moment, might find themselves face to face with the enemy!

CHAPTER XII

THE SILENT WIRE

Probably Jack Young and Dick reached the vicarage just about the time that
saw Harry getting into trouble with the police for speeding. The vicar was
still up; he had a great habit of reading late. And he seemed considerably
surprised to find that Jack was not upstairs in bed. At first he was
inclined even to be angry, but he changed his mind when he saw Dick, and
heard something of what had happened.

"Get your friend something to eat and I'll have them make a hot bath
ready," said the vicar. "He looks as if he needed both!"

This was strictly true. Dick was as hungry and as grimy as Harry himself.
If anything, he was in even worse shape, for his flight through the fields
and the brook had enabled him to attach a good deal of the soil of England
to himself. So the thick sandwiches and the bowl of milk that were
speedily set before him were severely punished. And while he ate both he
and Jack poured out their story. Mr. Young frowned as he listened. Although
he was a clergyman and a lover of peace, he was none the less a patriot.

"Upon my word!" he said. "Wireless, you think, my boy?"

"I'm sure of it, sir," said Dick.

"And so'm I," chimed in Jack. "You know, sir, I've thought ever since war
seemed certain that Bray Park would bear a lot of watching and that
something ought to be done. Just because this is a little bit of a village,
without even a railroad station, people think nothing could happen here.
But if German spies wanted a headquarters, it's just the sort of place they
would pick out."

"There's something in that," agreed the vicar, thoughtfully. But in his own
mind he was still very doubtful. The whole thing seemed incredible to him.
Yet, as a matter of fact, it was no more incredible than the war itself.
What inclined him to be dubious, as much as anything else, was the fact
that it was mere boys who had made the discovery. He had read of outbreaks
of spy fever in various parts of England, in which the most harmless and
inoffensive people were arrested and held until they could give some good
account of themselves. This made him hesitate, while precious time was
being wasted.

"I hardly know what to do--what to suggest," he went on, musingly. "The
situation is complicated, really. Supposing you are right, and that German
spies really own Bray Park, and are using it as a central station for
sending n