CHAPTER XII.
FRANK MAKES A BARGAIN.
"What's the next thing on the program, Frank?" asked Billy.
"I must go to town and see Major Nixon," came the prompt reply.
"You mean so as to hand this prisoner over to his charge, don't you?"
"I want to get in touch with the civil authorities, and make certainarrangements looking to his detention for several days," explainedFrank.
The spy started and looked eagerly at the speaker. His dry lips moved asthough he were trying to voice the sudden hope that had flashed throughhis brain; but no sound followed. Still it could be seen that hisdespair was not as complete as before.
"But Frank," interrupted Pudge, "perhaps it won't be necessary for youto skip out and leave."
"Tell me what you mean, Pudge?" Frank asked him.
"Use the telephone, and talk with the Major. Yes, it was knocked out ofcommission by those smarties, but while you were away this morning,having nothing else to do, I amused myself hunting for the break in thewire, which I found and easily spliced."
"Does it work all right now, Pudge?" questioned Billy, grinning at thethought of the other doing all that climbing, because action of thissort was hardly the forte of their stout chum.
"As good as ever, for I tested it," he was told.
Frank, however, shook his head in the negative.
"I think I had better go personally and see the Major," he told them.
"How's that, Frank?" remarked Billy quickly. "Do you suspect that insome way those men may have tapped our wire?"
"Well, I wouldn't put it past them," came the reply. "Spies have to beup to all sorts of clever dodges, and that would be just in line withtheir work."
Billy gave a whistle to indicate the state of his mixed feelings.
"Gee whillikins, to think that we haven't whispered a single sentencealong that wire but what some outsider was drinking it in! Frank, Iguess you're right, and that in a particular case like this it's best todeal at first hand with Major Nixon."
"I'm sure of that, boys," the leader told them in his quiet, convincingway.
"And I suppose that you want us to stick by the hangar while you'reaway; is that the game, Frank?" Pudge wanted to know.
"Yes, and be mighty careful how you take your eyes off the prisoner foreven a minute," Frank directed. "I'm going to look all around the placebefore I leave, so as to make sure there isn't another spy hidden awayin some corner. As soon as I step out, fasten the door and keep it so. Imay call you up over the wire, and if I do you'll know my voice.Besides, to make absolutely sure I'll give you our old signal. That'sabout all."
He bustled around for several minutes, and thoroughly explored the wholeinterior of the hangar. When Frank had finished his task he wasabsolutely sure that no intruder larger than a mouse could have escapedhis search.
Once outside he made for the gate, where he found a couple ofrosy-cheeked British khaki-clad Tommies on guard, with whom he exchangedpleasant greetings.
"Don't let a single soul get past here until I come back again," he toldthem. "I'm going to see Major Nixon, who is a personal friend of mine,and my business with him is very important. We've caught a--well, athief in the hangar, and I want him to take charge of the rascal. If youhear any row in there while I'm gone have some of your men go up to thedoor; but keep the gate guarded meanwhile."
The two soldiers promised that they would attend strictly to business.They knew something of what these young American boys were doing over inFrance, and that their presence had to do with the closing of certainarrangements with the French Government that had been under way beforethe breaking out of the war.
Frank walked off.
He was feeling very well satisfied with the way things were coming out.It was true there might be some cause for uneasiness in connection withthe determined efforts of the spies to either steal or ruin the machine;but Frank believed he and his chums, assisted by the Allies, could keepit from being destroyed through a bomb placed under the hangar by asecret agent of the Kaiser.
One could not go very far in the neighborhood of Dunkirk in thosestirring days without being visibly reminded that it was a time of war.Soldiers in detachments were moving this way or that; tents could beseen in the fields; artillery was passing along the heavy roads boundfor the front, where the British army in the low country along the YserCanal must be getting ready for that long-heralded drive that was tousher in the new policy of aggression in the early Spring.
Everywhere he looked Frank could see signs of this feverish life. Howdifferent things were across the ocean in his own beloved land; and howthankful he was that peace lay upon the great country of which he was ason.
He knew where he was likely to find Major Nixon, for he had been to seehim at his quarters before now. As he walked quickly along with aspringy step, Frank was laying out his plan of campaign. It was like himto prepare for possibilities, because he was determined that, as far ashe could prevent it, he and his chums would not take sides in thisterrible struggle for supremacy, any more than could be prevented.
Coming to the building in which the British had their Headquarters hewas stopped by a sentry who demanded his business.
"I must see Major Nixon on very important business," Frank told him. "Ihope he is in his quarters, for I wish to send my card with a line on itto him."
Of course all that the sentry could do was to summon a noncommissionedofficer, to whom Frank repeated his request. It happened that thesergeant had seen Frank walking arm in arm with the Major, and henceknew that they were friends.
"He is very busy just now, and gave word that he was not to be disturbedexcept on most important business," the sergeant informed him.
"This is a matter," the boy told him impressively, "that concerns graveissues connected with the plans of your leaders, and I hope you will seethat the Major gets my card."
"I will carry it to him myself," announced the sergeant, which heaccordingly did, and soon came back nodding his head.
The few urgent words written on the card had the desired effect, for thesergeant immediately asked Frank to follow him.
"Major Nixon told me to say that he would see you, sir," was the messagehe gave the boy.
Presently Frank entered the soldier's room. He found the Majorimpatiently awaiting his coming, and with an extended hand in thebargain.
"My word! but you've given me a beastly shock by what you write," he wassaying as he shook hands. "'Plans threatened with disaster--must see youat once!' Now be good enough to tell me what it all means, for I'mshivering with dread. If anything happened to upset all those splendidlyarranged plans for the raid, we'd be broken-hearted, you know."
"Before I say a single word, Major Nixon, I want you to give me yourpromise to agree to a certain stipulation I shall make. It simplyconcerns a man's life; and will not interfere the least bit with yourideas of military rules."
"That's a singular request to make, Frank, but I think I know you wellenough to feel sure you will not bind me to anything that would touchupon my honor. I promise you then that you shall have your way; for Iimagine you want to have the disposal of this unknown man in your ownhands."
"That is just what I want, Major," returned the other quickly. "And nowlisten while I tell you of a remarkable thing that happened after youleft us this morning."
"At your hangar, do you mean?" asked the soldier, looking startled.
"Yes."
"I hope you don't intend to tell me any of our men have proven false totheir trust and betrayed you, Frank; because I happen to know that theaviator corps expects great things of that invention of Dr. Perkins',should it eventually become the property of the French Government."
"There has been no traitor in the camp, Major," the other hastened toassure him. "But nevertheless we have learned that all the while youwere there talking to us, and while we have been discussing the intendedraid in low tones among ourselves, there was a spy
concealed in thehangar who must have heard more or less of what was said, despite ourprecautions."
The soldier jumped to his feet. He looked almost frightened as he staredinto the face of Frank Chester.
"You are sure of what you say, are you, Frank?" he asked with an effort.
"Oh! there isn't the slightest doubt about it," came the reply.
Then Major Nixon began to breathe easier. He saw that Frank was smiling,and his common sense told him the boy would not be likely to show suchfreedom from anxiety if things were as bad as he had at first feared.
"Frank, tell me the rest without delay. I know you've got good news backof this astonishing disclosure. Where is that spy now?"
"In the hangar still," replied Frank.
"Did you take him prisoner?" demanded the Major eagerly.
"Yes, and I'll tell you how it was done, sir. We had quite a littlecircus for a short time, believe me."
Major Nixon listened, and as he heard how Pudge sat down upon thesurprised eavesdropper whom they had dragged from the locker, he evensmiled, for that terrible fear had by now left his soul.
"My word! what great luck that you caught him before he could send anysort of signal to his companions!" he exclaimed. "And we must see to itthat he does not have a chance to even wink an eye toward anyone. Itwould have ruined everything if he had slipped away. I am a thousandtimes obliged to you, Frank, for being so much on the alert. It wouldhave ruined my own career if the break had been traced back and placedon my shoulders. We will see to it that this spy gets all that is comingto him."
"Oh! but you forget your promise, Major Nixon!" remarked the boy coolly.
The soldier looked at him and frowned.
"But Frank, a spy is a dangerous sort of reptile, no matter on whichside he is working," he objected. "These Germans have the most completesystem of secret espionage ever known. It is hard to keep anything fromtheir knowledge. This man knew the risk when he hid there in yourhangar. He should pay the penalty of his venture. He can expect nothingless than death."
"Wait, Major Nixon; please remember that he is _my_ prisoner, not yours.If I had spoken the word he could have been set free. You gave me yoursolemn promise that I should have the say of his fate if I handed himover to the authorities."
The soldier pondered these words for a minute before continuing.
"Tell me just what you've got in your mind, my boy," he said, "and Ifeel certain that I can agree to it, because I know how sensible youare."
"Then listen, sir," said Frank impressively. "We three are Americans,and while we may sympathize with the Allies in this struggle at the sametime we do not hate the German people, but feel the warmest friendshipfor them. We would not care to remember that we had turned over this spyto the military authorities to be shot. It would grieve us more than Ican tell you, sir."
"But you have a plan, Frank, of course?" ventured the other.
"Yes."
"Which, it is to be hoped, will protect our great secret?"
"Here is what I want you to agree to, sir," Frank told him. "We willturn this man over to the civil authorities of Dunkirk to be consideredsolely in the light of a sneak thief who meant to steal something fromour hangar and dispose of it so as to buy food. He has papers to showthat he is by birth a Swede, but an American citizen by adoption."
"Ah! yes, but those have undoubtedly been stolen, and are being used fora purpose anyone can understand," declared the soldier.
"Yes, that is what we believed, sir," said Frank. "At the same time ifhe were shot it might raise an unpleasant tension between my Governmentand the Allies. As I look at it, the main thing you want to do is to soarrange it that this spy can in no manner communicate with any of hisfellows. Am I right there, Major?"
"Yes, yes; that is the principal thing we must consider now, Frank."
"All right, that can be done just as well if he is shut up as a thief,and at the end of three days, after the raid is a thing of the past,allowed to take his departure from Dunkirk with a warning that if caughtagain he will pay the penalty with his life."
Again the soldier pondered. He did not like to let the spy off soeasily, for like most bluff fighting men, Major Nixon felt an aversionfor those clever secret agents who could block the plans of generalsthrough securing information in advance.
Finally he gave a sigh and smiled at Frank.
"My word! but you know how to handle matters, Frank," he observed. "Ofcourse I can see just how you and your fine chums must feel about thisthing; and on the whole I do not blame you. Yes, I give you my promiseagain that it will be done as you say. We will take the man to a placeof security where he cannot find a chance to communicate with his kindin any possible way. He will be known simply as a suspected thief on therecords. And after the raid is over with, I myself will see that he isled to the outskirts of the town, and let go with a warning. Is thatsufficient, Frank?"
"Yes, sir, for I know your word is as good as your bond," Frank toldhim. "I feel I have done my duty without being instrumental insacrificing a life."