The Radio Detectives Part 14

"Everything's all right," answered Tom. "We're coming back. Be there soon!"

Hardly a minute later, Tom saw the familiar piers near their own dock.

He had thought they had wandered far, but they had not been two hundred yards distant at any time. A moment later, they reached the foot of the ladder.

Telling Tom to go up, Rawlins half lifted the unconscious man and with a gruff warning to his fellow started to mount the rungs. Evidently the words were heard by the anxious, waiting boys above, for Tom heard Frank's shout of joy and he called back as he drew himself towards the open trap.

But before his head emerged from the water, a crash like thunder sounded in his ears, there was a sound of tramping, hurrying footsteps, shouts and cries and Tom's brain reeled. What was happening? Had the men's confederates learned of their capture? Were their fellows breaking into the laboratory to rescue them? Were the ruffians wreaking vengeance on Frank and Henry?

CHAPTER X

RADIO WINS

As the confused sounds, the crash, the tramp of rushing feet, the excited men's voices and Frank's high-pitched tones came dimly to Tom's ears, a deadly sickening fear swept over him. Had they escaped the men from the submarine only to fall into the clutches of their confederates?

He had been under a tremendous strain, he had been terribly frightened, his heart had been almost bursting with excitement and he had been under water for much longer than ever before. The combination was too much for him. His head swam, he reeled, swayed; fiery sparks and flashes seemed to dance before his eyes; he felt a numbness stealing over him. Wildly he clutched at the ladder in a last despairing effort and seemed sinking, slowly, softly into a vast billowy void.

He opened his eyes and uttered a surprised cry. He was lying on the floor of the laboratory and his father, anxious-eyed, was bending over him while close at hand were Frank, Henry and Rawlins. Beyond and as a confused ma.s.s Tom's eyes saw blue-clad figures and with a start he rose to a sitting posture.

"Gosh!" he exclaimed, staring about and for the moment not comprehending. "What's the matter, Dad? What's happened?"

"Are you all right, Tom?" asked Mr. Pauling. "We got you just in time.

You fainted just as you reached the ladder top. Don't you remember?"

Tom's senses had now fully returned.

"Yes, Dad," he replied. "I do now. Did Mr. Rawlins tell you about it?

Gee! We _did_ have a time! Are those men here?"

"Safe and sound, Tom!" Mr. Henderson's voice a.s.sured him. "That is, one of 'em is. The other's in bad shape."

"Yes, Rawlins told us something of what happened," put in his father as Tom rose unsteadily to his feet. "Look out, Son! You're weak yet. Sit down or you'll go off again."

Leaning on his father's arm, Tom staggered to the proffered chair and dropped weakly into it. Then he gazed about the room and at the crowd of men within it.

His father and Mr. Henderson, Rawlins, Frank and Henry were there.

Near-by, was a strange, heavy-jawed man and beyond, near the door, were half a dozen policemen. But where were the two divers they had captured under the river? Then Tom saw that a heavily built, tow-headed man stood between two of the blue coats, his hands manacled and a sullen glare in his piglike eyes while, half hidden beyond two stooping men, was a form stretched upon the floor. But before he could form a question his father was giving quick sharp orders to the men.

"Get the Navy Yard!" he commanded, and as the heavy-jawed man jumped to the telephone, he snapped out: "Tell the commandant that Pauling's speaking." Then, before the operator had even asked the number, Mr.

Pauling was uttering commands to the police. "Leave a couple of men here to guard the prisoners and get over to that block quick as you can. Get all available men you can pick up. Draw a cordon around it and don't let any one in or out. Take my car! It's up to you fellows to nab this bunch-if they haven't got wise. On the jump now, Reilly! Take every one and everything that seems suspicious! Get me?"

Even before his last word rang out the policemen were hurrying towards the street, and an instant later, Tom heard the roar of their motor and the clang of their bell as the patrol dashed off.

"Navy Yard on the wire!" announced the man at the phone and Mr. Pauling grabbed the receiver.

"This is Pauling!" he announced shortly. "That you, Admiral? All right!

Got important matter."

Then, to Tom's amazement, his father broke into the most utter gibberish, calling out a confused but rapid list of figures and words.

"That's done!" he exclaimed, as he slammed back the receiver and turned towards Tom. "There'll be a dozen destroyers and chasers combing the sea for that sub within fifteen minutes." Then, with a different note in his voice, he asked, "Do you feel all right, Son?"

As Tom answered, his father turned towards the men bending above the figure on the floor. "Come here when you have a chance, Doctor," he called. "Want you to have a look at my boy."

At his words, one of the men rose and hurried to Tom's side.

"Had a close call, my boy!" he exclaimed, as he took Tom's wrist and drew out his watch. "Good thing Rawlins fixed up these suits so you couldn't inhale flames. Different case with that chap yonder. He's in bad shape. Trying to fix him up to get him to hospital. Afraid there's no hope for him though! Oh, you're O. K. Fit as a fiddle! Pulse fine!

Nothing wrong with him, Pauling. Just a bit of nerves, I expect, and strain of being down too long."

Hurrying from Tom's side he again devoted himself to the injured man.

Things were moving so rapidly that Tom was dazed and was striving his best to gather his wits together and to understand all that was taking place. Mr. Henderson and Rawlins were talking earnestly in low tones, but Tom could not hear a word they said and was busy replying to his father's, Henry's and Frank's questions and plying them with queries in turn.

Presently Rawlins and Mr. Henderson rose and as the former came to Tom's side the other strode across the room and, facing the prisoner, stared fixedly into his face.

"I guess you're all right, Tom," said Rawlins, the tone of his voice betraying far more solicitude than was conveyed by his words. "You're some kid, I'll tell the world! You'll be famous if you don't watch out.

Say, old man, I'm mighty sorry I kept you down so long. Never thought about you not being accustomed to it. I was so darned interested in that sub and those men I forgot about the danger to you, Tom. And say, Mr.

Henderson thinks we've made some haul! I've been telling him the whole yarn-the Dutch talk and all the rest. Henderson thinks he recognizes that Hun we brought up and sees a big plot behind all this. Too bad the other fellow got flames and can't talk. Your radio's all to the mustard, I'll say!"

At this moment Mr. Henderson's voice interrupted them. As he had stared searchingly but silently at the prisoner the latter's shifty eyes had fallen and he shuffled his feet uneasily. Then, without warning and so suddenly Tom and the others jumped, Henderson snapped out:

"Open your mouth!"

So unexpected was the command that the prisoner, long trained to instant and implicit obedience to orders, involuntarily threw back his head opened his enormous mouth.

"Thought so!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mr. Henderson and then, even before the surprised man's jaws closed, he yanked aside the fellow's denim shirt exposing the hairy freckled chest with a livid white scar diagonally across it.

"That's enough!" snapped out Mr. Henderson. Then, addressing Tom's father he remarked, "It's he, Pauling. No question of it. Good day's work this-thanks to Rawlins' suits and Tom's under-sea radio."

"Wha-what's it all about?" demanded Tom, absolutely at a loss to grasp the meaning of all the orders, the strange telephone message and Mr.

Henderson's statements. "Who _are_ the men and _what_ were they doing?"

"Never mind now," replied his father. "We'll get home first. Feel ready to go?"

"Oh, I'm all right now," declared Tom. "Only a bit tired out."

"Call for a couple of plain-clothes men to stay here," Mr. Pauling ordered, turning towards the heavy-jawed man. "Don't want any one meddling with the instruments. Keep that trap shut and bolted and don't sleep on the job."

Then, to the surgeons, "Soon as he comes to and can talk, call me up. If he says anything, write it down. Don't let any one-any one, mind you-speak with him."

The surgeon nodded in a.s.sent and as the other man again went to the telephone Mr. Pauling and Rawlins half lifted Tom, and, accompanied by Frank, Henry and Mr. Henderson, the party left the workshop. Already the two policemen had left with their prisoner and were pressing through a curious crowd which had gathered outside and which was held in check by more stalwart, blue-coated men.

"Gosh! you've got the whole of the New York police here!" exclaimed Tom.

"Not quite that," laughed his father, "but Henderson surely did call enough of them. Guess they thought we were going to raid a liner."