"Why not? Mr. Ready has just sold his invention to the United States government."

"Sold it, sir----" began Jack, flushing, "why I----"

The Secretary held up a hand to enjoin silence. Then he turned to the thoroughly uncomfortable Thurman.

"We feel, Mr. Thurman," he said, "that you really tried to do us a great service."

Thurman recovered some of his self-a.s.surance. Could he have had the skill to read the faces about him, though, he must have known that a bomb was about to burst.

"Thank you, sir," he said, "I did what I could, what I thought was my duty. And now, sir, about that reward."

"'Suitable reward,' was what was said, I think, Mr. Thurman," said the Secretary.

"Well, yes, sir, 'suitable reward,'" responded Thurman, his eyes glistening with cupidity.

"Mr. Thurman," and the Secretary's voice was serious and impressive, "these gentlemen and I have decided that the most suitable reward for a young man as treacherous and mean as you have shown yourself to be, would be to be kicked downstairs. Instead I shall indicate to you the door and ask you to take your leave."

"But--but--I told you who the fellow was that had discovered the detector. Why, I even made drawings of it for you."

"I don't doubt that," said the Secretary dryly. "There was only one weak point in your whole scheme, Mr. Thurman, and that was that Mr. Ready wrote us some time ago when he first began his experiments about his work and asked some advice. At that time he informed us that if he succeeded in producing a Universal Detector that it would be at the service of this government. So you see that you were kind enough to inform us of something we knew already. But for a time we were at a loss to know whether it was not some other inventor working on similar lines who had discovered such a detector. To find out definitely we fine-combed the country."

"And--and I get no reward?" stuttered Thurman.

"Except the one I mentioned and the possible lesson you may have learned from your experience. Good-afternoon, Mr. Thurman."

Thurman was so thunderstruck by the collapse of his hopes of reaping a fortune by his treachery that he appeared for a moment to be deprived of the power of locomotion. The Secretary nodded to the orderly, who came forward and took the wretched youth, for whom Jack could not help feeling sorry, by the arm and led him to the door. This was the last that was seen of Thurman for a long time, but Jack was destined to meet him again, thousands of miles away and under strange circ.u.mstances.

When Jack left the Navy Department he felt as if he was walking on air.

In his pocket was a check, intended as a sort of retaining fee by the government, till tests should have established beyond a doubt the value of his invention. His eyes were dancing and all he felt that he needed was a friend to share his pleasure with. This need was supplied on his return to the hotel, for there was a telegram from Billy Raynor, telling Jack to meet him on an evening train. It wound up with these words:

"Helen Dennis and myself badly worried. Hope everything is all right."

"All right," smiled Jack, "yes, all right, and then some."

CHAPTER x.x.xII.

THE PLOTTER'S TRIUMPH.

The face of one of the first of the pa.s.sengers to disembark from the train as it rolled into the depot was a familiar one to Jack. With a thrill of pleasure he darted through the crowd to clasp the hand of his old friend, Captain Simms.

"Here's a coincidence," he exclaimed. "I'm here to meet Billy Raynor. He must have come on the same train. But are you ill, sir? Is anything the matter?"

"Jack, my boy," said the captain, who was pale and drawn, "a terrible thing has happened. The code has been stolen."

"Stolen! By whom?"

"Undoubtedly by Judson and his gang. I thought I saw them on the train between Clayton and New York. I was on my way here with the completed code. I had it under my pillow in my berth on the sleeper. When I awakened it had gone."

"Didn't you have a hunt made for Judson when you reached New York?"

"Yes, but we had made two stops in the night. Undoubtedly, they got off at one of them. Unless that code is found I'm a ruined and a disgraced man."

At that moment Billy Raynor came hurrying up. But there was not much warmth in Jack's welcome to him. His mind was busy with other things.

"What's the matter?" said Billy in a low voice, for he too had noticed Captain Simms' dejection.

"Never mind now," whispered Jack, "I'll tell you later. If I may suggest it, sir," he said, addressing the captain, who appeared completely broken by the loss of the code, "hadn't we better get into a cab and drive to the Willard? You are not going to the department to-night?"

"No, I couldn't face them to-night," said the captain. "We'll do as you say."

"There may be a way of catching the rascals," said Jack as the taxicab b.u.mped off.

The captain shook his head.

"The code is in the hands of the amba.s.sador of the foreign power that wanted it as the price of a contract by this time," he said. "It is gone beyond recovery. I am disgraced."

On their arrival at the hotel, the captain retired at once to his room.

The boys had dinner without much appet.i.te for the meal and then set out for a stroll to talk things over.

"This is a terrible off-set to my good news," said Jack.

"Don't you think there's a chance of getting the code back?" asked Billy.

Jack shook his head.

"I think it is as Captain Simms said, the code is in the hands of that amba.s.sador by this time."

"Jack Ready, by all that's good, and Billy too, shake!"

The cry came from up the street and a tall, good-looking lad of their own age came hurrying toward them. It was Ned Rivers, a youth who was interested in wireless and in that way had become acquainted with Jack and Billy on board the _Tropic Queen_ while he was accompanying his father on a cruise on that ill-fated ship.

"Ned!" cried Jack.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," exclaimed Billy, and a general handshaking followed.

"What are you doing here, Ned?" asked Jack, after a few more words had been exchanged.

"Yes, I thought you lived in Nebraska," said Billy.

"So we did, but we've moved here. Father's in the Senate now. I thought you knew."

"Congratulations," said Jack. "I guess we'll have to call you Mr.

Senator, Jr., now and tip our hats to you."

"Avast with that nonsense, as they don't say at sea," laughed Ned.