CHAPTER II. DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS

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CHAPTER II. DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS

Finding that the disturbance had been caused by the approach of one of the refugees, who demanded an audience with the commander, but who had quickly been satisfied by the explanation of the sentry, the officer again gave his attention to the group before him.

"Proceed!" he ordered. "You may speak English for the benefit of these young gentlemen. Let us have the story, now!"

"Myself and my comrade searched the baggage of these fellows," began the soldier, directing a contemptuous glance at the boys. "When we reached the kit of that one there," here he pointed at Ned, "we discovered what seemed to us to be suspicious goods. Here it is--!"

A gasp of astonishment terminated the triumphant recital.

"Go on!" ordered the officer without emotion.

"But a moment ago the package was lying on your table!" almost shouted the soldier. "Now it is gone!"

"So I perceive!" replied the officer. "If you have evidence, please produce it. Otherwise I shall examine the passports of the young gentlemen, and if they are found correct I shall permit them to depart."

He reached out a hand for the passports, which were quickly presented. After a minute scrutiny and careful comparison of descriptions he returned them to the lads. Again he turned to the soldier.

"Have you any evidence of their guilt?" he inquired.

"I believe they have stolen the package!" stormed the soldier.

"Search them!" commanded the officer. "With respect!" he added.

During the hasty but thorough search of the lads' clothing Jimmie grinned maliciously into the faces of the soldiers. His delight knew no bounds. Their discomfiture upon failing to find the package was exceeded only by the delight of the lad, who prudently held his own counsel.

"There must have been a mistake!" at length declared the officer impatiently. "We cannot delay the train longer. Permit them to proceed!"

"But I swear I discovered in their luggage a suspicious parcel!"

"It is not here! The young gentlemen do not seem to have it! In the face of their apparently correct passports and this courteous request from their friend, von Moltke, I am not justified in holding them longer! Young men, you may resume your journey!"

Thanking the officer in grateful acknowledgment of his courtesy the lads again found their compartment. Scarcely had they regained their former position before the train again began to move.

"Now, Ned," began Harry, as the wheels once more clicked over the rail joints, "produce! Let's have the secret!"

"Produce nothing!" declared Ned. "I have nothing to produce!"

"The package, man, the mysterious package of contraband spy literature!" demanded Harry in a serious tone. "What secrets are you carrying out of this country to help the English?"

"I tell you I have nothing at all! I don't know what that package contained, nor do I know where it came from!"

"That's all right, too!" declared Jack. "But where did it go to so suddenly? That's the interesting part! What did you do with it?"

"Honestly, boys," protested Ned, "I haven't got it. I saw that fellow fish it out of my kit. I saw him put it on the table. When I turned back after glancing at the door the package was gone!"

"We know that!" continued Harry. "Now, who took it?"

"I'd give a good deal to know that myself!" declared Ned.

"Just how much would you give?" queried Jimmie from his seat in a corner from whence he had been listening. "I'd like to make a stake!"

"Jimmie pinched it!" cried Harry, pouncing upon his comrade.

"Deliver that package!" shouted Jack, going to the assistance of his chum. "Search him, Ned!" he continued, as Jimmie was dragged to his feet. "Go through him carefully while we hold him."

"Go as far as you like," grinned Jimmie teasingly. "It's not here!"

"Where is it, Jimmie?" questioned Ned, seriously, "let's have it!"

"I tell you I haven't got it!" declared Jimmie, still grinning. "But I saw it when it disappeared and I know where it went!"

"Hurry up!" shouted Jack, impatiently. "Say something!"

"It went out of the window of the shanty!" declared Jimmie.

"Aw, go on!" scorned Harry. "Just jumped up and flew away!"

With a laugh Jimmie then related what he had seen at the moment when all the other occupants of the hut had been giving their attention to the disturbance at the front door. The tale astonished his chums.

"I saw the hand as plainly as I see my own!" declared Jimmie, holding his hand up to the light of the single oil lamp. "It was the hand of a gentleman, I should say. I mean by that, it was soft and well kept--not hard and calloused. The peculiar mark by which I shall know it again if I see it was a scar extending clear across the back. I somehow connected that scar with a saber or sword cut. It was an ugly wound."

"Did you see anything of the man?" asked Ned, eagerly.

"No, I wasn't turned far enough and I didn't dare move," replied Jimmie. "All at once I seemed to comprehend that the thief was saving us a lot of troublesome delay, and I just let him make his getaway without raising a holler! I thought he was helping us as well as himself!"

"I think we ought to vote Jimmie a credit mark!" declared Ned.

"He certainly exercised wonderful self-control in not making a noise at a critical time," added Jack. "I wonder, now, if the chap at the door made the disturbance to assist the other fellow in grabbing the parcel. It would almost seem as if they were working together!"

"It does seem like that!" stated Ned, thoughtfully. "But what puzzles me most is the fact that the package was in our baggage!"

"I wonder what on earth could have been in the old 'U-13'!"

But ponder and speculate as they might the lads were unable to arrive at a solution of the mysterious presence and disappearance of the package bearing the curious mark. Weary with the exertion of attempting to solve the problem the boys at length composed themselves for sleep.

Mile after mile the train bumped jerkily along the uneven track. Occasionally a guard opened the door to scrutinize the compartment, but upon finding the little party at rest he again proceeded to his duties.

Gradually the train drew away from the inundated section. To the southward, whence they had come, the boys were leaving the scene of the mighty conflict, the like of which history had never seen. Behind them were the trenches filled with soldiers--some happy and gay even in the presence of death, others disheartened and downcast. There, too, they were leaving the great cannon with their roaring, screaming shells, the vicious crack of rifles and the wasp-like singing of bullets.

Before them in fancy they saw a great ship upon which they would take passage to the peace and quietness of their own country. Their dreams were filled with scenes of New York and their beloved club room, hung with trophies of the prowess of the members of their patrol.

At Amsterdam they would embark speedily, and after a week or ten days of ocean travel would see again the Goddess of Liberty holding up to the world a beacon to guide their ships into a haven of peace and plenty.

Could the boys have pierced the veil and looked upon the scenes through which they were soon to pass their rest that night might not have been so tranquil, their dreams would perhaps have been less pleasant.

Thanks to the consideration extended them at the instance of their friend, von Moltke, the German officer in whose charge they had been placed during the last exciting scenes of their stay in the war zone, the lads had been accorded the privilege of a whole compartment. Due to this fact they found room in which to stretch out as they slept. This exceptional advantage was fully appreciated.

Toward morning the boys were awakened by the bustle surrounding the arrival of the train at Utrecht. At this point another passenger was thrust unceremoniously into the compartment. After performing this duty the guard hastened away to perform similar services for others.

"Good morning, gentlemen," said the newcomer pleasantly.

"Top of the morning to you!" smiled Jimmie, rising and endeavoring to smooth out the wrinkles in his uniform. "How's the weather outside?"

"Clearing rapidly, but there's promise of some wind," replied the newcomer. "May I ask how far you are going?"

"New York!" declared Jimmie with a grin. "That is," his added, "if this old ark holds together until we get to Amsterdam and we can find a ship there. It would be just our luck to find the last canal boat gone!"

"Been having tough luck?" inquired the other solicitously.

"Rotten!" stated the boy. "How far do you go?" he asked.

"Amsterdam is my present destination," was the reply. "My name's Mackinder--Robert Mackinder, and I'm trying to get out of this forsaken country, don't you know. I'm in hopes I'll be able to find some craft destined to a point where I'll be able to get home."

Introductions of the four lads followed. Mackinder proved himself an entertaining talker. Listening to his tales of adventure in various lands the boys were soon at ease. The man apparently had traveled over the whole world for he seemed familiar with all lands.

"I say," declared Jimmie, as their new found friend concluded a tale of privation through which he had passed in South Africa, "that story of starvation reminds me that I am hungry. I haven't eaten in a week!"

"Jimmie, Jimmie!" cautioned Ned. "Get down to recent dates!"

"Well, it feels that way, anyhow," persisted the boy.

"Can you tell us where we'll be able to find a lunch counter?" asked Ned. "We have nothing in our kits except some hard tack."

"There is no place short of Amsterdam where one can get anything like a decent meal," replied Mackinder. "There I can show you the way to a restaurant that is all right. It is not far from the docks."

"Then we'll get one good, solid, square meal!" shouted Jimmie.

"And after breakfast," put in Harry, "we'll go aboard the steamer and let 'em sail as soon as they like! What shall we eat?"

"I want a limburger cheese sandwich," announced Jimmie. "I'd like it to be on rye bread with plenty of mustard. Then with a couple of cups of real old Dutch coffee I guess I'd last until noon."

"By noon we'll be out on the North Sea, I hope," stated Harry.

"You don't get onto the North Sea direct from Amsterdam!" scorned Jack. "You have to go through some sort of lake or bay first!"

"Leave it to Mr. Mackinder here!" protested Harry.

"Your friend is right, Harry," smiled Mackinder, thus appealed to. "Amsterdam is on the Zuider Zee. If we get a vessel at that place we will pass northward through that water, thence between some of the Friesian Islands into the North Sea. From that point it is but a short distance to my destination. Any port in England will be suitable for my purpose."

"Nix on England for mine!" declared Jimmie. "I'm for the little old United States every time. We are neutral there without having to think about it. I'm about done with war. I've seen enough!"

"Too much is plenty, as the Dutchman says," put in Harry. "But about this Amsterdam place, now. Do you know the town, Mr. Mackinder?"

"Indeed I do!" was the reply. "I have been there many times."

"Then perhaps you'd be good enough to give us a little help. You see, we're strangers there and since we've lost our airship we're almost helpless. We're not accustomed to finding our way about where the inhabitants don't speak English. Besides, we're not provided with a map."

"I shall be delighted to help you in any way possible," continued the man. "I think that if you follow me you'll have little trouble."

The lads gladly availed themselves of this offer, and shortly after their arrival at the city they found themselves in a room plainly but comfortably furnished. From their windows they could see the shipping in the harbor. Before them a busy street teemed with traffic.

Watching the strange sights below the boys were startled to hear:

"I'll trouble you now for the 'U-13' package!"

Wheeling quickly they were frightened to observe that Mackinder had them covered with a revolver. His look was stern and determined. _

Read next: CHAPTER III. THE MAN WITH THE SCAR

Read previous: CHAPTER I. A PACKAGE VANISHES

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