“Oh, Jack!” said Dick, suddenly.  ’If they’re linemen, I believe they have an instrument with them.  Probably we could call to London from here.  Do you think they will let us do that ?”

“That’s a good idea.  We’ll try it, anyway,” said Jack.  “Come on.  It must be safe enough now.  These chaps won’t hurt us.”

But Jack was premature in thinking that.  For no sooner did the two linemen see them than they rushed for them, much to both lads’ surprise.

“You’re the ones who cut that wire,” said the first, a dark, young fellow.  “I’ve a mind to give you a good hiding!”

But they both rushed into explanations, and luckily, the other lineman recognized Jack.

“It’s the vicar’s son from Bray, Tom,” he said.  “Let him alone.”

And then, while their attention was distracted, a bullet sang over their heads.  And “Hands oop!” said in a guttural voice.

Chapter XIII

A Treacherous Deed

Harry Fleming had, of course, given up all hope of catching Graves by a direct pursuit by the time he accepted the offer of a ride in the motor truck that was carrying vegetables for the troops in quarters in London.  His only hope now was to get his information to Colonel Throckmorton as soon as possible.  At the first considerable town they reached, where he found a telegraph office open, he wired to the colonel, using the code which he had memorized.  The price of a couple of glasses of beer had induced the driver and the soldier to consent to a slight delay of the truck, and he tried also to ring up Jack Young’s house and find out what had happened to Dick.

When he found that the line was out of order he leaped at once to the same conclusion that Jack and Dick had reached —­ that it had been cut on purpose.  He could not stay to see if it would be repaired soon.

A stroke of luck came his way, however.  In this place Boy Scouts were guarding the gas works and an electric light and power plant, and he found one squad just coming off duty.  He explained something of his errand to the patrol leader, and got the assurance that the telephone people should be made to repair the break in the wire.

“We’ll see to it that they find out what is the trouble, Fleming,” said the patrol leader, whose name was Burridge.  “By the way, I know a scout in your troop —­ Graves.  He was on a scout with us a few weeks ago, when he was visiting down here.  Seemed to be no end of a good fellow.”

Harry was surprised for he had heard nothing of this before.  But then that was not strange.  He and Graves were not on terms of intimacy, by any means.  He decided quickly not to say anything against Graves.  It could do no good and it might do harm.

“Right,” he said.  “I know him —­ yes.  I’ll be going, then.  You’ll give my message to Mercer or Young if there’s any way of getting the line clear?”