Part 6 (2/2)

”You watch one side. I'll take the other,” said Harry. ”We've got to be able to find our way back to that house.”

This watchfulness confirmed Harry's suspicions concerning the driver, because he made two or three circuits that could have no other purpose than to make it hard to follow his course.

At Ealing he and d.i.c.k carried out their plan exactly. d.i.c.k stayed with the cab, outside the wall; Harry hurried in. And five minutes after Harry had gone inside a file of soldiers, coming around from another gate, surrounded the cab and arrested the driver.

CHAPTER V

ON THE TRAIL

Harry had reached Colonel Throckmorton without difficulty and before delivering Major French's message, he explained his suspicions regarding the driver.

”What's that? Eh, what's that?” asked the colonel. ”Spy? This country's suffering from an epidemic of spy fever--that's what! Still--a taxicab driver, eh? Perhaps he's one of the many who's tried to overcharge me. I'll put him in the guardhouse, anyway! I'll find out if you're right later, young man!”

As a matter of fact, and as Harry surmised, Colonel Throckmorton felt that it was not a time to take chances. He was almost sure that Harry was letting his imagination run away with him, but it would be safer to arrest a man by mistake than to let him go if there was a chance that he was guilty. So he gave the order, and then turned to question Harry. The scout first gave Major French's message, and Colonel Throckmorton immediately dispatched an orderly after giving him certain whispered instructions.

”Now tell me just why you suspect your driver. Explain exactly what happened,” he said. He turned to a stenographer. ”Take notes of this, Johnson,” he directed.

Harry told his story simply and well. When he quoted the officer's remark to the cab driver, with the German inversion, the colonel chuckled.

”'You have your way lost!' Eh?” he said, with a smile. ”You're right--he was no Englishman! Go on!”

When he had finished, the colonel brought down his fist on his desk with a great blow.

”You've done very well, Fleming--that's your name?--very well, indeed,” he said, heartily. ”We know London is covered with spies but we had flattered ourselves that it didn't matter very much what they found, since there was no way that we could see for them to get their news to their headquarters in Germany. But now--”

He frowned thoughtfully.

”They might be able to set up a chain of signalling stations,” he said.

”The thing to do would be to follow them, eh? Do you think you could do that? You might use a motorcycle--know how to ride one?”

”Yes, sir,” said Harry.

”Live with your parents, do you? Would they let you go? I don't think it would be very dangerous, and you would excite less suspicion than a man.

See if they will let you turn yourself over to me for a few days. Pick out another scout to go with you, if you like. Perhaps two of you would be better than one. Report to me in the morning. I'll write a note to your scoutmaster--Mr. Wharton, isn't it? Right!”

As they made their way homeward, thoroughly worked up by the excitement of their adventure, Harry wondered whether his father would let him undertake this service Colonel Throckmorton had suggested. After all, he was not English, and he felt that his father might not want him to do it, although Mr. Fleming, he knew, sympathized strongly with the English in the war. He said nothing to d.i.c.k, preferring to wait until he was sure that he could go ahead with his plans.

But when he reached his house he found that things had changed considerably in his absence. Both his parents seemed worried; his father seemed especially troubled.

”Harry,” he said, ”the war has. .h.i.t us already. I'm called home by cable, and at the same time there is word that your Aunt Mary is seriously ill.

Your mother wants to be with her. I find that, by a stroke of luck, I can get quarters for your mother and myself on to-morrow's steamer. But there's no room for you. Do you think you could get along all right if you were left here? I'll arrange for supplies for the house; Mrs. Grimshaw can keep house. And you will have what money you need.”

”Of course I can get along!” said Harry, stoutly. ”I suppose the steamers are fearfully crowded?”

”Only about half of them are now in service,” said Mr. Fleming. ”And the rush of Americans who have been travelling abroad is simply tremendous.

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