CHAPTER VII
THE MINISTER'S BALL
It was a gay assemblage that thronged the home of the Swiss ministerfour nights after Hal's interview with the chief of the German secretservice. Elegantly dressed women and well groomed and handsomeofficers danced and sang, and from the general tone of the evening itwould have been hard to believe that Germany was engaged in a war thatthreatened her very existence.
Hal, Chester and McKenzie went to the ball accompanied by Mrs.Schweiring and her daughter. Mrs. Schweiring's husband announced thathe would appear later, as he had matters of importance to transact athis office.
This was the night that Hal had decided upon to make an effort to getthe list of names for which the three friends were risking so much. Hehad a well-conceived plan in mind. The details he had worked out inthe days following his interview with the German chief of secretservice and his preparations had been careful and thorough. Now he wasanxious for action.
General Rentzel reached the ball late in the evening. He paid hisrespects to the Swiss minister and to the latter's wife. A few momentslater he encountered Hal, and escorted the lad to a secluded nook,where he presented the lad with several documents.
"This," he said, indicating one, "is your passport into Switzerland.From there you will travel as a Swiss subject. You will present thatpaper," and he indicated a second, "to Herr Baumgartner in Washington.You will find him still at the Austrian embassy. He will give youother instructions. Also, you will receive your pay through him, andwhatever other money is necessary."
Hal bowed.
"Very well, sir," he said.
"I don't know that there is anything further," said General Rentzel,"except to warn you that treachery means death."
"I am aware of that, sir," returned Hal quietly.
"Very good, then. Good luck to you."
The general moved away.
Hal sought Chester instantly, glancing at his watch as he passed alongslowly and without apparent haste. It was 10:30 o'clock.
"It's time to get busy, Chester," he said quietly. "It's half-pastten, and I may require an hour and a half. You get word to Gladys andher mother to keep General Rentzel here under some pretext untilmidnight. I'm off."
"Am I not going with you?" demanded Chester.
"No," said Hal. "I don't have time to wait, and the message must bedelivered to Mrs. Schweiring or her daughter at once. I'll pickMcKenzie up on the way. Good-bye."
"Good luck," said Chester simply.
Hal left the room quietly. In the hall he found McKenzie, whom hemotioned to follow him. McKenzie did so quietly.
Outside Hal found the automobile which had brought them to the ball.He leaped in and McKenzie followed. Hal gave quick directions to thechauffeur to drive them home. The latter asked no questions.
At the home of Mrs. Schweiring Hal ordered McKenzie to remain in thecar while the lad hurried into the house. He returned a moment later,carrying a small grip. This he threw into the car and climbed in afterit.
"We have important business with General Rentzel," he told thechauffeur. "You will drive us there and then return to the ball foryour mistress."
The chauffeur asked no questions. There were so many queer thingsgoing on in Berlin that he was not even greatly interested.
General Rentzel's office was in darkness when the car pulled up beforeit. Motioning McKenzie to follow him, Hal hastened up the steps. Thechauffeur, in accordance with Hal's instructions, immediatelydisappeared down the street with the car.
In the darkness of the vestibule, Hal tried the door.
"Locked," he said. "Lucky we came prepared."
He opened the little grip he carried.
Meanwhile, Chester had carried Hal's message to Gladys. The latter hadrepeated it to her mother, and these two now shadowed General Rentzelevery place he moved, for they were fearful that he might decide at anymoment to leave the house. Chester kept his eyes on all three.
Chester was plainly nervous. Had he been in the danger himself hisnerves would have been as hard as steel, but the inaction while someoneelse was doing the work made him impatient and fanciful.
Finally General Rentzel approached the Swiss minister and paid hisadieus. Then he moved toward the cloakroom.
Halfway there he was intercepted by Mrs. Schweiring and Gladys.
"You are not going so soon, your excellency?" questioned Mrs.Schweiring.
"I must," was the reply. "I have work to do at my office that willkeep me until far into the night."
"I'm sorry," was the reply. "Have you seen my husband?"
"Why, no."
"I understood him to say that he had some business with you; perhaps Iwas mistaken, however."
Twice now the general had attempted to move on, but Mrs. Schweiring hadprevented it. He tried again, and she asked:
"What time have you, your excellency?"
General Rentzel glanced at his watch.
"Half-past eleven," he said.
"Surely, it is not that late," said Mrs. Schweiring. "Why, we haveonly been here a short time."
"Madame," said General Rentzel at this juncture, "I must ask you toexcuse me. I must be going."
There was no reply the other could make to this without laying herselfopen to suspicion. She stepped back, and the German secret servicechief passed on.
Behind him the woman and her daughter wrung their hands. They had beenunsuccessful. In their minds they could see General Rentzel burstingin upon Hal and McKenzie in the middle of their work.
"What are we going to do?" cried the mother.
"They must be warned!' cried the daughter.
"But how?"
"I will warn them myself. It is a long ways to the general'squarters. He will be in no hurry. I can get there ahead of him."
"But if you should be discovered?"
Gladys shrugged her shoulders and was gone before her mother couldprotest.
Outside she dashed up to the Schweiring automobile and cried to thechauffeur.
"To General Rentzel's quarters! Quick!"
The machine sprang forward with a lurch.
Two minutes later, Gladys, peering from the car, made out as theypassed what she took to be General, Rentzel's machine. She urged thechauffeur on even faster.
Half a block from the general's quarters, she ordered her driver tostop and then to take up position down a side street, where it wasdark, and wait for her. These instructions were obeyed withoutquestion.
Gladys hurried toward the house.
There was no light to be seen as she ascended the steps and laid a handon the door knob. Nevertheless the girl moved silently, for she didnot know what servants might be in the house.
The door opened without a sound. Gladys advanced into the darkness.
From time to time she stopped as she moved along, but she was so afraidthat General Rentzel might arrive before she could warn Hal andMcKenzie that she wasted little time.
She came to a door, which opened noiselessly. She peered into thedarkness, and in what appeared to be another room she saw what lookedlike a star.
The girl breathed a cry of thankfulness. She knew that she had foundwhat she sought. She moved forward more rapidly.
As she walked along toward the light, she suddenly tripped over anobstacle hidden by the mantle of darkness and fell to the floor.
There was a crash that resounded throughout the house.