CHAPTER XXIWINCKEL CALLS A HALT
THERE were glaring headlines in the newspapers the next morning. War was on. People who had doubted all along, who could not believe it possible, now had to believe. And, although England was as yet not involved, no one was optimistic enough to imagine that she would stay out of it.
Around newspaper offices, everywhere, excited, eager groups discussed it all. Many a man heard the thrilling call of his native land and many listened and made plans to return to either Germany, Russia, England or France.
Yet neither in headlines nor in the ordinary run of news, was there mention made of the events of our story. Silent, powerful forces were at work to keep it quiet.
The automobile of Herr Winckel stopped before his house and from it Schmidt,O’Reilly and the owner alighted. They made their way to the cellar, a precaution as to the safekeeping of the prisoners. O’Reilly and Schmidt were to be guests of Winckel for the night. Much work had been planned for the morning.
“Quiet, aren’t they?” said Schmidt, as Winckel started to turn on the light.
“I guess they are asleep,” remarked O’Reilly. The light glared. A moment’s hush. There were astonished and wondering exclamations. The ropes which had held the prisoners tied, were strewn about, but the prisoners were nowhere.
“What can it mean?” exclaimed Winckel, searching vainly for an explanation.
Wild guesses were made by the three as to how the escape was made.
“Well,” said Winckel after awhile, “never mind how they escaped, the important thing is—how much have they found out of our plans.” He showed plainly how disturbed he was.
“How can they have found out about our plans? Pretty far fetched to imagine that they could have obtained any information—thechances are that they did not escape until late this evening.”
O’Reilly interrupted Schmidt. “Is there any way in which we can find out the last time someone in the house saw the prisoners?”
“Good idea,” said Winckel. “We shall soon find out.”
The household was awakened. Inquiries and investigation showed that Lauer, a trusted employee of Winckel, had taken a last look at the prisoners at about ten o’clock. He was certain of that; he had heard their voices, although he could not make out what they spoke about.
There were sighs of relief from Schmidt and O’Reilly, who felt that the situation was covered, but Winckel was more skeptical and less canny.
“I will admit that they were here until ten o’clock and later. I will even admit that they were not listening at the conference. But how was their escape managed and why after ten? Did they have outside help and how did the outside help know of their imprisonment here?
“Both of you gentlemen may be tired andmay wish to retire. Please do so, if you want to. I am going down to our meeting-place to see what I can see. A little late, I will admit, and it may not do us much good, but there is always a chance. It is important for us to find out if we have blundered, if our plans have been disclosed.”
Both Schmidt and O’Reilly insisted on accompanying Winckel and the three left the house in the next five minutes.
They reached the building in about twenty minutes. No policeman was about to see them violate the speed laws on the way. An immediate and careful search of the room was made, to see if anyone had been there since they left and also for any clue as to the probable leak.
“Nothing seems wrong as far as I can see,” O’Reilly started to say. “Hello, what is this?” He had discovered the cleverly concealed wires of the dictaphone. Winckel and Schmidt joined him on the instant. They traced the wires and soon found out the whole layout.
“Mischief is certainly afoot,” exclaimed Schmidt. The other men said nothing, but studied the proposition.
“There still is a chance,” said O’Reilly in an unconvincing manner—as if he wanted to believe something his better sense did not permit him to do, “that this outfit was not used since Strong and the other man had been kept from it.”
A sickening thought at the same instant came to Schmidt. “O’Reilly, we talked about the prisoners, how we had trapped them, where they were—and all the time someone was listening. That someone heard all we had to say and then, after we were all through, he went up to Winckel’s house and rescued them.”
Winckel said nothing for many minutes; he seemed lost in thought. The other men waited for him to speak. Finally he did.
“We are a lot of dunces. We were so sure of ourselves, we felt we were so wise. Pride goeth before a fall and we fell. We must give up our plans. It is up to both of you to get busy, we still have time to keep out of trouble. There is a ray of comfort in that, at least.”
“I hate to think what Knabe and the others at the embassy will think,” was the rueful comment of Schmidt.
“Don’t let that bother you. This plan has failed, we must plan again—when again we match wits, let us hope we shall be more careful and consequently more successful. Come, enough of post mortems, let’s get busy.”
It was a busy night for all of them. There were many men who had to be seen and who in turn had to see others. It was, so they explained to the others, a matter of life and death that all preparations cease at once, as there would be close and careful watch kept. There was much telephoning and telegraphing to the friends who were in other cities.
There can be nothing but thorough admiration for the effective, capable way these men went about calling a halt to all activities. Like a perfect, well oiled machine which slows down and then ceases its movements, until there is something tremendously impressive in its inaction and silence; like a well-drilled army which retreats magnificently and in its very retreat almost gains a victory, so much like all this, was the action and the work of these men at this time. They were obeyed as only the Germansknow how to obey. By morning, there was no sign, no clue to their plans and activities. One thing only remained to prove the danger to Canada that had been. Arsenals and warehouses holding weapons and vehicles of war were found at the places shown on the list that Ted had copied.
At Ottawa and a little later in London and in Washington, the powers—the men at the helm—found out that what would in all probability have been a successful invasion of Canada had been checked. And they found out, too, just how and in what way it had been done.