CHAPTER II.
THE FACE AT THE TRANSOM.
"Of course what I am going to say will be held strictly confidential?"began Ensign Hargreaves, looking about him at the bright, eager faces ofthe young Eagles.
"We are Boy Scouts, sir," responded Rob proudly.
"I beg your pardon; but what I am going to say is so important to thenation that one word of it breathed abroad might cause endlesscomplications and the ruin of certain plans. I have come to see youbecause my friend, Lieutenant Duvall, told me that he did not knowanywhere in the country of a band of boys of similar resourcefulness,courage and high training."
"That's going some," whispered Tubby, behind a plump hand, to MerrittCrawford.
"I said no more than they deserved, Dan," observed Lieutenant Duvall.
"So I should imagine from what you told me about the part they played inthe matter of the biplane and the tunnelled house," responded the youngofficer. "I came to you for another reason, also," he went on revertingto the subject in hand; "I have heard that as well as being land scoutsyou are thoroughly at home on the water."
"Well," said Rob, "we've all of us been brought up here on the southshore. I guess we are all fair sailors and know something aboutsea-scouting as well as the land variety."
"It is mainly for that reason that I came to you," rejoined the navalofficer. "For the mission which I am desirous to have you undertake aknowledge of sea conditions is essential."
"Gee! He's a long time coming to the point," mumbled Tubby impatiently.
"Have any of you boys ever heard of the 'Peacemaker submarine'?"
"So called because the nation possessing it would be so formidable as toinsure naval peace with other countries?" exclaimed Rob quickly. "Yes,sir, I've heard of it."
"What has reached your ears about it?"
"Why, a week ago the papers said that a submarine of that type had beensold to Russia and shipped for that country from the factory of theinventor at Bridgeport, Connecticut," said Rob, with growing wonder asto what all this could be leading.
"Correct. But that submarine never reached Russia!"
"Did the ship that was carrying it sink?" asked Tubby innocently.
"No," smiled the ensign, amused at the fat boy's goggling eyes andintent expression; "the _Long Island_, the freighter conveying it, didnot sink. Instead, it hung about the coast, and then, under cover offog, slipped into the harbor of Snug Haven on the South Carolina coast.Snug Haven is a small place and a sleepy one. Under the blanket of fogthe _Long Island_ slipped in, as I have said. Then the submarine washoisted overboard by means of a derrick, and under her own power run toanchorage off a small island not far from Snug Haven. The captain andcrew of the _Long Island_ were sworn to secrecy, and so far as we knownot a soul, but those directly interested, is aware of the presentlocation of the _Peacemaker_."
"But why, if the submarine was sold to Russia, was she not sent there?"inquired the mystified Rob.
"For the excellent reason that she was _not_ sold to Russia at all," wasthe naval officer's rejoinder; "that was simply announced for thebenefit of inquisitive newspapers who have been trying for a long timeto get at the details of the 'Peacemaker submarine.' But it is not alonethe newspapers we have had trouble with. Foreign spies, anxious tosecure the _Peacemaker_ for their governments, have harassed us atBridgeport ever since the keel plates were laid."
"Then the United States has bought the submarine?" asked MerrittCrawford.
"Not yet. But the construction and principles of it are so efficientthat Uncle Sam wishes to have first call on the craft."
"And you are going to test it at this lonely island in South Carolina?"cried Rob, guessing the truth.
"Perfectly right, my boy," was the response. "Off that little-frequentedcoast, beset with islands and shoals, we hope to carry out our testsunobserved. At Bridgeport this would have been an impossibility, and forthat reason the story of the sale to Russia was concocted. Russia, Imay add, was about the only country not represented by spy service atBridgeport."
"And you say that nobody but the officials directly connected with thecraft has any knowledge of its whereabouts?" asked Rob with deepinterest.
"As far as it is humanly possible to be certain, such is our positivebelief."
"But where do we fit into all this?" sputtered Tubby, acutely coming tothe main point.
"I am coming to that," was the response. "From what I have told you, youwill have gathered that no ordinary class of watchmen could be trustedto keep quiet about what is to go forward on the island. Yet it isnecessary to have sentries of some sort to keep constant watch that noone approaches unexpectedly. For that purpose we have adopted variousmechanical precautions, such as submarine detector bells, etc. But ourmain reliance must be on human intelligence."
"I see," said Rob, nodding. The object of the officer's visit wasbeginning to dawn on him.
"To come straight to the point," went on the officer, "how would youboys like to take a camping trip to the South Carolina coast on UncleSam's service?"
"You mean to act as guards to the submarine?" almost shouted Rob.
"Just that," responded the officer. "I have----"
But a roar of cheers drowned any further remarks he might have had tomake.
"I knew it would happen," cried Merritt when the riot had, in a measure,subsided.
"What?" demanded Tubby.
"Action!" responded Merritt briefly.
The hubbub grew tumultuous. All the Eagles were trying to talk at once.The wonderful prospect opened up before them of fresh adventures fairlyset them wild.
At last, above the turmoil, Ensign Hargreaves managed to make his voiceheard.
"Boys! Boys!" he exclaimed, "one minute till I outline the plans."
A respectful silence at once ensued in which each Scout was prompt tojoin.
"Of course, it will be necessary for you to obtain written consent ofyour parents," spoke the naval officer.
At this some of the faces in the room fell several degrees.
"The government will absolutely require such authority," he continued."The service on Barren Island, as it is called, while not necessarilyhazardous, may prove dangerous, and each boy's parents must be soinformed."
"We'll get plenty to eat, I suppose?" inquired Tubby anxiously.
"Why, of course," laughed the officer; "moreover, I forgot to inform youthat there is a wireless plant on the Island, and other conveniencesunusual in so remote a situation."
"Well, so long as the grub holds out, I'm satisfied," muttered Tubby ina contented tone.
"How soon will we start, supposing our parents allow us to go?" askedRob, as soon as the laughter over Tubby's remark had subsided.
"At the end of this week if possible. Mr. Danbury Barr, the inventor ofthe _Peacemaker_, will meet us in New York. We shall voyage south on theU. S. Derelict Destroyer _Seneca_."
"Derelict Destroyer," repeated Rob. "Those are the craft that Uncle Samsends out to destroy drifting wrecks that might prove a menace tonavigation, aren't they?"
"Correct, my boy," rejoined the officer. "Our reason for making thevoyage on the _Seneca_," he continued, "is that no regular passengersteamer makes a stop near Barren Island. Furthermore, if we went down ona naval vessel some of these sharp reporters would be sure to makeinquiries, with the result that our retreat might be discovered."
"And that would be a serious matter?" put in Rob.
"Yes, very serious. Several nations are on the _qui vive_ to discoverjust what the _Barr Peacemaker_ is. They have sent shrewd, cunning men,versed in the art of espionage, to this country on that mission. Thesemen will stick at nothing to ferret out the secret if they can. Mr. Barrhas been approached with all sorts of offers. But he is a staunchAmerican to the backbone, as you will discover when you meet him. Ifanyone is to have the _Peacemaker_ it is to be Uncle Sam, first,foremost and all the time."
"Kree-e-ee-ee!" shrilled the Boy Scouts of the Eagle Patrol in unison.
The sharp, s
creaming note of the Eagle was still resounding when Merrittuttered a startled cry, and pointed to the open transom above the door.The others were still staring at him when he darted toward it and flungthe portal open. The passage beyond was empty, and the boy turned to hiscompanions with a puzzled look on his face.
"What's up, Merritt?" asked Rob.
"Seeing spooks?" inquired Tubby.
"Seeing nothing," snapped out Merritt; "I _saw_----"
"Saw what?" demanded Lieutenant Duvall.
"A face peering at us over that transom. It dodged into the darkness asI looked up, but I saw it as plain as daylight."
Both officers bent forward almost breathlessly. Merritt's communicationappeared to affect them strangely.
"What kind of a face was it?" demanded Ensign Hargreaves.
"A wild looking one. Very pale, and fringed with dark whiskers."
The effect on the officers was electrical. They both sprang up and madefor the door followed by the puzzled Scouts.
"Was--was it anyone you know?" demanded Rob, as he paced besideLieutenant Duvall.
"Yes. From the description it was Berghoff, the spy of a powerfulEuropean nation whose ambition it is to outgeneral all other powers onthe sea. We must apprehend him if possible. It is only too clear that hefollowed us here from Washington and must have heard a great part of ourconversation."
"Phew! This is action with a capital A!" gasped Rob as they ran down thestairway and out into the lighted street.
But although a rigorous search was made and all trains watched, no tracewas found of Nordstrom Berghoff, the naval spy. It was surmised that hemust have made good his escape in a speedy "roadster" car in which hehad crept into Hampton earlier in the evening.
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