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Page 74
The details of this plan we arranged immediately. I saw Ryerson the next
day, and when I told him what his sister was resolved to do in the hope
of saving his honour, he cried like a child and I felt more than ever
convinced of his honest repentance.
We decided upon December 28th for the attempt, and two days before this
Randolph found a plausible excuse for cutting off his moustache. He told
General Langhorne that he had become a convert to the American fashion of
a clean shaven face.
As to the escape itself, I need only say that on December 28th, in the
late afternoon, I escorted Miss Ryerson, carefully veiled, to the Hotel
Blackstone; and an hour later I left the hotel with a person in women's
garments, also carefully veiled. And that night Randolph Ryerson and I
started for Richmond. I may add that I should never have found the
courage to leave that lovely girl in such perilous surroundings had she
not literally commanded me to go.
"We may be saving the nation," she begged. "Go! Go! And--I'll be thinking
of you--praying for you--for you both."
My heart leaped before the wonder of her eyes as she looked at me and
repeated these last words: _"For you both!"_
We left the express at Pittsburg, intending to proceed by automobile
across Pennsylvania, then by night through the mountains of West Virginia
and Virginia; for, of course, we had to use the utmost caution to avoid
the sentries of both armies which were spread over this region.
In Pittsburg we lunched at the Hotel Duquesne, after which Ryerson left
me for a few hours, saying that he wished to look over the ground and
also to procure the services of a high-powered touring car.
"Don't take any chances," I said anxiously.
"I'll be careful. I'll be back inside of two hours," he promised.
But two hours, four hours, six hours passed and he did not come. I dined
alone, sick at heart, wondering if I had made a ghastly mistake.
It was nearly ten o'clock that night when Ryerson came back after seven
hours' absence. We went to our room immediately, and he told me what had
happened, the gist of it being that he had discovered important news that
might change our plans.
"These people trust me absolutely," he said. "They tell me everything."
"You mean--German spies?"
"Yes. Pittsburg is full of 'em. They're plotting to wreck the big steel
plants and factories here that are making war munitions. I'll know more
about that later, but the immediate thing is Niagara Falls."
Then Ryerson gave me my first hint of a brilliant coup that had been
preparing for months by the Committee of Twenty-one and the American high
command, its purpose being to strike a deadly and spectacular blow at the
German fleet.
"This is the closest kind of a secret, it's the great American hope; but
the Germans know all about it," he declared.
"Go on."
"It's a big air-ship, the America, a super-Zeppelin, six hundred feet
long, with apparatus for steering small submarines by radio control--no
men aboard. Understand?"
"You mean no men aboard the submarine?"
"Of course. There will be a whole crew on the air-ship. Nicola Tesla and
John Hays Hammond, Jr., worked out the idea, and Edison was to give the
last touches; but as Edison is a German prisoner, they can't wait for
him. They are going to try the thing on New Year's night against the
German dreadnought _Wilhelm II_ in Boston Harbour."
"Blow up the _Wilhelm II_?"
"Yes, but the Germans are warned in advance. You can't beat their
underground information bureau. They're going to strike first."
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