father. “Of course I’m tired, but I don’t mind talking. In fact I’d like to.”
So, for some time, Tom narrated his adventures, beginning with the descent to test the set at a distance and ending with the crash that sounded in his ears as he was about to emerge from the water and leaving out no detail of his sensations, thoughts or fears.
“I think it’s all quite clear,” declared Mr. Pauling when he had finished. “I’m sorry I cannot divulge everything to you now or explain all the mysteries which surround the astounding discovery that you boys and Mr. Rawlins have made. But later I can and will, as I know you must be dying of curiosity. And I can assure you of one thing: Uncle Sam will be under a great obligation to you and your radio.”
“But you said you’d tell us who the man was whom we captured and what they were doing in the garage,” Tom reminded him.
“Yes, I can do that,” replied his father, “but you two boys must learn to keep secrets and not repeat anything I tell you. The man you and Rawlins brought in—the one who was not hurt I
mean—is a Russian, a rabid ‘red,’ and Henderson recognized him and later identified him beyond question by a peculiar tooth and the scar on his chest. At one time he was convicted of a serious crime against our government, but escaped mysteriously from prison. I doubt very much if we get much information from him, as he knows he must serve out his term—with a bit added to it—and he is a close-mouthed rascal. We hope more from his companion, if he recovers consciousness and can talk. If he knows he is dying he may confess at the last minute. As far as the garage is concerned, as you know, we put two and two together and decided the blind sewer had some secret opening in the block where you boys located the mysterious sending set. The fact that both those messages and the conversations you heard under water included the names of flowers convinced us that they emanated from the same source and as Rawlins assured us the conversation in what he called Dutch, but which was probably Russian, came from the men under water, it confirmed our suspicions that the man you boys located was talking to men under water or on the submarine
and that somewhere in the block we would find the key to the mystery and more. From what Murphy says, and the appearance of things, we succeeded beyond our expectations. I was afraid that the rascals might have overheard you and Rawlins or that the submarine, which evidently knew that they were discovered, might have warned them. If so, we moved too quickly for them.”
“But are they bootleggers?” asked Frank.
“No doubt,” replied Mr. Pauling, “and many other worse things. When Murphy and Rawlins arrive we’ll probably know more and if the wounded man confesses we’ll solve many mysteries which remain to be unraveled.”
“Well, I’m mighty glad the old under-sea radio worked,” declared Tom, “but I wouldn’t go through that experience again, not for—no, not for Uncle Sam himself.”