The Romance of Elaine

by Arthur B. Reeve

  CHAPTER XIII

  THE SEARCHLIGHT GUN

  "I don't understand it," remarked Elaine one day as, with AuntJosephine and myself, she was discussing the strange events that hadoccurred since the disappearance of Kennedy, "but, somehow, it is as ifa strange Providence seems to be watching over us."

  "Nor do I," I agreed. "It does seem that, although we do not see it, amysterious power for good is about us. It's uncanny."

  "A package for you, Miss Dodge," announced Marie, coming in with asmall parcel which had been delivered by a messenger who did not waitfor an answer.

  Elaine took it, looked at it, turned it over, and then looked at thewritten address again.

  "It's not the handwriting of any one which I recognize," she mused."Now, I suppose I ought to be suspicious of it Yet, I'm going to openit."

  She did so. Inside, the paper wrapping covered a pasteboard box. Sheopened that. There lay a revolver, which she picked up and turned over.It was a curious looking weapon.

  "I never knew so much about firearms as I have learned in the past fewweeks," remarked Elaine. "But what do you suppose this is--and who sentit to me--and why?"

  She held the gun up. From the barrel stuck out a little rolled-up pieceof paper. "See," she cried, reading and handing the paper to me, "thereit is again--that mysterious power."

  Aunt Josephine and I read the note:

  DEAR MISS DODGE:

  This weapon shoots exactly into the center of the light disc. Keep itby you.--A FRIEND.

  "Let me see it," I asked, taking the gun. Sure enough, along the barrelwas a peculiar tube. "A searchlight gun," I exclaimed, puzzled, thoughstill my suspicions were not entirely at rest. "Suppose it's sightedwrong," I could not help considering. "It might be a plant to save someone from being shot."

  "That's easily settled," returned Elaine. "Let's try it."

  "Oh, mercy no,--not here," remonstrated Aunt Josephine.

  "Why not--down cellar?" persisted Elaine. "It can't hurt anythingthere."

  "I think it would be a good plan," I agreed, "just to make sure that itis all right."

  Accordingly we three went down cellar. There, Elaine found the lightswitch and turned it. Eagerly I hunted about for a mark. There, in somerubbish that had not yet been carted away, was a small china plate. Iset it up on a small shelf across the room and took the gun. But Elaineplayfully wrenched it from my hand.

  "No," she insisted, "it was sent to me. Let me try it first."

  Reluctantly I consented.

  "Switch off the light, Walter, please," she directed, standing a fewpaces from the plate.

  I did so. In the darkness Elaine pointed the gun and pulled a littleratchet. Instantly a spot of light showed on the wall. She moved therevolver and the spot of light moved with it. As it rested on a littledecorative figure in the center of the plate, she pulled the trigger.The gun exploded with a report, deafening, in the confined cellar.

  I switched on the light and we ran forward. There was theplate--smashed into a hundred bits. The bullet had struck exactly inthe centre of the little bull's-eye of light.

  "Splendid," cried Elaine enthusiastically, as we looked at each otherin surprise.

  Though none of us guessed it, half an hour before, in the seclusion ofhis yacht, Woodward's friend, Professor Arnold, had been standing withthe long barrelled gun in his hand, adjusting the tube which ranbeneath the barrel.

  In one hand he held the gun; in the other was a piece of paper. As hebrought the paper before the muzzle and pressed a ratchet by grippingthe revolver handle, a distinct light appeared on the paper, thrown outfrom the tube under the barrel.

  Having adjusted the tube and sighted it, Arnold wrote a hasty note onanother piece of paper and inserted it into the barrel of the gun, withthe end sticking out just a bit. Then he wrapped the whole thing up ina box, rang a bell, and handed the package to a servant with explicitinstructions as to its delivery to the right person and only to thatperson.

  Down in the submarine harbor, Del Mar was in conference with his boardof strategy and advice, laying the plan for the attack on America.

  "Ever since we have been at work," he remarked, "Elaine Dodge has beenbusy hindering and frustrating us. That girl must go!"

  Before him, on the table, he placed a square package. "It must stop,"he added ominously, tapping the package.

  "But how?" asked one of the men. "We've done our best."

  "This is a bomb," replied Del Mar, continuing to tap the package. "Whenour man--let me see, X had better do it,--arrives, have him look in thesecret cavern by the landing-place. There I will leave it. I want himto put it in her house to-night."

  He handed the bomb to one of his men who took it gingerly. Then with afew more words of admonition, he took up his diving helmet and left theheadquarters, followed by the man.

  Several minutes later, Del Mar, alone, emerged from the water justoutside the submarine harbor and took off his helmet.

  He made his way over the rocks, carrying the bomb, until he came to alittle fissure in the rocks, like a cavern. There he hid the bombcarefully. Still carrying the helmet, he hurried along until he came tothe cave entrance that led to the secret passage to the panel in hisbungalow library. Up through the secret passage he went, reaching thepanel and opening it by a spring.

  In the library Del Mar changed his wet clothes and hid them, then setto work on an accumulation of papers on his desk.

  . . . . . . .

  That afternoon, Elaine decided to go for a little ride through thecountry in her runabout.

  As she started to leave her room, dressed for the trip, it was asthough a premonition of danger came to her. She paused, then turnedback and took from the drawer the searchlight gun which had been sentto her. She slipped it into the pocket of her skirt and went out.

  Off she drove at a fast clip, thoroughly enjoying the ride until, neara bend in the road, as it swept down toward the shore, she stopped andgot out, attracted by some wild flowers. They grew in such profusionthat it seemed no time before she had a bunch of them. On she wandered,down to the rocks, watching the restless waters of the Sound. Finallyshe found herself walking alone along the shore, one arm full offlowers, while with her free hand she amused herself by skimming flatstones over the water.

  As she turned to pick up one, her eye caught something in the rocks andshe stared at it. There in a crevice, as though it had been hidden, wasa strange square package. She reached down and picked it up. What couldit be?

  While she was examining it, back of her, another of those strangebe-helmeted figures came up out of the water. It watched her for aninstant, then sank back into the water again.

  Elaine, holding the package in her hand, walked up the shore, obliviousto the strange eye that had been fixed on her.

  "I must show this to Lieutenant Woodward," she said to herself.

  In the car she placed the package, then jumped in herself carefully andstarted off.

  A moment after she had gone, the diver reappeared, looking aboutcautiously. This time the coast was clear and he came all the way out,taking off his helmet and placed it in the secret hiding-place whichDel Mar and his men used. Then, with another glance, now of anger, inthe direction of Elaine, he hurried up the shore.

  Meanwhile, as fast as her light runabout would carry her, Elainewhizzed over to Fort Dale.

  As she entered the grounds, the sentry saluted her, though that part ofthe formalities of admission was purely perfunctory, for every one atthe Fort knew her now.

  "Is Lieutenant Woodward in?" she inquired.

  "Yes ma'am," returned the sentry. "I will send for him."

  A corporal appeared and took a message for her to Woodward. It was onlya few minutes before Lieutenant Woodward himself appeared.

  "What is the trouble, Miss Dodge?" he asked solicitously, noting thelook on her face.

  "I don't know what it is," she replied dubiously. "I've found somethingamong the rocks. Perhaps it is a bomb
."

  Woodward looked at the package, studying it. "Professor Arnold isinvestigating this affair for us," he remarked. "Perhaps you'd bettertake the package to him on his yacht. I'm sorry I can't go with you,but just now I'm on duty."

  "That's a good idea," she agreed. "Only I'm sorry you can't go alongwith me."

  She started up the car and drove off as Woodward turned back to theFort with a lingering look.

  Del Mar was hard at work in the library when, suddenly, he heard asound at the panel. He reached over and pressed a button on his desk,and the panel opened. Through it came the diver still wearing hisdripping suit and carrying the weird helmet under his arm.

  "That Dodge girl has crossed us again!" he exclaimed excitedly.

  "How?" demanded Del Mar, with an oath.

  "I saw her on the rocks just now. She happened to stumble on the bombwhich you left there to be placed."

  "And then?" demanded Del Mar.

  "She took it with her in her car."

  "The deuce!" ejaculated the foreign agent, furiously. "You must get themen out and hunt the country thoroughly. She must not escape now at anycost."

  The diving man dove back into the panel to escape Del Mar's wrath,while Del Mar hurried out, leaving his valet in the library.

  Quickly, Del Mar made his way to a secret hiding-place in the hillsback of the bay. There he found his picked band of men armed withrifles.

  As briefly as he could he told them of what had happened. "We must gether this time--dead or alive," he ordered. "Now scatter about thecountry. Keep in touch with each other and when you find her, close inon her at any cost."

  The men saluted and left in various directions to scour the country.Del Mar himself picked up a rifle and followed shortly, passing down asecret trail to the road where he had a car with a chauffeur waiting.Still carrying the rifle, he climbed in and the man shot the car alongdown the road.

  . . . . . . .

  On the top of a hill one of the men was posted as a sort of lookout.Gazing over the country carefully, his eye was finally arrested bysomething at which he stared eagerly. Far away, on the road, he couldsee a car in which was a girl, alone. Waving in the breeze was a redfeather in her hat. He looked more sharply. It was Elaine Dodge.

  The man turned and waved a signal with a handkerchief to another manfar off. Down the valley another of Del Mar's men was waiting andwatching. As soon as he saw the signal, he waved back and ran along theroad.

  As Del Mar whizzed along, he could see one of his men approaching overthe road, waving to him. "Stop!" he ordered his driver.

  The man hurried forward. "I've got the signal," he panted. "They haveseen her car over the hill."

  "Good," exclaimed Del Mar, pulling a black silk mask over his eyes."Now, get off quickly. We've got to catch her."

  They sped away again in a cloud of dust.

  But even while Del Mar was speeding toward her, another of his men haddiscovered her presence, so vigilant were they.

  He had been keeping a sharp watch on the road, when he was suddenly allattention. He saw a car, through the foliage. Quickly, his rifle wentto his shoulder. Through the sight he could just cover Elaine's head,for her hat, with a bright red feather in it, showed plainly just overthe bushes.

  He aimed carefully and fired.

  I had been out for a tramp over the hills with no destination inparticular. As I swung along the road, I heard the throbbing of a carcoming up the hill, the cut-out open. I turned, for cars make walkingon country roads somewhat hazardous nowadays.

  As I did so, some one in the car waved to me. I looked again. It wasElaine.

  "Where are you going?" she called.

  "Where are YOU going?" I returned, laughing.

  "I've just had a very queer experience--found something down on therocks," she replied seriously, pointing to the square package on thefloor of the car. "I took it to Lieutenant Woodward and he advised meto take it to Professor Arnold on his yacht. I think it is a bomb. Iwish you'd go with me."

  Before I could answer, up the hill a rifle shot cracked. There was awhirr in the air and a bullet sang past us, cutting the red feather offElaine's hat.

  "Duck!" I cried, jumping into the car, "And drive like the dickens!"

  She turned and we fairly ricocheted down that road back again.

  Behind us, a man, a stranger whom we did not pause to observe, rushedfrom the bushes and fired after us again.

  Suddenly another rifle shot cracked. It was from another car that hadstealthily sneaked up on us--coming fast, recklessly.

  "There's her car," pointed one of the occupants to a man who was maskedin black.

  "Yes," he nodded. "Give her a little more gas!"'

  "Crouch down," I muttered, "as low as you can."

  We did so, racing for life, the more powerful motor behind usoverhauling us every instant.

  We were coming to a very narrow part of the road where it turned, onone side a sheer hill, on the other a stream several feet down.

  If we had an accident, I thought, it might be ticklish for us,supposing the square package really to be a bomb. What if it should gooff? The idea suggested another, instantly. The car behind was only afew feet off.

  As we reached the narrow road by the stream, I rose up. As far as Icould, back of me, I hurled the infernal machine. It fell. We receiveda shower of dirt and small stones, but the cover of the car protectedus. Where the bomb landed, however, it cut a deep hole in the roadway.

  On came Del Mar's car, the driver frantically tugging at the emergencybrake. But it was of no use. There was not room to turn aside. The carcrashed into the hole, like a gigantic plow.

  It took one header over the side of the road and down several feet intothe stream, just as the masked man and the driver jumped far ahead intothe water.

  Safe now in our car which was slackening its terrific speed, I lookedback. "They've been thrown!" I cried. "We're all right."

  On the edge of the water, just covered by some wreckage, the chauffeurlay motionless. The masked man crawled from under the wreckage andlooked at him a moment.

  "Dead!" he exclaimed, still mechanically gripping a rifle in his hand.

  Angrily he raised it at us and fired.

  A moment later, some other men gathered from all directions about him,each armed.

  "Don't mind the wreck," he cried, exasperated. "Fire!"

  A volley was delivered at us. But the distance was now apparently toogreat.

  We were just congratulating ourselves on our escape, when a stray shotwhizzed past, striking a piece directly out of the head of thesteering-post, almost under Elaine's hands.

  Naturally she lost control, though fortunately we were not going sofast now. Crazily, our car swerved from side to side of the road, asshe vainly tried to control both its speed and direction. On the veryedge of the ditch, however, it stopped.

  We looked back. There we could see a group of men who seemed to springout of the woods, as if from nowhere, at the sound of the shots. Ashout went up at the sight of the bullet taking effect, and they ranforward at us.

  One of their number, I could see, masked, who had been in the wreckedcar, stumbled forward weakly, until finally he sank down.

  A couple of the others ran to him. "Go on," he must have urgedvehemently. "One of you is enough to stay with me. I'm going back tothe submarine harbor. The rest--go on--report to me there."

  As the rest ran toward us, there was nothing for us to do but toabandon the car ourselves and run for it. We left the road and struckinto the trackless woods, followed closely now by two of the men whohad outdistanced the rest. Through the woods we fled, taking advantageof such shelter as we could find.

  "Look, here's a cave," cried Elaine, as we plunged, exhausted and aboutready to drop, down into a ravine.

  We hurried in and the bushes swung over the cave entrance. Inside westopped short and gazed about. It was dark and gloomy. We looked back.There was no hope there. They had been ove
rtaking us. On down apassageway, we went.

  The two men who were pursuing us plunged down the ravine also. Asill-luck would have it, they saw the cave entrance and dashed in, thenhalted. Crouching in the shadow we could see their figures silhouettedin the dim light of the entrance of the cavern. One stopped at theentrance while the other advanced. He was a big fellow and powerfullybuilt and the other fellow was equally burly. I made up my mind tofight to the last though I knew it was hopeless. It was dark. I couldnot even see the man advancing now.

  Quickly Elaine reached into her pocket and drew out something.

  "Here, Walter, take this," she cried. I seized the object. It was thesearchlight gun.

  Hastily I aimed it, the spot of light glowing brightly. Indeed, I doubtwhether I could have shot very accurately otherwise. As the manapproached cautiously down the passageway the bright disc of lightdanced about until finally it fell full on his breast. I fired. The manfell forward instantly.

  Again I fired, this time at the man in the cave entrance. He jumpedback, dropping his gun which exploded harmlessly. His hand was wounded.Quickly he drew back and disappeared among the trees.

  We waited in tense silence, and then cautiously looked out of the mouthof the cave. No one seemed to be about.

  "Come--let's make a dash for it," urged Elaine.

  We ran out and hurried on down the ravine, apparently not followed.

  Back among the trees, however, the man had picked up a rifle which hehad hidden. While he was binding up his hand with a handkerchief, hesaw us. Painfully he tried to aim his gun. But it was too heavy for hisweakened arm and the pain was too great. He had to lower it. With amuttered imprecation, he followed us at a distance.

  Evidently, to us, we had eluded the pursuers, for no one seemed now tobe following, at least as far as we could determine. We kept on,however, until we came to the water's edge. There, down the bay, wecould see Professor Arnold's yacht.

  "Let us see Professor Arnold, anyhow," said Elaine, leading the wayalong the shore.

  We came at last, without being molested, to a little dock. A sailor wasstanding beside it and moored to it was a swift motor-boat. Out atanchor was the yacht.

  "You are Professor Arnold's man?" asked Elaine.

  "Yes'm," he replied, remembering her.

  "Is the Professor out on his boat?" we asked.

  He nodded. "Did you want to see him?"

  "Very much," answered Elaine.

  "I'll take you out," he offered.

  We jumped into the motor-boat, he started the engine and we planed outover the water.

  Though we did not see him, the man whom I had wounded was stillwatching us from the shore, noting every move. He had followed us at adistance across the woods and fields and down along the shore to thedock, had seen us talking to Arnold's man, and get into the boat.

  From the shore he continued to watch us skim across the bay and pull upalongside the yacht. As we climbed the ladder, he turned and hurriedback the way he had come.

  . . . . . . .

  Elaine and I climbed aboard the yacht where we could see the Professorsitting in a wicker deck chair.

  "Why, how do you do?" he welcomed us, adjusting his glasses so that hiseyes seemed, if anything, more opaque than before.

  I could not help thinking that, although he was glad to see us, therewas a certain air of restraint about him.

  Quickly Elaine related the story of finding the bomb in the rocks andthe peculiar events and our escape which followed. Once, at the mentionof the searchlight gun, Professor Arnold raised his hand and coughedback of it. I felt sure that it was to hide an involuntary expressionof satisfaction and that it must be he who had sent the gun to Elaine.

  He was listening attentively to her, while I stood by the rail, now andthen looking out over the water. Far away I noted something moving overthe surface, like a rod, followed by a thin wake of foam.

  "Look!" I exclaimed, "What's that?"

  Elaine turned to me, as Arnold seized his glasses.

  "Why, it seems to be moving directly at us," exclaimed Elaine.

  "By George, it's the periscope of a submarine," cried Arnold a momentlater, lowering his glasses.

  He did not hesitate an instant.

  "Get the yacht under way," he ordered the captain, who immediatelyshouted his orders to the rest.

  Quickly the engine started and we plowed ahead, that ominous lookingperiscope following.

  In the submarine harbor to which he had been taken, Del Mar found thathe had been pretty badly shaken up by the accident to his car. Hisclothes were torn and his face and body scratched. No bones werebroken, however, though the shock had been great. Several of his menwere endeavoring to fix him up in the little submarine office, but hewas angry, very angry.

  At such a juncture, a man in a dripping diving-suit entered and pulledoff his helmet, after what had evidently been a hasty trip from theland through the entrance and up again into the harbor. As heapproached, Del Mar saw that the man's hand was bound up.

  "What's the matter?" demanded Del Mar. "How did you get that?"

  "That fellow Jameson and the girl did it," he replied, telling what hadhappened in the cave. "Some one must have given them one of those newsearchlight guns."

  Del Mar, already ugly, was beside himself with rage now.

  "Where are they?" he asked.

  "I saw them go out to the yacht of that Professor Arnold."

  "He's the fellow that gave her the gun," almost hissed Del Mar. "On theyacht, are they?"

  An evil smile seemed to spread over his face. "Then we'll get them all,this time. Man the submarine--the Z99."

  All left the office on the run, hurrying around the ledge and down intothe open hatch of the submarine. Del Mar came along a moment later,giving orders sharply and quickly.

  The hatch was closed and the vessel sealed. On all sides wereelectrical devices and machines to operate the craft and thetorpedoes--an intricate system of things which it seemed as if no humanmind could possibly understand.

  Del Mar threw on a switch. The submarine hummed and trembled. Slowlyshe sank in the harbor until she was at the level of the underwaterentrance through the rocks. Carefully she was guided out through thisentrance into the waters of the larger, real harbor.

  Del Mar took his place at the periscope, the eye of the submarine.Anxiously he turned it about and bent over the image which it projected.

  "There it is," he muttered, picking out Arnold's yacht and changing thecourse of the submarine so that it was headed directly at it, theplanes turned so that they kept the boat just under the surface withonly the periscope showing above.

  Forward, about the torpedo discharge tubes men were busy, testing thedoors, and getting ready the big automobile torpedoes.

  "They must have seen us," muttered Del Mar. "They've started the yacht.But we can beat them, easily. Are you ready?"

  "Yes," called back the men forward, pushing a torpedo into thelock-like compartment from which it was launched.

  "Let it go, then," bellowed Del Mar.

  The torpedo shot out into the water, travelling under her own power,straight at the yacht.

  . . . . . . .

  Elaine and I looked back. The periscope was much nearer than before."Can we outdistance the submarine?" I asked of Arnold.

  Arnold shook his head, his face grave. On came the thin line of foam."I'm afraid we'll have to leave the yacht," he said warningly. "Mylittle motor-boat is much faster."

  Arnold shouted his orders as he led us down the ladder to themotor-boat into which we jumped, followed by as many of the crew ascould get in, while the others leaped into the water from the rail ofthe yacht and struck out for the shore which was not very distant.

  "What's that?" cried Elaine, horrified, pointing back.

  The water seemed to be all churned up. A long cigar-shaped affair wasslipping along near enough to the surface so that we could just ma
ke itout--murderous, deadly, aimed right at the heart of the yacht.

  "A torpedo!" exclaimed Arnold. "Cast off!"

  We moved off from the yacht as swiftly as the speedy little openmotor-boat would carry us, not a minute too soon.

  The torpedo struck the yacht almost exactly amidships. A huge column ofwater spurted up into the air as though a gigantic whale were blowingoff. The yacht itself seemed lifted from the water and literally brokenin half like a brittle rod of glass and dropped back into the water.

  Below in the submarine, Del Mar was still at the periscope directingthings.

  "A hit!" he cried exultingly. "We got the whole bunch this time!"

  He turned to the men to congratulate them, a smile on his evil face.But as he looked again, he caught sight of our little motor-boatskimming safely away on the other side of the wreck.

  "The deuce!" he muttered. "Try another. Here's the direction."

  Furiously he swore as the men guided the submarine and loaded anothertorpedo into a tube. As the tube came into position, they let thetorpedo go. An instant later it was hissing its way at us.

  "See, there's another!" I cried, catching sight of it.

  All looked. Sure enough, through the water could be seen another ofthose murderous messengers dashing at us.

  Arnold ran forward and seized the wheel himself, swinging the boataround hard to starboard and the land. We turned just in time. Thetorpedo, brainless but deadly, dashed past us harmlessly.

  As fast as we could now we made for the shore. No one could catch uswith such a start, not even the swiftest torpedo. We had been rescuedby Arnold's quick wit from a most desperate situation.

  Somewhere below the water, I could imagine a man consumed with furyover our escape, as the periscope disappeared and the submarine madeoff.

  We were safe. But, looking out over the water, we could not helpshuddering at the perils beneath its apparently peaceful surface.