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Labenstein, to credit him with the name on the passenger list, gave a look around, and, seeing that there was no danger, at once went below again. "Wonder how Blake's making out?" asked Charlie of Joe, as they walked the deck. "Do you think we'd better go down?" "Not until we get some word from him. Hello! Here he is now!" and Joe pointed to their friend coming toward them.
"I guess we'll have to make a re-take in getting back our films," he added, with grim humor. "How do you figure it out, Blake?" The talk of the boys was not rebuked by their German captors, and indeed the captain seemed to be deep in some conversation with Secor and Labenstein. "I don't know how it happened," Blake answered, "unless they saw us go into that hut and crept up on us."
"That's all right," said Blake, and he tried to make his voice sound hearty. "You are welcome to the light." "A thousand thanks," murmured Mr. Labenstein, as he bowed himself out. And then, when the door had closed on him and they had taken the precaution of closing their transom, Joe burst out in a cautious whisper with: "What in the world did you let him take it for, Blake Stewart?
Blake and his two friends noticed that no hostility seemed directed toward the two conspirators, who, however, appeared as much surprised at the advent of the raiding party as were the boys. It was evident, though, that some understanding existed between the German captain and Labenstein, for they talked in low voices while Secor stood a little apart.
For one of the men was Lieutenant Secor, the Frenchman, and the other was a passenger who, though claiming to be a wealthy Hebrew with American citizenship, was, so the boys believed, thoroughly German. He was down on the passenger list as Levi Labenstein, and he did bear some resemblance to a Jew, but his talk had the unmistakable German accent.
A look into it showed that the transom of the room opposite the cabin of Levi Labenstein had been closed. "So we can't tell whether he's in there or not," said Blake. "Did you want to talk about him?" asked Joe. "Yes, him and the lieutenant. Did you fellows happen to notice what they were doing when the submarine was attacking us?" "Not especially," answered Joe.
"This is the end of Labenstein!" And even as he spoke the man fell back dead. Lieutenant Secor seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, as though the death of the other had brought a great release to him. "Now I can speak," said the officer. "Now I can explain, and perhaps you will again regard me as a friend," he said softly.
He had, in ways of his own, come to suspect Labenstein, who went under various names, sometimes that of Karl Kooder. This man, who held forged citizenship papers of the United States, was a German spy and had done much to aid the Kaiser.
Hurts hardly at all now. I wonder what became of those two fellows?" "Which two?" "Secor and Labenstein." "Oh, I thought you meant those two German officers who tried to hire us to send some word back to their folks about them."
Late in the afternoon they paid a visit to their friend the sentry, asking if he had seen anything of the two men that they suspected might have the films Secor and Labenstein. "I wouldn't know 'em by those names even if I saw 'em," said the soldier, "and, as a matter of fact, I didn't see the same two chaps I saw before.
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