The Gay Triangle: The Romance of the First Air Adventurers

and also spoke briefly. Immediately afterthe documents were passed round and signed by all present. The treatywas made! But every action of the plotters had been caught by the eyeof the camera, and every word they uttered was recorded by thephonograph! The evidence was complete!

  "Now, Manton," said Fedor, "we have all we want except Mestich's copy ofthe treaty which will be signed by the German Secretary of State, aswell as Bausch and Horst. To get that and get away is your work. Ihave to stay in Langengrad and I dare not risk being seen andidentified. You understand?"

  "Of course," answered Dick. "You have done wonders--absolute wonders!But just tell me how this telephone works."

  "That is Mademoiselle Pasquet's invention," replied Fedor. "It isreally a secret change-over switch which projects an electric ray whichsets the General's transmitter working even when the receiver is on thehook and the instrument would in the ordinary way be `dead.' It can beput in in three minutes; as a matter of fact I slipped it in one daywhen I called to see the General and was kept waiting. The main wirefrom the General's 'phone to the Exchange passes over the house and itwas easy enough to `tap' it with a fine wire that can be pulled away soas to leave no cause for suspicion. I shall do that now; we shall notwant it again."

  Soon after, the party opposite began to break up and finally, on thescreen, they saw the General standing alone, the treaty in his hand, anda look of triumph and elation on his handsome face. It was the pictureof a man who had very nearly reached the summit of his ambitions. Amoment later he crossed to the big, high stove, lifted a heavy picture,and slid aside a small door in the panelling of the wall. Thisdisclosed a recess in which the treaty was deposited, the slide wasclosed, and the picture replaced.

  "Clever," said Dick, "but easy now we know. I thought he would put itin a safe. But how are we going to get it?"

  Yvette, who had been silent, interposed.

  "I think the General's house might unexpectedly catch fire," she saidquietly. "That will give Dick a chance to make a dash for the treaty inthe confusion."

  "I don't see any better plan," Fedor agreed. "It can easily be managed.I have plenty of petrol here, and there is a small leaded window on theground floor that can be pushed in without making too much noise."

  "Excellent!" exclaimed Dick. "I'll manage that. I'll see there'splenty of confusion."

  "Very well, that is settled," answered Fedor. "Now I will takeMademoiselle to your car and have everything ready for you to start. Itwill be touch and go. Here is the phonograph record, with the cinemafilm rolled up inside it. Take care of them; they are priceless. Thefilm must be developed in Paris."

  Then Fedor produced a can of petrol and thoroughly soaked the room.

  "This place is going up to-night," he explained. "That police agentwill know all about it and it will be searched at once. I can't get mycamera away and I don't want it found."

  As he spoke Fedor was laying a long strip of fuse from the room to theground floor. Striking a match he lit the end.

  "In half an hour the place will be a furnace," he said coolly.

  What to do with the police agent was a problem.

  "I can't kill the fellow in cold blood," remarked Fedor, "and I can'tleave him here to be burnt alive."

  Finally they dragged the man outside and left him lying in the darkestcorner of the alley they could find.

  "Some one will find him when the fire starts," was Fedor's conclusion.

  But some one found him much earlier, and their clemency nearly cost themtheir lives!

  Yvette and Fedor started for the Mohawk and Dick walked swiftly over tothe General's house. It was very late and not a soul was stirring inthe now deserted streets. Without difficulty Dick found the leadedwindow and scarcely troubling about the slight noise he made, forced itpartly in, poured in a liberal supply of petrol and flung after it alighted match. Instantly there was a most satisfactory sheet of flame.

  A moment later Dick was hammering at the front door, shouting at the topof his voice. He aimed at making all the confusion he could.

  Instantly the street was in an uproar. People poured half-dressed fromthe houses, and from General Mestich's residence came a stream offrightened domestics, screaming in terror and half-choked with smoke.

  Slipping unnoticed into the house, Dick made straight for the _salon_.As he entered, General Mestich was in the very act of withdrawing thetreaty from the secret receptacle. He turned towards Dick and theireyes met.

  Traitor though he was, the Galdavian General was a cool and brave man.His hand dropped to his pocket and a revolver flashed out. But he wasjust a fraction of a second too late. Dick's hand was ready on hisautomatic, and as the General's revolver came out Dick fired from hispocket and the leader of the Galdavian revolution fell dead with abullet through his heart.

  A moment later Dick, the precious treaty in his pocket, had joined theshouting throng in the crowded street. As he did so, a burst of flamefrom the old storehouse announced the success of Fedor's plan and addedto the general confusion.

  Dick worked himself clear of the crowd and dashed off at top speed forthe Mohawk. Yvette was already seated at the wheel, with the enginestarted ready for instant departure. As Dick sprang into his seat Fedorlaid beside him a loaded rifle.

  "Ten shots, explosive bullets," he said coolly. "It may be useful ifyou are followed."

  Then hastily they shook hands and the Mohawk leaped forward for the hillroad and safety.

  The moon was unfortunately very bright, and it was not until they hadgone five or six miles that Dick ventured to draw a breath of relief.

  "We ought to be safe now," he said. "We must find a place to fly from."

  The words were hardly out of his mouth when the roar of a big car behindthem caught his ears. They had forgotten the bound and blindfoldedpolice agent.

  That very astute individual had been found and released by a passer-by afew minutes after they had left the warehouse! Frantic with rage anddetermined to catch Dick at all costs, he had acted with wonderfulpromptness. His first step was to send out cars loaded with armedpolicemen to block all three roads leading from Langengrad so thatDick's motor should not get away. Had he been found a few momentsearlier Dick and Yvette must have been hopelessly trapped. But thedelay of a few minutes had given them a priceless advantage.

  Looking back as the big car came swiftly on, Dick caught the gleam ofrifle barrels in the moonlight. His plan was swiftly made.

  At the top of a steep slope, where the road made a sharp curve anddipped into a small depression, Dick bade Yvette halt. Blessing Fedor'sforesight, he took the rifle from the car and in the shadow flunghimself down on the grass bordering the road. For five hundred yardsbelow him the road stretched in a smooth unbroken descent.

  As the pursuing car came into sight Dick took careful aim and fired,aiming not at the men, but at the engine of the car. His first shot waslow, and he saw a burst of flame as the explosive bullet struck the roada few yards short of the car.

  His second shot got home. The big car lurched, slewed round, anddashing into the side of the road, toppled over. Evidently theexplosive bullet had wrecked the steering gear.

  He leapt into the car again, but the danger was not over. Checked bythe steep rise the big car was only going slowly, and the men inside hadevidently escaped unhurt. And they were clearly well led, for a dozenof them dashed into the road and a volley of shots rattled round Dick ashe dashed for the Mohawk.

  For the moment, racing down the hill, they were safe. But Dick saw,with inward trepidation, that a little farther on the road rose againand they would be a clear mark for their pursuers in the brightmoonlight.

  His fears were justified. Again a volley of shots rang out and bulletspattered round them. One smashed the wind screen, a second went throughYvette's hat. But they were untouched, and raced on. A moment more andthey would be safe. Then another volley rang out and Dick felt astinging pain in his left shoulder. He had been hit by one of the l
astshots fired!

  They were now out of range and Yvette sent the Mohawk along as fast asshe dared until, a few miles farther, she left the high road and droveacross the smooth upland turf to the shelter of a small wood where theycould convert the car into the aeroplane.

  Despite the danger of delay Yvette insisted on binding up Dick'sshoulder. Luckily no bone had been touched, but he had lost a lot ofblood. By a tremendous effort of will he managed to help Yvette untilthe aeroplane was ready, and then climbing into his seat collapsed in adead faint.

  When he came to his senses again it was daylight and the Mohawk wasflying steadily high above a carpet of white mist which hid the ground.Yvette, crouched over the duplicate control lever, nodded and smiled.

  "Better now?" she