“Come on!” cried Jack.  “We’ve got no time to lose.  I’ve got a couple of bicycles here.  We’d better run for it.”

Run for it they did, but there was no alarm.  Behind them was the hut, quiet and peaceful.  And beyond the hut was the menace of Bray Park and the mysteries of which the Germans had spoken in the great grey motor car.

Chapter XV

A Daring Ruse

Harry, furious as he was when he saw Graves allowed to go off after false accusation that had caused his arrest, was still able to control himself sufficiently to think.  He was beginning to see the whole plot now, or to think he saw it.  He remembered things that had seemed trivial at the time of their occurrence, but that loomed up importantly now.  And one of the first things he realized was that he was probably in no great danger, that the charge against him had not been made with the serious idea of securing his conviction, but simply to cause his detention for a little while, and to discredit any information he might have.

He could no longer doubt that Graves was in league with the spies on whose trail he and Dick had fallen.  And he understood that, if he kept quiet, all would soon be all right for him.  But if he did that, the plans of the Germans would succeed.  He had already seen an example of what they could do, in the destruction of the water works.  And it seemed to him that it would be a poor thing to fail in what he had undertaken simply to save himself.  As soon as he reached that conclusion he knew what he must do, or, at all events, what he must try to do.

For the officer who had arrested him he felt a good deal of contempt.  While it was true that orders had to be obeyed, there was no reason, Harry felt, why the lieutenant should not have shown some discretion.  An officer of the regular army would have done so, he felt.  But this man looked unintelligent and stupid.  Harry felt that he might safely reply on his appearance.  And he was right.  The officer found himself in a quandary at once.  His men were mounted on cycles; Harry was on foot.  And Harry saw that he didn’t quite know what to do.

Finally he cut the Gordian knot, as it seemed to him, by impounding a bicycle from a passing wheelman, who protested vigorously but in vain.  All he got for his cycle was a scrap of paper, stating that it had been requisitioned for army use.  And Harry was instructed to mount this machine and ride along between two of the territorial soldiers.  He had been hoping for something like that, but had hardly dared to expect it.  He had fully made up his mind now to take all the risks he would run by trying to escape.  He could not get clear away, that much he knew.  But now he, too, like Graves, needed a little time.  He did not mind being recaptured in a short time if, in the meantime, he could be free to do what he wanted.