"Oh, the cables frayed, I suppose.I'll take a look in the morning.Say,but this is some storm!"
"Is the gun all right now?"
"Yes, it's fastened down like a mummy.It can't get loose unless the whole deck comes with it.We can sleep in peace.""Not much sleep in this blow, I guess," responded Ned.
But they did manage to get some rest by morning, at which time the hurricane seemed to have blown itself out.The day saw the sea gradually calm down, and the big cannon was made additionally secure against a possible recurrence of the accident.But a few days more and it would be safe at Colon.
Tom and Ned had gone on deck soon after breakfast to look at the cannon.All about were pieces of the broken cables, that had been cast aside when the new lashings were put on.Ned picked up one end, remarking:
"These seem mighty strong.It's queer how they broke." "Well, there was quite a weight upon them," spoke Tom.
Ned did not reply for a moment.Then, as he looked at another piece of a severed cable, he exclaimed:
"Tom, the weight of your gun never broke these." "What do you mean, Ned?""I mean that they were partly filed, or cut through--then the storm and the pressure of the gun did the rest.Look!"He held out the piece of wire rope.There, on the end, could be seen several strands cleanly severed, as though a file or a hack- saw had been used.
"By Jove!" murmured Tom.He looked about the deck.There was no one near the big gun."Ned," whispered his chum, "there's something wrong here.It's more of that conspiracy to defeat my aims.Don't say anything about this, and we'll keep our eyes open.We'll do a bit of detective work.""The scoundrels!" exclaimed Ned."I wish we knew who they were.General Waller isn't aboard, and what other of the officers has a gun of his own that he would rather see accepted by the government than yours?""None that I know of," replied Tom.
"General Waller might have hired someone to--""Don't go making any unwarranted charges," warned the young inventor.
"Or perhaps that German, Tom, might--"
"Hush!" cautioned Tom."Here he comes now," and, as he spoke, General von Brunderger came strolling along the deck.
"I am glad to see that the accident of last night had no serious effects," he said, smiling.
"It was no accident!" burst out Ned.
"No accident? You surprise me.I thought--""Oh, Ned means that some of the cables look as though they had been cut," hastily put in Tom, nudging his chum in the ribs as a signal for him to keep quiet.
"The cables cut!" exclaimed the German, and his voice indicated anxious solicitude.
"Or else filed," went on Tom easily, with a warning glance at Ned."But I dare say they were old cables, that had been used on other work, and may have become frayed.Everything is safe now, though.New cables were lashed on this morning.""I am glad to hear it.It would be a--er--ah, a national calamity to lose so valuable a gun, and the opening of the canal so near at hand.I am glad that your invention is safe, Herr Swift," and he smiled genially at Tom and Ned.
"What did you shut me off for?" asked Ned, when he and his chum were alone in their stateroom again.
"Because I didn't want you to make any breaks before him," answered Tom.
"Then you suspect--"
"I suspect many things, Ned, but I'm not going to show my hand until I'm ready.I'm going to watch and listen.""And I'll be with you."
But no further accidents occurred.There were no more storms, no attempt was made to meddle with Tom's powder, and in due season the ship arrived at Colon, and after much labor the great gun, its carriage, theshells and the powder were taken to the barbette at the Gatun locks, designed to admit vessels from the Caribbean Sea into Gatun Lake.
"And now for some more hard work," remarked Tom, as all the needful stores were landed.
