THE PLOTTER'S TRIUMPH.
The face of one of the first of the passengers to disembark from the train as it rolled into the depot was a familiar one to Jack. With a thrill of pleasure he darted through the crowd to clasp the hand of his old friend, Captain Simms.
"Here's a coincidence," he exclaimed. "I'm here to meet Billy Raynor. He must have come on the same train. But are you ill, sir? Is anything the matter?"
"Jack, my boy," said the captain, who was pale and drawn, "a terrible thing has happened. The code has been stolen."
"Stolen! By whom?"
"Undoubtedly by Judson and his gang. I thought I saw them on the train between Clayton and New York. I was on my way here with the completed code. I had it under my pillow in my berth on the sleeper. When I awakened it had gone."
"Didn't you have a hunt made for Judson when you reached New York?"
"Yes, but we had made two stops in the night. Undoubtedly, they got off at one of them. Unless that code is found I'm a ruined and a disgraced man."
At that moment Billy Raynor came hurrying up. But there was not much warmth in Jack's welcome to him. His mind was busy with other things.
"What's the matter?" said Billy in a low voice, for he too had noticed Captain Simms' dejection.
"Never mind now," whispered Jack, "I'll tell you later. If I may suggest it, sir," he said, addressing the captain, who appeared completely broken by the loss of the code, "hadn't we better get into a cab and drive to the Willard? You are not going to the department to-night?"
"No, I couldn't face them to-night," said the captain. "We'll do as you say."
"There may be a way of catching the rascals," said Jack as the taxicab bumped off.
The captain shook his head.
"The code is in the hands of the ambassador of the foreign power that wanted it as the price of a contract by this time," he said. "It is gone beyond recovery. I am disgraced."
On their arrival at the hotel, the captain retired at once to his room. The boys had dinner without much appetite for the meal and then set out for a stroll to talk things over.
"This is a terrible off-set to my good news," said Jack.
"Don't you think there's a chance of getting the code back?" asked Billy.
Jack shook his head.
"I think it is as Captain Simms said, the code is in the hands of that ambassador by this time."
"Jack Ready, by all that's good, and Billy too, shake!"
The cry came from up the street and a tall, good-looking lad of their own age came hurrying toward them. It was Ned Rivers, a youth who was interested in wireless and in that way had become acquainted with Jack and Billy on board the Tropic Queen while he was accompanying his father on a cruise on that ill-fated ship.
"Ned!" cried Jack.
"You're a sight for sore eyes," exclaimed Billy, and a general handshaking followed.
"What are you doing here, Ned?" asked Jack, after a few more words had been exchanged.
"Yes, I thought you lived in Nebraska," said Billy.
"So we did, but we've moved here. Father's in the Senate now. I thought you knew."
"Congratulations," said Jack. "I guess we'll have to call you Mr. Senator, Jr., now and tip our hats to you."
"Avast with that nonsense, as they don't say at sea," laughed Ned. "There's our house yonder," and he pointed to a handsome stone residence.
"Hullo, what's that I see on the roof?" asked Jack.
"That's my wireless outfit. Mother made an awful kick about having it there, but at last she gave in."
"So you're still a wireless boy?" said Billy.
"Yes, and I've got a dandy outfit too. Come on over. I want to introduce you to the folks."
"Thanks, we will some other time, but not to-night. We don't feel fit for company. You see quite a disaster has happened to a friend of ours," and under a pledge of secrecy from Ned, who he knew he could rely on, Jack told the lad part of the story of the theft of the code.
"By jove, that is a loss," said Ned sympathetically. "I've heard dad talking about the new code. It was a very important matter."
"We were going for a walk to discuss the whole question," said Billy.
"Can I join you?" asked Ned.
"Glad to have you," was the rejoinder. Talking and laughing merrily over old times on the Tropic Queen, the boys walked on, not noticing much where they were going till they found themselves on an ill-lighted street of rather shabby-looking dwellings.
"Hullo," said Ned, "I don't think much of this part of town. Let's get back to a main street."
"It's a regular slum," said Billy, and the three boys started to retrace their steps. But suddenly Jack stopped and jerked his companions into a doorway. Two figures had just come in sight round the corner. They were headed down the street on the opposite sidewalk.
"It's Judson and his son," whispered Jack. "What can they be doing here?"
"Hiding, most probably," returned Billy.
"Yes, they—hullo! Look, they're going into that alley-way."
The boys darted across the street. Looking down the alley-way, they saw the figures of Judson and his son, by the light of a sickly gas lamp, ascending the steps of a rickety-looking tenement house.
"Jove, this is worth knowing," exclaimed Jack. "If they are really hiding here we can get the police on their track. How lucky that we just let ourselves roam into this part of town."
"We ought to have them arrested at once," said Billy.
"Yes, that's a good idea. But they may have just sneaked through the hallway and out by a rear way. You fellows wait here till I go and see."
"Oh, Jack, you may get in trouble."
"Yes, we'll go with you," said Ned.
"No, you stay here," Jack insisted. "One of us won't be noticed. Three would. Besides, that house is full of other tenants. Nothing much could happen to me."
In spite of their further protests he walked rapidly, but cautiously, down the alley-way. Noiselessly he entered the hallway and walked to the door of a rear room, where he heard voices. But it was a laboring man and his wife quarreling over something. Jack heard a door open on an upper floor. Then came a voice that thrilled him. It was Jarrow's.
"Hullo, Judson, back again? Well, how did things go?"
Then Jack heard the door closed and locked.
"So, they are really here," he muttered. "What a piece of luck. But the question is, have they got the code? If it is out of their hands it will be well nigh impossible to recover it, for it is a serious matter to charge an ambassador with wrong-doing."
Jack began to ascend the rickety stairs with great caution. They creaked dismally under his tread. At a door on the second floor he caught the sound of Judson's voice. With a beating heart he crept as close as he dared and listened.
"The plans have all been changed," he heard Judson saying. "We are to take the code to Crotona (the capital of the power represented by the ambassador) ourselves. There's a steamer that leaves Baltimore for Naples to-morrow. We are to take that and proceed from Naples to our destination."
"What a bother," came in Donald's voice. "I don't see why the ambassador didn't take them."
"He said it was too dangerous. He was being watched by the Secret Service men."
"Well, it's just as dangerous for us, if it comes to that," grumbled Jarrow.
"I've got another piece of news for you," said Judson. "As I was passing the Willard to-night I saw Simms, and who do you think was with him?"
"I don't know, I'm sure."
"Those two brats who made trouble for us at Alexandria Bay. It was a good thing I was disguised, for I passed close to them before I recognized them."
"Confound it all," burst out Jarrow, "do you think they know we are here?"
"Not a ghost of a chance of it," said Judson confidently; "anyhow, we've picked a hiding place where no one would ever dream of looking for us."
"That's so. I'll be glad when we get out of the horrid hole," grumbled Donald.
A footstep sounded behind Jack on the creaking boards. It startled him. He had not heard a door open. But now he was confronted by a portly Italian. The man grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Whadda you do-a here?" demanded the man, "me thinka you one-a da sneak-a da tief."
"Let me go," demanded Jack, striving to wrench himself free.
"I no leta you go justa yet. I tinka you here steala da tings," cried the man in a loud voice.
The talk inside Judson's room broke off suddenly.
"Hullo, what's up outside?" exclaimed Donald. "Somebody's collared a thief. Let's see what it's all about."
He flung the door open and the lamplight streamed out full on Jack's face.
Donald fell back a pace with astonishment.
"Great Scott! It's Jack Ready," he exclaimed. "What in the world are you doing here?"
"You knowa desa boy?" asked the Italian, still holding Jack fast.
"Yes, I do. He's no good," replied Donald.
"Dena I throwa him out or calla da police."
"Yes—no, for goodness' sake, not the police," exclaimed Donald. "Dad, Jarrow, here's that Ready kid spying on us. He was caught in the hall by that Italian next door, who thought he was a sneak thief."
"Ha! Ready, you are the most unlucky lad I know," cried Judson, coming to the door, "we've got you just where we want you this time. There are no chimneys here. Bring him inside."
"Not much! Help!" Jack began to shout, but Jarrow clapped a hand over his mouth.
"Help us run him in here," he ordered the Italian, "I'll pay you for it."
"Whatsa da mat'?" asked the Italian suspiciously. "He no lika you."
"No wonder. He robbed us once. I guess he was here to do it again. We want to settle accounts with him."
"Oh-ho, datsa eet ees it?" said the Italian. "All righta, I no make da troub'."
He gave Jack a forward shove into the room of the wireless boy's enemies.