Bob Cook and the German Spy | Page 9

many people had
ventured the opinion that his brain was not quite as good as it should
be.
"A little bit cracked, but harmless and faithful," was the way Bob's
father described him.
Bob had never seen Heinrich so upset as he was that afternoon. He put
the rolls of bills in his pocket and looked at Bob fiercely through his
thick glass spectacles. His watery blue eyes looked almost ferocious.
"What do you want here?" he demanded.
"My bicycle," said Bob.
"It iss got a puncture," said Heinrich.
"Oh, Heinrich," Bob exclaimed. "Why didn't you fix it?"

"I had no time so far."
"I need a new one anyway," said Bob, looking at his wheel where it
rested against the wall of the garage. "This one is six years old."
"It iss one bunch of junk," said Heinrich.
"Right you are," laughed Bob. "I tell you what, Heinrich; you've got a
lot of money now, why don't you buy me a new one for my birthday?"
"Dot iss my money," said Heinrich insistently.
"Of course it is," exclaimed Bob. "You don't suppose I thought for a
moment that you stole it, do you?"
Heinrich glanced at him questioningly. "Come and see Percy," he said,
apparently very anxious to change the subject.
"What has he done lately?" asked Bob.
"He iss grown."
They approached the tub where the alligator was kept. "I can't see that
he has grown much," exclaimed Bob. "He looks about the same to me."
"He iss now two feet and one inches long," said Heinrich proudly. "He
does not grow fast though."
"I wish my bicycle was fixed," sighed Bob. "I wanted to ride down to
the armory."
"Harold iss in the army," said Heinrich.
"I know it," said Bob. "I wish I was too."
"You want to fight?" Heinrich asked.
"Of course I do. Don't you? You're an American citizen, aren't you,
Heinie?"

"Yes, indeed," said Heinrich quickly. "For twelve years I been one."
"You're all right," exclaimed Bob heartily. "If all Germans were as
loyal as you I wouldn't have this black eye right now."
"A German hit you?"
"He ought not to be a German, but he is," said Bob bitterly.
"Who was it?"
"I won't tell you. What's the use?"
"It was Frank Wernberg," said Heinrich.
Bob looked curiously at the chauffeur. "How do you know?" he
demanded.
"Was it him?"
"Yes, but how could you find it out so soon?"
"Mebbe I guess," said Heinrich.
"Probably you did," laughed Bob. "What do you know about the
Wernbergs anyway, Heinie?"
"Nothing," said Heinrich quickly and he acted as though he had made a
mistake. "Look at Percy," he exclaimed. "He iss going down into the
water."
The alligator slipped slowly off the rock where he had been dozing. He
slid quietly into the water and remained floating there all its four feet
standing straight out.
"He iss cute," said Heinrich proudly.
Bob had never considered an alligator as being cute, but he did think
"Percy" was interesting. Little did he dream how much more interested

he would be in the small animal before many days had passed.


CHAPTER V
ON THE BRIDGE
Harold came home for dinner that night. He was serving in the ninth
infantry as a private until such a time as he should pass his examination
and receive his commission.
"Bob has seen active fighting sooner than you have, Harold," laughed
Mr. Cook glancing at his younger son's battered eye.
"Yes, and he won the battle too," said Bob warmly.
"All I can say is," remarked Harold, "that Frank Wernberg must be an
awful looking sight if he's worse than you."
"He is," said Bob. "You ought to see his nose."
"Don't talk about it," urged Mrs. Cook. "I hate it."
"All right," laughed her husband. "Tell us what you have to do down at
the armory, Harold. You were lucky to get off to-night."
"Oh, I've got to go back," said Harold. "We'll probably be ordered out
for guard duty to-night. I may be guarding your plant for all I know."
"I hope we'll need no guards," said Mr. Cook earnestly. "In spite of all I
said last night I can't believe that many people will be disloyal."
"Some German got on our wire by mistake again to-day," said Louise.
"He wanted Mr. Wernberg just as that man did last night."
Mr. Cook shook his head slowly. "I don't like that man Wernberg," he

said.
"Oh, the secret service must be watching him," said Bob. "They seem
to be ready for anything," and he related what had taken place in the
trolley that morning when he was on his way to school.
The telephone rang and Bob answered it to find Hugh Reith on the wire.
He wanted Bob to