CHAPTER XVI.
THE SETTING OF A TRAP.
"I've just received a telegram that a freight wreck has tied up ournew motors and spare aeroplane parts at Bartonville," said LieutenantDe Frees, one afternoon a few days after Ned's adventures with thepontoon-fitted aeroplane.
"Most annoying," responded the ensign with whom he was talking. "Weneed them in a hurry, too."
"That's so. I guess I'll have to send a couple of men after them. Thereis a big auto truck at Bartonville. I remember it, because it broughtout some stuff for us before. It can easily carry the delayed parts.Strong and Taylor have been working pretty hard lately. I guess alittle trip will do them good. I'll send them. At any rate, I'll know Ican depend upon them."
"That's right. They are two of the most promising lads I've ever seen.By the way, has anything further ever been heard of those rascals whotried to discredit them?"
"Not a word. But the secret service reports that this man Muller, as hecalls himself, is known in Europe as a most dangerous anarchist. Thefellow is, in fact, a maniac on the subject."
"Ha! I suppose we can call ourselves lucky that he didn't blow usall up. Those anarchist chaps are bitterly opposed to all navies andarmies, and some of the worst of them have even attempted to destroytransatlantic liners."
"Yes, I read in the paper the other day about an infernal machinehaving been found among the cargo of a large vessel just as she wasabout to sail for Europe. By the way, of course you heard about theclever manner in which Strong and Taylor prevented the destruction ofthe submarine?"
"I did hear something about it, but not the full story, I fancy. Wouldyou mind telling it?"
"Not in the least. But first let me send for Strong and Taylor. I'lldespatch them on their errand at once. They will have to get a rig anddrive over. Bartonville is ten miles away, and they may experience somedelay when they arrive there."
Thus it came about that that afternoon Ned and Herc found themselvesin Bartonville, registered as guests at the Bartonville House. As thelieutenant had anticipated, they experienced some delay in gettingpermission to transship the goods from the delayed freight train. Butthe magic word "Navy" soon smoothed out all obstacles. It would benecessary for them to wait till the following day, however, beforefinishing up their business. Ned's first duty was to send a telegram toLieutenant De Frees to that effect. In return he received orders forboth Herc and himself to remain and see the business through.
"Well," grinned Herc, as the two lads sat in the lobby of the hotel insoft leather-upholstered chairs, "this is certainly solid comfort for apair of petty officers."
"It's a long cry from here to the forecastle of the _Manhattan_, andthat's a fact," admitted Ned. "But somehow I'd rather be on duty thanlounging around here."
"Oh, bother duty," blurted out Herc, "when first we entered the navy,it was always duty--although that duty was mostly scrubbing decks,painting and cleaning brasswork. And now it's duty still, and----"
"So it will be to the end, old fellow," said Ned seriously. "Everyonein the navy has his duty to attend to, too. Wasn't it attention to dutythat won Manila Bay, and duty that took Farragut---- Great Scott!"
The lads had been sitting facing the street near a big plate glasswindow. The sight that had brought Ned to his feet with such a sharpexclamation was the momentary glimpse of a familiar face passing on thestreet.
"Wait here for me for a while, Herc," he said. "I'll be back directly."
"What--why?" spluttered Herc, but before he could voice any moreinterrogations, Ned dashed from the room with the swiftness of askyrocket, and, jamming his hat on his head, was out of the doors ofthe hotel in a flash, almost upsetting the porter in his haste. Hercsprang after him, but before he gained the doorway Ned was round thecorner and hopelessly lost. Herc retraced his steps to the hotel andresumed his seat.
It was something like an hour later that he heard his name calledthrough the lobby by a bell-boy. He hastened to the desk and the clerkmotioned toward an ill-kempt looking man who was standing there.
"Mr. Taylor?" asked this individual.
"That's me," responded the rough-and-ready Herc, with a grin.
"I've a message for you from Mr. Strong," went on the other. "He wishesyou to come to him at once."
Herc's suspicions were aroused in an instant. Perhaps this was a trapof some sort. He resolved to be cautious.
"Where is he?" he asked.
The man beckoned him to one side.
"I don't want everybody to hear our business," he said. "Your chum hassucceeded in locating that rascally band of Muller's. They are at aplace on the outside of the town. You and I will go to him in a hack,that was his message."
The man seemed sincere, but Herc was still inclined to doubt him.
"Where did you meet my shipmate?" he asked.
"Why, I'm a fisherman on the headwaters of the bay that runs up intoBartonville," was the rejoinder, with every appearance of frankness."Your chum didn't want to leave the place where he had spotted theband, so he sent me after you and told me that you'd give me some moneyfor my trouble."
This request for money lulled Herc's suspicions at once. Had the mannot asked for it, the thing might have looked suspicious, but the factthat he expected to be rewarded for coming with the message seemedto indicate that he was honest and above board. But he had one morequestion to ask.
"Wouldn't it be a good plan to notify the police?" he said.
"He told me to do that," replied the man. "I stopped in at the stationon the way up, and a patrol-wagon full of cops has started. We'll haveto go fast to catch them."
Herc searched his pockets. But, as luck would have it, he could notfind more than a few bits of silver. But the boys on their arrival haddeposited in the hotel safe the money entrusted to them to pay theirexpenses, and also to defray the charges on the freighted goods. Hercrecollected this, and thinking that it might be a good plan to havesome money along, he withdrew a considerable part of their funds. Hadhe caught the glitter in the man's eyes, he would have been warned.
"Now, I'm ready," he said, as he thrust the money into his breastpocket.
"All right, guv'ner," was the response, "the carriage is right outside."
Herc, following his conductor, soon found himself inside a closed hackdrawn by two horses. The messenger said something to the coachman andthen threw himself in beside Herc. The carriage at once moved off at arapid pace. Bartonville was not a very large place, and the town andits scattering outskirts were speedily left behind. The carriage beganto roll and bump along over country roads.
"How far off is the place?" Herc kept asking, and each time he wasassured that it was "only a little way further."
At last the carriage stopped on a deserted bit of roadway.
"Here's where we get out," said Herc's conductor, "we'll have to hikeit across that field and through that bit of woods before we get toyour pal."
Herc paid the coachman and the man at once drove off.
"This way," said the man, climbing over a rail fence and striking offacross a field, on the further side of which was a patch of raggedwoods. Through the trees Herc could catch the glint of water.
It was a lonely spot. He looked about him, but could not see any traceof a human habitation.
"If this should be a trap I'm nicely in it, all right," he muttered tohimself as he followed his guide into the shadows of the wood.
"How much further?" he asked, as they stumbled along over the roughpath.
"Right ahead down by the creek," said the man. "We're almost there now."
With a few paces more they emerged on the banks of a slow-flowing andmuddy creek, which was evidently tidal and joined the Bartonville Baylower down. About a hundred yards off stood a rickety looking shack,and anchored in the creek opposite to it was a sloop with a red bandpainted round its bulwarks. Suddenly and for no reason that he couldassign, the recollection flashed across Herc that he had heard Nedspeak of such a sloop. At the time though he could not recall in wha
tconnection.
"Is this the place?" asked Herc, as his guide slackened his pace.
"This is it," nodded the man, and again a sharp presentiment that allwas not right, flashed through Herc. But it was too late to hold backnow.
"I'll give him the signal," said the man, placing his fingers to hislips. A shrill whistle followed.
As if by magic, from the tall, spiky grass about them, half a dozen mensprang erect.
"It is a trap!" shouted Herc, flinging himself furiously upon the firstman who rushed at him. The lad fought valiantly, but the contest wastoo uneven to last long. Within five minutes, Herc, raging like alion, and inwardly abusing his own gullibility that had led him intosuch an ambush, was bound hand and foot and stretched a prisoner on thefloor of the old rookery of a shanty.