Half stunned, Jack lay still for some time on the moldy straw and the old newspapers in the coal bin in the cellar. But at length he mustered his strength and rose, rather giddily, to his feet.
"Well, this is the limit of tough luck," he complained. "If I don"t get out of here before to-morrow, when that steamer sails, the code will have gone for good. If only I"d cut away sooner. Confound that Italian.
He spoiled it all with his stupidity."
Besides being pitch dark, the place was full of cobwebs. To add to Jack"s discomfort, a spider occasionally dropped on him. Suddenly overhead sounded footsteps and voices.
"Somebody lives up there," he thought. "If I could only attract their attention."
He shouted but n.o.body answered, although he tried it at intervals for some hours. At last he gave up and sat down on the pile of straw to think. He was very thirsty and his mouth and eyes were full of coal dust and dirt. The roof of the cellar was so low, too, that in moving about he b.u.mped his head-against the beams.
Suddenly he remembered that he had some matches. To strike a light was the work of a moment. Then he located the door. But all his efforts failed to make it budge. He struck another light and this time he made a discovery.
"Gee whiz, that looks like a trap-door just above me," he decided.
He raised his hands and the cut-out square in the flooring came up with ease. Jack scrambled up into a kitchen. In one corner was a ladder, no doubt used when the occupants wished to enter the cellar. Through one of the windows daylight was streaming, the gray light of early dawn.
"Great Scott! I"ve been down there all night," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the boy.
He was considering his next step when a large woman, with stout red arms, came into the kitchen. Her husband had to be at work early and she was about to prepare his breakfast. She had a florid, disagreeable face.
"What are you after doing here?" she demanded, picking up a heavy rolling pin.
"I"m trying to get out of this house. Will you show me the way?"
"Indade and I will not. I"ll hand yez over ter the perlice." She raised her voice.
"Pat! Pat! come here at onct."
"Phwat"s the mather?" came from another room.
"Thare"s a thafe forninst the kitchen. Get ther perlice. I"ll hold him--he"s only a gossoon."
"Are you crazy?" demanded Jack. "I was locked in that cellar by some rascals and got out through your trap-door."
"Tell that to the marines," sneered the woman, as she made a grab for him.
Jack wrenched himself away and dodged a blow from the rolling-pin. The window was open and it was a short drop to the yard. He darted for the window and made the jump.
"Pat! Pat!" yelled the woman.
Jack leaped over a fence at the back of the yard and found himself in an alley. He ran for his life. Behind him came cries of pursuit but they soon died away. He ran for several blocks, however, and then came to a standstill.
"I guess Ned and Billy went home," he mused. "I"d better hunt up Ned. If his father is a Senator he may be able to use some influence to catch these rascals before they get away for good. I wonder what time that ship sails? By the way, I don"t know her name."
At the hotel, to which he went first, he slipped up to his room without attracting much attention and washed off the dirt of the cellar. Then he inquired for Billy and learned that Raynor had telephoned the night before that he was going to stop at Senator Rivers" house and for Jack to come straight over there, if he came in. Jack procured a copy of a commercial newspaper which he knew listed sailings of ships from all important ports. He turned to the Baltimore section. Half way down the column he found this entry:
"Italian-American Line. S.S. _Southern Star_,--Balto., for Naples, Italy. Sails--A.M. (hour indefinite). Mixed cargo. Ten pa.s.sengers."
"Hurrah! That"s the ship, all right," thought Jack, "there"s a chance yet that we can stop them."
CHAPTER x.x.xV.
THE WIRELESS MAKES GOOD.
He lost no time in hastening to Senator Rivers" house. Just as he turned into the gate Billy and Ned emerged. They had spent a sleepless night and were on their way to Police Headquarters to report Jack"s absence.
As they saw their missing comrade, they set up a glad shout.
"Gracious, where have you been?" demanded Billy.
"We were on our way to the police about you," put in Ned.
"Do you know anything about the Judsons and Jarrow?" asked Jack eagerly.
"Why, yes, they came out of the house some time after you went in. We chased them but they jumped into a high-powered car and escaped."
"I know; they"ve gone to Baltimore."
"How in the world do you know that?" asked Billy wonderingly.
"I"ll tell you it all in a few minutes. Ned, is your father up yet?"
"Gracious, no. But if it"s important I can tell him to hurry up."
"I wish you would; there"s a chance that we can get back the naval code if you do."
"I"ll tell him that, and he"ll be dressed and down in record time,"
cried Ned, running off.
Jack waited to tell his adventures till they were all at breakfast. Then Billy and Ned had to tell their stories.
"Well, you boys certainly have your share of adventures," remarked the Senator, "but the most important thing now is to secure the apprehension of those rascals without delay. We had better call up the steamship company at Baltimore and find out if anyone called Jenkins or Thompson, I think those are the aliases they gave at the tenement house, are among the pa.s.sengers."
This was done at once, but to the intense chagrin of all concerned, the telephone company had seized that early hour of the day to repair some wires which had been knocked down in a thunderstorm near Baltimore the night before. It was impossible to communicate with that city till some hours later.
"We might telegraph," suggested Jack.
"Yes, I"ll call a messenger at once. But I doubt even then that we"ll be in time," said the Senator.
The telegram was sent, but before a reply came they were able to use the telephone.
"Hullo, is this the Italian-American steamship Company?--all right--are three pa.s.sengers, two men and a boy, booked on the _Southern Star_ as Jenkins and Thompson,--they are,--good, this is Senator Rivers talking, from Washington,--those men are criminals,--they have robbed the government of valuable doc.u.ments--summon the police and have them arrested and held--I"ll take full responsibility--WHAT!--The _Southern Star_ sailed two hours ago!"
The senator dropped the receiver from his hand in his disappointment.