CHAPTER V
SIGHTING THE ENEMY
"You can count on me, sir," declared Captain Jack Benson, eagerly.
"I can count on every one of you submarine boys, can't I?" asked MajorWoodruff, thoughtfully.
"You can count on us," declared Benson, earnestly, "as though every oneof us were sworn into the service and had a record of being tried andtested!"
In an instant after speaking the submarine boy realized that this musthave had a boastful sound. So he added, quickly:
"Please don't suspect me, Major, of being a braggart. But Hal, Eph andI have always taken our work with seriousness. We have always actedjust as though the Flag depended upon us for its protection. We havethe desire, every minute of our lives, to be great Americans--that is,great in our devotion to the Flag, even if we cannot be great in deeds."
"By Jove, I believe you!" cried Major Woodruff, reaching forward andclasping Jack's hand tightly in his own.
The major went on heartily:
"No, no, Benson, I don't consider you boastful. You're talking the wayI heard some youngsters talk when I was a boy. It's refreshing andencouraging to hear you talk that way. Do you know, boy, when we olderfellows sometimes get to thinking of the country's past glories, wewonder whether the boys of to-day are going to make such men as havecarried the United States of America forward in the past? The thoughtmakes us solemn and anxious. I suppose every man who is grown and ontoward middle life has always, in every generation, wondered whetherboys were as serious and dependable, as staunch and loyal as the boysof the day before yesterday. Look here, lad!"
Major Woodruff rose, stepping to the door aft and throwing it open. Thestern of the tug was visible. From the pole that slanted out over thestern, hung the Stars and Stripes.
"You don't need to glance at that fine old bit of bunting more than asecond, lad," continued the major, "before you feel all that it can evermake you feel. In your case, I believe the sight of the Flag is alwaysan inspiration to you. I pray it is so with every boy who grows up inthis country. But is it?"
Standing there before the Flag, Jack quietly doffed his cap.
"Thank you, Benson," acknowledged the major, also doffing his own cap.Then, closing the door, Major Woodruff stepped back to the table onwhich lay chart and book.
"This chart, Benson, shows what the rascal Millard, has been doing outon the neck. This book proves that he has been at work at some otherpoints. The book doesn't tell much of the story, though. Of that Iam certain. Millard, if he has been at work long, has compiled othernotes in other written volumes. If so, then he has also made othercharts of our coast defenses. For what other government has he thusmarked a series of charts with our secrets? And has Millard succeededin getting other charts, and other books of notes, off to the foreigngovernment he is serving--or has he them hidden somewhere in thiscountry, awaiting his chance to take the results of his spying out ofthe United States?"
"I wish I knew!" muttered Jack.
"I'm coming to the point," continued Major Woodruff, briskly. "Now, ofcourse, when we discover evidence that spies of other governments are atwork along our lines of national defenses, the first thing we try to dois to catch these foreign agents and all the material they havesucceeded in getting together."
Major Woodruff, who was becoming considerably excited, paused to lighta cigar, ere he continued, more slowly:
"Now, you and your two friends, Benson, know this fellow Millard. Youwill spot him instantly, wherever you go. I shall communicate withWashington, at once, by means of a telegram in cipher. The WarDepartment will order me to use all speed in catching Millard, and infinding out where he keeps his other stolen records. Men and money willbe used in running down this fellow. Yet you and your two chums shouldbe in the front ranks of pursuit, for you will know him the instant youlay eyes on him."
"You want me to take my friends ashore, then, Major, and lay the'Spitfire' up?"
"By no means," answered Major Woodruff, decisively. "In realityoperations will be suspended at this point until we have run Millarddown. Yet we must have the appearance of being as busy as ever. Thesubmarine will hover about, and this tug will be busy, apparently, inlaying the bay with mines. You have a fourth man on your boat?"
"Yes, sir; Williamson, the machinist."
"Can he run the engines all right?"
"As well as any of us, Major."
"Then I will put aboard a man who can steer. Thus the 'Spitfire' willbe seen moving about the bay, and apparently at work. I'll also putaboard a guard of a sergeant and three or four soldiers of the engineercorps, and they'll guard that boat from harm with their lives. Thatwill leave all three of you young officers of the 'Spitfire' free forshore duty."
"It will, Major. And now, sir, what is that shore duty to be?"
"Simply to locate Millard. He may be at one of the hotels in Radford."
Radford was the busy, important little port four miles farther up thebay.
"He's likely to be somewhere in Radford, anyway," nodded young Benson.
"Wherever the fellow is found, he must be seized at once," continuedMajor Woodruff, warmly. "Any policeman will seize him on your request.I will give each of you three a written statement that you have beenasked to locate Millard and have him arrested. If you run acrossMillard anywhere, turn him over to a policeman, then show my writtenauthorization. On that the police authorities will hold the scoundreland notify the military authorities. Then, once we have Millard out atFort Craven, securely under lock and key, by authority from Washington,we will make every effort under the sun to locate his charts andnotebooks."
"Why, the work you want us to do is going to be easy enough," murmuredCaptain Jack.
"It is going to be easy, if you succeed in finding the fellow, and inturning him over to a policeman," replied Major Woodruff. "And, by theway, I have just remembered that Lieutenant Ridder, of the engineercorps, reported last night from a former station in the West. No onearound here will know him. Good enough! I'll have Ridder get intocitizen's clothes and go about with you three. He can give youinstructions on any point about which you're in doubt."
"We ought to run that rascal down, sir," answered Jack Benson, rising."Unless--"
"Unless what, Benson?"
"Why, sir, unless he's more clever than a rascal usually succeeds inbeing. I haven't lived so very long, Major Woodruff, but, from whatlittle I've seen of the world, it has struck me that the cleverestscoundrels are always just a little less smart, in the end, than theaverage of honest men."
"I hope you'll prove it, in this case," replied the major. "And now, tosignal your boat. We'll run both craft in at the ordnance dock at FortCraven."
A couple of miles away Eph Somers was slowly running the submarine backand forth over the water in seeming aimlessness. In response to sharpblasts from the whistle of the Army tug, the "Spitfire" was seen toturn and head for the tug.
"Mr. Somers, you will follow in our wake," shouted Major Woodruff, whenthe two craft were within hailing distance of each other. "We willshow you where to make fast at the ordnance dock."
"Very good, sir," Eph responded, with a salute.
A little later in the forenoon both boats docked at the water front ofFort Craven.
"You'll come up to my quarters, now, and meet Lieutenant Ridder,"announced the Major, when he had gathered the submarine boys together,and when Jack had given necessary explanations to Williamson.
"You may not see us again, for a few days," Jack informed the machinist,in winding up.
"That won't surprise me so very much, either," laughed the machinist."Things are always happening, where you are, and mysteries have ceasedto puzzle me."
"Have you young men ever been on a military post before?" inquiredMajor Woodruff, as he led them up from the dock.
"Never sir," replied Jack. "We have seen considerable of Navy life, butthis is the first time we've ever been at a fort."
"You don't see much about thi
s place, do you," laughed the engineerofficer, "that makes you think of a fort?"
"Not much," Benson admitted.
"Yet we have a fighting plant here that could prevent a big fleet,indeed, from getting far up the bay at the important cities beyond.That is," Woodruff continued, thoughtfully, in a low voice, "if theenemy, in advance of his coming here, doesn't know all about our defensesthrough the work of spies."
Just at the point near the dock, Fort Craven looked not unlike the yardof a big factory plant. Wagons going and coming constantly heightenedthis effect. Beyond, past the plain, on one side, Major Woodruffpointed out the barracks of the Coast Artillery, of the Engineerssoldiers, and of the Infantry. There were also laborers' quarters,several office buildings, a hospital, a chapel, and two streets ofcottages that served as quarters for the officers stationed at FortCraven.
It was into one of these officers' streets that Major Woodruff soon ledhis three young companions. Admitting the boys to his home, the majortook them to the library on the ground floor.
"Now, I'll telephone for Lieutenant Ridder to come over in citizen'sdress," announced the major. "At the same time, I must advise ColonelTotten, who is commander of the post. He may come over here, or he mayorder us all over to headquarters."
Colonel Totten elected to come over to the major's quarters. He arrivedjust after Lieutenant Ridder, who proved to be a rather boyish lookingyoung man, not long out of West Point.
The plans were quickly laid by which Lieutenant Ridder was to take anautomobile up to Radford, going to one of the hotels and registering.
Jack and his two chums were to make the journey in another auto. Theywould go to still other hotels, perhaps to three different ones. At anymoment when instructions were needed, any one of the three could call upLieutenant Ridder on the telephone.
In addition, Major Woodruff gave each of the three submarine boys awritten and signed authorization for them to call upon the police toseize Millard, if found, and hold the fellow for the United Statesmilitary authorities.
"Now, you young men may start for Radford," continued the major."Colonel Totten and I will busy ourselves with the despatches that mustbe sent to Washington about this affair. But I trust, lads, you willnot fail to realize the importance of prompt success."
"It's a special duty to the Flag, sir," Captain Jack answered, simply.
The automobiles were waiting outside. Lieutenant Ridder was given athree minutes' start. Then the submarine boys followed after, in asecond car.
As Radford was but four miles distant from the post the trip was not tobe a long one.
"This is the sort of job that has me by the ears," glowed Eph Somers,enthusiastically. "I won't be selfish enough to say I hope to be thefellow to catch Millard. But, if he does stray my way, I hope I won'tbe idiot enough to let him slip through my fingers."
"I don't care if Lieutenant Ridder is the one who nabs him," remarkedHal, coolly. "All that I'm particular about is to see this foreignagent nabbed before he succeeds in getting any information out of thecountry."
The car that bore the boys was soon driving through the streets ofRadford. Jack held in his hand a list of the better grade andmiddle-class hotels that Colonel Totten had given him.
"Which hotel are we going to first?" asked Hal.
"I don't know," uttered Jack, suddenly, sharply. "I know what I'm goingto do, however."
Leaning slightly forward the young submarine captain prodded thechauffeur lightly, twice, in the back--a signal that had been agreedupon at need.
In response, the chauffeur ran the car slowly in at the curb.
Captain Jack, opening the tonneau door, was quickly out on the sidewalk,without any need having risen for wholly stopping the car, which thenshot forward again.
"Now, what on earth was that for?" demanded Eph Somers, as the carsped on.
"Don't look back," replied Hal.
"Why not?"
"Well, a certain party would see you looking at him."
"Who?"
"Why, Jack had the good luck to see Millard going along on the sidewalk.We've just passed the fellow!"
"Are we going to nab him?" demanded Somers, breathlessly.
"You'll have to leave that decision to good old Jack," chuckled HalHastings. "He's out there, dogging Millard from the rear. It's JackBenson's affair just at this moment."
It was mighty hard for Eph to refrain from looking back. But herestrained his curiosity.