Dangerous Deeds; Or, The Flight in the Dirigible

e, Lawrence was impressed by the power and force in the steady eyes that looked so straight into hi

ocedure to give such a great enterprise into the hands of a boy like you. Are you sure,"

Lawrence. "I have been fooling with airplanes

you?" asked

know my own name, or my age. I was taken from one of the worst parts of the city to the H

clues?" asked

nsidered. I speak of this because I think you ought to know that what

u attempt what I have in mind for you to do. And I cannot tell you, indeed I cannot guess the outcome. It depends largely on your own da

ake the risks," sa

men coming to see me this morning on this same errand. Step into my private of

lerk rapped on the outer door and entered without waiting for a summons. His face was pale, and his eyes rolled wildly.

asked Mr. Rid

d we can't wake

well see this thing out before you decide to cast your fortune in such dangero

way took one keen glance at their pallid faces and half closed lids, b

ce of the great building and asked sharply, "Office, is the house doctor the

the men still sprawled. "Lay th

a little bag in his hand. His sharp eyes swept the group and he nodded to Mr. Ridge

he said,

nough whiskey in as dry a land as this is now to affect

sing. He prepared a hypodermic needle an

said, "I will know that they are suffering from one of the three newly

er get them to the hospital

s effect, they will be all right in an hour or two; at least they could be

his and every other large city supplied with house physicians for the last three years, but another

hospital when some slight surgical or electrical care would have finished the matter within a short time, and with a great deal less suffering." He took out his stethoscope, l

on as he had seen the unconscious victims of an unknown villain's dastard hand carried away, he turned and beckoned Lawrence to

ve it, Lawren

I understand,"

id Mr. Ridgeway, "a

ons. But to us who happen to be on hand during that adjustment comes the task of hurrying the thing along as much as we possibly can. For this comes the need for absolutely safe transportation

g the most intricate codes. But all the time there are leaks. For instance, a short time ago a message to the King of Morania, sent under a triplicate code, that is, a c

nd agitate the public with intimate affairs of state. But we absolutely must find a means of tra

to make use of the dirigible. Th

service, they have never been interfered with in any way. I am not known to be working with the government, and my one hope was that we could take the new dir

than I can tell you. Someone suspects us, or else

nt on the desk pad by means of which all telephone conversations were recorded, a new invention w

he said finally, and

ooks like business! Come on; we will go out and look the ground over

Lawrence simply. "

afraid. Your duties will be whatever the moment calls for. You may have to drive the car, you may be simply a passenger, a messenger, or a boy idling around the hangars. I want you to be

tions are confid

e rapidly out of the city to the aviation field, where h

in the night and completely destroyed the delicate machiner

were supposed to patrol incessantly. Mr. Ridgeway, however, showed no signs of anger. He ordered an investigation and told the head mechanician to see what

astonishment. "Glad? Why,

erious matter. The knowledge arms us. As for the dirigible-" he paused, and to Lawrence's amazement laughed a merry, wh

ts of the wonderful new machine that was being built for Hamilton Ridgeway, and as I own a lot of the papers, I assure you the accounts were glowing. Well, whoever tackled that bunch of junk in the night was unable to use more than a small glow from a pocket flash, so, as all the brass work was ca

orce of habit he look

back on the sand hills in New Jersey, south of Barnegat. Two fishing launches are there in the inlet, but under the tarpaulins are small but effective machine guns. The fishermen fooling around in them are not as peaceful as they

his monster, threatening his country, was as dangerous and mysterious a dragon as any of the two- or ten-heade

gh as Mr. Ridgeway. He wondered where the leak wa

d showing a good many signs of impatience. As they entered he walked quickly over to Mr. Ridgeway and said in a quick tone, "I tried to beat you in from th

y at Lawrence, and

tell me anything you have to say before

he, Mr. Ridgeway?" asked O'Brien, smiling

Mr. Ridgeway, "but I don'

hat has the beat from two until four was sick last night and I took his place, swearing him to silence about the change. He went to bed in my room, and I went out on the beat. At