“Do you suppose you could get some useful information by keeping him under observation awhile without letting him know he’s under arrest?” asked Evans.
“We might do that; anyway, we must be about it. Wait here till I see Fraser.”
Fraser and Elkins had returned to the flagship before Barton had come aboard, but the executive officer had not deemed it worth while telling the chief of staff about Evans’s conduct and subsequent confinement. Barton now explained to Fraser what had happened, still not intimating that Evans was in the habit of having secret conferences with him, but merely putting his actions on the ground of his sense of the importance of reporting what he had learned to Intelligence Headquarters, in the absence of Elkins. Evans was sent for, and explained to Fraser in detail what had happened in the radio room. It was then decided that Fraser should tell Long that he was wanted for certain important duties at Intelligence Headquarters, and should send him ashore with Barton.
Long was found in the radio room examining some of the newer apparatus, but apparently not meddling with it at the moment. He was told that his services had been requested by the Intelligence Bureau, and that the chief of staff desired him to get his personal effects and go ashore at once with Commander Barton who was waiting for him. At Headquarters he was given supper, and then shown to his quarters. He was to sleep in a room with another warrant officer, and in the morning his new duties would be explained to him. He turned in early, and through the night sentries from concealed positions kept watch on the door and window of his room.
In the mean time on board the flagship, Evans hastened to the radio room to ascertain, if possible, what mischief Long had been up to. He questioned the operators who had been on watch, avoiding any implication that he suspected mischief, merely putting his questions as if interested only in the amount of progress made. In this way he was able to get a preliminary idea as to which pieces of apparatus he had best examine for evidence of tampering. He also contrived, without arousing their curiosity, to question the operators further as to Long’s activities. Had he tested any of the transmitters? Yes, he had sent signals with considerable power for nearly half an hour. Had he called any station in doing so? Apparently not; he seemed to be just testing the gear and sending blank signals. Anyway, he had not made use of any of the codes; all the code books had been locked up all the time. This latter news, at least, was good; but what were the blank signals that Long had sent? This was now the main question, and Evans saw no way to answer it.
Before Barton went ashore with his unwitting prisoner, he and Evans had agreed that no time should be lost in warning Mortimer of Rich’s probable complicity in the plot.
“Use your special method of reaching the Secretary,” Barton had said. “We have no means as prompt and as free from the danger of leakage as that.”
So now, before waiting to make a thorough search for damage to the extensive array of apparatus in the room, Evans merely assured himself that a certain transmitter was in working order, and sat down to make one of his periodical “tests of its efficiency.” It will be recalled that two civilian experts in the Bureau of Engineering, Tompkins and Rand by name, were the men whom Evans had charged Mortimer to keep ever on the job to apprise him of such messages as Evans might send. On this particular evening in Washington, Tompkins had the duty. At a late hour that night, the following message came into his hands:
We have evidence suggesting that the man I warned you against last spring is involved in treason. Watch him closely. E.
Tompkins telephoned at once to Mortimer’s house to ask if he could see him, but was told that the Secretary had gone to bed very tired. He decided to wait till morning. The next day he went early to the Secretary’s office, but was told that Mortimer had not yet arrived. He therefore returned to his own office in the Bureau of Engineering to attend to some business. As soon as he felt sure the Secretary would be in his office, he set out again to deliver his message.