Chapter XXX An Important Capture—Conclusion - The Rover Boys under Canvas by Edward Stratemeyer
Even though somewhat old and likewise rheumatic, Captain Dale was still a man of action, and less than half an hour later he had perfected an arrangement with the Secret Service authorities both at Rackville and at Camp Huxwell. Three automobiles were requisitioned and a detail of sixteen men, accompanied by several Secret Service authorities soon left Camp Huxwell, stopping on the way at the edge of Camp Barlight. They took on board the Rovers and their chums, and likewise Captain Dale, all of whom were anxious to see the wind-up of this remarkable happening.
While still some distance from the cabin, the automobiles were brought to a standstill, and the officers and soldiers, as well as the cadets and Captain Dale, alighted, and all took to the shelter of the brushwood.
A wait of nearly half an hour ensued, and during that time the three automobiles were run deep into the woods, where they would not be noticed by any passersby. Then Randy, who had been sent down the road, came back on the run.
"An auto is coming!" he announced.
He was right, and a minute later, the machine, driven by Slugger Brown, came into sight and ran up to the side of the cabin. Mr. Brown and Mr. Martell alighted, leaving Slugger and Nappy in the car as before.
"Don't let 'em keep you here all night, Dad!" cried Nappy.
"Make 'em come to terms quick," said Slugger. "They have no right to hold back on you."
"You leave this business to us--we know what we are doing," answered Mr. Brown.
Of course, those who had come to the place from the two camps had not shown themselves. All were secreted behind the trees and bushes on the opposite side of the cabin. Now they watched intently while Mr. Brown and Mr. Martell entered the cabin, and as they did this they noted a steady _put-put_ on the forest road, and soon a motorcycle came into sight, ridden by a middle-aged man carrying a satchel over his shoulder.
"That must be the fellow who went to the bank to get the money,"
whispered Andy.
The Secret Service men had arranged their plans with care. At a given signal four of the soldiers from Camp Huxwell surrounded the automobile occupied by Slugger and Nappy, who as before were making themselves comfortable in the tonneau and smoking cigarettes. To say that those two unworthies were surprised, would be putting it mildly.
Slugger leaped to his feet in amazement, while Nappy set up a howl of terror, begging the soldiers not to shoot them.
"We haven't done anything wrong!" howled Nappy. "Please don't point that gun at me!"
"I don't understand this," said Slugger nervously. "There must be some mistake."
"The only mistake is the one you made, young man," declared one of the soldiers briefly.
In the meantime there was an interesting scene going on in the main room of the cabin. The German in charge of the place and the fellow who had come in on the motorcycle were talking earnestly to Slogwell Brown and Nelson Martell. The men from New York had a number of documents on a table, and were trying to prove that the Germans owed them over eleven thousand dollars, while the Germans were equally emphatic in declaring that the amount due was less than ten thousand dollars.
"You've got to pay the full amount," growled Mr. Brown. "I won't take off a cent!"
"That's the talk!" broke in Mr. Martell. "And you ought not to kick, either. We have taken terrible chances in having these things supplied to you."
"Yes, and don't forget that you would never have had this secret base on Barlight Bay if it hadn't been for me," put in Slogwell Brown.
"We're not forgetting anything," said one of the Germans. "And if you insist upon it that we owe you that amount, we will pay it."
The man who had come in on the motorcycle had opened his valise, and now he took out several packages of banknotes. Evidently Brown and Martell were to be paid in cash. Probably they had refused to accept anything in the way of a check.
The money had just been paid over and some receipts given when the leader of the Secret Service men gave the order, and the cabin was immediately surrounded.
"Hands up in there, everybody!" was the stern command.
If Slugger and Nappy had been surprised, their fathers were even more so, while the two Germans were taken completely off their guard. Each of the latter was armed, but one look at the United States officers with their pistols and the soldiers with their rifles was too much for them, and with grunts of disgust they threw their hands into the air.
"Who--what--I--er--I don't understand this," stammered Slogwell Brown, turning pale.
"There--there--must be--er--some mistake," faltered Nelson Martell, and then with shaking knees he sank slowly back on a bench.
A brief war of words followed, Brown and Martell doing everything they could think of to explain the situation so that they might not be placed under arrest. But their guilt was so bare-faced that the government officers would hardly listen to them. Both they and the Germans were searched and all their weapons were taken from them. Then the prisoners were handcuffed together, and the officers made a thorough search of the cabin, picking up everything it contained of value. One took charge of the documents found and also the money which had been passed over to Mr. Brown.
"A fine piece of business for a so-called American to be in!" said the head Secret Service man to Brown and Martell sternly. "I wouldn't be in your shoes for a billion dollars."
"It's--it's--all a mistake. I'll--er--explain everything later," said Slogwell Brown weakly.
As for Nelson Martell, he was on the verge of a collapse, and had to be supported when all left the cabin.
In the meanwhile other interesting happenings were taking place in the vicinity of the wrecked submarine. There a number of Secret Service men and other officers of the law under the leadership of Mr. Blarcomb, did what they could to round up all those connected with the U-boat. There was something of a running fight, and quite a few shots were exchanged. In this fight two of the Germans were seriously wounded, and one of the Secret Service men got a bullet through his shoulder. But in the end all of the enemy were captured, and then the authorities took charge of the disabled submarine, and also the underground workshop, where the Germans had been laboring so hard to get their undersea boat once more into shape to sail.
It was after midnight before all these happenings came to an end and the evildoers had either been placed in jail or under a strong military guard. The capture, of course, was kept as secret as possible by the government officials.
"And to think that the fathers of Nappy Martell and Slugger Brown are guilty!" cried Ruth Stevenson, when Jack met her later on and told her some of the particulars. "Isn't it dreadful? What will they do with them?"
"Most likely they will be interned for the period of the war, and maybe they will get regular jail sentences," answered the young captain.
"And what will they do with Nappy and Slugger?"
"Oh, they will probably be interned also."
After the men at the cabin in the forest and the Germans from the wrecked submarine had been rounded up, Jed Kessler was called in, and without hesitation he recognized two of the men he had seen at the ammunition plant just before the explosion occurred. One fellow was a clean-shaven man, but it was proved that he was in the habit of wearing a heavy wig and a heavy false beard.
"That fellow is one of the two we saw in New York talking to Mr. Brown and Mr. Martell!" cried Randy. And he was right, as it afterwards proved.
For catching these two men who, it was later proved, had caused the wreckage at the ammunition plant, the reward offered was divided equally between Jed Kessler, the four Rovers and Gif and Spouter, much to their satisfaction.
"This gives each of us a very neat bank account," declared Spouter.
"I'm going to save most of it, but some of it I'll spend this summer on my vacation."
"Maybe we'll all do that," put in Andy.
From the authorities it was learned that Slogwell Brown had owned a large portion of the shore front lying between Camp Huxwell and Camp Barlight. He had sold all his holdings to the government, but this had not prevented the unscrupulous man from making a deal with some German agents for the use of the cave under the cliff by our country's enemies.
"He was a rascal both ways," declared Captain Dale, in talking the matter over with the Rovers. "He took the government's money at one end and the Germans' money at the other. It is right that he goes to jail."
And to jail Slogwell Brown went, accompanied by Nelson Martell, each to serve a number of years at hard labor. Slugger and Nappy were sent to a detention camp in the South; and that for the time being was the last the Rovers heard of them.
Although there was considerable excitement around the encampment caused by the discovery of the German submarine base, the cadets were not allowed to forego their drilling and their army maneuvers. Nor did they give up the athletic contests they had promised themselves. There were swimming races and boat races, and likewise several baseball matches, and also contests in running, high and broad jumping, and in a tug-of-war.
"I'll tell you one thing--this encampment is one long to be remembered," remarked Jack, when the outing had almost come to an end.
The next day came a message from Camp Huxwell. The fathers of the Rovers, as well as many of their friends, were to depart immediately for Hoboken, there to take one of the big transports for France. Of course, the boys, as well as their sisters and their mothers, went to see Dick, Tom, and Sam Rover off.
"The best of luck to you, Dad!" cried Jack, when the time came for parting. "I hope you make a good record for yourselves."
"You can rest assured, Son, we will do our best," answered Dick Rover.
Then there were numerous handshakes, the waving of handkerchiefs, and while the girls and the women were trying hard to smile and to keep back the tears, the soldiers departed on the train.
"Gee, I wish I was going along!" sighed Fred. But this, of course, could not be, for all the boys were much too young to join the army.
By leaving Camp Barlight that day the Rovers had missed one of the important baseball games, but for this they did not care. They tried to join in the festivities that evening, but it was a failure. Their thoughts were with their fathers. Would they come back from the war in safety?
"All we can do is to hope for the best," remarked Randy; and there the matter was allowed to rest.
Of course, the boys were eager for news concerning the Browns and the Martells, and also the Germans who had been captured, and they eagerly devoured every shred of information that came their way.
"Well, one thing is certain--we are well rid of Slugger and Nappy and their fathers," remarked Jack.
"Yes, and I guess we are rid of Gabe Werner, too," returned Fred. "He seems to have dropped out entirely."
But in his remark concerning Werner the young lieutenant was mistaken.
Gabe Werner turned up in their path most unexpectedly, and how will be related in the next volume in this series, to be entitled "The Rover Boys on a Hunt; or, The Mysterious House in the Woods."
In that volume we shall learn what the Rover boys did on a most important outing, and also learn something of what happened to their fathers while fighting on the great battlefields of France.
"Well, boys, I've got pretty good news to-day," remarked Randy, rushing into the camp one afternoon and holding up a letter. "Mr.
Powell has invited all of us to spend ten days or two weeks at his camp on Lake George this summer. May is going to have all the girls there, including Mary and Martha and Ruth, and Mr. Powell wants every one of us to come up and take part in the good times."
"Gee, that suits me right to the top of the flagstaff!" burst out his twin brother. And then, in high spirits, Andy turned several flipflaps, and ended by beginning a wrestling match with Fred.
"Well, we'll be there, all right enough!" cried Jack.
"Will we?" came from Fred. "Just wait and see!"
Then the drums rattled, and the young captain and the young lieutenant, followed by the others, rushed off to get ready for the evening roll call and parade. And here, for the time being, we will leave the Rover boys and say good-bye.
THE END