FRANK TO THE RESCUE.
Jack jumped to his feet, prepared to fight. But before he could strike a
blow he reeled and fell to the floor. The German picked him up and laid
him on the couch. Then, unlocking the door, he called softly. There was
the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs, and a moment later two
other men entered the room. One carried a physician's case. He opened it
and administered a drug to the unconscious boy.
Soon Jack's lips moved slightly, a few muttered words became audible and
the three men leaned nearer to catch them. The voice became stronger:
"I want my pay! Two pounds four! Oh, you would, would you! Then take
that! I'll go through the skylight! Well, I've got one of them, anyhow!
Now for the next! Safe at last! I don't want the gold! I want two pounds
four!"
For an hour the Germans listened to monotonous repetitions of the same
thing--then the effect of the drug wore off and the lips became silent.
Again the drug was administered, but the effect did not vary by so much
as a word.
During the experiment three shadows had crept silently upstairs. For
just a moment they listened, and then the heavy oak door was pushed
open, and, with Frank in the lead, the three entered the room.
Frank leaped forward, and with a heavy blow sent the man who was bending
over Jack reeling. The latter drew a revolver and fired point blank at
the lad.
But Frank had seen the move, and ducked, closing in as he did so, and
the bullet sped harmlessly over his head, imbedding itself in the door.
Frank grabbed the barrel of the revolver before the man could fire
again, and twisted--striking out with his free hand as he did so.
Struck upon the point of the jaw, the German reeled back again, leaving
his weapon in Frank's hand. The lad followed up his advantage and struck
his opponent another stinging blow. The man fell to the floor.
In the meantime, the other rescuers, who turned out to be Hetherington
and Lord Hastings, had taken care of the other Germans. Lord Hastings,
leaping across the room at Frank's heels, had placed one _hors du
combat_ with a single blow, and Hetherington, after a brief struggle,
had succeeded in overcoming his adversary.
Frank bent over Jack and shook him, but the latter did not open his
eyes. Again and again Frank shook him, with the same result. Lord
Hastings approached the couch, reached over and lifted Jack's eyelids
with his finger.
"The sleeping sickness!" he ejaculated. "I recognize the symptoms. He
must have a physician at once. We must put him in the car and get him to
my place quick."
The unconscious lad was hastily carried to a waiting automobile, and was
soon laid on a comfortable bed in Lord Hastings' home.
"Is he going to die?" asked Frank of Lord Hastings.
"Not necessarily. The sleeping sickness is not always fatal, but his
condition is dangerous."
The physician arrived a few moments later, and after a careful
examination, announced that with perfect quiet Jack would live. A little
delay, he said, would probably have proven fatal.
For two days Jack hovered between life and death, but upon the third day
the physician pronounced him out of danger. Then, for the first time,
Frank, who had removed his belongings from the hotel to Lord Hastings'
home to be near, was allowed to see his friend.
"Well, old man," he said, "you have had a narrow escape."
"So the doctor told me," replied Jack.
"Yes," declared Frank, "and you have proved yourself quite a hero."
"Hero!" exclaimed Jack. "I haven't done anything."
"You haven't, eh! Why, anyone who would go through what you did, when
you could have prevented it by a few words, is a hero, all right."
"Oh, that was nothing. I was sure they wouldn't learn anything through
me. Besides, you wouldn't have had me tell my country's secrets, would
you?"
"There are a good many who would have done so rather than to go through
what you did."
"Would you have told?"
"Well," said Frank, "I don't know. I don't believe I would."
"Of course you wouldn't. But now, tell me how you happened to arrive
just in the nick of time. I know I owe my life to you."
"When I came downstairs and went to the street to join you in the taxi,"
Frank explained, "there wasn't any taxi in sight. I was sure you
wouldn't have gone on without me. Recalling the fact that we had been
followed that afternoon, I became suspicious. I put two and two
together, and events proved that I added them up right.
"I got Hetherington on the telephone. He said he had sent you no letter,
and that he was just leaving to meet us. He hurried to the hotel, and
after I explained the situation, we rushed to Lord Hastings'.
"It took us four hours to find the place where you had been taken. I
certainly could never have found it by myself. Lord Hastings had every
policeman in London interrogated, I guess, and we finally received word
that one had seen two men, apparently carrying another, enter the house
where we found you. Lord Hastings immediately recognized the house
described as the home of a well-known and prominent Austrian.
"We rushed to the house, and it took us about half an hour to find a way
to get in, so heavily were the windows and doors barred. Also we knew we
had to be very quiet, for, if our presence had become known, your
captors would undoubtedly have killed you before making their escape.
"We finally effected an entrance through the front door, Lord Hastings
succeeding in picking the lock after some difficulty. Then we hurried
upstairs. We found the room you were in by the sounds of the voices of
your captors. Lord Hastings realized immediately what the Germans were
trying to do, and we broke in the door. They put up a fight, but we soon
had them safe. That is all there is to the story."
"Where are they now?" demanded Jack.
"Oh, they are safe enough. They are being held as prisoners of war,
although it was first planned to have them shot as spies."
The two boys were silent for some time, and finally Frank said:
"Jack, I have an idea and I want to know how it strikes you!"
"All right. Let's hear it."
"What is the matter with us enlisting and seeing a little real
fighting?"
"Why, I have been figuring on that all the time. That is why I came to
England. But you are an American. I don't see why you should want to
fight."
"Maybe I am, but my ancestors were English. Besides, I want to see
something of this war, and I can't see it in London. I want to be where
the fighting is."
"Well, I'm glad. I guess Lord Hastings can arrange it so we can be
together."
"I guess so, too. We'll speak to him as soon as he comes in."