and he, too, felt a strange +new thrill, an addition of courage and strength. + +"Hands up!" said Porky again. + +For a moment the sly eyes of the Wolf swept the room, then his +hands were raised. He backed toward the table but a curt order +from Hen, and he stood still. + +"There's rope on that table," said Hen. "Get it and bind him." + +Beany grabbed the rope, and bent to tie the ankles of the Wolf. +Like a flash his hands came down, he seized the boy and clutching +him in a vise-like grip, held him before him as a shield. + +"Shoot if you like," he sneered, and backed rapidly toward the +door. Hen followed, the useless pistol still pointed, but +Beany's body covered the Wolf who, with the strength of ten, held +Beany before him as he neared the door that would mean escape, +and safety. He had almost reached it when a deafening noise +sounded from below. There was the sound of a door being battered +in, shots were fired, and shouts heard. For a second the Wolf +faltered. For a second he was off his guard. In that second, +Beany made a light, steel-muscled bound, swung his legs up and +out, using the spy's breast as a brace, turned a somersault over +his head, dropping to the floor behind him. It was so quick, so +unexpected, that the Wolf could not keep his hold, and Beany +dropped to the floor, crying, "Shoot!" + +A revolver cracked, but it was in the Wolf's hand. Porky felt a +sting as the bullet grazed his shoulder. Then Hen's weapon +barked just once! + +The revolver dropped from the Wolf's hand, a strange, blank look +spread over his face, and he sank to his knees. Beany, flat on +the floor behind him, jumped to his feet. + +The door, which had been unlatched, swung violently open and for +a second the face of Ledermann appeared, then flashed by as he +saw the tableau, and dashed for the stairway to the attic and the +roof. A dozen policemen ran in, three of them following +Ledermann, at Porky's direction, while the others snapped the +cuffs on the two men at the table, and tenderly took the cruel +gag from Asa's parched and bleeding mouth, and untied him. Beany +rushed up into the attic after the men who were pursuing +Ledermann and as he reached the place, the call of the wireless +caught his attention. He answered the call, and commenced to +take down a long message. + +Below, Porky and Hen knelt by the Wolf and turned him over. He +still breathed, and Hen fumbled through his pockets for another +revolver. He found instead a long, keen knife which he threw +aside. Then, with Porky, he fell to watching the closed eyes of +the spy. They opened, and the Wolf looked from one to the other +with cold, unrelenting hatred. He did not speak. + +"Buck up!" said Hen suddenly. His voice shook with excitement. +"Say, you don't want to croak yet. I got to tell you: the Weasel +said to tell you that he had bit. Understand? He has bit. +See?" Hen paused with a look of satisfaction. + +The Wolf, who was bleeding fearfully, slowly closed his eyes. + +"That ends him," said Hen solemnly. "Gosh!" + +A detective felt the heart of the wounded man. + +"He's alive," he said. "Send an ambulance call, somebody." + +Another detective raced down the stairs, while those who remained +commenced to search the room for hiding places. + +"I know where he's got some stuff hidden," Asa said thickly. +"Take off his shoe; the other one," and someone did so. "Get +that iron thing on the table," Asa continued, "and get the heel +off." + +The Chief had it done in a moment and the tiny squares of paper +fluttered to the floor. The Chief picked them carefully up, and +put them in his pocketbook as a wild clanging down below +announced the coming of the ambulance. A couple of doctors came +up, three steps at a time, and examined the Wolf. A bandage soon +stopped the flow of blood, and, still unconscious, he was carried +down the stairs. A detective picked Asa up and prepared to +follow, but that young man stiffened, the way a spunky boy +sometimes does, and slid through the man's arms. As he came to +his feet, he let out a howl of pain, and went to his knees. But +he was speaking. + +"Not with him!" he cried hoarsely. "Not with him! I won't go in +the ambulance with the Wolf! He'll come to yet and kill somebody, +and he'll blame me for the whole thing. I'd rather stay here." + +"All right," said the Chief. "You need not go in the ambulance. +I will carry you down to the police car, and we will take you +right over to Mr. Leffingwell's." + +He picked Asa up in his arms and carried him downstairs and into +the first car. There was quite a procession of them when they +finally started, after leaving a heavy guard in the house, and +very soon they pressed the button at Mr. Leffingwell's door, +which was opened by Barton, the butler. + +"'Ow! Bless my 'art!" said Barton, quite like a human being, and +stepped back. It was Timmins who stepped forward; Timmins who +took Asa and bore him into the living room where Colonel Bright, +Mr. Leffingwell, John, his son, and Mr. and Mrs. Potter all rose +to their feet, when Timmins walked in. Mr. Leffingwell would +have another doctor; and while they waited five minutes for him +(he was right in the building) Asa, suffering pretty badly, but +not giving a sign of it, except for his twitching face, lay on +the settee, with Timmins fixing his pillows some other way every +second, and Barton off ordering a hot drink from the cook, who +had taken a peek, and was crying out in the kitchen. + +Nobody knew anything about what the boys had been through, but +nobody asked a word; only Porky and Beany kissed their mother +hard, and hugged their dad, and were pounded on the back by Mr. +Leffingwell, who seemed to have a bad cold. When the doctor +came, he ordered Asa straight to bed, and Timmins carried him off +with the haughty Barton stalking in the rear, a glass of egg and +milk in one hand and hot chocolate in the other. + + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +ORDERED OVER THERE + + +The Leffingwell cook had prepared a regular crackerjack--no, a +Leffingwell dinner; and Mr. Leffingwell begged the boys to say +little about their adventures until they had had something to +eat. As they all sat down at the table, Porky and Beany looked +back over the couple of centuries or so that had passed since +breakfast, and decided that since they had not had time for +anything at all since that remote period, it would be a good +thing to sample a few of the good things urged upon them by +Barton, the butler. + +Presently, that is along about the third helping of everything +there was, the boys commented to tell about their day's +adventures. They had an attentive audience; an audience that +forgot to eat or say "Dear me suz!" or smoke. And it seemed as +though they wanted to hear everything over at least three times. +And the boys were willing to tell. + +Before the meal was finished, the doctor came quietly in. He had +been to look at Asa and, finding him asleep under the effects of +the quieting tablet he had given him, he came to report to Mr. +Leffingwell that his young guest was doing well. + +"It won't lame him permanently, will it?" asked Colonel Bright. + +"No, no danger of that unless there should be some infection, and +I am sure there will be nothing of the sort. I wonder, Mr. +Leffingwell, if it is possible to keep the boy here for a few +days or a week? I hate to have him moved. Your man Timmins says +he was talking about going to his home to-morrow. + +"Well, I should say not!" exploded Mr. Leffingwell. "Where is +Timmins anyhow!" + +"Sitting beside Asa," said the doctor. "Shall I call him?" + +He tiptoed back to the boy's room, and in a moment returned, +followed by Timmins, who stood just inside the doorway and looked +inquiringly at Mr. Leffingwell. + +"What's this, Timmins, about Asa's going home to-morrow? You get +those fool notions out of Asa's head, and, Timmins, we will +appoint you head nurse for a while. The lad seems to like you." + +Timmins smiled and bowed. "Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" he said. +And at that moment the ice-cream came in. That Leffingwell cook! +The ice-cream was in the shape of little tents, with a silk flag +sticking gayly out of the ridge pole of each. + +The boys noted with satisfaction that the tents were good-sized. +They gave their whole attention to the work in hand, and the +others seemed secretly to agree to put aside the day's +excitements for a space. + +After dinner they followed Mr. Leffingwell to his den, where Mrs. +Potter took out her knitting. She had a very large knitting bag, +and it seemed full of balls of wool. + +Colonel Bright noticed it. "Looks as though you were going into +the knitting game wholesale." + +Mrs. Potter smiled. "Not quite," she said. "I am making two +complete sets for a couple of young men who are going into the +service." + +Porky felt of the soft, light yarn. "I say--that's pretty good of +you, mom. Who are your lucky friends?" + +"That reminds me of something," said the Colonel. "I know a +couple of lads, about like Porky and Beany here, who have been +crazy to go across. I have been watching them for some time, and +have about made up my mind that they would be a real help to me +over there, and not a hindrance. So I have been pulling wires, +and making plans, and I think it looks as though I can take them +with me. It's just about the job you boys were joking about +wanting." + +"No joke at all!" said Porky bitterly. "Oh, gee; now some one +else has it!" + +"Why, you don't mean that you really meant it?" said the Colonel. +"I wish you had made it clear!" + +"We couldn't have tried harder to make it clear unless we had hit +you, Colonel," said Beany sadly. + +"Well, that's too bad," said the Colonel. "These fellows are +just about your age. Perhaps they seem older to me because they +have had a lot of responsibility that has made them older. It's +too bad." + +"Never mind, Colonel," said Porky. "If the other fellows have +fallen in luck, why, it's great for them. What, are you planning +for them?" + +"It's like this," said Colonel Bright, squinting up his eye as he +puffed busily on his cigar. + +"There's a lot of most important running around to do behind the +lines in what is really a zone of safety: messages, and plans, +and all that sort of thing, you understand, that have to be taken +from one officer to another, and it seemed to me that it was +better to have some one who knew that that was his whole job, and +could give every minute to it, rather than depend on petty +officers who were continually being ordered away. I thought it +would save a lot of time and anxiety if I could have aides that +were trained to just the service I required. So I reported the +case to some of the big fellows in Washington, and they told me +to go ahead. You see I've been in this army of ours so long that +I suppose I have a sort of pull. Well, at any rate, that's how +it is." + +"And the fellows are going over with you?" asked Porky. + +"It has the sort of look as though I was going with them, as it +stands now. Of course orders are secret; but I would not be +surprised if my men packed off in about a week. I have work in +Washington, however, that may keep me there for another week at +least, so I am to go over on a regular passenger boat, and the +chaps I have spoken of will go with me." + +"Gosh! What luck!" said Beany, looking at his brother. "Are +they brothers?" + +"They are related some way," said the Colonel, smoking at his +cigar. + +"Gosh! what luck!" said Porky, looking at Beany. "Always +something to take the joy out of life!" + +"You ought to be glad for 'em," said Mrs. Potter. "I declare, +boys, I didn't know as there was a jealous hair in both your +heads! How you do talk!" + +"That's all right, mom," said Porky. "We are not jealous; only +it was just exactly what we wanted to do, and it's a sort of +jolt. Is that who the sweaters are for, mom?" + +"Yes, I thought I might as well," said Mrs. Potter. She glanced +at the Colonel. He was looking at his cigar. Mr. Leffingwell +was staring at the ceiling. She glanced at Mr. Potter. His +right eyelid quivered. "Yes," said Mrs. Potter, "Colonel Bright +thought they might like to have them." She smiled at Porky and +Beany--strange, soft, tender, sad, wonderful smile. + +"Come, see if they are going to fit," she said. + +Mr. Leffingwell blew his nose. + +All the while that the preparations for the boys' journey went +swiftly on, time, pain-filled and gloomy, dragged itself away in +the two hospital rooms where the Wolf and the Weasel lay wounded. +By carefully questioning his nurse, the Wolf, who was not so +badly hurt as it was at first thought, found out that the Weasel +was his next door neighbor. That question settled, the Wolf +settled himself to the task of getting well. In a few days to +the amazement of those attending him, he was able to sit up. +They commenced leaving him alone for an hour or so at a time. +Two days more, wrapped in a heavy bathrobe, he was lifted into a +reclining chair, and allowed to look out of the window. How +could the nurse guess that the moment she left, her helpless +patient rose to his feet and falteringly at first, moved here and +there about the room, stopping every moment or two to rest? When +she returned she found him quietly seated, resting, as she had +left him. He did indeed look tired and pale, so she hurried him +back to bed. The next day and the next this was repeated. Then +came his chance. His nurse was going to a lecture in the +assembly room on the first floor. She would be gone a couple of +hours. + +She placed the Wolf in his chair by the window, looked at his +bandages, set a bell beside him, and left a pile of magazines on +the wide window sill at his elbow. Then, with repeated warnings +to rest and not overdo, she left him. + +As soon as he heard the last light pad-pad of the girl's +rubber-heeled shoes, the Wolf stood up. He stood firmly. He +tied the bathrobe about him and went to the door. There he +waited, listening. All was quiet. He opened the door a little. +As he did so, a nurse and a doctor came out of the Weasel's room, +went slowly down the ball, and turned into a room at the corner. +The Wolf listened more intently still, and went out into the +hall. Between the room occupied by the Wolf and the one where +the Weasel lay, there was a space. A table and a chair stood +there. It was where the night nurse sat. On it was a writing +tablet, pens, ink, and a couple of little bottles. One of them +caught the eye of the Wolf. The blue color of the glass told him +that it was a deadly poison even before lie read the label. He +put it in his pocket. + +Then he gently turned the handle of the door, and went in. For a +moment he thought the room was empty. The shade at the window +was drawn closed. The Wolf swept the room with a swift glance +then his eyes rested on the bed. + +Ah! Did you start then, ever so slightly, you cruel killer, you +merciless destroyer? What good now is the blue vial in your +pocket? Of what use the clenched fist, and writhing, clutching +fingers? You have come too late, Wolf; you have lost your poor +too! Look and look and look again at that peaceful bed. See how +straight the sheet is and how decently it is drawn up. Go over, +Wolf, and draw it down and see what it covers! Hurry, Wolf, +because you have but little time to remain undisturbed! Already +the nurse and doctor have finished making their report; already a +narrow, white stretcher is being prepared. + +For the last time in all your wicked life, black murder filled +your heart, Wolf, but the Weasel has escaped you. The Wolf put +the sheet back over the dead face of the Weasel and grating his +teeth, stepped softly to the door. He slipped into the hall, but +as he did so, he heard low voices, and instead of turning toward +his own room, he went in the opposite direction where he saw a +stairway. Unfortunately for him, the stairs led up instead of +down. Slowly, silently, he climbed them; but not before he +thought he heard a low exclamation from below. For some +unforeseen reason the nurse and doctor had looked in the Wolf's +room to see how he was getting on. The room of course was empty, +and the Wolf knew a search would begin at once. How he cursed +his fate that he was dressed only in his underwear and bathrobe! +It would take a clever man indeed to escape in such garments. +And escape he must. The Weasel was dead. He had killed him, and +no one knew better than the Wolf that he would be made to pay the +whole penalty. Adolph was dead, the Weasel was dead, Ledermann +had jumped into the river to escape his pursuers and had drowned. +And here was he, the Wolf, trapped-at bay. He slipped into the +first door at hand. It was a large hall used for a gymnasium for +the nurses. There were steps at the door. He looked about. +There was not a place to hide. Hurrying to the window as fast as +his feeble strength would permit, he raised the sash and looked +out. There, outside the window, was a fire-escape. Without an +instant's hesitation, he stepped out and placed his slippered +foot on the narrow tread of the iron ladder. His head was +swimming from weakness. He heard an exclamation from above and +looked up. + +For an instant he made out the faces of the nurse and doctor +against the sky above him. Then the nurse disappeared, and the +doctor stepped out on the sill. He was going to follow; the nurse +had gone for help. There was one thing to do: hurry--hurry! +Once more the Wolf looked up at his pursuer. He laughed his own +sneering, cruel laugh. The ladder seemed to swing and sway +dizzily. It was like being at the top of a tall mast in a heavy +sea. He clutched the ladder. Then everything grew dark, guns +boomed in his ears, his grasp loosened and the last long night +and the last long silence wrapped him like a cloak. + +The Weasel had bitten to the bone. + +Crushed and mangled, they lifted the Wolf from the pavement five +stories below, and taking him into the hospital once more for a +little while, laid him in the chamber of death beside the +stretcher where the Weasel rested with that new look in his face. +But the nurse who had cared for the Weasel knew the manner of his +going, and rolled his stretcher away across the room. She would +not let him lie even in death beside the other. + +The very next afternoon the telephone rang. + +Mrs. Potter and Beany and Asa listened, while Porky said, "Yes, +sir," a dozen times and "All right, sir," until Beany twitched +with nervous excitement. + +When he put up the receiver, everybody said, "Well?" at the same +time. + +Porky went over and kissed his mother. It was real easy to do, +those days. A fellow wanted to kiss his mother. + +"Well?" said everybody again. + +Timmins hovered in the doorway. + +"To-morrow," said Porky with a sort of solemnity. + +No one spoke. Then "What time?" said Beany. + +"Six o'clock, morning," answered Porky. + +"You know, mom, there's no chance of our getting hurt," said +Beany. + +"How you do talk!" said Mrs. Potter. She did not look up, +however. She was finishing the second sweater, and gave it her +whole attention. + +"Naw!" said Porky. "Not a chance in the world! We will be home +before you know it, with a lot of good stories to tell you. +Perhaps we will bring you some loot. Wouldn't you like something +to remember the War by?" + +"Just you look out for yourselves," said Mrs. Potter. "I'd like +a couple of boys sent home safe and sound. That's what I'd like +to remember things by." She stabbed the needles through her +knitting and, rising, left the room. The boys looked after her. +Beany made a move to follow, but his brother pushed him back. + +"Let her alone," he said. "She likes to be brave." + +That evening passed like lightning, although all the traps had +been ready for days. Gladdis, the cook, had baked them a +wonderful fruit cake, and Mr. Leffingwell came home with four new +comfort kits and a portable typewriter for each one--a little +typewriter that would go in one end of a suit-case. + +Everybody seemed more than happy, quite noisy, in fact. There +was not a moment when anybody felt the least bit--the least bit-- +well, you know! That is, not a moment except just at bedtime. +Then Mrs. Potter came into the boys' room, and gave them each a +little, thin package. She just handed it to them and kissed them +goodnight, and went out. + +"Let's see what they are," said Porky. There were two little +leather cases. Inside were Mom Potter's pretty, motherly dear +face, and pop's splendid, homely countenance. Porky jerked out +the light. + +The following morning, Mr. Leffingwell's car, crowded with the +whole family, was the first to arrive at the station. The Potter +boys wandered restlessly about until Colonel Bright, followed by +his wife and daughter and a Japanese house-man loaded with rugs +and bags, came breezing in with a hearty greeting for everybody. + +Mr. Leffingwell bustled about, tipping everybody he could find +to tip. Timmins and the elevator boy took Asa out on the +platform and sat him on a truck where he could see everybody the +very last minute. And all at once it was the very last minute; +and somehow everybody had shaken hands and had talked loudly, +and the boys had kissed their mother--a kiss to be remembered, +and had swung on board. The train started. The boys strained +for one last look at their parents. They thought they smiled. + +Asa turned to Timmins. + +"Gee, the light hurts a feller's eyes," he said. + + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +SUNDAY AT SEA + + +It seemed to the boys as though they could never tire of the +novelty and charm of the open sea. By Sunday they had explored +the perfect little ship Firefly from stem to stern. They had +made friends with every man on board and were in the way of +accumulating a strange assortment of facts from their new +friends. + +Sunday services, read by the grizzled old Captain, seemed very +solemn and strangely touching. They were held on deck, where the +rattling of shrouds and the soft lap of the water made a +wonderful accompaniment to the familiar words of the prayer book. +The boys could not help noticing that every man listened closely +and respectfully. They joined in the responses, and sang lustily +when it came time for the hymns. + +The Captain did not read a sermon. Instead he closed the book, +and for a short five minutes spoke to the men simply, clearly, +and to the point. Then there was one more song. Services do not +usually end with it; but as the sound rose, the boys thrilled and +chilled with patriotism. It was "My Country, 'tis of thee" and +those men roared it from the depths of their big, honest, loyal +hearts. + +When the group scattered, Porky and Beany went forward and stood +looking into the distance that bid their Great Adventure. That +the Adventure was at that moment approaching, drawing nearer and +nearer, they did not dream. The sea looked too calm, too serene, +to hide such a terror. They were talking about the safe and +quiet crossing they were having when Colonel Bright approached. + +"What now, my gay young buccaneer?" he asked, stopping and +lighting a cigar. + +"We were saying what a good old safe trip we are having," said +Porky. + +The Colonel frowned. "Better say that after we arrive," he said, +puffing hard. + +"Oh, I'm not afraid!" said Porky. + +"Nor me!" added Beany. + +"I know you are not," said the Colonel. "But there is one thing +I always remind my men of. That is this: never be afraid but +never fail to be careful. You would be a fool to take a chance +with a mad dog, wouldn't you? Well, your enemy is a mad dog or +worse, every time, whether he is trying to get your reputation or +your life. You never want to take chances. Watch him. Sleep +with one eye open. Listen to every breath of wind. Watch, and +watch eternally. You are only safe when he is dead, or disarmed +and in prison. And never belittle your enemy. Better think of +him as bigger than he is, cleverer, and more cunning. When you +belittle his strength you give him the advantage because you will +not fight so hard. And don't take chances." + +"No, sir," said Porky. + +"Another thing," said the Colonel. "We are not in the danger +zone yet. When we reach that, you will see our Captain taking +all the precautions that can possibly be taken. Understand we do +not anticipate trouble. This is such a small boat that I +scarcely think the Germans would bother with it. At the same +time, if by any chance they have found out that we are crossing +with important papers, agreements, and chemicals, they will be on +the lookout for us and we will have a good chase if we manage to +escape. I don't say this to scare you boys; but you are here, +and I don't want you to underrate the present danger. I will be +good and glad to get across myself. Not a word of this to the +others, understand." + +He nodded and walked on. The boys looked at each other. + +"Wow!" said Porky softly. + +For awhile the boys stared out over the sea. "Time for grub," +Beany finally said. + +"Hungry? asked Beany. + +"No," said Porky. He laughed. "You know what Colonel Bright's +done to me? He's made me imagine things. I thought I saw +something over there in the light--way, way off." + +Beany stared. "Nothing doing!" he declared. "I could see if it +was there, you know." + +"Yes, I know your eyes," said Porky nervously. "I saw a gull or +a porpoise, I suppose." + +"I suppose you didn't see anything," said Beany, scanning the +level sea. "Come on down to dinner." + +"All right," agreed Porky. He turned from the rail with a last +glance seaward. He seized his brother and whirled him about. + +"Look! Look!" he cried. "There it is again, straight ahead! +What's that?" Beany's keen eyes swept the sea in a lightning +glance. Then lie dashed for the companionway and fairly fell +into the presence of the Captain. + +"A periscope! A periscope!" he gasped. + +In another instant the Captain was on the bridge, the glasses at +his eyes. He commenced rapping out short orders. + +The boys, watching breathlessly, saw the guns trained on the +little periscope which, like the reared head of a poisonous +snake, came darting at them with a swiftness which seemed +incredible. Then everything seemed to, happen at once. The +little racer on whose throbbing deck they stood swerved like a +frightened colt. Her guns spoke together; and at the same time +something slim and long cut cleanly through the water and passed +by, missing the Firefly's side so narrowly that the boys felt +their knees weaken under them. The periscope shook as the guns +volleyed again, wavered uncertainly, and sank from sight. + +"We hit her!" said Beany at the rail. + +The Firefly, with every ounce of steam on, dashed ahead, doubling +here and there and darting about like a frightened hare. A spot +of oil appeared on the water. + +"Something wrong," said Porky; "but you can bet we are slated to +get right out of the immediate vicinity of here at our earliest +convenience!" + +The Captain, on the bridge, was talking earnestly with Colonel, +Bright and the other officers. Every face held a look of almost +incredulous relief. The gunners stood close to their steel +charges, every man ready for instant action. The Firefly raced +ahead, on and on. No one thought of the interrupted meal. No +one thought of anything but the danger so narrowly passed. They +were still far away from the danger zone. It had been a most +unexpected attack. + +No one noticed when the sun went down or when dusk fell. Not +until darkness wholly hid the sea did they turn from their +sea-wide search for approaching danger. + +Then the Captain came down from the bridge and approached the +boys. + +"How did you happen to discover the periscope before the lookout +did?" he asked. + +Porky spoke for his brother. "It's his eyes," he said. "You +see, sir, he has what they call abnormal eyesight. He can see +farther and clearer than anybody else. He can see in the dark +too, nearly as well as by day. So it wasn't the fault of the +lookout that Beany saw it first. He always sees everything +before anybody else gets a chance." + +"That's odd," mused the Captain. "Well, young fellow, you saved +the ship this time all right. It looks as though you had better +be stationed on deck when we reach the danger zone. Come down +now and get you supper. You never want to go into danger when +you are hungry." He slapped Beany on the back and passed on. + +The boys followed, suddenly conscious that they had omitted the +important ceremony of dinner, but Beany was almost too nervous to +eat. He felt as though those keen eyes of his should be on deck. +There was a great clatter at the table, the Captain alone sitting +in his usual serious silence. + +Young Cogggins called out, "Well, that's over with, anyway! They +say lightning never strikes in the same place twice." + +The Captain smiled. "That's true enough," he said, "but for the +sake of safety I had better tell you that these submarines nearly +always travel in pairs. We are apt to meet the sister U-boat +yet." + +A silence fell. "I don't feel sleepy," murmured young Coggins. +"Wouldn't it be nice to sleep on deck to-night?" + +"Deck for mine!" said Porky in a low voice. "I will say I don't +get many thrills out of this being cooped downstairs when there +are subs all around." + +"Downstairs!" quoted Coggins scornfully. "Don't let the Captain +hear you talking about the 'downstairs' of his ship, you +landlubber, you!" + +"Well, I don't care what you call it! It's downstairs to me +anyhow! And whatever you call it, I don't want to sleep there." + +"Bosh!" said Coggins. "I tell you we won't see another sub on +the whole trip. Do you know the percentage of boats that see +subs on their way over?" + +He launched into a flow of statistics. Porky and Beany seemed to +listen. In fact they were thinking hard. As usual, they thought +the same thing, and as they were fully conscious that they were +doing so, they found the process as satisfactory as a regular +spoken conversation. + +"Me for bed," said Coggins finally. + +"You don't mean bed, do you?" asked Porky. "How the Captain +would feel if he should hear you call his nice berths 'beds!'" + +"I thought you were coming on deck," said Beany. + +"Of course not; that was a joke," said Coggins. + +"Good-night then," said the boys. They went up on deck. It was +perfectly dark. Not even a riding light was shown, and through +the darkness at top speed raced the Firefly. + +"Sort of thrilling, isn't it?" said Porky in a low tone as they +leaned over the rail and looked down at the mysterious water +below them. "Gee, I hope we don't get torpedoed! I worry about +the Colonel. I don't know how well he can swim, or anything +about it. He'd catch cold, too, like as not!" He grinned. +"Say, do you know what I did back home? I knew you'd laugh if I +told you. I bought a couple pounds of--" + +"Chocolate," completed Beany. "I did too." + +"Any malted milk tablets?" asked Porky. + +"Yep, a couple of bottles." + +"Oh, gee! Doesn't it beat anything? I suppose yours are for the +Colonel in case of shipwreck. Just that!" + +"Of course", grinned the other twin. "Well, we are well stocked +up; and as long as we have done it, let's fix things up in case +anything should happen. You know the Colonel will think of +himself the very last one. And if anything does happen, old +chap, just you stick right by the Colonel." + +"You know if there is anything we can do, and do it is swim." + +The two boys went down to their stateroom, and got out the +precious store of chocolates and malted milk. Each boy put his +share in the oil skin water-tight money belt that had been one of +Mr. Leffingwell's many gifts. Their money went easily into a +much smaller and less complicated carrier that each boy wore +around his neck. Then, feeling ready for any emergency, they +hurried back to the dark and silent deck. They stayed up until +midnight. Then the wind started up, increasing in violence until +the chilled watchers took refuge below. + +The boys turned in. + +It seemed about fifteen minutes when Porky sat up. Beany was +leaning down from the upper berth. + +"Did you call me?" he asked. + +"No, I thought you called me," said Porky. + +"All right," said Beany. He swung to the floor. "Hustle and +dress. I bet some thing is on foot." + +He hustled himself into his clothes and was ready as soon as +Porky, who considered himself the record dresser. Together they +slipped through the dark passage and went up on deck. The +Firefly fled like a wild thing, cutting a swift path through a +rough and choppy sea. + +They went forward. Motionless, a dark blur against the sky line, +they saw the lookout, his eyes searching the waste. Scudding +clouds were massing in the east. A storm was on the way. The +boys walked the length of the steamer and leaned over the stern, +where the water boiled furiously away from the propeller. Close +beside them another watch silently studied the surface of the +sea. The night lifted a little. It was nearly dawn. The boys +felt depressed. Porky turned and studied the sky in the east; +Beany kept his keen eyes on the water behind the Firefly. +Suddenly be clutched his brother's arm. + +"See! See!" he cried. "Where that patch of white shows! She's +coming! Look! Look!" + +The glass of the lookout swept the waves. "Nothing there," he +said gruffly. Then with a gasp he cried loudly, "Torpedo port; +torpedo port!" + +Porky saw a slim, swift something cleaving the water. It made +straight for the ship. His reason told him that it would strike; +he grasped his brother by the arm. "The Colonel!" he cried and +made for the cabins below. + +Their hurried descent was broken by a terrific crash which threw +them headlong. They scrambled to their feet and, gaining the +Colonel's door, burst it open. + +"Quick, quick, Colonel!" they cried. + +They bustled him up the companionway. The little Firefly had +already listed heavily to port when another torpedo struck her +with shattering force. She rocked back and forth, striving to +right herself. The boats were being lowered. The Captain called +for the Colonel, and insisted on his entering the largest +lifeboat. Two other boats were already crowded and launched. +The Firefly settled with a sickening motion. + +"All off!" cried the Captain. He glanced over the deserted ship, +and jumped for the boat the Colonel was sitting in. As he landed +a bulky parcel shot past him, and landed at the colonel's feet. +Then another bundle sailed accurately through the air. The first +was the Colonel's uniform; the second, his great top-coat. On +the slanting, shivering deck the twins stood looking down, +yelling madly. "Put on your clothes!" Porky was frantically +calling. + +"Look in the pockets!" called Beany. + +The Captain stood up with a despairing gesture. "Jump!" he +commanded. + +The boys nodded, but instead of obeying, they disappeared behind +the cabin. For a moment the men rested on their oars, then at a +command from the Captain they pulled furiously away from the +sinking ship which threatened to engulf them as she went down. +However, they had gained a safe distance before the doomed +vessel, rocking back and forth, gained a dreadful momentum, +showed her splintered and shattered hull as if in mute excuse for +her action, and disappeared forever in the engulfing sea. + +The Captain stood looking at the place were the vessel had +disappeared. + +Colonel Bright buried his face in his hands. + +"Gone!" he groaned. "What shall I say to their people?" He +choked as he put on the clothes the boys had rescued and thrown +after him. He felt in the pocket of the coat as Beany had yelled +for him to do. It held a water-proof belt stuffed with chocolate +and malted milk tablets. Again he groaned. + +"What ailed them? Why didn't they jump?" he asked. Over and +over again he asked the question but there was no one to answer. +In the distance the other boats were working toward the east. +Far the other side of where the doomed boat had gone down, they +could see the gray back of the submarine, now lying on the +surface. Strangely enough, she did not try to pursue or shell +them. The men at the oars rowed furiously to escape. The wind +rose, and the rain, which had been drizzling down, commenced to +fall in torrents. It made a shield as enveloping as a heavy fog. +The submarine was not to be seen, and they, of course, were +hidden from her. Hour after hour the rain fell; and all the men +rowed, taking turns at the heavy oars. The Colonel sat silent. +He could not forget the young gallant pair gone down with the +ship, two splendid lives snuffed out in an hour. + +Night came to the drenched, hungry men a time of torture. In the +morning, the Colonel divided a part of the chocolate, which +restored a portion of strength to the rowers. So another day +dragged toward its close. The rain had stopped, and a hot sun +had dried their clothing. They were beginning to feel the pangs +of thirst, but the hoard of chocolate and malted milk tablets +mercifully held out. In the far, far distance they could see one +of the other boats. The others were gone. Where, they could not +tell. + +Then at dawn happened the miracle. Out of the dusk a big ship +seemed to take form. She was miles away, but to their eyes, +growing accustomed only to the unrelenting stretch of sea and +sky, she seemed to loom over them. + +As it grew lighter, they could see that she was a huge transport +with her convoys about her. + +Carl Coggins leaped to a seat, tearing off a silk shirt as he did +so. He ran a big oar through the sleeves and waved it wildly. + +"I have always wanted to do this," he cried. "Now you see why I +wouldn't wear a service shirt under my tunic!" + +"Wave ahead!" said the Colonel. "Here's hoping they see you!" + +The little boatful anxiously watched the great ship and her +convoys. Would she pause? + + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +A SUBMARINE FLIES A FLAG OF TRUCE + + +Furiously Carl waved his white flag, Every eye was fastened on +the distant shape. A cry went up from the men in the little boat. + +"They see us--they see us!" + +They renewed their rowing with all their remaining strength, as +though the great ship laying to in the distance might suddenly +start away. + +But instead they saw a couple of boats put off--motor-boats that +cut their way furiously through the water and soon reached them. +A word of explanation from the Captain of the Firefly to the +young officer in charge of the motor-boat, and they were taken in +tow, while the exhausted oarsmen leaned heavily on their oars, +and every heart sent up a prayer of thanksgiving. + +The transport was the one they had been trying to overtake, and +Colonel Bright's own men met him with cheers and sobs as he was +assisted on deck. He and the others were hurried below where +they were put under the care of the ship's doctor. + +A search now began for the remaining boats. It was not until +just before dark that the powerful glasses in the hands of one of +the lookout men discovered some small specks far to starboard. +It was the missing boats. As soon as they, with their loads of +suffering men, had been taken on board, the transport and her +convoys, wrapped in darkness, plunged forward through the +gathering night. + +They were approaching the danger zone. + +The following day, the Colonel was himself again. He had been +too long a soldier to let the loss of the two boys, dear as they +were, completely crush him. They were lost; it was the fortune +of war. They were lost as thousands of other young, splendid +fellows had been lost; and although the Colonel could scarcely +bear to think of the grief of the poor mother back home when she +should learn of the loss of her two idolized sons, he put the +picture behind him. Here was a transport full of men, his own +command largely, and a deep anxiety beset him when he looked over +the sea, searching its surface for a glimpse of a telltale +periscope. + +He fell to watching the convoys with their bristling guns and the +intricate tackle used in this modern game of war at sea. They +looked capable, every inch of them, and deadly in their +efficiency. Yet occasionally the deadly U-boat claimed one of +these as a victim. Once more his eyes roved over the big +transport. + +It was packed and jammed with men. They were quartered in every +possible place. Happy, jolly fellows, full of the finest courage +in the world, ready for anything, eager for the next adventure, +meeting victory with modesty, accepting disaster with a smile. +The rails on each side of the ship were lined with men watching, +watching like himself, yet with a difference. + +The Colonel smiled as he guessed the eagerness with which they +hoped for a sight of a submarine. Not a man of them there wanted +to drown, but he wanted to see a sub, and with the hopefulness of +his character he felt that the chances were good for getting away +before any damage was done. + +Still thinking of the boys he had loved so well, he leaned once +more over the rail, his sad blue eyes searching the sea. Waves +and sky; waves and sky; a gull in the distance but nothing else. +For an hour he stood there thinking, forgetful of his promise to +go below, staring about, searching the vastness for a sign of the +danger that lurked everywhere, the terrible U-boats; but he +looked and saw nothing. Another night passed but as the day +dawned, a sudden warning call sounded through the ship, and +peering through his porthole, the Colonel saw the long, slim +shape of a torpedo whizzing toward the great ship. It was badly +aimed and as it passed harmlessly on, a thunder of guns shattered +the peace of the morning. The Colonel rushed on deck. As he did +so, he saw the turret of a U-boat between the transport and her +nearest convoy sink out of sight. Again the guns spoke as the +boat went down. The periscope of the sub wavered and leaned far +out of true. Another torpedo cut the water and struck the +transport a glancing blow, doing but little damage. The two +convoys were now busy with another U-boat that had attacked them. + +One of the convoys, a destroyer of the latest and finest type, +threw a smoke screen between the U-boat and the transport, but +the U-boat, evidently under orders to get the transport with its +crowds of men at any cost, came to the surface in the midst of +the smoke and, using the screen to her own advantage, slipped +close to the transport. As she did so there was another clamor +of guns from both the convoys. The Colonel could not see the +result of the firing. The guns on the transport were aimed at +the nearest U-boat which had come so, close to her intended +victim. She lay on the surface, and one torpedo and then another +shot from her firing tubes. The fire from the transport missed +her again. + +The torpedoes seemed possessed. Instead of holding the straight +line that would have doomed the great ship to certain destruction, +they skipped here and there. One of them turned and narrowly +missed the U-boat which was now apparently making an effort to +submerge. So strangely did the boat act that the gunner hesitated +as he was about to give the order to fire. + +No other torpedo was sent out, and the submarine kept to the +surface, swinging slowly. + +"She must be badly crippled," said the Captain to Colonel Bright, +who stood beside him on the bridge. He gave the order to an +officer to open fire on the boat. + +As the men leaped to their guns, a strange thing happened. The +hatch on the submarine opened, and a man leaped out to the deck. +He waved a white flag. + +"No good!" said the Captain. "That's been done before. I won't +risk one of my boat crews over there." + +"You can't shoot at a flag of truce," said the Colonel hastily. + +"You have to in warfare like this," said the Captain bitterly. +The figure on the U-boat, looking very small in the distance, +continued to wave his flag. The Captain nodded to the commander +of the gun crew on the nearest turret. The gun leaped into +position. At that instant the figure on the reeling submarine +whipped a small flag from his pocket and flourished it beside the +other. The officers and men on board the transport gasped. + +It was an American flag! + +Yes, there on a German submarine a solitary figure was waving +aloft the Stars and Stripes. + +The Captain uttered an exclamation of amazement, and shook his +head at the gun crew. Almost at once a couple of motor-boats, +filled with armed men, shot from the transport and raced over the +rough sea to the rolling sub. + +"We will soon know what all this is about," said Captain Greene. +"Come down while I prepare a wireless." + +The two Captains and the Colonel went below, while the men +crowded the rail and watched the boats, now at the side of the +distant submarine. It was a long time before they started back. +The men could see that they were loading the boats with something +that looked like rolls of cloth. Finally they returned. + +The officers, coming back to the decks, were greeted by volleys +of deafening cheers, boots, calls, laughter. Every man who could +got near the railing was there. They were packed solidly, +looking down at the boats below. Those who could not reach a +point of vantage swung up on their companions' shoulders. +Everybody hooted and laughed. Presently there was a break in +the line, and four strapping sailors made their way through with +a burden which they laid none too gently on the deck. Another +and another, and still they came, until at the Captain's feet +there was a row of fourteen unconscious figures, wound and +strapped with rope until they resembled mummies. Captain Greene +bent closely above the figures. Two of them wore the uniform of +German officers; but one and all were unconscious, and tightly +roped. + +"What does this mean?" demanded Captain Greene. He looked up +just as a stifled cry came from the Captain of the Firefly. On +the other side of him, Colonel Bright staggered and would have +fallen, had not a friendly hand steadied him. He as well as the +Captain of the Firefly were staring with bulging eyes at the +figure that was just emerging from the crowd at the rail. As +they stared, apparently unable to speak, another figure joined +the first. + +Covered with dirt, unkempt, dressed in what seemed to be cast-off +fragments of all the uniforms under the sun, the two figures +stood looking around with broad grins, on their pale and smudgy +faces. + +A bloody bandage half hid the face of one of them, the other +nursed a hand bundled in rough, soiled cloths. + +Colonel Bright tried to speak. Words failed him. He gulped +feebly, and waved a hand at the apparitions. They stepped +forward and wearily saluted. + +"Yes, Sir, it's us!" said the scarecrow with the bandage. + +Porky and Beany had come back! + + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE TWINS BEGIN THEIR STORY + + +With scarcely a look at the still trussed-up figures on the deck, +Colonel Bright rushed forward, and in a second had the two boys +in his arms. + +"Please, Colonel, can't we go down to your cabin? I rather guess +we are all in." Porky swayed against the Colonel's broad +shoulder. + +The Colonel beckoned to a couple of his men who were standing +near. They dashed forward, and almost carried the exhausted boys +down into the Colonel's roomy cabin. + +"Not a word now, boys, until we get you comfortable. Are you +hungry?" + +The boys looked at each other. + +"I guess we are starved," Beany managed to pipe in a small voice. + +Captain Greene went to the door and gave a quick order. A couple +of men got them out of their rags and into fresh pajamas. Then a +light meal came in. + +Porky heaved a sigh. "I suppose you want to know about it," he +said. + +The Colonel looked at him. + +"No, I don't," he said. "It is enough to get you back. Suppose +you try to sleep for awhile." + +Porky smiled. "Say, Colonel, that's good of you!" he said. "We +are done up a bit, aren't we, Beany?" + +Beany did not reply. He was sound asleep, sitting bolt upright +on his locker. + +"Hello there, young fellows," the Colonel said cheerily twelve +hours later. "How do you feel after your little nap? Think you +could eat a little something?" + +"Just try us, sir," said Porky. "Say, Colonel, sir, we have a +lot to tell you! May we talk while we eat breakfast?" + +"You certainly may," said the Colonel, "but I will have to call +Captain Greene. This is his ship, and he has a right to hear +anything you have to tell." + +Captain Greene came in; the boys did not notice that a shorthand +clerk sat just outside the open door. + +"Well, in the first place, Colonel, here are your papers. We +went back to get them, and we took them with us all in their +oil-silk wrapper, but those fellows over there in the submarine +tore the oil-silk up. They took the papers, of course, but I got +'em back when we put the bunch to sleep." + +"Begin at the beginning, please," said Captain Greene. + +"And tell me why you didn't jump when I said, 'Jump,'" demanded +the Captain of the Firefly. + +"Why, we had to get those papers!" said Porky simply. "I don't +think that was insubordination. I knew the Colonel wanted them. +He was so careful of them." + +"All right," said the Colonel. "What happened then?" + +"Why, the Firefly rolled around for a minute and then she went +down. Say, Colonel, were you ever on a sinking ship? We got +sucked right in with her. I thought we never would come up. I +got out first, and I didn't see Beany, and Gee! I was never so +seared in my life. I was just thinking about diving for him when +he popped up all out of breath, same as I was. We had to float +awhile, we were so used up. Then we happened to look up. We +hadn't said a word yet, and there was that submarine. It had +come up on the other side of us, between us and where the ship +had been. So we couldn't get around to where you must have been +in the boats. There was a man on the little top deck place, and +he had a boat hook, and first I knew he was sticking for me with +that boat hook, just as though I was, somebody's hat lost +overboard. He didn't care whether he stuck his old hook into a +meat boy or not. I saw he wanted us anyhow; so I said, 'Come +on!' to Beany, and swum up the side of the submarine, and +clambered onto the little deck, and Beany followed. Mr. +Boy-sticker grunted something at us, and shoved us down the +little steep ladder, and there we were in the inside of that +submarine! + +"The boy-sticker shoved us over to a table, and there was an +officer sitting with a bottle and glass, and a small chunk of a +sort of black bread." + +"That stuff is made of sawdust and oatmeal, I'll bet," said +Beany. "It was worse than we would give the pigs!" + +"Well," said Porky, "we stood where we had been shoved, and +pretty soon the officer looked up, and the boy-sticker commenced +to talk to him in German. + +"The officer commenced to look real bright and interested. He +said, 'Goot! Goot!' three or four times, and then he said +something to us in German. I shook my head, and he tried French. +He said, 'Parley voos Frongsay?' and I said, 'Wee wee!' and Beany +he butted in and said, 'Better not be so fresh with your wees +unless he's got a dictionary to lend you,' and the officer jumped +and said, 'Himmel! Where have you come from?' in just as good +English as that. We both said Syracuse; and he laughed, and +said, 'What a small world! Why, I went to Syracuse University!' + +"You would never think a guy that had chances in a real country like +ours would act like he did. He kept us standing there, and he asked +us all about everything back home, and just as we thought he was +getting real friendly he said cool as anything, 'We saved you because +we are short handed. Do as you are told. Obey. It's your one +chance. We will shoot you, no doubt, when we get to port.' + +"Wasn't that nice and encouraging," asked Beany of the attentive +audience. "They made us take off all our clothes and put on +those old things that had belonged to the two fellows who had +died. And then we went to work. Well, he set me to fixing up +the little bunk place he slept in, when he did sleep. The rest +of us just laid down anywhere. There's not a lot of room in a +submarine." + +"Yes, and first thing," said Beany, "Porky was wigwagging me to +be careful what I did, and to try to keep the Captain from +looking." + +"Yes, because what do you think I had found? A wad of papers +that looked like plans just lying around on his locker, and a +whole row of bottles. Medicines I suppose, and one of them said +Anesthetique, and I made up my mind that was dope." + +"The next thing happened, he set me to oiling up the torpedoes. +Gee, it made me so mad to see those great smooth things lying +there on their shelves ready to roll into the tubes and be shot +at some good American ship! All at once it came to me what to do +if I could work it. So I took that knife Mr. Leffingwell gave +me, the one with a whole tool-chest in it, and I opened it behind +my hand, and found a dandy screw-driver. Then I took a look over +the torpedo I was fussing with, and I saw it steered by its tail. +I knew it must be carefully adjust, and I sort of memorized where +all the screws were." + +"They can remember anything," said Colonel Bright to Captain +Greene. "Go on!" + +"Well, sir, that night I went to sleep, or pretended to, right +under the torpedo shelves, and when I heard everybody snore, I +went to work, and twisted all those screws a little." + +The Captain burst out into a roar of laughter. + +"Well, son," cried Captain Greene, "it certainly worked! Could +you see the result of your scheme?" + +"No, sir, we couldn't see a thing. But I thought it must have +worked because--well, I felt it must! + +"Then everybody in the boat seemed to be mad at everybody else; +and everything they said sounded as though they were threatening +each other. Once the Captain laughed when the boy-sticker man +said something to me, and he said, + +"'Do you know what he said?' And I said no; and the Captain said, +'Well, it's too bad you never learned German! He was telling you +just what he intends to do to you as soon as I give him leave. +He's a faithful soul, is Heinrich, and he wants you for his very +own.' + +"I said, 'Well, what you going to do about it? I guess it made +me sort of mad to have him sit there and poke fun at me. He +looked at me a minute, and then he up and shied his glass at me. +It was a big heavy glass, but he was a little full as usual, and +didn't aim very well." + +"It took him on the side of the head, just the same," said Beany. + +"Well, anyhow," continued Porky, "he looked at me and he said, +'When you speak to me say Sir or next time I'll kill you.'" +Porky grinned. "He looked as though he meant it, too." + +"You bet he meant it!" said Beany. "He was just aching to shoot +us through the torpedo tube, the way they always get rid of dead +ones. Gee, I was scared to death for Porky. That Captain seemed +to pick on Porky, and he mixed us so, us looking just alike, that +he put a white band around my arm, so he could tell which wasn't +Porky." + +"Well, I guess you don't want to hear all this junk," said Porky. + +"We want every bit of it," said Captain Greene. + +"Tell them about the fight they had," said Beany, shifting his +bandaged hand. + +"We saw one thing right off," said Porky. "The Captain was the +whole push, just as if he was king. He sat there with a big +revolver beside him on the table, and I can tell you he didn't +trust his own shadow. The way Beany, and I doped it out, he was +running in hard luck. He had been sent out to sink a certain +number of ships before he could report, and all he had torpedoed +was just the Firefly. Grub was getting low, two of his men were +dead, and another one was curled up on the locker sicker than a +pup. Once in awhile the Captain would look at him, and say to us +in English, 'About twenty-four hours more, eh? Then he goes +through the tube.'" + +"He just didn't have any heart at all," shuddered Beany. "Of +course that was why they didn't kill us; they couldn't run the +boat and tend to the torpedoes and the periscope and the engines +all at once in a case of a fight, with three men short. And then +they had to fight." + +"Tell us about that," said Colonel Bright. + +"I don't know when it was," said Porky. "Night and day was all +alike down there, but there was one big yellow-haired fellow that +ran the engine. He had been ordered to show me about it; and, +say, I will say I can run a submarine now. It was what you call +intensive training. When I was slow, he gave me a clip on the +head. He could just do anything with machinery. But they certainly +have got that submarine engine perfected so it will do everything +but talk. Any child could run it as soon as he learned the +different levers. I don't believe we have anything like +it; but we can have now because there's the pattern outside +there. You didn't shell it, did you?" + +"Certainly not," said Captain Greene. "It is in charge of a +picked crew of our men right outside." + +"Well, don't let 'em take her down until I get a chance to show +them how she works. There is just one lever that controls the +diving gear, and that is hidden, so you can't find it if you +don't know about it. I came near turning the old thing over. I +got beaten up that trip." + +"Get to the fight," said Beany. + +"The engineer was nutty. He talked all the time and muttered to +himself, and it got on the Captain's nerves or what he had left +of them. He stared at the engineer half the time; and that made +Louie peevish, I suppose. He took it out on me more or less--kept +me sweating over that engine every minute he was awake. He +wanted a drink too. It was sort of raw the way that Captain +would sit there and guzzle and never give the others a bit of it. +Louie would watch and watch and swallow hard; and the Captain +would watch him back again and grin. They were just like a lot +of savage dogs." + +"Well, they didn't have enough to eat, to begin with," said +Beany, "and then the air was so bad, and they were all cooped up +in that little space, and you couldn't hear any outside noises at +all. You don't know how funny that is. + +"They took our watches, so we couldn't tell the time, and, +honest, I thought we must have been there a month. And they all +knew that something pretty fierce would happen to them it they +went back home without sinking the ships that had been required +of them. They have it all down to a system. + +"Well, pretty soon Louie took to leaving me with the engine, and +he would walk back past the Captain. He saluted him every time, +and he watched that bottle just like a starved dog. And every +time the Captain would slowly take hold of the bottle and grin. +And then Louie would walk back again. + +"Then once he went a little too close, and the Captain said +something in German, and stuck out his foot, and tripped Louie +up. He fell the length of the apartment; just plunged down +because he wasn't expecting it. Beany was trying to do something +for the sick man on the locker, and I was at the engine. We were +sort of out of the way; and it was a lucky thing, because Louie +went mad then and there, that's all there was to it. I never saw +anything so awful, and neither did Beany. He didn't look human. +He had the bluest eyes you ever saw when he was right, and they +turned red as blood. And his face got dead white, and he showed +all his teeth like a dog does. He had big yellow teeth with +longer ones, like a dog's fangs, at the corners. And say, he was +quicker than a cat! The Captain didn't have a chance to pull his +gun. Louie had him by the arms, and was trying to break him in +two backward. A couple of other men ran to help the Captain, and +that Louie just kicked out back, and doubled them both up, one +after the other, in a corner. Nobody else interfered. I suppose +Louie knew, if he knew anything, that he was a gone goose anyhow, +and he wanted to punish the Captain. They never said a word. +Louie had the Captain's right wrist in his left hand, so the +Captain couldn't shoot, and I saw he was trying to twist the +Captain's right arm so he could break it." + +"That Captain was some quick, too," said Beany. + +"They tripped and fell, and went rolling all over the place. +That was when I most tipped the boat over. I forgot my levers, +watching them and wondering if we would all get killed before the +thing was over. Once they broke loose and came up, one each side +of the table and the Captain leveled his revolver and pulled the +trigger but it didn't fire. Guess it jammed or something. +Anyhow, in the second that it refused to work, Louie was across +the table and at him again. He was sure mad now. There was +regular froth at the corners of his mouth, and he reached out as +he clinched and clawed the whole side of the Captain's face off. +Gosh! + +"Then all at once the Captain got his right arm loose, and he +brought round like lightning, and pressed the muzzle of the +revolver right against Louie's side and bang! off she went. +Louie never spoke, just grunted, and crumpled down on the floor. +The Captain looked at him a minute, and then he dropped into a +chair himself; and I tell you by that time he looked as though he +did need a bracer. He was all in. Louie would have killed him +sure as sure if he hadn't shot him. + +"Nobody spoke or said anything. The Captain sat there a long +time, just panting and staring down at Louie. Then he looked at +me, and said, 'He had it coming to him. Can you run that engine +and not turn turtle?" + +"And I said, 'Sure!' Then he said something in German to the +men. He talked and talked, but of course we couldn't tell what +he said. Presently four of them took Louie and laid him in the +torpedo chute, and there he was; and nobody paid any more +attention to him than if he wasn't there at all. Gee, it was +awful!" + + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +A SPY ON BOARD + + +Porky rubbed a hand across his eyes, as though to shut out a +disagreeable sight. Beany shook his head. The boys evidently +hated the pictures that memory drew. + +"Let's have the rest of it, boys," said the Captain of the +Firefly. "We may as well have the whole thing at once." + +"Well!" said Porky 'sighing, "that's how things went until +to-day--or I guess it was yesterday, wasn't it? Anyhow, I can't +tell just when anything happened. All I know is that everybody +was just as though they were strung on wires. + +"And that Captain got uglier and uglier. He talked German to the +men, and then he would turn around and speak the best English you +ever heard. It seemed awfully funny. He knew a lot of people +back home, all the high-brows, and when he got pretty full, he +would commence to sing. And say he had that Caruso guy lashed to +the mast, I bet. He sang love stuff, and sob stuff, and a lot of +opera stuff that sounded like gargling. Gee, it was great! + +"Then he would make me and Beany stand at attention, and he would +tell us all about the German army, and how strong it is, and all +about their navy, and how we just had to be wiped off the map. +The United States, I mean, and he would make us repeat all sorts +of statistics about what the Germans had won and done." + +"He said there was one chance in a million of our escaping," said +Beany, "and he wanted us to have a lot of inside dope to tell our +people. Of course it was all brag, almost every bit of it. We +could see one thing. Those fellows were all sore. They didn't +know what at, but they were sore just the same. Our fellows are +never like that." + +"You bet they are not!" said Porky, fondly and proudly. "The +difference is plain as the nose on your face. I tell you what I +did do; I made some little drawings of some of the things we +heard. Sort of plans they were talking over. But you can see +the submarine yourselves. You say she is safe." + +"Get to what happened this morning--I mean yesterday," said +Beany. + +"Well," said Porky, "first thing we knew, the Captain looked +through the periscope, and then he turned around and told the +others something, and, say, they were pleased to death! You see +they wanted to make up their required number of ships torpedoed, +and get back to port. The Captain called me over, and told me +to look, and there you were, way off, but plain. It was not +really light. We submerged right away, and the Captain told me +to fix some coffee. They wanted coffee nineteen times a day or +so. I went over to the little corner where they cooked what few +things they did cook, and then I happened to think of that bottle. +The one with Anesthetique on it. That looked near enough to +Anesthetic to be the same thing; and I wondered what would happen +if I dumped some of it in the coffee. I didn't know what it was; +but there was a chance anyhow for it to work. It might make 'em +sick if nothing else, and I couldn't seem to see them pegging +away at one of our ships with one or two or three of those +torpedoes, even if I had monkeyed with their tail feathers. + +"So I tipped the wink to Beany to kind of hold the center of the +stage, and, say, that was funny! Beany braced up to the Captain, +and saluted and said, 'Is it an American ship out there, sir?' +and the Captain said, 'Sure thing, kiddo!' He could talk just +like anybody, you know. Then Beany looked as though he was going +to cry; and he said, 'Can't you make an exception, Capt, let this +one go?' The Captain thought that was a big joke and pretended +to think about it, and finally he said, 'No, I can't see my way +clear to do that; but I'll tell you what we will do. We won't +leave a single boatful to starve. We will destroy every +human-being on the transport and the convoys. I think we will +meet a sister U-boat here this morning, and we will have a real +good time.' + +"Beany saw I had dumped the stuff in the coffee pot, and he just +hung his head and walked off, the Captain looking after him and +sneering. + +"Gee, I was in a cold chill! I didn't know but the coffee would +taste queer, and then they wouldn't drink it, and would kill us +besides, before we had a chance to report to anybody. And I +didn't dare taste it, for fear it was an instantaneous actor, and +would do for me first. So I just passed the cups, and filled +them up, and trusted to luck. And every man put his down without +a word until it came to the Captain and, he said, 'It was worth +keeping you for a little while. You make real German coffee, +best in the world.' Everybody wanted two cups, and it took all +there was; and the Captain thought that was a scream because +there wasn't any left for Beany and me. + +"Well, then, we commenced to wait to see what happened. And +nothing happened. Nothing! The whole shooting match acted +peppy. Beany whispered to me, 'Was it the wrong bottle?' And I +didn't know what to think. I guess we came close enough to fire, +and as soon as the machinery was ready, they swung a torpedo into +the chute right behind that dead sailor, pressed the lever, and +the dead man and the torpedo went shooting out together. Then +they sent out another torpedo; and the Captain, at the periscope, +commenced to talk in German, and the gunner looked and, say, his +eyes bulged! But then something hit us a sort of glancing blow +and we submerged right away. And my word! Just as we got down +there, the Captain turned to the man at the steering gear to +order him to the surface again I guess, and there he was all +doubled over. He was out. + +"The Captain took a couple of steps toward him, and a silly kind +of look came into his face, and he just went down in a heap, and +in one minute every man was flat on the floor. Well, there we +were, alone you might say, with that submarine to get to the +surface! And what we don't know about those boats would fill a +dictionary. + +"Beany said, 'Get her up if you can, Pork,' and he jumped for +some rope, and commenced to tie everybody up. We didn't know how +long that Anesthetique stuff was apt to work, and we didn't feel +like taking any chances. + +"So Beany made a good job of it, and I monkeyed with the steering +gear the way they had told me, and the way I had seen, and up she +came. Beany was just finishing, but I hurried up on deck, and, +say, I thought you were going to do for me, anyhow!" + +Porky seemed wholly unconscious of having accomplished anything +out of the usual routine. He leaned back. "So that's all there +is of that," he said. + +"When did those fellows wake up?" asked Beany, "or did it kill +them?" + +Captain Greene laughed. "I am sorry you didn't keep the bottle," +he said. "Your friends are only just now waking up. It is a +prolonged process, and rather distressing, I should judge." + +"I did save the bottle," said Porky. "Here it is, if you want +it. I had to put it in my pocket, because I wanted to get it out +of sight as soon as ever I could. + +"Sensible of you," said the Captain. "I will have that bottle +analyzed if there is anything left in it. There may be a new +combination there that will be of value sometimes." + +"What else happened!" asked the Colonel. + +"Not a thing, sir," said Porky; "don't see why we are so done up, +either. We didn't do much." + +"It was a slight nervous strain, I think," said the Captain, +"cooped up there, expecting to be killed." + +"Did he threaten you many times?" asked the Colonel. + +"Yes, sir, a lot; but we got so we didn't mind much except the +time he did for Heinrich. Then we sort of felt as though it was +getting personal, as you might say. Oh, I'm glad to be out of +it!" + +The ship's doctor stepped up to Porky and felt his pulse. + +"Just a trifle under par yet," he said, arranging Beany's +bandages. "I would suggest another nap or two." + +"All right," said the officers and they moved toward the door. + +"We aren't sleepy," said Porky. "How could we be sleepy at this +time of day?" He yawned widely. Everybody laughed. + +"Just try it and see what you can do in the way of snoring," said +the doctor. "One more good snooze, and you will be ready to +bring in another submarine and some more prisoners." + +He left the room, and in two minutes the boys were both asleep. +They were exhausted, with the trying mental exhaustion that +people feel who have undergone great anxiety and danger. + +The two Captains and the Colonel went into Captain Greene's cabin +and for a long time talked the matter over. They could hear the +crew and the soldiers making merry. It had been a great +experience; an experience which fortunately had had a good ending. +Already a lot of the boys were writing highly-colored, lengthy +accounts home--accounts which were doomed never to pass the censor! + +Colonel Bright was happy as a boy. He chuckled and laughed and +patted his friends on the back. He was so glad to have his two +boys restored to him that he didn't know what to do. He kept +tiptoeing back to look at the boys as they slept. And sleep they +did hour after hour, until their young bodies were renewed and +refreshed. When they finally awoke, it was with the feeling that +they never could sleep again. They went up on deck to take their +usual morning look around. It was not yet time to report to +Colonel Bright. To their great surprise, they were lying outside +a harbor. In the distance they could see through the morning +haze the lines of shipping and the bright tiled roofs of the +houses. There was a feeling of expectation on board the ship. +Porky hailed a sailor and asked where they were. + +"In Europe," said the Jacky, smiling, and hurried away. + +"In Europe!" repeated Porky. "I bet Colonel Bright will tell +us." They hurried below. But to their eager questions the +Colonel merely repeated the sailor's reply. The boys hurried on +deck again. They stood by the rail, staring at the purple shore, +when they were startled by a shot below, the sound of a scuffle, +and as they turned a man raced past, leaped the rail and was +swallowed by the sea. Scarcely had his head appeared again when +with a rush Captain Greene gained the rail. For a moment he took +aim; a steady, relentless aim. A puff of smoke marked the shot, +and the black head, bobbing on the waves, disappeared. A hand +was raised, and seemed to wave a good-by. + +The boys watched breathlessly, then turned to stare at the +Captain, who was peering intently at the water. There was +something in his stern, set face that forbade questioning. For +once they were completely silenced. + +When the head, did not come to the surface, the Captain turned +and went hastily down the companionway. The boys looked at each +other. + +"What on earth does it all mean?" Porky demanded of no one in +particular. + +They, too, hurried, down. The door of the Captain's cabin was +ajar. Colonel Bright, very pale, and supported by the purser, +sat opposite the door. When he saw the boys' anxious faces he +nodded, and they went silently to his side. + +Then they saw that on the Captain's bunk a form, limp and +ghastly, was stretched out under the hand of the surgeon. It was +the Captain of the Firefly, and as they looked, the surgeon stood +upright. + +"He is dead," he said briefly. He came around by Colonel Bright, +and assisted him to his feet. + +"Better come to your own cabin, sir," he suggested. + +"Come, boys," said Colonel Bright. Then to the surgeon, and the +purser: "I am merely scratched. I do not need further +assistance. See you can't do something further for that poor +fellow." He turned and, followed by the boys, walked slowly down +the passage to his own large, comfortable cabin, where he dropped +wearily into a chair, and with a gesture directed the boys to +remove his tunic. No one spoke until he had been partly +undressed, and had laid down on the bunk. + +"Well, boys," he said then, with the little twinkling smile they +loved, "I certainly was born lucky! I suppose you are both +simply bursting to know what has happened, and I don't blame you. +I want to say first of all, though, that you have shown a great +deal of discretion; a great deal of discretion indeed." + +The boys looked wildly at each other. They were not very strong +on long words, and while they were sure that they were being +praised, they were not sure just exactly what discretion meant. +Beany simpered and let it go at that; Porky mumbled, "Much +obliged." + +Colonel Bright pulled his torn shirt over the spot on his broad +shoulder where a wad of absorbent cotton and a lot of +crisscrossed surgeon's plaster marked the slight wound. He moved +the shoulder curiously. "That will be stiff for a couple of +days, I suppose, but that is all there will be to it. Nothing +but a scratch. Did you see the man go overboard, boys?" + +"Yes, sir, we did," said Porky; "but we didn't see who it was. +Was it any one we knew? We saw the Captain shoot him." + +"Yes," said Beany of the eagle eye, "it made me feel funny, +somehow. The Captain shot quick. Just bing! and the bullet hit +him, about an inch above the back of his neck just a shade to the +left of the middle of his head." + +"Close enough to keep him down below until the day of judgment," +said the Colonel, sighing. "So you didn't see his face? Well, +boys, if you had, you would have seen a familiar countenance. It +was our second mate; and a spy!" + +"What?" cried both boys, startled at the words and tone. + +"Just that!" said the Colonel. "We have had a scene, I can tell +you. If one of you will order a cup of coffee for me I will tell +you all about it." He leaned back and closed his eyes. Beany +made for the door; and Porky sat in silence until his brother +returned with a tray of coffee, toast and bacon. + +Then while the Colonel ate, they busied themselves about one +thing and another around the cabin, until at last the Colonel set +down the empty coffee cup, and spoke. + +"I often wonder," he said, "how you boys learned some of the +great truths that you know." + +Porky laughed. "Like not talking when you ate?" he asked. "That +was Mom. She always says that you can't expect to learn anything +from a hungry man." + +"A very wise woman," the Colonel said. "She is perfectly right." +He looked at his watch. + +"There is a little time, and while I smoke I will tell you all +about the little fuss we have just finished. Yes, boys, the man +you saw killed was the second mate of this ship, and a spy; a +miserable spy. No use wasting pity on him; he got what he +deserved." + +The Colonel scowled. + + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE + + +Porky and Beany sat perfectly still, staring with round, bulging +eyes at the Colonel. They did not speak. They just sat there +and thought and stared, and stared and thought again. This was +about the most stunning blow of all. They had known the mate +throughout the voyage as a silent, kindly man who had treated +them well but had not made the least impression on them otherwise. +A spy! It couldn't be! Porky was conscious of a wave of horror +as he told himself that there must be some mistake. Not the +second mate! Such a nice man, always pottering about, always +ready to answer questions, always interested in everything, +always and forever asking questions himself, wanting to know +everything about themselves and their home and their plans for +the future. + +And he had been specially interested in the Colonel--where he was +going and what he was going to do. + +Now that the boys, taking time to think about it, happened on +that thought, it was rather funny what an amount of interest the +old fellow had taken in trivial things concerning their beloved +Colonel. But it had gone over the boys' heads because they were +so accustomed to having every one think that the Colonel was +about the whole thing, and to hearing every one talk about him, +that the strange interest of the second mate did not raise a +question in their minds. + +They had merely felt the flattered importance that they always +felt about anything and everything concerning the truly great and +simple-minded man whom they were so proud to know and to be with. + +For Colonel Bright was a truly great man. They were to learn +that fact more and more as time went on, and as they saw him +tried by circumstances that could only bring out the best and +noblest in men. They saw troubled, perplexed, wounded and +distressed. It was their great good fortune to feel that there +were times when this great man really needed their boyish but +deeply loyal and loving support. It was just as well that the +future, so terrible and so bloodstained, was hidden from their +young eyes. + +It is enough for this story that already the boys recognized the +gallant, simple courage and tenderness of the Colonel; enough +that all their lives they were to be strengthened and ennobled by +the example of his straightforward everyday life. When Porky and +Beany had themselves become great men, when, in their turn, boys +looked up to them with admiration and love, they learned to look +back with boundless gratitude to the fate that had led them, +through the Boy Scouts, into the friendship of Colonel Bright. + +A faint inkling of this, passed through the minds of the twins as +they sat waiting for the Colonel to begin his story. And each +knew that the other felt it. + +The Colonel regarded the boys with twinkling eyes. + +"Sort of surprising, isn't it?" he said. "Not that this affair +would ever have come into your scheme of things at all, but for +one thing. I have got you over here, and in some ways it is +positively the worst fool thing I ever pulled off--taking the +responsibility of two kids like you, at a time like this." + +"But, Colonel, please!" interrupted Porky. "Don't think I am +fresh, but just this once, while there is no one around, and no +one will know we are lacking in respect to you, sir, as a +superior, please, Colonel, let me tell you--" + +"Go on," said the Colonel. + +"Well," said Porky, "looks to us as though we were going to land +pretty soon, and we don't know where next nor anything about it; +but please, Colonel, just as long as you can, please let us stick +by you! We have got to; we promised Mrs. Bright; and, besides, +we don't look young, do we, Colonel? Now, honest, we don't!" He +felt of his chin. "The way it looks, we have got to shave pretty +quick, by next year anyhow. And we are tall; we are tall as you; +and we look older when we are good and dirty, and we will be that +mostly over here, I guess. And say, Colonel, we ain't afraid; +honest!" + +"Oh, Lord!" groaned the Colonel. "That's the worst of it! If I +could put a little wholesome fear into your heads, I would feel +better. However, boys, I want your word of honor that you will +never make any serious move without consulting me." + +"We promise!" said both boys, and Beany as an after-thought +repeated, "Not any serious in move." + +"Then here is where we stand," said the Colonel, as the boys +approached closer to his chair. + +"In two hours we will disembark. The harbor is clear, and it is +the first time in two weeks that any transports have been able to +come in as near as this. It is a great chance. I am glad of +this chance to tell you what the outlook is. I have been sent +over here, boys, to work directly with General Pershing. We will +be near and directly at the front all the time if our lives are +spared. I did not know this when we started. It was all in the +sealed orders that our late friend the mate was so anxious to get +into his possession. But about that later. Just what our duties +are to be I cannot tell until I have had a conference with the +General. Here is where you come in. As I understand it now, I +am to be in charge of a wing, not very many miles from +headquarters. I intend to use you as messengers. It is not a +light task. Heaven forgive me if I am the cause of bringing you +to harm! But the fact remains that as I see things, one life, +young or old, is no better than another in this great crisis. It +is up to every human being to do his or her part. Fate has led +you a long ways from home; and in spite of that coming crop of +whiskers, Porky, you are rather young. However, as I said, that +weighs nothing in the balance of necessity. Nothing! Man, +woman, child, we all must help. Man, woman, and child, we have +got to help, and now! + +"I may not have another chance to talk to you privately for some +time. A few things are to be impressed on your minds. The first +is this. Take no foolish chances. Don't be foolhardy. We +cannot afford to waste our tools. And in this struggle tools are +what you are, not boys, not human beings that will feel cold, and +heat, and pain and privations; just tools. So take no chances. + +"We will go right from the dock to General Pershing. I do not +know where he is. However, after I have seen him, I will know +where to place you. He will tell me if my plan for you as I have +outlined it is a good one. Rest assured that I will keep you as +near me as I possibly can. + +"I have told you my first order. No chances other than the +chances of war. The second thing is to keep ourselves as clean +and as well as you possibly can. Take every safeguard that you +can possibly take. You do not want to be on the sick list the +time when I most need you. That's about all, boys. Don't forget +that I am always your friend." + +The boys gulped queerly. Then Beany spoke up boldly. + +"And don't you forget that we are your friends, too! I read a +piece once in a reader about a lion that was all tied up with +ropes and a mouse happened around and chewed him loose. You are +a colonel, but we are your friends just the same." + +The Colonel burst out laughing. "Chew away, old fellow!" he said +when he could speak. "In the meantime let's get ready to leave." + +"But, Colonel," wailed Porky, who never forgot anything and who +had an amount of curiosity that later nearly lost the Colonel one +of his "tools," "--but, Colonel, what about the mate?" + +"By Jove, I forgot I promised to tell you about him! Well, two +or three times Captain Greene thought his traps looked as though +some one had been going through them, but he had everything +locked up, and special keys made. These were on him night and +day. But, you see, the mate knew a trick worth two of that. As +he had the run of everything, he simply doped the cup of coffee +the Captain always took before going to bed, and, while the man +was under the influence of the drug, he simply went through +things. Fortunately he was unable to find some papers that he +was most anxious to got hold of, and in the meantime the Captain +spoke to the ship's doctor about feeling queer and lazy in the +morning. + +"Because everybody is suspicious of everything out of the beaten +track these days, the doctor took to watching things a little on +his own hook. He finally analyzed some of the coffee, and that +put him on tile right track. A smart lad, that doctor, I can +tell you! But it looked as though the mate smelled a mouse. For +days the Captain slept normally, while I commenced to get a dose +of the same medicine. I did not know what was happening in the +Captain's cabin, and no one was watching me. One night the +doctor came in just after I had had my last cigar and sat talking +to me. Blamed if I didn't go to sleep sitting bolt upright +talking to him! He laid me down on the bunk, and my cigar stub +came in for analysis. There was more dope! Fact! Things got +pretty thick along about then. No one suspected the mate, but we +suspected everybody else on the ship almost. Then little things +commenced to happen to the ship's machinery. One little thing +after another broke down. We seemed to be regular bait for +submarines. He had some way of signaling them other than the +ship's wireless. It is certain that he never got hold of that, +and he did not succeed in putting it out of commission if he +tried to do so. We don't know whether he did try or not. + +"Then one night or one morning, rather, the doctor was found +unconscious just outside the Captain's door. When he came to, he +said he had felt uneasy about things, because nothing had +happened for several days, so he thought he would take a look +around. He was in his stocking feet, and just as he reached the +Captain's cabin, he saw a form ahead of him against the white +door. He approached cautiously, but could not tell whether the +person saw him or not. He did, all right. As soon as the doctor +was within striking distance, the shadow struck and down went the +doctor. He was hit with some padded weapon a glancing blow that +merely knocked him out for a few hours. If it had struck full-- +well, we would have been shy one good doctor. + +"When he was all right again, we put our heads together, and +decided to bait the midnight visitor with some bogus papers. Of +course we still did not have the least suspicion as to the real +source of the trouble. + +"That mate was in our confidence, and was at all our +consultations. We followed clew after clew suggested by him. +And I will say they were good ones. We found part of the missing +papers sewed into the bedding roll of a soldier who happened to +be saddled with a jaw-breaking German name, the hangover from +some ancestors. We trotted him off to the brig, intending to +execute him later. Then we found a trinket belonging to the +Captain in the pocket of one of the sailors, a Swede. The idea +was, you see, to scatter our attention. + +"I don't know where we would have ended if it hadn't been for a +trick of the Captain's. He told the mate, and everybody else he +could get hold of, that he had an ulcerated tooth, and was going +to take a sleeping powder. He had some powdered sugar all fixed +up. The mate was the only man in the cabin at the time, and the +Captain said all at once something came over him as though a +voice had shouted, 'Here is the man!' + +"Yet not a line of the fellow's face changed. It was just sheer +intuition. When the mate left the room, the Captain got hold of +the doctor, who was the only one we were really trusting then, +and tipped him off. He in turn came to me and I did my part by +declaring loudly that I was dead tired and was going to turn in. + +"Well, boys, at four this morning we caught our bird. The mate, +of all men on the ship! They caught him red-handed, as they say, +at the Captain's locker, and the doctor laid him out with a neat +little tap from a billy, and when he came to we put him through +the third degree. And we overhauled his things and found enough +information to get him a string of German crosses a yard long. + +"He was meek as could be; but I know now that was because he +thought he had a good chance to got away somehow. We are near +shore; and it seems he can swim like a duck--a long-distance +champion and all that. He was so very meek about it that we were +a little careless. I know it taught me a lesson. There are only +two places where a spy is safe: in his grave, or in irons; and +he's not very safe then. He watched his chance and when he got a +second's show, he moved like a whirlwind. He knocked his guard +down and grabbed his revolver, all in one jump, shot full at +Captain Greene, missed him but winged me and killed the captain +of the Firefly, poor fellow! + +"Then he made for the door with Captain Green after him; and you +know the rest." + +"Gee!" said Porky. + +"Sakes!" added Beany. + +There was a silence. The Colonel looked at his watch. There was +a sound of tramping from above. + +"They are getting the men ready to go ashore," he said. "This is +to be the last daylight disembarkation. Better go up and take a +look around, boys. It is worth seeing. Are your things all +ship-shape?" + +"Yes, sir; all ready to pick up," said Porky, "Can't we do +something for you?" + +"Not a thing, thank you! This arm does not even burn now. When +you see me on deck, just fall in, and don't let me have to look +for you." He smiled and dismissed them with a nod as the doctor +entered. + +"Doc," he said as the young man proceeded to put a dressing on +the wounded arm, "there go two, of the most remarkable boys I +have ever known. I expect great things of them sooner or later +if their lives are spared." + +And with this prophecy, which was to be fulfilled far sooner than +the Colonel dreamed, the subject was closed. + +On deck the boys, with their bags beside them, watched the +orderly rush of disembarkation with the keenest delight. They +were as glad to go ashore as they had been to go aboard in that +far, fair America that they were so proud and happy to call home. + +Load after load of men left the side of the great ship, and the +empty boats came dancing back from the great distant docks for +other loads. The men were all happy and excited. The air was +clear and clean as though it had just been washed, as indeed it +had by a heavy rain the night before. + +Overhead a couple of great planes circled above the harbor. The +thought that they did not know where they were lent a touch of +unreality and, romance to it all. The boats full of men went +gayly off, the soldiers singing, calling, and whistling back to +their mates still on board. + +"Well, we are here!" said Porky soberly. + +"Yep!" answered Beany. There was a long silence. Then, "We are +here all right!" he repeated. + +"Yep!" said Porky. + +"I Wish we could call mom and pop up on a long distance and tell +them we are safe. It's going to be some old time before we see +them again!" + +"Sure is!" agreed Porky, his face growing strangely long at the +thought. "There's one thing we got to remember. We are here, +and they were game to let us come. I didn't realize how game +they were, Beans, but they sure were game! Well, we have got to +pay them up for it, and the only way we can do it, is by first +taking the best care of ourselves that we possibly can, and then +by doing something to make them proud of us. Of course we don't +know what we can do, but something will come up, I know; and it's +up to us to do it." + +"You bet we will!" said Beany solemnly. They turned again to +watch the sailors. + +Colonel Bright appeared on deck just then, and the boys hurried +to his side, and stood unobtrusively behind him. + +The next few hours passed in such a whirl that they were never +clearly defined in the boys' memory. Event followed event with +dizzying rapidity. Short trips on strange, camouflaged little +railroads, alternated with dashes in strange, large, unkempt +automobiles driven by haggard, desperate, cool, young fellows who +looked and were equal to any emergency. Little was said. +Occasionally they were personally conducted by one or two French +officers who talked rapidly in their own tongue to Colonel +Bright, who actually understood what they said, and fired back +remarks almost as rapid as theirs. + +"Machine guns!" Beany muttered once to his brother. + +As they went on, the country commenced to show devastating effect +of war. By the time darkness fell they were passing through a +torn and tumbled landscape, with here and there a ruined village. +They reached a place finally, unlighted, almost unmarked in the +darkness. The boys wondered at the cleverness of the chauffeur +as he silently rounded a corner and brought his car up to a +ruined gateway, behind which a small squat building showed dimly. + +Without a word Colonel Bright went rapidly up the path, the boys +following closely behind, while the orderly carried the Colonel's +bags. + +A low tap on the door and it opened, disclosing a densely dark +hall or room; the boys could not see enough to tell what it was. +As the door was closed, a flashlight was pressed, and they were +able to follow their guide across the space and through another +corridor to a heavy door. A low tap and this door was opened. + +As they entered, a man rose from a desk. He was gray and +grizzled; a man whose keen face and eagle glance ware destined to +live as long as history is written or read, a man in whom America +rests her pride and hopes. + +As they entered, he bent his piercing glance upon them; then, +recognizing Colonel Bright, his face was lighted with a bright +smile that suddenly wiped out its lines of care, and he stepped +forward, both hands extended in greeting. + +It was General Pershing. + +The boys, standing well back in the shadows of the gloomy room, +felt something catch their throats. + +France... the firing line... General Pershing... + +All at once, they had no doubts, no memories, no homesickness, no +regrets. France; the firing line; General Pershing! + +The boys stood rigidly at attention. The room was dark; no one +saw them. It did not matter. Joy and courage and high hopes +filled their hearts. + +It was the beginning of their Great Adventure. + +THE END + + + + + + + + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE BOY SCOUTS ON A SUBMARINE *** + +This file should be named 6339.txt or 6339.zip + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we usually do not +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +We are now trying to release all our eBooks one year in advance +of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. +Please be encouraged to tell us about any error or corrections, +even years after the official publication date. + +Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final til +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg eBooks is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. + +Most people start at our Web sites at: +https://gutenberg.org or +http://promo.net/pg + +These Web sites include award-winning information about Project +Gutenberg, including how to donate, how to help produce our new +eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter (free!). + + +Those of you who want to download any eBook before announcement +can get to them as follows, and just download by date. This is +also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the +indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an +announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter. + +http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext04 or +ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04 + +Or /etext03, 02, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90 + +Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want, +as it appears in our Newsletters. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours +to get any eBook selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. Our +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If the value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour in 2002 as we release over 100 new text +files per month: 1240 more eBooks in 2001 for a total of 4000+ +We are already on our way to trying for 2000 more eBooks in 2002 +If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total +will reach over half a trillion eBooks given away by year's end. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away 1 Trillion eBooks! +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users. + +Here is the briefest record of our progress (* means estimated): + +eBooks Year Month + + 1 1971 July + 10 1991 January + 100 1994 January + 1000 1997 August + 1500 1998 October + 2000 1999 December + 2500 2000 December + 3000 2001 November + 4000 2001 October/November + 6000 2002 December* + 9000 2003 November* +10000 2004 January* + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been created +to secure a future for Project Gutenberg into the next millennium. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +As of February, 2002, contributions are being solicited from people +and organizations in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, +Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, +Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, +Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New +Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, +Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South +Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West +Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. + +We have filed in all 50 states now, but these are the only ones +that have responded. + +As the requirements for other states are met, additions to this list +will be made and fund raising will begin in the additional states. +Please feel free to ask to check the status of your state. + +In answer to various questions we have received on this: + +We are constantly working on finishing the paperwork to legally +request donations in all 50 states. If your state is not listed and +you would like to know if we have added it since the list you have, +just ask. + +While we cannot solicit donations from people in states where we are +not yet registered, we know of no prohibition against accepting +donations from donors in these states who approach us with an offer to +donate. + +International donations are accepted, but we don't know ANYTHING about +how to make them tax-deductible, or even if they CAN be made +deductible, and don't have the staff to handle it even if there are +ways. + +Donations by check or money order may be sent to: + +Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +PMB 113 +1739 University Ave. +Oxford, MS 38655-4109 + +Contact us if you want to arrange for a wire transfer or payment +method other than by check or money order. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been approved by +the US Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN +[Employee Identification Number] 64-622154. Donations are +tax-deductible to the maximum extent permitted by law. As fund-raising +requirements for other states are met, additions to this list will be +made and fund-raising will begin in the additional states. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +You can get up to date donation information online at: + +https://www.gutenberg.org/donation.html + + +*** + +If you can't reach Project Gutenberg, +you can always email directly to: + +Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com> + +Prof. Hart will answer or forward your message. + +We would prefer to send you information by email. + + +**The Legal Small Print** + + +(Three Pages) + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this eBook, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you may distribute copies of this eBook if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS EBOOK +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +eBook, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this eBook by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this eBook on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM EBOOKS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBooks, +is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart +through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). +Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this eBook +under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market +any commercial products without permission. + +To create these eBooks, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's eBooks and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other eBook medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] Michael Hart and the Foundation (and any other party you may +receive this eBook from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook) disclaims +all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this eBook within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS EBOOK IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE EBOOK OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold Michael Hart, the Foundation, +and its trustees and agents, and any volunteers associated +with the production and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +texts harmless, from all liability, cost and expense, including +legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the +following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this eBook, +[2] alteration, modification, or addition to the eBook, +or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this eBook electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + eBook or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this eBook in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word + processing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The eBook, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The eBook may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the eBook (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + eBook in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the eBook refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the + gross profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" + the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were + legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent + periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to + let us know your plans and to work out the details. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of +public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed +in machine readable form. + +The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, +public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses. +Money should be paid to the: +"Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or +software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: +hart@pobox.com + +[Portions of this eBook's header and trailer may be reprinted only +when distributed free of all fees. Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 by +Michael S. Hart. Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be +used in any sales of Project Gutenberg eBooks or other materials be +they hardware or software or any other related product without +express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS*Ver.02/11/02*END* + diff --git a/6339.zip b/6339.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..814b302 --- /dev/null +++ b/6339.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..813b035 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #6339 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6339) |