“this man roque must have a long reach to have known about that consignment of guns, how and when they were to be shipped, and make the strike he did within three days.”
billy was discussing with henri some of the remarkable features of the recent voyage, as the steamer came in sight of helgoland bay, on the return trip.
“he’s a magician, that’s what he is,” maintained billy. “did you ever see the beat of the way he unmasked this ship?”
[236]
“and himself,” added henri.
at the mouth of the elbe, the tarpaulins again shrouded the warlike fixings that had been revealed by their removal, and it was the familiar “trading vessel,” dandy captain, roustabouts, and all, that went in with the tide.
“home again, young sirs.”
the oily tradesman once more, horn spectacles, bland address, and benevolent smile—herr roque, the peaceful merchant with a liking for bright young men and pleasure trips when business was dull.
“we’ll have a little run up to kiel by the way of the great canal, a nice jaunt to complete our vacation, young sirs.”
herr roque was the picture of innocence, as he genially waved his hand to a party of harbor officials, passing near in a launch. he took snuff from a silver box and extended the compliment of giving the captain a chance to take a pinch.
it was noticeable, however, that the slightest word from the kind “merchant” commanded the instant respect and attention of those about him.
“it would make us all very happy, my dear captain, if you could spare the time to arrange our ship to kiel. herr raum is very anxious to get the goods. he has orders from berlin to fill.”
this comedy was for the sole benefit of the assemblage on the docks.
[237]
the canvas rolls with the rifles inside were already on the way to kiel, and the boxes to which roque was pointing were simply ship supplies.
billy and henri were not aware that they had been accorded an unusual privilege when they looked upon the real roque during the hunt for the channel steamer.
kiel, in contrast to hamburg, seethed with activity, the streets swarming with sailors and marines, while in the harbor dispatch boats dashed hither and thither.
herr roque kept billy and henri close to his elbow, and forbade their engaging in conversation with any stranger, unless duly presented by him. the english tongue was not at all popular in kiel at this time. henri, to be sure, could rattle off german like a native, but it was deemed best that he also become a mute like his companion.
notwithstanding all this precaution, the boys were fated to have their usual adventure before quitting this lively town. they never would stand hitched! herr roque had some special business in the town, no doubt concerning the “music boxes,” and he “planted” his young charges in a hotel near the docks, with a word to the landlord to give them a look over now and then.
“i don’t propose to stick around this coffee house all day,” rebelled billy, “when there is so much going[238] on outside. let’s join that crowd piking at the harbor. something’s doing there.”
henri was in the same humor, and the pair mixed with the mentioned curious crowd.
the attraction was three huge liners transformed by a coat of gray paint and yellow funnels.
the boys pushed their way to the front rank of the viewers, and then a little ahead of what appeared to be the limit of approach.
there was a murmur from the crowd. it was known that soldiers aboard were not allowed to leave these particular ships, popularly believed to be transports destined for the invasion of england, and an equally stern rule that nobody was allowed to come near them.
of course, billy and henri had no knowledge of the rule, and they crossed the deadline as care-free as clams.
then something dropped. it was a heavy hand on the shoulder of henri, a few feet in advance of his chum. somebody set a vise-like grip on billy’s wrist. a bevy of graybacks fluttered around them. they had committed the unpardonable sin of ignoring a military order, and also they were unpardonably foreign to the soil. they were english, until they proved themselves something else.
a lane opened in the muttering crowd, and through it marched the file of soldiers, with the[239] suspects sandwiched between the leader and the next in line.
at the city hall the soldiers and the suspects abruptly deserted the lengthy street procession behind them, and the prisoners were presented without further ceremony to the bulky occupant of a revolving chair within a railed enclosure.
“what have we here?” sharply questioned the man behind the railing.
the soldier spokesman briefly related the cause of the arrest.
“lock them up.” this order completed the first hearing.
billy and henri a few minutes later perched themselves on a sack mattress filled with straw, in a prison cell.
“‘in the prison cell i sit,’” chanted billy.
“don’t be a chump,” complained henri. “this is a serious matter, i tell you.”
“what’s the use of crying, old top, when you can sing?”
billy was prescribing a tonic for his partner.
“there is just one man who can get us out of this scrape,” stated henri, “and he wears horn spectacles.”
“it won’t take that man long to find us; he’s a smooth one.”
billy had the utmost confidence in herr roque’s[240] ability as a sleuth since the affair of the “music boxes.”
footfalls sounded in the long corridor outside.
“maybe that’s him now,” was henri’s eager expression, as he hastened to the grated door of the cell.
but the footfalls did not belong to roque. the man at the door was only a burly guard who handed in two tins of hot coffee and a dangling roll of raw sausages.
“say, major,” pleaded henri in german, “we’ve got a good friend uptown that knows all about us—can’t we get word to him?”
even the rank of “major” did not appeal to the jailer, for he only grunted, and turned on his heel.
“looks like a night of it, henri.”
“and there will be a morning of it, too,” predicted henri.
“‘we won’t go home until morning,’” warbled billy.
“oh, what’s the use? you have quit being human.”
failing to turn his friend from his waggish way, henri rolled over on the straw mattress and went to sleep. billy followed suit.
they were awakened by the clang of a bolt, and sprang to sitting position, rubbing their eyes.
the jailer, with a lantern swung to his arm like a railway conductor, was framed in the cell door.[241] a pair of horn spectacles glistened over his shoulder.
“glory be! it’s herr roque!”
billy was not bluffing now. he was glad enough to see this able protector.
herr roque did not appear to be very amiable. he was not accustomed to have his arrangements disturbed by a pair of flyaways like these. but he was still the finished actor, for the guard’s benefit, and pretended, in words, to be overwhelmed with anxiety:
“how glad i am to see you, my young friends. i could not imagine what had become of you, and i had been seeking you high and low when i met the burgomaster haupt coming from his club, and he told me about the trouble at the docks. i was shocked, indeed, and it has been proved all a mistake.”
when he got the boys outside, though, he concluded a different line of talk with:
“i’ll have to tie bells around your necks when next you wander in strange pastures. you are likely to get into a neck-twisting fix with such pranks as these.”
neither billy nor henri made speeches for the defense. they meekly accepted this chiding, all the time rejoicing that they were again breathing free air. it was a mile ahead of six-by-eight stone walls.
[242]
“i’m through here,” briefly announced herr roque at breakfast, “and after a call at bremen i am going to restore this pair of lambs to the aviation lieutenant at hamburg. there you can always be found when i want you.”
“that means, herr roque, i suppose, that we will get cards for some more vacation trips?”
“it means, young man, that if you ask no questions you will receive no false information.”
billy was subdued for once.
at bremen they found the hotels deserted, but the theaters and cafés full.
it was among these cafés that the boys sharpened their wits by close observation of herr roque, who was always looking for something when he appeared to be looking for nothing but an easy way of life.
they found occasion to use keen wit before that first evening in bremen was over. it was a startling test.
as they basked in the benevolence of herr roque, facing him at a well-spread table in one of the brilliantly lighted cafés, billy saw a familiar face reflected in a mirror hanging on the wall back of the chair occupied by their host—the smiling face of the secretary the boys had met in the office of the great man in calais, who speeded them on their way to paris.
the mirror also reflected the garb of a sailor,[243] merchant marine, and the man was at a table directly back of where the aviators were seated.
billy felt in a flash that it would be like signing a friend’s death warrant to make the least show of recognition.
fearful that henri might forget himself and draw the attention of herr roque, if suddenly confronted with the mirrored face, billy used a knowledge of telegraphy, in which his companion was expert, by softly finger-tapping on the polished table surface between them the word “caution.”
henri was puzzled at the operation, but with the warning gave no sign by change of expression.
herr roque was toying with a fork, and seemed to be thinking at a distance. the boys, for the time being, were forgotten pawns.
billy tapped “mirror.”
henri fixed a glance there.
three pairs of eyes met in the shining glass.
the smile left the face reflected from behind.
the “sailor” knew and was known. his right hand was lifted carelessly to his lips, and a finger lingered there for a scant second.
the understanding was complete.
