TOO LATE
The look of astonishment that appeared on every face at the reading of
the message was soon succeeded by one of bewilderment.
"How are we ever going to find out what it means?" demanded Willie. "We
can keep juggling letters around until we get them into the proper
combinations to make words out of them. But here we've got the words.
And they don't mean anything to us. And I don't see how we're ever going
to find out what they do mean. We couldn't juggle words around, too,
could we, Captain Hardy?"
"No, Willie. There is no use trying that. The spies know what the words
mean, all right enough. And nobody else does, unless he has the key to
the code. All we can do is to guess what they mean."
"It will take some tall guessing," laughed Roy. "I don't even know what
two of those words mean. Read 'em, Willie--those two long ones."
Everybody laughed. "B-A-L-A-K-L-A-V-A-N R-E-N-D-E-Z-V-O-U-S," spelled
Willie. "They've got me stopped, too. What do they mean, Captain Hardy?"
"Balaklavan evidently is an adjective referring to Balaklava. Does any
one of you remember that word? You've had it in history."
"I know," said Henry. "That's where the Light Brigade made its famous
charge in the Crimean War."
"Good," said Captain Hardy. "That's exactly right. So that word
evidently refers to a famous battle-ground. Can it be that we have
stumbled on a diplomatic message instead of one meant for these spies?
Could it be that this message has anything to do with the situation in
the Balkans, I wonder?" and Captain Hardy began to turn the matter over
in his mind.
"You didn't tell us what that other word meant," said Roy.
"Oh!" said the captain, with a smile. "That's a word of French origin
that means meeting-place. Balaklavan meeting-place, Balaklavan
meeting-place," repeated the captain. "This certainly must be an
important message. The Chief ought to know about it at once. But I
wouldn't dare telephone it. I'd have to take it to him."
"Maybe _we_ could find out what it means," said Roy, "if only you would
stay to direct us. Wouldn't it be great if the wireless patrol----"
"Roy," interrupted the patrol leader, "I know how you feel. You are very
loyal to the wireless patrol. But this is a case that calls for loyalty
to Uncle Sam first. The important thing is to get the message read--not
to have it read by any particular persons."
"Let me take the message to the Chief," suggested Lew. "I am no good at
this sort of thing, but I can carry a message as fast as anybody. Then
you could stay here and help the others."
"Very well, Lew. Take a copy of the message as we caught it, and a copy
of the cipher as we arranged it. The Chief will learn as much from them
as he would from half an hour's talk. Now hurry."
In a few minutes Lew was speeding toward Manhattan with the message in
his pocket, while the remainder of the wireless patrol were drawn up
about Captain Hardy's desk, in earnest consultation.
"If only we had an up-to-date history," sighed Henry. "Then we'd know
who the sovereigns are in the Balkans. All I know are Peter, of Servia,
and it seems to me that he abdicated or died; and Ferdinand, of Bulgaria;
and Constantine, of Greece, who abdicated in favor of his son Alexander;
and the king of Roumania--isn't his name Ferdinand, too?"
"Then there is Charles, of Austria," suggested Captain Hardy, "and the
Turkish Sultan, and King Victor Emmanuel III, of Italy. But I can't
think of any King James. Well, we'll drop the kings at present and go on
with the cipher. That brings us to three groups of letters--twenty-six,
twenty-one, twenty-four. I know that code makers frequently use
arbitrary groups of letters or figures to represent given words or ideas,
but I haven't the slightest notion as to whether these figures belong
together or are to be read separately. And as to what they mean, we can
only guess. Since they seem to be in connection with some ruler and
something about a Balkan meeting-place, they might refer to troops. You
don't suppose the Germans are massing forces for another drive into
Roumania or that part of Russia around the Black Sea, do you?"
For a little time there was complete silence, as each member of the party
struggled to remember all that he had read about the situation in the
near East. But none could throw any light on the matter.
"Well, we will drop the numbers and go on," said Captain Hardy. "That
brings us back to the Balaklavan rendezvous. The word rendezvous plainly
indicates some kind of a meeting. A number of people are going to get
together somewhere. If the place indicated were not so evidently in the
Crimea, I should think that the message might mean that these German
agents we've been watching are summoned to a meeting somewhere."
Again there was a long pause. "Henry," said Captain Hardy suddenly, "to
whom was this message sent, and by whom?"
"It had the same call signals that have always been used. It must have
been sent from the motor-car station and it is intended for the same
station or stations the other messages were sent to. But we don't know
yet where they are."
"What would this motor-car driver, Sanders, be sending out a message
about the Balkans for?" demanded Henry. "Is he connected with the German
diplomatic corps as well as with the spy activities?"
"That's exactly what I was wondering about," replied Captain Hardy. "I
can make nothing of it. The only thing I can understand is the last part
of the message--'nine sure.' Somebody is to meet somebody somewhere at
nine o'clock sure."
"If they meet at the Balaklavan rendez---- What's that word? I can't
remember, Captain Hardy," said Roy.
"Rendezvous."
"Well, if somebody is to meet at some place at nine o'clock, the place
can't be in the Balkans--not if the people who meet are the persons who
received this message."
"You're right, Roy. And they couldn't meet in Europe, or even very far
away in the United States, for," he continued, glancing at his watch, "it
is already long past luncheon time."
"Well," said Henry, "there wouldn't be any sense in telling these spies
about a meeting in the Balkans, anyway. So the message must be intended
to call them to a meeting themselves."
"It must be so," assented Captain Hardy. "And if it is so, the situation
is serious. Why should they want to meet? And why should the need be so
urgent that they can't wait to send their message by safer channels, but
fling it out into the air for anybody to pick up and read, if he has
brains enough to do it? Hello! Here's Lew back again." And turning to
the new member of the group, the leader said, "What did the Chief think
of your message?"
"He was as puzzled as we were. He said his cipher experts were as busy
as they could be with wireless messages of the utmost importance that the
Germans had sent from Brazil to Berlin and that government operators had
intercepted. But just as soon as he can get a man who knows anything
about ciphers and codes, he will put him at this job."
"Then it's all the more important that we should unravel this thing
ourselves. If something is to be done at nine o'clock, we haven't a
moment to lose."
Hastily they ate their luncheon, then filed back to their living-room,
where lay their maps, books, guides, and other equipment.
"We had better clear off these tables and desks," said Captain Hardy, "so
that we shall have plenty of desk room. Suppose you pile these books on
that book-shelf there, Henry. And you, Willie, put those maps on the
mantel over the fireplace."
Henry gathered up a huge armful of books and hastily dumped them on the
book-shelf indicated. They slid down into a heap, but none fell to the
floor. Henry, in his usual careful manner, began to set the books to
rights.
"Never mind that now," exclaimed Captain Hardy. "That can wait until we
have more time."
Willie, meanwhile, was hastily stacking maps on the mantelpiece. He did
not bother to fold them up, but put a weight on them and let the sheets
hang down toward the floor. In no time the desks were cleared, and the
little group soberly seated before them.
"You've taken away the paper with the message on it," said Captain Hardy
to Henry.
Henry started for the book-shelves, but Willie, who sat nearest the
shelves, was there almost before Henry was out of his chair. He scanned
the heap of books, looking for the missing paper.
"There it is, under that Bible," he muttered.
He lifted off the superimposed books, and shoved the Bible to one side.
The books began to slide, but Willie stopped them before they poured down
to the floor. The Bible he caught on the very edge of the shelf, its
covers open. He thrust the book back, seized the paper, and returned to
his seat.
For perhaps an hour the little group worked on. Sometimes each labored
in silence, busy with his own thoughts. Again there was eager
discussion, as one or the other advanced some theory or idea as to the
meaning of the message. Then silence would come again. So the hours
rolled by. In one of these pauses, Willie sat with closed eyes, turning
the mystery over in his mind. But his brain was tired and other thoughts
would creep in. Once he caught himself thinking of Camp Brady. Again he
was thinking about the East River, and all the sights he had seen on a
trip he had made up that stream into the Sound. Rigidly he brought
himself back to his task. But presently his attention wandered again.
Now he was thinking about the book-shelf and the volume he had caught as
it was slipping to the floor. And then, as though a flash of lightning
had suddenly illuminated a dark place in his brain, he saw the words on
the open page of the book--words that in his haste he had barely
glimpsed, but that now came vividly to his mind:
TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE
_JAMES,_
_By the Grace of God_
_King of Great Britain, etc._
In another instant Willie was on his feet. "There's one King James that
we didn't think of," he said, "the King James of the Bible."
His fellows laughed. "He's dead," said Roy.
But Willie paid no attention to the comment. His look was centred on his
captain's face. And his captain's face was worth watching. Over it came
that eager look that always marked his countenance when he got new light
on a problem.
"Willie," he said, "I can't see the connection offhand, but it may well
be that there is one. Can anybody think of any connection between King
James and Balaklava and these spies?"
Nobody could. "The only thing that King James is remembered for,"
continued Captain Hardy, "is this very Bible--the King James' version, as
we call it, in contradistinction to the Revised version. But I don't
quite see how we can connect him with the rest of the message. Read the
message over again, Henry."
When Henry had read it, Roy said, "If it said Matthew, or Psalms instead
of King James, you would think that it was a text."
Captain Hardy leaped to his feet. "Stupid!" he cried. "Why didn't I see
it before? Of course it's a text. Bring me the Bible. King James, 26,
21, 24," muttered Captain Hardy, as Roy placed it before him. "That must
indicate the book, chapter, and verse."
He turned to the table of contents and began to count the books of the
Bible. "Ezekiel," he announced, when he reached twenty-six. "If our
theory is correct, this message refers to Ezekiel 21, 24. We'll soon
know whether we're right or not."
His fingers trembled as he turned the pages, so eager was he. He found
Ezekiel, turned to the twenty-first chapter, and ran his shaking finger
down the columns until it rested on the twenty-fourth verse.
"Listen," he said, and his companions scarcely breathed as he read:
"'Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because ye have made your iniquity
to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in
all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to
remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.'"
For an instant complete silence followed the reading. Then Captain Hardy
said, "Willie, you've solved the riddle. And it is just as I feared.
The Germans have been alarmed. They know that they are detected. Now
everything is plain enough--in a way. They had to warn all the members
of the gang and they hadn't time to send messages. So they took a chance
on the wireless. But they used a new cipher and resorted to a code. The
use of the word 'rendezvous' indicates to my mind that they intend to
flee. They're going to meet at the 'Balaklavan rendezvous' at nine.
We've got to find where that is and get the secret service men there in
time to nab them. And the afternoon's almost gone already."
Captain Hardy pulled out his watch and groaned as he looked at it.
"We've got to watch these spies, too," he said. "Above all things we
mustn't let them get away from us. If we can't find out where the
Balaklavan rendezvous is any other way, we can trail these fellows to it."
Then the leader of the scouts turned to Lew. "Hustle down to the pine
tree," he directed, "and watch the hawk's nest. It may already be too
late. But if anybody is still there and comes out, trail him no matter
where he goes. You can get into touch with me by telephone. Meantime,
I'll communicate with the Chief."
Lew hurried away and Captain Hardy left the room to telephone. He came
back with a white face.
"The Chief hasn't a man available," he reported. "All his men are
watching some plotters who are trying to burn grain elevators and fire
shipping. He says it's up to us and the police. So I called Police
Headquarters and two detectives will be sent here at once. Pray Heaven
they come in time."
Hardly had he finished speaking before Lew burst into the room. "Captain
Hardy," he cried, "I was too late. Just as I reached the pine grove, I
saw the spy running down the slope. He was a quarter of a mile away. I
ran after him. But before I got near the shore he stepped into a
motor-boat that was waiting and away he went. There were three other
persons in the boat, and I am sure one was the grocer and one his boy. I
had no way of following them, so I came straight back."
Just then the door-bell rang. Their hostess announced two men to see
Captain Hardy. And the two detectives entered.
"Too late," groaned Captain Hardy. "The birds have flown. And we do not
know where they have gone."