Next moment, my friend was eagerly at my side, while at the same instant we heard a light footstep and Roseye, in her big motor-coat, stood unexpectedly before us.
It works! Roseye! It works, darling! Mind! Dont pass in front of the box. Do be careful! I cried in warning, while at the same time Teddy Ashton, with the binoculars at his eyes, gasped:
By Jove, Claude! Its wonderful. Yes! Youre right! We have success at last!
Chapter Four
Concerns the Secret
In our eagerness, Roseye and I set out to walk towards the pole, leaving Teddy in charge of the apparatus.
To approach the spot, we had to leave the market-garden and take a road lined by meagre cottages, then at last, skirting two orchards and yet another market-garden, we came out upon a second road, which we crossed, and at last found ourselves at the disused wireless-hut.
There a strange spectacle greeted our eyes for, the darkness having by that time become complete, we saw, around the lightning-conductor on the pole and over the steel stays, blue electric sparks scintillating.
Look, darling! I cried. See what we have at last produced by the unseen directive current!
Yes, replied my well-beloved. Look at the sparks! How pretty they are! Why they seem to be jumping across the insulators from one stretch of wire-rope to the other!
That effect is exactly what Teddy and I have for so long laboured to produce, was my answer, as I stood there fascinated by the sparks and the slight crackling which reached our ears where we stood.
The fact was that though our apparatus was half a mile away, yet upon those steel strands, as well as upon the copper lightning-conductor, the electric waves which we were discharging a new development of the discovery of Heinrich Hertz was such as to spark over all the intervening gaps, even though the space where the insulators were inserted was quite three inches.
It was a phenomenon such as had never before been witnessed by any experimenter in electricity. The theories I had formed and so often discussed with Teddy were now proved to be quite sound, for they had resulted in the construction of that apparatus which must, I knew, be most deadly to any Zeppelin.
The sparks, as we watched them, suddenly ceased.
For a moment I stood surprised, yet next instant realised that Teddy had, no doubt, some very good reason for stopping the engine. Somebody might have come upon the scene, and we were always extremely cautious that nobody should know in what we were engaged. The neighbours knew us as airmen, and believed we were engaged in making some kind of new propellers.
What I had seen in those few minutes, the flashing crackling sparks running over the surface of those porcelain insulators and, indeed, over part of the wooden pole for it happened to have been raining until an hour before, and all the surfaces were damp was, to me, sufficient to cause me to hold my breath in excitement.
We have made a great and most important discovery to-day, Roseye, I said as calmly as I could, as together we walked back to the shed. This discovery is undreamed of by Germany. It will give us power over any Zeppelin which dares to come to our shores, providing that we can approach sufficiently near.
Ah! if you can, replied the girl at my side. No doubt we shall increase the range, I replied. We have, this evening, established the one most important fact that our apparatus is really capable of directing the rays, and that between metal and metal we can now, as Hertz endeavoured to, set up an electric spark from a distance.
You certainly have done that but I dont yet see the trend of your argument, Claude. I know Im only a woman and unversed in technicalities, so please forgive me, wont you?
Well, I said as we walked, my arm linked in hers. First, as you know, a Zeppelin is constructed mostly of aluminium, its stays and practically all its rigid parts are of that metal except some of light steel. It consists of a number of ballonets filled with highly inflammable gas, and around those ballonets are ribs of aluminium and steel. There must be joints in these ribs, and over those joints we have now proved that we can create sparks from a considerable distance. From the ballonets there is a constant leakage of gas, therefore if we charge the aluminium and steel so that they spark wherever there is the slightest gap we shall ignite that escaping gas and cause the whole airship to explode with terrific force. Do I explain it clearly?
Quite, Claude, was her slow, thoughtful reply. I see now in what direction all these wonderful and patient experiments have been made. To-night you have certainly produced sparks.
And ere long I hope we shall increase our range, and be able to do without half the current and all its consequent paraphernalia, was my confident reply. Im certain, I said, as certain as we are walking here together, that we have at last established a sound means of protecting Great Britain against Zeppelin raids.
I hope you have, dear, Roseye replied. Oh! what a great thing it will be for the country. You and Teddy will deserve monuments if you really can succeed.
We shall succeed, darling with your assistance. Im confident of that!
I how can I help?
In many ways. Youve already assisted us enormously, I said. Teddy was only saying so to-day, and I gripped her arm more tightly, as we turned the corner and approached the shed where Ashton was, we knew, awaiting us.
Splendid, my dear fellow! I cried as we re-entered. Sparking beautifully, all over like fireworks!
Pretty dangerous fireworks! my friend remarked. I cut off the current just now.
Yes, I said. Why?
Well, do you know, old chap, I thought I heard somebody about! he replied. Even with the dynamo running I fancied I overheard voices. Therefore I cut off at once, and went outside to see. Strangers seemed to be somewhere at the back.
Did you find anyone? Roseye asked.
Nobody yet Im quite certain I heard voices, he insisted.
Some of the men from the market-garden perhaps, I remarked.
I dont think so, was Teddys reply.
Why not? I demanded in surprise.
Well because what I heard and I tell you, Claude, I heard it quite distinctly was a sudden exclamation of surprise.
Surprise!
Yes. As though somebody had made an unexpected discovery, Teddy said. I had just been watching the effect on the pole through your glasses, and had returned inside when I heard an exclamation, followed by some quick words of surprise that I could not catch. It was a mans voice.
Surely there could not be anybody else watching the sparking upon the pole! I exclaimed in quick apprehension.
Thats just what I believe has happened, Ashton replied seriously. Weve been watched as I suspected we were.
Youve said so all along, I know.
And now Im quite convinced of it. And whoever has watched us making our experiments now knows that to-night our efforts have been crowned with success.
Well, I remarked after a pause. If what you say is true, Teddy, we shall have to be very wary in future. I know there are a great many unscrupulous persons who would be ready to go to any length in order to learn this secret discovery of ours which, when fully developed, will, I feel convinced, mean the buckling-up of the Zeppelin menace.