by E. J. Craine
CHAPTER IX
CONVINCING PROOF
"Are you sure about that?" asked Tom, though at the same time realizingthat Jack was not the one to give in easily, and must have used everyavenue for gaining information before reaching this condition ofcertainty.
"There's not the slightest reason to doubt it, I tell you, Tom," Jackreplied slowly, shaking his head at the same time to emphasize hissorrowful feelings in the matter. "I asked particularly, and the wordcame that a passenger named Randolph Carringford had sailed yesterday onthe _La Bretagne_ for New York."
"Then that point seems settled," admitted Tom, though disliking toacknowledge the fact. "Still, something might happen to prevent hisreaching New York City, or Virginia."
"What could stop him, since I'm utterly powerless to do anything?" askedJack, still unconvinced.
"Well," continued the would-be comforter, "vessels have started outbefore this and never arrived at their destination. Take the _Lusitania_for instance. More than ever are the Hun submersibles on the job thesecritical days, for their commanders know they've almost got to theirlast gasp."
"No such luck for me, I'm afraid, Tom," sighed the other, quicklyadding: "And for that matter I wouldn't want to profit at the expense ofthe lives of others. So I hope the French boat gets safely past theclosed zone, no matter what it costs me personally. But it galls me tofeel how helpless I am. If my hands were tied this minute I couldn't beworse off."
"Are you sure cabling would do no good, if we could manage to send anurgent message?"
"Nothing will do except my presence there in person before Randolph canpresent himself, thanks to our uncle's foolish will that puts a premiumon rascality. Yes, it's a bitter pill I have to swallow. I'd do anythingunder the sun if only I could hope to beat that scheming cousin out! Butit's useless; so I'll just have to grin and bear it."
"I wish I had any suggestion to offer," remarked Tom; "but to tell thetruth I don't see what you can do but wait and see what happens. We'vegot our applications for leave in, and some influential friends pullingwires to help us through. Something may turn up at the last minute."
"It's mighty fine of you to say that, though I know you're only trying tokeep me from discouragement."
"See who's coming, will you?" suddenly ejaculated Tom.
Even before he looked the other could give a shrewd guess as to theidentity of the person approaching, for Tom seemed unduly pleased.
"It's Nellie, as sure as anything," muttered Jack. "I wonder what'sbrought her over here. You don't imagine anything could have happened toBessie or Mrs. Gleason--the Huns haven't been trying to bomb any 'Y' hutsor hospitals lately, have they, Tom?"
"Not that I've heard," came the ready answer. "And besides, I had thepleasure of chatting with Nellie for a whole hour this morning. You seeI got a bit anxious about you; was afraid you'd neglected to step overand get those cuts attended to as you'd promised; so to make sure Iwandered across."
"Of course you did!" jeered Jack. "And if that excuse hadn't held waterthere were plenty more shots in the locker! But never mind; here's Nelliehurrying toward us. Doesn't she look rather serious, Tom?"
"We'll soon know what's in the wind," was the answer, as the pretty RedCross nurse hastened to join the two boys.
"You didn't expect to see me again so soon, I imagine, Tom," she said asshe came up, trying to catch her breath at the same time, for she hadevidently hurried.
"No, I must say I didn't dream I'd have that pleasure, Nellie," repliedthe air pilot, as he took her hand in his and squeezed it. "But somethingunusual must have brought you all the way over here, I imagine."
"Well, it was, Tom," she told him.
"It isn't safe either," continued Tom, "for you to be abroad. The Hunsare likely to begin long range shelling any minute, and the road's afavorite target for their gunners; they've got it's range down fine."
"It isn't about Bessie, I hope?" ventured Jack, still more or lessapprehensive.
Nellie looked at him and slightly smiled, for she knew Jack wasexceedingly fond of the young girl.
"Bessie is perfectly well," she assured him; "and when I passed the Y hutshe and her mother were helping some of the Salvation Army girls make afresh heap of doughnuts. But my coming does concern you, Jack."
"Please explain what you mean by that?" he begged her, while his facelighted up with interest, showing that for the moment his troubles,lately bearing so heavily upon him, were forgotten.
"I will, and in as few words as possible," she answered, "for my time islimited. I left several cases to be cared for by a nurse who has not hadas thorough a training as she might have had, and the responsibility lieswith me. But I can give you five minutes before I start back again."
Needless to say Nellie by this time had both boys fairly agog withcuriosity, for neither of them could give the slightest guess as to thenature of the news she was bringing.
"You see, they were bringing in a lot of fresh cases," she explained,"for there has been some furious fighting going on this morning, as ourboys drove in to chase the Huns out of the village. Among the number ofwounded, one man among others fell into my care. His name is BertrandHale, and I think both of you know him."
Tom and Jack exchanged looks.
"We have met him many times," said the former; "but I can't say that hehas ever been a friend of ours. He's rather a wild harum-scarum sort ofchap--I imagine his own worst enemy, for he drinks heavily when he canget it, and spends much of the time in the guard-house. Still, they sayhe's a fighter, every inch of him, and has done some things worthmentioning."
"I imagine you describe him exactly, Tom," Nellie told him. "Very well,this time he's in a pretty bad way, for he has a number of seriousinjuries, and, besides has lost his left arm, though it's possible he maypull through if his constitution hasn't been weakened too much throughdissipation."
"But what about Bertrand Hale, Nellie? Did he tell you anything thatwould be of interest to us?" asked Tom.
"I can see that you're beginning to suspect already, Tom," she continued."For that is exactly what happened. He kept following me with his eyes asI moved around doing my work, after taking care of him. Then he beckonedto me, and asked whether I wasn't a particular friend of Jack Parmly andTom Raymond.
"Of course I assured him it was so, and with that he looked so very eagerthat I knew he had a secret to tell me. This is the gist of what he said,boys. Just four days ago he was approached by a man he didn't know, whomanaged to get some strong drink into his hands, and after Hale hadindulged more than he ought made a brazen proposition to him.
"It was to the effect that he was willing to pay a certain sum to haveyou boys injured so that you would be laid up in the hospital for weeks.He had gained the promise first of all that Bertrand would never say aword about what he meant to tell him.
"Although he admitted that his mind was hardly clear at the time, stillBertrand assured me he had repelled the offer with indignation, and eventhreatened to beat up his tempter unless he took himself off. The manhurried away, and then in the excitement of the order for his battalionto go over the top, Bertrand Hale forgot all about it.
"From that time on it was nothing but fighting and sleeping for him, sohe had no time even to think of warning you. Then he got into the messthis morning that finished him. With that arm gone he's done withfighting, he knows, even if he pulls through.
"It was the sight of me that made him remember, for he said he surely hadseen me with one of you boys several times. And so he confessed, beggingme to get word to you, so that if the unknown schemer did find a tool tocarry out his evil plots you would be on your guard.
"I could not wait after hearing that, but came as fast as I could,fearing you might have set out again and that something would go wrongwith your plane. That is the story simply told, Tom. Can you guess whyany one should wish to do either of you such a wrong as that?"
"What you tell us, Nellie," said Tom soberly, "clears up one mysterywe've been puzzling over."
> Then he rapidly sketched what they had discovered on the preceding night,when they had arrived at the hangar prepared to go forth with theraiders, only to learn that some unknown person had been meddling withtheir plane.
"So it looks as if Bertrand's refusal to play the dirty game didn'tprevent that man from finding some one who was willing to sell his soulfor money," was the way Tom wound up his short story.
Nellie was appalled. Her pretty face took on an expression of deepestanxiety, showing how much she cared should ill-fortune attend these goodfriends of hers.
"How can such wickedness exist when war had made so many heroes amongour boys?" she mourned. "But you must be doubly on your guard, both ofyou. Tell me, can you guess why this unknown person should want toinjure you?"
"Simply to keep me from setting out for America," said Jack bitterly."Let me describe my cousin Randolph to you, Nellie; and then tell me ifwhat Bertrand said about the unknown man would correspond to his looks."
After she had heard his accurate description Nellie nodded her head.
"He saw very little of his face, so he said. Bertrand only said theother was a man of medium build, with a soft voice that made him think ofsilk and then too he had a trick of making gestures with his left hand,just as you've said your cousin does. Yes, something tells me your guessis close to the mark; but he must be a very wicked man to attempt such adreadful thing."
"Worse than I ever thought," admitted Jack grimly. "But after all nothingcame of his lovely scheme; nor did it matter, since he's given me theslip, and is right now almost a third of the way across the sea. I'm likea race-horse left at the post."
"Whatever you do, Jack, don't lose the fine courage that has been yourmainstay through other troubles," Nellie said, as she laid a hand on hisarm and looked steadfastly into the young air-pilot's face.
"Thank you, Nellie, for your confidence in me," he continued, showingsome of his old spirit again. "I ought to be ashamed to give in soeasily. Yes, Tom and I have been in plenty of bad scrapes, and pulledout just because we set our teeth and refused to admit we were down andout. So I'm going to try the same dodge in this case, and not acknowledgedefeat until the ninth inning is through, and the last man down."
"Good-bye, both of you, and remember, no matter what comes some of us arealways thinking of you and praying for your safety."
With these words, long remembered by both boys, Nellie gave each of themher hand, and hurried away before they could see how her eyes dimmed withthe gathering mists.
"A brave girl," said Tom, with considerable vigor, as he tenderly watchedher retreating figure and waved his hand when he saw her turn to blow afarewell kiss in their direction.
"Yes," said Jack, heaving a sigh. "She and Bessie seem to be our goodangels in this bad mess of war, Tom. I feel better after hearing herwords of encouragement; but all the same I'm still groping in the dark.How am I going to beat Randolph across the Atlantic? For once I wish Ihad wings, and might fly across the sea like a bird. How quickly I'd makethe start."