andfull of enthusiasm on the subject of wireless, of which his knowledgeseemed boundless. Dick felt he could never tire of admiring thewonderfully ingenious devices which the other had invented and put intooperation in his underground fortress.
Several more messages, chiefly brief reports, were received from Jules,always heralded by the seven dots and begun with the three M's whichsignified the secret code number Five. For a few hours everythingseemed to be going well. Then, towards evening came graver news, whichon being deciphered, read:
"M M M begins Much fear Yvette suspected stop Tell Manton to be ready instant action stop M M M ends."
It could only mean, they realised, that Yvette had been recognised by aGerman agent and was being closely watched. The position was dangerous.
Dick spent the next few hours in an agony of suspense. But he could donothing. His first instinct was to fly to Berlin. But Le Couteur'siron common-sense showed him clearly enough that to do so would befutile. To keep the Mohawk in Germany, even for a single day, would berisky; to try to hide her there for perhaps a week till they got achance to rescue Yvette would be suicidal.
A sudden swoop, swift and relentless action, and a quick escape were theessentials of success.
Captain Le Couteur was scarcely less anxious than Dick himself. He hadknown Yvette since she was a child; they came from the same town inAlsace. But he possessed a brain of ice and restrained Dick'simpetuosity, though guessing shrewdly at its cause.
"The time is not come yet," he declared. "This is a bit of businesswhich must go to the last tick of the dock. Mademoiselle herself wouldnever forgive us if we spoilt everything by undue precipitation, and,after all, Monsieur Manton, France is of even more importance thanMademoiselle Pasquet, much as I admire her."
"I know," Dick admitted. "But when I think of her, with her war record,which they know all about, falling into the hands of those brutes, I canhardly sit still."
"They have not got her yet and she is very clever," replied Le Couteur."Let us hope that she will give them the slip."
But about ten o'clock the following morning the dreaded blow fell.
They were seated in the underground chamber, Dick ill at ease and fullof gloomy forebodings. The apparatus set to receive messages onthree-hundred-and-fifty-metres. Suddenly a buzzing noise was emittedfrom the loud-speaking telephone on the bench.
Seven dots, seven times repeated, clicked out strong and dear!
Surely seconds had never passed so slowly! It seemed an age beforeCaptain Le Couteur, his face white as chalk, took down the message whichfollowed, and then referring to the code, read:
"Yvette arrested this morning by Kranzler."
Dick turned dizzy and the room spun round him as the dreadfulsignificance of the words struck him. Kranzler, of all men! Themurderer of Yvette's father and mother, the man whom she had beaten overand over again at his own game of espionage during the war, the manwhose sensational attempt to dispose of Rasputin's stolen jewels hadbeen foiled by Yvette's skill and daring! He was, as they knew, adesperate brute who would stick at nothing to feed his revenge.
Dick was rushing from the room, determined at all hazards to leave forBerlin at once, when Le Couteur seized his arm in a grip of iron.
"Steady, Manton," he said sharply. "Don't be a fool. You'll spoileverything. Sit down and wait for more news."
The words brought Dick to his senses.
"I'm sorry, Le Couteur," he said, "but I think I went a bit mad. Youare quite right. But Kranzler--of all men! You know the story, ofcourse?"
Le Couteur nodded.
"It could hardly be worse," he admitted, "and there's no use disguisingthe fact. But we must wait for more from Jules. In the meantime I amgoing to talk to Regnier. He must have more men on the spot. At allcosts Mademoiselle must be rescued."
They were soon in touch with the Chief in Paris, who was horrified atthe news.
"I will get some more men over at once," he said. "But we can donothing until we find out where they have taken her. Jules will realisethat. You are certain to get another message from him before long."
It was not until later that day that they learned how the arrest hadbeen effected. Yvette, as soon as the position of the German plane hadbeen located, had managed in the guise of a girl seeking work, to scrapeacquaintance with one of the maids employed at the big house where theaeroplane was lodged. The girl had actually taken her up to the houseand Yvette had coolly applied to the housekeeper for employment. Therewas, as it happened, no vacancy, but Yvette had used her eyes to goodpurpose. In the walk from the lodge to the house and back she hadcaught sight of the shed in which, obviously, the aeroplane was housed,and had noted its exact position in the extensive grounds. Hurryingback to the hotel she had communicated this information to Jules andboth were filled with excitement at the important step forward they hadmade.
Sitting in the lounge of the "Adlon" next morning Jules had seenKranzler enter. He had started at once to warn Yvette to "lie low," butwas just too late. Yvette at that moment came down the staircase andbefore Jules could interpose had met Kranzler face to face. She wasinstantly recognised.
With a grin of delight on his evil face the big German bowed profoundly.
"This is indeed a pleasure, Mademoiselle Pasquet!" he said ironically.
Yvette very coolly tried to carry it off.
"Monsieur has, I think, made a mistake," she said in German.
"It's no use, Mademoiselle," was the harsh reply, "I know you perfectly.You must come with me--or shall I call the police?"
There was obviously nothing for it but to obey, and Yvette was forced toleave the hotel in the clutches of the one man in all Germany she hadthe greatest reason to fear.
Jules acted promptly. Slipping out of the hotel he hurriedly wheeled tothe front a motor-bicycle he had hired to enable him to travel speedilybetween Berlin and Spandau. He got round just in time to see Kranzlerput Yvette into a taxi, and followed them until they alighted at thedoor of the house in the Koeniggratzer-strasse which was thehead-quarters of the German Secret Service. Yvette was taken inside.
To get the news to Dick was now Jules' first consideration. Knowingsomething of the methods of the German Secret Service he was reasonablysure that Yvette would be put through a long examination before she wastaken to prison, and he decided to run the risk of being absent for ashort time to get his message away. He drove hastily in his car outinto the country until he found a tree to which his aerial wire could beattached and got off the brief message which conveyed the news toVerdun. Then he returned to watch, and ascertain where Yvette was to beimprisoned.
The taxi was still outside the door when he got back to theKoeniggratzer-strasse. As an excuse for waiting he feigned enginetrouble and tinkered with his machine, keeping all the time a closewatch on the door opposite.
He had not long to wait. In about half an hour Yvette was brought out,still in the custody of Kranzler, and driven away. Jules followed, and,at length, had the satisfaction of knowing that Yvette was in the bigprison outside Spandau. It was a melancholy satisfaction, it is true,but to know where she was was of supreme importance.
Driving to Gaston's farm he soon informed Verdun where Yvette waslocated and then turned to discuss the position with Gaston.
To his intense surprise and delight, Gaston was able to give him somecomfort.
"Of course, it is a great misfortune," he said, "but it might be worse.They have taken her to the one prison in Germany where we have been ableto keep a thoroughly trustworthy agent. He is a warder who passes asHerman Fuchs; his real name is Pierre Latour. We shall soon know allabout Mademoiselle."
The front of the prison was in dear view from Gaston's farm. Goingoutside, he called on Jules to help him to move one of three largebarrels, each containing a big flowering shrub, which stood side by sidein front of the house facing the prison. One of these was taken away,leaving only two.
"We shall have Pierre over here this eve
ning," Gaston chuckled. "That'sthe signal that I want him."
Sure enough, soon after dark, Pierre appeared. A few words explainedthe situation. He was off duty now for the night and free to do as hepleased.
"Leave it to me," he said. "I will be back in an hour."
He returned with a rough plan of the section of the prison in whichYvette was confined. Her cell occupied a corner on the first floor atthe head of a flight of steps leading down to the big courtyard. IfYvette could get out of her cell it would be an easy matter to reach thedoor leading to the yard. But to get over the high wall, quiteunclimbable, was a difficult problem. The entrance from the roadway wasalways guarded by two warders who occupied little separate lodges placedone each side the gateway.
"I can get her out of her cell," said