Part 8 (2/2)

”I see. Of course, though--that's just what you said. It was really just by accident that we saw them flas.h.i.+ng.”

Then they came to the house where they expected to make their observation.

It was occupied by an old gentleman, who came out to see what was wanted and stood behind the servant who opened the door. At the sight of their uniforms he drew himself up very straight, and saluted. But, formal as he was, there was a smile in his eyes.

”Well, boys,” he said, ”what can I do for you? On His Majesty's service, I suppose?”

”Yes, sir,” said d.i.c.k. ”We'd like to go up in your tower room, if you don't mind.”

”Scouting, eh?” said the old gentleman, mystified. ”Do you expect to locate the enemy's cavalry from my tower room? Well, well--up with you! You can do no harm.”

d.i.c.k was inclined to resent the old gentleman's failure to take them seriously, but Harry silenced his protest. As they went up the stairs he whispered: ”It's better for him to think that. We don't want anyone to know what we're doing, you know--not yet.”

So they reached the tower room, and, just as Harry had antic.i.p.ated, got a wonderful view of the surrounding country. They found that the heliograph they had left behind was working feverishly and Harry took out a pencil and jotted down the symbols as they were flashed.

”It's in code, of course,” he said, ”but maybe we'll find someone who can decipher it--I know they have experts for that. It might come in handy to know what they were talking about.”

”There's the other station answering!” said d.i.c.k, excitedly, after a moment. ”Isn't it lucky that it's such a fine day, Harry? See--there it is, over there!”

”Let me have the gla.s.ses,” said Harry, taking the binoculars from d.i.c.k.

”Yes, you're right! They're on the top of a hill, just about where I thought we'd find them, too. Come on! We've got no time to waste. They're a good seven miles from here, and we've a lot more to do yet.”

Below stairs the old gentleman tried to stop them. He was very curious by this time, for he had been thinking about them and it had struck him that they were too much in earnest to simply be enjoying a lark. But Harry and d.i.c.k, while they met his questions politely, refused to enlighten him.

”I'm sorry, sir,” said Harry, when the old gentleman pressed him too hard.

”But I really think we mustn't tell you why we're here. But if you would like to hear of it later, we'll be glad to come to see you and explain everything.”

”Bless my soul!” said the old man. ”When I was a boy we didn't think so much of ourselves, I can tell you! But then we didn't have any Boy Scouts, either!”

It was hard to tell from his manner whether that was intended for a compliment or not. But they waited no longer. In a trice they were on their motorcycles and off again. And when they drew near to the hilltop whence the signals had come, Harry stopped. For a moment he looked puzzled, then he smiled.

”I think I've got it!” he said. ”They're clever enough to try to fool anyone who got on to their signalling. They would know what everyone would think--that they would be sending their messages to the East coast, because that is nearest to Germany. That's why they put their first station here. I'll bet they send the flashes zig-zagging all around, but that we'll find they all get east gradually. Now we'll circle around this one until we find out in what direction it is flas.h.i.+ng, then we'll know what line we must follow. After that all we've got to do is to follow the line to some high hill or building, and we'll pick up the next station.”

Their eyes were more accustomed to the work now, and they wasted very little time. This time, just as Harry had guessed, the flashes were being sent due east, and judging from the first case that the next station would be less than ten miles away, he decided to ride straight on for about that distance. He had a road map, and found that they could follow a straight line, except for one break. They did not go near the hilltop at all.

”I'd like to know what they're doing there,” said d.i.c.k.

”So would I, but it's open country, and they're probably keeping a close lookout. They're really safer doing that in the open than on the roof of a house, out here in the country.”

”Because they can hide the heliograph? It's portable, isn't it?”

”Yes. They could stow it away in a minute, if they were alarmed. I fancy we'll find them using hilltops now as much as they can.”

”Harry, I've just thought of something. If they've planned so carefully as this, wouldn't they be likely to have country places, where they'd be less likely to be disturbed?”

”Yes, they would. You're right, d.i.c.k. Especially as we get further and further away from London. I suppose there must be plenty of places a German could buy or lease.”

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