Show should read BY ARED W TE W installment XVI wl after a period of terrible waiting benning concluded that surly conduct was nothing more wan an ugly whim of dislike Vr Of Benning managed to sleep through part of the day with late afternoon lurid reports came over the radio radic of an asiatic expedition all efforts to break the screen of secrecy failed in spite of the persistent persi stant reports from his porthole benning saw flying fish scurry out of the course of th the enship ship in late afternoon which confirmed fast progress south with evening he caught the blink of distant light myriads on the coast line he explored the possibility of escape in the night by whaleboat but concluded he stood slender chance of success in such an exploit at dark he resumed his reconnaissance of the deck in his effort to locate braot R stateroom was empty at ne ine again at ten on his third trip down the boat deck benning found that halt half a dozen men had assembled including bravot and he stationed himself again in the shadows of a whaleboat and waited an hour passed without development then the group filed out and went to the rail to strain their eyes into the starlit night one of them set off a flare and ten minutes later a second flare bennings ears caught the distant hum of an airplane the sound grew in volume until a plane zoomed overhead and circled to a stop on glistening pontoons pon on the placid surface of the sea the engines of the ship slowed down four men lowered a boat bravot shook hands with and climbed over the rail to disappear down the ladder A few minutes later benning caught the flash of oars in the starlight the plane burst into a roar of sound lifted into the night and streaked off into the void whence it had come benning returned heavily to his cabin Br avots departure by plane clearly meant that the ship would not pause at tampico or vera cruz but at least benning consoled himself he could play a stiffer game on deck with the french renegade out of the way somehow in the tense days ahead he would find a solution to this hideous problem he vowed if nothing better a chance at the radio room whence he could flash a warning ode to the coast artillery forts and naval base guarding the canal from limon bay during the next few days while the dynamite ship ate up the long miles to panama benning carefully went over the vessel and watched his chances land had vanished escape by boat he had dismissed dismissed finally as out of the question As for killing benning concluded that this would only arouse suspicion and accomplish little else since no doubt others were ready to step into shoes bennings interest centered on the radio room as his best chance the radio station lay in a cubbyhole under the bridge several times he visited the room pretending interest in its mechanism but the radio operator one smidt was sullenly un communicative and resentful of visitors you been around here enough mister smidt complained at bennings third appearance 1 I got work to do so you please keep away after that incident benning gained an uncomfortable suspicion that he was being watched twice he tested his trail by an abrupt about face on THE STORY SO FAR more than foreign troops secretly assembled in mexico by van suddenly invaded the united states vastly superior in numbers and equipment to the american forces which opposed them van Ilas troops pushed relentlessly M V deck both times a hatchet faced steward slouched past him with exaggerated ag preoccupation only one chance remained it if he failed at the radio that was to reach the american officers who would come aboard to check cargo before the ship was permitted in the locks but benning decided that he must not wait on that last desperate extremity grimes sulked in with their dinner his right eye swollen shut a purple welt on his pink cheek 1 I dont what you told me he said to fincke 1 I asked the caan when do we get to listen to the radio all he did was swing on me twice and crack me across the deck against the rail benning kept up a careful estimate of the speed and progress of the ship his calculations told him when the ship must be approaching limon bay plan he guessed was to detonate the ship as it passed through gatun galun locks bennings plan of direct action crystallized on what he judged to be the last afternoon at sea in his cabin he blocked out on a sheet from his notebook a blunt warning message commanding general panama halt american freighter now approaching pro aching limon bay from new york with cargo of high explosives general plot in effect to wreck panama canal instant action imperative benning major G 2 until he saw go to the bridge benning loitered about the boat deck then went direct to the radio room mister I 1 tell you to keep out of here smidt exploded as benning stepped into the little room benning said quietly 1 I want to use your radio smidt be good enough to do just what I 1 tell you to do smidt scowled at bennings leveled pistol and yielded with a sullen nod of his head benning strapped the fellows hands behind his back and forced him to stretch out face downward on the floor sitting down calmly benning started putting his message into panama he had buzzed out the words C G panama halt when a voice challenged from the door so my ship has a new radio man was framed in the door his voice a raucous sneer murder burned in his round green eyes as he covered benning with a long bar meled luger pistol behind were his mate steward and a member of the crew with an oath he hands and kicked the operator to his feet smidt took bennings pistol and message and passed them to ei himmel gasped s he read the message A spy aboard in a surge of savage fury seized benning by the collar and jerked him out on deck with a sudden swing of his ham of a fist he dropped his prisoner and crashed down upon him with his two hundred pounds of beef and brawn got here just in time I 1 bellowed not tor for nothing did I 1 have you watched beefy fists pummeled emphasis to his words flailing bennings face and head benning launched a counterattack counter attack planted a blow that brought a red trickle from forward the U S army was not prepared for this sudden attack attach and could only retreat in the face of overwhelming force while an american spy in mexico city benning had gained the confidence ot of two enemy officers fincke and bravot weeks later he be unexpectedly met a V a a u v 1 cheek the henchmen dove into the fight and planting several parting blows dragged benning to his feet chuck him overboard to the sharks he roared benning was driven to the rail he gripped the rail with his hands and held tenaciously against the fatal plunge into the atlantic one of his assailants clutched his legs another ground with heavy heeds heels at his fingers below benning could see the water foaming down the hull of the ship his feet were clear of the deck his left hand lacerated into helplessness A knife flashed in the air over his right hand to slash it free of the rail bellowed an order before buah i 4 4 POM 1 41 i 1 4 A A so my ship has a new radio man the knife could reach the flesh and bone of bennings fingers stop it hold everything keep him aboard ja I 1 got a new ideal the others turned to with questioning glares the knife hung in the air over bennings hand ja in the water it is over too quick leered SoI so I 1 think we give him a nice stateroom where he can think until boom sprang forward seized bennings collar and hustled him down a narrow flight of steps from the boat deck ile he searched bennings pockets and shouted an order A winch sang a hatch crept open over the hold at command one man seized bennings legs the other two helped cram their prisoner head foremost through the opening benning plummeted through black space struck on head and shoulders and lay stunned consciousness ness holding by a thin thread slowly his mind cleared he stretched his pain racked body out on the hard cargo and tested shoulder blades by moving them there was no fracture lying flat on his back he strained his eyes upward through the blackness the hatch had been closed ile he muttered to himself this time benning youve tangled yourself in a fine snarl looks like curtains it fincke in washington and continued to pose as his friend banning accompanied him on a boat loaded with dynamite bound for the panama canal on board he aroused the suspicions of the skipper now continue with the story 1 the sound of his voice brought a bitter laugh from his throat he caressed the welts on his face and lay still closing his mind to a sudden frenzy of tear fear calmly he rationalized his lot he had played a desperate game in line of duty and lost A surge of bitterness swept him in time there would come that volcanic upheaval that would snuff his life as simply as a gale snuffs a tallow candle death would ensue in the fraction of a second he would be crashed to eternity before there could come a sense of pain benning felt drowsiness creeping over him a drowsiness that had the power of a strong opiate he woke with a start to find the engines shut down now the ship was not moving he concluded the ship must have stopped at cristobal here a q quarantine officer would come aboard would advise him of the nature of his cargo but this merely for the computation of weights and water displacement required for passage through the locks unless suspicions were aroused the ship would steam on into the canal in a short time the engines churned benning took this as verification fi the ship was leaving cristobal after a time the engines slowed down stopped bennings pulse hammered in his ears he guessed that the dynamite ship had come to the locks and was being made fast to the electric mules that would tow her by now and his henchmen must have abandoned the ship after setting detonators in motion for the explosion he reasoned innocent hands were seeing the vessel through a hundred seamen whose lives would roar oar into nothingness with his own into the black hole there came the soft yellow glow of a ball of light benning shook his head dazedly against what must be a phantom of his tortured imagination the ball swung crazily toward him gaining in brightness and a hushed voice came to his ears from overhead say mister aint you pretty hungry about now bennings voice leaped from his throat as his mind oriented itself to this intervention ruick quick grimes get a rope down here here and pull me out of this hole the ball of light ceased its rotation grew stationary on a thin cord in front of bennings eyes grimes mulled through priceless seconds and countered but the caan might get sore when he comes back and kick me off the ship coming back benning shouted quick get a rope for me or its only a matter of minutes until well be blown to pieces grimes did not answer but jerked the lantern back up out of the hold bennings fingers bit into the palms of his hands through an eternity of waiting until the lantern reappeared hitched this time to the end of a stout inch rope benning detached the lantern when it reached him passed the end of the rope under his armpits and tied a hurried knot he put the force of his lungs into an order to heave with legs braced across the open hatch grimes put the strength of his powerful arms into the job and brought benning to the deck ben ning staggered to his feet and started for the rail come on grimes he ordered we got to get off this ship under the soft light of a new moon as he ran to the rail of the ship benning saw the thick concrete walls of the locks beyond were the rows of squad tents of an emergency guard detachment ahead the electric locomotives tugged at heavy cables benning drove the force of his lungs along the deck in warning to the crew and climbed down the ladder closely followed by grimes at coming abreast of the top of the walls he leaped propelling himself outward with his legs and landed on chest and stomach for several moments he lay stunned then staggered to his feet and ran toward the tents sentries barked a challenge a figure in pajamas burst out of a tent to level a vibrant voice im the commanding officer all this yelling about benning panted im major benning of G 2 the cargo of this ship is dynamite it will detonate at any minute get everyone everyone clear here the commander swung swung on his heels with cool promptness and began shouting orders all out on the run leave everything behind get moving to mindi on the wagon road never mind formation formati ont there was intensity rather than excitement in the officers voice he ran to his tent emerged with a megaphone and leveled it at the crews of the electric mules tensely he observed the flight of his men lashing them with his voice into flight when the tents were empty he ran on behind them benning saw that the crew was bursting from the doomed ship some in their panic leaped into the water of the narrow locks others made the long leap to the top ot of the locks he ran after the officer grimes trailing A puffing sprint brought them to the railroad grade that led into mindi another long run and the officer halted in a deep cup in the sierra Que brancha he commanded his soldiers to scatter into the foothills two miles lay behind half an hour had passed benning judged the captain introduced himself marlin he began asking questions suddenly suspicious that he might have been tricked away from his post of duty benning quickly established his identity but how do you know the ships cargo is marlin cut off his query as his cheeks caught the peculiar stir of air air as brorn from a gust of wind bennings hands drove to cup his ears he felt himself pitched forward on his face the earth heaved violently his head rang with the pain of the volcanic might of the explosion that filled the world all existence had been reduced to roaring crashing maddening bedlam benning got to his feet captain marlin was just rising from the arc ground und marlin decided to go back to the locks benning inquired directions ions to cristobal and set off at a trot reckon it was a good thing for both of us mister I 1 decided you was hungry down in that hole grimes felicitated felicita ted as he waddled along behind on his flat feet A clap of thunder shattered his thoughts it crashed out of distant hills and jungles far down the isthmus from gatun galun lake benning halted there came a second crash a third a fourth the detonations deto nations colloq followed one another successively within the limits of a few minutes TO BE CONTINUED |