"It's a rule," responded Jack.
"Oh, dear, what is a stupid old rule! My uncle is rich and would pay youwell for any favor you did him, and then I should be awfully grateful."
"I'm just as sorry as you are," Jack assured her, "but I simply couldnot do it."
"Well, will you let my uncle and myself sit up in your wireless room andwait any word you happen to catch?"
"That, too, I am afraid I shall have to refuse to do," said Jack. "Sucha procedure would also be against the rules; and especially aftersomething that happened last night, I am determined to enforce the orderto the letter."
"What happened last night?" she asked, quizzically eying him throughnarrowed lids.
"I am afraid you will have to ask your uncle about that, Miss Jarrold.No doubt he will tell you."
Eight bells rang out, and Jack, raising his cap, said:
"That's my signal to go on duty. Depend upon it, though, Miss Jarrold,if I get any word from the _Endymion_ which I can give you withoutviolation of the rules, or if any message comes for either yourself oryour uncle, you will be the first to get it."
She made a gesture of impatience and turned to meet her uncle, who wasjust emerging from the companionway. Jarrold glared at Jack with anantagonism he did not take much trouble to conceal.
"Any news of the _Endymion_?" he growled out in his deep, rumbling bass.
"As I just told Miss Jarrold, there isn't," said Jack. "And, by the way,I hope you had a pleasant evening in my cabin last night."
"I left there as soon as you did, right after the short circuit," saidJarrold, turning red under Jack's direct gaze.
"I'm sorry to contradict you, Mr. Jarrold," replied Jack, holding theman with keen, steady eyes that did not waver under the other's angryglare. "You were in there quite a time after I left."
"I was not, I tell you," blustered Jarrold. "You are an impudent youngcub. I shall report you to the captain."
"I would advise you not to," said Jack calmly. "If you did, I might alsohave to turn in a report from Assistant Sam Smalley, who was in theother room all the time and saw almost every move you made."
"What! there was someone there?" blurted out Jarrold. And then, seeingthe error he had made, he turned to his niece. "Come, my dear, let ustake a turn about the decks. I refuse to waste more time arguing withthis young jackanapes."
CHAPTER X
A MESSAGE IN SECRET CODE
Later that morning something happened which caused Jack to cudgel hisbrain still further to explain the underlying mystery that he was sureencircled the girl and Jarrold, and in which Colonel Minturn was in someway involved.
He was sitting at the key with the door flung open to admit the brightsunshine which sparkled on a sea still rough, but as a mill pondcompared with the tumult of the night before, when there came a suddencall.
"_Tropic Queen. Tropic Queen. Tropic Queen._"
"Yes, yes, yes," flashed back Jack.
He turned around to Sam.
"I'll bet a million dollars that it is a navy or an army stationcalling," he said. "You can't mistake the way those fellows send. It isquite different from a commercial operator's way of pounding the brass."
A moment later he was proved to be right.
"This is the _Iowa_," came the word. "We are relaying a message fromWashington to Colonel Minturn on board your ship. Are you ready?"
"Let her come," flashed back Jack.
He drew his yellow pad in front of him and sat with poised pencilwaiting for the message to come through the air from a ship that he knewwas at least two hundred miles from him by this time.
"It is in code; the secret government code," announced the naval man.
"That makes no difference to me," rejoined Jack. "Pound away."
"All right, old scout," came through the air, and then began atopsyturvy jumble of words utterly unintelligible to Jack, of course.
The message was a long one, and about the middle of it came a word thatmade Jack jump and almost swallow his palate.
The word was _Endymion_, the name of the yacht that had sent out a callfor Jarrold through the storm.
Then, closely following, came a name that seemed to be corelated toevery move of the yacht: James Jarrold!
At last the message, about two hundred words long, was complete. It wassigned with the President's name, so Jack knew that it must be of theutmost importance. He turned in his chair as he felt someone leaningover him and noticed a subtle odor of perfume. Miss Jarrold, with partedlips, was scanning the message eagerly. He caught her in the act.
But the young woman appeared to be not the least disconcerted by thefact. With a wonderful smile she extended a sheet of paper.
"Will you send this message for me as soon as you can, please?" sheasked.
Jack was taken aback. He had meant to accuse her point blank of tryingto read off a message which was clearly of a highly important nature.But her clever ruse in providing herself with the scribbled message thatshe now held out to him had quite taken the wind out of his sails.
"Here, Sam, take this message to Colonel Minturn at once," he said,thrusting the paper into Sam's hands and carefully placing his carboncopy of it in a drawer.
"Now, Miss," he said, looking the girl full in the eyes, "I'll take yourmessage."
"Oh, I've changed my mind now," said the girl suddenly turning. "Sorryto have troubled you for nothing. Don't forget about the _Endymion_now."
And she was gone.
"Well, what do you know about that?" muttered Jack. "A woman iscertainly clever. Of course, she merely came in here to see what wasgoing on, and, by Jove, she came in at just the right time, too. Luckythe message was in code. And then she was foxy enough to have thatmessage of hers all ready so that I couldn't say a thing. Oh, she'ssmart all right! I wish I knew what game was up. I was right aboutColonel Minturn playing some part in it, judging from that dispatch, butfor the life of me I can't make out what is up."
He was still reflecting over this when Colonel Minturn, with Sam closeon his heels, entered.
Jack saluted him.
"Good morning," said the colonel, introducing himself, "I am ColonelMinturn. I have just received a cipher dispatch and want to send areply."
"I guess I'll have to relay it through the _Iowa_ if it is forWashington," said Jack.
"That is just its destination," was the rejoinder. "By the way, I hearfrom the captain that you did a very brave act last night in climbingthe foremast in the storm and repairing the wireless. That was nervilydone and I want to compliment you on it."
"Glory! And he didn't even breathe a word of it to me!" muttered Samunder his breath.
Jack got red in the face. "Why, that was nothing, Colonel," he said. "Ithad to be done, and nobody but I could have done it."
"You are as modest as all true heroes," said the colonel approvingly."But, now, here is the dispatch I want you to send. You see, like theother, it is in cipher. The government's secrets have to be closelyguarded."
Jack took the message and filed it and then proceeded to raise the_Iowa_ again.
Before long came a reply to his insistent calls.
"Here is the _Iowa_. What is it?"
Something peculiar about the sending struck Jack, but he went ahead.
"This is the _Tropic Queen_. I have a message from Colonel Minturn toWashington. It must be rushed through."
"Very well, transmit," came the answer; but once more the curious endingof the other wireless man struck him forcibly.
"I don't believe that is the _Iowa_ at all," he muttered to himself. "Inever heard a man-o'-war operator sending like that. It sounds morelike--like--by hookey! I've got it. It's that fellow on the_Endymion_,--the craft that Jarrold is so much interested in."
Just then, winging through the air, came the short, sharp, powerfulsending of the _Iowa_.
"Hullo, there, _Tropic Queen_, this is the _Iowa_. Who is that fellowbutting in?"
"I don't know," Jack flashed back. "Re-tune your instruments so
that hecan't crib this message I'm going to send you. Tune them to man-of-warpitch. From what I heard of his sending, his batteries are too weak toreach such high power."
"All right," was the brief reply.
The two instruments were then run up to a pitch which only the mostpowerful supply of "juice" could give them. Then came the test andeverything was found to be working finely.
Jack at once rattled off the message. In it he noticed that the nameJarrold recurred, also the _Endymion_. Colonel Minturn stood closebeside him and watched him with interest as Jack worked his key incrisp, snappy, expert fashion.
"You are a very good operator, my boy," he said when Jack had flashedout good-by with the squealing, crackling spark. "I may have governmentwork for you some day. Should you like it?"
"Oh, Colonel!" cried the boy, his face lighting up, "I'd rather work forUncle Sam than for anyone else in the world."
"Then some day you may have that opportunity. In the meantime I wantyou, without saying a word to anybody, to inform me of any suspiciousmoves on the part of this man Jarrold."
"Why, is he--is he an enemy of Uncle Sam's?" Jack ventured.
"He is probably the most dangerous rascal in existence," was thestaggering reply.
CHAPTER XI
WHAT SAM HEARD
Jack looked the astonishment he felt. While he had sensed something ofsinister import about Jarrold right along, still he had never guessedthe man could merit such a sweeping description of bad character.
"The most dangerous rascal in existence," he repeated.
"Yes, I called him that and I mean it," was the reply. "What he is doingon this boat, I don't know. But I have a guess and am prepared for him."
He drew from his hip pocket a wicked looking automatic.
"Is it as bad as that?" asked Jack.
"I don't know. But, at any rate, I am prepared. Jarrold has been mixedup in desperate enterprises in a score of countries. He is a diplomaticfree lance of the worst character. It was Jarrold who stole thedocuments relating to the Russian navy, which it cost that country somuch time and trouble to recover before they found their way into thehands of another power."
"And the young lady--his niece?"
"She has been implicated in most of his plots. They are a dangerouspair. You will do me and the government a great favor by keeping an eyeon them. You will be able to do this, as I understand they are tryinghard to establish communication with a yacht called the _Endymion_."
"Yes; both the man and the girl appear very anxious to do that,"rejoined Jack.
"Jarrold has the stateroom next to mine. In my possession are documentsthat would be of immense value to a certain far eastern power thatwishes the United States no good."
"You think that Jarrold is after these?" asked Jack.
"It is the only supposition I can go upon. That cipher message from thegovernment warned me to be careful of the man, as his errand had beensurmised by the Secret Service men. They also found out about the_Endymion_, which fact I did not know before."
"And he is, apparently, an American, too," exclaimed Jack.
The colonel nodded.
"Yes, he is a westerner by birth, I believe, but that makes littledifference to men of his type. The only country they know is the onethat gives the biggest price for their rascalities."
"He ought to be shot for trying to betray the country he owes his birthto," said Jack hotly.
The colonel smiled and laid a hand on the excited lad's shoulder.
"You feel about it as I do, lad," he said. "But remember we have nothingto go upon as yet. Absolutely nothing."
Jack agreed that this was so, and after some more conversation, thecolonel left the wireless room, first warning the young operator thattheir talk must be held absolutely confidential.
Of course Jack promised this, and so did Sam. But both lads felt thatthey were playing parts in a big game, the nature of which was anabsolute mystery so far.
"It's like sitting on a keg of dynamite," said Sam.
"Yes; I have a feeling that there is something electrical in the air,"said Jack, "besides wireless waves. It may break at any minute, too."
"If it does, I hope we get a chance to help out the colonel."
"Yes, he is a fine man, a splendid type of soldier. I don't wonder thegovernment chose him for this Panama errand."
"It's a mighty responsible job," agreed Sam.
"And particularly when such a clever rascal as Jarrold, with unlimitedpower at his back, is hanging about."
But then it was dinner time, and Sam, whom even the most engrossingconversation could not keep from his meals, hastened below. When he cameback, he had an important look on his face.
"I stopped on deck for a breath of fresh air," he said, "and stood outof the wind behind a big ventilator. Jarrold and his niece came along."
"Didn't they see you?"
"No; they were talking too earnestly; besides, the ventilator hid me,anyhow."
"Did you hear what they said?"
"I couldn't catch much of it."
"Well, let's hear what you were able to pick up."
"Well, the man appeared to be urging something that the girl objectedto. 'I tell you it is too dangerous,' I heard her say.
"Then the man, in a rough voice, told her she was a foolish woman andthat he was going 'to do it to-night at all costs.'
"'You may ruin everything,' she said, but he only laughed and said thatif he failed this time, he would succeed later on, anyway."
"Hum, that's a mighty interesting scrap of conversation," mused Jack, "Iwonder what the old fox is up to now."
"Maybe we'd better inform the colonel," suggested Sam.
"Hardly. Not with the meager information we've got. He would only laughat us. No, we'll have to wait and see what the event will be. But dependupon it, there is something in the wind."
Jack was right. What that something was, he was not to learn till later,but it was far more startling and was to involve him more deeply than heimagined.
CHAPTER XII
A SUDDEN ALARM
At midnight, while the _Tropic Queen_ was plying ever southward throughsmooth seas and under a dark canopy of sky lit by countless stars, Jackleft his key and, calling Sam, whose turn it was on watch, went belowfor his customary midnight "snack." A sleepy-eyed steward served him inthe big saloon, which looked empty and desolate with only one light inall its vastness.
Jack ate heartily and then prepared to go on deck again. He had reachedthe foot of the saloon stairs when a sudden sound made him pause.
It was the rustle of skirts. Jack drew back into the shadow which hungthickly over that part of the saloon. To his astonishment, for hethought that all the passengers--except a belated party in thesmoking-room--were in bed, he saw that the figure which passed swiftlythrough the corridor beyond the staircase was that of Miss Jarrold.
She wore a white dress which showed ghost-like through the gloom,although the corridor was dimly lighted. But there was no mistaking herslender, graceful outlines and quick, panther-like walk.
Suddenly the conversation that Sam had repeated to him flashed acrossJack's mind. It had appeared to foreshadow some desperate attempt togain whatever the pair had set their minds on. Almost beyond a doubt,these were the papers and plans relating to the Panama Canal. Jack knewthat Colonel Minturn's cabin was in the direction the girl wasfollowing.
Could it be possible that----
Suddenly a piercing shriek came, followed by cry after cry.
Jack's heart stood still. His scalp tightened.
The cry was the most blood-chilling that can be heardat sea.]
The cry was the most blood-chilling that can be heard at sea.
"Fire! Fire! Fire!"
Jack dashed down the passage. From every stateroom now, shouts of menand screams of women were coming. Warned by he knew not what instinct,he made for Colonel Minturn's cabin.
It lay just around a corner of the passage. He had just gained it, whenhe saw a bul
ky figure, that of Jarrold, hurl itself against the door andgo smashing through it. Jack rushed up.
Jarrold turned on him with a savage growl.
"Get away from here, boy. I'll save Colonel Minturn. You go and warn theother passengers."
But Jack made no move to go. Instead, he stepped into the cabin. In hisbunk lay the colonel, apparently sleeping deeply. Jack shook him, but hedid not move, only lay there, breathing heavily.
"This man has been drugged," he exclaimed half aloud.
At the same instant he felt the hulking form of Jarrold fling itself athim.
"You infernal, interfering young spy," he snarled. "Get out of here. Getback to your post. Send out an alarm of fire."
He seized Jack with his big hands. The boy's blood boiled. Big asJarrold was, and powerful, too, Jack was, he thought, a match for him.
Jarrold aimed a fierce blow at him. Jack dodged it and parried it withone of his own. Then the two clinched. Jarrold's powerful armsencompassed the boy, squeezing the breath out of him.
Outside the cabin, people in all stages of dress and undress wererushing about screaming and shouting. The whole ship was in pandemonium.Within the cabin, for Jarrold had closed the door when he followed Jackin, the two combatants, the boy and the man, fought in desperate silencefor the mastery, while the man in the bunk lay with closed eyes,breathing heavily.
Back and forth they swayed till Jack suddenly wrenched himself loose. Hedelivered a powerful blow and stopped a bull-like rush from Jarrold. Thefire, everything, was forgotten before his desire to overcome the manwho had attacked him.