The Secret Wireless | Page 8

"but
you may be of a great deal of service here. You see New York is a
difficult place to guard. This is our principal port. It is so vast that it is
next to impossible to watch all of it, and there are hundreds of
thousands of Germans or people of German descent living here. The
Radio Chief needs sharp eyes and ears as well as trained fingers just
now, and he knows that you boys combine these qualifications. He
suggested that I send for four of you and see what you could

accomplish. I chose you four because you have shown the greatest
ability along the lines necessary."
A flush of pleasure glowed in each of the faces before him. For a
moment Willie Brown forgot where he was, forgot the crowd and the
great station and the strange sights and sounds about him, forgot even
why he was in New York, while his mind went back to that first
summer at Camp Brady, when he had been the most backward,
self-distrustful, helpless lad in camp. Now he was chosen to serve his
government, to do work of the greatest importance for his country; and
he had been selected because of his ability. No wonder Willie blessed
the day he first saw Camp Brady. No wonder his eyes were wet with a
grateful mist as he looked affectionately at his captain, who had made
him what he was.
But Willie had little time for revery. Roy was speaking again, asking
another of those sharp questions that showed very well why he should
have been chosen as a spy hunter, or for anything else that required
keenness of mind.
"What about yourself?" Roy was saying. "Do you have to go back to
your medical duties? We can work ever so much better with you to lead
us than we could with a stranger."
Roy alone had grasped the possibility that Captain Hardy might not be
able to remain with them. Now every eye was fixed anxiously on
Captain Hardy's face.
"No," he said, "I do not have to return to Washington. It is of the
utmost importance to catch these spies and the government could well
afford to give up one ordinary doctor in order to get four skilled spy
hunters." He paused and smiled, then added: "So I have been detailed
to special duty in New York."
The boys could hardly repress a shout of joy.
"And my instructions," continued Captain Hardy, "were to get into
touch with the police and the secret service immediately. As I have told

you, we must get acquainted with both. But before we do, I suggest that
we take a look at the town where we are to work in the days to come.
Let's be moving."
They rose and passed through the station. Its great vaulted ceiling, half
as high as a church steeple, its huge flights of steps, its enormous
corridors, its wonderful stonework, dwarfing into insignificance
anything they had ever seen before, fairly awed the boys from Central
City. It was Roy's keen eye that caught sight of the great maps of the
world high up on the walls. The crowds of people coming and going
hardly seemed like crowds, so vast was the structure. With reluctant
feet the four boys pushed on. But when they had mounted the steps to
the arcade and caught sight of the illuminated transparencies showing
scenes along the railway's path, they came to a dead stop. For Willie
Brown, with his almost uncanny eye for landscapes, at once declared
that a certain picture represented a mountain scene not twenty-five
miles from Central City; and when the others appealed to Captain
Hardy, the latter confirmed Willie's statement.
When the four lads reached the sidewalk they were almost distracted.
Thousands of people were hurrying along, passing in endless throngs
up and down the street. Never had the boys from Central City seen
people in such a rush.
"What's the hurry?" demanded Roy. "Why does everybody walk so fast?
What's up?"
"Nothing," replied Captain Hardy, with a smile. "That's just the New
York gait. Everybody walks fast here, and does everything else fast;
and if you boys want to make a reputation in New York you'll have to
hustle some. But I don't want you to make that kind of a reputation," he
continued, hastily yanking Willie Brown from in front of a passing
motor-car. "You will have to keep your eyes open here."
And indeed they had to. Motor-cars were rushing about as numerous as
flies in August. Trolley-cars followed one another up and down
Seventh Avenue in endless processions. Wagons and trucks stretched
along the highway in slow-moving lines as far as the eye could see.

Bells were ringing, whistles tooting, horns blowing, motor-cars
honking, newsies shouting.