Espionage, German -- United States -- Fiction; Germans -- United States -- Fiction; Spy stories
Dixie listened speculatively. Mr. Dollings was exhibiting an unheard
of amount of excitement over a carload of caskets for one who was an
undertaker. And a carload of caskets for an undertaking shop that did
no business!
Her speculations were cut short by the rumble of express wagons. They
drove through the yards to the car. One of the men broke the seal while
Dollings bustled about, excitedly issuing orders. Dixie found a place
where she could watch them without being seen.
Carefully the grewsome boxes were unloaded and carried out to the
express wagons. She saw two wagons loaded and driven across the street
to the shop. Her ruminations over their disposal were cut short by
a crash and sound of splintering wood which quickly brought her
attention back to the unloading process.
Dollings' voice was raised in angry expostulation.
"_Donnerwetter!_ Why didn't you hold on to that end? Here you, Bloedt
cover up that end. Quick! Mahlen, you go too----"
Dixie slipped down behind the freight car and peeped under it. She
could see plainly the splintered box. And though the men were vainly
trying to conceal its contents she could see them. It was no casket
that the box contained. Slipping out from its broken boards were
rifles! Military rifles!
And the car had been filled with scores of boxes similar to this. This
was the cause of Dollings' excitement! Here were rifles enough to fit
out hundreds of men who were gathering at the borders of Canada waiting
the hour to strike. The men at the grading camp were there awaiting
these arms. As soon as they were fitted out the time would be ripe for
the invasion which the powers above them had planned.
Then Dixie remembered the telegram that Dollings had hastened to send
as soon as the car had been reported.
She hurried back into the station. The station agent had left. There
were no trains due until late in the evening. She let herself into the
office and reached for the telegrams which had been filed for the day.
Near the top was Dollings' addressed to
"Captain Franz von Papen
"60 Wall Street
"New York City.
"Everything O.K.
"Dollings."
That was all. But it meant that the rifles had arrived--the rifles
for which Von Lertz and Madam Stephan had been waiting, the rifles
which were to equip the waiting German reservists! An armed invasion
of Canada from American soil. Her mind whirled at the thought of the
complications involved--perhaps war between Great Britain and the
United States on the charge of having fostered this invasion by German
sympathizers!
No! Dixie knew that the moment for action had come. Her fingers sought
the telegraph key.
"Harrison Grant, Criminology Club, New York City," she tapped. "Danger!
Come quick! Wire arrival. Randolph Bruce."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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