The Boy Allies in Great Peril Part 30

Hal and Uncle John sat down and the chief turned again to his desk and was soon busy writing.

Hal's eyes roved about the room. An idea struck him like a flash. They sat between the chief of police and the door by which they had entered.

What would be more easy than to tip-toe to the door, which stood slightly ajar, and disappear unbeknown to the chief?

With Hal to think was to act. Fearing to lift his voice in a whisper, he at last managed to catch Uncle John's eye. Then he laid a warning finger to his lips and beckoned Uncle John to follow him. Uncle John manifested some surprise, but he signified that he understood.

Carefully Hal got to his feet and Uncle John followed suit. Then Hal, stepping very softly, moved toward the door. Now it was five, now four, now three paces away--and then the boy laid his hand on the k.n.o.b. Uncle John was right behind him.

The door swung open without so much as a creak, and Hal stepped out.

Uncle John followed him. Hal motioned Uncle John to lead the way down the hall, while he remained behind to close the door. The order was obeyed.

Hal took the precaution to close the door tightly and then hurried after Uncle John. "Well--" began Uncle John, just as they stepped from the building, "I guess we--"

Came a sudden roar from behind them--the roar of a human voice.

"The chief!" exclaimed Hal. "Run!"

Uncle John needed no urging and the two went down the steps four and five at a time. Hal led the way and Uncle John followed close at his heels.

Around the corner they darted even as the chief of police appeared in the doorway--too late to see in which direction his erstwhile prisoners had flown. But the two fugitives could hear his voice raised in another roar, as he thundered out a call for his men to give chase.

"Come on, Uncle John!" shouted Hal, and the latter, although he had long since come to believe that his bones had stiffened with age, surprised himself by the manner in which he flew over the ground.

Fortunately, the street at the moment was deserted. Around one, two, then three corners Hal doubled, and then slowed down.

"Guess we are all right for a few minutes," he gasped.

Uncle John stopped and gasped for breath.

"I'm not as young as I used to be, Hal," he said. "Don't forget that. I can't go a hundred yards in eleven seconds any more."

"Well, you didn't miss it much," said Hal, with a chuckle. "But come on, we must get away from here. If we are caught now, the chances are they will stand us up against a wall and have a shot at us."

"In which event," said Uncle John dryly, "I can still do a hundred yards in ten flat."

Side by side the two walked on.

"The question that now arises," said Uncle John, "is how we are going to get away from here?"

"First," said Hal, "we must go back and see if Chester is still where we left him."

"Like looking for a needle in a haystack," said Uncle John. "This is a pretty good-sized town."

"Not at all," replied Hal. "I have a pretty keen sense of direction; besides, I always make it a point to look at the names of the streets. I can find it in half an hour. Come on."

The lad had not boasted and less than an hour later they stood again in the house where so lately they had been prisoners.

"Well, he's gone," said Hal quietly. "We cannot help him here. The best thing for us to do is to return to Rome and lay the case before the amba.s.sador, who can take the matter up with Amba.s.sador Penfield at Vienna, or through Was.h.i.+ngton."

"The thing to do, then, is to hunt the railroad station," declared Uncle John. "Do you think you can find it?"

"If I can't, I can ask," replied Hal.

Thirty minutes later saw Hal at the ticket window asking what time the next train left for Rome.

"In an hour," was the reply.

Hal purchased two tickets. Then with Uncle John he strolled about the station.

Suddenly the boy halted in his tracks and grabbed Uncle John by the arm, pulling him into a corner. And it was well that he did so, for a moment later there brushed by the spot where they had stood none other than the chief of police and several other men in uniform.

"He may not be looking for us, but the chances are he is," said Hal.

The chief went straight to the ticket office, where he engaged the agent in conversation.

"No Rome for us now," declared Hal. "Come on."

He led the way out of the station and directly stood in the train shed. The boy heard a cry of "All aboard" and saw that a train was about to pull out.

"Don't know where it is going, but we'll get it!" he cried, and Uncle John followed him in his mad dash. By a hard run they succeeded in climbing into an unoccupied compartment even as the guard would have closed the door.

"Where do you suppose we are bound?" asked Uncle John, as he sat down, panting.

"Don't know," was Hal's reply. "We'll find out directly."

A few minutes later the conductor enlightened them.

"Milan," he said.

CHAPTER XIX.

WITH THE ARMY.

"Milan!" echoed Hal. "Good night!"

"Oh, well," said Uncle John, with rare optimism for him, "I guess we can double back from there, can't we?"

"I suppose it can be done," agreed Hal. "But we haven't any business wandering all over this country. We want to get to Rome."

"We'll get there, all right," said Uncle John.

"Yes; but if they happen to nab us we are likely not to get there whole,"

declared Hal.