The conductor snorted, but he was too anxious to get back to his train tomake a reply.
The vestibule of the forward coach had been opened by the brakeman. Theyclimbed aboard and the engineer whistled off the moment they were on thetrain.
Bob looked at the damp envelope in his hands and suddenly he felt himselfshaking slightly. For some reason the Southern Limited had been stoppedat a lonely railroad outpost to deliver this message to him. That it wasimportant there could be no doubt for he had been forced to identifyhimself before he could obtain the message.
The coach was less than half full and Bob dropped down in the nearestseat and ripped open the telegram, looking first at the signature. It wasfrom Waldo Edgar, chief of the division of investigation.
Bob read the message quickly and thoroughly:
"This is to warn you that a man known as Joe Hamsa, traveling south withyou on Limited, is now believed linked with gang we want. Watch Hamsaclosely and take no chances with him as his record is a ruthless one. Inview of this, contact Merritt Hughes and Condon Adams when you reachJacksonville."
Bob read the telegram again, folded it carefully and placed it in aninside pocket with the feeling that even though Joe Hamsa had disappearedfrom the train, they would meet and that their meeting would not be farin the future.
Chapter X IN CAR 43 *
Bob walked back through the Southern Limited with many things runningthrough his mind. His suspicions concerning Joe Hamsa had been confirmedby the telegram in his pocket.
The role of diamond salesman was an ideal one for Hamsa to assume. Inthat capacity he would be able to go around the country selling thesmuggled diamonds and if he appeared to be working for a legitimate firmof wholesale diamond merchants there was little doubt that he would gounmolested by the federal agents.
Bob wondered just how the department had obtained the information onHamsa which had led to the telegram to him. Perhaps his uncle would beable to enlighten him when he arrived in Jacksonville the next morning.
The young federal agent entered car 43 and stopped at lower five. Heparted the curtains and looked down at Tully, who was sound asleep. Tullywas breathing so deeply that Bob hesitated to awaken him and tell himabout the message. If Tully was still asleep when Bob went to bed, therewould still be time to awaken him.
Bob went on back to lower nine, which Hamsa was to have occupied. Therewas nothing on the seats, but Bob caught a glimpse of a bag sticking fromunder the forward seat and he leaned down and pulled a small bag out.
The case was of well worn brown leather securely fastened with two smallbut sturdy padlocks. There was something soft inside, but the leather wastoo thick for his fingers to ascertain just what the contents might be.
The porter came through the car and stopped.
"Haven't seen anything more of the man in lower nine?" asked Bob.
The Pullman employe shook his gray head.
"No sir, and I don't know whether to make up his berth."
"You might as well save yourself work. I don't believe I'd make it up,"advised Bob, and the porter, deciding to accept the counsel, went on upthe aisle.
Bob walked back to the observation and lounge car. There was only onepassenger who had not retired to his berth in the forward Pullmans. Hewas an elderly man, thin, but with an expression on his face which gaveone a feeling of tremendous vitality. He was deeply engrossed in readingand Bob picked up a newspaper which had been brought aboard the train atone of the Carolina towns.
But he found reading a difficult task. His mind was centered on thedisappearance of Hamsa. It seemed absolutely incredible that a man couldhave vanished from a fast train while it was speeding through the nightbetween stations. Yet apparently that was just what had taken place.
Bob knew there was an answer to the problem, and it was probablysomething ridiculously simple, but it evaded his every mental effort andhe finally turned to the comic page of the newspaper for a chuckle or twoat the antics of the comic characters.
The other passenger in the car put down the magazine he had been readingand went forward to his berth in another car. Bob was alone in theobservation lounge without even a trainman in the car.
From up ahead the dismal hoot of the locomotive whistle drifted back andseconds later the car lurched as the trucks crashed over the frogs of asiding and the dimmed lights of a village drifted by in the storm. Thenthe train was in the heart of the desolate night once more.
After the events of the afternoon, with Tully's sudden collapse and thedisappearance of Hamsa, it was not a scene to inspire confidence in theheart of any young federal agent and Bob felt a queer chill running upand down his spine. Once or twice before, when sudden danger impended, hehad had the same feeling.
Some premonition caused Bob to turn quickly toward the forward end of theobservation car and his eyes riveted on a hand, extended around the edgeof the corridor, which was groping for the switches controlling thelights inside the car.
Bob was motionless, but for only a second. Then he leaped forward, hispowerful legs driving him ahead as the groping hand finally found theswitch and he saw the fingers tense as they started to move the leverdownward which would plunge the car into darkness.
A blanket of darkness engulfed the interior of the observation car andBob heard the faint click of the switch. His body was hurtling forwardwith a momentum impossible to stop and he crashed almost headlong intothe steel partition at the end of the car.
Bob was dazed by the shock of the impact and he dropped to the floor, toobruised to move for a moment.
Then a finger of light sought him out. The tiny ray was almost blindingin its brilliance and the beam swept Bob's face as he struggled to getup. He was on his knees and facing the mysterious beam when there was asharp blow on his face. The impact was not hard, but there was nomistaking that he had been struck.
A sudden nausea swept Bob and he felt his power of control ebbingrapidly. He tried to cry out, but his tongue seemed to swell and stick inhis mouth. His arms dropped at his sides and he felt his knees wobbling.In spite of everything he could do he collapsed on the floor of theobservation car.
The last thing Bob remembered was the thin beam of light which stillsought him out with relentless steadiness and then a mocking laugh, heavyand daring, that might easily have come from the lips of Joe Hamsa had hebeen on the Southern Limited.
Chapter XI DOUBLE DANGER *
Bob never knew just how long he was unconscious, but it must have been atleast half an hour before his mind started to clear and he felt some oneshaking his shoulders.
His head pounded painfully and it was difficult for him to lift hisheavy-lidded eyes. Some one moistened his lips and his tongue feltbetter. He tried to talk, but some one cut him short.
"He's coming around now. Lift him into a chair."
The command was obeyed and Bob felt himself being carried into a chair.Faintly he heard the steady clack of train trucks and he knew that he wasstill on the Southern Limited.
When his eyes finally focused and his blurred vision cleared he saw thetrain conductor leaning over him. A Pullman porter was just behind and inthe background another trainman could be seen.
"What happened?" It was the voice of the train conductor.
Bob shook his head. He was still too weak to answer that question, buthis eyes shot toward the end of the car as though he half expected to seea hand move around the corner and grope for the light switch. In his earsthe mocking laugh he had heard still echoed.
"Where are we?" asked the young federal agent, and when the conductoranswered Bob knew that the Limited was far behind its usual fast scheduleinto the southland.
Bob looked sharply at the trainmen.
"Have you seen anything of the man in lower nine in the last hour?" Thequestion was sharp and he saw the look of surprise that passed
over theirfaces.
Denials were quick and emphatic. Quite definitely they had not seen JoeHamsa on the Limited.
Bob shook his head. That was strange for he was sure that it was Hamsa'svoice he had heard in the car just before he lost consciousness.
"Tell us what happened," urged the train conductor, who was more than alittle disturbed at the misfortunes which were befalling the passengerson the Limited that night. One federal agent had been taken suddenly ill,another passenger had disappeared, the train had been flagged down at alonely station for a telegram, and now the second federal agent had beenfound unconscious in the observation car. It was, admitted the trainman,too much for him to untangle.
Bob felt more like talking now, and he told his story briefly.
"I turned toward the forward end of the car just in time to see someone's hand groping around the corner for the light switch. I jumped forthe switch, but the lights were snapped out before I could reach it."
Bob paused for a moment, then went on.
"I crashed into the steel partition at the end of the lounge section ofthe car and fell down. Before I could get to my feet whoever had turnedoff the lights snapped on a small but very brilliant flash light andfocused it on my eyes. Before I could get to my feet there was a sharpimpact on my face. It was just as though some one had struck me a sharpblow. After that a wave of nausea swept over me and that was the lastthing I remember until a few minutes ago."
The conductor's worry was reflected on his frank face.
"The flagman, coming back from the head end, found the car in darknessand when he turned on the lights he almost fell over you. I was prettyworried, but the porter told me that you acted like your friend thisafternoon and I knew he was coming around all right so it wasn't as badas it might have been."
"Just before I lost consciousness," went on Bob, "I heard some one laughand I would have sworn it was the voice of Hamsa, the man who hasdisappeared from lower nine."
"Couldn't have been," declared the conductor. "I've been all over thetrain and know he isn't aboard."
"Then who could have turned off the lights in this car?" demanded Bob andthe conductor shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment.
"I'll be glad when we're at the end of the division," he said. "Thisthing is getting my nerves. Next thing I'll be seeing ghosts. You fellowsmust have eaten some tainted food."
"No, that's out. Neither my companion nor I had a meal together before wegot on this train this afternoon and he was taken ill before the eveningmeal was served in the diner."
"That's right," agreed the conductor. "Well, you puzzle it out. I guessthat's your profession."
Bob got to his feet. His legs were still a little shaky and the porterhurried away for more coffee. When it was brought Bob drank two more cupsof the hot liquid, then he walked up and down the car several times.
"If you can rustle up a sandwich out of the diner, I'll feel better whenI get some more food in my stomach," said Bob, and the porter went out tofill his request.
The conductor turned to the flagman.
"Don't leave this car again, except when you have to get off to protectthe back end at flag stops," he ordered. "I don't want any moremysterious attacks on this train while I'm in charge of it."
Then he looked at Bob, who was still white around the lips.
"Better get to bed and enjoy a few hours sleep, young man. You'restarting to look like a fish that's been out of water too long."
"I'm coming along all right," declared Bob. "As soon as I have a sandwichI'll feel better. I'm convinced that Hamsa is on this train some placeand I'm going to find him."
The conductor stared at Bob as though he thought the young federal agentwas mentally unbalanced. Then, shaking his head and muttering to himself,he started forward to continue his greatly interrupted work on hisreports.
The porter came back with a tray on which were two large, thick, meatsandwiches and a glass of milk and Bob sat down in the observation car toenjoy the late lunch.
The flagman, at the back end of the car, was inclined to be moretalkative than the conductor.
"Everyone on the train's shaky tonight," he confided. "We got a messagewe picked up on the run a few minutes ago and a fast freight that's beencoming along right after us wasn't able to find any trace of Hamsa alongthe stretch of road where we know he disappeared."
"How fast were we running along that section?" asked Bob.
"Never under fifty, and most of the time between fifty-five andsixty-five."
"Then a man wouldn't have much chance of jumping from the train withoutsuch serious injury that he would be unable to get away?" pressed Bob.
"I should say he wouldn't. At the very least he would get a broken legand he wouldn't be able to get far from the right-of-way in thatcondition. And remember that it's been storming hard ever since yesterdayafternoon."
Bob knew that the trainman was right. It would have been almost suresuicide to have leaped from the speeding Limited and he was moreconvinced than ever that Hamsa was somewhere aboard the train.
"We've been over every car from head to rear and back again," said Bob."Have you any idea where he could hide?"
The flagman removed his cap and scratched his head.
"He didn't go through the baggage car?" he asked.
"No," replied Bob.
"How about under the steps in the vestibules? Did you lift all of thetraps?"
Bob's startled expression was sufficient answer to the flagman, who gothastily to his feet.
"No, we didn't look under the traps," admitted Bob.
"Then we'd better get busy. We can do it alone, working ahead througheach car."
The flagman started for the back end of the train, evidently intent onchecking the trap doors on the observation platform when a sharp callfrom Bob stopped him.
"Hamsa isn't going to be an easy man to take if he's hiding under one ofthe traps. Wait until I can go forward and get a gun out of my bag."
"I'll wait," agreed the flagman, who obviously had not thought that theymight encounter armed resistance.
Bob, running lightly, sped through the two forward Pullmans and into carforty-three. His own Gladstone was still under the berth in which Tullywas sleeping so heavily.
The young federal agent bent down and dragged it out. He knew just wherehe had put the gun and his hands sought it after he had opened the bag.But the weapon was not where Bob had placed it and a new feeling ofanxiety gripped him.
With desperate hands he rummaged through the bag. The gun and box ofcartridges he had placed there were gone!
Bob picked up the big bag and carried it to a berth further down theaisle where he snapped on the seat lights. Once more his hands ranthrough the clothing which filled the bag.
The revolver was gone, but the rifle he was taking south with him wasintact, although the ammunition for it was missing. Some one had lootedthe bag and in doing so had left Bob defenseless against any armedattack.
The discovery that his own bag had been searched so disturbed Bob thatfor a moment he forgot the important confidential papers on the smugglingcase which he had placed there.
When he recalled them, he started another search of the bag, turningclothes topsy-turvy in his search for the envelope and the preciousinformation which it contained.
Bob searched both sides of the Gladstone with a heart that grew heavierwith apprehension as each second passed. There was no question now--hisown confidential papers had been stolen.
His hands went to the inner coat pocket where he had tucked the telegramwarning them against Hamsa. When he drew them out his hands were empty.Even that message had disappeared and Bob knew then, without question,that Hamsa was somewhere on the train.
With the telegram from Washington in his possession and the knowledgethat the federal agents were closing in on him, Hamsa would be doublydangerous and Bob was unarmed.
Chapter XII A NEW MYSTERY *
Bob sat in the berth for a time, thinking what to do next. He was certainthat Hamsa was on the train and he knew that the other was capably armed,for he had Bob's own revolver and there was no question but that he woulduse the weapon if his hand was forced too far.
Bob got up and walked back to lower five where Tully was in a deep sleep.His traveling companion's bag was in the rack above his berth and Bobreached in and pulled it out into the aisle, letting the heavy curtainsfall back into place.
He went through the bag methodically, for Tully's gun should have beenthere. Bob searched every article in the bag twice, but the hunt wasfruitless. There was no weapon there. Hamsa had done a thorough job ofdisarming the federal agents.
Bob replaced Tully's bag and then returned to the observation car wherethe flagman was waiting for him. He spread his empty hands in anexpressive gesture.
"Some one's been through my bag and my gun's gone," said Bob. "Whoever itwas also went through the other agent's bag for he's been disarmed."
The flagman's eyes narrowed.
"I'm not so keen about going on with this search unless we're armed," hedeclared.
"Any guns of any kind on the train?"
"The baggage man up ahead has one, but I don't suppose he would loan itto anyone."
"There's no harm in trying," decided Bob, and he started forward throughthe train once more.
The conductor was in the last coach forward and Bob quickly explainedwhat had happened. The trainman went ahead and tapped on the door of thebaggage car.
Agent Nine and the Jewel Mystery: A Story of Thrilling Exploits of the G Men Page 5
