The Radio Boys on the Mexican Border Part 14

They ate hungrily with little conversation. Pete hovered near and his presence restrained them from talking about the topic that was uppermost in their minds.

"How about taking a look at the radio plant?" asked Jack when they had ended breakfast.

The others agreed eagerly. They were in the act of leaving the table when Mr. Temple appeared. They crowded about him with questions.

"Easy, easy there," he protested. "I'm hungry as a hunter. Suppose you boys wait outside for me while I get a bite, and then I'll join you."

When Mr. Temple emerged, he lighted a cigar and leaned against a pillar. The boys stood about him. For several moments he was silent, staring out over the expanse of desert to the hills beyond, all s.h.i.+mmering beneath the heat of the summer sun.

"It's a long story," he began, "but I'll simplify it for you. Rollins held the key to the mystery. He has a family back East, an invalid wife, a son in college, a daughter just preparing to enter college.

All that takes money, for doctor bills and school bills and clothes for the girl. Rollins was a poor man on a salary.

"He needed money and couldn't see his way to getting it. Then a minor official of the Octopus put temptation in his way by making him a proposition. Mind you, he wasn't one of the big men of the Oil Trust.

I feel certain they know nothing about all this.

"This man proposed that Rollins obtain certain inside information about the independent oil operators and sell it to him. Rollins wanted to, but couldn't get the information. It was too closely guarded by Mr. Hampton.

"It was then that another temptation came Rollins's way." Mr. Temple paused. "A weak man seems to carry certain earmarks that draw scoundrels to him, boys," he said. "It was so with Rollins. At this moment a representative of Calomares, the Mexican landowner who is backing the northern rebels, sought him out with a proposition that he betray his employers. The rebels, as I suspected, wanted to make trouble for President Obregon, of Mexico, by embroiling him with the United States. And the way they wanted to set about it was by raiding the independent oil operators. They needed a spy at our headquarters, and they proposed that Rollins should become their man.

"Then Rollins had an inspiration. He told the Mexicans that if they would help him, he would aid them. It was agreed. The agent who had acted for Calomares in the negotiations was this German, Von Arnheim, an aviator and a German secret agent in Mexico during the war. He took the man Morales with him to Mr. Hampton's Long Island home to steal the duplicate list of independent leases and other data which Rollins had learned was kept there."

"That's where I came in," grinned Bob.

"Yes," said his father, "and it was because you foiled them that Rollins came into possession of Mr. Hampton's own original copy of the list and other data. For he stole it from Mr. Hampton's effects after Von Arnheim and Morales had carried him away captive in our airplane."

"How about this attack on us yesterday?" asked Jack.

"As you suspected, it was for the purpose of capturing me, too," said Mr. Temple. "And Rollins had let the bandits know when I would arrive.

Remedios was his go-between."

"Well," said Jack, "there's only one thing more."

"What is that?" asked Frank.

"Why, I'd like to know whom Rollins radioed to last night."

"I found that out, too," said Mr. Temple. "He was talking to the Calomares ranch in Old Mexico, which has a very powerful station, according to Rollins. He says the German, Von Arnheim, told him that there are similar powerful radio stations scattered throughout Mexico and South America, all built by German money for the use of its spy system. And he said this German told him the most powerful station of all was on an island in the Caribbean, and that it was so powerful it could communicate with Nauen, Germany."

It was apparent that Mr. Temple had concluded his explanation, and Bob and Frank began to ply him with questions. Jack, however, stood silent, his face averted. Mr. Temple presently broke from the others and laying a hand on Jack's shoulder whirled him about.

"Father?" asked he, in a kindly tone.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, Jack, I've got the beginnings of a plan in mind. But first I must get more information from Rollins. Then I'll talk to you again."

Jack looked him squarely in the face.

"Mr. Temple," said he firmly, "I'm desperate. Father is everything in the world to me. I'll wait to talk with you. But I tell you frankly the only plan that appeals to me is to ride into Old Mexico and rescue him."

The eyes of Bob and Frank, who had turned to listen, lighted up, and they nodded vigorous approval. Mr. Temple stood off and looked at the trio of husky fellows as if seeing them for the first time.

"Perhaps," said he, "that is what you will soon be doing."

CHAPTER XV

TO THE RESCUE

"I may be wrong," said Mr. Temple, thoughtfully, "in giving my sanction to this plan to rescue Mr. Hampton. But I do not believe so.

And, all things considered, it seems the best if not the only way out.

"I have been accustomed to regard you as mere boys, but the conduct of every one of you in our adventures lately shows me you are able to think and act for yourselves. Yet I don't know. Jack, you and Frank are motherless. But--if anything happened to Bob--his mother never would forgive me."

"Say, Dad, forget it," grumbled the big fellow to hide his emotion. "I can take care of myself."

His father's eyes lighted approvingly as they surveyed his truly heroic frame.

"Yes, I guess you can," he said. "And you carry a cool head, too. At any rate, I've given my approval."

He smiled whimsically, then looked from one to another of the three eager young fellows.

"My daughter Delia was right," he said. "When I left home she said I was wrong to think of you any more as youngsters, and that the first thing I knew you would be making use of your wit and ingenuity to take care of me. And now her words in a measure are coming true."

All four were grouped around the dining room table. For several hours plans for the rescue of Mr. Hampton had been discussed and rejected.

Out of it had grown a plan which called for a daring invasion of the enemy's territory by the boys.

Mr. Temple had impressed upon them the necessity for preventing the United States government from being involved in the situation. He had explained a number of angles not made clear before. Among other considerations, he said, was the fact that practically all the Central and South American republics were jealous of their big Yankee neighbor.

"If our government were to make a hostile move toward Mexico," he declared, "the other Latin republics would misconstrue our motives.

They would consider that because of our size we were acting the part of the bully in order to reap financial benefit. They call us the 'Dollar Republic,' you know. Our interests in Central and South America would suffer a severe setback."

Accordingly, it was distinctly up to the boys and Mr. Temple to effect Mr. Hampton's rescue themselves. And out of the discussion had grown the plan to have Jack, Bob and Frank make their way to the Calomares ranch and offer their services to the rebel forces in the guise of young Americans who were seeking adventure.

Once within the rebel stronghold they would bide their time and await an opportunity to free Mr. Hampton and escape with him.

"I, for one, won't be content until I get back our airplane," said Frank, when the details were being discussed. "Probably we shall be able to recapture it, and then we can all four make our escape in it.

The 'plane carries three easily and can be made to carry four at a pinch."

"Hurray for you," cried Jack, delightedly. "That's a real idea."

"I'll say so," declared Bob. "We can do it, too. I know we can."

Carried away by the boys' enthusiasm, Mr. Temple nodded approval.