Part 29 (1/2)

”Hullo! Hullo! I guess I was right in my guess, then, after all. Oh, Thurman, what a young rascal you are.”

He listened attentively as Thurman shot out his message to the National Capital. Jack repeated it in an undertone as the spark crackled and squealed.

”Do--I--get--my--reward--right--away?”

Jack actually burst, for some inexplicable reason, into a hearty laugh.

”Oh, Thurman! Thurman!” he exploded to himself. ”What a badly fooled young man you are going to be.”

CHAPTER x.x.xI.

THE ”SUITABLE REWARD.”

The arrival of the _Columbia_ at her dock the next day was in the nature of an ovation. A band played ”Hail Columbia,” and a dense crowd blocked the docks and adjacent points of vantage to view the great liner which had taken the blue ribbon of the seas from England's crack s.h.i.+p. News of the dramatic rescue of the crew of the _Oriana_, wirelessed at the time of the occurrence to the newspapers, had inflamed public interest in the big s.h.i.+p too, and her subsequent doings had been eagerly followed in the dailies.

”Great to be home again, isn't it, old fellow?” asked Raynor, coming up to Jack as a dozen puffing tugs nosed the towering _Columbia_ into her dock.

”It is, indeed,” said Jack, looking over the rail. ”I'm going to----”

He broke off suddenly and began waving frantically to two persons in the crowd. One was an old man, rather bent, but hale and hearty and sunburned. Beside him was a pretty girl. It was Helen Dennis and her father, Captain Dennis, who had been rescued from a sinking sailing s.h.i.+p during Jack's first voyage, as told in the ”Ocean Wireless Boys on the Atlantic.” Captain Dennis, since the disaster, had been unable to get another s.h.i.+p to command and had been forced to accept a position as watchman on one of the docks, but Jack had been working all he knew how to get the captain another craft, so far, however, without success.

”There's one reason why you're glad to be home,” said Raynor slyly, waving to Helen. ”You're a lucky fellow.”

The gang-plank was down, but before any pa.s.sengers were allowed ash.o.r.e, way was made for four stalwart, clean-shaven men who hurried on board.

”Wonder who those fellows are?” said Raynor; ”must be some sort of big-wigs.”

”Yes, they certainly got the right of way,” responded Jack without much interest.

Thurman joined them.

”I hear that the Secret Service men are on board,” he said. ”Must be looking for someone.”

”I suppose so,” said Jack. ”They usually are.”

Somebody tapped Jack on the shoulder. It was one of the men who had boarded the s.h.i.+p. An evil leer pa.s.sed over Thurman's face as he saw this.

”Are you Jack Ready?” asked the man.

”That's my name,” replied Jack.

The man threw back his coat, displaying a gold badge. His three companions stood beside him.

”I want you to come to Was.h.i.+ngton with us at once,” said the man. ”I am operative Thomas of the United States Secret Service.”

”Why what's the matter? What's he done?” demanded Raynor.

”That's for the Navy Department to decide,” said the man sternly.