CHAPTER IX.
A CONSPIRACY IS RIPENING.
"That you, boys?"
The speaker emerged from a patch of gloomy looking bushes, masking anold stone bridge.
"Yes, it's us all right, Herr Muller. On time, ain't we?"
It was Chance who spoke. Close behind came Merritt and another figure.
"Yes, you're on time, all right. But who's that with you? I don't wantoutsiders mixed up in this."
Merritt came forward with the third member of the newly arrived party."This is Bill Kennell, an old chum of ours," he said. "He's all right,and we may find him useful in our plans."
"Very well, if you'll vouch for him."
It was noticeable that all trace of accent had now vanished from HerrMuller's tone. In fact, except for a very slight trace of foreignpronunciation, impossible to reproduce, he spoke remarkably goodEnglish.
"Oh, we'll vouch for him. And now to business," said Merritt, seatinghimself on the coping of the bridge. "You said this afternoon that you,as representative of the New York group of International Anarchists,would pay us well to keep you in possession of the latest moves of theUnited States navy."
"Yes, yes," responded the other eagerly, "we wish to knowall--everything--I am authorized to pay you well for such information."
"But why--why do you want it?" demanded Chance bluntly.
"I will tell you. We anarchists hate all law and order. We wish to be alaw to ourselves. All law is oppression. Such is our teaching. Naviesand armies represent power and help to keep law and order, therefore,when the time comes, we wish"--he paused reflectively--"to destroy allsuch tools of oppression."
Chance, calloused as he was, gasped.
"You mean you would dare to destroy or try to damage, the property ofthe United States?" he gasped.
"I mean what I said, my young man."
"Oh, say, count us out, then. That's too much for me. Say, Merritt,let's be getting back."
"Hold on a minute," snarled the masquerading photographer, changing inan instant from a docile creature into an alert, dangerous martinet,"you can't refuse to fall in with my plans now. If you do I shall crushyou. You are in my power now."
"Pooh!" scoffed Merritt. "How do you make that out?"
But, though he strove to make his tone easy, there was an under note ofanxiety in it.
"How do I make it out? In this way, my friends: If you are falseto your promises to me, I shall denounce you to the governmentauthorities. I have witnesses to all that you said this afternoon in myroom at the hotel. The man you thought was a waiter was in my employ,and is an anarchist, like myself. That shabby little peddler who cameto sell some cheap jewelry was another of the same belief. They heardall you said. Moreover, they saw you accept money from me----"
"But you told us that all you wanted us to do was to get those plansfrom Ned Strong when he comes along this way from the lieutenant'shouse to-night," gasped Chance.
"Yes; but I may have other uses for you. Rest assured that you are ina web from which you cannot escape. If you try to play false to me, Iwill have you sent to the place which Uncle Sam reserves for traitorsand spies."
"Oh, well," said Merritt slyly, "we may as well make the best of it.Let's talk business. In the first place, did you bring the disguises?"
Herr Muller, as we must know him, rejoined in the affirmative. "I havethem in that old barn," he said.
"Very well. The time is getting along. We had better go up there andassume them. By the way, have you any pistols for us? We couldn'tsmuggle out our service revolvers."
"Pistols!" scoffed the other. "What do you want pistols for? Are therenot three of you against one? And I will be in reserve in case heproves too much for you."
"Um, I know; that's all very well," muttered Chance, "but you don'tknow this fellow Strong. He's as powerful as a bull, and will fightlike a wild-cat."
"But he's up against overpowering odds to-night," Merritt rejoined,with regained confidence. "This is the time that Ned Strong, thefavored paragon of the navy, is going to get his--and get it good."
"You can bet he is," agreed Chance and Kennell, with clenched teeth.
"I've got a few scores to pay off on my own account," added the latter.
"Well, here are your disguises," said Herr Muller, striking a match andindicating a bundle in one corner of the barn. Presently he produced apocket flash-lamp, and held it cautiously while Merritt and Chance, twotraitors to the United States, invested themselves in the rough-lookinggarments he had provided. They were complete, even to false whiskers.When they had attired themselves in the tattered clothes and adjustedthe remainder of their disguises, two more disreputable-lookingspecimens of the genus tramp than Merritt and Chance presented couldnot have been imagined.
"You'll do finely," declared Herr Muller, with deep satisfaction, whenthe preparations were concluded. "I'd be scared of you myself, if I metyou on a dark road," he added, with peculiar humor.
"How about me?" asked Kennell. "That 'Dreadnought Boy,' as they callhim, knows me."
"Pshaw! that's so," said Herr Muller. "Well, see here," producing ahandkerchief, "tie this over the lower part of your face and you willbe well enough disguised."
"I reckon so," agreed Kennell, adopting the suggestion.
In the meantime, Ned had been practically the guest of honor atLieutenant De Free's quarters. Two or three other naval officerswere present, and they all displayed frank interest in the bright,intelligent youth and his invention, which he explained at length.
"But, my dear De Frees," one of them--a young ensign named Tandy--haddeclared, "you can say all you like about the aeroplane in warfare. Inefficiency it will never take the place of the submarine, for instance.I'm willing to wager any amount that on any night that I held the deck,an aeroplane, equipped with pontoons or anything else, could not, byany possibility, approach within a hundred yards of my vessel."
"You really think so, Tandy?" queried Lieutenant De Freesgood-naturedly. "Well, I tell you what we will do: At some other timewe'll meet and talk it over. If you are still in the same mind, we willdraw up conditions for such a test. It should be interesting and ofgreat value theoretically."
"Yes," laughed Tandy, "it will demonstrate the fact that no aerialcraft could torpedo or blew up a war vessel at night without beingperceived in time. Therefore, what is the use of equipping the shipswith such craft? They take up valuable room and waste a lot of moneywhich would be better spent on guns and ordnance."
"I agree with you, Tandy," said Lieutenant Morrow, a veteran of manyyears' service, "from my observation of aeroplanes, one could notget within bomb-dropping or torpedo-aiming distance of a war vesselat night. Why, the noise of their engines would alone betray theirnearness."
"But what if she glided up on pontoons?" smiled Lieutenant De Frees.
"The same thing would hold good," declared young Ensign Tandy, with aconfident air.
Of course, Ned, as a petty officer, could not take part in thisconversation, but it made a deep impression on him. After warmgood-nights from the officers, who really felt an admiration for thisclean-cut and self-respecting, although perfectly respectful youngsailor, Ned set out on his homeward way. In his breast-pocket--orrather tucked inside his loose blouse--he carried the plans of hisinvention.
It was quite dark, with the exception of a pallid light given out bya sickly moon, that was every now and then obscured altogether byhurrying clouds. Ned walked along quickly, at his usual swinging pace.His thoughts were too much upon his invention for him to pay muchattention to his surroundings.
All at once, however, he stopped short and listened for an instant. Butnot a sound, except the sighing of a light, night wind in the treesthat bordered the road, disturbed the stillness.
"Funny," mused Ned; "I could have been certain I saw a light flash bythat old bridge right ahead. I guess I'm seeing things, too, likeHerc."
So thinking, he struck once more into his regular pace. A few stepsbrought him into a patch of velvety sha
dow caused by the thick-growingshrubs and alders that edged the creek which the bridge spanned.
"What a spot for a hold-up!" thought the young man-o'-war's-man, whenhe entered the blackness. As he did so, a sharp chill struck him. Akeen sense of impending danger caused him to swing sharply around.
It was well he had heeded his intuition, for, as he turned, a heavybludgeon whistled by his ear. It had been aimed for his head, but hissudden and unexpected move had saved him.
For a breath, Ned stood rooted to the spot. Then his eyes blazed withanger.
"Come on, you skulking thieves!" he cried in a high, clear voice, "I'mready for you!"
The Dreadnought Boys on Aero Service Page 9