Produced by Andrew Sly, Al Haines and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) [Frontispiece: He Moved a Step Nearer the Steel Rail.] THE MEN WHO WROUGHT By RIDGWELL CULLUM _Author of "The Night Riders," "The Way of the Strong," "The Law Breakers," etc._ PHILADELPHIA GEORGE W. JACOBS & COMPANY PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1916, by George W. Jacobs & Company _All rights reserved_ Printed in U. S. A. BY THE SAME AUTHOR The Golden Woman The Law-Breakers The Way of the Strong The Twins of Suffering Creek The Night-Riders The One-Way Trail The Trail of the Axe The Sheriff of Dyke Hole The Watchers of the Plains CONTENTS I. The Danger II. A Strange Meeting III. The Mystery IV. Mr. Charles Smith V. The Lure VI. The Old Mill Cove VII. On the Grey North Sea VIII. Borga IX. The Friendly Deep X. The Future XI. Back at Dorby Towers XII. Kuhlhafen XIII. News XIV. "Kamerads" XV. The Ineradicable Strain XVI. Enemy Movements XVII. The Crouch of the Tiger XVIII. From Beneath the Waters XIX. The Tiger Springs XX. Bar-Leighton XXI. Enemy Movements XXII. A Means of Escape XXIII. The Wreck at Dorby XXIV. Ruxton Arrives at a Great Decision XXV. The Sweetness of Life XXVI. Ruxton Wins a Trick XXVII. The Week-End Begins XXVIII. The Week-End XXIX. The Close of the Week-End XXX. Gazing Upon a New World XXXI. After Twelve Months ILLUSTRATIONS He moved a step nearer the rail . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_ Out of the grey waters rose the submersible "Go on," he said sharply THE MEN WHO WROUGHT CHAPTER I THE DANGER "Amongst the many uncertainties which this deplorable, patched-up peace has brought us, there is, at least, one significant certainty, my boy. It's the inventor. He's buzzing about our heads like a fly in summer-time, and he's just about as--sticky." Sir Andrew Farlow sighed. His sigh was an expression of relief; relief at the thought that he and his son, dining together at Dorby Towers for the first time since the dissolution of Parliament had released the latter from his political duties, had at last reached the end of a long discussion of the position brought about by the hopelessly patched-up peace, which, for the moment, had suspended the three years of terrible hostilities which had hurled the whole of Europe headlong over the precipice of ruin. The great ship-owner toyed with the delicate stem of his liquor glass. There was a smile in his keen blue eyes. But it was a smile without lightness of heart to support it. "Yes, I know. They've been busy enough throughout the war--and to some purpose. Now we have a breathing space they'll spread like a--plague."