Part 23 (1/2)

”I guess that will cook that fresh kid's goose,” he said. ”It's a mean thing to do, maybe, but I need the money, and I'm glad to get a chance to set him down a peg or two.”

Thurman could hardly wait for the next night to come. During the day Jack had been having some more fun with the navy men, driving them almost wild. When Thurman finally got Was.h.i.+ngton, therefore, everything in the government's big wireless station was at fever heat. A high official of the navy sat by the operator, waiting for Thurman's promised call to come out of s.p.a.ce.

Men of the Secret Service were scattered about the room as well as department officials. The air was tense with expectancy. At last Thurman's message came.

His first question was about the reward.

”Tell him he will be liberally rewarded,” ordered the naval official.

”Tell him to give us the information at once. That fellow has been playing with us all day, and we've been powerless to outwit the Universal Detector, or whatever device it is he uses. The man must be a wizard to have solved a problem that has baffled the keenest minds in the Navy Bureau.”

”Reward is a.s.sured you,” flashed back the naval operator. ”Now give us your information. Time is precious.”

But Thurman's answer proved disappointing to those in the room.

”Impossible to do so now. Inventor is on the high seas. Will wireless you later when he will return.”

”Confound it,” grumbled the naval official. ”I thought we would have had our hands on the fellow before daylight. Now it seems we shall have to play a waiting game.”

”If the man is on the high seas, it is not unlikely that he is the wireless man on one of the liners,” put in Burns, a spare, grizzled man and Chief of the Secret Service.

”That's probable, Burns,” rejoined the navy official.

”More than likely, I think,” put in another member of the group, ”but it's impossible to find out which one.”

”Yes, we are at the mercy of our unknown informant,” said Burns. ”Why the deuce was he so mysterious about it?” He tugged at his gray mustache as a sudden thought struck him.

”Jove!” he exclaimed. ”You don't think it's a put-up job to get money out of the government? Put up, I mean, by an agent of the inventor himself.”

”I don't know, Burns,” was the official's reply. ”It's all mighty mysterious. I confess I can't hazard a guess as to the man's ident.i.ty.

We've looked up all the most prominent wireless sharps all over the country. I am satisfied this fellow is not one of their number.”

”Some obscure fellow, I guess,” said a Secret Service man.

”Well, he won't remain obscure long,” remarked Burns, ”if he has brains enough to turn the navy department topsy-turvy for forty-eight hours.”

CHAPTER XXV.

A MYSTERY ON BOARD.

Two days later the monotony of the voyage, which was broken only by the radiograms which were posted daily concerning the race between the American and British liners--the _Columbia_ being in the lead--was rudely shattered by an incident in which Jack was destined to play an important part. Jack had been on a visit to Raynor during the young engineer's night watch in the engine-room. They had stayed chatting and talking over old times till Jack suddenly realized that it was long after midnight and time for him to be in his bunk.

Hastily saying good-night, he made his way through the deserted corridors of the great s.h.i.+p, which stretched empty and dimly lit before him. As he traversed them the young wireless man could not but think of the contrast to the busy life of the day when stewards swarmed and pa.s.sengers hurried to and fro. Now everything was silent and deserted, except for the still figures up on the bridge and below in the engine and fire rooms, guiding and powering the great vessel onward through the night at a twenty-four-knot clip.

The lad had just reached the end of one corridor, and was about to turn into another which led to a companionway, which would bring him to his own domain, when he stopped short, startled by the sound of a single sharp outcry. It came from the corridor he was about to turn into. Jack darted round the corner and almost instantly stumbled over the huddled body of a man lying outside one of the cabin doors.

A dark stain was under his head, and Jack saw at once that the man had been the victim of an attack. At almost the same moment, by the dim light, he recognized the unconscious form as being that of Joseph Rosenstein, a diamond merchant, so wealthy and famous that he had been pointed out to Jack by the purser as a celebrity.

”Queer fellow,” the purser had said. ”Won't put his jewels in the safe, although I understand he is carrying three magnificent diamonds with him. Likely to get into trouble if anyone on board knows about it.”

”He's taking big chances,” agreed Jack, and now here was the proof of his words lying at the boy's feet. Suddenly he recalled having received a message a few days before from New York for the injured man.