Chapter TWO

Scarcely had Cowl finished reading the newspaper story when the door of his office opened and Mitchell entered with Arthur G. Ingleton, the Secretary of the Navy. The latter’s worried expression seemed to indicate that the gravity of the situation was even greater than was apparent from the newspaper report. Looking at his colleague, he said:

“This is a pretty serious situation, George. I’ve just received a cipher cable from Deverest at Manila giving me complete details of the affair. From his description of the pirate it looks as though we have got a pretty desperate character to deal with. His airplane appears to be something entirely new.

“I am greatly worried, because as you know Mrs. Ingleton and Mary are due to leave for the Philippines on the Wilbur Wright this morning. I have got a long distance call in to San Francisco, trying to stop them from leaving until we get this fellow. We can’t hold up the commercial lines, but there is no telling where he will strike next. I have cabled Deverest to make temporary arrangements to police the airways with naval units until we make some organized effort to hunt this desperado.

“My chief anxiety is for Mary, because I doubt whether I shall reach her in time to prevent her departure on the Wilbur Wright. She has had her heart set on this Orient trip for the past six months. Here’s Deverest’s report. I’ve had it deciphered. You read it while I try to get the long distance operator again.”

Cowl took the message while Ingleton went back to his own office to telephone. The message contained the report of Captain Carruthers as given in the newspaper account, but included the following description of the pirate machine, which was withheld from the press.

“Carruthers report shows the attacking airplane unlike any known design. He states it was a monoplane flying boat, apparently of metal construction throughout. The boat body was squat and wide, but entirely enclosed. It had the appearance of being constructed of plates riveted together like a steamship. Length of boat approximately 105 feet. Tail construction seemed to be very small, but otherwise conventional. Spread of wings about 110 feet, and chord (width) about 11 feet. Wing was internally braced and was two feet thick at a point two feet from leading edge. Wing covering also had appearance of plates riveted together.

“It is equipped with a disappearing marine screw propeller for cruising purposes on the surface of the ocean. In the air it is driven forward by two pusher propellers, but according to Carruthers who examined it carefully, there is no sign of any engine housing, and just where the engines are located he could not determine. It was equipped with a three inch automatic cannon, on a disappearing mount over the nose of the enclosed hull. The airplane apparently is capable of prodigious speed, that Carruthers could not account for.”

Mitchell had read the report over his chief’s shoulder.

“It doesn’t tell us very much, does it?” he queried.

A few minutes later Ingleton returned, having failed to get his call. The operator had told him there would be an hour’s delay. His frantic appeal that it was an urgent government call had failed to expedite matters. To Cowl he said:

“Judging from that report, George, we have a pretty hard task before us, and the only way to handle that brigand will be by means of a thoroughly organized plan. As I said, I have told Deverest to use the naval units to take care of the Eastern Pacific airways, and I shall cable Smith at Honolulu as well as Harrington at San Francisco to put all their craft on patrol duty. You had better send similar orders to your commanders, don’t you think?”

At this moment Air Marshall Charles B. Hartley, military director of the Air Service, entered the room in a state of suppressed excitement.

“I would willingly give up my commission, if only Joe Levanter were here now,” he said. “He was by far the best man we had, and would have been just the one for this job. He was a regular daredevil, but at the same time shrewder than anybody else in the service. I can’t imagine what became of him.”

The four officials then held a conference to decide their plans. After some considerable discussion Ingleton jumped up, and started to leave the room saying as he went:

“I am so worried about Mary and her mother. I am trying to get them off the airship before it leaves. I am going to try and get San Francisco again. I’ll be back shortly.”