Air Service Boys Flying for France/Chapter 2
CHAPTER II
LOOKING FORWARD TO ACTION
Jack looked aghast at hearing Tom say this.
"Has he some good reason for fearing such a thing, Tom?" he hastened to ask.
"He has," came the other's reply. "There was a German who tried hard to get on friendly terms with my father. He finally hinted very broadly that his Government, in order to secure the secret of the new stabilizer, stood ready to double any amount of money our Government at Washington had offered."
"Whew! then he must have been a secret agent of Wilhelmstrasse!" suggested Jack, with bated breath.
"There's not the slightest doubt about it." And Tom frowned and looked very determined. "No one could have made such a promise unless he was in close touch with the German Legation at Washington and the pay agents of the Kaiser in New York City."
"Of course your father refused to consider any offer from German sources," continued Jack, eagerly.
He was very angry at being approached by an agent of a Government with which the United States was likely to go to war at any time since the Lusitania was sunk. He told this Adolph Tiessig what he thought of his nerve, and I guess must have shown him the door in a hurry, for I know father's temper."
"And what happened next, Tom?"
"Well, father was so busy just then on another experiment that he neglected to take proper precautions, a fact he is bitterly sorry for now. The time to shut and lock the stable door is when the horse is still safe inside. But then you know inventors are not like ordinary people, Jack; they live up in the clouds much of the time; and my father was always a great hand for putting off things."
"Too bad, Tom, for I can begin to see this was one time that failing got him into trouble. So the paper was stolen, was it?"
"No question about it, Jack, for father found his room had been entered, and the safe in which he kept many of his private papers, forced open and rummaged. But as luck would have it, he carried one of the papers in his pocket at the time, so that although the thief took the other away with him, it may be possible that even the clever airplane builders over on the Rhine or on Lake Constance, will have a hard time puzzling out the real meaning of his figures and incomplete design."
"They are a keen bunch, though," said Jack, looking worried, "and if they set their minds to it the chances are they'll succeed in the end. But perhaps the thief may realize he has not secured the precious paper he was after, and on that account fail to deliver it to the German Embassy at Washington?"
"Father, hopes that may turn out to be so," replied Tom. "But remember, Jack, this is to be kept a dead secret. Father has good reasons for not wishing it to become known to the Government yet; though you must understand there's nothing dishonorable about his motives."
"I'll never breathe a word of it, Tom, you can depend on that. But doesn't he mean to put the case in the hands of the Secret Service men? They might manage to recover the paper before it falls into the hands of the enemy."
"But to do that, don't you see, he would have to take the Government into his confidence, which he is loth to do just yet. No, he has hired a detective of national reputation, John Mullins, who is even now on the trail, and he hopes to intercept the thief. But since Washington is not many hours away from our home town by rail, it may be that the precious paper was in the legation safe before my father even learned of his loss."
"But why should your father hesitate about letting the authorities at Washington know of his loss, Tom? Perhaps they might help him find that paper before the thief had found a chance to get it out of the country."
Tom sighed heavily.
"I think father has a fear that some jealous rival of his might circulate the report that the paper had not been stolen at all; and that the supposed robbery was only a clever ruse on his part to deceive the Government. In plain words, Jack, that my father, who would die before betraying his country, had conspired to sell his invention at an enormous price to the Germans."
"That would be a terrible thing for any American to say of another!" Jack asserted, indignantly.
"Still, there are men who would be guilty of throwing out such base hints; and you know how these are magnified by the public. Father is doubly troubled, you can see. I would give a great deal if only I could in some way be able to recover that stolen paper, and put it safely back in father's hands."
"You've made me feel bad, Tom. I sympathize with your father, because I know from all you've told me that he expected this to be he crowning feat of all his inventions. And then, besides, his loss may make Germany the commanding nation of the whole world. Yes it's a great misfortune. I wish we could do something to recover that stolen paper."
"Oh, I'd give years of my life if I only I could, Jack! But it's no use to dream of such a thing. Still, I suppose I will do that very thing—dream of it—and often wake up the belief that I've cornered this Adolph Tuessig and forced him to hand over father's latest and biggest achievement."
"I can easily understand just how you feel. It may be the things will work on my mind too, so that I'll also dream I'm handing that paper back to your dad, proudly telling him how we hunted the German spy down and forced him to disgorge. But you said this misfortune at home wouldn't cause you to change your plans any, didn't you?"
"I shall be more eager than ever to get a whack at the Kaiser, because it was one of his miserable spies who robbed my father of his secret. Our folks have already given their consent, and if only we can get passage aboard a steamer there's nothing to keep us from going across to France, who is eager to accept all the aviators she can get on the battlelines."
Jack had apparently been a little anxious concerning this part of the programme. Considerably relieved, he thrust out his hand and squeezed the fingers of his comrade heartily as he went on to say:
"Ever since we concluded to offer our services to France, when we felt satisfied we had learned the rudiments of flying, the idea has taken a firm root in my mind; and, Tom, I'd be terribly disappointed if anything happened to break up our pet plan."
"No more than I would, Jack. You know my passion for being in the air. And now that this cause for hating the Germans has come along, it's added fire to my zeal. I tell you it would have to be something pretty serious that could cause me to back down at this late stage."
"Then," said Jack triumphantly, "we're booked for France, if only the steamship people will let us take passage. And from all accounts, they're not likely to put any obstacle in our way, knowing what our motive is and that we are able to pay their price."
"But surely by now I ought to have heard something to that effect from the New York agent I wrote to," argued Tom.
"Better try again," suggested his companion. "Letters sometimes go astray, you know, and he may never have received it."
"Oh, I was wise enough to register the letter," Tom told him; "so I know it was safely delivered. Like as not he's taking his own time to answer, because sailings are not frequent in these days of submarine horrors. They never advertise what day the boat is expected to leave, always informing would-be passengers to be aboard at a certain time, although the vessel may remain in the harbor for another day or two. All that is done to prevent spies from sending by wireless information connected with the sailing to the other side, and which in turn would be communicated to the waiting U-boats."
There was a ring of the bell.
"That was the postman, Tom. I wonder now if he had anything for you," remarked Jack, who chanced to be sitting near the window where he could look out and observe all that was taking place in the street.
"I'll go down and see," his chum remarked, jumping up hurriedly; and Jack noticed that Tom, usually so composed and cool, was showing the effect of his late nervous strain in flying, now supplemented by this fresh cause for anxiety.
Tom returned in a few minutes. He held an open letter in his hand. One look Jack took at his beaming face, and then he too jumped hastily to his feet.
"It must be good news, Tom, this time!" he ejaculated.
"Well, it is, for a fact!" shouted the other in excitement. "We're booked to sail on the twelfth! Here are our instructions to be on hand the preceding evening, ready to start!"
Impulsive Jack threw his arms around his chum, and actually gave him a bearish hug. It was plain to be seen that the greatest ambition of his life was on the point of being gratified, and he was correspondingly happy.
"Then perhaps within two weeks or so we may be standing on French soil, and dropping in at that wonderful aviation school at Pau, about which, since coming here, we've heard so much from Lieutenant Carson. Won't the other fellows be envious though, when they learn about our great good luck? Hurrah!"