The Radio Boys on Secret Service Duty
Page 18
CHAPTER XVIII
CLOSING IN
"Dad, we have got to see this thing through," declared Bob, turningtoward Mr. Temple and voicing the desires of himself and his chums."Surely, you won't put us aboard the Bear and return to San Francisconow!"
Mr. Temple smiled.
"Boys, I sympathize with you," he said. "But you will have to look atthis matter reasonably. We have been drawn into this plot by force ofcircumstances, and so far have been unable to keep out of it. But wecame to the coast for a week's business trip on my part, with you boysaccompanying me to see the sights. I have got to return to SanFrancisco. Business demands my presence. And things have turned outprovidentially to enable me to do so."
"But, Uncle George----"
It was Frank who spoke. Mr. Temple shook his head.
"No, Frank," he said. "I'm sorry for your sakes. I know how all thisadventuring must appeal to you young fellows. But do be reasonable. Itisn't our business to run these crooks to ground. And besides, you havehad plenty of adventure out of the situation already. I know I have hadenough to last me a lifetime. When you get to be my age----"
Bob grinned as he regarded his father's sturdy figure, and disreputableappearance, unshaven, clad only in a shirt, trousers and stockings.
"Age?" he interrupted. "Why, Dad, you look fit to tackle any pirate. Andyou needn't tell me you haven't enjoyed yourself pretty thoroughly."
Mr. Temple sighed.
"Oh, to be a boy again," he said. "You young rascals can't realize how Ihave worried over you this summer, not only in this situation but downon the Mexican border, too. Well, that will do. It's impossible for usto continue, if for no other reason than that there is no room for usaboard, and so, Frank, you radio Inspector Burton to get us some clothesand cabins aboard the Bear."
Ensign Warwick who had stood a silent witness to the scene, butsympathizing with the boys, interrupted to confirm Mr. Temple'sstatement about lack of room aboard the Sub Chaser.
"It's true we have no room for passengers," he said. "You saw our tinycabin under the bridge. There are bunks for only captain and mate.Forward we have bunks for a crew of ten and a smaller cabin with fourbunks for the engine-room crew. The latter also have two bunks in theengine room that can be used in emergency. And that is our total ofhousing space. You see, this boat, one hundred and ten feet long andwith a maximum speed of twenty-four knots an hour, is built for speedand not for passenger traffic. I am not carrying a mate, and InspectorBurton will bunk in the latter's place. So you see, there is no room foryou, at all."
"Have you a full crew?" asked Jack, unexpectedly. "I've seen only a halfdozen men?"
"What you see," answered Ensign Warwick, "is the deck watch. We carry acrew of twenty-two, divided into three watches."
"Oh, where do they all sleep?"
"Some of them swing hammocks."
"Well, couldn't we swing hammocks, too?"
"Why, yes, I suppose you could," answered Ensign Warwick. "Of course, Icould not take you if I were on regular duty. But as I have been put atthe command of Inspector Burton of the Secret Service, I could manage toaccommodate you after a fashion if he agreed."
"Come, come," interrupted Mr. Temple. "This is nonsense. Frank, go andcall Inspector Burton."
Frank retired to the tiny radio room, accompanied by Jack while Bobleaned moodily on the rail and his father fell into conversation withEnsign Warwick. Doctor Marley stood unobtrusively aside.
Presently Frank and Jack approached Bob with eager faces. The navalofficer had disappeared with Mr. Temple.
"Where's your father?" asked Jack.
"I don't know. Gone to get some shoes, I believe."
"Listen."
Then all three put their heads together, while Frank and Jack whisperedto Bob tidings which quickly erased the gloom from his countenance.
"I'll go and call Dad," said Bob, finally.
At that moment Mr. Temple reappeared, shod in white canvas deck shoes.
"Uncle George, I've just been talking with Inspector Burton," saidFrank. "The Bear has a full passenger list. Summer travel is heavy, itseems. Inspector Burton suggests that we stay aboard the Sub Chaser, ashe is going to return to Santa Barbara. He will put us ashore there, hesays, and we can catch the night train to San Francisco and be theretomorrow morning, ahead of the Bear."
"Very good," approved Mr. Temple. "That will give us time to buy clothesin Santa Barbara, too. Also, you boys can stay aboard this boat a bitlonger, and I know that appeals to you."
The boys looked meaningly at each other. Then Frank laughed:
"That isn't all," he said. "The Inspector was delighted when he heardour story, and----"
"You told him everything?" queried Mr. Temple.
"Oh, no, I did not have time enough for that. But I did tell of ourescape from the trawler. And he said the presence of the trawler herefitted into something he had in mind, which he would tell us about whenhe came aboard."
"I think," said Jack, "that he meant he had a clue to the smugglers'cove, and that it was somewhere along this coast."
Mr. Temple laughed.
"Oh, you boys," he said. "You can't give up hope of being in at thedeath, of having a hand in the round-up of the smugglers, can you?"
Doctor Marley venturing a timid question as to how he was to return toSan Francisco, Mr. Temple entered into conversation with him. EnsignWarwick went to attend to his duties. The boys drew aside, and, leaningon the rail, stared into the thinning fog ahead and discussed theirchances of seeing further action.
All were agreed that the veiled hint dropped by Inspector Burtonindicated he had obtained a clue that the smugglers were somewhere alongthe adjacent coast. They speculated upon whether Inventor Bender's sounddetector had provided the clue, or whether there had been sufficienttime for the detector to be brought into play.
"You see," Jack pointed out, "the inventor planned to use sounddetectors at several places pretty widely scattered, and it would takehim some time to set them up."
"That's true," said Frank, "but the device required no time at all tohook up. The time needed would be for making the trip from San Franciscoto the other stations. Say----"
His face lighted up.
"What?" asked Bob.
"Why, didn't Inspector Burton, when we saw him last in San Francisco,say one of the government radio stations which he planned to utilize inemploying the sound detector was in the mountains behind Santa Barbara?"
"I don't remember that," said Bob, and Jack also shook his head.
"Well, that's what he said," declared Frank. "I'm certain of it."
"In that case," said Jack, "perhaps through the use of sound detectorsat San Francisco and in this mountain station, they were able to locatethe smugglers' radio earlier than had been expected."
"Or, at any rate, they have obtained some clue which induced InspectorBurton to put back to Santa Barbara," said Frank. "You see, he said hehad boarded the Bear for a port farther up the coast, not San Franciscobut some small place near here at which the steamer touches, because hefigured he could get there more quickly than by auto--which would be theonly other way, as it is not on the railroad. Then he got a code messageby radio, calling him back, and he radioed this Sub Chaser to pick himup."
"Aren't we slowing down?" asked Bob.
The boys had been so interested in their discussions they had notnoticed a dark bulk looming across the waters in the thinning fog. Nowthe Sub Chaser slowed to a complete stop and lay, rocking gently in amild swell, while a small boat put off from it for the Bear.
Presently, the boat returned and Inspector Burton stepped aboard. Thebig steamer and the little Sub Chaser saluted each other with toots, andparted company. Soon the Bear disappeared.
After greeting Ensign Warwick and his unexpected guests, InspectorBurton asked that they head for Santa Barbara with all speed. Then heturned to the boys.
"Your inventor friend's device," said he, "has done wonders. And withwhat you have told me about your a
dventures in these very waters, I'vebeen able to put two and two together, and to arrive at the conclusionthat we are closing in on the smugglers' mysterious cove."