Part 31 (2/2)
After breakfast the three reeroup and lasses frole In this way they hoped to be able to obtain a clew relative to the headquarters and activities of the men who had ordered theine was started, and the course of the Catwhisker directed up strea the young Canadian; ”you'd be perfectly welcome to the freedom of the deck under ordinary circumstances, but the present are extraordinary circumstances, so we'll have to ask you to resort to the pleasures and co the three young Catwhiskerites, ”you et acquainted with him” Then in lower tone to Cub, who stood near the officer, he suggested: ”Maybe he'll be more talkative with you boys than he has been with usout of him”
Cub ”tipped” Hal and Bud as to the purpose communicated to him by the Canadian officer, and the three conducted ”Bud's prisoner” into the cabin
But the latter proved to be about as uncommunicative as he had been when the olderout of hih and not especially coarse grained, so that from the standpoint of quality qualifications, there seemed to be no reason for his sullenness Hal frankly made a statement to him to this effect, but it produced no result of the kind desired and intended They got only short, surly returns in response to their ave it up and returned on deck Before leaving the cabin, however, Cub said to the prisoner:
”Now, if you'll promise to stay here and not make any attempt to escape, on't lock you up Othere'll have to lock you up in a stateroom”
”I'll promise,” was the fellow's laconic response
”By the way,” Bud remarked, as they were about to leave the cabin, ”would youus the handle of your name? We know your father's surna for us to call you Mr Howard”
”You c'n call shot victim replied
Hal was particularly i look in the eyes of the prisoner and told hi to keep him out of mischief
”I tell you what I'd like to do,” he said to his two friends as they reached the deck ”I'd like to hide in the closet in the cabin and watch that fellow I bet he'd do so that would help us break his mysterious silence”
”You could steal down into that little alcove near the entrance of the cabin and watch hiested
”That's second best choice,” said Hal, ”I think I'll ly he descended the coreatest caution and succeeded in ensconcing hiested by Bud He had not been there long when he was aence
He could hear the prisonernarrow aperture along the hinge side of the door acquainted him with the object of the Canadian boy's interest The latter, apparently, had just seated himself at the table, and with phones to his ears, was in the act of tuning the instrument
Presently he appeared to be satisfied with this preli key The fellow seemed to be perfectly at ho and the spark was leaping across the gap The secret watcher leaned forward eagerly to catch every sound Yes, it cah dots and dashes, and he read the astonishment
First the operator repeated a Canadian call several tied, and he sent the following e:
”I am prisoner on yacht, Catwhisker, in hands of the fellows I tried to hold back, with radio, as they were leaving Oswego, NY They are deters Don't bother about me, but tell pa to clean out his place as soon as possible and then let his prisoner go They have government officer with the place and raid it”
”My goodness!” Hal breathed excitedly ”Now I' at the bottom of this affair That boy is the anonyer with Hal's cousin and tried to make us think his SOS was a joke”
CHAPTER XXIX
The End of the ”Mystery”
Hal alerness to ht ”listen-in” to this radio transraphed all that he had in mind to send