Boy Scouts in an Airship

Scouts in an Airship, by G.
Harvey Ralphson

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Title: Boy Scouts in an Airship
Author: G. Harvey Ralphson

Release Date: November, 2004 [EBook #6904] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on February 10,
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SCOUTS IN AN AIRSHIP ***

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Boy Scouts in an Airship;
or, The Warning From the Sky
BY G. HARVEY RALPHSON
CHAPTER I
SPIES IN THE BOY SCOUT CAMP
Gates, the United States Secret Service man, closed the door gently and
remained standing just inside the room, his head bent forward in a
listening attitude. Ned Nestor and Jimmie McGraw, Boy Scouts of the
Wolf Patrol, New York City, who had been standing by a window,
looking out on a crowded San Francisco street, previous to the sudden
appearance of the Secret Service man, turned toward the entrance with
smiles on their faces.
They evidently thought that Gates was posing, as so many detectives
have a silly habit of doing, and so gave little heed to the hand he lifted
in warning. The boys knew little about Gates at that time, and so may

be pardoned for the uncomplimentary thoughts with which they noted
his theatrical conduct.
Young Nestor had been engaged by the United States government to
undertake a difficult and dangerous mission to South America, and
Gates had been sent on from Washington to post him as to the details of
the case. The boys had waited at the San Francisco hotel three days for
the arrival of the Secret Service man, and waited impatiently, as Sam
Leroy, who was to be the third member of the party, was anxious for
the safety of his aeroplane, the Nelson, in which the trip to "the roof of
the world" was to be made.
The Nelson was lying, guarded night, and day, in a field just out of the
city, on the Pacific side, and Leroy was impatiently keeping his eyes on
the guards most of the time. There was a subconscious notion in the
minds of all the boys that there were enemies about, and that the
aeroplane would never be fully out of danger until she was well over
the ocean on her way south. Gates had arrived only that morning, and
now the lads were eager to be off.
A couple of hours before his appearance in the room that morning, the
Secret Service agent had left the boys in the lobby below to arrange for
the necessary papers and funds for the mission. Before going out,
however, he had been informed of the boys' suspicions, and had made
light of the idea that the aeroplane was in danger from secret enemies,
pointing to the fact that no one was supposed to know anything about
the proposed journey save the boys and himself as conclusive evidence
that the suspicion of constant surveillance was not well founded.
Now, on his return, his cautious movements indicated that he, too, was
alarmed and on his guard. While Ned was wondering what it was that
had so changed Gates' point of view, there came a quick, imperative
knock on the door of the room, which was occupied by Ned and
Jimmie as a sleeping apartment.
Instantly, almost before the sound of the knock died away, Gates
opened the door and stepped forward. The man who stood in the
corridor, facing the doorway, was tall, slender, dark of complexion, like

a Spaniard or a Mexican. His black hair was long, straight, thin; his
black eyes were bright, treacherous, too close together, with a little
vertical wrinkle between the brows. He was dressed in a neat brown
business suit of expensive material.
When the door was opened he stepped