"There are the cliffs!" said Mr. Ridgeway, pointing through the fog as
it broke for a moment. "Sail high, Lawrence, as you approach the coast.
As soon as you are over the cliffs, set your course to the southeast and
keep straight on. We will reach our destination this afternoon, and
tomorrow we will go on to our second stop, to return the papers." He
gave a sigh.
"Well, we have escaped the thieves this time, Lawrence, and I _do_ feel
relieved! I am growing a little too old for this sort of thing. If I had
been engaged in escaping bandits all my life, I suppose I would have an
appetite for it. It must be the way some people like big doses of pepper
in their food. But I am a peaceful man, and I would rather do 'most
anything than go scooting around the world with a pack of hyenas on my
trail. Perhaps if I had sons, a son like you, Lawrence, things would be
different. Both Mrs. Ridgeway and myself would feel that there was more
to live for. But the death of our sons sort of took the zest of living
away from us. I have had to live for my wife and she for me. We never
mention our loss. You must be careful of that, Lawrence. She cannot bear
it even now. You noticed her picture in the library, did you not? It is
a good one, but I carry a better one with me." He undid his heavy
leather coat and fumbled in an inside pocket just as the indicator
announced that the wireless was working. Mr. Ridgeway buttoned his coat
again, and turned to the wireless table.
"O'Brien is calling," he said.
Lawrence put a hand on his arm.
"Mr. Ridgeway, be sure that it _is_ O'Brien, and not someone else," he
begged. "I don't feel good about that ship behind there. I suppose it
is, O'Brien, but there is something that keeps telling me to be
careful."
Mr. Ridgeway smiled. "I wish I had known before that you were anxious,
my dear boy," he said. "The simplest way to settle that is to ask a
question or two. We might have called yesterday and saved you the
anxiety."
He took up the instrument and adjusted it. In a moment the message from
the other ship commenced to flow smoothly in. O'Brien greeted his chief
and asked for a little help. Before they passed over the cliffs, would
Mr. Ridgeway please slow down and allow him to come up? He could not
make the speed that the Barnegat airship could make. Indeed he was
straining his engine to keep in sight.
Mr. Ridgeway agreed to do as O'Brien asked. He hoped there was nothing
wrong with O'Brien's engine. Nothing serious, came the reply.
"Is anyone following?" asked Mr. Ridgeway.
"Yes," answered the wireless. "We are followed by another dirigible. I
suppose Smith is driving it, but they are far behind and cannot catch up
before you cross England. They think they are following you. I will lead
them toward the north as soon as we are well over the land."
"That is satisfactory," answered Mr. Ridgeway.
"Ask him why he didn't answer my signal," prompted Lawrence.
"Why didn't you answer the signal Lawrence sent out yesterday?" asked
Mr. Ridgeway.
"Too busy," came the answer. "This engine was off all day, and we were
working on it all the time."
"See?" said Mr. Ridgeway. "That is all right. The signal was nothing
important, was it?"
"I suppose not," said Lawrence. "But can't you ask him something or
other that only O'Brien would know?"
Mr. Ridgeway laughed. "You _are_ a suspicious kid all right, aren't you?
Well, here is something no one but O'Brien and myself and one other
person, a very distinguished person indeed, could possibly know. I will
ask him about the letter from the White House."
He turned to the instrument.
"O'Brien," he asked, "Lawrence wants something as evidence that you are
really there. He seems to doubt his senses. Just tell me if there was
anything peculiar about the paper I wrote my instructions on."
"Lawrence won't have any doubts about _anything_ when I see him,"
flashed back. "Yes, I remember the paper. It was the private stationery
of the President and instead of signing your name, it was signed with
your private seal, the carved seal you always carry on a chain under
your waist-coat."
"O.K." answered Mr. Ridgeway. "I think that is clear enough. We will
slow down immediately. Keep to the right. We cannot see you in this fog.
It is getting thicker as we go in. I can't afford any accident now."
"All right!" came the answer.
Mr. Ridgeway turned to Lawrence. "I think that ought to satisfy you, my
boy. O'Brien received my message written in the President's private
study on his private paper and sealed with this seal. It never leaves me
and cannot be duplicated. There are secret lines in the carving, as
delicate as the lines on a bank note. Oh, it is O'Brien all right! And
he says that Smith is behind, but evidently following him. Just as we
planned every bit of it."
Lawrence gave a sigh of relief.
"I am certainly glad," he said. "I don't know what made me so
suspicious."
"Well, I hope you are satisfied now," replied Mr. Ridgeway, laughing.
"I am," said Lawrence slowly; "but I know I am _not_."
Mr. Ridgeway slapped him on the back. "What a boy!" he exclaimed.
"Within an hour at most O'Brien will be laughing at you, and I will,
too. I wish this fog would lift. It is dangerous for two balloons the
size of these to approach when they cannot see to manoeuver. However, we
are all right. Unless it is absolutely necessary to borrow something for
his engine, O'Brien will not try to board us. We can swing him almost
anything he wants."
"I can hear him coming now. There _is_ something wrong! The engine on
that ship never made a noise like that."
Lawrence listened, and wondered dully if it was O'Brien's car, but he
did not care to be laughed at, so kept silence, only asking, "Shall I
take the wheel?"
"Perhaps you had better," said Mr. Ridgeway, "and when the cars come
together allow for the wind. It is blowing from the north, and I told
O'Brien to keep to the right as he came up. Coming on the left, we might
be blown together and entangled. So allow for that and keep pretty well
away until we know what he wants."
Lawrence went to the wheel and settled himself for a pretty piece of
airmanship. He too could hear the pulsation of the engine behind them.
It sounded choked and muffled in the fog, which was now so thick that
objects five feet away looked hazy.
More and more distinct came the sound behind, and suddenly like a
phantom the dirigible appeared. Mr. Ridgeway gave a shout of surprise
and anger as the balloon, instead of following his directions, slid
close to them on the left. The cars bumped violently, and two muffled
figures rapidly lashed them together fore and aft They had had the ropes
ready and it took but a moment to secure them.
Then, almost before Mr. Ridgeway realized his predicament, he and the
two men who comprised the crew found themselves looking into the muzzles
of the revolvers held by their strange visitors.
"Hands up!" said a smooth voice which Lawrence recognized as that of
their arch enemy. "No fooling! We intended to shoot you all, but if you
give up the jewels and papers, Mr. Ridgeway, you may save your life and
that of the boy over there. Keep that wheel steady," he ordered, "or I
shoot!"
He turned to Mr. Ridgeway. "If the papers and jewels are in my hands in
two minutes, you are safe. Otherwise down into the sea you will go.
However, perhaps it will be as well to wait until I hear my men coming
up. There is a dirigible behind, with the rest of my men. The dirigible
is the one O'Brien was going to take. O'Brien is dead, by the way."
Under the air mask Smith grinned.
"Who are you anyway?" demanded Mr. Ridgeway.
The man laid one of his revolvers down and tore off his mask. Mr.
Ridgeway looked at the smooth, smiling face and staggered backward.
"My private secretary!" he gasped.
"Nicely done, wasn't it, Mr. Ridgeway? I don't at all blame you for
trusting me. I brought such wonderful recommendations!" The fiend
chuckled. "Indeed, kings themselves have trusted me before this. However
much as I might desire to talk over old times with you, I will ask you
to tell me where the jewels are."
Then before Mr. Ridgeway could answer, his face lighted.
"Ah, an inspiration" he said. "No need at all for unwilling disclosures.
We will just change ships. Why did I not think of that before? Brown,
just escort those mechanics over the side into our car, then tie them
for the present and fix the guns. We won't want to trouble our friends
with the care of the little beauties. You know what to do, Brown." He
listened. "No sound yet," he said, and as the men went over the side, he
turned to look at them.
Silently in that moment when Smith's eyes were following the movements
of Brown and his two prisoners, Lawrence stole a hand along the side of
the ship and grasped a fine cord that hung within his reach. He gave a
quick pull and heard aloft in the fog a little sound which he instantly
disguised by a flood of hyolax in the carbureter. The engine sputtered
furiously but Smith only glanced at him idly, thinking that fright had
deprived him of his common sense.
Mr. Ridgeway had followed Lawrence's quick action, however, and he hung
back as Mr. Smith with a wave of his revolver indicated that he too was
to follow over the side into the other ship.
"Look here, Van Arsdale," he said quietly, "I don't see why we can't
talk this thing over. You have the upper hand certainly. Name your
price, and let us keep the jewels. Name your price, and although it is a
crime to do it, I will give you a certified check for your money. You
know I always have certified checks with me."
Van Arsdale pondered. "I don't know but there is a good deal to that,
Mr. Ridgeway. I know just how you feel. You want it said that you were a
trustworthy custodian. And as far as I go, I would rather handle cash
than bother trying to have a bushel of old diamonds and rubies recut and
marketed. As for the papers, they must have a price of their own because
in giving them up, I relinquish my hopes of greatness for awhile and
will have to think up some other scheme to attain my ends. So, Mr.
Ridgeway, what do you offer?"
"A million," said Mr. Ridgeway.
"Pounds or dollars?" asked Van Arsdale.
"Dollars," replied Mr. Ridgeway.
"Not enough!" said Van Arsdale. "Dear Mr. Ridgeway, we have discussed
the value of the jewels so often, you and I, when I was your trusted
secretary. A million won't do at all. Come, bid up! What am I offered?"
"Two millions for the jewels and papers," said Mr. Ridgeway. "I can't go
higher."
"Three or nothing," said Van Arsdale sullenly. "I will take three, and I
want it before those fellows come up. They expect the jewels, and they
would murder anybody for cash."
"All right," said Mr. Ridgeway.
Lawrence saw that he was deadly pale and his hand shook. "This cleans me
out, Van Arsdale." He took a check book and fountain pen from his pocket
and commenced to write. Van Arsdale stepped up to him and looked over
his shoulder. Instantly Lawrence jerked the cord again, and silently in
the wet fog a sort of claw with a razor edge on it fell in his lap. He
shoved it hastily out of sight just as Van Arsdale looked up and asked:
"What makes this boat list so?"
"Because you are tied up to us," answered Mr. Ridgeway quickly. "There
is your check, Van Arsdale, and I hope I can get even with you some
day!"
"I wish you all the success in the world!" laughed the plotter. "I do
advise you as a friend to keep out of my path."
He called sharply and Brown, who had secured the two men, stepped over
the side and approached his master.
"Tie the wheel, and toss that boy over!" he ordered.
"Into the sea, Excellency?" asked Brown.
"No, idiot; into the other ship! No, take this man first!"
"What do you mean?" demanded Mr. Ridgeway. "You have your money. Put up
those guns and get out! A bargain is a bargain, and I suppose there is
honor even among thieves."
"Among _some_ thieves, no doubt," said Van Arsdale, smiling his snaky
smile. "Also there is another motto. _Business is business._ It was a
good touch to get the three million as well as the jewels and papers,
was it not? Yes, it has been quite an education to be with you, Mr.
Ridgeway. In my place, you would at once retire and allow me to proceed
on my way. But you see there are some brave fellows following who look
to me for their daily bread, their all. They will not like it when they
find you have not gone down to feed the fishes, but never mind. You know
how tender-hearted I am."
"Even about O'Brien. I don't mind telling you that I had three ways of
detaining him, and I chose the least painful one. Come, Mr. Ridgeway,
over the side at once. That boy over there can follow you. He is no
good. This ship is listing more all the time. Come, come! I want to true
up the engine."
He took a step toward Mr. Ridgeway, his two revolvers still levelled.
Like a flash, Mr. Ridgeway hurled the wireless table full at his captor.
Instantly both revolvers went off wild, and Brown, seizing a heavy
hyolax case, brought it down on Mr. Ridgeway's head. If it had struck
him squarely, it would have killed him, but Lawrence, springing forward,
had been just in time to seize Brown's arm and the blow glanced. Even
then Mr. Ridgeway dropped without a sound and lay as though dead.
Brown had seized Lawrence, and as he held him in a rough grip the sound
of an approaching dirigible was heard through the fog.
"Lemme drop them overboard, Excellency, and cut loose and go!"
"No! I do owe something for the three millions, Brown," said Van
Arsdale. "Think what a nice division that is going to make! By rights it
is all mine, but I am not small; I will divide. Here come our men. Hoist
Ridgeway over the side into the other boat. Don't try any funny work! If
he goes into the sea, so do you. He shall have his life in exchange for
the money. You cub, you get over there! If my men come up, I will have
hard work saving your precious young neck!" He lifted Lawrence and
tossed him over with little ceremony, as Brown tumbled the unconscious
figure of Mr. Ridgeway into the other ship.
"Now get out!" said Van Arsdale to Lawrence. "If you can steer get out
as fast as you can! The dirigible behind is armored and armed like a
battleship. And they won't waste sympathy on _you_!" He cut the ropes
between the two ships and turned toward the wheel, shoving his revolvers
into his pockets.
Lawrence watched him as the two ships sheered off, then as he heard the
exhaust of the approaching ship bearing its load of cutthroats Lawrence
realized that their chances of life were dwindling. Nothing mattered
except to let Van Arsdale know that they were not afraid even at the
moment of death.
He leaned over the edge, and as the car sheered off a little, he yelled
derisively like a street urchin, "Say, mister, your bag is leaking and
pointed upward!"
Van Arsdale looked. Slowly, very slowly, the big bag was collapsing.