The Ocean Wireless Boys And The Naval Code

"If you've been up to any hocus-pocus business, Mr. Thurman," he said to himself, as he descended to dinner, "you are going to get the surprise of your life within a very short time."

After dinner he came back to the upper deck again, but as he gained it his attention was arrested by the scream of the wireless spark. It was a warm night and the door of the cabin was open. Jack stopped instinctively to listen to the roaring succession of dots and dashes.

"He's calling Washington," said Jack to himself as he listened.

"He's got them," he exclaimed a minute later.

"Hullo! Hullo! I guess I was right in my guess, then, after all. Oh, Thurman, what a young rascal you are."

He listened attentively as Thurman shot out his message to the National Capital. Jack repeated it in an undertone as the spark crackled and squealed.

"Do – I – get – my – reward – right – away?"

Jack actually burst, for some inexplicable reason, into a hearty laugh.

"Oh, Thurman! Thurman!" he exploded to himself. "What a badly fooled young man you are going to be."

CHAPTER XXXI.

THE "SUITABLE REWARD."

The arrival of the Columbia at her dock the next day was in the nature of an ovation. A band played "Hail Columbia," and a dense crowd blocked the docks and adjacent points of vantage to view the great liner which had taken the blue ribbon of the seas from England's crack ship. News of the dramatic rescue of the crew of the Oriana, wirelessed at the time of the occurrence to the newspapers, had inflamed public interest in the big ship too, and her subsequent doings had been eagerly followed in the dailies.

"Great to be home again, isn't it, old fellow?" asked Raynor, coming up to Jack as a dozen puffing tugs nosed the towering Columbia into her dock.

"It is, indeed," said Jack, looking over the rail. "I'm going to – "

He broke off suddenly and began waving frantically to two persons in the crowd. One was an old man, rather bent, but hale and hearty and sunburned. Beside him was a pretty girl. It was Helen Dennis and her father, Captain Dennis, who had been rescued from a sinking sailing ship during Jack's first voyage, as told in the "Ocean Wireless Boys on the Atlantic." Captain Dennis, since the disaster, had been unable to get another ship to command and had been forced to accept a position as watchman on one of the docks, but Jack had been working all he knew how to get the captain another craft, so far, however, without success.

"There's one reason why you're glad to be home," said Raynor slyly, waving to Helen. "You're a lucky fellow."

The gang-plank was down, but before any passengers were allowed ashore, way was made for four stalwart, clean-shaven men who hurried on board.

"Wonder who those fellows are?" said Raynor; "must be some sort of big-wigs."

"Yes, they certainly got the right of way," responded Jack without much interest.

Thurman joined them.

"I hear that the Secret Service men are on board," he said. "Must be looking for someone."

"I suppose so," said Jack. "They usually are."

Somebody tapped Jack on the shoulder. It was one of the men who had boarded the ship. An evil leer passed over Thurman's face as he saw this.

"Are you Jack Ready?" asked the man.

"That's my name," replied Jack.

The man threw back his coat, displaying a gold badge. His three companions stood beside him.

"I want you to come to Washington with us at once," said the man. "I am operative Thomas of the United States Secret Service."

"Why what's the matter? What's he done?" demanded Raynor.

"That's for the Navy Department to decide," said the man sternly. Thurman had slipped away after the man had displayed his badge. His envious mind was now sure of its revenge. He, too, meant to get the first train to Washington.

"Don't worry, old fellow," said Jack. "Just slip ashore and make my excuses to Helen and her father, will you, and then meet me in Washington at the Willard. I think I shall have some news that will surprise you."

Greatly mystified, Raynor obeyed, while Jack and the four men, two on each side of him, left the ship. Thurman followed them closely. His flabby face wore a look of satisfaction.

"Two birds with one stone," he muttered to himself. "I've got even with Jack Ready and I get a reward for doing it. Slick work."

The trip to Washington was uneventful. On their arrival there Jack and the Secret Service men went straight to the Navy Department. They passed through a room filled with waiting persons having business there, and were at once admitted to the office of the Secretary of the Navy, a dignified looking man with gray hair and mustache, who sat ensconced behind a large desk littered with papers and documents.

There were several other gentlemen in the room. Some of them were in naval uniforms and all had an official appearance that was rather overawing.

"So, this is our young man," said the Secretary, as Jack removed his hat. "Sit down, Mr. Ready, these gentlemen and myself wish to talk to you."

Then, for an hour or more, Jack described the Universal Detector and answered scores of questions. After the first few minutes his sense of embarrassment wore off and he talked easily and naturally. When he had finished, and everybody's curiosity was satisfied, the Secretary turned to him.

"And you are prepared to turn this instrument over to the United States navy?"

"That was the main object I had in designing it," said Jack, "but I am at a loss to know how you discovered that I was on board the Columbia."

"That will soon be explained," said the Secretary, with a smile that was rather enigmatic. "You recollect having a little fun with our navy operators?"

Jack colored and stammered something while everybody in the room smiled.

"Don't worry about that," laughed the Secretary. "It just upset the dignity of some of our navy operators. Well, following that somebody offered, for a consideration, to tell us who it was that had discovered the secret of a Universal Detector. It turned out, as I had expected from our previous correspondence, that it was you. But not till two nights ago, when our informant again wirelessed, did we know that you were at sea."

"But – but, sir," stuttered Jack, greatly mystified, "who did this?"

The Secretary pressed a button on his desk. A uniformed orderly instantly answered.

"Tell Mr. Thurman to come in," said the Secretary.

There was a brief silence, then the door opened and Thurman, with an expectant look and an assured manner, stepped into the room.

"Mr. Thurman?" asked the Secretary.

"Yes, sir," said Thurman in a loud, confident voice, "I thought I'd hurry over here as soon as the ship docked and talk to you about my work in discovering for you the fellow who invented the Universal Detector. I – "

He suddenly caught sight of Jack and turned a sickly yellow. Jack looked steadily at the fellow who, he had guessed for some time, had been evilly interested in the detector.

"Well, go on, Mr. Thurman," said the Secretary, encouragingly, but with a peculiar look at the corners of his mouth.

Thurman shuffled miserably.

"I'd prefer not to talk with – with him in the room," he said, nodding his head sideways at Jack.

"Why not? Mr. Ready has just sold his invention to the United States government."

"Sold it, sir – " began Jack, flushing, "why I – "

The Secretary held up a hand to enjoin silence. Then he turned to the thoroughly uncomfortable Thurman.

"We feel, Mr. Thurman," he said, "that you really tried to do us a great service."

Thurman recovered some of his self-assurance. Could he have had the skill to read the faces about him, though, he must have known that a bomb was about to burst.

"Thank you, sir," he said, "I did what I could, what I thought was my duty. And now, sir, about that reward."

"'Suitable reward,' was what was said, I think, Mr. Thurman," said the Secretary.

"Well, yes, sir, 'suitable reward,'" responded Thurman, his eyes glistening with cupidity.

"Mr. Thurman," and the Secretary's voice was serious and impressive, "these gentlemen and I have decided that the most suitable reward for a young man as treacherous and mean as you have shown yourself to be, would be to be kicked downstairs. Instead I shall indicate to you the door and ask you to take your leave."

"But – but – I told you who the fellow was that had discovered the detector. Why, I even made drawings of it for you."

"I don't doubt that," said the Secretary dryly. "There was only one weak point in your whole scheme, Mr. Thurman, and that was that Mr. Ready wrote us some time ago when he first began his experiments about his work and asked some advice. At that time he informed us that if he succeeded in producing a Universal Detector that it would be at the service of this government. So you see that you were kind enough to inform us of something we knew already. But for a time we were at a loss to know whether it was not some other inventor working on similar lines who had discovered such a detector. To find out definitely we fine-combed the country."

"And – and I get no reward?" stuttered Thurman.

"Except the one I mentioned and the possible lesson you may have learned from your experience. Good-afternoon, Mr. Thurman."

Thurman was so thunderstruck by the collapse of his hopes of reaping a fortune by his treachery that he appeared for a moment to be deprived of the power of locomotion. The Secretary nodded to the orderly, who came forward and took the wretched youth, for whom Jack could not help feeling sorry, by the arm and led him to the door. This was the last that was seen of Thurman for a long time, but Jack was destined to meet him again, thousands of miles away and under strange circumstances.

When Jack left the Navy Department he felt as if he was walking on air. In his pocket was a check, intended as a sort of retaining fee by the government, till tests should have established beyond a doubt the value of his invention. His eyes were dancing and all he felt that he needed was a friend to share his pleasure with. This need was supplied on his return to the hotel, for there was a telegram from Billy Raynor, telling Jack to meet him on an evening train. It wound up with these words:

"Helen Dennis and myself badly worried. Hope everything is all right."

"All right," smiled Jack, "yes, all right, and then some."

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE PLOTTER'S TRIUMPH

The face of one of the first of the passengers to disembark from the train as it rolled into the depot was a familiar one to Jack. With a thrill of pleasure he darted through the crowd to clasp the hand of his old friend, Captain Simms.

"Here's a coincidence," he exclaimed. "I'm here to meet Billy Raynor. He must have come on the same train. But are you ill, sir? Is anything the matter?"

"Jack, my boy," said the captain, who was pale and drawn, "a terrible thing has happened. The code has been stolen."

"Stolen! By whom?"

"Undoubtedly by Judson and his gang. I thought I saw them on the train between Clayton and New York. I was on my way here with the completed code. I had it under my pillow in my berth on the sleeper. When I awakened it had gone."

"Didn't you have a hunt made for Judson when you reached New York?"

"Yes, but we had made two stops in the night. Undoubtedly, they got off at one of them. Unless that code is found I'm a ruined and a disgraced man."

At that moment Billy Raynor came hurrying up. But there was not much warmth in Jack's welcome to him. His mind was busy with other things.

"What's the matter?" said Billy in a low voice, for he too had noticed Captain Simms' dejection.

"Never mind now," whispered Jack, "I'll tell you later. If I may suggest it, sir," he said, addressing the captain, who appeared completely broken by the loss of the code, "hadn't we better get into a cab and drive to the Willard? You are not going to the department to-night?"

"No, I couldn't face them to-night," said the captain. "We'll do as you say."

"There may be a way of catching the rascals," said Jack as the taxicab bumped off.

The captain shook his head.

"The code is in the hands of the ambassador of the foreign power that wanted it as the price of a contract by this time," he said. "It is gone beyond recovery. I am disgraced."

On their arrival at the hotel, the captain retired at once to his room. The boys had dinner without much appetite for the meal and then set out for a stroll to talk things over.

"This is a terrible off-set to my good news," said Jack.

"Don't you think there's a chance of getting the code back?" asked Billy.

Jack shook his head.

"I think it is as Captain Simms said, the code is in the hands of that ambassador by this time."

"Jack Ready, by all that's good, and Billy too, shake!"

The cry came from up the street and a tall, good-looking lad of their own age came hurrying toward them. It was Ned Rivers, a youth who was interested in wireless and in that way had become acquainted with Jack and Billy on board the Tropic Queen while he was accompanying his father on a cruise on that ill-fated ship.

"Ned!" cried Jack.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," exclaimed Billy, and a general handshaking followed.

"What are you doing here, Ned?" asked Jack, after a few more words had been exchanged.

"Yes, I thought you lived in Nebraska," said Billy.

"So we did, but we've moved here. Father's in the Senate now. I thought you knew."

"Congratulations," said Jack. "I guess we'll have to call you Mr. Senator, Jr., now and tip our hats to you."

"Avast with that nonsense, as they don't say at sea," laughed Ned. "There's our house yonder," and he pointed to a handsome stone residence.

"Hullo, what's that I see on the roof?" asked Jack.

"That's my wireless outfit. Mother made an awful kick about having it there, but at last she gave in."

"So you're still a wireless boy?" said Billy.

"Yes, and I've got a dandy outfit too. Come on over. I want to introduce you to the folks."

"Thanks, we will some other time, but not to-night. We don't feel fit for company. You see quite a disaster has happened to a friend of ours," and under a pledge of secrecy from Ned, who he knew he could rely on, Jack told the lad part of the story of the theft of the code.

"By jove, that is a loss," said Ned sympathetically. "I've heard dad talking about the new code. It was a very important matter."

"We were going for a walk to discuss the whole question," said Billy.

"Can I join you?" asked Ned.

"Glad to have you," was the rejoinder. Talking and laughing merrily over old times on the Tropic Queen, the boys walked on, not noticing much where they were going till they found themselves on an ill-lighted street of rather shabby-looking dwellings.

"Hullo," said Ned, "I don't think much of this part of town. Let's get back to a main street."

"It's a regular slum," said Billy, and the three boys started to retrace their steps. But suddenly Jack stopped and jerked his companions into a doorway. Two figures had just come in sight round the corner. They were headed down the street on the opposite sidewalk.

"It's Judson and his son," whispered Jack. "What can they be doing here?"

"Hiding, most probably," returned Billy.

"Yes, they – hullo! Look, they're going into that alley-way."

The boys darted across the street. Looking down the alley-way, they saw the figures of Judson and his son, by the light of a sickly gas lamp, ascending the steps of a rickety-looking tenement house.

"Jove, this is worth knowing," exclaimed Jack. "If they are really hiding here we can get the police on their track. How lucky that we just let ourselves roam into this part of town."

"We ought to have them arrested at once," said Billy.

"Yes, that's a good idea. But they may have just sneaked through the hallway and out by a rear way. You fellows wait here till I go and see."

"Oh, Jack, you may get in trouble."

"Yes, we'll go with you," said Ned.

"No, you stay here," Jack insisted. "One of us won't be noticed. Three would. Besides, that house is full of other tenants. Nothing much could happen to me."

In spite of their further protests he walked rapidly, but cautiously, down the alley-way. Noiselessly he entered the hallway and walked to the door of a rear room, where he heard voices. But it was a laboring man and his wife quarreling over something. Jack heard a door open on an upper floor. Then came a voice that thrilled him. It was Jarrow's.

"Hullo, Judson, back again? Well, how did things go?"

Then Jack heard the door closed and locked.

"So, they are really here," he muttered. "What a piece of luck. But the question is, have they got the code? If it is out of their hands it will be well nigh impossible to recover it, for it is a serious matter to charge an ambassador with wrong-doing."

Jack began to ascend the rickety stairs with great caution. They creaked dismally under his tread. At a door on the second floor he caught the sound of Judson's voice. With a beating heart he crept as close as he dared and listened.

"The plans have all been changed," he heard Judson saying. "We are to take the code to Crotona (the capital of the power represented by the ambassador) ourselves. There's a steamer that leaves Baltimore for Naples to-morrow. We are to take that and proceed from Naples to our destination."

"What a bother," came in Donald's voice. "I don't see why the ambassador didn't take them."

"He said it was too dangerous. He was being watched by the Secret Service men."

"Well, it's just as dangerous for us, if it comes to that," grumbled Jarrow.

"I've got another piece of news for you," said Judson. "As I was passing the Willard to-night I saw Simms, and who do you think was with him?"

"I don't know, I'm sure."

"Those two brats who made trouble for us at Alexandria Bay. It was a good thing I was disguised, for I passed close to them before I recognized them."

"Confound it all," burst out Jarrow, "do you think they know we are here?"

"Not a ghost of a chance of it," said Judson confidently; "anyhow, we've picked a hiding place where no one would ever dream of looking for us."

"That's so. I'll be glad when we get out of the horrid hole," grumbled Donald.

A footstep sounded behind Jack on the creaking boards. It startled him. He had not heard a door open. But now he was confronted by a portly Italian. The man grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Whadda you do-a here?" demanded the man, "me thinka you one-a da sneak-a da tief."

"Let me go," demanded Jack, striving to wrench himself free.

"I no leta you go justa yet. I tinka you here steala da tings," cried the man in a loud voice.

The talk inside Judson's room broke off suddenly.

"Hullo, what's up outside?" exclaimed Donald. "Somebody's collared a thief. Let's see what it's all about."

He flung the door open and the lamplight streamed out full on Jack's face.

Donald fell back a pace with astonishment.

"Great Scott! It's Jack Ready," he exclaimed. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"You knowa desa boy?" asked the Italian, still holding Jack fast.

"Yes, I do. He's no good," replied Donald.

"Dena I throwa him out or calla da police."

"Yes – no, for goodness' sake, not the police," exclaimed Donald. "Dad, Jarrow, here's that Ready kid spying on us. He was caught in the hall by that Italian next door, who thought he was a sneak thief."

"Ha! Ready, you are the most unlucky lad I know," cried Judson, coming to the door, "we've got you just where we want you this time. There are no chimneys here. Bring him inside."

"Not much! Help!" Jack began to shout, but Jarrow clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Help us run him in here," he ordered the Italian, "I'll pay you for it."

"Whatsa da mat'?" asked the Italian suspiciously. "He no lika you."

"No wonder. He robbed us once. I guess he was here to do it again. We want to settle accounts with him."

"Oh-ho, datsa eet ees it?" said the Italian. "All righta, I no make da troub'."

He gave Jack a forward shove into the room of the wireless boy's enemies.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

IN THE POWER OF THE ENEMY

As soon as the door was shut and locked, Judson faced Jack.

"Now you keep quiet if you don't want a rap over the head with this," he said, exhibiting a heavy bludgeon.

"Don't dare touch me," spoke Jack boldly.

"That will depend. I want to ask you some questions. Will you answer them?"

"I shall see."

"You followed Donald and me here and were spying on us when that Italian caught you."

"A good thing he did," interjected Donald.

"You heard us planning – er – er something?"

"Possibly I did."

"Boy, I know you did."

"Then what's the sense of asking me?"

"None of your impudence, young man! You've always been too much of a busy-body for your own good," snarled Jarrow.

"What's the use of questioning him, dad?" said Donald. "He'll only lie."

"That's probably correct. I guess he heard everything. What shall we do with him?"

"Make him a prisoner," said Jarrow.

"But we can't stay here to guard him and he'd be out of this room in a jiffy."

"I'll tell you where we'll take him," said Donald. He whispered in his father's ear. Judson's face brightened and he nodded approvingly.

"Just the place. It will serve him right. He got himself into this mess."

"Are you going to let me go?" demanded Jack.

"Certainly not. You've made your bed – you can lie on it."

Jack made a leap for the door. The key was in the lock, but he didn't have a chance to turn it before all three threw themselves on him. A scuffle followed which Judson brought to a quick stop by striking Jack a stunning blow on the head with his bludgeon. With a million stars dancing before him in a void of blackness, Jack went down.

"Now come on quick before anyone spots us," said Jarrow.

Jack's limp form was rolled up in a dirty old blanket so as to look like some kind of a bundle. Then Jarrow and Judson lifted him by the head and feet, while Donald preceded them with the lamp.

The younger Judson led the way out of a rear door to a side hallway. From here two flights of stairs led down to an ill-ventilated, low cellar which was seldom visited and was used mostly for old rubbish and rags. Jack was carried to a high-sided wooden coal bin and his form dropped on a pile of dirty old newspapers and decaying straw. There was a heavy door with an iron bolt on the outside leading into the place. As Judson closed this, leaving Jack to his fate, he muttered:

"This is the time we don't need to bother about his getting out. He'll stay there till to-morrow, anyhow, and by that time we'll be at sea."

"What time will that auto be at the corner?" asked Donald.

"It should be there in a few minutes. We must get ready right away," replied his father. "Come on, we've no time to lose."

In the meantime Billy and Ned waited on the corner. As the minutes flew by they began to get worried.

"Jack is certainly taking his time," said Ned.

"Perhaps he is scouting about," suggested Billy.

"Perhaps he has fallen into a trap," exclaimed Ned. "I've a good mind to go for the police."

"Well, we'll wait a little longer," said Billy.

Almost an hour passed and there was no sign of Jack.

"I won't wait any longer," declared Ned, when suddenly three figures emerged from the house. Their hats were pulled over their eyes and they glanced about suspiciously.

"It's the two Judsons and Jarrow," exclaimed Billy.

As he spoke a big touring car came down the street and stopped at the mouth of the alley-way. The three persons who had just emerged from the tenement house began to hasten to it, but Billy intercepted them.

"What have you done with Jack?" he demanded.

"Yes, where is he?" cried Ned.

"Out of our way," said Jarrow, giving Billy a shove.

"We don't know any Jack," growled Judson.

Before the boys could stop them they had reached the car and sprung in.

"Drive off at full speed," Judson ordered the chauffeur, and, leaving the boys standing rooted to the spot, the car dashed off with a roar. Borne back to them they could hear the mocking laughter of its occupants.