IN THE POWER OF THE WOLF
The Wolf, walking as though bent entirely on sightseeing, yet
covering ground rapidly, led the way through the busiest part of
the city, and into a quieter residential section, where he sat
down on a bench just within a walled park. The Wolf was not
conscious of his surroundings. He could only dwell on the fact
that the boy at his side had recognized him, was following him.
He did not doubt for an instant that the secret service had made
use of this seemingly innocent and simple tool.
Asa sat silent under the Wolf's hand. He thought of his home. Little
things occurred to him. Once he nearly giggled when he remembered how
the collie played with the cat; and the Wolf, feeling his shoulders
quiver, looked sharply at him. Asa thought of his father and the
little dragged-out mother. He thought of the three thin, silent
little sisters. They would miss him. He was so glad he had kissed
them all that last night at home. It only went to prove what Colonel
Bright had said. You were always glad afterwards. He was glad.
It was very dark as they walked slowly back to the entrance, the
boys still stalking them. Outside the gate, the Wolf hesitated.
As he looked, a small figure slipped from a shadow across the
light, whistled a peculiar bar of music, and sidled up.
"Didn't expect to meet you here, Excellency," said the Weasel.
"What are you doing here?"
"Been working at the ammunition plants," said the little spy.
"Wish you'd give me some money. I'm stone broke. Hello," as he
spied Asa. "Where did you pick this up?"
"I'm taking him to the house," said the Wolf.
"Better let me have him, Excellency. I'll drop him somewhere
where he will be out of the way.
"I'll take care of that," said the Wolf, snarling and sinking his
steel fingers in Asa's shoulder.
The Weasel looked at the man in disgust. "Well, let me have some
money, Excellency."
"What for?" demanded his master.
"I have worked hard all day. I want to have a little fun with
it. I have earned it.
"Not a cent!" rasped the Wolf. "I know you, drinking and
gaming--not a cent! For asking you shall go out and earn your
supper."
The Weasel whirled round at him. "You give me some money!" he
whispered. In the excitement of the moment he seemed to lose his
voice.
He seized the Wolf's arm. With an oath the Wolf flung him away.
He staggered and went headlong. The shock seemed to infuriate
him. He leaped silently at the Wolf. There was a sudden flash
of steel, and the Weasel turned with a spring, whirled, and went
down in a heap. The Wolf, almost before he touched the ground,
tightened his grasp on Asa, and dodged back into the park.
Rapidly, through paths that seemed familiar, he gained another
entrance, and emerged on a quiet street. Down this street he
hurried the exhausted boy, turned suddenly into a basement where
it was pitch dark, and rapped on the door. It was a peculiar
rap, and reminded Asa of telegraphy. In a moment the door swung
open, they entered, the Wolf fastened the door behind him, and
for the first time since he caught Asa, he let go of his
shoulder. He struck a match and let the blaze shine in his face.
There was a queer grunt in the darkness. Without speaking, the
Wolf clutched the boy once more, and led him up three flights of
carpeted stairs, and into a huge room lighted by a couple of
candles. It was the Wolf's den.
He flung Asa into a big, ragged chair, and, throwing his goggles
and hat on the table, sat down opposite Asa, and lighted a
cigarette. Then, reaching under the table, he pulled out a big
square box on rollers, and unlocked it with a key which he wore
on his watch chain. He took out a bottle and glass. Pouring a
full portion, he drained it at a gulp. Another and another glass
he emptied. The fiery liquid went to his head. A new look came
over his face.
"I've got you, haven't I," he demanded of the boy. "I've got
you, and this time I'm going to keep you!" He took another
drink.
"How did you come to suspect who I was, you, little fool?" he
demanded. "The day you came to see me in the Hospital and stood
there saying, 'Oh, yes,' to everything I said--who put you on my
track, eh? Somebody was smart--thought I would never notice a
small boy, eh? ho did it?"
"Nobuddy put me on anybuddy's track," said Asa. "I just happened
around every time."
"Of course!" said the Wolf. "Of course! You just happened a
round. Funny, as you Americans say. And the letter in your
pocket--it happens that I lost that letter through the idiocy of
one of my servants. You happened to find that also, of course.
Where did you find it?"
Asa was silent. He determined not to tell.
"Now I want you to tell me the whole thing. If you tell me
everything, I shall give you a great sum of money and let you go.
Won't that be fine?"
He paused again, looking keenly at Asa.
"Come, come!" said the Wolf. "I do not like to be kept waiting.
You saw what I did to the little man down the street. I stabbed
him. I am not afraid to tell you. I shall not stab you. Oh,
no! You are a nice boy; you are going to tell me all about
everything. That little man is dead now, quite dead. You would
not like to be like that, would you? Well, you are going to get
a lot of money, and go free, so you can have a nice time spending
it. Come," he said in a level, patient tone. "Speak!"
Asa's pale, terrified eyes were fixed on his tormentor, but still
he was silent. The Wolf took a twenty-dollar gold piece from his
pocket and laid it on the table before the boy.
"Twenty dollars in gold," he said. He took other pieces like it
from his pocket and piled them up. "Wealth!"' he almost
whispered. "Did you ever have as much money as that?"
Asa shook his head.
The Wolf leaned confidentially forward.
"Now tell me all about everything," he said coaxingly. He
studied Asa.
Asa studied him in return. Like a fascinated bird staring at a
snake, he looked at the cold, glittering eyes, the browned face,
the sear on the cheek. As he looked, the sear slowly turned
white. It gave the effect of its springing out into plain sight.
He looked carefully all over the Wolf. It was as though he
wanted to remember every little detail. The Wolf smiled.
"Curious about me, are you?" he said with a snarl, his smile
fading away. "Well, if you won't speak, then I will have to
talk. Now I want to know just who is tracking me, and just how
much they think they know about me. And you are going to tell me
everything."
Asa woke up. It felt to the tortured boy as though some cord in
his heart or soul suddenly snapped and left him free. Asa, who
had been always afraid to speak, was afraid no longer. Asa, who
found speech difficult, spoke rapidly and violently.
"No, I ain't," he shrilled. "I ain't goin' to tell a word about
nuthin'. And when I get out of here, I'm goin' to tell the first
policeman I see about that little thin man you stuck the knife
into. And I ain't afraid of you. Not a mite! I don't care what
you do to me, I ain't goin' to tell!"
The scar stood out white as chalk.
"No?" said the Wolf. He took another drink, then with a sudden
motion hurled Asa back in his chair and tied him there. Round
and round the thin figure he twisted the rope, until Asa could
not move a muscle. The Wolf propped the boy's feet up on a box,
and took off his shoes. Asa watched him curiously. He
remembered the wild Indian stories he had read. Was this going
to be a trial by fire, he wondered. The Wolf lighted a huge
cigar and smoked it until the end glowed red. Then he drew his
chair close to Asa's feet. He showed him the cigar.
"That would hurt on your bare feet, wouldn't?" he asked silkily.
"So much pain--and all because you want to be stubborn! Well, I
have taught stubborn boys--and men--many times many times! So
you had better tell me who suspects the Wolf."
A sound at the door caused him to turn. Ledermann entered.
"What's this, Excellency?" asked Ledermann. "Whom have we here?"
"A stubborn little boy," said the Wolf. "A stubborn little boy,
who is going to think better of his course of action in just a
few minutes, and who is then going to tell me ever so many things
that I want to know."
Asa stared at the Wolf's wicked eyes and shivered. The Wolf
turned away.
"What news to-night, Ledermann?" he asked.
"Adolph is dead for one thing," said Ledermann coolly. "He had
one of his convulsions on the street, and it finished him."
"We were about through with him," said the Wolf heartlessly. He
dismissed the subject. "What else?" he demanded.
"I have all the papers," answered Ledermann. "And as I could not
get here until dark, I took a room in a safe little hotel where I
would be undisturbed, and I made the copy for you." He handed
over a tiny square of paper.
The Wolf carefully unfolded it. Then he laughed gleefully.
"Fine; fine, Ledermann! This finishes our work."
He crossed his leg over his knee, took a peculiar looking wrench
from his pocket, fitted it round the heel of his shoe, and turned
it. The other man caught his arm, and spoke rapidly in German.
"What possesses you, Excellency; are you mad? This boy--"
"Bah! What does it matter whether I finish him now or an hour
later?" he asked. "We can't let him go. I was obliged to punish
the Weasel to-night and he saw it. It seemed to affect him
unpleasantly. These American children know nothing of the value
of discipline. He is going to tell me all he knows before I
finish. The little rat--think of him defying me!"
The heel came off. Asa looked curiously. It was hollow and was
neatly packed with papers like the one in the Wolf's hand. The
Wolf turned out the precious packets, and looked them over
carefully. Ledermann looked from the Wolf intent on his papers,
to Asa, bound in the chair. He looked at the Wolf again. He
swayed a little; the drinks had gone to his head just enough to
make him unsteady and reckless. He had not intended to take so
much; the Wolf was always careful; but to-night--well, the day
had been a hard one, and the end was so near. For months he had
been under a terrific strain--Ledermann shook his head.
"See how I trust you," said the Wolf in English, looking up from
his papers, "I know you will never, never tell. Oh no, that
would be impossible! Isn't that a fine little place to hide
things?" he chuckled, and replaced the packets, screwed the heel
in place, and stamped his foot on the floor. Then he turned to
his bottle.
Ledermann had placed it beyond his reach.
"Give me that!" he demanded violently.
Ledermann obeyed.
The Wolf turned to him.
"Now, Ledermann, no fooling here; turn in all your accounts.
Destroy everything that could give a clew to us. Pack the bombs
in the vault under the cellar floor. We may come back some day,
when we land with our men on the shores of Long Island." He
turned away. "Go and pack. We must be away from here before
dawn."
Ledermann shrugged his shoulders, looked curiously at Asa, then
turned and left the room.
The Wolf got up, threw a few things in a small suit-case,
arranged some papers, took off his coat, and stood looking at
Asa. Directly behind him, against the wall, was a large,
old-fashioned wardrobe. Its dark, heavy, walnut doors threw the
lean, muscular figure of the Wolf out as though carved in
granite. He took a step toward the boy, and rolled up his
sleeves.
"Now, young man, I'll attend to you," he said.
Hope died in Asa's heart.