第51章

THE LONG-LOST MINE

There was a silence after the inspiring words of the operator, and then it seemed that everyone began to talk at once.The record-breaking shot, the effect of it and the struggle that had taken place in the powder room, together with the flight of von Brunderger and his servant, gave many subjects for excited conversation.

"I've got to get at the bottom of this!" cried Tom, making his way through the press of officials to where the wireless operator stood."Just repeat that," requested Tom, and they all gave place for him, waiting for the answer.

The operator read the message again.

"Thirty-three miles!" murmured Tom."That is better than I dared to hope.But what's that about blowing the top off an island?""That's what you did, with that explosive shell, Mr.Swift.The operator on the firing-zone ship saw the top fly off when the shell struck.The ship was about half a mile away, and when they heard that shell coming the officers thought it was all up with them.But, instead, it passed over them and demolished the top of the mountain.

"Anybody hurt?" asked Tom, anxiously.

"No, it was an uninhabited island.But you have made the record shot, all right.It went farther than any of the others.""Then I suppose I ought to be satisfied," remarked Tom, with a smile."What was that disturbance, Mr.Swift?" asked the chief ordnanceofficer, coming forward.

"I don't understand it myself," replied the young inventor."It appeared that someone went into the ammunition room, and Koku, my giant servant, attacked him.""As he had a right to do.But who was the intruder?" "Herr von Brunderger's man.""Ha! That German officer's! Where is he, he must explain this."But Herr von Brunderger was not to be found, nor was his man inevidence.They had fled, and when a search was made of their rooms, damaging evidence was found.Before a board of investigating officers Koku told his story, after the gun tests had been declared off for the day, they having been most satisfactory.

The German officer's servant, it appeared, had managed to gain entrance to the ammunition chamber by means of a false key to the outer door.There were two entrances, the other being from the top of the platform where the cannon rested.Koku had seen him about to throw something into one of the ammunition cases, and had grappled with him.There was a fight, and, in spite of the giant's strength, the man had slipped away, leaving part of his garments in the grasp of Koku.

An investigation of some of the powder showed that it had been covered with a chemical that would have made it explode prematurely when placed in the gun.It would probably have wrecked the cannon by blowing out the breech block, and might have done serious damage to life as well as property.

"But what was the object?" asked Ned.

"To destroy Tom's gun," declared Mr.Damon."Why should von Brunderger want to do that?"They found the answer among his papers.He had been a German officer of high rank, but had been dismissed from the secret service of his country for bad conduct.Then, it appeared, he thought of the plan of doing some damage to a foreign country in order to get back in the good graces of his Fatherland.

He forged documents of introduction and authority, and was received with courtesy by the United States officials.In some way he heard of Tom's gun, and that it was likely to be so successful that it would be adopted by the United States government.This he wanted to prevent, and he went to great lengths to accomplish this.It was he, or an agent of his, who forged the letter of invitation to General Waller, and who first tried to spoil Tom's test by doping the powder through Koku.

Later he tried other means, sending a midnight visitor to Tom's house and even going to the length of filing the cables in the storm, so the gun would roll off the warship into the sea.All this was found set down in hispapers, for he kept a record of what he had done in order to prove his case to his own government.It was his servant who tried to get near the gun while it was being cast.

That he would be restored to favor had he succeeded, was an open question, though with Germany's friendliness toward the United States it is probable that his acts would have been repudiated.But he was desperate.