"Gracious, what a fuss I"ve stirred up," thought Jack, with a quiet smile. "They"d never guess in a million years that it"s a kid of an operator who"s causing all the trouble."
"No; both the men you mentioned are in Europe," declared Washington.
"The department"s been trailing them since they got my news."
"Well, the wireless men are going to be a happy hunting ground for the Secret Service fellows for this one little while," chuckled the _Florida_.
"Wonder if he"s listening now?" struck in the _North Dakota_, which had not yet talked.
"Shouldn"t wonder," remarked the _Idaho_.
Jack pressed down his key and the spark began to flash and crackle.
"You fellows are having a grand old pow-wow," he said. "Sorry I can"t give you any information. I know you"re dying of curiosity."
"You"ve got your nerve, I must say," sputtered Washington indignantly.
"Have you been listening right along?"
"Yes; that Secret Service hunt is going to be very interesting."
"It won"t be very interesting for you, whoever you are, when they get you," thundered the mighty _Florida_. "It"s bad business monkeying with Uncle Sam."
"Maybe they won"t get me," suggested Jack"s spark.
"Oh, yes, they will," came from Washington, "and you"ll find it doesn"t pay to be as sa.s.sy as you"ve been."
"M-M-M," sent out Jack mischievously.
The three letters mean, in telegraphers" and wireless men"s language, "laughter."
Washington"s dignity took fire at this gross insult. They must have sizzled as from the national capital an angry message shot out to the other ships to talk in code. Jack"s fun was over, but he had thoroughly enjoyed all the excitement he had stirred up. As he laid down the receivers Raynor came in.
"You look tickled to death over something," he exclaimed. "What"s up?"
Jack sprang to his feet. His eyes were shining. He clasped Raynor"s hand and wrung it pump-handle fashion. Raynor looked at the usually quiet, rather self-contained lad, in blank astonishment.
"What"s happened--somebody wirelessed you that you"re heir to a million?" he demanded.
"No, better than that, Billy."
"Great Scott! Tell me."
"Billy, old boy, it works. It works like a charm. I"ve got half the navy all snarled up about it now. By to-morrow they"ll be after me with Secret Service men."
"Gee whillakers. You"ve done the trick! Good for you, old boy."
A sudden shadow in the open door made them both look round. Thurman stood in the embrasure.
"May I add my congratulations?" he said, holding out his hand.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT "SITS UP."
Jack could not refuse the proffered hand. But he took it with an uneasy air. There was something not quite "straight" about Thurman, it seemed to Jack, but as the former offered his congratulations he appeared sincere enough.
"After all, it may be just his misfortune that he can"t look you in the eyes," Jack told himself.
But if he had been in the wireless room that night he would have deemed his suspicions only too well founded. Thurman busied himself with routine matters till he was sure Jack was asleep. Then he began calling Washington with monotonous regularity.
An irritable operator answered him. By the wave length the Washington man knew that it was not a naval station or vessel calling.
"Yes--yes--what--is--it?" he snapped.
"I know the fellow who has that Universal Detector."
"What!" The other man, hundreds of miles away, almost fell out of his chair. Recovering himself, he shot out another message:
"Who is this?"
"Never mind that, just for the present."
"Say, you"re not that fresh fellow himself talking just to kid us, are you?"
"No, I"m far from joking. I expect to make some money out of this."
"A reward?"
"That"s the idea."
"Well, there"s no doubt but you would get it if you really have the information. The department"s been all up in the air ever since that fellow b.u.t.ted in."
"Are you going to report this conversation?"
"Most a.s.suredly."
"Don"t forget that I demand a substantial reward for the information."
"I won"t. When will you call me again?"
"About this time to-morrow night."
"All right, then. Good-by."
Thurman took the receiver from his head with a slow smile of satisfaction.