CHAPTER II
The Tables Turned
Both Ross Trefusis and Vernon Haye understood and could speak German.Ross was especially good in his knowledge of the language of the modernHun, for in his early youth he had been inflicted with a Germangoverness. Since German is one of the subjects for Sandhurst--forwhich both lads were preparing--their knowledge had been considerablyimproved under the cast-iron rule of a native professor.
"Eminently satisfactory," replied von Ruhle. "We will go into detailslater. You had no difficulty in coming here, I hope?"
"None whatever."
"No suspicions?" asked von Ruhle anxiously.
Ramblethorne smiled.
"My dear von Ruhle," he replied. "A medical practitioner is abovesuspicion. He is free to go anywhere at any hour of the day or nightwithout question. No man would suspect----"
"You are clever, von Hauptwald----"
"Ssh!" interrupted the doctor. "Call me Ramblethorne, if you please.Of course there is no danger here, but at other times and in otherplaces you might incautiously give the show away. You had a goodpassage?"
"Excellent," replied von Ruhle. "I am getting well-known to thestrafed English custom-house officers at Queenboro' and Harwich. Theyrecognize me by my stick, I believe, but they little know that it is anew one every time. What do you think of this? I have brought it as aspecimen for you to see. Just fancy! every time I cross to Hollandtwenty kilogrammes of good copper are on their way to the Fatherland.By this time Herr Stabb of Essen is well acquainted with my Malaccacanes."
"A good weight to carry about," remarked Ramblethorne, wielding thedisguised bar of copper. "I wonder you troubled."
"Mein Gott! I could not leave it," declared von Ruhle. "Someone mighttake a fancy to it, and then the secret would be out. But tell me:have you succeeded in getting that commission you spoke of?"
"I am still living in hopes," replied Ramblethorne. "Of course I couldhave obtained a post of temporary surgeon in the British Navy, but itwasn't good enough. It's no fun running the risk of being torpedoed byour own Submarines. The English Army offers a wider scope. Believeme, I am worth more than a division to the Emperor. I'll get acommission, never you fear, for I have heaps of influence. Then, ofcourse, I will do my utmost to fight against a terrible epidemic thatwill mysteriously break out amongst the troops."
Ramblethorne, otherwise von Hauptwald, threw back his shoulders andlaughed uproariously.
"Careful!" hissed his companion. "You will be heard over the wholeisland."
"What matters? There is not another soul in sight besides ourselves.How much petrol have you?"
"Fifty two-gallon tins. I expect some more by boat to-morrow. It'ssafely stored in a cave on the side of the creek. It is a nuisance itis raining. I do not fancy a night's work in weather like this.Himmel, what's that?"
Accidentally Vernon's foot had dislodged a small piece of stone.
"Nerves, my dear von Ruhle," said Ramblethorne, with his usualgood-natured smile. "A bit of masonry has fallen from the tower. See,the floor is covered with similar pieces."
"If anyone should be up there----" suggested von Ruhle, pointing to thetop of the tower.
The lads could feel their hearts thumping against their ribs. Througha small crack in the planking they could see the eyes of the twoGermans directed upwards.
"Impossible; there are no steps," declared Ramblethorne. "Besides,what object would anyone have in ascending a tower on a day like this?I fully appreciate the danger of being overheard, of course. We'vesaid enough to find ourselves faced by a firing-party in the Tower ofLondon, my friend."
"Don't!" expostulated von Ruhle, closing his eyes as if to shut out theunpleasant mental vision. Then: "You have the signalling apparatus, Ihope?"
"Trust me for that, von Ruhle," replied his companion, tapping hisbreast-pocket. "All we have to do is to wait until yonder lighthouseexposes its light. Really the ways of these English passunderstanding. They rigorously forbid the showing of lights in privatehouses on shore, imagining that our agents would be so foolish as tostart blinking with a lamp; yet they allow these lighthouses to work asusual, and obligingly enable us to communicate to our hearts' content."
Von Hauptwald was not far wrong in his remarks, for the instrument hehad enabled him to flash a message to a confederate without having tobe in possession of a lamp. The flash was obtained from any distantand visible light by means of a complicated system of mirrors. Thereflected rays could then be projected in any desired direction so asto be quite invisible except on a certain bearing. It was one of thecarefully-thought-out plans adopted by the German Government to permitits spies to communicate with their submarines without running anygreat risk of detection.
"It's two hours to sunset," remarked the doctor; "three before wecommence operations. I would suggest that we adjourn to the cave andpartake of refreshment. You see, I have not omitted to make suitableprovision."
"Very good!" agreed von Ruhle; "but I only wish I had a waterproof.The rain is most annoying."
Arm-in-arm the two men left the building, and presently disappearedfrom view behind a slight rise in the ground.
"I say!" exclaimed Ross; "we've tumbled on something this time. FancyRamblethorne a rotten German spy. I always thought he was a rattlinggood chap."
"Evidently he isn't," rejoined Vernon. "But the point is: what do youpropose to do? It's beastly wet here."
"It is, now I come to think of it," agreed his chum. "The fact is,that until you mentioned it I was hardly aware that it was raining.We'll discuss this knotty point."
"I vote we make tracks for the boat," suggested Haye. "The tide mustbe rising by this time. We can then slip off and raise the alarm."
Ross shook his head.
"No go," he decided. "We might get nabbed ourselves. Besides, whowould be able to lay these chaps by the heels? There's only thatmotor-boat chap at Penydwick Cove, and he's precious little use. Thereare no soldiers nearer than at St. Bedal. I propose we hang on here.There's a snug, sheltered hole in these ruins, just big enough for usto lie hidden. Then we stand a good chance of hearing more of theconversation between those beggars."
"Three hours more, remember."
"Yes, I know. In the meanwhile we might slip down to Main Beach Cove.There's plenty of cover amongst the rocks."
"What for?" asked Vernon.
"To see what these fellows are up to. I'm rather anxious to renew myslight acquaintance with friend Copperstick. By Jove, what a cute moveto get contraband metal into Germany!"
"Not much at a time. It shows how hard up the Germans must be forcopper when it pays a fellow to carry over about half a hundredweightat a time."
"Well, let's get a move on," said Ross. "Be careful how you descend.The ivy will be fairly slippery with the wet."
Cautiously the two lads descended, reaching the ground without mishap.
"Our sweaters!" exclaimed Vernon.
"Dash it all! Yes," agreed his companion. "I had forgotten all aboutthem."
The sweaters, carefully rolled up, had been placed for security in onecorner of the chapel. Unless anyone actually came close to the spot,they were hidden from sight.
"Neither of those fellows stood about here, I think," remarked Ross asthe chums retrieved and donned the additional clothing. "It's jollylucky, or they would have smelt a rat."
Trefusis and his companion went out into the rain, walking rapidlytowards a slight mound capped by a few irregularly shaped stones. Itwas behind this rise of ground that the two spies had gone. Up to thispoint, Ross argued, there was little need for caution; beyond, it wouldbe necessary to keep well under cover until they reached Main Beach.
"'Ware the skyline," cautioned Ross as the chums approached the hillock.
"Ay; 'ware the skyline," said a deep voice mockingly, "It's badstrategy."
Turning, the lads made the disconcerting discovery that Ramblethorneand von Ruhle were within five yards of thei
r would-be trackers.
Ross realized that he and his chum had been badly outmanoeuvred.Evidently the Germans suspected that they had been overheard, andostentatiously leaving the ruins for Main Beach Cove, they had made adetour from the hillock, and had waited until Ross and Vernon hademerged from the chapel. Then, taking advantage of the wet grass thateffectually deadened the sound of their footsteps, they had turned thetables on their shadowers.
So completely taken aback were the two lads that they stood stock-stillas if rooted to the earth.
"Not a nice evening to be out, Trefusis," continued the doctor. "Whatbrings you on St. Mena's Island at this late hour of the day?"
"Our boat was left high and dry by the tide, so we had to wait and takeshelter," replied Ross.
"And so you chose a place where there was no shelter," remarkedRamblethorne. "Idiotic thing to do--very idiotic. Now tell me: whatwere you doing on the top of the tower?"
Ross did not hesitate in his reply. Perhaps it would have been betterhad he done so, for he had never betrayed his knowledge of German tothe doctor on any of their previous meetings, and it would have beenjudicious to keep up the deception.
"What were we doing? Listening to your precious schemes," he retortedboldly. "Now we know all about you, and it will be our duty to reportyou as spies to the authorities. We are expecting a search-party fromKilligwent Hall at any moment, you see."
"So that's the line of defence you propose to adopt, eh?" sneeredRamblethorne. "Well, look out!"
With a sudden spring the athletic man flung himself upon Ross, whilevon Ruhle with equal promptitude made a rush to secure Vernon.
Strong and active though he was, Ross was no match for his huge andpowerful antagonist. Knowing that flight was impossible, the ladfeinted, and aimed a blow with his left straight for the doctor's chin.This Ramblethorne parried easily, and grasping the lad's wrist, held itas in a vice, and in such a manner that rendered fruitless any attempton Trefusis' part to make use of his right arm.
Having thus secured his opponent, Ramblethorne watched the result ofthe encounter between his fellow-spy and young Haye.
Von Ruhle had opened the attack by brandishing his heavy stick, andcalling upon Vernon to surrender.
Haye returned the compliment by closing, and dealing the German such aterrific blow upon the chest that von Ruhle recoiled quite a couple ofyards. The lad's onslaught had only missed the German's solar plexusby a few inches; had it not, the chances were that von Ruhle would havelost all interest in life for the next quarter of an hour.
But instead of following up his initial success Vernon, seeing Rosshelpless in the doctor's grip, rushed to his chum's aid. For a fewseconds he feinted, striving to find an opening, while Ramblethorne,dragging his captive with him, pivoted in order to keep his fronttowards his new antagonist.
Those few seconds were Vernon's undoing.
Quickly recovering himself, von Ruhle sprang forward with the agilityof a panther. The imitation Malacca cane descended with a dull thudupon the lad's head, and like a felled ox Vernon fell inertly upon thesodden grass.
"Hold him--so," exclaimed Ramblethorne, handing Ross over to thecustody of von Ruhle. Then drawing a small hypodermic syringe from acase, the former inserted the needle into the lad's forearm.
Five seconds later Ross Trefusis lay unconscious beside his companionin misfortune.