CHAPTER XVIII
THE CLUE
What transpired the next day seemed to the Khaki Boys more in the natureof a wild nightmare than stark reality. As Bob had foreseen, morningbrought a flock of newspaper men from not too far distant cities to thescene of the disaster.
Excitement, however, reached fever heat when the latest editions of theevening papers flaunted black scareheads such as, "Soldier Suspected ofPoisoning His Comrades." "Incriminating Evidence Found Among Soldier'sBelongings." "Franz Schnitzel, a German-American, Accused as Poisoner,"and similar glaring headlines.
That same morning a guard detail had entered Company E's barracks withinstructions to search the belongings of such of the kitchen mendetained on suspicion who were housed in those barracks. Nothing ofimportance had been unearthed except in the suitcase of Schnitzel. Whathad been found there was deemed sufficiently serious in character towarrant holding him on a charge of murder, to await trial by a courtmartial. Not only had a medium-sized bottle of powdered glass been takenfrom the suitcase, but also a typed sheet of paper, listing variouspoisons, together with annotations as to the effect, length of timerequired to act, and the more or less deadly qualities of each.
"I'll never believe it of Schnitz. Never!" exclaimed Jimmy Blaisepassionately. Tucked into a corner of the "Y" writing room, with Rogerand Bob, the three had just finished reading the account of the affair,as set forth in the evening papers. "Schnitz isn't guilty any more thanI am."
"Schnitz isn't guilty, of course." Bob gave a contemptuous snort. "Inthe first place, I don't believe it was powdered glass that went intothat pudding. I'll bet the findings of the autopsy and chemical analysiswill prove that it was something else."
"Then he'll be cleared of the charge, won't he?" eagerly asked Jimmy.
"Cleared nothing," was the gloomy retort. "He'll be third degreed to afrazzle to make him confess that he used the poison that did thekilling. That list of poisons and the bottle of powdered glass are toostrong evidence against him to be overlooked. He's been caught with thegoods, you might say. _I_ say he's been caught in a trap laid by an_enemy_."
"You don't mean you think that----" Jimmy paused.
"I do mean just that. But before I say more, let me ask you something.Was Bixton in the squad room all last evening while I was out?"
"I don't remember." Jimmy frowned reflectively. "Let me think. I saw himsitting on his cot around seven o'clock. After that----"
"He _did_ go out," interrupted Roger. "I saw him go. It was abouthalf-past seven, I guess. He came back in a great hurry, too, about tenminutes before Taps sounded. I was just turning in. You fellows wereboth in bed. I was thinking about poor Schnitz when I saw Bixton andEldridge hustle in."
"He's done it then; queered Schnitz just as he threatened." Bob'saccusation contained savage conviction. "He put that stuff in Schnitz'ssuitcase some time during the night. It would be a cinch for him,because he bunks next to Schnitz."
"But how and where could he get the glass in such a hurry?" demandedJimmy. "There's the list, too. Bixton's not smart enough to make anysuch list himself. Besides, he wouldn't be able to get hold of a book onpoisons in this camp, and he certainly wasn't away from camp in thatshort time."
"Those are some of the things we must figure out." Bob's lips set in astraight line. "This is no joke. It's a life or death proposition forSchnitz. Very well. Now we're going to keep close mouths and run thisthing down."
"Let's go to the K. O. and tell him about it," proposed Jimmy eagerly."He'd take it up in a hurry."
"Where's your proof to back it?" shrugged Bob. "You can't accuse a manoffhand of such a serious thing. No; we must watch and wait and work,and spring the trap on Bix just the way he watched and waited, andsprang the trap on Schnitz."
"We might be too late to do any good," demurred Roger gravely.
"Don't you believe it," disagreed Bob. "This affair won't come to a headin a hurry. There'll be more or less delay and argument over the poisonitself. Then there'll be a merry chase for more evidence. The K. O.'snot anxious to see one of our men condemned for murder. There are somany German plots floating around that this business will be thoroughlysifted first. Suppose the poison had been mixed in the rice before itwas cooked or put in the milk. All that has to be looked into and itwill be. The papers say that the Secretary of War intends to investigatethis thing to the limit. That means he's going to give Schnitz a chancefor his life."
"Maybe Bixton had something to do with the poisoning," Jimmy theorized."He's a slacker. We know that. Maybe _he's_ a traitor, too."
"Nothing doing." Bob shook his head. "He's only mixed up in queeringSchnitz. He saw his chance and grabbed it. I'd sooner think it might beone of the fellows on kitchen detail with Schnitzel than Bixton. Bix andIggy both finished their kitchen detail at the same time."
"Tough luck." Jimmy vented his feelings in his favorite expression.
"Tough it is, but maybe not forever. My fighting blood is up, and I'mgoing to camp on the trail of that hound, Bixton, until I get somethingdefinite to hang on him," vowed Bob. "I want you two to keep an eye onhim whenever you can. Watch where he goes, what he does, and the men hetalks with. Be careful not to let him catch you at it, though. That'llbe your part of the scheme." Bob rose and rolled up the newspaper he hadbeen reading.
"What are _you_ going to do. What's your part going to be?" Jimmy wantedto know.
"Same as yours, only more so," grinned Bob. "I'm going to gatherinformation about that kitchen detail, Bixton, Eldridge and anyone elsewho needs looking up. I'm going to be an investigator."
Bob's earnest proposal that the three of them take to sleuthing on theirown hook fired the enthusiasm of both Roger and Jimmy. Here was a realmystery to solve, more baffling than any they had ever followed infiction. On their ability to ferret it out rested not only Schnitzel'slife, but the saving of his good name from eternal dishonor.
The next two days, however, were painfully devoid of results. Close andconstant watch on Bixton developed nothing that could be used againsthim.
Ignace had now returned to the fold a paler and slightly thinner editionof himself. According to himself he had been "'ver' seek, but no so seeksom' other." He was greatly cast down over Schnitzel's plight, andsturdily expressed his belief in the other's innocence. He was equallyeager to do whatever Bob advised, and solemnly promised, "Watch alltime."
On the afternoon of the third day after Schnitzel's arrest, Jimmy, Rogerand Ignace received a summons to headquarters. At a loss to recollectany misdemeanor on their part, they went, wondering mightily why the K.O. should wish to see them. Once in the presence of their commandingofficer they met with a shock. Before them, spread out on the major'sdesk, lay several letters, minus their envelopes, which reposed besidethem. Each man was in turn requested to glance over the letter to whichwas affixed his signature, and state whether he had written it and atwhat time. It is needless to say that all told the same story. Theletters on the major's desk were the letters that had so mysteriouslyvanished during the Khaki Boys' first week in camp.
Having duly explained this to the K. O.'s satisfaction, they weretreated to a second bewildering surprise. These very letters, it seemed,had been found in Schnitzel's suitcase. Major Stearns had opened them,as a point of duty, and had claimed the right to withhold them in orderto make an inquiry. Shown to Schnitzel, he had stubbornly denied everhaving seen them before.
"You state, Blaise, that these letters were stolen from a shelf overyour cot on the same night that they were written?"
"Yes, sir."
"Have you any reason for believing that it was Schnitzel who stolethem?"
"No, sir. I _know_ Schnitzel didn't steal them." Jimmy emphasized the'know' strongly.
"Why are you so positive that he did not?"
"Because, sir, Schnitzel wasn't that sort. He's a true man, and he'sinnocent of the crime he's charged with." Jimmy's sympathies overcamehis awe of Major Stearns.
"Humph!" The K. O. allowed this opinion to st
and unrebuked. He was fondof Jimmy, and rather admired him for his staunch defense of the accusedsoldier. "Is that your only reason?"
Tardily recalling Bob's injunction to secrecy regarding Bixton, Jimmyhesitated, then cautiously answered: "We were not acquainted withSchnitzel, sir, at the time we wrote those letters. There was no reasonwhy he should want to take them."
"Still you can't give me any proof that he didn't, can you?"
"No, sir." Jimmy breathed freely again.
Receiving this negative, the major proceeded to question first Roger,then Ignace, with practically the same result. Profiting by Jimmy'smistake, neither volunteered more than was necessary. In the end theyleft headquarters without their letters. The fact that these had beenstolen added to the case against Schnitzel.
The Khaki Boys left headquarters in a state of intense excitement,manifested in their eager exchange of remarks the moment they weresafely outside the building. Directly after the disappearance of theirletters they had suspected Bixton of the theft. His later attempt to getat Jimmy's equipment had strengthened the suspicion. Now the lostletters had, at this late date, turned up in Schnitzel's suitcase.Actual proof against Bixton they had none. That did not matter so muchat present. It would come. Why? Because at last they had a clue, or whatseemed to them a clue. At least, it was a circumstance that connectedBixton with Schnitzel. If Bixton had stolen the letters that were foundin Schnitzel's suitcase, it followed that no one save Bixton would haveplaced them there, and not only the letters but the bottle of powderedglass and the poison list.