Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-08-11

@N by someone rapplng on
ESHGSSA my door, | swung out of
" 81 bed and caught up my re,
~ volver before | flung wide
WH2V the door and saw in the
fEEElSzszeS hall Anton Werencki, one
of the oldest and clever
est operatives in the service.
Mr.. Rand is in Maryland, | know.
but the chief wants to see you,' he
announced briefly.
| dressed. sen a telegram to Rand,
and accompanied Werencki to Chief
Strings room in the Hotel Bavaria.
The matter is just this" explained
that official, motioning us to chairs.
The navy department is making
some experiments in steel which prom
lse to be the greatest thing ever
brought to light for use in building
big guns. For weeks it has appeared
as if the American navy was about
to gain u supremacy owe the world.
The work is proceeding in the navy
yard here, where a close guard can be
kept. Now, Duncan, our puzzle is
this: Though the twelve men who are
engaged in the work are shut up as If
they were in prison and communicate
with the outside world only through
the commanding officer, nevertheless
a bulky letter that had burst its en-
velope and lost its address fell by
mere chance into the hands Of the
postofice department and proved to be
an anonymous communication to Ber-
kelen Freres, the big Belgian ship
building firm, containing a complete
report of everything the experiment
ing party had done up to last Sunday.
four days ago.
"Of course Berkelen Freres are
foreign governments. We AVE failed
so far to determine which one 1t is
that is trying to steal such important
information, nor have we the slightest
indication of where the venue Of COM
munication lies.
Lieutenant Richard Dunton Is In
command of the experimenting party,
with Lieutenant John Ormsby as sec
md. The chemists are Eldridge, Spell
gel, John R. Hart and Alfred Cinamet-
ii, the latter Italian-born. The others
are enlisted machinists.
"The party does all it's work in a
low brick building fifty yards from the
gun shop and with nothing near 1t ex-
cept the blank wall of the yard. 1t is
in plain view from the offices, as is
also the section of new barracks in
which the party eats and sleeps.
When finished with their work in this
temporary foundry and laboratory
the men retire to the barracks. All
are volunteers and are under watch
day and night.
Now, despite all this, one of our
men in Paris, cabled three days ago
that the coterie Of international spies
there knew that the agent of some
government had cabled home the news
of his success in getting the results
of the new experiments up to date.
There Is a clean leak in the navy yard.
If we do not stop that leak, there Is
going to be trouble"
On my suggestion we went immedi-
ately to the navy yard. 1t was nearly
four o'clock and everything was dark
and deserted yet waking Lieutenant
Dunton we made a quiet inspection OF
both the living quarters and the lab
oratory l first satisfied myself that
when the laboratory was locke at
night no one could obtain entry ex-
cept by such burglarious methods as
to leave abundant trace, and that
when the sleeping quarters were
locked the men were as II IN prison.
Dunton had possession of all Keys. l
went carefully over both buildings
to be sure there were no telegraph,
telephone or electric wire connections.
There was but one possible solution.
Some member of the party has a
means of sending notes or signals 10
the outside world in daylight hours.
7 said as much to Lieutenant Dunton,
and he replied:
That is the result of any process
of elimination based on these facts'
but eight men stationed In and ABOUT
this ward day and night, and Ormsoy
and myself inside the laboratory have
watched every man for suspicious
move and every outside person for any
Indicative act, and l tell you positively
there are no written OF signaled mes
sages going or coming out OF this
place. Everything passes through me-
A sudden suspicion flashed over me.
I whirled on him and looked at MIN
~searchingly. He understood Instantly
and said with deep feeling; yes, /
know it is up to me. That am the
one avenue of outlet would be any
mans logical conclusion. hat Is why
am so deeply concerned. l., alone Oh
oil Of Won. know there is another and
most dangerous one, for ! have toio
nothing"
liked the note of honesty IN MS
voice and was bordering over the mat
for as we walked back toward the par
racks. Suddenly Dunton stopped ana
picked up a long pole, round, Wen
nolished and fully fifteen FEET III
length.
.what is that?' asked Stirling.
Some MATERIAL said Dunton. .tha'
is entirely foreign to This yard. l nave
served here four years and this is the
first time | nave ever seer anything
like II within the walls"
I bent a closer attention on IT, y.
was quite dry except where IL nad
lain ON the moist ground. Everything
else was damp with the night mist
from the river. I mentioned this fac'-
The pole had been put there ~itnin
the last ten or fifteen minutes.
II was still quite gloomy, as day was