The man grudgingly gave the boy the money. At the corner store Ted found his two friends; the automobile had long since left.
"Good work," Strong commented, after hearing Ted. "Now, how can we get that fellow out of the building for half an hour?"
"When I suggested going out for the change," volunteered Ted, "he didn"t want to trust me and said: "I"ll wait until later." Perhaps he intends going out."
"Well, here is one way to coax him to go a little sooner. A German wants what he wants when he wants it, and he never stops wanting it until he gets it. When you go back, Ted, insist on being paid twice as much as the paper sells for. He probably will not pay it. He will consider it a holdup. But he will want that paper and it may hurry his departure. It is almost lunch-time anyway.
"Walker, you go to all the news-stands within three square blocks and also any stores you may see that sell newspapers and buy up any Wochen-Blatts they have. That ought to keep our friend busy trying to get what he wants and so give us more time. We will all meet in Room 418. I"ll steal up while you two are wrangling over your high-handed outrage, Ted. Walker can come any time. There is small chance that he will be recognized. You see," Strong added, his eyes smiling, "that"s the value of having the ordinary face Walker has. He looks like seventy-five million other folks, so no one would notice him."
Ted rushed back to the office. "Everybody is poor around here or else they don"t want to make change. My, what trouble." He was counting out the change and he now placed but forty cents on the man"s desk.
The man picked up the money and for a moment it looked as if he would not count it, but he did.
"Hey, boy, another nickel! You"re short here."
"No, I"m not. I took a nickel for all the trouble I had in making change." Ted felt mean and he knew his argument was a poor one, but he was doing it for a purpose.
"Five cents, or I don"t want the paper." He made a threatening motion toward Ted.
Ted laughed at him. He threw the dime on the desk, picked up his paper and backed out of the door. The man was muttering fiercely in German.
Out on the street our hero watched from a nearby door. It was just mid-day and people were hurrying for their lunch. But it was at least twenty minutes before he saw his man walk out of the building. He watched him and saw him stop at one, then at another stand and try to obtain the desired paper. He was not successful and Ted saw him stroll further down the street.
Two minutes later Ted was in Room 418. Walker joined them almost at the same time.
Ted was introduced to the man to whom he had sold a paper a little earlier and then the party got down to business.
"Walker, jump down and try the door," said Strong. "Here is the key."
But a new problem presented itself when Walker reported back that the key would not fit the lock and Strong, incredulous, had proven the truth of it for himself.
"Phew!" whistled Strong. "They must have changed the lock. They figured the old one was too easy for anyone who had a mind to enter.
Come on, Walker, we"ll try the window."
But they found no way of entering through the window. It was securely fastened. Walker, with one foot on the edge of the fire-escape and the other on the ledge of the next room"s window and holding himself secure with one hand, attempted to open that window also, but found it just as securely locked.
"There is still one way before we think of any rough stuff," said Strong. With the other three he went down to the third floor.
"Here, Ted, get on my shoulders and try the fanlight. Let"s pray that it opens."
It opened so very easily that they all laughed. But they found that neither Walker, Strong nor Bronson could get through. But Ted could.
"Well," said Bronson, "I reckon it"s up to the boy, isn"t it?"
"It certainly is," said Strong.
Walker now very quickly, yet very clearly explained the workings and the manipulations of the dictaphone. Ted listened carefully as he was told how the wires should be laid and connected.
"You see, Ted," Walker continued, "the whole thing is already prepared. We knew how little time we would have when the time did come, so we did everything we could beforehand. You will find a place for these wires on the wall behind the steam-pipes. The floor moulding running along the window wall will move if you remove the screws--four of them. Then count off the sixteenth floor board--you work it this way," Walker showed Ted how, "and it will pry loose. It is all very simple and should take no more than twenty minutes. It would take me ten.
"The floor-board has a little groove into which the wires will fit.
You will find that where this board ends is another piece of moulding which will most surprisingly give way to your magic fingers, and the screwdriver, as did the moulding at the other end. On the big cabinet that is there, try that corner of it nearest you and against the wall, and there you will find that your wires will fit snugly. Your hands are small and can get in there, back of the cabinet. You just can"t go wrong. On top of the cabinet see that the mouthpiece or, rather, the listener, is propped up so that it faces the table. If you have any doubts call out--we will be here. You will also find that it will not be seen, for the cabinet is high."
"Be careful, Ted, about leaving things just as they were. It all will fit back snugly. Be twice as careful as you are quick," Strong warned him.
"I shall be up here, Bronson will be one flight below, and the beggar is watching in the street. Walker will be up above pa.s.sing the wires down to you."
More than fifteen minutes had already been consumed. Strong had warned Ted to open the window of Room 420 and, should a warning come, hide in that room. A rope would be pa.s.sed down for him from the window above.
Ted got to work at once. He found it even more simple than Walker had told him. In fifteen or twenty minutes he called out. "I think I am through." He took another look about. He had carefully seen to everything and there was no sign of any disturbance.
"Wait a minute," said Strong. There was a pause. Then he heard Strong speaking to him again, "Say something right out, not too loud, just ordinary conversation."
"Want to buy a paper? News, Post, American, Staats-Zeitung?" said Ted to the empty air.
There was another pause, then he heard Walker say to Strong, "It"s fine and distinct, old man."
Ted took another look about. He lifted himself on the door-k.n.o.b and then eager hands helped him out. Walker ran down the fire escape to take a look around the room and Strong hoisted himself up on the k.n.o.b and also looked about. Ted"s work had been thorough and neither of them made any criticisms.
"Well, that"s something of a relief," said Walker. Ted closed the fanlight.
"Nothing to do until tonight," and Walker grinned.
"Let"s eat," said Strong. "Coming with us, Bronson?"
"Certainly," was the answer.
CHAPTER VI
STRONG SEEMS CHECKMATED
Ted was too excited to eat.
"Better eat, lad," said Walker. "We do not know when we will get another chance today. If no one else seemed to be following his advice, he himself considered it good enough to heed. He was eating enough for two.
"I imagine it is going to be risky business tonight," Bronson remarked. "I wish I could be with you."
"It"s either going to be that, or it is going to be very simple,"
Strong answered.
"That is the trouble with all adventure, these days," Walker complained. "It"s always so very simple."
"I consider this extremely interesting and exciting," replied Strong.
"It is like a tremendous game of chess with enough elements of danger added to suit the most exacting. Don"t imagine that we shall not be in danger every second tonight. These Germans are cold-blooded. If we should happen to be in their way, should they find out how much we actually know, we can say good-bye; the sun would rise tomorrow, but we might not."