Show 14 1 4 aby ARED WHITE ail T au RI au THIC THE STORY SO PAR FAR more than foreign troops which had bee been secretly transported to mexico luddeni suddenly S t lavid the lie un united tied states intelligence officer benning had bad discovered their plans while a spy in mexico city where he be had bad gained the confidence ol of fincke and nd bravot two to enemy ofil officers cers but a CHAPTER XIV continued colonel Flag will was asleep at his desk when benning reported at the I 1 war department in mid afternoon the G 2 chief woke with a start and vigorously shook himself into full wakefulness youve certainly justified your I 1 existence again Flag will ex JK claimed smiling at his assistant weve already ordered the prompt arrest of all andes stockholders innocent and guilty ahke aake that means the biggest spy roundup in history we can separate sheep from goats after we weve ve arrested the whole lot now is no time for half measy 1 ures benning said im sorry bravot got away sir sir hell be a magician Flag will vowed if he gets through the nets weve laid for him As Flag will turned back to his lit fa desk his eye fell upon a pen r ailed memorandum he looked up f sharply at benning ive just found another little i chore lor for you to sit in on a very 1 secret party row over successor to f the presidency Flag will lowered his voice and spoke rapidly A par aisan intrigue to force senator tanh nard secretary of state out of the t line of succession it all hinges on j the fact that bannard received an interim appointment from the f dent last fall when secretary hinges F died bannard has not yet been con firmed by the senate f now if congress rejects tan nards bards appointment the presidency falls by law to judge baucom secretary 1 of the treasury since baucom is party leader and wheel f horse it is likely that a swift party i coup will bring this about as tan nard may not want to make a fight for his confirmation under all the circumstances on reaching capitol hill a few minutes before four benning passed the house chamber went downstairs and took the tun nel trolley across to the senate office building the selected senators leaders of the party in power were just arriving when benning reachel achec re the baucom conference room and and was admitted by a baucom secretary r secretary baucom rose promptly when the door closed on the last of those he had summoned baucom was a large man square faced straight lipped with friendly level gray eyes friends I 1 must announce that there will be a slight delay baucom said abruptly his eyes ran slowly from face to face as if to test the mettle of those present against what he had to say 1 I have just tent sent for secretary bannard Tan nard benning saw an interchange of f astonished glances among those present and felt his own brows knot at baucome Bau coms astounding announcement bannard long had been known as the particular political foe of secretary baucom my reason tor for asking bannard here he said in a low determined voice is I 1 consider him the man best qualified among all of us to lead the country through our present crisis senator veteran senate leader was on his feet in his taut face was reflected the prevalent astonishment ment at baucome Bau coms invitation to bannard Tan nard 0 please be informed sir that I 1 consulted the majority opinion before we came here therefore I 1 speak their opinion as well as my own when I 1 inform you sir that it I 1 is s your distinguished self we intend to name president of the united states and this by the simple method of disqualifying secretary bannard Tan nard baucome Bau coms face softened to a serene smile but he slowly shook his massive gray head 1 I appreciate the honor you pay rne ie 11 he interrupted but we face an emergency gentlemen ft in S which men are going to surrender their lives to their sense of duty lust just as captain boll did that makes it very easy tor for me to surrender so small a thing as my personal ambition from now on we must revive solve to smash party considerations vur our national crisis is serious enough without divis divisions ions among ourselves must set a personal example and I 1 confess to you frankly th that at I 1 am too old and lack the vigor and frankly the abilities that are needed t at this time 1 I he paused a moment his eyes J fixed defiantly on then he went i on n ln in a milder er voice f if your minds gentlemen are K free ee of 0 purely partisan prejudices y louwill YOU V Will not challenge rhy my proposal of bannard for president bannard has comparative Para tive youth and vigor 4 i e AS secretary of state while he is I 1 new in that position he is the law tul lul successor unless we disqualify fy nun in on mere technicality he has hai 0 brains and guts and he hs has both feet on the ground he is the mar man we 6 need T to lead us s in this emerged 0 S cy cv and I 1 intend to do everything i within my power looking to his con rna tion 11 installment FOURTEEN his awnings arn ings had gone ded the president was killed when washington war ha n n was bombed ado general brill com commander M a 0 e ir ol of the U S army in texas was op posed by greatly superior forces led by van hassek in spite of drills brills desperate resistance van hassels Has Ilas troops pushed relentlessly forward returning baucom broke off and his eyes searched each face again as if seeking challenge to the words he had spoken only a stunned silence met him his eyes lifted and a friendly smile wreathed his face as the door of the conference room opened A tall erect man stood at the door gravely hesitant come right on in bannard Tan nard baucom invited he stepped forward to extend a congratulatory hand and his smile widened as he added without formality 1 I hope your heart is in good shape to stand a hard shock senator but the gentlemen present wish you vou to serve as president of the united states your confirmation will be voted without serious opposition Tann ards alert eyes searched the room he was a man of fifty physically fit appearing much younger than his age his face was angular strong featured bannard looked the born leader of men man of action governed by an active orderly mind in his steel blue eyes there showed no gleam of personal triumph at baucome Bau coms announcement his emotional response was a tightening of the muscles of his jaw a drawing erect of his wide shoulders bannard gave his answer in a measured voice very good gentlemen if that is your decision I 1 accept forgive me J 4 I 1 p D V t Z I 1 I 1 0 r 1 11 I hope your heart is good if I 1 have no platitudes of gratitude to offer nor promises of performance M I 1 will say only that I 1 deeply deplore the unhappy circumstance that brings about my succession to the presidency if your position be confirmed by the senate I 1 will do my best and I 1 will expect the fullest support from you and from every american if there is nothing further gentlemen ill excuse myself CHAPTER XV van hassels Has austrian spy was on hand at the shoreham Shore ham harn promptly at eight the next morning fincke was glum and jumpy as they ordered breakfast and from time to time cast covert glances about the dining room why the jitters fincke benning bending asked him the austrian took several nervous gulps of coffee and said some things gone wrong Brom litz I 1 want to get out of this town as quick as possible heard anything from bravot no word from anybody not since the last time I 1 saw you I 1 cant figure it out but its there sometimes I 1 think im being watched an and d G 2 has my number fincke pushed aside his unfinished breakfast and got up come on brom litz lets get out of this town benning asked as they took a taxicab to tc the depot did bravot furnish you with travel authority last I 1 heard it was all fixed up all we hive have to do is show up at the gangplank and say passage for amsterdam stateroom twelve the austrian turned suddenly to benning with suspicion glinting in in his eyes say Brom litz are you asking tor for information or just feeling me out it natural fincke benning bending retorted for me to satisfy myself youve really got authority to go along I 1 hope youre not going to spoil everything by getting suspicious of me no N 0 but after the deal I 1 got I 1 from rom boggio you cant blame me for wondering if im the goat fincke mutt muttered ered sorry if I 1 rubbed you 1 the wrong way binckes Finc kes fears relaxed somewhat to washington henning met fincke who had come there to do espionage work for hit his governments but bat continued to pose as a friend benning soon loon un nn eartha d the vast spy ring that was wa op rating aerating in this country to learn military secrets and to sabotage pr production now with the stor atory oy when he and benning reached new york in early afternoon they went to central park and walked about deserted paths until time to go to the pier P promptly at four fincke presented himself to a hulking norwegian first mate who stood at the gangplank of the tramp freighter a single funnel steamer the fincke formula put them on board without question benning noted as they were escorted by a cabin boy to their stateroom that the decks were deserted no preparations to sail were in evidence fincke promptly slammed the door peeled off his cotton coat and sprawled on a bunk benning threw off his coat lay down on his berth and took up the late new york editions he had bought before coming aboard later he meant to force the issue of a reconnaissance of the ship in in preparation for the navys boarding party headlines screamed the defeat of moles second division the capture of san antonio moles truck columns had sped his broken infantry and artillery to a new position near austin along the colorado river there he was organizing gan izing a new defensive position reinforced by texas regiments van hassek columns were moving on austin for prompt attack van hassek had taken over san antonio at daybreak and established headquarters in the city hall at the old spanish plaza A subordinate general alvido had taken over the government as military governor under a decree of martial law hauled down the american flag and hoisted the saber flag over the city alvido claimed all of texas under his decree A van hassek truck column was moving on galveston to occupy that city and later houston air raids had extended north last night fort worth dallas and shreveport had been heavily pounded with the loss of hundreds of lives terror was sweeping other southern cities little rock oklahoma city montgomery birmingham even nashville and atlanta were within bombing range there was no antiaircraft anti aircraft now available for these cities thousands were fleeing into the hills and countryside when he had sketched through the days news benning sat up and made a cast at fincke what gets me he complained is why we have to go all the way to amsterdam when theres so much going on in these parts fincke fincke snapped erect his eyes blazing suspicion and snarled you know damned well were not going to amsterdam Brom litz your game always feeling me benning coolly drawled evidently you suspect im a spotter for boggio or bravot if in your mind I 1 resent it sorry if I 1 blew up again fincke relented but were playing for big game this time Brom litz and you cant blame me for being touchy after what happened before A norwegian deckhand deckhard deck hand brought dinner into their stateroom at six two empty hours followed at eight the engines began churning the norwegian tramp eased out of her berth and headed down the harbor fincke brightened as the ship cast off then was attacked by a restlessness that set him pacing the little cabin dusk slowly deepened into night benning knew that the ship was spotted by navy observers that they would take no chance of letting her slip out of the harbor he chafed chafee under his inability to break further into the fincke confidence or to effect a survey of the ships passengers the austrian suddenly seized his cotton coat and straw hat all right he exclaimed excitedly its nine and pitch dark heres where we move benning followed the austrian down the unlighted deck there was a black huddle of figures at the rail where fincke halted bennings straining tig eyes now adjusted to the darkness made out that the figures were moving over the side in a moment fincke vanished benning hesitated then groped his way down the jacobs ladder at the bottom a gasoline launch chugged tenaciously alongside in choppy water As benning following the others stepped precariously aboard the launch cast off in the vague light shed by a lantern bernin ternin in the bow of the launch benning slowly counted noses there were five passengers two boatmen benning saw that the man beside whom he had found a seat was not nol fincke an intuition warned him his eyes verified the warning as he traced out the mans profile the passenger at his elbow was bravot van hassels Has fugitive spy master silently stared into the wet night bennings hand sought the pocket of his cotton coat and released the safety lock of his automatic TO BE CONTINUED |