At the War Office.
For only a moment the newcomer stood at attention, then quickly
crossing the room, he extended a hand in greeting. His frank
countenance beamed with pleasure as he shook hands with each of the
four boys.
Jimmie broke the silence which followed by saying:
"Well, Scout, I see by your badge that you're a Hawk!"
"Yes," slowly answered the lad. "I belong to that Patrol."
"We're Black Bears and Wolves," volunteered Jimmie. "We're all from New
York. We just came over here on a little pleasure trip!"
"Oh!" returned the newcomer, in a tone of interest. "You are a long way
from home. I hope you are enjoying yourselves."
"We don't like the hotels here very well," returned Jimmie. "The
sergeant here is going to give us a nice room in the 'Hotel de Flop!'"
"I don't understand," puzzled the boy, "where is the 'Hotel de Flop?'"
"Right here in the cooler!" explained Jimmie. Then noticing that he had
not simplified matters, he continued: "The gentleman at the desk is
going to put us in the 'pen' for the night. In the 'dungeon'!"
"Now I understand!" laughed the other. "That would be disagreeable," he
went on. "Perhaps we can arrange it some other way!"
"Well, if you've got a 'pull' with His Honor," Jimmie stated, "we'd
appreciate it highly, I can tell you! We don't like the outlook!"
"Perhaps the better way to begin would be by introductions," suggested
the lad. "My name is Francois Poincaire. I reside in Paris."
"Glad to meet you, I'm sure!" declared Jimmie, again extending his
hand. "My name's Jimmie McGraw, of New York." Then, indicating his
companions, he named them in turn. "Now I guess we're acquainted."
"Thank you," acknowledged Francois. "Just let me make a note of the
names. I can remember them better if I write them down."
With this he drew from a pocket a memorandum book and pencil. As he was
searching for a blank page, Jimmie nudged Ned. Drawing down one eyelid
the lad took from a pocket the note that had been found on the Grey
Eagle. Carefully unfolding the paper, Jimmie compared it with the pages
of the memorandum book in which Francois was inscribing their names.
Nodding his head the lad rapidly conversed with Ned in the mute
language used to great advantage by the boys at various times.
"It looks like the same kind of paper!" he signaled.
"That looks rather strange!" returned Ned in the same manner.
"Maybe he's in league with The Rat!" Jimmie ventured. Then as Francois
looked up with a pleasant smile from his task, the lad said:
"Well, Mr. Neighbor, we got your message all right, but we couldn't see
our way clear to stay away from Paris!"
A puzzled look came over the face of Francois. He shook his head.
"May I take a look at your handwriting?" requested Jimmie, reaching out
a hand for the memorandum book which was handed to him.
Quickly running over the leaves Jimmie soon found what he sought.
Drawing from his pocket the message he fitted it to the stub of a torn
page. Flushing with hardly suppressed excitement, he turned to Francois:
"So that's the kind of a Boy Scout you are, eh? In league with The
Rat, are you? Well, all I've got to say is that you're in mighty poor
business! It's a funny thing you should happen to leave this note and
then happen to drop in here just at this time! Can you explain it?"
Jimmie's disgust was apparent to all. His rather uncertain temper was
rapidly getting the better of him as he considered what seemed to be
evidence of the guilt of their newly made acquaintance.
Touching Jimmie on the arm as a warning of caution, Ned said:
"Your handwriting is remarkably like the signature of this message.
Perhaps you may be able to tell us something about it."
"Yes," laughed Francois with ease. "I didn't have time to do more than
leave that message and the 'signs in stones.' In fact, I had barely
time to do that! I felt sure you would understand!"
"We interpreted the message correctly, I believe," answered Ned, "but
we attributed the authorship to another person. You were a stranger to
us when we found the message and we believed it was written by another."
"I see now the mistake I made," ventured Francois soberly. "If I had
it to do over again I should take a different course. But my time was
limited and I did the best I could under the circumstances."
"Did you pile up those stones?" asked Jimmie, still ruffled.
"Yes," was the frank admission. "I tried my best to warn you not to
come to Paris. I knew the dangers in store for you!"
"Maybe you didn't know the dangers we were in at that time!"
"No, I didn't. After we had gotten some distance away, I looked back
and saw smoke rising from the barn. Did it burn?"
"If it didn't burn, I don't know what to call it!" declared Jimmie
indignantly. "Who set it afire, anyhow? Do you know anything about
that?"
"No, but I suspect a person. I am very sorry that I did not remain to
assist you, for I understand now that you were in peril. At that time
I believed you were in danger only from the person to whom I refer."
"Why did you sign the note Jean Voisin?" asked Jimmie.
"I thought you, being aviators, would recall the word and would know
what it meant. Jean, of course, was simply added to make a complete
name. I did not think that you do not understand French."
"You're progressing!" declared Jimmie. "Now, if you'll tell us how you
happened to be on the spot, we'll be much obliged to you!"
"I am interested in aviation and hope soon to be able to qualify as an
army aviator," answered Francois. "Today I was making a trial flight
with a man who is conducting a school for aviators. We had proceeded
to Havre early in the day and intended to return to Paris in the
afternoon. While at Havre my instructor was approached by a man who
offered to pay well for being carried to Paris. We did not like his
looks, but money is always acceptable and it was decided to accept him
as a passenger."
"Did he say why he wanted to get to Paris?" inquired Jimmie.
"No. Later in the day he came to us and said that he would go part
of the distance with another aviator who intended to race with a new
aeroplane. We were to follow and be prepared to pick him up if a
landing were made. He offered to pay extra for this service.
"Accordingly we noted the direction taken by your machine and the one
following. We proceeded more slowly and arrived after the departure of
the one which had chased you. As we landed I saw that you were being
held prisoners in the barn. I had already learned that you were Boy
Scouts and my instructor had told me that this man intended harm if you
followed.
"Thinking only to warn you as you came from the barn after your captor
had departed, I placed the hastily written message and the stones. I
had barely time to regain my place when we were again in flight."
"Well," decided Jimmie, "I guess you're a good scout after all and I
want to ask you to overlook my suspicion of your intentions."
"I can readily do that," smiled Francois, "if you'll agree to forgive
my stupid neglect of you when you were in peril."
"Let's forget that part entirely," urged Jimmie. "The thing to do now
is to get this fellow who came to Paris with you. We want him!"
In answer to Francois' puzzled look Ned explained briefly the reason
why they were seeking "The Rat" and ended with a description of their
present plight. The boys all felt that Francois could be trusted.
"Wait a moment and I will see what can be done," the boy offered.
Turning to the sergeant who with the officers had been waiting at a
respectful distance, he spoke rapidly in French. A brief conversation
ensued, following which the sergeant again made use of the telephone.
This time Francois himself conversed with the party at the other end of
the line and seemed to be urging compliance with his request. Evidently
satisfied with the result of his efforts, he returned to the boys with
beaming countenance. He was eminently pleased at the outcome.
"We will proceed at once," he announced, "to the War Office, where we
will be met by some officials who wish to listen to your story. They
consider it important enough to bring them from their homes!"
"How did you do it?" inquired Jack. "Have you influence?"
Francois only smiled in reply. He seemed anxious to start at once and
was impatient at the short delay necessary in assigning an officer to
accompany the lads, for they were still in the hands of the police.
After a brisk walk of short duration the lads were conducted into a
great building and shown to a suite of handsomely appointed rooms.
Here, seated at a large table, were several distinguished looking men.
As the lads entered, accompanied by the police officer, they paused a
moment. All eyes were turned in their direction.
At a silent signal from Ned all stood at attention and gave the Boy
Scout salute. A faint smile showed for an instant on the faces of those
about the table. Returning the salutation with a military salute, they
acknowledged the boys' greeting. Seats were indicated for all.
"Since it is understood that you young men do not understand French,"
began a gentleman at the head of the table, "it has been decided that
we will carry on these proceedings in the English tongue."
"Thank you!" Ned spoke up. "We regret very much the fact that we cannot
understand your language. We hope you will not be inconvenienced."
"Scarcely," smiled the gentleman. "English is familiar to all assembled
here, even to the stenographer who will make notes of what is said."
"Gee!" whispered Jimmie, somewhat awed by the surroundings and the men
before him. "This is going to be a regular court!"
"Looks like it," answered Jack, who sat near by. "We're all right,
though. Those men look very friendly and we are on the side of right!"
Once more Ned was required to detail their experiences and the causes
that led up to their trip to Paris in quest of the man whom they
believed to be an enemy of their country. His statements were listened
to with interest by all. As he spoke of the desire of himself and
comrades to prevent the United States becoming involved in trouble with
another nation, quick glances were exchanged. The lad's earnest manner
was evidently making a favorable impression upon his hearers.
"And so," concluded Ned in his recital, "we feel that we are asking a
great deal if we request you not to buy those plans which he is alleged
to have stolen, but for the sake of international peace we do it."
"My lad," spoke up one of the men, "have you considered what we might
do with the plans you mention should they come into our hands?"
"Of course," Ned replied, "we boys all understand that the most
friendly relations exist between your country and ours and we cannot
believe that you would purchase the plans from the alleged thief for
any purpose. They might be valuable, however, to a country at war with
the United States."
"But think for a moment that France was on the Isthmus of Panama long
before your country took over the work of building the canal. Is it not
probable that we already have topographical maps from which we could
determine very accurately just where defenses of the canal might be
placed?"
"That's true enough," admitted Ned.
"Even were we disposed to make war upon your country," continued the
gentleman, "such plans would not be necessary to our ends. It seems to
us scarcely necessary to secure information in such an undesirable way
as the one which the man of whom you speak is about to offer us."
"I'm glad to hear you say that!" Ned responded in a tone of relief.
"Now, if we could get this fellow and start him back, we'd feel better."
"We will hear what he may have to say," announced the man.
Turning in his chair he indicated to an officer standing near that he
might bring in a visitor. In a moment "The Rat" entered the room.
"We understand that you wished to interview us," began the man who had
questioned Ned. "Will you kindly state the purpose of your visit?"
A quick glance about the room seemed to satisfy the visitor that he
might expect little success from any attempt to dispose of his wares
in that market. Guessing full well that the boys had been given an
opportunity to tell their story, he said with a short laugh:
"I have an important communication to make, but I think it can wait. I
will return in the morning when there are no Germans present!"