April 7, 2025 • 11 mins
In this international Boy Scout mystery, Harry and his new British friends decode heliographs, outsmart spies, and uncover secrets that could change the course of a war. Discover hundreds of ad-free audiobooks, soothing sounds for sleep and meditation, and more—unwind and learn at www.adfreebooks.com!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Is in the public domain. Recording by Kangaroo the first
blow to Harry as he was taken off to the
police station. It seemed the hardest sort of hard luck
that his chase of graves should be interrupted at such
a critical time, and just because he had been overspeeding.
(00:25):
But he realized that he was helpless and that he
would only waste his breath if he tried to explain
matters until he was brought before someone who was really
in authority. Then, if he had any luck, he might
be able to clear things up. But the men who
arrested him were only doing their duty as they sought,
(00:49):
and they had no discretionary power at all. When he
reached the station, he was disappointed to find that no
one was on duty except to sleep in inspector, who
was even less inclined to listen to reason than the constables.
Every One who breaks the law has a good excuse,
(01:10):
my lad, he said, If we listened to all of them,
we might as well close up this place. You can
tell your story to the manchisterrate in the morning. You'll
be well treated to night, and you're better off with
us than running around the country a lad of your age.
(01:30):
If I were your father, I should see to it
that you were in bed and to sleep before this.
There was no arguing with such a man, especially when
he was sleepy. So Harry submitted very quietly to being
put in a cell. He was not treated like a
(01:50):
common prisoner, that much he was grateful for His cell
was really a room with windows that were not even barred,
and he saw that he could be very comfortable. Indeed,
you'll be all right here, said one of the constables.
Don't worry, my lad. You'll be let off with caution
(02:14):
in the morning. Get to sleep now it's late, and
you'll be roused bright and early in the morning. Harry
smiled pleasantly and thanked the man for his good advice,
but he had no intention whatever of taking it. He
did not even take off his clothes, though he did
(02:34):
seize the welcome chance to use the washstand that was
in the room. He had been through a good deal
since his last chance to wash and clean up, and
he was grimy and dirty. He discovered too, that he
was ravenously hungry. Until that moment, he had been too active,
(02:55):
too busy within brain and body, to notice his hunger. However,
there was nothing to be done for that. Now. He
and Dick had not stopped for meals that day since breakfast,
and they had eaten their emergency rations in the early afternoon.
In the tool case of his impounded motorcycle. Harry knew
(03:19):
that there was condensed food tables, each with the equivalent
of certain things like eggs and stakes and chops, and
there were cakes of chocolate too, the most nourishing of
foods that were in small and bulk. But the knowledge
did him little good. Now he didn't even know where
(03:41):
the motorcycle had been stored for the night. It had
been confiscated. Of course, in the morning it would be
returned to him, But he didn't allow his thoughts to
dwell long on the matter of food. It was vastly
more important that he should get away. He had to
(04:01):
get his news to Colonel Throckmorton. Perhaps Dick had done that,
but he couldn't trust that chance. Aside from that, he
wanted to know what had become of Dick, and for
the life of him, he didn't see how he was
going to get away. If they weren't toughy sure of me,
(04:23):
they'd have locked me up, and a lot more carefully
than this. He reflected, And of course it would be hard.
I could get out of here easily enough. He had
seen a drain pipe down which he felt sure he
could climb. But suppose I did, He went on talking
to himself. I've got an idea. It would land me
(04:47):
where I could be seen from the door. And I
suppose that's open all night. And then if I got
away from here, every policeman in town would know me.
They'd pick me up if I tried to get out,
even if I walked. He looked out the window. Not
so far away he could see a faint glare in
(05:09):
the sky That was London. He was already in the
suburban chain that ringed the city. This place, he did
not know its name, certainly was quite a town in himself.
And he was so close to London that there was
really no open country. One town or borough ran straight
(05:35):
into the next. The houses would grow fewer, thinning out,
but before the gap became real, the outskirts of the
next borough would be reached straight in front of him.
Looking over the housetops, he could see the gleam of water.
It was a reservoir, he decided. Probably it constantly did
(06:00):
the water supply for a considerable section. And then as
he looked, he saw a flash, saw a great column
of water rise into the air and descend like pictures
of a cloudburst. A moment after the explosion he heard
a dull roar, and after the roar another sound. He
(06:25):
saw the water fade out and disappear. And it was
a moment before he realized what was happening. The reservoir
had been blown up, and that meant more than the
danger and the discomfort of an uninterrupted water supply. It
meant immediate catastrophe, the flooding of all the streets nearby.
(06:49):
In England, as he knew, such reservoirs were higher than
the surrounding country. As a rule, they were contained within
high walls, and after rainy summer such as this had been,
would be full to overflowing. He was hammering at his
door in a moment, and a sleepy policeman, aroused by
(07:11):
the sudden alarm, flung it open as he passed on
his way to the floor below. Harry rushed down and
mingled unnoticed with a policeman who had been off duty.
But some men now to deal with a disaster. The
inspector who had received him, paid no attention to him
at all. Out with you men, he cried, there'll be
(07:34):
trouble over this. No telling, but what people may be drowned?
Double quick. Now they rushed out under command of a sergeant.
Thenspecker stayed behind, And now he looked at Harry. Hello,
he said, how did you get out? I want to help,
(07:55):
said Harry inspired. I haven't done anything really wrong. I
oughtn't I be able to help whether I can now
that something like this has happened. Go along with you,
said the inspector. All right, but you'd better come back
because we've got your motorcycle and we'll keep that until
(08:19):
you come back for it. But it made little difference
to Harry that he was so to speak out on bail.
The great thing was that he was free. He rushed out,
but he didn't make for the scene of the disaster
to the reservoir, caused, as he had guessed by some spy.
(08:41):
All the town was pouring out now, and the streets
were full of people making for the place where the
explosion had accorred. It was easy for Harry to slip
through them and make out for London. He did not
try to get his cycle, But before he had gone
very far, he took over a motor lorrye that had
(09:05):
broken down. He pitched in and helped with the slight
repairs it needed, and the driver invited him to ride
along with them. Taken in provisions for the troops, I am,
he said, if you're going to Lenin, you might as
well ride along with me. Hey, Tommy. His question was
(09:28):
addressed to a sleepy private who was nodding on the
seat beside the driver. He started now and looked at
Harry all the board, he said, with a sleepy chuckle.
More the merrier say, I up all night. That's what
I've been. Fine sort of war this is. Do I
(09:51):
see any phidon? I do not. I'm a blooming chaperone
for cabbages and cauliflowers and turnips, lest th little hearts.
Harry laughed. It was impossible not to do that, but
he knew that if the soldier wanted fighting, fighting, he
(10:12):
would get Before long, Harry could guess that regular troops,
and this man was a regular, would not be kept
in England as soon as the territorials and volunteers in
sufficient number had joined the colors. But meanwhile guards were
necessary at home, he told them, in exchange for the
(10:35):
ride of the explosion. In the flood that probably followed it,
Lamey said, the soldier surprised. Think of that, now, what
will they be up to next, those Germans. That's what
I'd like to know, coming over here to England and
(10:57):
doing things like that. I'd have the law on him.
That's what I do, Harry laughed. So blind to the
real side of the war were men who at any
moment might find themselves face to face with the enemy.
(11:17):
End of Chapter eleven. According by Kangaroo,
Is in the public domain. Recording by Kangaroo the first
blow to Harry as he was taken off to the
police station. It seemed the hardest sort of hard luck
that his chase of graves should be interrupted at such
a critical time, and just because he had been overspeeding.
(00:25):
But he realized that he was helpless and that he
would only waste his breath if he tried to explain
matters until he was brought before someone who was really
in authority. Then, if he had any luck, he might
be able to clear things up. But the men who
arrested him were only doing their duty as they sought,
(00:49):
and they had no discretionary power at all. When he
reached the station, he was disappointed to find that no
one was on duty except to sleep in inspector, who
was even less inclined to listen to reason than the constables.
Every One who breaks the law has a good excuse,
(01:10):
my lad, he said, If we listened to all of them,
we might as well close up this place. You can
tell your story to the manchisterrate in the morning. You'll
be well treated to night, and you're better off with
us than running around the country a lad of your age.
(01:30):
If I were your father, I should see to it
that you were in bed and to sleep before this.
There was no arguing with such a man, especially when
he was sleepy. So Harry submitted very quietly to being
put in a cell. He was not treated like a
(01:50):
common prisoner, that much he was grateful for His cell
was really a room with windows that were not even barred,
and he saw that he could be very comfortable. Indeed,
you'll be all right here, said one of the constables.
Don't worry, my lad. You'll be let off with caution
(02:14):
in the morning. Get to sleep now it's late, and
you'll be roused bright and early in the morning. Harry
smiled pleasantly and thanked the man for his good advice,
but he had no intention whatever of taking it. He
did not even take off his clothes, though he did
(02:34):
seize the welcome chance to use the washstand that was
in the room. He had been through a good deal
since his last chance to wash and clean up, and
he was grimy and dirty. He discovered too, that he
was ravenously hungry. Until that moment, he had been too active,
(02:55):
too busy within brain and body, to notice his hunger. However,
there was nothing to be done for that. Now. He
and Dick had not stopped for meals that day since breakfast,
and they had eaten their emergency rations in the early afternoon.
In the tool case of his impounded motorcycle. Harry knew
(03:19):
that there was condensed food tables, each with the equivalent
of certain things like eggs and stakes and chops, and
there were cakes of chocolate too, the most nourishing of
foods that were in small and bulk. But the knowledge
did him little good. Now he didn't even know where
(03:41):
the motorcycle had been stored for the night. It had
been confiscated. Of course, in the morning it would be
returned to him, But he didn't allow his thoughts to
dwell long on the matter of food. It was vastly
more important that he should get away. He had to
(04:01):
get his news to Colonel Throckmorton. Perhaps Dick had done that,
but he couldn't trust that chance. Aside from that, he
wanted to know what had become of Dick, and for
the life of him, he didn't see how he was
going to get away. If they weren't toughy sure of me,
(04:23):
they'd have locked me up, and a lot more carefully
than this. He reflected, And of course it would be hard.
I could get out of here easily enough. He had
seen a drain pipe down which he felt sure he
could climb. But suppose I did, He went on talking
to himself. I've got an idea. It would land me
(04:47):
where I could be seen from the door. And I
suppose that's open all night. And then if I got
away from here, every policeman in town would know me.
They'd pick me up if I tried to get out,
even if I walked. He looked out the window. Not
so far away he could see a faint glare in
(05:09):
the sky That was London. He was already in the
suburban chain that ringed the city. This place, he did
not know its name, certainly was quite a town in himself.
And he was so close to London that there was
really no open country. One town or borough ran straight
(05:35):
into the next. The houses would grow fewer, thinning out,
but before the gap became real, the outskirts of the
next borough would be reached straight in front of him.
Looking over the housetops, he could see the gleam of water.
It was a reservoir, he decided. Probably it constantly did
(06:00):
the water supply for a considerable section. And then as
he looked, he saw a flash, saw a great column
of water rise into the air and descend like pictures
of a cloudburst. A moment after the explosion he heard
a dull roar, and after the roar another sound. He
(06:25):
saw the water fade out and disappear. And it was
a moment before he realized what was happening. The reservoir
had been blown up, and that meant more than the
danger and the discomfort of an uninterrupted water supply. It
meant immediate catastrophe, the flooding of all the streets nearby.
(06:49):
In England, as he knew, such reservoirs were higher than
the surrounding country. As a rule, they were contained within
high walls, and after rainy summer such as this had been,
would be full to overflowing. He was hammering at his
door in a moment, and a sleepy policeman, aroused by
(07:11):
the sudden alarm, flung it open as he passed on
his way to the floor below. Harry rushed down and
mingled unnoticed with a policeman who had been off duty.
But some men now to deal with a disaster. The
inspector who had received him, paid no attention to him
at all. Out with you men, he cried, there'll be
(07:34):
trouble over this. No telling, but what people may be drowned?
Double quick. Now they rushed out under command of a sergeant.
Thenspecker stayed behind, And now he looked at Harry. Hello,
he said, how did you get out? I want to help,
(07:55):
said Harry inspired. I haven't done anything really wrong. I
oughtn't I be able to help whether I can now
that something like this has happened. Go along with you,
said the inspector. All right, but you'd better come back
because we've got your motorcycle and we'll keep that until
(08:19):
you come back for it. But it made little difference
to Harry that he was so to speak out on bail.
The great thing was that he was free. He rushed out,
but he didn't make for the scene of the disaster
to the reservoir, caused, as he had guessed by some spy.
(08:41):
All the town was pouring out now, and the streets
were full of people making for the place where the
explosion had accorred. It was easy for Harry to slip
through them and make out for London. He did not
try to get his cycle, But before he had gone
very far, he took over a motor lorrye that had
(09:05):
broken down. He pitched in and helped with the slight
repairs it needed, and the driver invited him to ride
along with them. Taken in provisions for the troops, I am,
he said, if you're going to Lenin, you might as
well ride along with me. Hey, Tommy. His question was
(09:28):
addressed to a sleepy private who was nodding on the
seat beside the driver. He started now and looked at
Harry all the board, he said, with a sleepy chuckle.
More the merrier say, I up all night. That's what
I've been. Fine sort of war this is. Do I
(09:51):
see any phidon? I do not. I'm a blooming chaperone
for cabbages and cauliflowers and turnips, lest th little hearts.
Harry laughed. It was impossible not to do that, but
he knew that if the soldier wanted fighting, fighting, he
(10:12):
would get Before long, Harry could guess that regular troops,
and this man was a regular, would not be kept
in England as soon as the territorials and volunteers in
sufficient number had joined the colors. But meanwhile guards were
necessary at home, he told them, in exchange for the
(10:35):
ride of the explosion. In the flood that probably followed it,
Lamey said, the soldier surprised. Think of that, now, what
will they be up to next, those Germans. That's what
I'd like to know, coming over here to England and
(10:57):
doing things like that. I'd have the law on him.
That's what I do, Harry laughed. So blind to the
real side of the war were men who at any
moment might find themselves face to face with the enemy.
(11:17):
End of Chapter eleven. According by Kangaroo,
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