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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.
"Those rascals have played some trick on Jack and they've got away scot-free," groaned Billy.
"We must hunt for him at once," exclaimed Ned.
The two boys set out for the tenement. It was pitch dark in the hallway. Ned struck a match.
"Jack! Jack! where are you?" he called softly.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE SEARCH FOR JACK
The two boys, with their hearts heavy as lead, ascended the stairs calling for Jack. On the second floor, as they reached it, a door was suddenly flung open.
"Be jabers, stop that racket. Can't yez be lettin' a dacent family slape in pace?"
Another door flew open and a black, woolly head was poked out.
"What fo' you alls come makin' such a cumsturbance at dis yar hour ob de night?"
"We're looking for a boy who we think has been trapped in this building. Have you seen anything of him?" asked Ned.
"Sure and I haven't. This is a dacent house and dacent folks. Go along wid yer now and let us slape."
"By gollys we don't kidsnap no boys," came from the negro.
Another door was opened and the Italian who had caught Jack in the hall came out.
"Whatsa da mat'?" he asked.
"We're looking for a boy, our chum. He came into this house two hours ago. We're afraid he – " burst out Billy desperately.
"I see-a da boy in deesa hall," said the Italian. "I teenka heem sneaka teef. I catcha heem but two men and a boy in data rooma dere dey taka heem. Dey say dat he robba heem and they getta even."
"Did they take him into the room?" burst out Ned.
The Italian nodded.
"Yes, dey takea heem in. I geeva heem to them," said the man indifferently.
"Great heavens, they invented that story about his robbing them," cried Billy. "They've made him a prisoner. We must get him out. Jack! Jack!"
No answer came and then Billy, regardless of consequences, flung himself against the door of the room the Italian had indicated. By this time quite a crowd of tenement dwellers had assembled, attracted by the loud voices. At first the door stood firm, but when Ned joined Billy it gave way with a bang, precipitating them into the room.
But now a new voice was added to the uproar. Hans Pumpernickel, a sour old German who owned the tenements and lived there to save rent in a better quarter, put in an appearance.
"Vos is los?" he demanded, "ach himmel, de door vos busted py der outside. Who did dis?"
"We did," said Billy boldly. "My chum was decoyed into this house by some bad characters. This was the room they occupied. But he isn't here."
"Ach du liebe! Vos iss idt I care aboupt your droubles? I haf mein own."
"We'll find Jack if we go through this house from cellar to attic," declared Ned.
"I dond pelief dot boy vos harmed by der men dot hadt idt dis room," declared the crabbed old man. "Dey vos very respectable. Now you pay me for dot door undt den go aboudt your pusiness."
"If you interfere with us we'll call in the police," said Billy.
"Yes, if you want to keep out of trouble, you'll help us," said Ned boldly.
"Is dot so? Undt who iss you?"
"I'm the son of Senator Rivers of Nebraska."
The landlord's jaw dropped. He grew more respectful.
"Vell, vot am I to do?" he asked.
"Don't interfere with us. We'll pay for this door. Hullo, what's that on the floor?" exclaimed Billy. "Why, it's Jack's knife. But where is he?"
"Den dose nice mens, Mr. Jenkins undt Mister Thompson are kidsnabbers," exclaimed the landlord.
"Are those the names they gave?" asked Billy.
"Ches. Dey pay idt me a month in advance. Dey vost nice gentlemen."
"Yes, very nice," exclaimed Billy bitterly. "However, knowing those names may give a clew later on."
They searched for several hours but found no further trace of Jack. At last, tired out and sick at heart, they returned home. Billy accepted Ned's invitation to stay at the latter's house that night and to lay the matter before the Senator in the morning.
Half stunned, Jack lay still for some time on the moldy straw and the old newspapers in the coal bin in the cellar. But at length he mustered his strength and rose, rather giddily, to his feet.
"Well, this is the limit of tough luck," he complained. "If I don't get out of here before to-morrow, when that steamer sails, the code will have gone for good. If only I'd cut away sooner. Confound that Italian. He spoiled it all with his stupidity."
Besides being pitch dark, the place was full of cobwebs. To add to Jack's discomfort, a spider occasionally dropped on him. Suddenly overhead sounded footsteps and voices.
"Somebody lives up there," he thought. "If I could only attract their attention."
He shouted but nobody answered, although he tried it at intervals for some hours. At last he gave up and sat down on the pile of straw to think. He was very thirsty and his mouth and eyes were full of coal dust and dirt. The roof of the cellar was so low, too, that in moving about he bumped his head-against the beams.
Suddenly he remembered that he had some matches. To strike a light was the work of a moment. Then he located the door. But all his efforts failed to make it budge. He struck another light and this time he made a discovery.
"Gee whiz, that looks like a trap-door just above me," he decided.
He raised his hands and the cut-out square in the flooring came up with ease. Jack scrambled up into a kitchen. In one corner was a ladder, no doubt used when the occupants wished to enter the cellar. Through one of the windows daylight was streaming, the gray light of early dawn.
"Great Scott! I've been down there all night," ejaculated the boy.
He was considering his next step when a large woman, with stout red arms, came into the kitchen. Her husband had to be at work early and she was about to prepare his breakfast. She had a florid, disagreeable face.
"What are you after doing here?" she demanded, picking up a heavy rolling pin.
"I'm trying to get out of this house. Will you show me the way?"
"Indade and I will not. I'll hand yez over ter the perlice." She raised her voice.
"Pat! Pat! come here at onct."
"Phwat's the mather?" came from another room.
"Thare's a thafe forninst the kitchen. Get ther perlice. I'll hold him – he's only a gossoon."
"Are you crazy?" demanded Jack. "I was locked in that cellar by some rascals and got out through your trap-door."
"Tell that to the marines," sneered the woman, as she made a grab for him.
Jack wrenched himself away and dodged a blow from the rolling-pin. The window was open and it was a short drop to the yard. He darted for the window and made the jump.
"Pat! Pat!" yelled the woman.
Jack leaped over a fence at the back of the yard and found himself in an alley. He ran for his life. Behind him came cries of pursuit but they soon died away. He ran for several blocks, however, and then came to a standstill.
"I guess Ned and Billy went home," he mused. "I'd better hunt up Ned. If his father is a Senator he may be able to use some influence to catch these rascals before they get away for good. I wonder what time that ship sails? By the way, I don't know her name."
At the hotel, to which he went first, he slipped up to his room without attracting much attention and washed off the dirt of the cellar. Then he inquired for Billy and learned that Raynor had telephoned the night before that he was going to stop at Senator Rivers' house and for Jack to come straight over there, if he came in. Jack procured a copy of a commercial newspaper which he knew listed sailings of ships from all important ports. He turned to the Baltimore section. Half way down the column he found this entry:
"Italian-American Line. S.S. Southern Star, – Balto., for Naples, Italy. Sails – A.M. (hour indefinite). Mixed cargo. Ten passengers."
"Hurrah! That's the ship, all right," thought Jack, "there's a chance yet that we can stop them."
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE WIRELESS MAKES GOOD
He lost no time in hastening to Senator Rivers' house. Just as he turned into the gate Billy and Ned emerged. They had spent a sleepless night and were on their way to Police Headquarters to report Jack's absence. As they saw their missing comrade, they set up a glad shout.
"Gracious, where have you been?" demanded Billy.
"We were on our way to the police about you," put in Ned.
"Do you know anything about the Judsons and Jarrow?" asked Jack eagerly.
"Why, yes, they came out of the house some time after you went in. We chased them but they jumped into a high-powered car and escaped."
"I know; they've gone to Baltimore."
"How in the world do you know that?" asked Billy wonderingly.
"I'll tell you it all in a few minutes. Ned, is your father up yet?"
"Gracious, no. But if it's important I can tell him to hurry up."
"I wish you would; there's a chance that we can get back the naval code if you do."
"I'll tell him that, and he'll be dressed and down in record time," cried Ned, running off.
Jack waited to tell his adventures till they were all at breakfast. Then Billy and Ned had to tell their stories.
"Well, you boys certainly have your share of adventures," remarked the Senator, "but the most important thing now is to secure the apprehension of those rascals without delay. We had better call up the steamship company at Baltimore and find out if anyone called Jenkins or Thompson, I think those are the aliases they gave at the tenement house, are among the passengers."
This was done at once, but to the intense chagrin of all concerned, the telephone company had seized that early hour of the day to repair some wires which had been knocked down in a thunderstorm near Baltimore the night before. It was impossible to communicate with that city till some hours later.
"We might telegraph," suggested Jack.
"Yes, I'll call a messenger at once. But I doubt even then that we'll be in time," said the Senator.
The telegram was sent, but before a reply came they were able to use the telephone.
"Hullo, is this the Italian-American steamship Company? – all right – are three passengers, two men and a boy, booked on the Southern Star as Jenkins and Thompson, – they are, – good, this is Senator Rivers talking, from Washington, – those men are criminals, – they have robbed the government of valuable documents – summon the police and have them arrested and held – I'll take full responsibility – WHAT! – The Southern Star sailed two hours ago!"
The senator dropped the receiver from his hand in his disappointment.
"Too late! The code is lost to the United States for good, and those rascals have escaped!"
But Jack suddenly sprang forward. His cheeks were aflame with excitement.
"Senator," he cried. "There is still a chance."
"I fail to see it," said Mr. Rivers.
"Get the line on the wire again, sir, and find out if the Southern Star has a wireless."
"But what – Jove, boy! I see your plan now."
Eagerly the Senator snatched up the receiver again. Before long connection was again established.
"The Southern Star has a wireless," he exclaimed. "Her call is S. X. A., and now for your plan, my boy."
"Show me to your wireless room, will you, Ned?" said Jack, subduing the excitement in his voice with a struggle.
"Oh, Jack, I see what you're going to do now," cried Ned. "Come on. We don't want to lose a minute."
The boys dashed up the stairs three at a time. The Senator followed at a more discreet pace. They entered the wireless room with a bang and a shout.
Jack fairly flung himself at the key and began pounding out the Southern Star's call. In reality it was only ten minutes, but to those in that room it seemed hours before he got a reply. When he did, he summoned the captain through the operator.
"Have I got authority to use your name, Senator?" asked the boy while he waited for the announcement that the captain was in the wireless room.
"You have authority to use the name of the most powerful institution in the world, my boy, the United States Government," said the Senator solemnly. Then, as if he had suddenly thought of something, he hurriedly left the room. Downstairs he once more applied himself to the telephone, but this time he talked to the Secretary of the Navy.
Fifteen minutes after Jack had spoken to the Captain of the Southern Star that craft was anchored in the Chesapeake River waiting the arrival of a gunboat hastily detailed by government wireless to proceed at once up that river and take three prisoners off the Southern Star. This latter order was the result of Senator Rivers' call to the Navy Department.
Jack's happy task was then to break the good news to Captain Simms, which he lost no time in doing, and the captain's deep gratitude, which was none the less because he expressed it in few words, may be imagined.
"I declare," he said, "you boys have been my good angels all through. You have helped me as if your own interests had been at stake. I don't know how to thank you."
The code was yielded up by Judson without a struggle, which procured him some leniency later on. But both he and Jarrow met with heavy punishment for their misdeeds. Donald was allowed to go free on account of his youth and the government's disability to prove that he had actually anything to do with the theft of the code. After the news of his arrest spread, the long threatened disaster to Judson's company happened and it went into bankruptcy. Donald, the pampered and selfish, had to go to work for a living. The boys heard that he had gone west. They were destined to meet him again, however, as they were Thurman.
One of Jack's proudest possessions is a framed letter from the Secretary of the Navy thanking him for his great aid and that of his friends in the matter of the Navy Code, but he values the friendship of Captain Simms as highly. Not long after the successful tests of the detector, there was a joyous gathering on board the old Venus, to which queer home Uncle Toby had returned. All our friends were there and Jack was able to announce a joyous surprise. He had been able to secure, through Captain Simms' influence, the command of a fine new sailing ship for Captain Dennis. She was a full-rigged bark, plying between New York and Mediterranean ports.
Tears stood in the veteran captain's eyes, as he thanked Jack, and Helen cried openly.
"Oh, Jack, I – I'd like to hug you!" she exclaimed, whereupon everybody laughed, and the emotional strain was over.
After a while, Captain Dennis began to tell of some of his adventures. Not only had he gone through many experiences on the sea, but also on land, and especially during the great Civil War.
"One time," said Captain Dennis, "while on a foraging expedition, our men were surprised, and before I knew what had happened I was a prisoner. I was taken to an old building and put in the upper story of it.
"Of course, I wanted to escape. So, after a while, I began to try my luck with the rope tied around my wrists. To my joy I found that I could move them. Half an hour later my wrists were free.
"I peered out of the window. It was a very dark night, and the guard set around the building was close and vigilant. I felt that my chances to escape were very small.
"Still, I determined to try. After listening many hours, I thought I learned the exact position of the sentries. The spaces between them were very short, but it would be quite possible, I thought, to pass by them noiselessly and without being perceived. I may as well state that the watch would have been even more strict had not the Confederates regarded the struggle as virtually at an end, and were, therefore, less careful as to their prisoners than they would otherwise have been.
"I prepared for escape by tearing up the sheet on the bed, and knotting the strips into a rope. I opened the window, threw out this rope, and slipped down to the ground. So far I was safe.
"It was dark and foggy, and very difficult to see two feet in advance. I soon found that my observations as to the places of the sentries had been useless. Still, in the darkness and thickness of the night, I thought that the chance of detection was small.
"Creeping quietly and noiselessly along, I could hear the constant challenges of the sentries around me. These, excited by the unusual darkness of the night, were unusually vigilant.
"I approached until I was within a few yards of the line, and the voices of the men as they challenged enabled me to ascertain exactly the position of the sentries on the right and left of me. Passing between these, I could see neither, although they were but a few paces on either hand. Suddenly I fell into a stream running across my path.
"Of course, in the darkness I had not observed it. At the sound of my falling there was an instant challenge. Then a shot was fired!"
"Oh! How thrilling!" exclaimed Helen.
Jack and Ned laughed.
"Well," resumed Captain Dennis, "I struggled across the stream, and clambered out on the opposite side. As I did so, a number of muskets were fired in my direction by soldiers who had rushed up to the point of alarm. I felt a sharp, twitching pain in my shoulder, and I knew that I had been hit. But fortunately the other shots fired whizzed harmlessly by. At top speed I ran forward.
"I was safe from pursuit, for in the darkness it would have been absolutely impossible to follow me. So, in a few moments, I ceased running. What was the use of taking chances? All was quiet behind me, but I could no longer tell in what direction I was advancing.
"So long as I heard the shouts of the sentries, though the sounds seemed far off, I continued my way; and then, all guidance being lost, I lay down under a hedge and waited for morning."
"Oh, dear!" Helen cried sympathetically, "did you have to sleep in that cold, moist night?"
"Quite so," replied Captain Dennis, smiling good-humoredly; "and in the morning it was still foggy. After wandering aimlessly about for some time I at last succeeded in striking a road. I decided to take a westerly course.
"My shoulder was stiff and somewhat swollen. But the bullet had passed through its fleshy part, missing the bone; and although it cost much pain I was able, by wrapping my arm tightly to my body, to proceed. More than once I had to withdraw from the road into the fields or bushes when I heard a straggling number of Confederates coming along.
"I came upon a house, and although I was hungry and tired, I was cautious. Instead of going to the door I made for the window. But I had my trouble for nothing. I looked in and saw a number of Confederate soldiers there, and knew that there was no safety for me. To add to my dismay, one of the soldiers happened to cast his eyes up as I glanced in the room and he at once gave a shout of warning.
"Instantly the others sprang to their feet and started out to pursue me. I fled down the road. A few shots were fired, but fortunately I was not hit again.
"At last I came to a small village. I wondered why I had not reached my camp. But you must remember that I was attached to a small number of men only, and that we always were many miles ahead or in the rear of the army, as occasion called for.
"The village was deserted, for it was late at night again. I made myself comfortable in a sort of stable warehouse, climbing over a number of bales of cotton, and laid myself down next to the wall, secure from casual observation.
"When I awoke the next morning, I nearly uttered a cry of pain a sudden movement had given to my arm. I, however, suppressed it, and it was well that I did so, for I suddenly heard voices right near me. Darkies were moving bales of cotton but, being well back, I had little fear of being discovered.
"The hours passed wearily. I was parched and feverish from pain of my wound. Yet I was afraid to move. So I sometimes dozed off into snatches of fitful sleep. Perhaps I moaned, or I was accidentally discovered. At all events, when I awoke a mammy was bending over me, her voice fully of pity. And – well, to make a long story short, I had blundered again, for the village was being occupied by the Federals, and the cotton the darkies had been taking away was going North. There is no need to add that I was well fed and well taken care of."
Captain Dennis paused, and thoughtfully smoked his pipe. His little audience sat very quietly, their eager faces and shining eyes plainly showing their rapt interest in the modestly told story.
"Well, well," said Captain Dennis, at last breaking the silence, "some day you, Jack and you Ned will be able to tell very many far more thrilling stories."
"Yes" replied Jack, "but none of them will be about so great a cause."
"You are right, Jack," Captain Dennis said fervently; "it was a good cause. But come, you are tired, so let us say 'good night,' my friends."
A half hour later Jack and Ned were fast asleep, dreaming of those stirring times when the immortal Abraham Lincoln was President of this glorious nation.
The next week the Columbia sailed again. As she passed out of New York harbor, and past Sandy Hook, the passengers crowded to the rail to look at a beautiful sea picture.
The sun was setting, and the radiance turned to gold the white sails of a beautiful bark outward bound. As she heeled over on the starboard tack, it was evident that she would pass close to the steamer. From the wireless room Jack Ready and Billy Raynor watched the pretty sight with more interest, perhaps – certainly it was so in Jack's case – than anyone else on board.
"It's the Silver Star, Jack, Captain Dennis's ship," said Billy.
Jack nodded.
"I know it," he answered. "She sailed this morning. I've been on the lookout for her all the way down the bay."
There was silence between the two chums. The Silver Star, gliding swiftly through the water, came steadily on. As the steamer passed her, she was quite close, looking like a beautiful toy from the towering decks of the Columbia.
"Look!" exclaimed Billy, half in a whisper, as her ensign fluttered down in salute and then climbed upward to the peak again. A booming roar from the Columbia's siren acknowledged the compliment.
But Jack had no eyes for this. His gaze was fixed on the stern deck of the Silver Star, where, by her steering-wheel, gripped by two stalwart seamen, stood an upright old man, with glasses bent on the Columbia. A graceful girl was at his side. Jack saw her wave, and was waving frantically back, when there came an insistent summons from the wireless room.
When he came out on deck again twilight had fallen, but far back on the horizon was a tiny blur – the Silver Star. As Jack gazed back at her, she vanished below the horizon as suddenly as an extinguished spark in a piece of tinder.
"Good-night," breathed Jack, and he stood for a long time motionless, leaning on the rail.
And here, for the time being, we, too, will say good-by to our young friends, to meet them all again in the next volume devoted to their doings, which will be called "The Ocean Wireless Boys on the Pacific."
