Boy Allies Under the Sea; Or, The Vanishing Submarines

by Clair W. Hayes

  CHAPTER V.

  THE END OF BLOSBERG.

  Lord Hastings and Frank needed no urging. With a cry to the otheroccupants of the boat to remain there until they returned, Lord Hastingsleaped lightly ashore and dashed in pursuit of the fugitives. Jack andFrank were close at his heels.

  All had drawn their revolvers and a weapon swung in the right hand ofeach as he sped over the ground.

  Ahead the fugitives had redoubled their efforts. A quick backward glancehad showed them they were pursued and now they sped over the ground asfast as their legs would carry them.

  Frank gradually forged ahead of the others. At school the lad had alwaysbeen known as something of a sprinter and his training stood him in goodstead now.

  "Wait for us," panted Lord Hastings, but Frank paid no heed andcontinued to lengthen the distance between himself and his friends.

  The fugitives had now reached the first street off the waterfront andwere dashing along it madly, still more than a hundred yards ahead ofFrank, their nearest pursuer. Strangely enough, there was not anothersoul in sight at this minute, for they were still at the extreme edge ofthe city.

  But at this moment a man suddenly came out of a building ahead and stoodlooking at the running men curiously. Frank raised his voice.

  "Stop 'em!" he shouted.

  The man stepped directly in front of the fugitives and threw up a hand,signifying for them to halt. But the fugitives had no time to waste onhim. Frank saw Davis, who was slightly in advance of Blosberg, extendhis arm before him; and a moment later the man who would have stayed thefugitives' progress went sprawling in the street. In the language of thefootball field, Davis had "stiff-armed" him.

  Neither Davis nor his companion had slowed up for this maneuver, so thepursuers had gained nothing because of the stranger's attempt to aidthem.

  Davis and Blosberg now came to a cross street and turned the cornerwithout slackening their speed. Frank, still gaining steadily, dartedaround it a few seconds later, now less than seventy-five yards from hisquarry. Lord Hastings and Jack, running about evenly, were still fiftyyards behind Frank.

  The fugitives doubled around the next corner without diminishing theirspeed and Frank did likewise. The next corner saw the same maneuverenacted, and this time Frank brought up against trouble as he followedunwarily.

  As the lad turned the corner something struck him in the face and hewent tumbling to the ground in a heap. He felt as though he had collidedwith a wall. He was just picking himself up when Jack and Lord Hastingsdarted around the corner and almost stumbled over him.

  Jack would have stopped, but Frank shouted:

  "After them! Never mind me."

  Jack and Lord Hastings dashed on, and Frank pulled himself up and tookaccount of his injury. A stream of blood flowed from a cut just over hisleft eye, but Frank knew that he was not badly hurt.

  "One of them bumped me with his fist," the lad told himself. "I wonderwhich? Guess it must have been Davis. I don't believe a German could doas much damage with his hand."

  Quickly he staunched the flow of blood and then darted after Jack andLord Hastings, who at that moment were disappearing around anothercorner.

  In spite of the cut on his face, Frank felt greatly refreshed by hisenforced but brief rest, and he took after the others with renewedenergy.

  "They must be getting pretty tired," he told himself as he dashed along."If Jack and Lord Hastings can just keep them in sight until I overtakethem, I'll promise not to be fooled again."

  Two minutes later he was again on even terms with Jack and LordHastings, and a moment later once more took the lead. A minute later heagain found himself less than fifty yards behind the fugitives, who werenow plodding along more slowly and plainly out of wind.

  "A little sprint here, I guess," Frank muttered to himself, and suitedthe action to the word.

  But the fugitives were able to round another corner before the lad couldcome up with them. Remembering his past experience, Frank turned thecorner more warily and then he came to a dead stop, a cry of dismay onhis lips.

  There was no one in sight.

  "Now what in the name of all that's wonderful can have happened tothem?" he asked himself.

  He looked around quickly. The fugitives were not on the street. Frankgazed at the house before which he stood. It was a two-story brickbuilding and stood right upon the street. There was no yard. A flight ofeight stone steps led to a small vestibule.

  "Guess they must have gone up there," the lad muttered.

  He moved up the steps just as Lord Hastings and Jack hove in sightaround the corner. They pulled up at Frank's side.

  "Where did they go?" demanded Lord Hastings.

  "I don't know," replied Frank, "unless they went in this house."

  "We'll have a look," said Lord Hastings briefly, and mounted the steps.

  Frank and Jack followed him.

  Lord Hastings turned the knob and the door opened easily.

  "Look out, sir," warned Frank. "They're liable to take a shot at youfrom some place."

  Lord Hastings did not reply, but issued orders rapidly.

  "Frank, you take the rear door. If it's locked the chances are they arein the house. Jack, hunt the door to the basement and stand guard there,also keeping an eye on this door if possible. I'll try and round themup."

  The two lads nodded their understanding of these orders. Jack found adoor leading to the basement, in the hall, fortunately still in view ofthe front door. Frank dashed to the rear of the house and found the backdoor still locked.

  "They must be in here, then," declared Lord Hastings.

  He examined his revolver carefully and then, holding it ready forinstant use, entered the front room. There was no one there.

  In vain Lord Hastings explored all the downstairs rooms. There was noone to be found. He came again into the hall.

  "Must be upstairs," he said to Jack as he passed him.

  He mounted the stairs rapidly, though cautiously. In the first room heentered he found nothing. The door of the second room was shut. LordHastings laid a hand on the knob and turned it. The door opened easilyand Lord Hastings stepped over the threshold.

  And even as he would have moved into the room a hand, gripping thebarrel of a revolver, was raised in the air and descended violently inthe direction of Lord Hastings' head. Fortunately the latter caught theglint of steel and whirled in time to dodge the blow and grasp the armthat delivered it. At the same time he shouted:

  "Frank! Jack! Upstairs!"

  Then he gave his entire attention to his foes, of whom he now found,there were two. Lord Hastings recognized the man whose arm he grasped asDavis. Blosberg, with levelled revolver, was circling about thestruggling figures, seeking an opportunity to shoot Lord Hastingswithout wounding Davis.

  With a mighty effort Lord Hastings lifted Davis clear of his feet and,exerting tremendous strength, swung him around. There was a sound of athud, and Davis' figure dropped limply to the floor. His head had comein contact with the solid wall.

  At the same moment Blosberg fired and Lord Hastings felt a stingingsensation in his left shoulder.

  He staggered back.

  Blosberg took advantage of this and darted out the door just as Frankappeared at the top of the steps. Both raised their revolvers at thesame moment, but Blosberg was the first to fire.

  Frank's gun seemed to explode in his hand. It leaped in the air like alive thing and the lad felt a strange sensation in his hand. He wiggledhis fingers, but now he was unable to tell whether he had a right handor not. There was no feeling there. Blosberg's bullet had struck thelad's revolver and the shock had numbed the lad's hand.

  Before Frank could recover, Blosberg had darted down the hall and turnedinto a narrow passageway at the end of it, disappearing just in time toescape a bullet from Jack's revolver, the lad appearing on the secondfloor at that moment.

  He dashed after Blosberg.

  Turning off the main hall into the narrow passage at the end, Jackbrou
ght up sharply against an object in the semi-darkness; but he foundno Blosberg. Quickly he took a match from his pocket and struck it.There was no sign of Blosberg, and Jack made out that the object thathad interrupted his progress was a ladder leading upward toward theroof.

  "He's up on the roof," cried Jack. "Come on."

  Without taking thought of what danger might be in store for him above,he mounted the ladder rapidly.

  When Blosberg reached the roof he had replaced the trapdoor, but hewasted no time, and began looking for a means of descent. He still helda gun in his hand and whirled sharply as the trapdoor suddenly flewopen. He saw Jack at the same moment Jack saw him, and both fired.

  But the aim of each was poor and Jack followed his shot by leaping tothe roof. Then he dropped down suddenly as Blosberg fired again, and,still unharmed, drew himself quickly behind a chimney nearby. Blosbergtook refuge behind a second chimney.

  Now Lord Hastings' head appeared and drew back suddenly as Blosberg tooka quick shot at him.

  "All right, sir, come on!" called Jack. "I'll get him if he tries to potyou again."

  Lord Hastings sprang through the opening and a moment later Frank alsoappeared on the roof. Blosberg made no effort to fire again, apparentlyrealizing the hopelessness of his case.

  Frank and Lord Hastings now had taken their places with Jack behind thechimney.

  "Well, we can't fool around here all day," said Jack. "We'll circleabout and one of us can get him."

  Lord Hastings, wounded, was left behind the chimney, while Frank, whohad produced another revolver, leaped out suddenly to the left, Jack atthe same time springing to the right. Then they moved forward.

  "Hold on," came Blosberg's voice at this moment. "I surrender."

  The three friends breathed easier.

  "Drop your gun and come out--and have your hands in the air," orderedJack, still holding his revolver ready.

  A moment later Blosberg appeared, unarmed.

  Jack lowered his own weapon, and as he did so Blosberg, with a suddencry, dashed forward and leaped off the roof into space.

  For a brief instant Jack was stunned; then he dashed to the edge of theroof and peered over. He saw Blosberg's twisting, tumbling body crashhead-first upon the hard walk, and then lay still.