“I’m a bit sorry for that, my lad!” exclaimed the lieutenant, “but, after all, we feel that in this terrible crisis we can count on the sympathy of all Americans who are not of German descent, for we are fighting the battles of civilization and true democracy. Pardon me for saying it, but you know it looks somewhat strange to run across a couple of American boys over here in the war zone just now.”
That was a gentle hint for them to give some sort of explanation, and this Jack was quite ready to do.
“We realize that, sir, and can easily explain why it happens. We are looking for the brother of my chum and cousin here, whose father earnestly desires to see him once more before he passes away. There is a sad story back of it, which it is not necessary for me to mention.”
“Certainly not,” asserted the officer, heartily; “and I am sure the Vice-Admiral will not press you on that score, for he is exceedingly kind. You have reason to think the young man may be somewhere in this vicinity?”
“We have every reason to believe it, sir. When we were in London Lord Kitchener, who is a great friend of my chum’s father, Colonel Turner, U. S. A., gave us a paper that has been of considerable use to us. It helped us search through that part of Belgium held by the Allied armies, and also in Northern France. We learned that Frank Turner was serving your cause as an aviator, and after just missing him with General French’s army we discovered that he had been sent out here to assist in opening the Dardanelles.”
“My word! but I admire your grit in following after him through all the ruck; but then it is just what might be expected of American boys. I have a lady cousin in New York who never tires of sounding the praises of your Boy Scouts, and the wonderful things they do. And a line from Kitchener of Khartoum would serve as an ‘Open Sesame’ even aboard a British battleship, I imagine. But please make ready to accompany me so you may meet the Vice-Admiral.”
“We will be only too glad to do so, sir,” replied Jack. “Of course you expect to take charge of this gun-runner, for the hold is filled with all sorts of explosives?”
“A splendid haul!” declared the other. “Its loss will be felt by the Turks, who are short on ammunition. You deserve many thanks for what you have done toward assisting the cause.”
“But we might not have considered it our duty to capture the blockade-runner,” Jack frankly told him, “only that we had good reason to believe they were plotting to do us bodily harm, or at least abandon us on some lonely island where we might have heaps of trouble getting away.”
“You may say that, my lad,” observed the lieutenant pleasantly, “but nevertheless I am certain that deep down in your hearts you are hand in glove with our cause. In good time I expect America will speak her mind, and the Kaiser will discover that ‘hands across the sea’ stand for no idle words. It will be the whole world against militarism, and not the German people, whom we admire.”