CHAPTER II.
A MYSTERIOUS ROBBERY.
Their inspection of the Southern Cross completed, the delighted boysaccompanied Captain Hazzard back to the main cabin, where he unfoldedbefore them a huge chart of the polar regions.
The chart was traced over in many places with tiny red lines whichmade zig-zags and curves over the blankness of the region south of theeightieth parallel.
"These lines mark the points reached by different explorers,"explained the captain. "See, here is Scott's furthest south, and herethe most recent advance into south polar regions, that of Sir ErnestShackleton. In my opinion Shackleton might have reached his goal if hehad used a motor sledge, capable of carrying heavy weights, and notplaced his sole dependence on ponies."
The boys nodded; Frank had read the explorer's narrative and realizedthat what Captain Hazzard said was in all probability correct.
"It remains for your expedition to carry the Stars and Stripes furtherto the southward yet," exclaimed Frank, enthusiastically, as CaptainHazzard rolled up the map.
"Not only for us," smiled the captain; "we have a rival in the field."
"A rival expedition?" exclaimed Frank.
"Exactly. Some time this month a Japanese expedition under LieutenantSaki is to set out from Yokahama for Wilkes Land.
"They are to be towed by a man-of-war until they are in the polarregions so as to save the supply of coal on the small steamer they areusing," went on the captain. "Everything has been conducted with theutmost secrecy and it is their intention to beat us there ifpossible--hence all this haste."
"How did our government get wind of the fact that the Japs are gettingready another expedition?" inquired Frank, somewhat puzzled.
"By means of our secret service men. I don't doubt that the Japanesesecret service men in this country have also notified their governmentof our expedition. England also is in the race but the Scottexpedition will not be ready for some time yet."
"You think, then, that the Japs have secret agents keeping track ofus?" was Frank's next question.
The captain's reply was cut short by a loud crash. They all started upat the interruption. So intent had they been in their conversationthat they had not noticed the Jap steward standing close behind themand his soft slippers had prevented them hearing his approach. Thecrash had been caused by a metal tray he had let drop. He now stoodwith as much vexation on his impassive countenance as it ever waspossible for it to betray.
"What on earth are you doing, Oyama?" sharply questioned CaptainHazzard.
"I was but about to inquire if the cap-it-an and the boys would nothave some refreshments," rejoined the Jap.
"Not now, we are busy," replied Captain Hazzard, with what was for himsome show of irritation. "Be off to your pantry now. I will ring if Iwant you."
With an obsequious bow the Jap withdrew; but if they could have seenhis face as he turned into his small pantry, a cubby-hole for dishesand glasses, they would have noticed that it bore a most singularexpression.
"It seems curious that while we were talking of Jap secret service menthat your man should have been right behind us," commented Frank. "Idon't know that I ought to ask such a question--but can you trusthim?"
The captain laughed.
"Oh, implicitly," he said easily, "Oyama was with me in thePhilippines, and has always been a model of all that a good servantshould be."
Soon after this the conference broke up, the boys having promised tohave their aeroplane on board early the next day. Frank explained thatthe machine was all ready and in shape for shipping and all thatremained to do was to "knock it down," encase it in its boxes and geta wagon to haul it to the pier.
"Say, Harry," said Frank earnestly, as the boys, having bade theirleave of Captain Hazzard, who remained on board owing to press ofbusiness on the ship, made their way along the maze of wharves andtoward a street car.
"Say it," responded Harry cheerfully, his spirits at the tip-top ofexcitement at the idea of an almost immediate start for the polarregions.
"Well, it's about that Jap."
"Oh that yellow-faced bit of soft-footed putty--well, what about him?"
"Well, that 'yellow-faced bit of putty,' as you call him, is not soeasily dismissed from my mind as all that. I'm pretty sure that he hadsome stronger reason than the one he gave for coming up behind us assilently as a cat while we were talking."
"But Captain Hazzard says that he has had him for years. That he cantrust him implicitly," protested Harry.
"Just the same I can't get it out of my mind that there is somethingwrong about the fellow. I wish he hadn't seen that map and theproposed route of our expedition."
"Oh bosh, you are thinking of what Captain Hazzard said about the Japsecret service. Our friend Oyama is much too thick to be a secretservice man."
"He simply looks unimpressive," rejoined Frank. "For that reason alonehe would make a good man for any such purpose."
"Well, here comes a car," interrupted Harry, "so let's board it andforget our Japanese friend. Depend upon it you'll find out that he isall O. K. long before we sight an iceberg."
"I hope so, I'm sure," agreed Frank; but there was a troubled look onhis face as he spoke.
However, not later than the next morning, as they were screwing up thelast of the big blue cases that contained the various parts of theGolden Eagle, Billy Barnes, the young reporter who had accompanied thetwo boys in all of their expeditions, including the one to Nicaragua,where, with their aeroplane they helped make Central American history,as related in The Boy Aviators in Nicaragua; or, Leagued with theInsurgents,--Billy Barnes, the irrepressible, bounced into the garagewhich they used as a workshop, and which was situated in the rear oftheir house on Madison Avenue, with what proved to be important newsof the Jap.
"Aha, my young Scotts and Shackletons, I behold you on the verge ofyour departure for the land of perpetual ice, polar bears andEsquimaux," exclaimed the reporter, striking an attitude like thatassumed by Commander Peary in some of his pictures.
"Hullo, Billy Barnes," exclaimed both boys, continuing their work, asthey were pretty well used to the young reporter's unceremoniouscalls, "What brings you out so early?"
"Oh, a little story to cover in the Yorkville Court and I thought as Iwas up this way I'd drop off and pay my respects. Say, bring me back apolar bear skin, will you?"
"A polar bear skin?" laughed Frank, "why there aren't any polar bearsat the South Pole."
"No polar bears," repeated Billy lugubriously, "what's the good of apole without polar bears. Me for the frozen north then. I supposeyou'll tell me next there are no natives at the South Pole either."
"Well, there are not," rejoined Frank.
"But there are sea-elephants and ice-leopards and--" began Harry.
"And sea-cats, I suppose," interrupted Billy.
"No," exclaimed Harry, rather nettled at the young reporter's jokingtone, "but there is the ship of Olaf--"
Frank was up like a shot.
"Didn't we give our word to the Captain not to mention a word aboutthat?" he demanded.
"That's so," assented Harry, abashed, "but I just wanted to show thisyoung person here that he can't treat our expedition with levity."
"The ship of Olaf, eh?" mused the young reporter, "sounds like astory. Who was Olaf, if I may ask?"
"You may not ask," was Frank's rejoinder. "As you know, Billy, we havebeen frank with you, of course under the pledge of secrecy which weknow you too well to dream of your breaking. You know we are bound forthe South Polar regions. You know also that the object of CaptainHazzard is to discover the pole, if possible; in any event to bringback scientific data of inestimable value; but there's one thing youdon't know and of which we ourselves know very little, and that is thething that Harry let slip."
"All right, Frank," said the young reporter, readily, "I won't say anymore about it, only it did sound as if it had possibilities. Hullo!ten o'clock; I've got to be jogging along."
"What are you going to c
ourt about?" inquired Frank.
"Oh, a small case. Doesn't look as if it would amount to a row ofpins. A Jap who was arrested last night, more for safe-keeping thananything else, I guess. He was found near the consulate of his countryand appeared to be under the influence of some drug. Anyhow, hecouldn't look after himself, so a policeman took him to astation-house. Of course, there might be a story back of it and that'swhy I'm on the job."
"A Jap, eh?" mused Frank curiously.
"Yes; do you number any among your acquaintance?" inquired Billy.
"Well, we do number one; don't we, Harry?" laughed Frank.
At that moment the telephone bell rang sharply in the booth erected inthe workshop in order to keep out noise when anyone was conversingover the wire.
"Wait a second, I'll see what that call is," exclaimed Frank, boltinginto the booth. He was in it several seconds and when he came out hisface was flushed and he seemed excited.
"What's the matter--trouble?" inquired Billy, noting his apparentperturbation.
"Yes, it is trouble in a way," assented Frank, "I guess we'll take arun to court with you and look over this Jap of yours, Billy."
"Think you know him?"
"That's just what I want to see."
"You seem very anxious about it. Anything wrong?"
"Yes, very wrong. That was Captain Hazzard on the wire, and amysterious theft has occurred on the Southern Cross."
Boy Aviators' Polar Dash; or, Facing Death in the Antarctic Page 2