CHAPTER III
THE MAN OF MYSTERY AGAIN
"Well, boys," said Mr. Temple at breakfast next morning. "I'm going tobe busy today talking business with my Pacific Coast representatives.First of all, however, Frank and I shall have to go and lay before thegovernment people this information as to what he overheard. I suppose,Bob, that you and Jack want to go along."
"Righto, Father," said Bob.
They sat at table in the Palace Hotel on Market Street in San Francisco.This is one of the most famous hostelries in the world. Lotta's Fountainis on Market Street outside. Nearby is the intersection of Market, Gearyand Kearney Streets--the busiest spot in all the great city. The officesof the big newspapers are adjacent. The hotel itself has housed famousmen and women from all parts of the world, has been the scene of greatmunicipal balls and other festivities, and in addition is the Mecca forwhich head all the prospectors of the gold country and the Yukon whenthey strike it rich, as they say.
Mr. Temple's business in the city was to consult with the westernrepresentative of the big exporting and importing firm of which he wasthe head. Frank's father had been his partner, and on his death had madeMr. Temple his son's guardian and administrator of his estate.
"We'll stay a week, if all goes well," said Mr. Temple. "Of course, ifmy business engagements take up too much of my time we might stay a dayor two longer, as there are some points of interest I intend to visitwhile here. I've been in San Francisco before, but, for one thing, I'venever gone to the top of Mt. Tamalpais, across the Bay in the MarinCounty peninsula. I want to make that trip. I suppose," he added, with asmile, "you won't object if I am forced to stay more than a week."
"Oh, yes," said Jack laughing, "we'll be awfully put out. We don't wantto see a thing."
Suddenly Frank pushed back his chair and with an incoherent cry startedto dart away. Bob seized him by the coat. Frank writhed in his grasp andattempted to twist free. He was highly excited.
"Hold on," said Bob. "What's the matter?"
Then Frank managed to obtain sufficent control of his voice to explain.
"Let me go," he demanded. "I saw that man who was on the train--thefellow who was explaining the smuggling plot."
"Where, where?" demanded Bob, also gaining his feet.
"He was breakfasting over there," said Frank, pointing to a table nearthe exit. "I caught just a glimpse of him. I think he was watching us.Come on."
Turning, he darted off with Bob at his heels.
"Don't leave the hotel," called Mr. Temple, sharply. "People arewatching us."
"Excuse me," said Jack, who had stood undecided whether to follow hischums. "I'll be right back."
And he, too, walked rapidly away.
With a sigh, Mr. Temple picked up his morning paper. But he was unableto concentrate on his reading. His eyes wandered anxiously toward thedoor despite himself. In a few minutes, however, his anxiety wasrelieved. He saw the forms of the three boys appear. From theirexpressions, he gathered that they had been unsuccessful.
"No use," said Frank. "He had disappeared."
"There are three doorways to as many streets," explained Jack, sinkinginto his chair. "Each of us went a different way, but we couldn't seehim."
"Maybe he's a guest here," said Bob, "and went to his room."
"Good idea," said Frank. "Why didn't I think of that before? I'll justgo and describe him to the room clerk and see if he's here, and maybe Ican learn his name."
He would have gone at once, but Mr. Temple restrained him.
"Finish your breakfast first, Frank," said he. "You have barely touchedyour eggs and bacon. If the man is a guest here, you can get theinformation just as well a half hour from now."
The boys finished breakfast in record time. Mr. Temple sighed.
"You fellows are in such a hurry," said he. "If you are going to lead methe wild chase here that you did in New Mexico I'll wish I had neverbrought you. Here I go and plan a little sightseeing trip, and the firstthing you do before ever arriving at San Francisco is to become involvedin a plot. It won't do, you know."
Nevertheless, he got to his feet, signed the breakfast check andfollowed the boys toward the clerk's desk.
"No," said the latter, after Frank had described minutely the mysteriousstranger. "I am quite sure I was not on duty last night when the Flyercame in, but I was talking to the night clerk when the arrivalsregistered. I remember your faces well, for instance. I am quite sure Iwould have noted such a man as you describe if he had been among thenumber."
Disappointed, Frank turned away.
"So much for that," he said to his friends. "But, do you know? I wonderif that fellow happened to be in the breakfast room by accident, orwhether he was watching us?"
"Watching us?" said Bob. "Oh, you've got this plot stuff on the brain,old thing. Why would he be watching us?"
"To see whether we went to the authorities," said Frank. "If he saw usgo to the authorities, he would be pretty certain we had overheardenough of his conversation out on the observation platform last night tomake us suspicious, at least."
Mr. Temple was struck with the force of Frank's reasoning.
"Look here," he said, to the three chums. "Frank is right. If there is abig plot afoot, and this fellow suspects us of having gained someknowledge of it, he probably would do just as Frank says."
"Suppose you called up the Secret Service men, Mr. Temple," suggestedJack, "and asked one of them to call on you here at the hotel? Wouldn'tthat be better than to go to them?"
"Very good, Jack," approved the older man. "A government agent couldmake his way direct to our suite without arousing suspicion if he takesprecautions, while, if Frank is correct and we are being shadowed, wecould not stir out of the hotel without being followed. Do you boys stayhere and keep your eyes open, while I go to our rooms and telephone. Ifyou see any more of this fellow, call me. If not, come up in half anhour. By then probably a government man will have arrived."
The half-hour passed quickly for the boys who sat in the lobby,intensely interested in the life of the big hotel going on around them,and especially in the Oriental men-servants in their gorgeous nativecostumes flitting in and out on noiseless soft-soled slippers. They sawno sign of the man Frank believed was shadowing them and, at the end ofthe allotted period of time, took the elevator to their third-floorsuite overlooking Market Street.
Barely had they entered the sitting room than there came a low knock onthe door, repeated three times, and Mr. Temple sprang to open it.
"There's the government agent," he said. "That's the signal he said hewould give."
As he opened the door, an alert, slim man of 30 stepped inside andclosed the door quickly behind him.
"Pardon my abruptness," he said, in a low voice. "Are you Mr. Temple?"
"I am."
"And I am Inspector Burton," said the other, flipping back the rightlapel of his coat and displaying a small gold shield. "You wanted to seeme?"
"I did," said Mr. Temple. "Won't you sit down?"
Inspector Burton took off his hat and accepted the proffered chair. Helooked inquiringly at the boys. Mr. Temple introduced them.
"Now," said Mr. Temple, "you probably were somewhat mystified by mymessage. I did not want to say anything over the telephone about thenature of the business on which we wanted to see you. Yet I did want youto come here without being seen. That was why I asked you to takeprecautions."
The other nodded.
"In our business," he said, "we receive many strange calls. So I was notmuch surprised. I may as well tell you, however, that the clerk, who canbe trusted, knows that I am here."
He shot a searching glance at his hosts.
Mr. Temple nodded.
"I see," he said. "We might have been enemies trying to lure you into atrap. That was a wise precaution on your part. But," he added, leaningforward, "we are not enemies; merely good citizens who have come intopossession of certain information which we believe you ought to have."
"Wait a m
inute," said Inspector Burton, in a low voice, and leaping tohis feet, he gained the door in two strides, threw it open, peered out,then disappeared.