"It must be quite a road if it is used by automobiles," was Spouter"s comment. "Now the question is--which way shall we go in order to get to our camp?" All had noticed that the road ran in something of a semicircle.
While the cadets were deliberating, they made another discovery. Smoke was coming up from among some of the trees near by, and, walking in that direction, they made out a fair-sized cabin, nestling deep between some trees and brushwood.
"Maybe we can get some a.s.sistance at that place," remarked Andy.
"I don"t believe it!" returned his brother quickly. "It"s more than likely the people who live there are in league with those Germans.
They must have heard those noises the same as we did, and probably know all about how they are being made."
"That"s it!" warned Spouter. "If I were you, I"d go slow in showing myself to anybody who may be at that cabin."
The boys approached with caution, keeping their eyes wide open, and presently discovered a touring car standing among the trees to one side of the cabin.
"I don"t believe that car belongs here," said Randy. "I don"t see anything in the way of a garage. And that looks like a nice city car."
Keeping in the shelter of some of the trees and brushwood, the cadets came still closer, and then made another discovery, which was to the effect that two young men were seated in the tonneau of the car. Each was smoking a cigarette, and they were conversing in low tones.
"I tell you I"m going to hit my dad for a hundred dollars on the strength of this," they heard one of the occupants of the car remark.
"And I bet I get it, too."
"Well, if you get a hundred, Nappy, I"m going to hit for a hundred myself," was the reply of the other occupant. "I guess my father can afford to give me that amount just as well as your father can afford it."
"Oh, well, Slugger, you must remember that my dad has quite a bunch of money."
"Huh! I don"t think he"s any better fixed than mine. Here, pa.s.s over another cigarette. Don"t forget I paid for the last ones we bought."
"Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell!" whispered Randy excitedly. "Would you believe it?"
"What can those fellows be doing away out here in the woods?"
questioned Spouter.
"I"ll bet I know what they are here for!" cried Andy, in a low voice.
"They brought their fathers out here in that touring car."
"What would they be doing that for?"
"Don"t you remember, Spouter, our telling you about how we saw Mr.
Brown and Mr. Martell down in Wall Street, New York, talking to those fellows who looked like Germans, and how they mentioned supplies, and canned goods, and machinery, and night work, and a whole lot of things like that?"
"Sure I do! And you think----"
"I"ll bet Andy has it right!" interrupted Randy. "Brown and Martell must be in league with those Germans, and the goods and machinery and other things they spoke about must be connected with this affair of the disabled submarine! They wanted extra pieces of machinery most likely, and they also wanted extra supplies, having probably used those that they had brought along from Germany."
"You"re making a pretty long guess, it seems to me," answered Spouter.
"Just the same, you may be right."
Not to be seen by Slugger Brown and Nappy Martell, the three cadets had withdrawn to a safe distance. Now, however, all were anxious to ascertain who might be in the cabin, and so by crouching low and hiding behind one tree and another and then some rocks and low bushes, they at last came up close to the opposite side of the shelter in the forest.
"Now don"t show yourselves if you can help it," said Randy in a whisper. "And if any one is discovered, leg it for all you are worth, and keep your faces turned away so that they can"t see who you are."
With this understanding, the three cadets surveyed the situation critically. The cabin consisted of three rooms, each boasting of a window on either side. As it was warm, all the windows and doors were wide open to admit the fresh air.
"And that is what I mean when I say I want to settle this matter,"
they heard, in the voice of Slogwell Brown.
"I think it"s a shame that the thing has hung fire so long," said another person in the cabin, and now the three cadets recognized the voice of Nelson Martell. "I would never have gone into it if I had known there would be so much delay. We took a big risk in getting the supplies for you."
"But, gentlemen, we are not keeping you waiting any longer than is necessary," answered a voice with a strong German accent. "We have had a delay in receiving our own remittance. Even now it is not yet arrived."
"Do you mean to say you haven"t got the money yet?" demanded Mr.
Brown. His tone of voice showed that he felt ugly.
"It was promised to-night sure," was the answer. "Captain Fuerhman was to obtain the money at the Haven Point bank this afternoon."
"Was he to come here with it?"
"Yes."
"Then he ought to be here by now," grumbled Nelson Martell, consulting his watch.
"He had to see about a small piece of machinery that was to be cast for us," resumed the man who spoke with a German accent. "I, however, expect him here by eight o"clock this evening at the latest."
"Well, in that case there isn"t anything left for us to do but to wait," said Slogwell Brown, surlily.
"You may do that, or you may come back at that time," said the German.
"I am very sorry to keep you waiting, but as I said before, gentlemen, it cannot be helped."
"I don"t believe the two boys will want to wait outside for two hours," said Mr. Martell to Mr. Brown. "Suppose we ride into town and get a bite to eat, and then come back here?"
"That will suit me, Martell. Anything to kill off the time," answered Slogwell Brown. He turned to the German. "We"ll be back here by eight o"clock. And remember! that money has got to be paid to-night."
"You shall have every dollar that is coming to you, gentlemen,"
answered the German, who, as it afterwards proved, was the commander of the disabled submarine.
A few more words pa.s.sed, and then Mr. Brown and Mr. Martell came out of the cabin to where they had left Slugger and Nappy in the touring car. They entered the machine, which was immediately backed to the forest road, and then the whole party set off, Slugger driving the car.
"Say, listen!" cried Spouter excitedly. "I believe that German is here all alone! What do you say if we make him a prisoner?"
"No, no, don"t do that!" answered Randy quickly. "We want to bag the whole bunch. Let us get to camp just as soon as we can and notify Captain Dale. Then he can organize a crowd and come back here and give Brown and Martell and the Germans the surprise of their lives."
"But how are we going to find our camp?" questioned Spouter.
"Dead easy. If that is the road to Haven Point, it must pa.s.s through Rackville, and if it does that, it must come pretty close to our camp.
Come on!"
CHAPTER XXIX