CHAPTER XXV
A STRUGGLE IN THE DARK
The woman's scream was so full of terror, so agonized, and soblood-curdling that for a moment the mad rush out of the door was halted.Every one stopped short in horror and amazement.
Sergeant Riley was the first to regain his senses. "Come on!" he shoutedand plunged out into the night. Close at his heels followed the others.That is, all except Heinrich; he dashed into the room adjoining theoffice and remained there unnoticed.
The air was filled with shouts and cries. Men ran hither and thither,black shapes flitting up and down like shadows.
"Spread out!" shouted Sergeant Riley. "Circle the factory and don't letany one escape."
Bob and Hugh unconsciously kept close together in spite of the sergeant'sorders. One end of the factory was situated on the shore of the MoltonRiver, and toward the river bank the two boys made their way.
"What a scream that was," shuddered Hugh.
"Awful," cried Bob, and then he tripped over something lying on theground, and pitched forward headlong on his face. A moment later he hadregained his feet.
"What tripped you?" demanded Hugh.
"Look!" said Bob, shivering as he spoke. He pointed to a misshapen heapof something lying on the ground at his feet. "It was soft, like a body."
"The woman who screamed," cried Hugh in terror.
"Strike a match."
"I haven't got one."
"We must pick her up and carry her into the office."
"But she may be dead."
"Suppose she is," exclaimed Bob. "We've got to do it just the same."
"This is terrible," cried Hugh. "Can't we get some one to do it for us?"
"Every one is busy."
"Where's Karl?"
"He's busy, too. Come on, Hugh, we must do it. If she's not dead now shemay die while we stand here and talk about it."
Hugh braced himself for the task. They could distinguish the vagueoutlines of the woman's form, as Bob stationed himself at her head andHugh grasped her feet.
"All ready," said Bob. "Lift her up."
"Suppose we are attacked while we're carrying her."
"Lift her up, will you?" demanded Bob angrily. "What's the matter withyou, Hugh?"
Bob took hold of her shoulders and Hugh grasped her ankles. She washeavy and absolutely limp so that it was very difficult to lift her fromthe ground. The two boys exerted all their strength, however, andpresently were able to start on their way back to Mr. Cook's office,panting and straining as they went. The distance was not great,fortunately, and soon they opened the door of the office and depositedtheir burden on the floor.
"Why," gasped Bob, starting back in surprise. "It's Lena."
"What?" demanded Hugh.
"It certainly is. Look at the blood on her shoulder."
"Is she dead?"
"I don't know." He took hold of Lena's wrist and felt for her pulse. "Herheart is still beating," he announced a moment later.
"Hadn't we better get a doctor?"
"I should say so," exclaimed Bob. "Call up Doctor Clarke and tell him tocome down here just as fast as he can."
Hugh hastened to obey, while Bob secured a towel soaked in water andbegan to bathe the wounded woman's face. How had it all happened? Perhapsone of the factory guards had surprised her at some criminal work and hadshot her as she fled. Bob did not know enough to understand whether shewas badly wounded or not; at any rate she was still bleeding profusely.
Presently Hugh reported that the doctor would be down just as quickly ashe could. He had promised to start at once.
"What shall we do?" inquired Hugh.
"Don't you think we ought to stay here with Lena?"
"I don't see that we can do anything for her, and we may be neededoutside. Where's Heinie? Why don't we leave her with him?"
"Where _is_ Heinie anyway?" exclaimed Bob. He hurried to the door of theadjoining room, but there was no trace of the missing chauffeur.
"He's gone, I guess," said Hugh. "When every one rushed out in theexcitement he must have slipped away. We'll never see him again."
"How stupid of us," cried Bob. "Every one clean forgot him, I guess."
"His escape doesn't settle what we have to do," said Hugh.
"Let's go out and leave her here, I say. We don't know anything to do forher. Anyway you told the doctor where to come, didn't you?"
"I did."
"Come on then," and Bob hurried out, with Hugh following close behind.
In front of the office they stopped for a moment, peering intently allabout them and straining their ears for every sound. Bob remembered thebig hickory stick of his father's and stepped inside again to get it.
"We're taking chances prowling around here unarmed," said Hugh when hisfriend had joined him once more.
"I know it, but what can we do?"
"Nothing, I guess. Where do you suppose the others are?"
"Let's go find them."
Again they started in the direction of the river, not in a mad rush thistime, but slowly and carefully picking their way. They skulked along inthe shadow of the factory walls, ready for any emergency that mightarise. They kept close together and if the truth were known both boyswould have been very glad to have had an armed companion with them.
They had covered perhaps a hundred and fifty feet or so, and ahead ofthem could just make out the dark bank of the river. Suddenly they saw aman appear around the corner of the building, running toward them. Boband Hugh crouched against the brick wall and waited for him to comenear. All at once Bob recognized the stranger and started forward.
"Karl," he cried.
The man halted.
"Where are you going?" asked Bob. "Where are father and the others?"
"Down by the river," replied Karl and once more broke into a run. Amoment later he was lost to sight in the darkness.
"Seems to me he's in an awful hurry," remarked Hugh.
"Father had probably sent him on an errand," said Bob. "Let's hurry andsee if we can't find father and Sergeant Riley."
"Who do you think shot Lena?" asked Hugh.
"I don't know. We'd better not talk here now."
"Do you suppose it could have been the fake detective?" said Hughregardless of Bob's advice.
"I don't know, but I don't see why he should shoot one of his own gang."
"He blew up Mr. Wernberg though."
"I know it, but I can't understand it, and as I said I don't think weought to talk here."
They proceeded in silence. Both boys were eager to join the others andthey wondered what they could be doing down by the river. Perhaps theyhad captured the plotter and had dispatched Karl for rope or handcuffsto secure him. At any rate nothing suspicious had happened since theshots had first been heard.
The boys had progressed but a short distance further, when suddenly agreat tongue of flame shot heavenward between them and the river. Anear-splitting detonation followed, and the very earth was rocked by anenormous explosion. Both boys were thrown violently to the ground by theforce of it, while showers of earth, bricks, and material of all kindspelted down all about them.
A moment later the boys were on their feet, still partly stunned andundecided as to whether they should run or not.
"There may be another one coming," warned Hugh.
While they hesitated a man suddenly appeared running swiftly away fromthe direction of the explosion.
"Hey there!" challenged Bob. "Who are you?"
For answer there came the flash of a revolver and a pane of glass in thewindow close beside the boys' heads was shattered.
"Stop!" shouted Bob at the top of his voice and regardless of danger hestarted in pursuit of the fleeing man. Hugh was not to be left behind atsuch a time and together they raced after the fugitive.
Suddenly he stopped, raised his right arm, and hurled his revolver. Itstruck the ground directly in front of Hugh, spun around a number oftimes and hit him a sharp blow on his shin bone as it caromed.
"It must be empty."
Both boys were fleet of foot, but in the first fifty yards of the racethe man gained on them. It was plain to see that unless somethinghappened they would soon be outdistanced. Bob realized that the time hadcome when chances were to be taken. He raised his father's hickory caneabove his head, whirled it around a couple of times, and sent it spinningin the direction of the fleeing figure ahead.
The one chance in a hundred was successful. Bob's aim was true and theheavy stick flew straight to its mark. As the man ran, one end of itprotruded itself between his legs; he was tripped up and, losing hisbalance, fell sprawling to the ground. Almost instantly he was on hisfeet again, but the delay occasioned by his fall had been almostsufficient to enable the boys to catch up with him. They were barely twosteps behind him now.
"Tackle him!" shouted Bob.
Like two ends going down the field to get the quarterback who isreceiving the punt Bob and Hugh leaped forward at the same time. Theyhad both had experience in football and it stood them in good stead now.The man went down, both boys literally swarming all over him.
"I've got his legs, Hugh," cried Bob. "Grab his arms."
The man kicked and struggled with all the strength that was in him. Bobhung on for dear life, however. He held one of the man's feet in eachhand and threw his body across his legs to hold them down. Hugh scrambledforward and hurled his entire weight across the man's chest. Theirprisoner's fists were going like flails, but Hugh persisted. The thoughtof this German plotting against the United States was more than he couldendure and he dealt the man a stunning blow squarely in the face.
A moment later the man's arms and legs were tightly pinned to the groundwhile the two boys sat astride him, complete masters of the situation.
"I'd like to pound his head off," cried Bob fiercely. "Just look atthat fire."
The bomb had done its work, and already the flames were mounting higherand higher over the damaged portion of the factory. The fire whistleswere blowing violently; some one had turned in the alarm promptly anyway.
"What shall we do with him?" panted Hugh.
"You didn't knock him out when you hit him, did you?"
"No. He's all right."
"Let's get him on his feet and take him up to the office then."
"Hang on tight."
"Don't worry about that. If he tries to get away we'll choke hishead off."
Whether or not the man understood these remarks he offered no comment.Hugh held him by one arm and Bob by the other. They yanked him to hisfeet and marched him off in the direction of the factory office. Strangeto say their prisoner offered but little resistance; he dragged his feetsomewhat but followed along sullenly.
Presently there was a clatter and a clang of bells and the fire enginedashed into the yard, shooting sparks in a broad yellow stream from itsstack. There was much shouting and giving of orders, and a moment laterthe hose cart, and the hook and ladder made their appearance.
Whether or not it was the distraction caused by these events, Bob andHugh never could explain to themselves. At any rate they must haverelaxed their caution and paid less attention to their prisoner than theyshould, for with a sudden violent twist of his body he wrenched himselffree and was gone.
Bob Cook and the German Spy Page 25
