Part 18 (1/2)
”It's in my bedroom; you don't mind if I go on working out this cipher while you're telephoning?”
”Not in the least,” said the Tracer blandly. He walked into the Captain's bedroom, closing the door behind him; then he stepped over to the telephone, unhooked the receiver, and called up his own headquarters.
”h.e.l.lo. This is Mr. Keen. I want to speak to Miss Borrow.”
In a few moments Miss Borrow answered: ”I am here, Mr. Keen.”
”Good. Look up the name Inwood. Try New York first--Edith Inwood is the name. Look sharp, please; I am holding the wire.”
He held it for ten full minutes; then Miss Borrow's low voice called him over the wire.
”Go ahead,” said the Tracer quietly.
”There is only one Edith Inwood in New York, Mr. Keen--Miss Edith Inwood, graduate of Barnard, 1902--left an orphan 1903 and obliged to support herself--became an a.s.sistant to Professor Boggs of the Museum of Inscriptions. Is considered an authority upon Arabian cryptograms. Has written a monograph on the Herati symbol--a short treatise on the Swastika. She is twenty-four years of age. Do you require further details?”
”No,” said the Tracer; ”please ring off.”
Then he called up General Information. ”I want the Museum of Inscriptions. Get me their number, please.” After a moment: ”Is this the Museum of Inscriptions?”
”Is Professor Boggs there?”
”Is this Professor Boggs?”
”Could you find time to decipher an inscription for me at once?”
”Of course I know you are extremely busy, but have you no a.s.sistant who could do it?”
”What did you say her name is? Miss Inwood?”
”Oh! And will the young lady translate the inscription at once if I send a copy of it to her by messenger?”
”Thank you very much, Professor. I will send a messenger to Miss Inwood with a copy of the inscription. Good-by.”
He hung up the receiver, turned thoughtfully, opened the door again, and walked into the sunlit living room.
”Look here!” cried the Captain in a high state of excitement. ”I've got a lot of numbers out of it already.”
”Wonderful!” murmured the Tracer, looking over the young man's broad shoulders at a sheet of paper bearing these numbers:
9--14--5--22--5--18--19--1--23--25--15--21--2--21--20--15--14--3--5-- 9--12--15--22--5--25--15--21--5--4--9--20--8--9--14--23--15--15--4.
”Marvelous!” repeated the Tracer, smiling. ”Now what _do_ you suppose those numbers can stand for?”
”Letters!” announced the Captain triumphantly. ”Take the number nine, for example. The ninth letter in the alphabet is I! Mr. Keen, suppose we try writing down the letters according to that system!”