  The next afternoon the four lads left the village shortly after lunch, and struck out along the sandy road leading in the direction of the De Regny place. It was warm, and, walking on the heavy, sandy road proved oppressive. In fact, before they had traversed two miles of the distance, Tubby was begging for a drink of water. “What do you want with water?” scoffed Merritt. “Doctors say that it makes fat.” “I don’t care,” retorted Tubby. “I want a drink, and I’m going to have it, too.” “Dig in the road for it, I suppose, or get it out of the sea yonder,” laughed Rob. “Neither, Mister Smart Alec; I’m going to get it at that house back there.” The stout lad indicated a rather tumble-down dwelling, situated in the midst of a ragged orchard, which was set back some distance from the road. It had once been the home of a fisherman, but had been long deserted. Tubby knew, however, there was a well on the place, which yielded clear, cold water. Without another word to his companions, he struck off across the uneven ground toward the hut. “Guess I could stand a drink,” said Merritt suddenly. “Same here,” agreed Rob, and the two struck off after their rotund comrade. “I’m thirsty, too,” said Paul. Close to the house, dense clumps of lilacs had grown up, straggling in every direction, and forming a deep, impenetrable screen. As the boys came up to the place, they were startled to hear, from within the hut, the sound of voices. “I thought the place was deserted,” gasped Merritt, using a low tone, however. “So did I,” chimed in Tubby. “Let’s get out of here. Maybe they’re tramps, or something.” “Hardly likely,” whispered Rob, parting the bushes ever so little and peering through. The other two each made a similar observation place for himself. Through this leafy screen they could see the interior of the front room of the hut plainly. To their astonishment, a few rough pieces of furniture stood within, and, at a battered table, two men were seated, talking earnestly. One of them was a big, broad-shouldered fellow, with a ruddy face and shifty blue eyes. The other was a small, dapper man, dressed nattily, almost fastidiously. The back of this latter fellow had been partly turned when the lads came in, but as he faced restlessly about in his chair, the boys could not suppress a start of astonishment. The man was a Japanese! More surprising still, the fellow with him could now be seen to be garbed in the uniform of a United States regular. Fascinated, with round eyes and attentive ears, the boys bent forward on tip-toe to hear the conversation that was going on. “So Duvall suspects nothing,” the Japanese said in perfect English, evidently continuing a conversation, the first part of which they had missed. The soldier laughed. “Not he. I’ve managed to get several drawings besides the ones I have already brought you. In about a week’s time my work will be finished, and then I’ll skip. You are sure your government will have that appointment for me?” “Absolutely certain, Honorable Dugan. Nippon is not ungrateful for any services that may have been done her, and you will reap your reward. But when is the trial flight to be made?” “As soon as the equalizer is finished.” “And that will be?” “Some time this coming week.” “You have not been able to get plans of the equalizer yet?” “No; as I told you, I have failed so far. Lieutenant Duvall will not let them out of his hands. But I’ll get them, if I have to knock him down and take them from him.” “That is right,” smiled the Jap. “I could wish you were acquainted with jiu-jitsu, to make your task more easy. Above all things, I must have the working plans of the equalizer. The rest does not matter so much, but to equip our aerial fleet we must have that device.” “You see, it’s the invention of Duvall himself, and for that reason he guards it pretty close.” “Naturally. However, we shall be too clever for him. You don’t think any one suspects my presence here?” “Not a bit of it,” Dugan assured his yellow skinned companion. “Didn’t you come in by night and make straight for this place? You couldn’t have a better hiding-place. No one ever comes here, and—— Cra-c-k! A board, upon which Tubby had unthinkingly stood, so as to obtain a better view, gave way under the heavy youth’s weight at this interesting point. With a gasp of dismay, Tubby clutched at the lilacs to save himself from falling, thereby creating even more noise. “Who’s there?” roared Dugan, springing to his feet. The boys caught the glint of a revolver, as he shot erect. Like a small and venomous snake, the Jap, too, was up like a flash. But they were neither of them quick enough to catch a glimpse of the scouts, as they dashed off into a patch of woods lying to the left, into the shadows of which they had dived, wriggling along on their stomachs, before either Dugan or the Jap had recovered from their start. From their cover, the boys could see the pair emerge from the house and search about it thoroughly, without, of course, finding a trace of anything unusual. “Guess it must have been a rabbit or something,” they could hear Dugan say, after a prolonged search that showed no indication of human surveillance. “Huh! Honorable rabbit gave me a big jump,” they heard the Jap rejoin. The two went back into the house, no doubt to continue their deliberations, while the boys, making a detour through the woods, once more emerged on the main road, with Tubby’s thirst still unsatisfied. “Now, what do you suppose was the meaning of that confab?” asked Merritt, as they trudged along. “Looks to me like treachery of some sort,” rejoined Rob. “Those Japs have been busy in Mexico during the insurrection. You know, they wanted to get a coaling base there. They certainly are not friends of Uncle Sam’s, however much they pretend to be, and when you see one of our soldiers in such a consultation with one of them, it looks bad.” “That’s right,” agreed Merritt. “But what could they have been talking about? Of course, you told us about Lieutenant Duvall having leased the De Regny place for some mysterious government work. Evidently that man Dugan is there with him, and perhaps several more soldiers. But what do you suppose they are doing?” “That was one reason why I proposed this walk this afternoon,” said Rob. “Maybe we can find out something. But I think from what Dugan said it’s pretty plain what the government is doing at the De Regny place.” “What do you think it is, Rob?” asked Tubby interestedly. “Testing out some sort of an airship.” “What!” “That’s right. Didn’t you hear the Jap speak of a Japanese aerial fleet?” “So he did!” exclaimed Merritt. “And now I come to think of it, I remember I read some time ago that Lieutenant Duvall had invented a stability device for aeroplanes. At the time, though, I didn’t connect it with our lieutenant.” “What we’ve got to do is to find the lieutenant and tell him about what we overheard,” said Rob decidedly. “Those fellows may succeed in their schemes, otherwise.” “Ugh!” exclaimed Tubby, with a shudder, “I’d hate to have had that fellow Dugan grab hold of me. He’s an ugly-looking customer.” “He is,” agreed Rob, “but we can’t help that. Our duty is clear. Why, if the Japs ever got hold of a practicable invention like that, they could send an aerial fleet across the border and demoralize the country.” “Always supposing it is a practicable invention,” put in the practical Paul Perkins quietly. “Of course,” the impetuous Rob hastened to agree. Talking thus, they neared the De Regny place, which deserves some description, as being, both by tradition and appearance, one of the most remarkable places along the Long Island shores. |
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