CHAPTER XXI The Arrival in Paris
"Ahem! Ah—." The captain of police cleared his throat twice and turned to the four young men apologetically.
"I have just received a telegram from Paris," he said, referring to a sheet of paper he held in his hand. "I guess your mission is as important as you stated. I am sorry you were delayed, but you will realize that it was not done intentionally. You were in the boat, you know, that those fugitives were known to have been using."
"Oh, we won't quarrel over the mistake," Jack assured him quickly. "What we are principally interested in now is getting to the Peace Conference. You can make up for the delay by expediting that, perhaps."
"We already have arranged for that," the police official replied. "If you will accompany me I will show you an aeroplane which is entirely at your disposal for the balance of your journey."
"Ah!" Jack exclaimed, pleasure lighting his face.
"Great!" Andy supplemented quickly.
In ten minutes they were climbing into a biplane, of course of nothing approaching the speed and power of that in which they had made the Transatlantic flight, but nevertheless of sufficient capacity to carry them direct to Versailles.
Three hours later, five of them being crowded upon the relatively small plane—the extra man being an Englishman, acting as pilot—they flew out across the English Channel and toward the shores of France. Before night they were over French soil and coming nearer every minute to the little city of their objective.