The Rover Boys Under Canvas Or The Mystery of the Wrecked Submarine Part 45

"This will prove a very important capture," said Mr. Blarcomb, who was the head officer of the crowd. "And you, young men, can rest a.s.sured that you will get full credit for what you have done."

"If you don't mind, I wish you would drop us off at our camp," said Jack. "It will save us a whole lot of tramping."

"We'll do that willingly."

It did not take the motor boat long to cover the distance to the front of the camp where the cadets were in the habit of bathing. A few were now in the water, and they looked in wonder at the sudden appearance of the Rovers and Gif.

"There is Captain Dale now!" cried Jack, when they had landed and the motor boat had gone on its way. "My! won't he be surprised at the story we have to tell?"

"Maybe he has already heard it, from Andy and Randy and Spouter,"

suggested Gif.

But the old West Pointer had heard nothing, for the others had not yet come in from the forest. He listened in amazement to the story the boys had to tell.

"I would like to be at that round-up myself," he declared. "I trust that they capture every one of the rascals." And then he added with a smile: "This is certainly a feather in your caps, lads."

It was only a little later when the twins and Spouter came in. They, of course, were also excited.

"Got one of the Germans and got the Secret Service men on the trail!"

declared Fred proudly.

"Good enough!" cried Andy. "But say! we have got our little story to tell, too;" and then he and the others related what had been discovered at the cabin in the woods.

"This certainly is important," declared Captain Dale. "Who would ever suppose that Mr. Brown and Mr. Martell were in league with these Germans! They certainly ought to be captured."

"And I'd like to be there when they are caught," declared Randy.

"Well, perhaps you will be," answered Captain Dale significantly.

CHAPTER x.x.x

AN IMPORTANT CAPTURE--CONCLUSION

Even though somewhat old and likewise rheumatic, Captain Dale was still a man of action, and less than half an hour later he had perfected an arrangement with the Secret Service authorities both at Rackville and at Camp Huxwell. Three automobiles were requisitioned and a detail of sixteen men, accompanied by several Secret Service authorities soon left Camp Huxwell, stopping on the way at the edge of Camp Barlight. They took on board the Rovers and their chums, and likewise Captain Dale, all of whom were anxious to see the wind-up of this remarkable happening.

While still some distance from the cabin, the automobiles were brought to a standstill, and the officers and soldiers, as well as the cadets and Captain Dale, alighted, and all took to the shelter of the brushwood.

A wait of nearly half an hour ensued, and during that time the three automobiles were run deep into the woods, where they would not be noticed by any pa.s.sersby. Then Randy, who had been sent down the road, came back on the run.

"An auto is coming!" he announced.

He was right, and a minute later, the machine, driven by Slugger Brown, came into sight and ran up to the side of the cabin. Mr. Brown and Mr. Martell alighted, leaving Slugger and Nappy in the car as before.

"Don't let 'em keep you here all night, Dad!" cried Nappy.

"Make 'em come to terms quick," said Slugger. "They have no right to hold back on you."

"You leave this business to us--we know what we are doing," answered Mr. Brown.

Of course, those who had come to the place from the two camps had not shown themselves. All were secreted behind the trees and bushes on the opposite side of the cabin. Now they watched intently while Mr. Brown and Mr. Martell entered the cabin, and as they did this they noted a steady _put-put_ on the forest road, and soon a motorcycle came into sight, ridden by a middle-aged man carrying a satchel over his shoulder.

"That must be the fellow who went to the bank to get the money,"

whispered Andy.

The Secret Service men had arranged their plans with care. At a given signal four of the soldiers from Camp Huxwell surrounded the automobile occupied by Slugger and Nappy, who as before were making themselves comfortable in the tonneau and smoking cigarettes. To say that those two unworthies were surprised, would be putting it mildly.

Slugger leaped to his feet in amazement, while Nappy set up a howl of terror, begging the soldiers not to shoot them.

"We haven't done anything wrong!" howled Nappy. "Please don't point that gun at me!"

"I don't understand this," said Slugger nervously. "There must be some mistake."

"The only mistake is the one you made, young man," declared one of the soldiers briefly.

In the meantime there was an interesting scene going on in the main room of the cabin. The German in charge of the place and the fellow who had come in on the motorcycle were talking earnestly to Slogwell Brown and Nelson Martell. The men from New York had a number of doc.u.ments on a table, and were trying to prove that the Germans owed them over eleven thousand dollars, while the Germans were equally emphatic in declaring that the amount due was less than ten thousand dollars.

"You've got to pay the full amount," growled Mr. Brown. "I won't take off a cent!"

"That's the talk!" broke in Mr. Martell. "And you ought not to kick, either. We have taken terrible chances in having these things supplied to you."

"Yes, and don't forget that you would never have had this secret base on Barlight Bay if it hadn't been for me," put in Slogwell Brown.

"We're not forgetting anything," said one of the Germans. "And if you insist upon it that we owe you that amount, we will pay it."

The man who had come in on the motorcycle had opened his valise, and now he took out several packages of banknotes. Evidently Brown and Martell were to be paid in cash. Probably they had refused to accept anything in the way of a check.

The money had just been paid over and some receipts given when the leader of the Secret Service men gave the order, and the cabin was immediately surrounded.

"Hands up in there, everybody!" was the stern command.

If Slugger and Nappy had been surprised, their fathers were even more so, while the two Germans were taken completely off their guard. Each of the latter was armed, but one look at the United States officers with their pistols and the soldiers with their rifles was too much for them, and with grunts of disgust they threw their hands into the air.

"Who--what--I--er--I don't understand this," stammered Slogwell Brown, turning pale.

"There--there--must be--er--some mistake," faltered Nelson Martell, and then with shaking knees he sank slowly back on a bench.

A brief war of words followed, Brown and Martell doing everything they could think of to explain the situation so that they might not be placed under arrest. But their guilt was so bare-faced that the government officers would hardly listen to them. Both they and the Germans were searched and all their weapons were taken from them. Then the prisoners were handcuffed together, and the officers made a thorough search of the cabin, picking up everything it contained of value. One took charge of the doc.u.ments found and also the money which had been pa.s.sed over to Mr. Brown.

"A fine piece of business for a so-called American to be in!" said the head Secret Service man to Brown and Martell sternly. "I wouldn't be in your shoes for a billion dollars."

"It's--it's--all a mistake. I'll--er--explain everything later," said Slogwell Brown weakly.

As for Nelson Martell, he was on the verge of a collapse, and had to be supported when all left the cabin.

In the meanwhile other interesting happenings were taking place in the vicinity of the wrecked submarine. There a number of Secret Service men and other officers of the law under the leaders.h.i.+p of Mr.

Blarcomb, did what they could to round up all those connected with the U-boat. There was something of a running fight, and quite a few shots were exchanged. In this fight two of the Germans were seriously wounded, and one of the Secret Service men got a bullet through his shoulder. But in the end all of the enemy were captured, and then the authorities took charge of the disabled submarine, and also the underground workshop, where the Germans had been laboring so hard to get their undersea boat once more into shape to sail.