THE "SUITABLE REWARD."
The arrival of the _Columbia_ at her dock the next day was in the nature
of an ovation. A band played "Hail Columbia," and a dense crowd blocked
the docks and adjacent points of vantage to view the great liner which
had taken the blue ribbon of the seas from England's crack ship. News of
the dramatic rescue of the crew of the _Oriana_, wirelessed at the time
of the occurrence to the newspapers, had inflamed public interest in the
big ship too, and her subsequent doings had been eagerly followed in the
dailies.
"Great to be home again, isn't it, old fellow?" asked Raynor, coming up
to Jack as a dozen puffing tugs nosed the towering _Columbia_ into her
dock.
"It is, indeed," said Jack, looking over the rail. "I'm going to----"
He broke off suddenly and began waving frantically to two persons in the
crowd. One was an old man, rather bent, but hale and hearty and
sunburned. Beside him was a pretty girl. It was Helen Dennis and her
father, Captain Dennis, who had been rescued from a sinking sailing ship
during Jack's first voyage, as told in the "Ocean Wireless Boys on the
Atlantic." Captain Dennis, since the disaster, had been unable to get
another ship to command and had been forced to accept a position as
watchman on one of the docks, but Jack had been working all he knew how
to get the captain another craft, so far, however, without success.
"There's one reason why you're glad to be home," said Raynor slyly,
waving to Helen. "You're a lucky fellow."
The gang-plank was down, but before any passengers were allowed ashore,
way was made for four stalwart, clean-shaven men who hurried on board.
"Wonder who those fellows are?" said Raynor; "must be some sort of
big-wigs."
"Yes, they certainly got the right of way," responded Jack without much
interest.
Thurman joined them.
"I hear that the Secret Service men are on board," he said. "Must be
looking for someone."
"I suppose so," said Jack. "They usually are."
Somebody tapped Jack on the shoulder. It was one of the men who had
boarded the ship. An evil leer passed over Thurman's face as he saw
this.
"Are you Jack Ready?" asked the man.
"That's my name," replied Jack.
The man threw back his coat, displaying a gold badge. His three
companions stood beside him.
"I want you to come to Washington with us at once," said the man. "I am
operative Thomas of the United States Secret Service."
"Why what's the matter? What's he done?" demanded Raynor.
"That's for the Navy Department to decide," said the man sternly.
Thurman had slipped away after the man had displayed his badge. His
envious mind was now sure of its revenge. He, too, meant to get the
first train to Washington.
"Don't worry, old fellow," said Jack. "Just slip ashore and make my
excuses to Helen and her father, will you, and then meet me in
Washington at the Willard. I think I shall have some news that will
surprise you."
Greatly mystified, Raynor obeyed, while Jack and the four men, two on
each side of him, left the ship. Thurman followed them closely. His
flabby face wore a look of satisfaction.
"Two birds with one stone," he muttered to himself. "I've got even with
Jack Ready and I get a reward for doing it. Slick work."
The trip to Washington was uneventful. On their arrival there Jack and
the Secret Service men went straight to the Navy Department. They passed
through a room filled with waiting persons having business there, and
were at once admitted to the office of the Secretary of the Navy, a
dignified looking man with gray hair and mustache, who sat ensconced
behind a large desk littered with papers and documents.
There were several other gentlemen in the room. Some of them were in
naval uniforms and all had an official appearance that was rather
overawing.
"So, this is our young man," said the Secretary, as Jack removed his
hat. "Sit down, Mr. Ready, these gentlemen and myself wish to talk to
you."
Then, for an hour or more, Jack described the Universal Detector and
answered scores of questions. After the first few minutes his sense of
embarrassment wore off and he talked easily and naturally. When he had
finished, and everybody's curiosity was satisfied, the Secretary turned
to him.
"And you are prepared to turn this instrument over to the United States
navy?"
"That was the main object I had in designing it," said Jack, "but I am
at a loss to know how you discovered that I was on board the
_Columbia_."
"That will soon be explained," said the Secretary, with a smile that was
rather enigmatic. "You recollect having a little fun with our navy
operators?"
Jack colored and stammered something while everybody in the room smiled.
"Don't worry about that," laughed the Secretary. "It just upset the
dignity of some of our navy operators. Well, following that somebody
offered, for a consideration, to tell us who it was that had discovered
the secret of a Universal Detector. It turned out, as I had expected
from our previous correspondence, that it was you. But not till two
nights ago, when our informant again wirelessed, did we know that you
were at sea."
"But--but, sir," stuttered Jack, greatly mystified, "who did this?"
The Secretary pressed a button on his desk. A uniformed orderly
instantly answered.
"Tell Mr. Thurman to come in," said the Secretary.
There was a brief silence, then the door opened and Thurman, with an
expectant look and an assured manner, stepped into the room.
"Mr. Thurman?" asked the Secretary.
"Yes, sir," said Thurman in a loud, confident voice, "I thought I'd
hurry over here as soon as the ship docked and talk to you about my work
in discovering for you the fellow who invented the Universal Detector.
I----"
He suddenly caught sight of Jack and turned a sickly yellow. Jack looked
steadily at the fellow who, he had guessed for some time, had been
evilly interested in the detector.
"Well, go on, Mr. Thurman," said the Secretary, encouragingly, but with
a peculiar look at the corners of his mouth.
Thurman shuffled miserably.
"I'd prefer not to talk with--with him in the room," he said, nodding
his head sideways at Jack.
"Why not? Mr. Ready has just sold his invention to the United States
government."
"Sold it, sir----" began Jack, flushing, "why I----"
The Secretary held up a hand to enjoin silence. Then he turned to the
thoroughly uncomfortable Thurman.
"We feel, Mr. Thurman," he said, "that you really tried to do us a great
service."
Thurman recovered some of his self-assurance. Could he have had the
skill to read the faces about him, though, he must have known that a
bomb was about to burst.
"Thank you, sir," he said, "I did what I could, what I thought was my
duty. And now, sir, about that reward."
"'Suitable reward,' was what was said, I think, Mr. Thurman," said the
Secretary.
"Well, yes, sir, 'suitable reward,'" responded Thurman, his eyes
glistening with cupidity.
"Mr. Thurman," and the Secretary's voice was serious and impressive,
"these gentlemen and I have decided that the most suitable reward for a
young man as treacherous and mean as you have shown yourself to be,
would be to be kicked downstairs. Instead I shall indicate to you the
door and ask you to take your leave."
"But--but--I told you who the fellow was that had discovered the
detector. Why, I even made drawings of it for you."
"I don't doubt that," said the Secretary dryly. "There was only one weak
point in your whole scheme, Mr. Thurman, and that was that Mr. Ready
wrote us some time ago when he first began his experiments about his
work and asked some advice. At that time he informed us that if he
succeeded in producing a Universal Detector that it would be at the
service of this government. So you see that you were kind enough to
inform us of something we knew already. But for a time we were at a loss
to know whether it was not some other inventor working on similar lines
who had discovered such a detector. To find out definitely we
fine-combed the country."
"And--and I get no reward?" stuttered Thurman.
"Except the one I mentioned and the possible lesson you may have learned
from your experience. Good-afternoon, Mr. Thurman."
Thurman was so thunderstruck by the collapse of his hopes of reaping a
fortune by his treachery that he appeared for a moment to be deprived of
the power of locomotion. The Secretary nodded to the orderly, who came
forward and took the wretched youth, for whom Jack could not help
feeling sorry, by the arm and led him to the door. This was the last
that was seen of Thurman for a long time, but Jack was destined to meet
him again, thousands of miles away and under strange circumstances.
When Jack left the Navy Department he felt as if he was walking on air.
In his pocket was a check, intended as a sort of retaining fee by the
government, till tests should have established beyond a doubt the value
of his invention. His eyes were dancing and all he felt that he needed
was a friend to share his pleasure with. This need was supplied on his
return to the hotel, for there was a telegram from Billy Raynor, telling
Jack to meet him on an evening train. It wound up with these words:
"Helen Dennis and myself badly worried. Hope everything is all
right."
"All right," smiled Jack, "yes, all right, and then some."