Produced by Sean Pobuda
Boy Scouts in an Airship;
or, The Warning From the Sky
BY G. HARVEY RALPHSON
CHAPTER I
SPIES IN THE BOY SCOUT CAMP
Gates, the United States Secret Service man, closed the door gentlyand remained standing just inside the room, his head bent forward ina listening attitude. Ned Nestor and Jimmie McGraw, Boy Scouts ofthe Wolf Patrol, New York City, who had been standing by a window,looking out on a crowded San Francisco street, previous to thesudden appearance of the Secret Service man, turned toward theentrance with smiles on their faces.
They evidently thought that Gates was posing, as so many detectiveshave a silly habit of doing, and so gave little heed to the hand helifted in warning. The boys knew little about Gates at that time,and so may be pardoned for the uncomplimentary thoughts with whichthey noted his theatrical conduct.
Young Nestor had been engaged by the United States government toundertake a difficult and dangerous mission to South America, andGates had been sent on from Washington to post him as to the detailsof the case. The boys had waited at the San Francisco hotel threedays for the arrival of the Secret Service man, and waitedimpatiently, as Sam Leroy, who was to be the third member of theparty, was anxious for the safety of his aeroplane, the Nelson, inwhich the trip to "the roof of the world" was to be made.
The Nelson was lying, guarded night, and day, in a field just out ofthe city, on the Pacific side, and Leroy was impatiently keeping hiseyes on the guards most of the time. There was a subconsciousnotion in the minds of all the boys that there were enemies about,and that the aeroplane would never be fully out of danger until shewas well over the ocean on her way south. Gates had arrived onlythat morning, and now the lads were eager to be off.
A couple of hours before his appearance in the room that morning,the Secret Service agent had left the boys in the lobby below toarrange for the necessary papers and funds for the mission. Beforegoing out, however, he had been informed of the boys' suspicions,and had made light of the idea that the aeroplane was in danger fromsecret enemies, pointing to the fact that no one was supposed toknow anything about the proposed journey save the boys and himselfas conclusive evidence that the suspicion of constant surveillancewas not well founded.
Now, on his return, his cautious movements indicated that he, too,was alarmed and on his guard. While Ned was wondering what it wasthat had so changed Gates' point of view, there came a quick,imperative knock on the door of the room, which was occupied by Nedand Jimmie as a sleeping apartment.
Instantly, almost before the sound of the knock died away, Gatesopened the door and stepped forward. The man who stood in thecorridor, facing the doorway, was tall, slender, dark of complexion,like a Spaniard or a Mexican. His black hair was long, straight,thin; his black eyes were bright, treacherous, too close together,with a little vertical wrinkle between the brows. He was dressed ina neat brown business suit of expensive material.
When the door was opened he stepped forward and glanced into theinterior of the room, apparently with the purpose of entering. Butwhen Gates moved aside to give him passageway he drew back, the setsmile on his face vanishing as he bowed low and swung his slenderhands out in elaborate gesture.
"Pardon!" he said. "I have made a mistake in the room."
He was about to move away when Gates gritted out a question.
"For whom were you looking?" he asked. "We may be able to direct youto your friend," he added, more courteously, his alert eyes takingin every detail of the man's face, figure and dress.
"It is nothing!" was the quick reply. "I will make inquiries at theoffice--which, undoubtedly, I should have done before."
In a moment he was gone, moving gracefully toward the elevator.Gates watched his elegant, well-dressed figure with a smile of quietsatisfaction. When the visitor gained the elevator, he turned andbowed at the still open doorway, and the Secret Service manrecognized the grin on his face as expressive of triumph rather thanapology.
"What did he want?" asked Jimmie, as Gates, closed the door.
Gates did not answer the question immediately. Instead he askedone:
"Ever see that fellow before?"
Jimmie shook his head, but Ned looked grave as he answered:
"I have seen him about the hotel--frequently. He seems to have asuite off this corridor, or the one above it."
At this moment the door was opened again and Sam Leroy bounced intothe room, his eyes shining with enthusiasm, his muscles tense withthe joy of youth and health. He drew back when he saw Gates, whomhe had not met before, and looked questioningly at Ned.
"This is Lieutenant Gates, for whom we have been waiting," Ned said,"and this, Lieutenant, is Sam Leroy, who is to take us to SouthAmerica in his aeroplane."
"I hope the machine is above reproach as to strength and speed,"laughed Gates, as the two shook hands cordially, "for there islikely to be doings down there."
"The Nelson is warranted for work and wind," said Ned. "She crossedthe continent in a rush and spied on us through British Columbia andon down the Columbia river, not long ago, and I can recommend her asa very desirable bird of the air."
"She's all sound now," Leroy said, "but there's no knowing how longshe will be if we don't get her out of San Francisco. There was acouple of men hanging around her last night, and one of them wentaway with a bullet in his leg. I'm glad you're here, Lieutenant,for now we can get away--quick!"
"Did you get a good look at either of the two men you speak of?"asked Ned, his mind going back to what seemed to him to be a secretconspiracy against the Nelson.
"One of them," Leroy answered, "was tall, slender, dark; with longstraight hair and eyes like a snake. I noticed, too, that he had ahabit of moistening his lips with the end of his tongue, and thatmade me think of a snake thrusting out his tongue. I got a shot atthe other fellow, but not at this one."
Gates and Ned looked at each other with nods of mutualunderstanding. This was a pretty good description of the man whohad just stood before the door of that room. Then the lieutenantturned to Jimmie.
"You asked a moment ago," he said, "what the fellow wanted here.Now I think I can tell you. He wanted to confirm his suspicionsthat the four of us axe working together. He has been sleuthingabout the corridors all the morning, watching me; and his mission tothis room was to make sure that my business in San Francisco is withNed--that we are working together."
"He's sure doing a lot of Sherlock Holmes stunts," Jimmie declared."And I reckon he's next to his job, for he appears to have inspectedall the points of interest, from the field where the Nelson is tothe room where the plans are being made."
"Yes," Leroy said, his manner showing apprehension as well as anger,"but how the Old Scratch did he get his knowledge, of what, we areabout to do? I thought no one in the West knew except us four. Andwhat's he trying to do, anyway? What difference does it make to himif we do go to South America in an aeroplane?"
"I have a notion," Gates replied, "that he objects to your going inan airship because you will make such swift time. Let me tell yousomething more about this case. Then you will be able to understandwhy efforts may be made to prevent your going to South America, inan airship or in any other way."
"It's just the airship they've been after so far," Leroyinterrupted. "They haven't troubled us--and they'd better not!"
"I imagine," said the lieutenant, gravely, "that their activitieswill broaden out as they get warmed up to their work. Understand?What I mean is this: You boys are risking your lives in undertakingthis mission. You will be followed and spi
ed upon from the minuteyou leave San Francisco, and the chances will be all against youwhen you reach your field of operations. Even the Government cannotprotect you in your undertaking, for the Government is not supposedto know anything about this case."
"We are to do something by stealth, then, which the diplomats of theState department are too cautious to undertake?" asked Ned.
"That is it exactly," was the reply. "If the State departmentshould take cognizance of the situation down there and make any sortof a demand, war would be certain to follow in case the demand wasdenied, which it would be. Therefore, the State department does notwish to make a demand. Still, the American who is in trouble mustbe protected. You are to go and get him out of his dungeon, orwherever he may be, and the Department of State will wink at whatyou do and look innocent."
"Aw, why don't they send a warship to do the job?" demanded Jimmie.
"Because," replied the lieutenant, "Uncle Sam has taken therepublics of South America under his protection, and he does notcare to spank them in the presence of all the nations of the earth!He wants to get this man Lyman--Horace M. Lyman, to be exact--out ofthe clutches of a crooked gang in Paraguay without wasting money andlives. Hence the arrangement with you boys."
"I have read something about the Lyman case," Ned observed, "but Ihave forgotten all the material points, I guess."
"Lyman," Gates went on, "took up his residence in Paraguay someyears ago and opened negotiations with the government for a cattleconcession. The lands known as the 'Chaco' district, lying betweenthe Paraguay and Pilcomayo rivers, are said to be the best forgrazing purposes in all South America. Years ago they wereconsidered worthless swamps, but this is all changed now.
"Well, Lyman entered into negotiations with the president of thisalleged republic and got his concession. There is no knowing howmuch he paid for it, for every new president of Paraguay--and theyhave new ones quite frequently down there--seems to do business onthe theory that what he doesn't get while the getting is good henever will get at all. There have been four or five new officialheads of this alleged republic within a couple of years.
"The country is on the verge of revolution most of the time and asthe army goes so goes the election. Jara was made prisoner lastJuly, and one Rojes put in power. Now, in order to keep in goodstanding with the army, the government is obliged to have generalswho are loyal to whoever is in power. These generals must be paidfor their services, of course.
"It seems that Lyman fell under the displeasure of one of thesepowerful military chaps, probably because he refused to give up allhis profits in the cattle business. Anyway, Lyman disappeared fromhome, quite suddenly, and his manager was notified that settlementcould be made with one Senor Lopez, an army chief, said to be arelative of a former president. So Lopez was appealed to.
"Now Lopez is a slippery chap. He denied knowing anything aboutLyman, but declared that unless the cattleman appeared shortly andtook up his work on the cattle concession the grant would be takenfrom him. That is like South American justice. Lock a man up andthen deprive him of his rights because he can't appear and claimthem!"
"Must be a fine healthy country!" Jimmie interposed.
"It is all of that," laughed the lieutenant. "Then this manager, Ithink his name is Coye, appealed to the United States consul and theconsul to the president. Nothing doing! Lyman, they insisted, hadnot been molested by the authorities. But Lyman's people in thiscountry are kicking up an awful row, and something must be done.
"There is no doubt that the cattleman, is locked up in some of theold military prisons of the country, yet the State department can'tget him out. The president offers any assistance in his power, ofcourse! Lopez weeps when the matter is mentioned to him--weeps atthe unfounded suspicions which are being cast upon him! So thereyou are! The only hope for Lyman lies in some such method as hasbeen planned. If you fail, the situation will be desperate,indeed."
"Why don't Lyman buy the fellow off?" asked Jimmie.
"The purpose of Lopez in pursuing the course referred to isundoubtedly to find an excuse for robbing Lyman of the concessionand selling it to another at a much greater price. So othersbesides the general and Lyman are concerned in this mix-up."
"You refer to a person, or corporation, waiting to buy theconcession?" asked Ned, the reason for the surveillance in SanFrancisco coming to him like a flash.
"That is it."
"And these prospective concessionaires are looking to it that Lymangets no aid from this country?"
"I had not looked at the matter in that way, had not thought oftheir venturing over here, but presume you are right."
"Look here," Leroy asked, "are you figuring it out that the peoplewho are trying to steal or cripple the Nelson came here fromParaguay for the express purpose of watching this Lyman case andpreventing his friends from assisting him?"
"You state the case in a way which gives it a good deal ofimportance," Gates replied, "But I believe you state it correctly.Just how the men who hope to gain the concession if Lyman loses itcame to understand the attitude of our Government is more than I canimagine, but it is quite clear to me that they do understand thesituation--that they are thoroughly posted as to every move that hasbeen made by the Government and by the friends of the cattleman."
"It is a good thing to know that we are likely to be chased to SouthAmerica," Ned said, "for we know exactly what to expect, and shallbe on our guard."
"Chased to South America!" laughed Leroy. "They'll have to go someif the keep up with the little old Nelson! She can fly some--if youwant to know!"