CHAPTER XIII--THE GREAT GUNS
After the fight Pariset steered over the town at a great altitude, andKenneth employed his field-glasses in the hope of picking up someinformation.
"I say," he called, "it looks very much as if the Germans are really inthe town. Firing has stopped."
"They can't have taken the forts already," cried Pariset. "We'll getback."
On coming to the ground miles to the west, they learnt that Kenneth wasright: the Germans had entered the town, lined all the bridges withsentries, taken possession of the railway station, and begun to billetthemselves. It was rumoured also that Fort Loncin had fallen, thatGeneral Leman was a prisoner, and that the Belgian field army wasconcentrated about Fort Lantin, north of the town.
The officers of the Flying Corps were deeply dejected. All the effortsof their gallant men seemed to have been thrown away. Their thoughtsbeing centred on Liege alone, they did not as yet realise that thestrenuous resistance to the passage of the German army had dislocatedthe imperial plans, and caused a delay in the march on Paris which wasdestined to save Europe.
Kenneth and his friend were taking their evening meal in a village inn,the owner of which had announced that next day he intended to pack upand start for Ostend. Only a few peasants were on the premises; all themore well-to-do of the villagers had already joined the stream ofrefugees.
Suddenly there was a shot outside. The innkeeper dived into his cellar;his guests jumped up, grasping their revolvers. The door opened, and aman in the coarse soiled clothes of a farm labourer entered. On hishead was a wide-brimmed slouch hat, and the lower part of his face wasconcealed by a tangled brown moustache and beard.
"What was that shot?" asked Pariset, in Walloon, and gasped withamazement when the stranger, taking off his hat, said in perfectEnglish:
"Here is a part of its track."
He pointed to two bullet-holes, one on each side of the crown of thehat.
"Granger!" exclaimed Kenneth.
"A very good disguise, isn't it?" said Granger. "But there is littletime to spare. The bullet is in an amiable Teuton who popped round thecorner at an unfortunate moment--for him. No doubt he was shadowing me:I must make another change in my outward favour, that is clear. Hisconfederate missed me and winged the accomplice. I couldn't catch thefellow. Probably he has gone back to the town to get assistance, and Imust be moving. I've a few minutes, however, and you can help me. Iwas on my way to headquarters. I have just heard that the Germans arebringing up some heavy siege guns to demolish the forts. They are comingby road: were last heard of at Crefeld--huge things, drawn byinnumerable traction engines from the estimable millionaire's works atEssen. Will you carry the news to headquarters for me? You will savetime--and probably my skin."
"Certainly," said Pariset at once. "This explains the cessation of thebombardment."
"No doubt. They did not expect that poor little Belgium would turn intoa Jack-the-Giant-Killer, or they would have brought up these monsters oftheirs before. They represent the last word in Culture--according tothe gospel of Krupp. I will leave you, then."
"Ware spies!" said Kenneth, as they shook hands.
"We set a thief to catch a thief, don't we?" said Granger with a smile.
He put on his hat and was gone.
"We had better get away at once," said Pariset, biting the end off aDutch cigar. "But I don't care about reporting by hearsay. What do yousay to taking a look at them?"
"At what?"
"At these new apostles of culture."
"The big guns!--why not?"
"We shall have to cross into German territory--a risky game. If caughtwe shall be instantly shot."
"We've risked a good deal already without damage. Let us try it. Iknow the country; I've often cycled from Cologne to Crefeld."
"That's to the good. Very well, then; I'll get leave to go first thingin the morning. We'll use the Taube and wear German uniforms. And incase any one comes hunting for Granger, let us pay our bill and go."
----
At six o'clock next morning the inhabitants of an old farmhouse atErkelenz, not far from the Dutch frontier, were seated at breakfast.There was an old man of some sixty years, his wife and daughter, boysand girls, and two women servants. The farmer himself and his malehands were all on service.
"I wonder where Daddy is now?" said one of the boys.
"And Fritz and Hans?" said a girl.
"Somewhere on the way to Paris, little ones," said the grandfather. "Hewill bring you back some fine playthings. Granny is wearing the broochI brought from Paris forty years ago."
"Mother says Daddy may be killed," piped another boy.
"Nonsense!" said the old man. "Was I killed? Not even wounded. Whyshould your father be?"
"How long will he be away?" asked another.
"Not long. How long was I away in '70, Granny?"
"Six months," said the old woman. "Du lieber Himmel! but it seemed likesix years. Wilhelm was in long clothes when you went, and when you cameback he was running about. Ah! may God bring him back safe and sound!"
"Listen! What is that?" cried the children's mother.
A humming sound, like the buzzing of a monster bee, floated in throughthe open window. The children ran to the door.
"An aeroplane! An aeroplane!" they shouted. "See! it is coming down inthe meadow."
The household flocked to the door and window.
"A Taube!" said the old man. "Run and see what the airmen want, Karl."
A boy of twelve ran across the farmyard into the meadow. The monoplanehad alighted, and a tall man in the uniform of a German captain washastening towards the house.
"Have you any petrol, boy?" asked the airman.
The country boy looked up with awe, and said nothing. The sight of aGerman officer afflicted him with shyness. He ran back to hisgrandfather.
"The Herr Captain needs petrol," he said.
"That is unlucky, Herr Captain," said the old man, saluting the officer."We have no petrol; I doubt whether you will get any in Erkelenz; it hasall been bought for the army."
"Well, give me something to eat and drink."
Kenneth tried, without great success, to adopt the German officer'speremptory manner.
"No, I won't come in," he added. "Bring it to me here; I've no time tospare."
The women hastened to bring him of their best.
"And the Herr Captain's companion--shall we take something to him?" oneof them asked.
"He cannot eat or drink with his face bandaged like that," said Kenneth,glancing back at the aeroplane.
Pariset, who could not speak German, had swathed his jaw in a linenbandage.
"Ach, lieber Gott! he is wounded," said the old man.
"We have had an exciting trip," replied Kenneth laconically. "I supposeI shall have to go on to Crefeld. Is anything happening here? I noticethat transport is being diverted from the main road to a by-way. Why isthat?"
"An accident, Herr Captain," said the man. "A traction engine, drawinga very heavy load, slipped over the edge of the causeway three milesyonder. Something broke; it was late last night, and I heard they hadto send to Crefeld for a steam crane to lift it. Maybe it is done bynow."
"It was drawing an ammunition wagon, I suppose?"
"It did not look like that, Herr Captain. I walked over to see. But Icould not guess what it was, for it was covered all over withtarpaulin."
"Lend me a horse; I'll ride over. Perhaps there's some petrol in thebaggage train."
"I am sorry, Herr Captain; all the horses are taken."
"I must walk then. This boy can come and show me the way, and carryback the petrol."
"Surely, mein Herr."
"Keep a look-out, will you? If you see any one approaching, warn theHerr Lieutenant. There may be spies about."
He set off behind the boy. The causeway, he remembered, ran beside thelittle river Roer, that fell into the M
euse farther west at Roermond. Heneeded no guide, and indeed did not intend to go right up to the sceneof the breakdown; but the boy was useful as a cloak to his real design.
Half an hour's walk across the fields brought him to a hayrick somethingless than a mile from the spot.
"I ought to be able to get a view from the top of that," he thought.
Bidding the boy wait below, he climbed a ladder set against the side ofthe rick, raised his field-glasses to his eyes, and adjusted the focus.Meanwhile two old farm labourers had slouched across the field and askeda question of the boy, which he answered in a word.
Kenneth had reason to congratulate himself on having gone no farther.Between him and the causeway a half-troop of cavalry had off saddled,and were smoking near the broken traction engine, which had apparentlyswerved over the edge, and completely blocked the road. Behind it weretwo huge lorries, carrying between them a large mass of indefinite shapecovered with tarpaulin. At the further end of the causeway was anothertraction engine with a similar load. Besides the spick and span cavalrythere were a number of men in dirty clothes, some of whom appeared to beengaged in tinkering at the engine.
"Those are the heavy guns, without a doubt," thought Kenneth. "I wish Icould have a good look at them, but I'm afraid it's too risky. I mighthave guessed there would be a cavalry escort."
Obviously it was dangerous to attempt to carry off his imposture withthe German officers. It would have been another matter if only themotor men had been concerned. He was disappointed.
As he continued to gaze, however, an idea flashed into his mind. It waspretty clear that the road would remain blocked until some contrivancehad been rigged up for lifting the engine. Would Pariset venture a boldstroke? It would be a feather in his cap if he could destroy one,perhaps two, of these monster siege guns.
Shutting up his glasses, he climbed down the ladder, ignored thelabourers and their humble salute, and began to hurry back in thedirection of the farm. Surprised, the boy stood watching him for a fewmoments. Then he ran after him, and, plucking up courage, said--
"Will not the Herr Captain go on and get the petrol?"
"I will come in the aeroplane, boy; we have enough to bring us here."
The boy, rather crestfallen, had to trot to keep pace with Kenneth'slong strides. He had hoped to receive a few pfennigs for carrying thepetrol. Kenneth, busy with his thoughts, forgot the youngster until hewas paying the civil farm people for his food. Then, catching sight ofthe boy's woebegone face, he handed him a silver coin that drove theclouds away. It was lucky, he reflected, that he still had some Germanmoney in his possession. A Belgian coin would have given him away.
After five minutes' talk with Pariset, out of earshot of the people, whohad gathered about at a little distance, they once more took the air.They had managed to compress a good deal into that brief conversation.Pariset had accepted Kenneth's suggestion with delight. The problem,they agreed, was twofold: they had first to deal with the escort, thenwith the guns--if they were guns. When they soared away over the meadowthey had formed a clear idea of the means by which they would attempt tosolve it.
Making a wide sweep, east, north, and west, they approached the causewaysouth of the spot where the breakdown had occurred. The sight of aTaube monoplane flying obliquely over the road aroused curiosity but nosuspicion in the minds of the Germans. But suddenly one of them gave ashout. Next moment a small bomb fell close beside one of the lorries,throwing up a shower of dust and stones. The engineers scuttled away;the troopers rushed to their horses, which, startled by the noise of theexplosion, were threatening to stampede.
Pariset banked the aeroplane steeply and wheeled round. As it passedagain over the causeway, Kenneth dropped another bomb, which fell closeto the first. The men on foot were rushing wildly up the road; on theopen fields there was no cover. Most of the troopers had mounted; somehad seized their rifles and were firing. But the sight of the aeroplanewheeling again struck them with panic, and with a shout they dashedafter their comrades, galloping across the fields.
The aeroplane followed up the fugitives. Owing to its speed, Parisethad to steer a zigzag course in order not to overtake them. Each timeit wheeled he contrived to bring it close behind the rearmost horseman,like a sheep dog driving a flock, and Kenneth dropped a bomb to hurrythe pace.
They kept up the chase for some minutes; then, there being no sign ofrallying, they darted back to the causeway, where the traction enginesand lorries now stood deserted. The level field on one side afforded agood alighting place. They came to the ground, sprang from their seats,and as they ran to the causeway noticed one or two men lying wounded.
"We simply haven't time to attend to them," panted Pariset. "Thefellows will be riding back in a minute."
They reached the unwieldy vehicles. The impressions of the moment cameback to them afterwards--the huge wheels with their grooved rims, thedeep ruts they had carved in the road. There were plenty of tools lyingabout. Kenneth cut the lashings of one of the tarpaulin covers,stripped off the cover, and found, as he had expected, that beneath itlay a portion of a huge weapon, half gun, half mortar, with a boreseventeen inches in diameter.
"It's not the breech block; try the next lorry," urged Pariset.
"I'll deal with this; you go on to the next," said Kenneth.
Each had carried from the aeroplane a cylindrical parcel wrapped incotton wool. From the end of this a short length of wire protruded.Climbing into the lorries they pushed these parcels into the breech endof the bore of the guns. Then each began to connect the wires with asmall battery furnished with a clock-work timing mechanism.
While still engaged in this operation, they heard the clatter of hoofs,and looking up, saw a squadron of cavalry galloping down the road littlemore than half a mile away.
"How long?" shouted Kenneth.
"Sixty seconds," Pariset replied. "Say when you are ready."
Pariset, the more experienced of the two, was ready first.
"Quick!" he cried, running towards the aeroplane.
"Right!" shouted Kenneth, scrambling down and sprinting after him.
By the time he had vaulted into his seat the engine had been started.Pariset jumped in, threw the engine into gear, and the machine startedforward. At the same moment bullets began to fly around. Pariset paidno heed to them. He had less than half a minute to get beyond the rangeof explosion.
The machine had barely risen from the ground when there was a deafeningreport, that seemed to be immediately beneath him. A few moments laterthere was a second crashing roar. The aeroplane was tossed about like afeather in a gale. It dipped, and for an instant Pariset feared that itwould dash to the earth. During the few seconds this miniature tornadocontinued the airmen's hearts were in their mouths. Involuntarily theybent low to avoid the bullets which the horsemen, now come to a halt,were volleying at them. Keeping a firm grip of the controls, Parisetflew straight onward, rising as rapidly as possible.
Not until he had gained an altitude which seemed to promise immunityfrom rifle fire did either of them think of turning to see the effect ofthe explosions. Then Pariset wheeled round, and flew back, Kennethexamining the causeway far below through his field-glasses.
The lorries, as complete vehicles, had disappeared. The remains of onegun lay scattered on the field; those of the other wereindistinguishably mixed up with earth, stones, and the debris of thelorries on the causeway.
The leading files of the troopers appeared to have come within a hundredyards of the scene at the moment of the first explosion. A few lay onthe ground; some were galloping on their affrighted steeds over thefield; only the rear ranks had been able to rein up, and fire theirineffectual shots at the aeroplane hopelessly beyond range.