Spies of the Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of EnglandLe Queux, William
History
Spies of the Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of England
Le Queux, William
Espionage, German -- Fiction; Great Britain -- History -- Invasions -- Fiction; Intelligence service -- Fiction; Spy stories
The truth was in an instant plain. Old Busch was a "fixed-agent," who
was carrying on the same work along the Yorkshire coast as his ingenious
compatriots were doing in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. The remainder of
that day I kept a sharp eye upon him, and witnessed him making many
notes and taking many photographs of the various farms and houses near
the sea. He noted the number of haystacks in the farmyards--for his
report on fodder stores, no doubt--and made certain notes regarding the
houses, of great use, no doubt, when the Germans came to billet their
troops.
It was not until nearly midnight that I was back at the hotel in Hull.
Then, by judicious inquiry of the hall porter--who had become my
particular friend--I ascertained that Gessner had left for London by the
last train.
Should I follow, or should I remain in Hull?
I decided upon the latter course, and retired to bed, thoroughly fagged
out.
Early next morning I went round to the telephone-exchange, rather than
use the instrument in the hotel, and rang up Raymond.
To my delight he answered my call. He was at home.
I gave him a rapid digest of what I had discovered, and told him that
the German had returned to Sydenham.
"All right, old chap," came his voice over the wire. "Vera will watch at
this end, while you watch yours. If what I guess is right, they're doing
something far more serious than surveying that flat coast north of the
Humber. Be careful not to betray yourself."
"Trust me for that," I laughed. "Are you going back to Sheerness?"
"Yes. I'll be there all day to-day--and to-morrow I hope to get one of
our friends the enemy arrested. That's what I'm trying for.
Good-bye--and good luck," and he rang off.
Busch went to the factory where Dubois was already awaiting him. As I
stood outside that building of mystery I wondered what devilment was
being plotted within. It had not been cleaned or painted, the windows
being still thick with soot, and several of them, which had been broken,
were boarded up. The place had certainly not been cleaned down for
years, and no wonder they had been suspicious of the stability of that
chimney which towered so high towards the murky sky.
There was no sign whatever of activity within, or of any business about
to be carried on. Thus, day followed day, Busch and Dubois spending most
of their time within those high walls which held their secret.
One curious thing was the number of telegrams delivered there. Sometimes
they sent and received as many as fourteen or fifteen in a day. How I
longed to know with whom they were in such constant communication.
Suddenly, after the third day, the shoal of wires entirely ceased. Busch
and Dubois, instead of going to the factory, spent the day in the
country, taking train to Patrington and walking through Skeffling went
out to Kilnsea, opposite Great Grimsby at the entrance to the Humber.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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