"It"s a scout sign. A man named Jeb Rushmore told me about it. All trappers know about it. It was his ear, how it stuck out, like."
He shifted to the other foot.
"Yes, go on."
"Nothing, only that"s what a breed sign is. If Jeb Rushmore saw a bear and afterwards way off he saw another bear he could tell if the first bear was its grandmother--most always he could.
"Hmm. I see," said the officer, plainly interested and watching Tom curiously. "And that"s what a breed sign is, eh?"
"Yes, sir. Eyes ain"t breed signs, but ears are. Feet are, too, and different ways of walking are, but ears are the best of all--that"s one sure thing."
"And you mean that relationships can be determined by these breed signs?"
"I don"t mean people just looking like each other," Tom explained, ""cause any way animals don"t look like each other in the face. But you got to go by breed signs. Knuckles are good signs, too."
"Well, well," said the officer, "that"s very fine, and news to me."
"Maybe you were never a scout," said Tom naively.
"So that if you saw your Prussian major"s brother or son somewhere, where you had reason to think he would be, you"d know him--you"d recognize him?"
Tom hesitated and shifted again. It was getting pretty deep for him.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE MAJOR"S PAPERS
It was perfectly evident that the officer"s purpose in sending for Tom, whatever that was, was considerably affected by the boy"s own remarks, and he now, after pondering a few moments, handed Tom the two papers which he had been holding.
"Just glance that over and then I"ll talk to you," he said.
Tom felt very important, indeed, and somewhat perturbed as well, for though he had carried many dispatches it had never been his lot to know their purport.
"If you know the importance and seriousness of what I am thinking of letting you do," the officer said, "perhaps it will help you to be very careful and thorough."
"Yes, sir," said Tom, awkwardly.
"All right, just glance that over."
The two papers were clipped together, and as Tom looked at the one on top he saw that it was soiled and creased and written in German. The other was evidently a translation of it. It seemed to be a letter the first part of which was missing, and this is what Tom read:
"but, as you say, everything for the Fatherland. If you receive this let them know that I"ll have my arms crossed and to be careful before they shoot. If you don"t get this I"ll just have to take my chance. The other way isn"t worth trying. As for the code key, that will be safe enough--they"ll never find it. If it wasn"t for the ---- English service ---- (worn and undecipherable) ---- as far as that"s concerned. As far as I can ascertain we"ll go on the T.P. There was some inquiry about my close relationship to you, but nothing serious. All you have to do is cheer when they play the S.S.B. over here. It isn"t known if Schmitter had the key to this when they caught him because he died on Ellis Island. But it"s being abandoned to be on the safe side. I have notice from H. not to use it after sending this letter. If we can get the new one in your hands before ---- (text undecipherable) ---- in time so it can be used through Mexico.
"I"ll have much information to communicate verbally in T. and A.
matters, but will bring nothing in ---- ---- form but key and credentials. The idea is L."s--you remember him at Heidelberg, I dare say. I brought him back once for holiday. Met him through Handel, the fellow who was troubled with cataract. V. has furnished funds. So don"t fail to have them watch out.
"To the day,
"A. P."
"So you see some one is probably coming over on the _Texas Pioneer_,"
said the officer, as he took the papers from bewildered Tom, "and we"d like to get hold of that fellow. The only trouble is we don"t know who he is."
It was quite half a minute before Tom could get a grip on himself, so dark and mysterious had seemed this extraordinary communication. And it was not until afterward, when he was alone and not handicapped by his present embarra.s.sment, that certain puzzling things about it became clear to him. At present he depended wholly upon what his superior told him and thought of nothing else.
"That was taken from your tall friend," said the officer, "and it means, if it means anything, that somebody or other closely related to him is coming over to France on the _Texas Pioneer_. From his mention of the name to you I take it that is what T. P. means.
"Now, my boy, we want to get hold of this fellow--he"s a spy.
Apparently, he won"t have anything incriminating about him. My impression is that he"s in the army and hopes to get himself captured by his friends. Yet he may desert and take a chance of getting into Germany through Holland. About the only clew there is, is the intimation that he"s related to the prisoner. He may look like him. We"ve been trying to get in communication with Dieppe, where this transport is expected to dock to-morrow, but the wires seem to be shot into a tangle again.
"Do you think you could make Dieppe before morning--eighty to ninety miles?"
"Yes, sir. The first twenty or so will be bad on account of sh.e.l.l holes, I heard they threw as far as Forges."
"Hmm," said the officer, drumming with his fingers. "We"ll leave all that to you. The thing is to get there before morning."
"I know they never let anybody ash.o.r.e before daylight," said Tom, "because I worked on a transport."
"Very well. Now we"ll see if the general and others hereabouts have been overrating you. You"ve two things to do. One is to get to Dieppe before to-morrow morning. That"s imperative. The other is to a.s.sist the authorities there to identify the writer of this letter if you can. Of course, you"ll not concern yourself with anything else in the letter. I let you read it partly because of your very commendable bringing in of this important captive and partly because I want you to know how serious and important are the matters involved. I was rather impressed with what you said about--er--breed marks."
"Yes, sir."
"And I believe you"re thoughtful and careful. You"ve ridden by night a good deal, I understand."
"Yes, sir."
"So. Now you are to ride at once to Breteuil, a little east of here, where they"re holding this prisoner. You"ll deliver a note I shall give you to Colonel Wallace, and he"ll see to it that you have a look at the man, in a sufficiently good light. Don"t be afraid to observe him closely. And whatever acuteness you may have in this way, let your country have the benefit of it."
"Yes, sir."
"It may be that some striking likeness will enable you to recognize this stranger. Possibly your special knowledge will be helpful. In any case, when you reach Dieppe, present these papers, with the letter which I shall give you, to the quartermaster there, and he will turn you over to the Secret Service men. Do whatever they tell you and help them in every way you can. I shall mention that you"ve seen the prisoner and observed him closely. They may have means of discovery and identification which I know nothing of, but don"t be afraid to offer your help. Too much won"t be expected of you in that way, but it"s imperative that you reach Dieppe before morning. The roads are pretty bad, I know that. Think you can do it?"
"What you got to do, you can do," said Tom simply.
It was a favorite saying of the same Jeb Rushmore, scout and woodsman, who had told Tom about breed marks, and how they differed from mere points of resemblance. And it made him think about Jeb Rushmore.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
THE MIDNIGHT RIDE OF PAUL REVERE