CHAPTER XXIII
CONFESSIONS OF AN AMERICAN SPY AND BRAVERY OF BUFFALO SCHOOLBOYS
On December 26th I received a cable from the London _Times_ instructingme to try for another interview with the Crown Prince and to question himon the effect that this Boston victory might have upon the Germancampaign in America. Would there be retaliatory measures? Would Germanwarships bombard Boston from the sea?
I journeyed at once to Chicago and made my appeal to Brigadier GeneralGeorge T. Langhorne, who had been military attache at Berlin in 1915 andwas now in charge of the Imperial prisoner. The Crown Prince and hisstaff occupied the seventh floor of the Hotel Blackstone.
"I'm sorry," said General Langhorne, after he had presented my request."The Crown Prince has no statement to make at present. But there isanother German prisoner who wishes to speak to you. I suppose it's allright as you have General Wood's permission. He says he has met youbefore--Colonel von Dusenberg."
"Colonel von Dusenberg?"
"He is on the Crown Prince's staff. In here." I opened a heavy door andfound myself in a large dimly lighted room.
"Mr. Langston!"
The voice was familiar and, turning, I stared in amazement; for there,dressed as an officer of the Prussian guard, stood the man I had rescuedin the Caribbean Sea, the brother of the girl I had seen in Washington,Lieutenant Randolph Ryerson of the United States navy. He had let hismoustache grow, but I recognised him at once.
"You?" I stood looking at him and saw that his face was deathly white.
"Yes. I--I'm in trouble and--I have things to tell you," he stammered."Sit down."
I sat down and lighted a cigarette. I kept thinking how much he lookedlike his sister.
"Ryerson, what the devil are you doing in that Prussian uniform?"
He turned away miserably, then he forced himself to face me.
"I'll get the worst over first. I don't care what happens to meand--anyway I--I'm a spy."
"A spy?"
He nodded. "In the service of the Germans. It was through me they knewabout Widding's invention to destroy their fleet. It was through me thatEdison and Widding were abducted. I meant to disappear--that's why Ijoined von Hindenburg's army, but--we were captured and--here I am."He looked at me helplessly as I blew out a cloud of smoke.
"How is this possible? How did it happen? How, Ryerson?" I gasped inamazement.
He shook his head. "What's the use? It was money and--there's a woman init."
"Go on."
"That's all. I fell for one of their damnable schemes to get information.It was three years ago on the Mediterranean cruise of our Atlanticsquadron. I met this woman in Marseilles."
"Well?"
"She called herself the Countess de Matignon, and--I was a younglieutenant and--I couldn't resist her. Nobody could. She wanted money andI gave her all I had; then I gambled to get more. She wanted informationabout the American fleet, about our guns and coast defences; unimportantthings at first, but pretty soon they were important and--I was crazyabout her and--swamped with debts and--I yielded. Within six months sheowned me. I was a German spy, mighty well paid, too. God!"
I stared at him in dismay. I could not speak.
"Well, after the war broke out between Germany and America last April,this woman came to New York and got her clutches on me deeper than ever.I gave her some naval secrets, and six weeks ago I told her all I knewabout Widding's invention. You see what kind of a dog I am," he concludedbitterly.
"Ryerson, why have you told me this?" I asked searchingly.
"Why?" He flashed a straightforward look out of his handsome eyes."Because I'm sick of the whole rotten game. I've played my cards andlost. I'm sure to be found out--some navy man will recognise me, in spiteof this moustache, and--you know what will happen then. I'll be glad ofit, but--before I quit the game I want to do one decent thing. I'm goingto tell you where they've taken Edison."
"You know where Edison is?"
"Yes. Don't speak so loud."
Ryerson leaned closer and whispered: "He's in Richmond, Virginia."
Silently I studied this unhappy man, wondering if he was telling thetruth. He must have felt my doubts.
"Langston, you don't believe me! Why should I lie to you? I tell you Iwant to make amends. These German officers trust me. I know their plansand--Oh, my God, aren't you going to believe me?"
"Go on," I said, impressed by the genuineness of his despair. "What plansdo you know?"
"I know the Germans are disturbed by this patriotic spirit in America.They're afraid of it. They don't know where hell may break loosenext--after Boston. They're going to leave Boston alone, everything alonefor the present--until they get their new army."
"New army?"
"Yes--from Germany. They have sent for half a million more men. They'llhave 'em here in a month and--that's why I want to do something--beforeit's too late."
As I watched him I began to believe in his sincerity. Handsome fellow! Ican see him now with his flushed cheeks and pleading eyes. A spy! Itwould break his sister's heart.
"What can you do?" I asked sceptically.
He looked about him cautiously and lowered his voice.
"I can get Edison away from the Germans, and Edison can destroy theirfleet."
"Perhaps," said I.
"He says he can."
"I know, but--you say Edison is in Richmond."
"We can rescue him. If you'll only help me, Langston, we can rescueEdison. I'll go to Richmond with papers to the commanding German generalthat will get me anything."
"Papers as a German spy?"
"Well--yes."
"You can't get to Richmond. You're a prisoner yourself."
"That's where you're going to help me. You must do it--for thecountry--for my sister."
AND ON THE MORNING OF JULY 4, TWO OF VON KLUCK'S STAFFOFFICERS, ACCOMPANIED BY A MILITARY ESCORT, MARCHED DOWN STATE STREET TOARRANGE FOR THE PAYMENT OF AN INDEMNITY FROM THE CITY OF BOSTON OF THREEHUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.]
"Does your sister know--what you are?"
He looked away, and I saw his lips tighten and his hands clench.
"No!"
"Do you want me to tell her?"
He thought a moment.
"What's the use of hiding it? She's bound to know some day, and--she'llbe glad I've had this little flicker of--decency. Besides, she may havean idea. Mary's got a good head on her. Poor kid!"
I told Ryerson that I would think the matter over and find some way tocommunicate with him later. Then I left him.
I telegraphed at once to Miss Ryerson, who hurried to Chicago, arrivingthe next morning, and we spent most of that day together, discussing thehard problem before us. The girl was wonderfully brave when I told herthe truth about her brother. She said there were circumstances in hisearly life that lessened the heinousness of his wrong doing. And sherejoiced that he was going to make amends. She knew he was absolutelysincere.
I suggested that we go to General Wood, who was friendly to both of us,and tell him the whole truth, but Miss Ryerson would not hear to this.She would not place Randolph's life in jeopardy by revealing the factthat he had been a German spy. Her brother must make good before he couldhope to be trusted or forgiven.
"But he's a prisoner; he can do nothing unless he has his liberty," Iobjected.
"We will get him his liberty; we _must_ get it, but not that way."
"Then how?"
For a long time we studied this question in all its phases. How couldLieutenant Ryerson gain his liberty? How could he get a chance to makeamends for his treachery? And, finally, seeing no other way, we fell backupon the desperate expedient of an exchange. I would obtain permissionfor Miss Ryerson to visit her brother, and they would change clothes, sheremaining as a prisoner in his place while he went forth to undo ifpossible the harm that he had done.
The details of this plan we arranged immediately. I saw Ryerson the nextday, and when I told him what his sister was resolved to do in the hopeof saving his h
onour, he cried like a child and I felt more than everconvinced of his honest repentance.
We decided upon December 28th for the attempt, and two days before thisRandolph found a plausible excuse for cutting off his moustache. He toldGeneral Langhorne that he had become a convert to the American fashion ofa clean shaven face.
As to the escape itself, I need only say that on December 28th, in thelate afternoon, I escorted Miss Ryerson, carefully veiled, to the HotelBlackstone; and an hour later I left the hotel with a person in women'sgarments, also carefully veiled. And that night Randolph Ryerson and Istarted for Richmond. I may add that I should never have found thecourage to leave that lovely girl in such perilous surroundings had shenot literally commanded me to go.
"We may be saving the nation," she begged. "Go! Go! And--I'll be thinkingof you--praying for you--for you both."
My heart leaped before the wonder of her eyes as she looked at me andrepeated these last words: _"For you both!"_
We left the express at Pittsburg, intending to proceed by automobileacross Pennsylvania, then by night through the mountains of West Virginiaand Virginia; for, of course, we had to use the utmost caution to avoidthe sentries of both armies which were spread over this region.
In Pittsburg we lunched at the Hotel Duquesne, after which Ryerson leftme for a few hours, saying that he wished to look over the ground andalso to procure the services of a high-powered touring car.
"Don't take any chances," I said anxiously.
"I'll be careful. I'll be back inside of two hours," he promised.
But two hours, four hours, six hours passed and he did not come. I dinedalone, sick at heart, wondering if I had made a ghastly mistake.
It was nearly ten o'clock that night when Ryerson came back after sevenhours' absence. We went to our room immediately, and he told me what hadhappened, the gist of it being that he had discovered important news thatmight change our plans.
"These people trust me absolutely," he said. "They tell me everything."
"You mean--German spies?"
"Yes. Pittsburg is full of 'em. They're plotting to wreck the big steelplants and factories here that are making war munitions. I'll know moreabout that later, but the immediate thing is Niagara Falls."
Then Ryerson gave me my first hint of a brilliant coup that had beenpreparing for months by the Committee of Twenty-one and the American highcommand, its purpose being to strike a deadly and spectacular blow at theGerman fleet.
"This is the closest kind of a secret, it's the great American hope; butthe Germans know all about it," he declared.
"Go on."
"It's a big air-ship, the America, a super-Zeppelin, six hundred feetlong, with apparatus for steering small submarines by radio control--nomen aboard. Understand?"
"You mean no men aboard the submarine?"
"Of course. There will be a whole crew on the air-ship. Nicola Tesla andJohn Hays Hammond, Jr., worked out the idea, and Edison was to give thelast touches; but as Edison is a German prisoner, they can't wait forhim. They are going to try the thing on New Year's night against theGerman dreadnought _Wilhelm II_ in Boston Harbour."
"Blow up the _Wilhelm II_?"
"Yes, but the Germans are warned in advance. You can't beat theirunderground information bureau. They're going to strike first."
"Where is this air-ship?"
"On Grand Island, in the Niagara River, all inflated, ready to sail, butshe never will sail unless we get busy. After tomorrow night there won'tbe any _America_."
In the face of this critical situation, I saw that we must postpone ourtrip to Richmond and, having obtained from Ryerson full details of theGerman plot to destroy the _America_, I took the first train for NiagaraFalls--after arranging with my friend to rejoin him in Pittsburg a fewdays later--and was able to give warning to Colonel Charles D. Kilbourneof Fort Niagara in time to avert this catastrophe.
The Germans knew that Grand Island was guarded by United States troopsand that the river surrounding it was patrolled by sentry launches; butthe island was large, sixteen miles long and seven miles wide, and undercover of darkness it was a simple matter for swimmers to pass unobservedfrom shore to shore.
On the night of December 30th, 1921, in spite of the cold, five hundredGerman spies had volunteered to risk their lives in this adventure. Theywere to swim silently from the American and Canadian shores, each manpushing before him a powerful fire bomb protected in a water-proof case;then, having reached the island, these five hundred were to advancestealthily upon the hangar where the great air-ship, fully inflated, wasstraining at her moorings. When the rush came, at a pre-arranged signal,many would be killed by American soldiers surrounding the building, butsome would get through and accomplish their mission. One successful firebomb would do the work.
Against this danger Colonel Kilbourne provided in a simple way. Insteadof sending more troops to guard the island, which might have arousedGerman suspicions, he arranged to have two hundred boys, members of theAthletic League of the Buffalo Public Schools, go to Grand Islandapparently for skating and coasting parties. It was brisk vacationweather and no one thought it strange that the little ferry boat fromBuffalo carried bands of lively youngsters across the river for theseseasonable pleasures. It was not observed that the boat also carriedrifles and ammunition which the boys had learned to use, in months ofdrill and strenuous target practice, with the skill of regulars.
There followed busy hours on Grand Island as we made ready for thecrisis. About midnight, five hundred Germans, true to their vow, landedat various points, and crept forward through the darkness, carrying theirbombs. As they reached a circle a thousand yards from the huge hangarshed they passed unwittingly two hundred youthful riflemen who had dugthemselves in under snow and branches and were waiting, thrilling for theword that would show what American boys can do for their country. Twohundred American boys on the thousand yard circle! A hundred Americansoldiers with rifles and machine guns at the hangar! And the Germansbetween!
We had learned from Ryerson that the enemy would make their rush at twoo'clock in the morning, the signal being a siren shriek from the Canadianshore, so at a quarter before two, knowing that the Germans were surelyin the trap, Colonel Kilbourne gave the word, and, suddenly, a dozensearch-lights swept the darkness with pitiless glare. American riflesspoke from behind log shelters, Maxims rattled their deadly blast, andthe Germans, caught between two fires, fled in confusion, dropping theirbombs. As they approached the thousand-yard line they found new enemiesblocking their way, keen-eyed youths whose bullets went true to the mark.And the end of it was, leaving aside dead and wounded, that _two hundredBuffalo schoolboys made prisoners of the three hundred and fifty Germanveterans!_
And the great seven-million dollar air-ship _America_, with all her radiomysteries, was left unharmed, ready to sail forth the next night, NewYear's Eve, and make her attack upon the superdreadnought Wilhelm II, onJanuary 1, 1922. I prayed that this would be a happier year for theUnited States than 1921 had been.
Conquest of America: A Romance of Disaster and Victory, U.S.A., 1921 A.D. Page 26