CHAPTER VI
Lawrence could scarcely credit his good fortune. After a little he triedto change his position, and found that he was so cramped that he couldscarcely move. Carefully he took his pocket flash out of his pocket and,turning it around, acquainted himself with the position of the doors. Healso saw the cigarette which the Rattlesnake, as Lawrence henceforthcalled "Mr. Smith," had dropped, and he crawled over and put it in hispocket. Then with the utmost caution he made his way back to the smalldoor which still swung open, and with a smile at the carelessness of themen, he made his way out. He had gone a hundred yards perhaps when athought struck him, and he retraced his steps. Once more entering thehangar, he approached the machine nearest him, paused beside it for fiveor ten minutes, passed on to the next where he stood for the same time,and then went to the big dirigible. With a chuckle he waved a hand atthe silent aircraft, and for the last time passed through the door. Thistime he closed it, and finding a spring lock hooked carelessly through astrong staple, he adjusted it and clasped the lock. The hangar wassecurely fastened. Lawrence judged, and correctly, that when the menreturned in the morning each would think that one of the others hadclosed and locked the small door, and not caring to be caught in soflagrant a piece of carelessness, not one would confess that he hadforgotten it.
As for the boy, he sped rapidly back across the country he had traversedearlier in the evening and by great good fortune caught a train toWashington about two minutes after reaching the little station. As noone had seen him arrive, his departure was not noteworthy.
Lawrence was tired out when the train reached Washington, and he thoughtwith dread of the long trolley ride to the Heights, when he happened toremember that he was now able to afford any number of taxis. He steppedinto one at the door of the station, and luxuriously giving his streetand number, he leaned back and dozed all the way home.
O'Brien was there before him, a worried man.
"Now then," said he, "where have ye been the while?" He shoved a chairtoward Lawrence and offered him a ham sandwich from a paper bag.Lawrence took it eagerly. "You look dead beat and starved and ginnerallytired out. What's the word?"
"You are going to be mad," said Lawrence, "because you told me not to dosomething and I did it."
"Then consider me frothin', and tell me what's what and get it overwith. Sure, these fits of temper are bad for me heart."
"All right," said Lawrence, and he proceeded to tell O'Brien hisevening's adventure. When he produced the cigarette O'Brien took it withcareful fingers.
"Whew!" he said as he examined the paper, smelled the tobacco, and triedto make out the interwoven letters of the intricate monogram.
"It looks like r'yalty," he said finally. "Those same cost, me boy, theycost! I only wish you had had a look at the gentleman. Well, I shouldsay you had a narrow escape. I don't like it all the same, although weknow more than we did. Mr. Ridgeway is a bit close, too. We didn't knowit was jools like that that we were handlin', did we?"
"We haven't handled them yet," said Lawrence. "But I reckon they arejust where Mr. Smith said they are, and it looks as though we were goingto have to cart them somewhere or other. I don't see why we take thedirigible," said Lawrence, "when the planes are faster."
"There is some good reason," said O'Brien. "For instance, that dirigiblewill carry a crew large enough to give a pretty good fight if it wasnecessary. That's _one_ thing. Another is that Mr. Ridgeway doesn't knowthat they know anything about the freight he is to carry. Gee, there isa leak somewhere! That's one thing. Now to bed with you, me wildadventurer, and get some sleep what's left of the night. We will have tosee Mr. Ridgeway the morn, so he can talk to us. I called there tonightand found him much better. Get you to bed, and don't talk. I want tothink. Somewhere or other I have seen a mate to this cigarette."
He carefully wrapped it in a bit of paper and put it in his cigar case."That's a good souvenir," he remarked, nodding his head.
Lawrence tumbled into bed. He was too tired to realize the narrow escapehe had had, and wanted nothing more than a good sleep. He did notrealize his fatigue either, and when he awoke in the morning he foundthat what he had thought was the dimness of early dawn was the darknessof closely drawn blinds. O'Brien had tricked him. There was a note onthe dresser, and Lawrence read:
"Dear Lawrence:
"There's no place so safe for a lad of your tendencies as the same cot you are snoring on at this second. I leave you to your dreams and hope they are sweet. As for me, I am pulling down the blinds and disconnecting the telephone, and then I am makin' off: for I have a pretty idea all of my own. I will see you later. By the way, you took my gloves last night, and I can find but one. If you have lost that glove it costs you a pretty penny, gloves being in a high altitude since the late war. Good-bye. Go see what is happening to the dirigible, go see Mr. Ridgeway, go to a movie, go have a good time however you like but don't you _dare_ follow any clues today. Against orders, and meet me here; HERE, mind you, at seven tonight. I may have news.
"O'BRIEN."
After he had had a meal which was neither breakfast nor luncheon, butcombined all the most agreeable features of both, commencing withgrapefruit and cereal and ending with pie, Lawrence went out to theAviation Field, where he found the men busily working on the dirigible.A week at most would find it in working order again. O'Brien was notthere. After taking a little flight in his favorite plane, a flightwhich took him over the scene of last night's adventure, he came down,and returned to the apartment where he loafed and read until seven, whenO'Brien came in.
"I flew over that field again this afternoon," said Lawrence. "I did notsee a soul."
"That's all right," said his friend. "I have been there all day meselfin a tree-top, with a pair of glasses strong enough to spot the Queen ofEngland powdering her nose from the base of the Statue of Liberty. Therewas not a sign of 'em and I have it all worked out. They know we can'tuse the dirigible, and of course by now they know the minute when itwill be in shape again. So why work? Why hang around that bleak spot?And Mr. Ridgeway being laid up, there's no use for Mr. Smith to sit withhis ear glued to the listening post down there below Ridgeway's office.No. It's all hands take a vacation, and I'm thinkin' I will do the same.I am going on a still hunt for our dear little book agent."
"I forgot to tell you," said Lawrence, "that before I left there lastnight, I fixed all three machines so they won't fly very soon. I learneda few twists back in the aircraft factory, and I can put a plane out oftune so no one will guess that it has been touched, but there is themischief to pay. And I touched up the dirigible too. Just a screw or twoloose, and a couple of pinholes where they will do the most good."
"You are like a woman's postscript," said O'Brien. "All the meat of theletter in it."
"I meant to tell you before," said Lawrence. "Well, if you are goingafter the Smith man, what am _I_ to do?"
"Go see Mr. Ridgeway and tell him all this you have told me. Take thecigarette; it's evidence."
"Suppose we go to the theatre tonight," suggested Lawrence. "I have notseen a show in a month of Sundays."
"Sunday is no day to go to shows on, anyhow," said O'Brien with mockseverity. "But this bein' a weekday it's not against me conscience toaccompany you."
They decided on the vaudeville, and securing good seats settled down toan evening's enjoyment.
At the beginning of the second act two men came in and took the seatsjust behind them. As they fumbled for the hat-clips under the seats andleaned close to O'Brien's broad shoulders, Lawrence heard one say to theother, "Did you bring the key to the hangar?" and the other answeredswiftly, "No; Mr. Smith took it."
Lawrence felt his blood stop in its course. For a moment he couldscarcely breathe. Two of the mysterious men were behind them! He darednot say much to O'Brien, but he whispered, as the orchestra blared out ajazz accompaniment to a dancer: "See who is be
hind you?"
O'Brien turned. To Lawrence's utter amazement, he nodded gaily and said,"Good evenin', Brown! A good show, I'm thinkin'."
"It seems to be, Mr. O'Brien," said the slow, deep voice Lawrence sowell remembered.
The boy's head whirled. O'Brien knew the man!
Between the acts, in the intermission, Lawrence led the way out to thesidewalk. He was shaking.
"Those men!" he managed to stutter. "Those men behind us! They were inthat card game!"
"Crazy!" said O'Brien calmly. "The big one works at the Aviation Field.He's a good worker, but mortal stupid."
"Oh, _believe_ me, O'Brien!" begged Lawrence. "I know them both. Theywere sitting so I could see their shapes, and just now I heard the bigone ask the other if he had the key to the hangar, and he said, no,Smith had it."
"Why, I _know_ the man," insisted O'Brien again. "He don't know enoughto be in a plot."
"That's just what Smith said," said Lawrence. "He said they could befeet and hands, and he would be the head. That is why everything goeswrong with the dirigible. He is right there where he can do what helikes, and _you_ trust him."
O'Brien laughed and patted the boy on the shoulder. "This thing isgetting on your nerves," he said soothingly. "However, come back andhave another look at your two friends."
"No," said Lawrence. "You go back, and I will wait outside, and whenthey come out I shall follow them. They don't know that we cametogether. We didn't talk much and they will just think I met you in thetheatre."
"Have it your own way," said O'Brien. "I will say the remarks weresuspicious enough, but I tell you, man, I know that fellow."
"All right," said Lawrence doggedly. "I mean to know him, too, before Iget through with him. I have not seen him at the Field since I came.Where does he keep himself?"
"Dunno," said O'Brien. "I will find out."
He went back into the theatre and sat down. As soon as the curtain wentdown on the next act, he turned and spoke to the big man.
"Are you working at the Field yet, Brown?"
"No, I quit a week ago," said Brown, leaning forward. "I couldn't standthe foreman they have out there. A mean, suspicious lunkhead, alwayssnooping around and giving orders." He laughed uneasily. "So I quit."
"Out of a job, are you?" said O'Brien.
"Yes, I am," said Brown.
"Well, I don't blame you much," said O'Brien. "That foreman is adisagreeable cuss. If I can help you any way, let me know."
"Thanks," from Brown. "I am thinking some of going away. If I stay hereI will let you know."
"Do!" urged O'Brien. "I wouldn't like to miss seein' you."
The next act came on, and O'Brien turned to the stage. He missed seeingthe glance that passed from one man to the other, and chuckled as hethought of the fancy Lawrence had had. When the show was over, the twomen walked down toward the cafes, and O'Brien was amused to see theslight figure of Lawrence sliding along after them. His collar wasturned up, and his soft hat had disappeared. In its place was a plaidcap.
"Detective stuff!" laughed O'Brien. "The kid is having the time of hislife. But it does seem queer. However, there's no distress about theaffair so long as I can see. We wait our chance, and off we go with ourprecious bundles when they are not looking. It is too simple to befunny. They have overstepped with their slugging Mr. Ridgeway andcutting up our dirigible. They can't hurt us now. Forewarned isforearmed."
He strolled along until he came to The Willard, where he went in andapproaching the news stand commenced to look for a magazine that wasadventurous enough to suit his fancy. As he stooped, the man beside himlet a cigarette fall from his hand. Someone had jostled him. It droppeddirectly under O'Brien's eyes, and gleaming up at him he saw theintricate gold monogram of Smith's cigarette. Before he could straightenup and face the man, a foot was planted on the cigarette and he rose tosee no one but an old gentleman beside him smoking a fat black havana.It was certainly not Smith. Besides, a voice loudly proclaimed the oldgentleman as "Hemmingway, old boy," and O'Brien, furious with his luck,hung around the lobby for hours, hoping for another chance to see theexpensive monogram and delicate cork tip.
After awhile he gave up and went back to the apartment that he nowshared with Lawrence.
The boy was there before him, walking the floor in a great state ofexcitement.
"Well, O'Brien," he burst out, "I ran them down!"