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
Somebody hailed me in the darkness as I approached the spot where I had
left her.
I recognized the spy's voice.
"Have you see Herr Brackenbury?" he asked in his broken English.
I halted, amazed. The spy had, it seemed, outwitted us and upset all our
plans!
Scarcely could I reply, however, before I heard a movement behind me,
and two figures loomed up. They were my master and Shand.
"All right?" inquired the American in a low voice, to which the spy gave
an affirmative answer.
"Light those lamps, Nye," ordered my master quickly. "We must get away
this instant."
"But----" I exclaimed.
"Quick, my dear fellow! There's not a moment to lose. Jump in, boys," he
urged.
And a couple of minutes later, with our lamps glaring, we had turned out
upon the broad highway and were travelling at a full forty miles an hour
upon the high road to Leicester.
What could it all mean? My master and his companion seemed on the most
friendly terms with the spy.
Ten miles from the lodge-gates of Edgcott at a cross-road we picked up
an ill-dressed man whom I recognised as the Baptist missionary, Richard
Raven, and with the Honourable Bob at my side directing me we tore on
through the night, traversing numberless by-roads, until at dawn I
suddenly recognised that we were on the North Road, close to Codicote.
A quarter of an hour later we had run the car round to the rear of
Shand's pretty rose-embowered cottage, and all descended.
I made excuse to the Honourable Bob that the screw top of the radiator
was missing, whereupon von Rausch laughed heartily, and picking up a
piece of wire from the bench he bent it so as to form a hook, and with
it fished down in the hot water inside.
His companions stood watching, but judge my surprise when I saw him of a
sudden draw forth a small aluminium cylinder, the top of which he
screwed off and from it took out a piece of tracing-linen tightly
folded.
This he spread out, and my quick eyes saw that it was a carefully drawn
tracing of a portion of the new type of battleship of the _Neptune_
class (the improved _Dreadnought_ type), with many marginal notes in
German in a feminine hand.
In an instant the astounding truth became plain to me. The Baronne, who
was in von Rausch's employ, had no doubt surreptitiously obtained the
original from Mr. Henry Seymour's despatch-box, it having been sent down
to him to Edgcott for his approval.
A most important British naval secret was, I saw, in the hands of the
clever spies of the Kaiser!
I made no remark, for in presence of those men was I not helpless?
They took the tracing in the house, and for half an hour held carousal
in celebration of their success.
Presently Brackenbury came forth to me and said:
"The Colonel is going to Harwich this evening, and you must drive him.
The boat for the 'Hook' leaves at half-past ten, I think."
"Very well, sir," I replied, with apparent indifference. "I shall be
quite ready."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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