The wireless disseminated far and wide the news of her safe arrival, andthey learned, ashore, that for days the fate of the "gold ship" had beenthe puzzle of the country. All sorts of wild guesses had been printed asto her whereabouts. She had been reported off the coast of Scotland andagain in the English Channel. One rumor had it that she had beencaptured, another that she had been sunk and most of those on boardlost.
Not one of these guesses, however wild or probable, came within strikingdistance of the extraordinary truth of the "gold ship's" flight acrossthe war-swept seas. The day after their arrival, and while the town wasstill seething with excitement over the great liner's presence in theharbor, Jack received a telegram at the hotel where he, Raynor and deGarros had taken up temporary quarters. The message was from Mr. Jukesand read as follows:
"Learned by the papers of your safe return. Kindly call at my office as soon as possible after your arrival in New York. Important."
"What's in the wind now?" exclaimed Jack to Bill Raynor, who was withhim when he got the message.
"I haven't the slightest idea," said Raynor; "but I have a sort ofnotion in the back of my head that your vacation is over."
"If you can call it a vacation," laughed Jack.
"Well then, perhaps experience would be a better word," substitutedBill, also laughing.
That evening, arrangements having been made about the shipment of theirbaggage to New York, the boys and the young French aviator obtainedtheir tickets from an agent of the steamship company, for the line wasbearing all expenses, and took a night train for home.
Almost as soon as they reached the city, Jack visited Mr. Jukes' office.
"Thank goodness you've come, Ready!" he exclaimed as soon as he hadshaken hands with the lad, upon whom, since their adventures in theSouth Seas, he strangely came to rely; "the _St. Mark_ sails to-morrowfor Europe. I don't know yet, in the middle of this European muddle,just what ports she will touch at. That must be settled by her captainlater on."
"But Mullen is on the _St. Mark_," began Jack. "I wouldn't wish to usurphis job and----"
"And anyhow, it's your vacation," interpolated the magnate. "I know allthat, Ready, and depend upon it, you won't suffer by it if you agree tomy wishes. It isn't exactly as wireless operator I want you to sail onthe _St. Mark_, it's on a personal mission in part. My son, Tom, isamong the refugees somewhere in France. I don't know where. I haven'theard a word since this war started, but the last I know he was autotouring north of Paris. He may even have gone into Belgium, for that wasa part of his plan."
"And you want me to try to find him?" demanded Jack slowly.
"Yes, I know it's a big job, but I know that if anyone can carry itthrough, you can. Expense is no object, spend all you like but find theboy. This suspense is simply killing his mother and worrying me sick."
"I'm willing and glad to take the job, Mr. Jukes," said the youngwireless man, "but, as you say, it's a big undertaking and has about onechance in a hundred of being successful. Besides, you may have heard ofhim and his whereabouts even before the _St. Mark_ reaches Europe."
"I'll take my chances of that," declared the millionaire. "It's actionthat I want. The feeling that something has actually been done to findhim."
"On these conditions, I'll go and do my best," said Jack.
"Thank you, Ready, thank you. I knew you wouldn't fail me. Now aboutfunds. They tell me finances are all topsy-turvy over there now. Nobodycan get any American paper money or travelers' checks cashed. That maybe Tom's fix. You'd better take gold. Here."
He drew a check book out of a drawer and wrote out a check of a sizethat made Jack gasp.
"Get gold for that," he said, as he handed it over, "and when that'sgone, Linwood and Harding, of London, are my agents. Draw on them forwhat you need. And, by the way, is there anybody you want to take withyou?"
"I was going to say, sir," said Jack, "that for a task like this, BillRaynor----"
"The very fellow. I'll never forget him in New Guinea. A splendid lad.But will he go with you?"
"I rather think he will," rejoined Jack with a twinkle in his eye.
CHAPTER IX.
A STRANGE QUEST.
Readers of earlier volumes of this series will recall Tom Jukes, who,after being cast away when his father's yacht burned at sea, was foundby Jack's clever wireless work. This was the youth,--he was about Jack'sown age,--whom the wireless boy had been commissioned to find. Althoughthe task appeared, as Jack had said, one almost impossible ofaccomplishment, still Jack was boy enough to be delighted at theprospect of traversing war-ridden Europe and possibly playing a part inthe mightiest struggle of all time. As for Bill Raynor, he was wild withexcitement at the idea. Uncle Toby Ready, when he was told of theintended trip, shook his head and muttered something about "playing withfire," but he was eventually won over and presented Jack with a dozenbottles of the Golden Embrocation and Universal Remedy for Man andBeast.
"If so be as you meet up with the Kaiser, or the King of England, or theCzar, just give 'em a bottle with my compliments," he said in bestowingthe gift. "By the flying jib, it might be the means of building me up abig European trade. Think of it, Cap'n Toby Ready, P. O. H. R.H.--Physician in Ordinary to His Royal Highness. If you don't run acrostany of them skippers of state you can just distribute it around carelesslike, and draw special attention to the directions and to my address incase the prescription should require to be refilled."
Jack promised, but it is to be feared that the Golden Embrocation nevergot nearer Europe than the cabin of the square rigger _Jane Harding_, ofHalifax, Nova Scotia, which happened to be in the Erie Basin unloadinglumber. Captain Podsnap, of the _Jane Harding_, was an ardent admirerof, and believer in, Captain Toby's concoctions which, as the compounderboasted, never were known to do harm even where they didn't do good. ToCaptain Podsnap, therefore, Jack hied himself perfidiously and made overto him the gifts intended for ailing royalty.
The _St. Mark_ was what is known as a "popular" ship. That is, sheusually crossed with full cabins. But on the present trip there were abare score of passengers in the first cabin, not many more in thesecond, while in the steerage were a couple of hundred travelers, mostlyreservists of the various countries at war, returning to Europe to takeup arms.
As they steamed down the harbor, the docks on each side of the rivercould be observed to be crowded with idle steamers of all sizes, fromsmall freighters to huge four-funnelled liners. With smokeless stacksand empty decks, they lay moored to their piers, offering an eloquenttestimonial to the almost complete paralysis of ocean traffic thatmarked the earlier days of the war. Off Tompkinsville, Staten Island,the dreadnought, _Florida_, swung at anchor, grim in her gray warpaint,--Uncle Sam's guardian of neutrality. It was her duty to keepwatch and ward over the port to see that no contraband went out of theharbor on the ships flying the flags of combatting nations and in otherways to enforce President Wilson's policy of "hands off."
With dipping ensign, the _St. Mark_ slipped by, after a brief scrutinyby a brisk young officer. Then, down the bay she steamed, which the boyshad traversed only a few days before on the hunted _Kronprinzessin_.
"Well, Jack, old fellow," observed Raynor, as Jack leaned back aftersending a few routine messages of farewell and business of the ship,"off again on our travels."
"Yes, and this time, thank goodness, we're under Uncle Sam's flag, andthat means a whole lot in these days."
"It does, indeed," agreed the other fervently, "but have you any ideawhat port we are bound for?"
"Not as yet. We are to get instructions by wireless, either from the NewYork or London offices."
"This a queer job we've embarked on, Jack," resumed Raynor, after apause in which Jack had "picked up" _Nantucket_ and exchanged greetings.
"It is indeed. I only hope we can carry it through successfully. At anyrate, it will give us an opportunity to see something of the war forourselves."
"It's
a great chance, but as to finding Tom Jukes, I must say I agreewith you that a needle in a hay stack isn't one, two, three with it."
A heavily built man, dark bearded and mustached, entered the wirelesscabin. He had a despatch ready written in his hand.
"Send this as soon as possible, please," he said, handing it to Jack.
As his eyes met those of the young wireless man he gave a perceptiblestart which, however, was unnoticed by either of the boys. Raynor waspaying no particular attention to the matter in hand and Jack wasknitting his brows over the despatch. It was in code, to an address inNew York and was signed Martin Johnson.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Johnson," said Jack, "but we can't handle this message."
"Can't? Why not?" demanded the passenger indignantly.
"Because it is in code."
"What's that got to do with it?"
"While the war lasts we have instructions not to handle code messages orany despatches that are not expressed in English that is perfectlyplain."
"That's preposterous," sputtered the passenger angrily. "This is amessage on a business matter I tell you."
"If you'll write it out in English, I'll transmit it," said Jack;"that's what I'm here for."
The man suddenly leaped forward. He thrust a hand in his pocket andpulled out a roll of bills.
"Can I speak to you confidentially?" he asked, turning his eyes onRaynor.
"Anything you've got to say you can say before my friend," said Jack.
"Then, see here--there's a hundred dollars in that roll," as he threw iton the desk, "forget that code rule a while and it's yours."
"Look here, Mr. Johnson," said Jack coldly, "I've already told you whatmy orders are. As for your money, if it was a million it would be justthe same to me."
"Bah! You are a fool," snapped the other, angrily snatching up the moneyand flinging out of the cabin, crumpling the code message in his hand.
"That infernal boy again," he muttered, as he gained the deck outside."This only makes another score I have to settle with him. TheseAmericans, they are all fools. Well, Von Gottberg in New York will haveto go without information, that's all, if I can't find some way ofgetting at the wireless."
"Say, Jack," asked Raynor, as the bearded man left the cabin, "did thatfellow remind you of anybody?"
"Who, Johnson?" asked Jack idly. "Why yes, now that you come to mentionit, there was something familiar about his voice and his eyes, but forthe life of me I couldn't place him."
"Nor I, and yet I've a strong feeling that we've met him somewherebefore."
"Johnsons are as thick as blackberries," commented Jack.
"Yes, but I don't connect that name with this man. It was some othername altogether. Oh, well, what's the use of trying to recallit--anyhow, Mr. Johnson, whoever he is, hasn't got a very amiabletemper. I thought he was going to swell up and bust when you refusedthat message."
But further comment on the irate passenger was cut short at that momentby a beating of dots and dashes against Jack's ears, to which one of the"receivers" was adjusted. He hastily slipped the other into place andthen turned to Raynor with a grin.
"It's our old friend, the _Berwick_," he said. "She's outside waitingfor us, but this time, glory be, we're flying Old Glory."
CHAPTER X.
UNDER OLD GLORY.
Sandy Hook lay behind a dim blue line on the horizon, and the longAtlantic heave was beginning to swing the _St. Mark_ in a mannerdisconcerting to some of the passengers, before they came in sight ofthe cruiser that had led the _Kronprinzessin_ such a harried chase.
"Looks familiar, doesn't she?" commented Jack, as they slowed down andthe _Berwick_ steamed up alongside, about five hundred yards off.
"If it hadn't been for that lucky fog, she'd have looked more familiaryet," declared Bill. "Look, they're lowering a boat."
From the cruiser's side a small boat, crowded with uniformed sailors,and in the stern sheets of which sat a smart junior officer, droppedand, propelled by long, even strokes of the oars which rose and fell inperfect unison, was presently coming toward the liner. The _St. Mark's_accommodation ladder was lowered, and in a few minutes the young Britishofficer was aboard.
Every passenger was lined up in the saloon and compelled to answerquestions as to their nationality, etc. All passed satisfactorily. Thencame the turn of the second cabin and the steerage. From the secondcabin, two admitted German reservists were taken as prisoners of war andin the steerage six more were found. They took their apprehensionsstoically, although they knew that they would probably be confined atHalifax or Bermuda till the close of hostilities.
Jack and Bill Raynor watched these scenes with interest.
"I suppose it will be months, maybe years, before some of those poorfellows see their homes again," said Bill.
"Yes, but it's what you might call the fortune of war," responded Jackbriefly.
So expeditiously was the work of culling out the reservists done that anhour after the _Berwick's_ officers had boarded the liner, the last ofthe prisoners was off and the ship's papers had been inspected andO.K.'d. With mutual salutes, the two craft parted, the _Berwick_ to lie"off and on," looking for commerce carriers of a hostile nation, the_St. Mark_ to resume her voyage to a Europe which was even then crowdedwith desperate, stranded American tourists unable to obtain money orpassage home.
At dinner time Muller, the _St. Mark's_ regular operator, relieved Jack,and he was free for the evening. He elected to spend his leisure timereading up in a text-book, lately issued, an account of the workings ofa new coherer that had recently been brought out.
But the fatigues of the day had made him drowsy and he soon dropped offto sleep in the chair he had placed on the upper deck in the shelter ofa big ventilator. Despite the time of year there was a cool, almost achilly breeze stirring, and most of the small number of first-classpassengers were either in the smoking room or the saloon.
How long he slept Jack did not know, but he was awakened by the sound ofvoices proceeding from the other side of the ventilator, which maskedhim from the speakers' view. One of the voices, which Jack recognized asbelonging to Martin Johnson, grated harshly on his ears.
"If it hadn't been for that cub of a wireless boy," Johnson was saying,"that message would have been in the hands of Von Gottberg by thistime."
"And so you haven't been able to send word about the British cruiser?"inquired the other speaker.
"No, and from the same cause. I shall have to see what I can do with thenight operator. He may not be so absurdly scrupulous, unless that youngwhelp who was on day duty has been talking to him."
"Did you say, Herr Professor, that you had met him before?" asked thelast speaker's companion.
"Yes, confound him, on the _Kronprinzessin Emilie_. I was--er--I wastrying to organize an orderly retreat to the boats after the alarm hadbeen spread that British cruisers were after us, when this youngscoundrel attacked me brutally."
"Didn't you report him to the captain?"
"Well, you see there were--er--reasons which made it unwise to do so."
"You bet there were, Herr Professor Radwig,--for I know who you are now,Mr. Johnson," muttered Jack to himself. "No wonder I thought I knew youin spite of your disguise."
"What are your present plans?" asked Mr. Johnson's, or rather, HerrProfessor Radwig's companion.
"I shall have to see. You understand wireless, Schultz?"
"Intimately. Why, you have some idea--?"
"Never mind now. It is getting chilly. Let us go to our cabins. I willtalk to you more about this to-morrow."
The voices died away as the two left the upper deck. Jack, wide awakenow, sprang to his feet. Clearly there was some mischief concerning thewireless in the air. But of the nature of the impending scheme he couldnot hazard a guess.
"Anyhow, I'll just put Muller wise to what's going on," thought Jack."He's a decent, square fellow, who wouldn't stand for any monkeybusiness. How to deal with Her
r Radwig is another matter. I guess I'llsleep on it. If only those chaps on the _Berwick_ knew who they hadoverlooked on their hunt for Germans, wouldn't they be mad as hornets!"
CHAPTER XI.
THE "HERR PROFESSOR" AGAIN.
It was not part of Jack's plan to apprise Muller of the identity of Mr.Johnson. He did not wish to act prematurely in any way till he hadconsulted Raynor and a plan of campaign had been worked out.
"That guy certainly won't try any monkey-shines with me," Muller assuredJack slangily, but with a sincere ring in his voice, and Jack knew hecould trust him.
Then he sought out Bill, whom he found in the latter's cabin writingletters.
"Well, Bill," he began. "I've solved the mystery of Mr. Johnson."
Bill's writing was instantly forgotten.
"You mean that peppery chap?"
"The same person. He's an old friend of yours. You were not mistakenwhen you said that you thought you recognized his voice."
"The dickens you say?" Bill was all attention now. "And who is he?"
"Why,--as the nickel novels say,--none other than our old college chum,Herr Professor Radwig."
"For gracious' sake!" Bill's expression left no doubt as to thegenuineness of his astonishment. "Old Earwig turned up again, eh?"