EVIL EYES ON SAILORMAN RUNKLE
In the center of a huge room in the Hotel dell' Orso, overlooking the
Chiaja, Dave Darrin and Dalzell came to a halt.
Below they had just left Dalny in the carriage, and had come straight
up to their room, which they had engaged when first they came ashore.
They had not, as one might suspect, overlooked the opportunity of
finding whither Dalny drove after leaving them. For a short,
broad-shouldered young man, Able Seaman Runkle, U. S. S. "Hudson," had
been on the lookout for them on the sidewalk.
Runkle, by special order of Captain Allen, U. S. N., was not in
uniform, but in civilian attire. In another carriage Able Seaman
Runkle, at Dave's order, followed the conveyance that took Dalny back
to the appointed meeting place with Mender. The sailorman's carriage
did not, of course, stop when Dalny's vehicle did, but kept slowly on.
"Shadowing" is often a two-edged tool. When Runkle returned to his
post he, in turn, was followed by the same dandy who had done the cane
signaling late in the afternoon.
"That fellow Dalny is almost too bad medicine for me to swallow," Dan
muttered with a wry smile.
"Of course he is a liar and a villain," Dave returned seriously. "But
when a man is wanted to do the foulest kind of work, I suppose it must
be rather hard to find a gentleman to volunteer. Probably Dalny's
employers feel that they are fortunate enough in being able to obtain
the services of a fellow who _looks_ like a gentleman."
"He led us into that trap to have us assassinated," Dan declared
hotly.
"Or else to have us so badly cut up that we would feel, in the future,
more like minding our own business," suggested Ensign Dave with a
smile.
"We got out of it all right that time," Dan went on bluntly, "but I
don't want any more such experiences. The next time we might not have
luck quite so much on our side."
"What puzzles me," Dave continued, wrinkling his brows, "is why Dalny
or any of his crowd should want us stabbed."
"They wanted us killed," Dan insisted. "Nothing short of killing us
would have satisfied those bravos if they had succeeded in getting us
at their mercy. Yet why should our death be desired?"
"For only one reason," Dave answered, the truth coming to him in a
flash. "Dalny is here in Naples, for which reason his white-haired
fellow-plotter is probably here, too. We were sent ashore to find out
if they are here. When Dalny shook hands with us this afternoon he
perceived that I recognized him as one whose remarks I undoubtedly had
overheard at Monte Carlo. He then concluded that I had been sent
ashore to find out if he were here. He knew, or suspected, that I
would report my information to the Admiral. Hence the determination to
kill me, and, since you are with me, to kill you also. Our bodies
would have been hidden, and the Admiral would have been able only to
guess why we did not return to the ship. Dan, what hurts me most is
the practical certainty that the Count of Surigny is now with that
band of international cut-throats. I had hope for a nobler future for
the Count, and also I am disappointed to find him working for my
enemies. He must hate me fearfully because I thwarted his one-time
purpose to commit suicide!"
"I wouldn't have believed the Count could be so bad," Dan mused. "Yet
the proof appears to be against him."
"Why, of course he's one of their band," Dave continued. "It's a
fearful thing to say, but it is plain that I saved only an ingrate and
a rogue from the crime of suicide. However, Dan, we are losing time. I
must begin my report to Captain Allen."
At that instant there came a slight scratching sound at the door.
Tiptoeing to the door, Dalzell opened it far enough to admit Seaman
Runkle, who, as soon as the door had been closed and locked, promptly
saluted both young officers.
"What is your report, Runkle?" Dave demanded.
"Your party in the carriage, sir, dismissed the rig at this address,"
reported the sailorman, handing Ensign Darrin a slip of paper.
"You did well," Dave answered. "Find a seat, Runkle, until I have
written a note which you are to take aboard to Captain Allen."
Within fifteen minutes the letter was completed. It was not a long
document, but gave, in brief form, a summary of the adventures and
discoveries of the two ensigns since coming ashore.
"You will take this aboard, Runkle," Dave directed, "and you will see
that it reaches Captain Allen, even though he has turned in and has to
be awakened. You will tell the officer of the deck, with my
compliments, that such orders were given me by Captain Allen. Now,
Runkle, don't let anything interfere with your speedy return to the
ship. Also remember that you may be followed, and that Naples is a bad
town in which to be trailed at night."
"I'm not afraid of the bad people of Naples, sir," rejoined the
sailorman, with a quiet smile. "Do you expect me to return to you,
sir?"
"That will be as Captain Allen directs."
"Very good, sir. Good night, sir."
Able Seaman Runkle was shown out by Ensign Dalzell, who locked the
door of the room after the departing sailorman.
In the meantime a spy who had followed Runkle back to the Hotel dell'
Orso had telephoned, in a foreign language little understood in
Naples, the information concerning that sailorman's reporting to his
officers, and had added the suggestion that very likely the sailor
would be sent out to the fleet with a written report.
"I think it highly probable that the sailor _will_ be sent with a
written report," agreed Mender, at the other end of the telephone
wire.
"And if the sailor does try to get out to the fleet?" insinuated the
spy.
"If the man leaves the hotel to go to the water front," commanded
Mender, in a voice ringing with energy and passion, "see to it that
he is laid low and that the letter is taken from him. At any cost I
must have turned over to me any written report that Ensign Darrin
tries to send to his commanding officer. Nor am I through with Darrin
himself!"