CHAPTER XXIV
Fordyce's Two Visitors
A seemingly very slight incident will freqently alter the course of aman's career, and throw his time-table completely out of gear.
It was thus in the case of Ernz von Verbrennungsraum, otherwise thetrusted and respected Town Councillor Mindiggle of Otherport.
When he vainly attempted to trade upon Noel Fordyce's affection forhis dog, Mindiggle had no intention of proceeding to Russia. It wasonly after his conversation with his fellow-conspirator, BorisPlatoff, that he decided to go to Petrograd and hand over in person asmall but immensely-powerful stock of nitro-talcite to the Extremistleader, Vladimir Klostivitch.
The haunting fear that perhaps he had made a grievous error in hisdealings with Sub-lieutenant Fordyce, whose resolution andintelligence he had completely underrated, prompted him to make thejourney without undue delay.
It was in his case an easy matter to leave the country. Throughinfluence he was made a member of the Red Cross organization for therelief of wounded Russians, and, armed with credentials, he departedvia the North Sea and Scandinavian railways to the Finnish town ofTornea, whence, by devious and uncertain travelling, he had made hisway to Petrograd, arriving just twelve hours before Fordyce made hisaudacious yet ill-advised call at the house in the BobbinskyProspekt.
Mindiggle's suspicions were well founded, and, before the Sub hadpaid his visit, Vladimir Klostivitch had been warned of thepossibility of being questioned by British naval officers.
Klostivitch immediately began to make enquiries. He soon learned thattwo Englishmen from a submarine lying at Cronstadt had recentlylanded from a Government steamer; that they had proceeded to theBritish Embassy, and thence to a house in which lived a compatriot.
The German agent wanted to be present at the anticipated interview,but this Klostivitch would not permit, avowing that he was quitecapable of trapping the interfering Englishmen without assistance,and when this was done Mindiggle would be at liberty to converse withthe captives.
"Hallo, Fordyce!" exclaimed the Hun from his place of safety. "Isuppose you did not expect to find me here? How's that ferocious dogof yours? 'Costs against the plaintiff,' eh? Well, it will be a jollydear bite for you before I've done with you."
"You think so?" enquired Fordyce coolly.
"I don't think--I know it!" replied Mindiggle. "Might I enquire whyyou've come here and tried to foist a spurious packet of diamondsupon my friend Klostivitch?"
"For motives best known to myself--and others," said the Sub stiffly.
"What motives?" enquired the spy, unable to restrain his curiosity.
"I decline to tell you; nor do I wish to hold further conversationwith you," said Fordyce with asperity.
Mindiggle laughed loudly.
"You'll change your tune, my boy," he exclaimed. "Long before I'mdone with you you'll be ready to answer my questions. You are aprisoner--a state prisoner--on a charge of conspiracy against theRussian Government. There is no prospect of rescue. With otherpressure heavy upon them the Russian officials dare not listen to theprotests of the British Embassy, even if it were known to yourfriends that you are here. Let me tell you that German rule will beall-powerful here. The followers of Kerensky, of Lenin, of Trotsky,of Korniloff--all will be completely subordinated to their rightfulmasters--the military force of the German Empire. Alreadynegotiations are in progress for peace between Germany and Russia--and the terms will be those of a victorious Germany, let me tellyou. What do you think of that?"
Fordyce made no reply. He knew that his tormentor told hard facts,but he saw no reason why he should agree with him. He was on thepoint of returning to the cellar when Mindiggle continued.
"You may just as well know what is in store for you," resumed thespy. "You and your companion will be kept here until such time as isconvenient for you to be taken into German territory. Really, I don'tknow why I shouldn't give orders for you to be executed, unless Iconsider that alive you will be more useful to the German Government.You will be fed during your imprisonment here, so you need have nofears of death by starvation; but, remember, any attempt at escape onyour part will be visited by the severest punishment."
Unostentatiously the Sub measured the distance between the floor ofthe passage and the opening through which the spy was speaking. Therewere six iron rungs, by which Klostivitch had climbed when he trickedthe two men into their prison--and Mindiggle's leering face wastantalizingly close.
With a sudden bound Fordyce scrambled agilely and rapidly up therough-and-ready ladder. So astonished was the spy at the suddenonslaught, and taken at a disadvantage by the fact that he was lyingat full length on the floor, that the Sub's attempt was within an aceof success.
But the ironwork that had supported Klostivitch's spare frame wasunequal to the task of bearing Fordyce's weight. One of the bars waswrenched bodily from its setting, throwing the Sub to the ground, atthe same time capsizing the lamp.
When he recovered his feet the young officer found that Mindiggle hadgone and that the stone slab had been replaced over the aperture.
Fordyce returned to the cellar to resume his interrupted watch and toponder over the recent conversation. It was beginning to dawn uponhim that he was "up against a big thing". The affair was not merelyan internal plot on the part of one of the many sections of Russianrevolutionists, but an international intrigue that, if successful,might seriously jeopardize the Allies' triumph.
Presently Chalmers stirred in his sleep, pulling an imaginary blanketover his head after the manner of seamen accustomed to sleeping inhammocks on a draughty main-deck. Then he sat up and gazed at theruddy glow of the burning wood.
"It's my trick, sir, isn't it?" he asked.
Fordyce glanced at his watch.
"Yes," he replied, not deeming it necessary to inform the pettyofficer that twenty minutes had elapsed beyond the specified time."I've had a most interesting conversation, Chalmers."
"It strikes me, sir," remarked the petty officer, when Fordyce hadrelated the details of his talk with Mindiggle, "that we are properlyin the soup. Talking of soup, sir, I could just do with a plateful of'bubbly'. Wonder if they'll grub us on rat soup, sir? I think I hearrats about, and they say food's scarce in these parts."
A distinct, rasping sound came through the barred window. Both menlistened intently. The noise could be likened to that of a rodent'steeth tackling a hard substance. Then came the pitter-patter of clawsupon the smooth surface of the ice.
"A whacking great rat," remarked Fordyce incredulously, as he threwfresh fuel upon the fire and stirred the embers into a blaze. Then heturned towards the window.
An animate object was frantically pawing the iron bars, and asuccession of short, shrill yaps of delight pierced the air.
With a bound Fordyce gained the window.
"Good old Flirt!" he exclaimed. "How on earth did you find us out?"
The faithful terrier was almost mad with delight as she licked theSub's hands and strove to force her way through the bars. Evidentlyshe had been having a scrap with one of the canine residents ofPetrograd, for there was a raw wound on one of her haunches.
For full five minutes Fordyce fondled the still-excited terrier.Although overjoyed at seeing his pet, and at the sagacity of theanimal, he was ill at ease. Flirt could not get into the cellar, andit was quite certain that if Mindiggle found that she was outside hewould not allow her to rejoin her master except upon utterlyunacceptable terms. He might, most likely, order the dog to bedestroyed.
"She must have smuggled herself upon the steamboat, same as 'ow shedid when she first came off, sir," suggested Chalmers.
"Yes, and now's the trouble to send her back," said the Sub. "I can'tkeep her here, and, goodness only knows, I wouldn't like to know thatshe was adrift in Petrograd."
"Think she'll find her way back, sir?" asked the petty officereagerly.
"There's a chance," replied Fordyce dubiously. "The first boat leavesfor Cronstadt at eight in the morning."
&
nbsp; "Then, sir," exclaimed Chalmers, excitedly, "that's the bloomin'ticket! Lash a note to her collar and let the skipper know where weare."