HAL GETS THE LIST
When Hal and McKenzie stopped in the entrance way upon finding that the
door was locked, Hal took from the little grip he carried a long
skeleton key. This had been procured for him by Mrs. Schweiring, and
Hal knew that it would unlock almost any door.
To gain entrance to the house, therefore, was but the matter of an
instant.
From his grip again Hal produced a small flashlight, with which he
lighted their way. Thanks to the lad's previous visit to the house, he
knew right where he was going, so there was no time lost in search.
Straight to the large safe in the general's private office Hal led the
way. There he passed the light to McKenzie and placed the grip on the
floor.
"No chance it has been left unlocked, I guess," the lad muttered.
"However, I'll try it."
He shook the handle. The safe was locked.
"As I thought," said Hal. "Well, the rest will take time. Turn the
light on the lock, McKenzie."
McKenzie obeyed.
From his grip Hal took an ordinary cake of soap. This he proceeded to
rub around the lock and stuff into the cracks. This done to his
satisfaction, he stepped back and surveyed his work.
"All right, I guess," he said. "I never tackled anything like this
before, but I think I know how it's done."
The next article he produced from the grip was a small vial. One look
told McKenzie what it was. It contained nitroglycerine. This Hal
poured under the edge of the safe. Then he attached a fuse and lighted
it. Immediately he threw a heavy blanket, which was the last article
the grip contained, over the safe to muffle the sound of the explosion
that would occur in a few moments.
"Get back in the corner and crouch down, McKenzie," said Hal, and did
the same thing himself.
At that moment there was a crash in the adjoining room. Hal's revolver
leaped out, as did McKenzie's, and both dashed into the room. McKenzie
flashed the light across the floor, and there, just getting to her
feet, was Gladys.
"Quick! You must fly!" she cried. "General Rentzel is on his way and
will be here at any moment."
The fuse in the other room was burning fast, as Hal knew. The lad
determined, in that instant, that he would not leave the house without
getting the list for which he had come.
He pulled Gladys back into the room where the fuse was fast burning to
the safe. McKenzie followed, and the three crouched down.
A moment and there was a muffled explosion, followed by a flash of
fire. Smoke filled the room. With a cry to the others to stay where
they were, Hal dashed to the safe. It was as he hoped. The door had
been blown clear.
Quickly Hal explored the contents of the safe. Then he gave a cry of
delight. His hand encountered what he felt sure was the book he
sought. He ran across the room with it to where McKenzie held the
flashlight and by its glow examined his prize.
It was the list he sought.
Hal hesitated one moment, and then he pressed the book into the hands
of Gladys.
"Quick!" he said. "Out the window with you. Give this to Chester and
tell him to get out of Berlin at once. Tell him he will be followed
but that he must get through."
"But you--"' protested Gladys.
There came the sound of rapid footsteps in the next room. Hal picked
Gladys up in his arms, carried her to the window, and dropped her to
the ground as he said in a low voice:
"To hesitate means failure. Do as I say and quickly."
He returned to McKenzie's side. When he reached there McKenzie
extinguished his light.
"Well, we've got the list," he said quietly.
"We have," Hal agreed, "but our lives probably will pay the forfeit.
We must stay here until we are discovered. To follow Gladys would mean
her capture."
"We won't have to wait long," said McKenzie grimly. "Here they come."
It was true.
Footsteps came toward them. Suddenly the room burst into light as
someone pressed an electric, light button. General Rentzel strode into
the room.
His eyes fell upon Hal and McKenzie immediately. He said nothing, but
gazed about. Then he saw the shattered safe. He dashed forward with a
cry and examined the interior, carefully. Then his face turned white
as he faced Hal.
"The list," he said in a hoarse voice, "where is it?"
Hal smiled.
"Where you will never get it, I hope," he replied quietly.
General Rentzel strode forward with a shout.
"They are spies! Seize them, men!" he cried.
Hal's right arm shot out and the chief of the German secret service
sprawled on the floor.
"To the stairs!" Hal cried to McKenzie.
The Canadian needed no urging. Two German soldiers fell to the floor
under his quick blows and then McKenzie joined Hal on the steps which
fled upward from the rear of the room.
Hall produced a revolver. McKenzie did likewise.
"The first man who moves dies!" cried Hal, as he moved his revolver
from side to side.
The men below, of whom there were perhaps a dozen, stood still.
Apparently each was afraid to make the first move.
General Rentzel sat up and wiped his face with a handkerchief.
"Shoot them!" he cried.
From the rear of the crowd there was a flash of fire and a report. A
bullet sped over Hal's head. McKenzie's revolver flashed and a German
fell to rise no more.
At this moment McKenzie took command.
"Up the steps!" he cried.
Hal realized that to hesitate meant instant death. He was, perhaps,
two steps above McKenzie, and he covered the rest in two leaps. There
he stopped and covered the room. He was in position to protect
McKenzie's retreat.
McKenzie also leaped to the top step, and there, for a moment, they
were out of the line of fire. To reach them it was necessary for the
Germans to stand directly in front of the steps, and there was no man
below who felt called upon to face this certain death, in spite of the
hoarse commands of General Rentzel.
But in a situation like this could not last long. Other officers and
soldiers, aroused by the explosion appeared on the scene. Hal realized
that their predicament was desperate. With a cry to McKenzie, Hal
darted back along the hall, turned into the first room he saw, flung
open the window and leaped to the ground.
McKenzie was close behind him.
Hal led the way along the street at a rapid walk, with McKenzie at his
heels. The lad turned down several side streets, doubling occasionally
on his tracks in an effort to throw off possible pursuers. As they
drew farther away from the house where they had been discovered they
encountered fewer and fewer people. Apparently the sound of the
explosion had not reached here.
They were safe for the moment and Hal breathed easier.
"Hope Chester has a good start," he said to McKenzie in a low voice.
"He should have by this time," was the reply. "They figure, of course,
that we have the list."
Hal would have replied, but as they passed a house at that moment a man
stepped from the door. Hal uttered an exclamation of pure amazement.
The newcomer was dressed in costume that he had worn since the war
began. He looked much as upon the night that Hal first saw him. He
paid no attention to Hal and McKenzie at first, but Hal brought him
about with a word.
"Stubbs!"
It was indeed the little war correspondent of whose presence in Germany
Herr Block had told the three friends before they left Holland.
Stubbs wheeled sharply. He saw Hal and turned pale.
"Hello--hello, Hal," he gasped. "Wh--what are you doing here?"
"Is that your house?" demanded Hal, indicating the one from which
Stubbs had just emerged.
"Yes; why?"
"Then we'll go in with you," said Hal quietly.
"But I don't want to go in," declared Stubbs.
"But we do," said Hal. "Meet my friend, McKenzie, Stubbs."
"I don't want to meet him," declared Stubbs. "I tell you I'm in danger
here."
"So are we," said Hal. "That's the reason we're going to take
advantage of your hospitality. Come on in, Stubbs. We've got to get
out of this country."
"I'll never get out alive now that you've showed up," Stubbs mumbled.
But he led the way inside.