Bob Cook and the German Spy

T >> Tomlinson, Paul Greene >> Bob Cook and the German Spy

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Bob related the story of the bomb to his brother.

"Say!" exclaimed Harold in an awestruck voice. "That was pretty good work
of you two. A train came along on that track too."

"Hugh got the bomb out just in time," said Bob.

"Say," repeated Harold. "Say," he said again, completely overcome.

"Do you think they'll let us enlist on the strength of what we did?" Hugh
asked hopefully.

"I doubt it," said Harold. "I'll certainly speak to the captain about
you though."

"We might as well go home now, I guess," said Bob. "You don't want to see
your canoe tonight, do you?"

"No," replied Hugh grimly. "I've lost all interest in canoes for
the present."

They said good night to Harold and started homeward. They still felt
a little shaky as a result of the bomb episode, but before long the
walk and the crisp night air had refreshed them and their spirits
once more revived.

"I wonder what they'll do to that German," exclaimed Bob.

"Harold said they had locked him up for over night, and I guess when they
hear what he tried to do, they'll keep him longer than that."

"They'll send him to jail probably."

"I hope so," said Hugh. "Any man who would try to blow up a bridge and
kill crowds of people deserves worse than jail."

"They'll give him five or ten years all right," said Bob.

"Yes, and when they try his case we'll have to act as witnesses I
suppose."

"I wouldn't mind that," Bob exclaimed. "It might be a lot of fun."

"Aren't these plotters silly?" said Hugh. "They may be able to blow up a
plant or a bridge here and there, but they'll lose more than they gain."

"Why so?"

"Because it'll make the people mad. When they once get angry they'll
fight and work much harder to defeat Germany. Half the people in this
country don't seem to realize that we are at war now, but when a few of
them get blown up we'll begin to do something."

They discussed the war and the possibility of sending American troops to
France. Hugh wanted to go into the aviation corps when he was old enough
but Bob thought the infantry and solid ground under his feet would be
good enough for him.

Presently they came near home. Hugh lived two blocks farther down
the street than Bob and consequently he had to pass the Cooks' house
on his way.

"There's the Wernbergs'," said Bob. "A light in the second story back
window, and two automobiles in front."

"Do you suppose they're up to anything?" exclaimed Hugh.

"I suspect them all right, but how can we prove it?"

"I have an idea," Hugh exclaimed suddenly. The two boys were standing on
the opposite side of the street from the Wernbergs' house, regarding it
curiously.

"What is it?"

"Can you get your automobile?"

"I guess so, if Heinrich hasn't taken the family out."

"Let's get it and follow one of those machines. In that way we can see
where the people live who are at the Wernbergs'. Maybe we can learn
something about them if we know who they are."

"A good scheme," exclaimed Bob readily. "We'll have to be awfully
careful though; if they ever found out we were following them it might
go hard with us."

"We'll be careful all right," said Hugh grimly. "Come ahead, we want to
be ready to start and they may leave at any time."

The two boys walked quickly up the street, taking care to keep on the
opposite side from the Wernberg home. When they arrived in front of the
Cooks' they darted across the street and hurried along the driveway
until they came to the garage. The door was shut and locked. Bob
knocked loudly.

There was no reply. Bob looked at his watch under the light of a match
which Hugh struck. It was twenty minutes of eleven.

"That's queer," he muttered. "Heinie is usually in bed long before this."

"Maybe he is now, and is asleep," Hugh suggested.

Bob glanced up at the second story window. "I don't think so," he said.
"The window is closed in the room where he usually sleeps, and I know he
is a crank on fresh air."

"Throw some gravel at it," said Hugh. "That'll get him up if he's there."

This plan was followed, but with no success.

"He's out," said Bob finally. "What'll we do?"

"Is the car there?"

"Yes, but what good will it do us if we can't get in?"

"Haven't you got a key to the garage up at the house?"

"Father has one, but I don't dare wake him now." Bob glanced at the house
and the absence of lights on the first and second floors convinced him
that his family were all in bed. A single light shone from a window on
the third floor where Lena, the cook, slept.

"Maybe we can force a window," suggested Hugh. "You can open the door
from the inside, can't you?"

"Oh, yes," said Bob. "Let's try a window anyway."

They went around the corner of the garage and the first window they tried
yielded immediately. A moment later both boys had clambered inside, and
presently Bob found the electric light button. As the light flooded the
garage Heinrich's angora cat rose sleepily from the tonneau of the
automobile and stretched himself. A cloth covering over the parrot's cage
kept that garrulous bird quiet. Percy lay stretched out in the water
which filled his tub.

"The dog must be out with Heinrich," said Bob.

He seated himself in the driver's seat of the car, and Hugh lifted the
drowsy cat to the floor. Bob pushed a button, put his foot on the
self-starter and the engine started. Heinrich always backed the car into
the garage so that it was headed in the right direction as it stood. Hugh
undid the spring catch on the door and rolled the door back. They were
now ready to start.

"I'll go down by the street and watch the Wernbergs," said Hugh. "I hope
they haven't gotten away while we have been fooling around here."

"I guess not," said Bob. "When they start you whistle twice and I'll be
with you right away."

"All right," agreed Hugh. "You'd better run with your lights dimmed."

"I shall, don't worry."

Hugh hurried away. Bob was left alone in the car and he presently shut
off the engine. He had wished to warm up the motor so that it would start
readily when the time came; he was convinced that it would do so now.

He thought over the events of the day, and for the first time he realized
that he was tired. Excitement had spurred him on and the intense interest
he took in the war had made him forget all else. He wondered if he and
Hugh were starting off on a wild goose chase now. What particular reason
had they to suspect the Wernbergs anyway? True, all Germans were more or
less under suspicion just then, but why the Wernbergs any more than the
others? He recalled his fight with Frank that morning, and his father's
remarks. Perhaps it was just as well to go out that night after all.

Bob thought of the war and the terrible things the Germans had done. What
brutes and beasts they were! The Germans had been busy in the United
States too. The big factory at Eddystone had been blown up that day, with
the loss of a hundred and twenty-five lives, mostly of girls. That
showed what the American people had to guard against.

"I hate them all!" muttered Bob angrily. He took that back a moment
later, however, as he thought of Heinrich. Surely their chauffeur was as
faithful and kindly a soul as ever lived; his love for animals proved
that. Then there was Lena, their cook, a buxom woman of forty who had
never been heard to utter a cross word in her life.

Heinrich was capable of getting mad, however, particularly about the car.
Bob wondered what he would say if he should arrive home now, and find him
preparing to go out in it and perhaps get it dirty.

His reverie was suddenly interrupted by the sound of two whistles. A
moment later the motor was purring softly, and with the headlights
dimmed, the big sixty horse-power car slid out of the garage and started
silently down the driveway.

CHAPTER VII

IN THE NIGHT

"They're starting," said Hugh in a low voice. He jumped upon the running
board as Bob came along, and climbed into the front seat beside him.
"Let's wait here a minute," he whispered.

Down the street in front of the Wernbergs' house they could see men
getting into the two automobiles. Presently the whirr of the motors came
to their ears and the two cars started. One came towards them and the
other went in the opposite direction.

"Which one shall we follow?" whispered Bob.

"Let's follow the one going the other way."

They rolled out of the driveway and started down the street. As they
turned into the avenue the first car passed them, a gray roadster
bespeaking power and speed in its every detail. Two men were seated in
it. Bob and Hugh obtained a fleeting glimpse of them as they flashed by.
The tail light of the car they intended to follow showed a dim, red spot
far down the street.

"Speed her up a little, Bob," urged Hugh. "We don't want to lose them."

"We can't keep too close to them either," said Bob. "Besides, my thumb
and forefinger are pretty sore from that fuse burn and it's hard to grip
the wheel."

"Mine are sore too," said Hugh. "Put on gloves."

"I haven't any with me."

"I have; take mine."

Still watching the small red dot ahead of them Bob managed to slip on
Hugh's right-hand glove. It was a great help to him in driving.

"They've turned a corner," exclaimed Hugh suddenly. "Faster, Bob!"

Bob pressed his foot on the accelerator and the car leaped forward as if
it were a living thing. A moment later they reached the cross street and
turned into it, peering anxiously ahead. The car they were following was
still in sight.

"Keep about two hundred yards in back of them," Hugh advised.

"We mustn't lose them."

"No, and we don't want them to get suspicious either."

"They're turning another corner," exclaimed Bob after a few moments.

"Speed it up now that they can't see us."

Bob did so and they came to the corner just in time to see the car they
were following pull up at the curb in front of a white stucco house.

"Go ahead, Bob! Go ahead!" urged Hugh. "Don't turn!"

Bob kept straight on. "What street was that?" he asked.

"Elm Street."

"Isn't that where the German on the bridge told Harold he lived?"

"Why so it is," exclaimed Hugh.

"I wonder what number that house is."

"I don't know. Let's see, Howard Seeley lives on Elm Street, just the
next block down; his number is eleven hundred and something."

"The German told Harold he lived at twelve eighty-two, and I'll bet you
that was the house."

"Whew!" whistled Hugh. "I wonder if it was."

"They probably went to find out why the bridge wasn't blown up to-night,"
said Bob. "Do you suppose that could be it?"

"Maybe. We could have told them quicker if they'd come to us
though," chuckled Hugh. "They'll probably give that fellow the
mischief for failing."

"They can't get at him if he's in jail."

"That's so. Suppose we're called as witnesses at his trial? They'll learn
that we spoiled their game and our lives won't be worth two cents."

"Well, if those men are plotters we must prove it before the case even
comes to trial."

"Do you suppose they have a regular organization to blow up everything
around here that they can?" said Hugh. "I should think the secret service
would get after them."

"Probably it has; no doubt the names of all those men are listed."

"That is, if they really are plotters."

"Of course. Where are you going!"

They had kept straight on down the road and were now on the outskirts of
the city. The houses were fewer and more scattered all the time and
presently the boys would be in the open country.

"I don't know," said Bob. "I was just going ahead without thinking."

"We'd better go back, hadn't we? We must be about three miles from home."

"There's a road up ahead here to the right," said Bob. "We can turn down
there and go back that way."

When they were about two hundred yards distant from the road in question,
an automobile came out of it and turned into the main highway. A moment
later it was speeding along in front of Bob and Hugh, the roar of its
cutout coming faintly to their ears.

"Bob," exclaimed Hugh excitedly, "that's the gray roadster!"

"What gray roadster?"

"The one we passed in front of your house. It came from the Wernbergs'."

"Shall we follow it?"

"Certainly. It's going like the wind though."

"Well, it can't lose us," said Bob grimly. He advanced the spark, gave
the motor more gas and they were soon tearing through the night at fifty
miles an hour. Over the crest of a hill in front of them, the gray
roadster was outlined for a moment and then disappeared.

Up the grade of the hill Bob drove the big car. When they arrived at the
top they peered ahead anxiously for any sign of the machine they
followed. Nothing was to be seen of it.

"It's gone," exclaimed Hugh.

"Perhaps not," said Bob. "It can't be very far ahead of us anyway."

They continued down the road at breakneck speed, passing through a clump
of woods that lined both sides. Bob forced the motor to its utmost, but
no sign of the gray roadster could they discover. Finally he brought the
car to a dead stop and turned to Hugh.

"What became of that car?" he demanded. "They weren't far enough ahead of
us to have gotten out of sight so quickly."

"They must have turned off into another road," said Hugh. "I don't see
what else could have happened."

"But there are no roads into which they could have turned."

"Are you sure?"

"Positively."

Both boys relapsed into silence, completely mystified by the
strangeness of the thing. Apparently the roadster had vanished from the
face of the earth.

"Wait a minute," cried Bob suddenly. "There is a road back there too."

"I thought there must be."

"Remember those woods back there, just this side of the hill?"

"Yes. That's where we used to go for chestnuts in the fall."

"That's the place. Remember the old house back in there?"

"It's deserted and tumble-down."

"I know it, but there's an old wagon road leading to it."

"Do you think that is where they went?" exclaimed Hugh in surprise.

"Where else could they have gone?"

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

"Shall we go back there and see?"

"We can't run the car in there."

"Why not? We can if they can."

"Suppose we should meet them coming out?"

"That's right," exclaimed Bob. "I tell you what we can do though.
We'll run back down the road and leave the car and then go to the old
house on foot."

"Good scheme," said Hugh readily. "We can hide the car somewhere I
suppose."

"Oh, yes. We'll leave it a little way off the road under some trees."

A few moments later Bob had turned the car around and they were speeding
back in the direction whence they had come.

"You know where the road is, don't you?" asked Hugh.

"I do," said Bob confidently. "We'll leave the car about a quarter of a
mile this side of it and then walk."

"I wonder if they could have gone to that old deserted house,"
mused Hugh.

"Maybe. I swear I don't see why though."

"We're probably chasing moonbeams," said Hugh.

"Perhaps we are, but we're having a lot of fun anyway."

"Of course we are," exclaimed Hugh, "and I'm for going ahead."

A moment later Bob slowed down the car. A clump of trees appeared
alongside the road, and shifting into second speed Bob carefully steered
his course toward them. In the shadow of the trees he stopped, shut off
the motor, turned off the lights, and stepped out. Hugh got out on the
other side.

"Here we are," whispered Bob. "I guess it's all right to leave the
car here."

"I should think so," Hugh agreed. "We're about fifteen yards from the
road and I don't believe any one would notice it in here."

They started down the road, keeping well to one side, so that they would
not show up against the faint white ribbon of the highway as it stretched
through the country. After a walk of about five minutes Bob halted.

"There's the road," he whispered, pointing ahead.

"Come on then," urged Hugh. "Carefully now."

It was a weird sensation to be stealing along in the darkness, and the
hearts of both boys were pounding. They turned from the main road and
started down the narrow wagon track through the woods. It was much darker
there and difficult to pick one's path.

A dry twig snapped under Hugh's foot and the boys stopped short, their
breath coming fast. The hoot of an owl directly overhead startled them
violently and unconsciously they clutched each other's arm. The giant
trees loomed black and forbidding in the darkness, and it was easy to
imagine all kinds of things lurking behind to spring out at them.

"I don't like this," whispered Hugh. "How far is it from here?"

"Just a short distance. I don't like it either."

Presently Bob tugged at Hugh's sleeve. "There's a light," he said softly.

A faint glimmer appeared through the darkness ahead. Presently the boys
were able to see that it came from a lantern held by some man standing in
the open doorway of the old house. A moment later four others appeared
from within and came out to the tumble-down porch. Bob and Hugh looked on
with bated breath. What could it all mean?

CHAPTER VIII

A STRANGE OCCURRENCE

The man with the lantern advanced to the edge of the porch, holding the
lantern at arm's length and shoulder high. In the flickering light Bob
and Hugh could see the others putting on their overcoats. Presently there
was a flash of light as the powerful searchlights of an automobile were
turned on; only for a second or two, however, as they were quickly
extinguished.

"There's the gray roadster," whispered Hugh.

The two boys were crouched behind a fallen tree, an obstruction they had
been on the point of climbing when they had spied the lantern. They could
hear the men walking about near the house, and frequently could even
catch the sound of voices.

Presently they heard the whirr of a motor. Dimmed lights were turned on
in the roadster and soon it started.

"Lie low," whispered Hugh. "They mustn't see us."

Bob needed no cautioning on that score, however.

The car rumbled toward them as if it were feeling its way. The
wagon-road was some ten yards to the left of the spot where the two boys
were concealed. Directly to it the roadster went, its two glowing eyes
giving it the appearance of some gigantic bug. With bated breath Hugh and
Bob watched its progress. Presently it passed them and lumbered away over
the rough road.

"How many men were in it?" whispered Hugh.

"Three, I think."

"There were only two when we passed it in front of your house."

"I know it. There must be a couple more men here, too."

"Ssh," hissed Hugh softly, grasping his companion by the wrist.

Voices could be heard, coming nearer and nearer to their hiding place.
Once again the two boys almost stopped breathing while they waited for
the speakers to pass. They could make out two shadowy forms following the
same course taken by the automobile. The two men conversed earnestly
together in tones so low, that the listeners could not overhear what was
said. After a few moments the sound of the voices died away and Hugh and
Bob were left alone. That is, they were alone as far as they could tell.

"Well," said Hugh finally. "They're gone."

"Seems so," admitted Bob. "We can't be sure though."

"Were those men talking German?"

"I couldn't tell."

"Neither could I for sure, but I thought they were."

"Probably so," said Bob. "At any rate it looks to me as if there was some
queer business going on in this place."

"It certainly does. I wonder what's in that house?"

"Shall we go and see?"

"You don't catch me in that house at this time of night," said
Hugh grimly.

"How about coming out here to-morrow, then?"

"To-morrow's Saturday, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"All right," said Hugh. "I'll come out with you."

"And now we'd better go home."

"I guess we had. It must be nearly midnight."

They arose from their cramped positions on the ground and stealthily
began to retrace their steps. They were even more wary on their way out
than they had been going in, for they could not be sure that they would
not meet some of the men they had seen about the old house. Just before
they came to the end of the wagon-road they heard the sound of a motor
and saw the lights of an automobile speeding down the main road in the
direction of High Ridge.

"Sounds like our car," said Bob. "All those motors make the same sort
of noise."

"Pretty good ears you have," remarked Hugh.

"You ought to see old Heinie," said Bob. "He may look stupid, but he can
tell almost any make of car just by the noise it makes."

"What'll he say when you get home?" queried Hugh.

"He'll be mad. He doesn't think I know how to drive the car, and if there
is any dirt on it he'll be madder yet."

"The roads aren't muddy now though."

"I know it, but he'll be cross if there's dust on it even."

They emerged on the main road, looked carefully in both directions, and
then still keeping to the side of the road, started back toward the spot
where they had left the car. A ghostly moon, in its last quarter, shed
its pale light on the highway, and aided the boys to distinguish their
surroundings.

"There's the place," said Bob a moment later.

They ran quickly across the road and hurried towards the clump of trees
where they had hidden the car. Both boys would feel relieved when they
were seated in their conveyance once more, and on their way home. It was
nervous work prowling around the countryside at night with a suspicious
gang of men lurking near.

Bob and Hugh hurried along side by side and presently came to the patch
of trees, which was their destination. A feeling of relief came over them
that soon they would be speeding back to High Ridge.

Suddenly Bob uttered an exclamation of surprise and stopped short.

"The car is gone," he gasped.

CHAPTER IX

ANOTHER SURPRISE

At first the two boys were too amazed to speak. They stared blankly at
the spot where the car had been concealed. It now was nowhere to be seen.

"Is this the place?" exclaimed Hugh, the first to regain his senses.

"I know it is," said Bob. "I ran the car right up under that big birch
tree so that I could surely mark the spot."

"Well!" gasped Hugh, unable to say more.

"What'll we do?" Bob almost sobbed. "Some one has stolen the car, and it
is all my fault. What will father say?"

"You'll have to tell him the circumstances," said Hugh lamely. "I don't
know what else you can do."

"But the car is gone," insisted Bob, his mind unable to grasp any idea
beyond that. "The car is gone."

"Maybe it'll come back," said Hugh. "Stolen cars are often recovered."

He lighted a match and held it close to the ground. There were the
marks made by the tires in the damp earth. There was no doubt that this
was the place.

"Who could have taken it?" demanded Bob.

Both boys were silent and the same thought flashed through their
minds at once.

"One of those men from that old house," said Hugh.

"They must have had sentries posted," said Bob and he glanced about him
nervously. "Probable they watched us leave it here and when we went back
into the woods they took it. Probably they followed us and watched us all
the time too; very likely they're watching us now."

"Let's go home," exclaimed Hugh. "I've had enough of this."

"But the car," protested Bob.

"It's gone, isn't it?" said Hugh. "We can't find it by just standing
around here. The best thing we can do is to hurry back to High Ridge as
fast as we can and report it to police headquarters."

"It's over three miles," said Bob.

"Suppose it is," Hugh exclaimed. "Suppose it was twenty miles: we'd have
to go just the same. We may get a lift on the way."

"Not at this time of night."

"Anyway we'd better start; we may be in danger here."

This latter consideration had great weight with Bob. He realized that
enemies of one kind or another were there, or had been recently, in that
neighborhood and he had no desire to meet them, unarmed as he was. His
judgment also told him that Hugh's suggestion about reporting the loss of
the car to the police was the only feasible one under the circumstances.

"Come on," he urged. "Let's go home."

"Some one may come along and offer us a ride," said Hugh hopefully.

"I'm afraid there won't be many people out at this time of night,"
returned Bob disconsolately. "I wish I knew what had happened to the
car."

They proceeded in silence, glancing about them nervously for fear that
they might be the victims of some further surprise. For a half-mile
they kept to the side of the road, for little as they cared to walk
where the darkness was thickest, they knew they would not be as exposed
there as they would be in the middle of the road. When they reached the
top of the hill, however, they became bolder and ventured out upon the
paved highway.

They walked swiftly, every few yards one or the other of the boys turning
to glance behind them to see if they were followed. The night was clear,
and the stars were shining brilliantly; hardly a breath of air was
stirring. Presently they came within sight of the town, and the sound of
the clock on the town hall striking one came faintly to their ears.

"Whew," said Bob, "it's late."

"I should say so," Hugh agreed, "and I was just thinking of everything we
have done to-day. We've certainly been busy."

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