Quick as a flash O’Hara crawled around the safe and reaching in the open door took out a package from the lower shelf. Instantly he was back, and then the Japanese returned. He closed the door of the safe and leisurely turned and secured the lock. Then quietly as ever he slipped up the secret entrance.
When he was positive the man had gone, O’Hara sat for a moment almost stunned by the hope that Mary Louise and Danny had come again to save him. Then he lit his lamp and flashed it upon the package in his hand. It was just such a package as he had hoped to attain. Sheet after sheet of documents relating to the Mexican lands and oil wells, one or two translated into code. With great care he placed them, equally divided, in the two inside pockets of his coat. Then again he settled down to wait and to plan his escape. For now O’Hara realized clearly that even if he were arrested, he must hand these papers to the government he loved.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE RIDE AT NIGHT
The long, delightful days of summer stretched before the happy tourists in Mary Louise’s car. Every day seemed to beckon them on to further adventure, and each evening found them further along in their journey, weary and eager for rest, but expectant of the morrow. Often Mary Louise and Danny spoke in low tones to one another of the kindly man they were hastening to help. They had much to say in these days of happy, intimate companionship—much to tell each other of their hopes and aims, their likes and dislikes. They were very young and filled with the joy and wonder of mere living, and though often they were longing to know of O’Hara’s safety, still their spirits could not be dampened, and their happiness soared very high.
To Colonel Hathaway, the changing scenes and the changing personalities along the way were like a tonic.
The old gentleman was a born traveler and always took the rough places with the smooth, so that he made a splendid companion with whom to take the road. On this trip he was thoroughly enjoying the ecstasy with which Irene greeted every lovely scene they passed. Her cheeks were taking on a healthy flush that made the dear friends with her very glad, and day by day they all could see how she was gaining strength.
So on they went as day by day their car carried them across uplands and through valleys, now humming for miles through waving fields of grain, and again running through the lowlands near some river bed. One State after another they left behind as the days sped by, and always some new beauty lay before them.
Old Uncle Eben carefully forwarded all their mail, and each day Danny and Mary Louise watched eagerly for some word from O’Hara. But each day they were doomed to disappointment. The letters which came frequently from Josie, however, kept up their hopes mightily. Crocker, it seemed, had returned East disgustedly, but Josie was each day scouring the country in some new direction. One day when they had reached a spot not far from Albuquerque Mary Louise opened a letter from Josie, as she was rocking on the wide veranda of the hotel in the twilight.
Josie had scrawled on bright pink paper: