by A. A. Milne
THE SECRET OF THE ARMY
AEROPLANE
[In the thrilling manner of Mr. William le Queux.]
"Yes," said my friend, Ray Raymond, as a grim smile crossed histypically English face, looking round the chambers which we sharedtogether, though he never had occasion to practise, though Iunfortunately had, "it is a very curious affair indeed."
"Tell us the whole facts, Ray," urged Vera Vallance, the prettyfair-haired daughter of Admiral Sir Charles Vallance, to whom he wasengaged.
"Well, dear, they are briefly as follows," he replied, with anaffectionate glance at her. "It is well known that the Germans areanxious to get hold of our new aeroplane, and that the secret of it isat present locked in the inventor's breast. Last Tuesday a man with hismoustache brushed up the wrong way alighted at Basingstoke station andenquired for the refreshment-room. This leads me to believe that adastardly attempt is about to be made to wrest the supremacy of the airfrom our grasp!" Immediately I swooned.
"And even in the face of this the Government denies the activity ofGerman spies in England!" I exclaimed bitterly as soon as I hadrecovered consciousness.
"Jacox," said my old friend, "as a patriot it is none the less my dutyto expose these miscreants. To-morrow we go to Basingstoke."
Next Thursday, then, saw us ensconced in our private sitting-room at theBull Hotel, Basingstoke. On our way from the station I had noticed howill-prepared the town was to resist invasion, and I had pointed thisout bitterly to my dear old friend, Ray Raymond.
"Yes," he remarked, grimly; "and it is simply infested with spies. Jack,my surmises are proving correct. There will be dangerous work afootto-night. Have you brought your electric torch with you?"
"Since that Rosyth affair, I never travel without it," I replied, as Istood with my back to the cheap mantel-shelf so common in Englishhotels.
The night was dark, therefore we proceeded with caution as we left theinn. The actions of Ray Raymond were curious. As we passed eachtelegraph pole he stopped and said grimly, "Ah, I thought so"; and drewhis revolver. When we had covered fifteen miles we looked at our watchesby the aid of our electric torches and discovered that it was time toget back to the hotel unless we wished our presence, or rather absence,to be made known to the German spies; therefore we returned hastily.
Next morning Ray was recalled to town by an urgent telegram, therefore Iwas left alone at Basingstoke to foil the dastardly spies. I stayedthere for thirteen weeks, and then went with my old friend to Grimsby,he having received news that a German hairdresser, named Macdonald, wasresident in that town.
"My dear Jack," said my friend Ray Raymond, his face assuming thesphinx-like expression by which I knew that he had formed some theoryfor the destruction of his country's dastardly enemies, "to-night weshall come to grips with the Teuton!"
"And yet," I cried, "the Government refuses to admit the activity ofGerman spies in England!"
"Ha!" said my friend grimly.
He opened a small black bag and produced a dark lantern, a coil ofstrong silk rope, and a small but serviceable jemmy. All thatburglarious outfit belonged to my friend!
At this moment the pretty fair girl to whom he was engaged, VeraVallance, arrived, but returned to London by the next train.
At ten o'clock we proceeded cautiously to the house of Macdonald thehairdresser, whom Ray had discovered to be a German spy!
"Have you your electric torch with you?" inquired my dear old collegefriend.
"I have," I answered grimly.
"Good! Then let us enter!"
"You mean to break in?" I cried, amazed at the audacity of my friend.
"Bah!" he said. "Spies are always cowards!"
Therefore we knocked at the door. It was opened by two men, the elder ofwhom gave vent to a quick German imprecation. The younger had a shortbeard.
"You are a German spy?" enquired Ray Raymond.
"No," replied the bearded German in very good English, adding withmarvellous coolness: "To what, pray, do we owe this unwarrantableintrusion?"
"To the fact that you are a spy who has been taking secret tracings ofour Army aeroplane!" retorted my friend.
But the spy only laughed in open defiance.
"Well, there's no law against it," he replied.
"No," retorted Ray grimly, "thanks to the stupidity of a crassGovernment, there _is_ no law against it."
"My God!" I said hoarsely, and my face went the colour of ashes.
"But my old friend Jacass--I mean Jacox--and I," continued Ray Raymond,fixing the miserable spy with his eye, "have decided to take the lawinto our own hands. I have my revolver and my friend has his electrictorch. Give me the tracings."
"Gott--no!" cried the German spies in German. "Never, you English cur!"
But Ray had already extracted a letter from the elder man's pocket, andwas making for the door! I followed him. When we got back to our hotelhe drew the letter from his pocket and eagerly examined it. I give herean exact copy of it, and I may state that when we sent it to HisMajesty's Minister for War he returned it without a word!
"BERKELEY CHAMBERS, CANNON STREET, E.C. DEAR SIR,--In reply to yours of the 29th ult. we beg to say that we can do you a good line in shaving brushes at the following wholesale prices: Badger 70s. a gross. Pure Badger 75s. a gross. Real Badger 80s. a gross. Awaiting your esteemed order, which we shall have pleasure in promptly executing, We are, sir, Yours obediently, WILKINSON and ALLBUTT. MR. JAMES MACDONALD."
That letter, innocent enough upon the face of it, contained dastardlyinstructions from the Chief of Police to a German spy! Read by thealphabetical code supplied to every German secret agent in England, itran as follows:
(_Phrase 1_). "Discover without delay secret of new aeroplane."
(_Phrase 2_). "Forward particulars of best plan for blowing up (1) Portsmouth Dockyard. (2) Woolwich Arsenal. (3) Albert Memorial."
(_Phrase 3_). "Be careful of Jack Jacox. He carries a revolver and an electric torch."
"Ah!" said my friend grimly, "we were only just in time. Had we delayedlonger, England might have knelt at the proud foot of a conqueror!"
"Ha!" I replied briefly.
Next morning we returned to the chambers which we shared together inLondon, and were joined by Vera Vallance, the pretty fair daughter ofAdmiral Sir Charles Vallance, to whom my old friend was engaged. And, ashe stroked her hair affectionately, I realised thankfully that he and Ihad indeed been the instruments of Providence in foiling the plots ofthe German spies!
BUT HOW WILL IT ALL END? WHEN WILL GERMANY STRIKE?