Chapter XV
The Enemy Still Active
Ned was dressed in a dark business suit, so he was not likely to beobserved from a distance, for it was a starless night. Half way to theend of the great yard he began to wonder if the light he had seen mightnot have been an hallucination.
He doubted very much if anybody was creeping about outside the fence.The boards were close together, with scarcely a crack half an inch wideanywhere. A light out there--
It flashed again. He was positive of it this time, and of its localityas well. It could be nobody who had any honest business about the SwiftConstruction Company's premises. It was not Koku, for ordinarily thegiant would not use an electric torch.
Ned did not know where any of the watchmen were who were acting assentinels. In fact, as it appeared later, three of them had been calledoff their beats by Tom himself to help in some necessary task insidethe shed. The young inventor was getting ready to run the hugelocomotive out upon the yard-track.
Remembering vividly the attempt which had been made some weeks beforeto blow up the Hercules 0001, it was only natural that Ned shouldsuspect that the flash of light he had seen revealed the presence ofsome ill-conditioned person lurking just beyond the fence.
A man might be crouching there prepared to hurl an explosive bomb overthe fence when the locomotive was brought around as far as that spot.Or was the villain foolish enough to attempt to enter the enclosure bysurmounting the fence?
Ned, keeping close to the ground, crossed the rails in the fortunateshadow of one of the posts. There he found a place where, with his backto a pole-prop right at this curve in the trolley system, the shadowenfolded him completely.
Had his movements been marked by the person outside the fence? Nedwaited several long and anxious minutes for some move from out there.Then something rather unexpected occurred. For the past ten minutes hehad forgotten about the test of the Hercules 0001 which Tom hadpromised.
With a blast of its siren the huge electric locomotive burst out of theshed and thundered around the track. It smote Ned Newton's mindsuddenly that the inventor was going to "take a chance" on this eveningand try to get some speed out of the huge machine.
The electric headlight cast a broad cone of white and dazzling lightacross the yard. It suddenly struck full upon the spot where Ned Newtoncrouched; but the upright against which he leaned was broad enough tohide him completely.
Looking up at the top of the stockade at that moment of illumination,the young financial manager of the Swift Construction Company beheld acrawling figure nearing the wire entanglements on the summit of thefence.
The unknown man was climbing by means of a notched pole. Ned could notsee that he bore any bulky object in his hands; indeed, he needed bothof them to aid him to climb. But the man's right hand was reachingupward, above his head.
The Hercules 0001 came roaring on. Its cone of light passed beyondNed's station. In a few seconds it reached the spot, and roared on. Nedhad not made a move. It seemed to him that he could not move or speak.
The onrush of the electric locomotive all but swept the young fellowfrom his feet. It had come and gone in an instant!
"He's making more than fifteen or twenty miles an hour, all right,"muttered Ned.
Then he flashed another glance up at the figure outside the fence. Theman's cap showed above the top of the boards. He seemed to be draggingsomething up to him from below--something that hung and swung aroundand around a few feet from the ground.
Ned was about to dart out of concealment and hail the fellow. He wasnot armed, nor could he get out of the stockade near this point. Hefeared what the marauder intended, and he felt that he must frightenhim away.
"Suppose that is a bomb and he means to fling it in front of Tom'slocomotive?" thought the anxious Ned.
He again saw the stranger's right hand reach up above his head. But hehad no bomb in his hand. Ned suddenly shrieked a word of warning! Ithad come to him what the man was doing and what the result of his actwould be.
The wire-cutters bit on one of the copper wires. There followed a flashof blue flame, and the man screamed. He dropped the thing swingingbelow him and involuntarily grabbed at the wires with his left hand.
He was caught, then! The crackling intermittent shocks of electricfluid passed through his body in fiery sequence. His limbs writhed. Hemouthed horribly, and croaking gasps came from between his wide openjaws.
The Hercules 0001 had rounded the enclosure and was coming down uponits second lap. The cone of white radiance from the headlight fell uponthe writhing body of the victim on the wires. The locomotive sirenemitted a blast that almost deafened Ned.
The monster ground to a stop. Tom swung himself half out of the cabwindow beside the controller.
"Who's that?" he yelled. Then he saw Ned below him. "Who is thatfellow?"
"No friend of yours, Tom, I believe," returned his financial manager ina shaking voice.
"Where's Rad? Rad!" Tom shouted at the top of his voice.
"I's comm', Massa Tom," rejoined the colored man.
"Never mind coming here! Get a move on, and get to the switchboard.Turn the current out of the fence wires.
"Yis, sir, I'll go Massa Tom," declared the old man.
"Is he a spotter, Ned?" demanded the inventor.
"He's no friend. I am going out by the gate. He's got something therethat means harm, I believe. Do you think he's killed, Tom?"
"Only ought to be. Not enough current to kill him. But he's badlyburned and--and--well! I bet he won't care to fool around the worksagain."
Ned dashed away to an entrance. A watchman came running, opened thesmall gate, and followed Ned into the open.
Before they arrived at the vicinity of the accident Rad had got to theswitchboard. The electricity was shut out of the stockade wires.
Ned uttered another shout. He saw the writhing body of the shocked manfall from the stockade. When he and the watchman got to the spot thefellow lay upon his back, groaning and sobbing; but Ned saw at oncethat he was more frightened than hurt.
"Well, you did it that time!" exclaimed the young financial manager."And I hope you got enough."
"You--you demons!" gasped the man. "I'll have the law on you--"
"Sure you will," cackled the watchman. "You had every right in theworld to try to cut those wires, of course, and get into the yard ofthe works. Sure! The judge will believe you all right."
Ned was, meanwhile, staring closely at the fallen man. Tom had comedown from the locomotive and was close to the fence.
"Who is he?" demanded the inventor. "Not O'Malley?"
Ned stepped to the fence and whispered:
"It's the other fellow. The little chap with the Vandyke. He's dressedlike a tramp, but it's the same man."
"Is he badly hurt?" demanded Tom.
"His temper is, Boss," said the watchman callously. "And say! I knowthis fellow. He works for the Blatz Detective Agency. I used to workfor those folks myself. His name is Myrick--Joe Myrick."
"Ned," said Tom sternly, "go to the office and call the police. I'llmake him tell why he was here. And I'll make the Blatz people explain,too. Hullo! what's that?"
Ned had seized the rope he had seen in Myrick's hand, and from a patchof weeds drew a two-gallon oil-can.
"What you got there, Ned?" repeated the young inventor.
"Whatever it is, I am going to be mighty easy with it. I think thisscoundrel was trying to get it over the fence and into the way of thelocomotive."
"You can't hang anything on me," said Myrick, suddenly. "I was justclimbing up to the top of the fence to get a squint at that contraptionyou've built. You can't hang anything on me."
"He's evidently feeling better," said Tom, scornfully. "Nugent, don'tlet him get away from you. Go call the police, Ned. And take care ofthat can until we can find out what's in it."
Later, when the police had removed Joe Myrick and the mysterious canhad been deposited in a tub of water in the open lot until its conten
tscould be examined, Tom said to his chum:
"I was just working up some speed on the locomotive. The speedometerindicated fifty-five when I saw that fellow sprawling up there on thefence. I would not have dared go much faster in any case."
"Why, you weren't half trying, Tom!" cried the delighted Ned.
"She did slide around easy, didn't she? Fifty-five on an almostcircular track is a good showing. I am not so scared as I was, my boy."
"You think that on a straight track you might accomplish what you setout to do?"
"It looks like it. At any rate, I shall risk a trial on the H. & P. A.tracks. I'm going to take her West. Be ready on Monday, Ned, for Ishall want you with me," declared Tom Swift.