CHAPTER XVI
THE DISAPPEARING HELMETS
It was early the following morning that, very excited, Elaine and Ishowed Aunt Josephine the photograph which we had snapped and developedby using Kennedy's trick method.
"But who is it?" asked Aunt Josephine examining the print carefully andseeing nothing but a face masked and with a pair of hands before it, aseal ring on the little finger of one hand.
"Oh, I forgot that you hadn't seen the ring before," explained Elaine."Why, we knew him at once, in spite of everything, by that sealring--Mr. Del Mar!"
"Mr. Del Mar?" repeated Aunt Josephine, looking from one to the otherof us, incredulous.
"I saw the ring at his own bungalow and on his own finger," reiteratedElaine positively.
"But what are you going to do, now?" asked Aunt Josephine.
"Have him arrested, of course," Elaine replied.
Still talking over the strange experience of the night before, we wentout on the veranda.
"Well, of all the nerve!" exclaimed Elaine, catching sight of a mancoming up the gravel walk. "If that isn't Henry, Mr. Del Mar's valet!"
The valet advanced as though nothing had happened and, indeed, Isuppose that as far as he knew nothing had happened or was known to us.He bowed and handed Elaine a note which she tore open quickly and read.
"Would you go?" she asked, handing the note over to me.
It read:
DEAR MISS DODGE,
If you and Mr. Jameson will call on me to-day, I will have something ofinterest to tell you concerning my investigations in the case of thedisappearance of Craig Kennedy.
Sincerely,
M. DEL MAR.
"Yes," I asserted, "I would go."
"Tell Mr. Del Mar we shall see him as soon as possible," nodded Elaineto the valet who bowed and left quickly.
"What is it?" inquired Aunt Josephine, rejoining us.
"A note from Mr. Del Mar," replied Elaine showing it to her.
"Well," queried Aunt Josephine, "what are you going to do?"
"We're going, of course," cried Elaine.
"You're not," blurted out Aunt Josephine. "Why, just think. He's sureto do something."
But Elaine and I had made up our minds.
"I know it," I interjected. "He's sure to try something that will showhis hand--and then I've got him."
Perhaps I threw out my chest a little more than was necessary, but thenI figured that Elaine with her usual intuition had for once agreed withme and that it must be all right. I drew my gun and twirled thecylinder about as I spoke. Indeed I felt, since the success of thesnapshot episode, that I was a match for several Del Mar's.
"Yes, Walter is right," agreed Elaine.
Aunt Josephine continued to shake her head sagely in protest. ButElaine waved all her protestations aside and ran into the house to getready for the visit.
Half an hour later, two saddle horses were brought around to the frontof Dodge Hall and Elaine and I sallied forth.
Aunt Josephine was still protesting against our going to Del Mar's, butwe had made up our minds to carry the thing through. "You know," sheinsisted, "that Mr. Kennedy is not around to protect you two children.Something will surely happen to you if you don't keep out of thisaffair."
"Oh, Auntie," laughed Elaine, a bit nervously, however, "don't be akill-joy. Suppose Craig isn't about? Who's going to do this, if Walterand I don't?"
In spite of all, we mounted and rode away.
. . . . . . .
Del Mar, still continuing his nefarious work of mining American harborsand bridges, had arrived at a scheme as soon as he returned from theattempt to get back from us the Sandy Hook plans. Smith, who had stolenthe plans from the War Department, was still at the bungalow.
Early in the morning, Del Mar had seated himself at his desk and wrotea letter.
"Here, Henry," he directed his valet, "take this to Miss Dodge."
As the valet went out, he wrote another note. "Read that," he said,handing it over to Smith. "It's a message I want you to take toheadquarters right away."
It was worded cryptically:
A. A. L. N. Y. Closely watched. Must act soon or all will be discovered.--M.
Smith read the note, nodded, and put it into his pocket, as he startedto the door.
"No, no," shouted Del Mar, calling him back. "This thing means thatyou'll have to be careful in your getaway. You'd better go out throughmy secret passage," he added, pointing to the panel in the library wall.
He pressed the button on the desk and Smith left through the hiddenpassage. Down it he groped and at the other end emerged. Seeing no onearound, he made his way to the road. There seemed to be no one wholooked at all suspicious on the road, either, and Smith congratulatedhimself on his easy escape.
On a bridge over a creek, however, as Smith approached, was oneinoffensive-looking person who might have been a minister or aprofessor. He was leaning on the rail in deep thought, gazing at thecreek that ran beneath him, and now and then flashing a sharp glanceabout.
Suddenly he saw something approaching. Instantly he dodged to thefarther end of the bridge and took refuge behind a tree. Smith walkedon over the bridge, oblivious to the fact that he was watched. Nosooner had he disappeared than the inquisitive stranger emerged againfrom behind the tree.
It was the mysterious Professor Arnold who many times had shown apeculiar interest in the welfare of Elaine and myself.
Evidently he had recognized Del Mar's messenger, for after watching hima moment he turned and followed.
At the railroad station, just before the train for New York pulled in,the waiting crowd was increased by one stranger. Smith had come in andtaken his place unostentatiously among them.
But if he thought he was to be lost in the little crowd, he was muchmistaken. Arnold had followed, but not so quickly that he had not hadtime to pick up the two policemen that the town boasted, both of whomwere down at the station at the time.
"There he is," indicated Arnold, "the fellow with the slight limp.Bring him to my room in the St. Germain Hotel."
"All right, sir," replied the officers, edging their way to theplatform as Arnold retreated back of the station and disappeared up thestreet.
Just then the train pulled into the station and the passengers crowdedforward to mount the steps. Smith was just about to push his way onwith them, when the officers elbowed through the crowd.
"You're wanted," hissed one of them, seizing his shoulder.
But Smith, in spite of his deformity, was not one to submit to arrestwithout a struggle. He fought them off and broke away, running towardthe baggage-room.
As he rushed in, they followed. One of them was gaining on him and tooka flying football tackle. The other almost fell over the twisted massof arms and legs. The struggle now was short and sharp and ended in theofficers slipping the bracelets over the wrists of Smith. While thepassengers and bystanders crowded about to watch the excitement, theyled him off quickly.
. . . . . . .
In his rooms at the St. Germain, cluttered with test tubes and otherparaphernalia which indicated his scientific tendencies, ProfessorArnold entered and threw off his hat, lighting a cigarette and waitingimpatiently.
He had not as long to wait as he had expected. A knock sounded at thedoor and he opened it. There was Smith handcuffed and forced in by thetwo policemen.
"Good work," commended Arnold, at once setting to work to search theprisoner who fumed but could not resist.
"What have we here?" drawled Arnold in mock courtesy and surprise as hefound and drew forth from Smith's pocket a bundle of papers, which hehastily ran through.
"Ah!" he muttered, coming to Del Mar's note, which he opened and read."What's this? 'A. A. L. N. Y. Closely watched. Must act soon or allwill be discovered. M.' Now, what's all that?"
Arnold pondered the text deeply. "You may take him away, now," heconcluded, glancing up from the
note to the officers. "Thank you."
"All right, sir," they returned, prodding Smith along out.
Still studying the note, Arnold sat down at the desk. Thoughtfully hepicked up a pencil. Under the letters A. A. L. he slowly wrote"Anti-American League" and under the initial M the name, "Martin."
"Now is the time, if ever, to use that new telaphotograph instrumentwhich I have installed for the War Department in Washington and carryaround with me," he said to himself, rising and going to a closet.
He took out a large instrument composed of innumerable coils and aqueer battery of selenium cells. It was the receiver of the newinstrument by which a photograph could be sent over a telegraph wire.
Down-stairs, in the telegraph room of the hotel, Arnold secured theservices of one of the operators. Evidently by the way they obeyed himthey had received orders from the company regarding him, and knew himwell there.
"I wish you'd send this message right away to Washington," he said,handing in a blank he had already written.
The clerk checked it over:
U. S. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C.
Wire me immediately photograph and personal history of Martin arrested two years ago as head of Anti-American League.--ARNOLD.
As the message was ticked off, Arnold attached his receivingtelaphotograph instrument to another wire.
It was a matter scarcely of seconds before a message was flashed backto Arnold from Washington:
Martin escaped from Fort Leavenworth six months ago. Thought to be in Europe. Photograph follows.
EDWARDS.
"Very well," nodded Arnold with satisfaction. "I think I know what isgoing on here now. Let us wait for the photograph."
He went over to the new selenium telaphotograph and began adjusting it.
Far away, in Washington, in a room in the War Department where Arnoldhad already installed his system for the secret government service, aclerk was also working over the sending part of the apparatus.
No sooner had the clerk finished his preparations and placed aphotograph in the transmitter than the buzzing of the receiver whichArnold had installed announced to him that the marvellous transmissionof a picture over a wire, one of the very newest triumphs of science,was in progress. In the little telegraph office of the St. Germain, theclerks and operators crowded about Arnold, watching breathlessly.
"By Jove, it works!" cried one, no longer sceptical.
Slowly a print was being evolved before their eyes as if by a spirithand. Arnold watched the synchronizer apparatus carefully as, pointafter point, the picture developed. He bent over closely, his attentiondevoted to every part of the complicated apparatus.
At last the transmission of the photograph was completed and themachine came to rest. Arnold almost tore the print from the receiverand held it up to examine it.
A smile of intense satisfaction crossed his face.
"At last!" he muttered.
There was a photograph of the man who had been identified with the archconspirators of two years before, Martin. Only, now he had changed hisname and appeared in a new role.
It was Marcus Del Mar!
. . . . . . .
Already, in the library of his bungalow, Del Mar had summoned one ofhis trusted men and was talking to him, when Henry, the valet,reentered after his trip to see us.
"They're coming as soon as they can," he reported.
Del Mar smiled a cynical smile. "Good," he exclaimed triumphantly,then, looking about at the electric fixtures, added to the man, "Let ussee where to install the thing."
He walked over to the door and put his hand on the knob, then pointedback at the fixtures.
"That's the idea," he cried. "You can run the line from the brackets tothis door-knob and the mat. How's that?"
"Very clever," flattered the man, putting on a heavy pair of rubbergloves.
Taking a pair of pliers and other tools from a closet in the library,he began removing the electric fixture from the wall. As Del Mardirected, the man ran a wire from the fixture along the moulding, anddown the side of a door, where he made a connection.
In the meantime Del Mar brought out a wire mat and laid it in front ofthe door where any one who entered or left would be sure to step on it.The various connections made, the man placed a switch in theconcealment of a heavily-curtained window and replaced everything as hefound it.
Thus it was that Elaine and I came at last to Del Mar's bungalow, Imust admit, with some misgivings. But I had gone too far to draw backnow and Elaine was more eager even than I was. We dismounted, tetheredour horses and went toward the house, where I rang the bell.
Preparations for our reception had just been completed and Del Mar wasissuing his final instructions to his man, when the valet, Henry, ranin hastily.
"They're here, sir, now," he announced excitedly.
"All right, I'm ready," nodded Del Mar, turning to his man again andindicating a place back of the folds of the heavy curtains by thewindow. "You get back there by that switch. Don't move--don't evenbreathe. Now, Henry, let them in."
As his valet withdrew Del Mar gazed about his library to make sure thateverything was all right. Just then the valet reappeared and ushered usin.
"Good morning," greeted Del Mar pleasantly. "I see that you got my noteand I'm glad you were so prompt. Won't you be seated?"
Both Elaine and I were endeavoring to appear at ease. But there was adecided tension in the atmosphere. We sat down, however. Del Mar didnot seem to notice anything wrong.
"I've something at last to report to you about Kennedy," he said amoment later, clearing his throat.
. . . . . . .
Aunt Josephine turned from us as Elaine and I rode off on our horsesfrom Dodge Hall considerably worried.
Then an idea seemed to occur to her and she walked determinedly intothe house.
"Jennings," she called to the butler, "have the limousine broughtaround from the garage immediately."
"Yes, ma'am," acquiesced the faithful Jennings, hurrying out.
It was only a few minutes later that the car pulled around before thedoor. Aunt Josephine bustled out and entered.
"Fort Dale," she directed the driver, greatly agitated. "Ask forLieutenant Woodward."
Out at Fort Dale, Woodward was much astonished when an orderlyannounced that Aunt Josephine was waiting in her car to see him on veryurgent business. He ordered that she be admitted at once.
"I hope there's nothing wrong?" he inquired anxiously, as he noted theexcitement and the worried look on her face.
"I--I'm afraid there may be," she replied, sitting down and explainingwhat Elaine and I had just done.
The Lieutenant listened gravely.
"And," she concluded, "they wouldn't listen to me, Lieutenant. Can'tyou follow them and keep them out of trouble?"
Woodward who had been listening to her attentively jumped up as sheconcluded. "Yes," he cried sympathetically, "I can. I'll go myself withsome of the men from the post. If they get into any scrape, I'll rescuethem."
Almost before she could thank him, Woodward had hurried from hisoffice, followed by her. On the parade grounds were some men. Quicklyhe issued his orders and a number of them sprang up as he detailed themoff for the duty. It was only a moment before they returned, armed. Aninstant later three large touring cars from the Fort swept up beforethe office of Woodward. Into them the armed men piled.
"Hurry--to the Del Mar bungalow," ordered the Lieutenant, jumping upwith the driver of the first car. "We must see that nothing happens toMiss Dodge and Mr. Jameson."
They shot away in a cloud of dust, followed hard by the other two cars,dashing at a breakneck speed over the good roads.
In the narrow, wooded roadway near Del Mar's, Woodward halted his carand the soldiers all jumped out and gathered about him as hastily heissued his directions.
"Surround the house, first," he ordered. "Then a
rrest any one who goesin or out."
They scattered, forming a wide circle. As soon as word was passed thatthe circle was completed, they advanced cautiously at a signal fromWoodward, taking advantage of every concealment.
. . . . . . .
Around in the kitchen back of Del Mar's, Henry, the valet, had retiredto visit one of the maids. He was about to leave when he happened tolook out of the window.
"What's that?" he muttered to himself.
He stepped back and peered cautiously through the window again. Therehe could see a soldier, moving stealthily behind a bush.
He drew back further and thought a minute. He must not alarm us.
Then he wrote a few words on a piece of paper and tore it so that hecould hold it in his palm. Next he hurried from the kitchen and enteredthe study.
Del Mar had scarcely begun to outline to us a long and circumstantialpseudo-investigation into what he was pleased to hint had been thedeath of Kennedy, when we were interrupted again by the entrance of hisvalet.
"Excuse me, sir," apologized Henry, as Del Mar frowned, then noted thatsomething was wrong.
As the valet said the words, he managed surreptitiously to hand to DelMar the paper which he had written, now folded up into a very smallspace.
I had turned from Del Mar when the valet entered, apparently to speakto Elaine, but in reality to throw them off their guard.
Under that cover I was able to watch the precious pair from the tail ofmy eye, I saw Del Mar nod to the valet as though he understood thatsome warning was about to be conveyed. Although nothing was said, DelMar was indicating by dumb show orders of some kind. I had no idea whatit was all about but I stood ready to whip out my gun on the slightestsuspicious move from either.
"I hope you'll pardon me, Miss Dodge," Del Mar deprecated, as the valetretreated toward the door to the kitchen and pantry. "But, you see, Ihave to be housekeeper here, too, it seems."
Actually, though he was talking to us, it was in a way that enabled himby palming something in his hand, I fancied, to look at it. It was,though I did not know it, the hastily scrawled warning of the valet.
It must have been hard to read, for I managed by a quick shift at lastto catch just a fleeting glimpse that it was a piece of paper he heldin his hand. What was it, I asked myself, that he should be so secretabout it? Clearly, I reasoned, it must be something that was ofinterest to Elaine and myself. If I must act ever, I concluded, now wasthe time to do so.
Suddenly I reached out and snatched the note from his hand. But beforeI could read it Del Mar had sprung to his feet.
At the same instant a man leaped out from behind the curtains.
But I was on my guard. Already I had drawn my revolver and had them allcovered before they could make another move.
"Back into that corner--by the window--all of you," I ordered, thinkingthus to get them together, more easily covered. Then, handing the note,with my other hand, to Elaine, I said to her, "See what it says--quick."
Eagerly she took it and read aloud, "House surrounded by soldiers."
"Woodward," I cried.
Still keeping them covered, I smiled quietly to myself and took onestep after another slowly to the door. Elaine followed.
I reached the door and I remember that I had to step on a metal mat todo so. I put my hand behind me and grasped the knob about to open thedoor.
As I did so, the man who had jumped from behind the curtain suddenlythrew down his upraised hands. Before I could fire, instantaneously infact, I felt a thrill as though a million needles had been thrust intoall parts of my body at once paralyzing every muscle and nerve. The gunfell from my nerveless hand, clattering to the floor.
The man had thrown an electric switch which had completed a circuitfrom the metal mat to the door-knob through my body and then to thelight and power current of high power. There I was, held a prisoner, bythe electric current!
At the same instant, also, Del Mar with an oath leaped forward andseized Elaine by the arms. I struggled with the door-knob but I couldno more let go than I could move my feet off that mat. It was torture.
"Henry!" called Del Mar to the valet.
"Yes, sir."
"Open the cabinet. Give me the helmets and the suits."
The valet did so, bringing out a number of queer looking head-pieceswith a single weird eye of glass in the front, as well as rubber suitsof an outlandish design. While he was doing so, Del Mar stuffed ahandkerchief into Elaine's mouth to keep her quiet.
By this time, Del Mar, as well as the man from behind the curtains andthe valet were provided with suits, and one at a time holding Elaine,the others put them on.
Del Mar moved toward Elaine, holding an extra helmet. He strapped it onher, then started to force her into a suit.
I struggled still, but in vain, to free myself from the door-knob andmat. It was more than I could stand, and I sank down, half conscious.
I revived only long enough to see that Del Mar had forced one of thesuits on Elaine finally. Then he pressed a button hidden on the side ofhis desk and a secret panel in the wall opened. Picking up Elaine heand the others hurried through into what looked like a dark passage andthe panel closed.
They were gone. I put forth all my remaining strength in one lastdesperate struggle. Somehow, I managed to kick the wire mat from undermy feet, breaking the contact.
I staggered toward the panel, but fell to the floor, unconscious.
. . . . . . .
Outside, the iron ring, as Woodward had planned it, of soldiers werelooking about, alert for any noise or movement. Suddenly, two of themwho had been watching the grounds attentively signalled to each otherthat they saw something.
From the shrubbery emerged a most curious and uncouth figure, all inrags, with long, unkempt hair and beard, sallow complexion, andcarrying a long staff. It might have been a tramp or a hermit, perhaps,who was making his way toward the house.
The two soldiers stole up noiselessly, close to him. Almost before heknew it, the hermit felt himself seized from behind by four powerfularms. Escape was impossible.
"Let me go," he pleaded. "Can't you see I'm harming no one?"
But the captors were obdurate. "Tell it to the Lieutenant," theyrejoined grimly forcing him to go before them by twisting his arms,"Our orders were to seize any one entering or leaving."
Protests were in vain. The hermit was forced to go before LieutenantWoodward who was just in the rear directing the advance.
"Well," demanded Woodward, "what's your business?"
For an instant the hermit stood mute. What should he do? He has reasonto know that the situation must be urgent.
Slowly he raised his beard so that Woodward could see not only that itwas false but what his features looked like.
"Arnold!" gasped Woodward, startled. "What brings you here? Elaine andJameson are in the house. We have it surrounded."
Half an hour before, in the St. Germain, Arnold had no sooner receivedthe telaphotograph than he hurried up to his room. From a closet he hadproduced another of his numerous disguises and quickly put it on. Withscant white locks falling over his shoulders and long scraggly beard,he had made himself into a veritable wild man. Then he had put on thefinishing touches and had made his way toward Del Mar's.
A look of intense anxiety now flashed over Arnold's face as he heardWoodward's words.
"But," he cried, "there is an underground passage from the house to theshore."
"The deuce!" muttered Woodward, more alarmed now than ever. "Come,men,--to the house," he shouted out his orders as they passed themaround the line. "Arnold, lead the way!"
Together the soldier and the strange figure rushed to the front door ofthe bungalow. All was still inside. Heavy as it was, they broke it downand burst in.
"Walter, there's Walter!" cried Woodward as he saw me lying on thefloor of the study when they ran in.
They hurried to me and as quickly as t
hey could started to bring mearound.
"Where's Elaine?" asked the strange figure of the hermit.
Weakly, I was able only to point to the panel. But it was enough. Thesoldiers understood. They dashed for it, looking for a button or anopening. Finding neither, they started to bang on it and batter it inwith the butts of their guns.
It was only seconds before it was splintered to kindling. There was thepassage. Instantly, Woodward, the hermit, and the rest plunged into itutterly regardless of danger. On through the tunnel they went until atlast they came, unmolested, to the end. There they paused to look about.
The hermit pointed to the ground. Clearly there were footprints,leading to the shore. They followed them on down to the beach.
"Look!" pointed the hermit.
Off in the water they could now see the most curious sights. Fourstrangely helmeted creatures were wading out, each like a hugeoctopus-head, without tentacles.
Only a few seconds before, Del Mar and his companions, carrying Elainehad emerged from the secret entrance of the tunnel and had dashed forthe shore of the promontory.
Stopping only an instant to consider what was to be done, Del Mar hadseen some one else emerge from the tunnel.
"Come--we must get down there quickly," he shouted, hurriedly issuingorders, as all three, carrying Elaine, waded out into the water.
At sight of the strange figures the soldiers raised their guns and avolley of shot rang out.
"Stop!" shouted the hermit, his hair streaming wildly as he ran beforethe guns and threw up as many as he could grasp with his outstretchedarms. "Do you want to kill her?"
"Her?" repeated Woodward.
All stood there, wonderingly, gazing at the queer creatures.
What did it mean?
Slowly, they disappeared--literally under the water.
They were gone--with Elaine!