JOHNNY GOES INTO ACTION
The first precaution taken by Johnny and Pant, after leaving the shed in
the back garden, was to hasten to the water-front where their friends, the
rough and ready mining gang, were still living in a cabin near the
gasoline schooner. Selecting eight of these, Johnny detailed them to work
in two shifts of four each, to lurk about the building where Mazie was
being confined. They were instructed to guard every exit to the place,
and, if an attempt was made by the kidnappers to change base, to put up a
fight and, if possible, release Mazie.
Johnny realized that time was precious, that not one moment must be lost
in going to the rescue of his girl-pal, but in this land of many soldiers
and little law it was necessary to move with caution. When darkness came,
with his gang of miners and a few other hardy fellows, he could rush the
place and bring Mazie away without being caught in the hopelessly
entangled net of Russian law.
Pant appeared to have lost all interest in the case. He went prowling
along the water-front, peering into every junk-shop he came to. What he
finally pounced upon and carried away, after tossing the shopkeeper a
coin, amused Johnny greatly. It was a bamboo pole, like a fishing-pole
only much larger. He estimated it to be at least five inches across the
base.
"Now what in time does he want of that?" Johnny asked himself.
Arrived at the Red Cross station, Pant disappeared with his pole inside an
old shed that flanked the Red Cross building. Johnny saw little more of
him that day. Pant went out after lunch to return with a cheap
looking-glass and a glass cutter. There was an amused grin lurking about
his lips as Johnny stared at him, but he said nothing; only returned to
his shed and his mysterious labors.
As darkness fell, the clan gathered. The miners in full force and
variously armed with rifles, automatics, knives and pick-axes came in from
the water-front. Pant came out from his hiding. He carried on his back a
bulky sack which did not appear to weigh him down greatly. It gave forth a
hollow rattle as he walked.
"Sounds like skulls," said one miner with a superstitious shudder.
The little band received a welcome shock as they rounded the corner of the
street by the cathedral. They chanced to be beneath a flickering
street-lamp when some one shouted:
"Hello there, 'ere's the gang!"
It was Jarvis and Dave Tower. Having alighted from the balloon and
procured for their exiled friends comfortable quarters in a place of
refuge, they had gone out in search of Johnny Thompson, and here they had
found him.
"What's up?" demanded Dave.
Johnny told him the situation in as few words as possible, ending, "You
want in on it?"
"Yer jolly right," exclaimed Jarvis, "and 'ere's 'ate to the bloomin'
'eathen!"
So, strengthened by two good men, the party moved cautiously forward until
they were only one block from their destination.
"Split up into two sections," commanded Johnny in a whisper. "One party
under Dave go up street beyond the place, the other under Jarvis stay down
street. Pant and I will drop back into the garden and try to establish
connection with the prisoner. We'll get the general lay of things and
report. If a shot is fired, that will be a signal to rush the place."
They were away. Creeping stealthily forward, they entered the gate to the
garden. Then, skulking along the wall, they made their way toward the shed
where they had spent part of the previous night. Twice the hollow things
in Pant's sack rattled ominously.
"Keep that thing quiet, can't you?" snapped Johnny. "What y' got it for,
anyway?"
"Show you in a minute," whispered Pant.
So they crept on toward the goal. No lights shone from these back windows.
The place was dark as a tomb. Somewhere in the distance a clock slowly
chimed the hour. A shiver ran over Johnny's body. Things would happen
soon.
"All I ask is five minutes; five minutes, that's all," whispered Pant, as
he lowered his sack cautiously to the ground and unlaced its top.
Dimly through the darkness Johnny could see him draw several long objects
from the bag. When the bag was empty, he began setting these objects end
to end. Evidently they were fitted with sockets, for, once they were
joined together, they stuck in place. He soon had them all together.
Johnny surmised that this was the reconstructed bamboo pole with all
obstructing joints taken out; but what Pant meant to do with it, he could
not even guess. He watched with impatient curiosity.
"A speaking tube," he whispered at last. "It's a good idea."
"Mebby; but that ain't it," breathed Pant.
"Well, whatever it is, be quick about it. Somebody out front may spill the
beans any time. If the military police rush the boys, the game's up."
Pant paid no attention. His movements were as steady and cautious as a cat
stalking a robin.
"Now, I guess we're about ready," he murmured. "Be prepared for a dash.
There's stairs to the right. I may start something." His words were short
and quick. Evidently his heart was giving him trouble.
"All right," Johnny stood on tip-toes in his agitation.
Suddenly Pant reared his tube in air. Then, to Johnny's utter
astonishment, he dropped on one knee and peered into an opening at one
side of it.
"A periscope!" whispered Johnny. "But what can you see in the dark?"
For a moment Pant did not answer. His breath came in little gasps.
"She's there," he whispered. "She's tied. There's terror in her eyes.
There's something crawling on the floor. Can't make it out. We gotta get
up there quick."
All at once a shot rang out. It came from the window. The tinkle of broken
glass sliding down the bamboo tube told that the periscope was a wreck.
"Periscope's done for. They saw," whispered Pant. "Now for it. Up the
stairs. They gave our signal. Boys will rush the place from the front.
C'mon!"
They were off like a flash. Up the stairs they bounded. A door obstructed
their way. Johnny's shoulder did for that.
Crashing into the room they found a candle flaring. Two persons were
struggling to free themselves from imitation dragon costumes. It had been
these who frightened Mazie.
"Snap dragon!" exclaimed Johnny, seizing one of the beasts by the tail,
and sending him crashing through the panels of a door.
"Snap dragon!" He sent the other through the window to the ground below.
"I'll teach you!" He glared about him for an instant. Then his eyes fell
on Mazie. Without attempting to free her, he gathered her into his arms
and fairly hurled her through the door where he and Pant had entered. Then
he took his stand in front of it.
He was not a moment too soon, for now the place was swarming with little
yellow men. In the light of the candle, their faces seemed hideously
distorted with hate. At once Johnny went into action. His right took a man
under the chin. No sound came from him save a dull thud. A second went
jibbering over the window-sill. A third crashed against the plaster wall.
Pant, too, was busy. Everywhere at once, his wicked little dagger gleamed.
But, suddenly, two of the strongest sprang at him, bearing him to the
floor.
Leaping at these, Johnny gripped them by their collars and sent them
crashing together. His breath was coming in hoarse gasps. He could stand
little more of this. Where were the boys?
As if in answer, there came the crash of arms on a door and Jarvis burst
into the room. He was followed by the whole gang.
"Ow-ee! Ow-ee!" squealed the yellow men. "The white devils!"
In another moment the room was cleared of fighters. Only three of the
enemy remained. They were well past moving.
"Pitch 'em after 'em," roared Johnny. "Tell the cowards to carry away
their wounded."
The wounded men were sent sliding down the stairs.
"Now then, git out. Scatter. I never saw any of you before. See!"
There was a roar of understanding from the men. Then they "faded."
Leaping to the back stairway, Johnny picked Mazie up in his arms and
carried her down to the garden. Here he cut the bands that held her hands
and feet.
"Can you walk?"
"Yes."
"C'mon then. Gotta beat it."
They were away like a shot.
A half-hour later they were joking over a cup of chocolate and a plate of
sweet biscuits in the Red Cross canteen. Mazie was still dressed as a
Russian peasant girl.
"I say, Mazie!" exclaimed Johnny. "You make a jolly fine-looking
peasant!"
"Thanks!" said Mazie. "But if that's the way they treat peasant girls, I
prefer to be an American."
"What did they do to you?"
"Nothing, only tried to frighten me into telling where the gold was. It's
not so much what they did as what they would have done." She shivered.
"Did they get any of the gold?"
"Not an ounce. It's all stowed away here at the Red Cross."
"Good! Then we'll have our haven of refuge yet."
"If we live."
"And we will."
They lapsed into a long silence, each thinking many thoughts.