Rawlins had to tell the story all over again to Tom’s mother and Frank gave his version. Then all speculated on what the mystery surrounding the submarine and the raid on the garage might be.
“It’s rather too bad that Fred can’t tell us anything yet,” said Mrs. Pauling, “but I realize, in his position, secrecy must be maintained. However, after it’s all over I suppose we shall know—that is, if the newspapers don’t tell us first. They usually manage to find out such secrets somehow.”
“Well, I admit I can’t see head nor tail to it,” declared Rawlins. “Of course, as long as Mr. Pauling says those chaps are Russians and were talking Bolshevik I suppose they are and were; but I know that sub was a Hun boat—not one of the big, latest U-boats, but the kind that was over on our coast here once or twice. I’ve done a lot of work studying submarines and they can’t fool me. Now, of course there’s no reason why a Russian should not use a German sub if he could get hold of it, but what were they doing over here in the East River is what gets me. I don’t believe they were just rum-runners, even if Murphy and his crowd did find a lot of booze over there, and
what was that cigar-shaped sub-sea gadget they were pulling along with ’em?”
“Why, I think that’s all simple,” declared Tom. “They probably brought liquor in here with the submarine and carried it to the garage in that torpedolike thing.”
Rawlins shook his head. “No, old man,” he replied. “A sub would never do for a rum-runner. Why, every port in the West Indies is watched and the whole world would hear if a sub poked her nose into a harbor and tied up to a dock to load rum. It’s too bad we didn’t tackle those chaps out there before they got to the sub. We might have brought in that torpedo arrangement, too.”
“Gee, I’d forgotten all about that!” exclaimed Tom. “What became of it?”
“Why, didn’t I tell you?” replied Rawlins. “They shoved it into the submarine. I was watching ’em do that when they spotted me. If they’d had sense they’d have gone in after it and cleared out, but instead, they had to try rough-house stuff and got left. I expect they thought we’d seen too much and didn’t know I was armed. Then, when
their mates in the sub heard you yelling for help and heard Frank’s replies, they thought the game was up and pulled stakes without stopping for the two chaps below.”
“I wonder if they’ll get her—the destroyers, I mean,” said Frank.