The Radio Detectives

by A. Hyatt Verrill

But despite all this he was sorely puzzled and cudgeled his brain to find a reasonable explanation for many things which seemed inexplicable. If, as it seemed, the garage had been a hiding place for smuggled liquor, what connection

did it have with the submarine and the divers Rawlins had captured? Had the contraband been brought there in the under-seas boat, and if so how? He knew, as Rawlins had already pointed out, that a submarine could not go in and out of any port—in the West Indies or elsewhere—without attracting immediate attention, for there were not many of the craft knocking about and even if the natives of the islands had kept the secret some of the government’s agents who were scattered through the West Indies would either have seen or heard of the craft. Mr. Pauling, for example, had personally been to Cuba and Nassau and while he had seen schooners leave with cargoes only to return empty without being reported from any American port, still he had found or heard nothing which would indicate a submarine unless, yes, that might be possible—the schooners might have transferred their cargoes to the under-sea boat in mid-ocean or at some uninhabited island.

But even in that case, the native sailors, the mulattoes and negroes, surely would have talked about it. To them, a submarine would have been far too remarkable and interesting a thing not to have

told their wondering cronies and families about it. And where, assuming this was so, had the bootleggers secured the vessel?

Rawlins had assured him the submarine was a German U-boat of a recent type, such as had been off the United States coast during the latter days of the war, but she could not be one of these, for the Navy, he knew, had accounted for them all. Had the Germans taken to rum-running? Had they secretly retained one or more submarines, and, knowing the enormous profits to be made, put them to use carrying cargoes of liquor from the West Indies to the United States? Of course this was possible, but somehow Mr. Henderson, who was famed in the Service for his “hunches,” which nine-tenths of the time proved right, had a feeling that there was something deeper, some mystery behind it, and he had high hopes of fathoming this or at least of throwing some light upon it by an interview with the unharmed prisoner.

That he would obtain a confession or even much information from the fellow, he very much doubted, for he knew the man of old—knew him for a sullen, arrogant and thoroughly desperate man

and one who could and did keep his mouth shut under the most severe grilling. Mr. Henderson deeply regretted that the other prisoner had been injured by inhaling the flames in his helmet, for with two men, each thinking the other had betrayed him, there would be a good chance of getting at the bottom of things, but it was almost hopeless now. The surgeons had stated that the man was doomed, that he could not possibly survive his terrible burns and that it was doubtful if he ever regained consciousness. Mr. Pauling was to be summoned when the wounded man came to his senses, if he ever did, and in the meantime the other prisoner was to be brought before Mr. Henderson by two of his own men whom he had despatched for the purpose, for, while he and Mr. Pauling coöperated with the police in many ways, they had no desire to let the police learn of many matters that were taking place or hear statements or confessions which they might repeat.

As soon as Mr. Henderson reached his office, where the erstwhile janitor was on guard, he hurried the latter off and then, taking some documents from a safe and lighting his pipe, he proceeded

to study the papers with minute attention. He was interrupted in this by the return of the messenger who was accompanied by a small, wiry, dark-haired man whom Mr. Henderson addressed as “Ivan” and who seated himself in a proffered chair and proceeded to make himself quite at home with an immense black cigar.

“It’s Smernoff!” announced Mr. Henderson presently. “Got him to-day under very remarkable circumstances—no matter what. Recognized him at once although he’s shaved off his beard. Examined his mouth and chest to make sure. I expect him here in a few moments. Do you happen to know if he ever served in the German army?”