CHAPTER XIII
NIGHT RAID
Arno did not put on his brakes until he had forced the guards at thegate back two paces. Allison leaned out over the door, his cap pulleddown over his eyes. He bellowed loudly in German, blurring a string ofwords together and winding up with the password from the outside post.He was taking a chance that that was the password for the whole area.
The guards backed away, presented arms, and jerked into stiff positionsof attention. Arno lost no time in shooting the car through the gates.They entered a shadowy courtyard where the light was dim. The Yank raidon Bolero Villa, just over the hill, had caused every post in thevicinity to be blacked out.
"We are under the window of the room," Arno said in a low voice.
"There's a guard down the wall a ways," Allison said. "I'll give youfellows a calling-down in German to make the guard think I'm really onthe warpath, then we'll march right in."
"Perhaps I had better try the window while you are trying the door,"Tony said. "You might have trouble. There will be plenty of lightinside."
Allison raised his voice and began berating the boys in German."_Schwinehund!_" he bellowed and followed that up with other choicewords of abuse. He had a bright idea and added that he was going to findthe man who had handled the blackout. He said he could see light fromthe back hallway all the way out to the road.
Instantly they heard the guard moving toward the back door.
"Now's our chance," Allison whispered. "I said we could see light fromthe back hallway. We'll make them douse the lights."
They headed toward the back door and stomped up the wide steps. Theguard opened the door and they saw that the hallway was dark. Allisonroared at the fellow and he came to a stiff salute, presenting arms.
"General Bolero," Allison snapped. "We would speak to him."
The boys did not understand, but they caught the general's name and hadan idea. The guard protested but Allison thrust several papers at him.He had taken the papers from the officer's pocket but had no idea whatthey were. When the man started to use a pocket flashlight to read thepapers, Allison smashed the light out of his hand, roaring at him aboutthe blackout.
The soldier was thoroughly cowed. He turned and started down the hallwaywith the boys close behind him. Tony had found the window barred on theoutside and had joined the others. He nudged Stan as they halted beforea door. It was the very room Arno had said his father would be kept in.
The guard unlocked the door. As it opened, a flood of light shone overthe men. The general's window had been boarded up, so he was allowed alight. He was sitting at a little table writing. Stan did not wait tosee any more. He knew the guard was wise the moment he saw the raidersin the bright light. Their shoes and trousers gave them away as well astheir faces. Stan had moved along very close to the guard. His arm wentout in a perfect commando attack and before the guard had time to shouthe was silenced and heaved into the room.
In an instant Tony was across the room and in his father's arms. Arnostood beside them gripping one of the general's arms. The general lookedover Tony's shoulder at Stan and Allison.
"I am honored," he said.
"Turn out the light," Stan ordered.
The general shoved Tony aside and switched off the light. "You havetaken greater chances than you should. I am hardly worth the effort."
When he had ceased speaking they listened. Several men were moving downthe hall, talking in angry voices.
"That is the commandant of this post. I know his voice. He has with hima number of his officers," the general said in a low voice.
"They'll wonder where the other guard is," Stan said. "We better jerkthe boards off that window and get out of here."
"That cannot be done," the general said. "They are planks, not boards,and they are spiked to the outside of the house."
Allison had opened the door a crack. "They have turned on the light.There's five of them, and they seem excited."
"How far down the hallway?" Stan asked.
"At the door," Allison answered.
The voice of one of the men lifted as he shouted an order. "He's callingin a squad of armed men from the gate," Allison said.
"It seems we are trapped," Arno said grimly.
"Can we go out the front way?" Stan snapped, turning to Tony.
"Yes. There is a side door and a front door. But we can't get back toour car because of the walls around the back plaza."
"Our tommy-guns and grenades are in the car," Allison said.
"We'll have to chance it and move fast. Lead off." Stan reached for thedoorknob. Opening the door a little way he looked out. The five officerswere standing in the doorway down the hall looking out into the night.
Stan stepped out, whipping his Colt from its holster as he went. "Downthe hall!" he hissed. "Lead them, Tony. I'll cover your retreat."
The raiders and the general moved out and started down the hall. Theyhad taken only a few steps, when one of the officers at the door turnedaround. He let out a startled shout. The others whirled. Stan coveredthem with his Colt. The distance was a full thirty feet, good shootingrange for the forty-five.
"Get your hands up!" Stan snapped. The bore of his gun wavered over thestomachs of the officers and came to rest on a spot between the eyes ofthe colonel.
Amazement showed on the faces of the Germans, then hatred and fury.
"Fools!" the colonel grated. "You will all be shot as soon as the alarmis sounded."
Stan was moving backward. He grinned at the colonel and made a goodbluff. His free hand slid into the pocket of his coat. "Perhaps," hesaid loudly. "But I have a grenade here, an American-made grenade. Youknow how much damage they do. I'm going to toss it right where you arestanding just as soon as I get to the corner."
He knew at once that he had scored a hit. The Germans knew that tossinga grenade in just that manner was the way Rangers and Commandos worked.Three of the men, those in the doorway, dived out into the night wherethey began shouting. The colonel and one other officer edged toward thedoor. Stan reached the corner and made a motion to jerk his hand out ofhis pocket. The two Germans dived for the door.
"Whirling, Stan raced down the hall. He was passing a door when a handreached out and jerked him into a dark room or hall, he could not tellwhich. Allison's voice hissed:
"Inside, we're going up on the roof." Stan heard the door slam and allwas dark. "Tony knows how to go through a French window in this room outto a trellis. We climb the vines."
"But the general, he's pretty heavy," Stan said.
"The boys are boosting him up right now." Allison was dragging Stanacross the room.
They went through the window and saw the stars above. Dark shapes loomedagainst the wall of the house where vines climbed up to the eaves. Stanand Allison started up the trellis. They could hear General Boleropuffing and grunting as Tony and Arno helped him climb upward.
Stan looked down and saw the top of the garden wall. "I'm going downafter some grenades and a submachine gun," he hissed. Before Allisoncould stop him he had swung over the wall and was dangling in space. Thevines ended at the wall and Stan could not see what was below. He took achance and cut loose.
Stan was lucky. He landed on top of a canvas-covered van. The paddingdulled the thud of his landing. He sat up and listened. The yard belowwas filled with shouting and yelling. Boots pounded as men ran acrossthe hard ground. Doors slammed and someone fired a pistol. Stan whistledbut got no answer. Then he spotted his gang. They were crouching on theroof above. Stan whistled louder and saw a shape detach itself and slidedown toward the edge of the roof. He was sure it was Allison. When thedark shape loomed directly above him he called up cautiously.
"There's a canvas-covered van right here. Get the men and have them dropoff on top of it."
"Pretty far down, isn't it, old man?" Allison called back.
"Not too far," Stan answered. "We'll get to our car and blast our wayout of here."
Allison moved back up the roof. In a minute he wa
s back with the generaland his sons.
"General Bolero coming down first," Allison called softly.
Stan moved back but got ready to help the general. A bulky form swungdown from the roof, then fell, landing with a thud beside Stan. Stanhelped the general to a sitting position.
"Are you hurt?"
"Only slightly jarred," the general assured him.
The others dropped off in a hurry. They crowded around Stan. "Now to getto our car," Stan said.
They slid off the back of the van. It was parked a yard from the wall ofthe house. Other vans stood beside it as closely as they could be packedin. The raiders moved along the wall, halting behind the last van. Thecar they wanted to reach was only a few feet away, but it was surroundedby a squad of men. Flashlight beams stabbed into the car and men talkedexcitedly.
Inside the house there was a great uproar as the Germans searched forthe missing men. Tony chuckled, then whispered:
"Little Don Sachetti and I used to get spanked for sneaking through thatwindow and climbing the trellis."
"We had better take over that car and our guns and grenades. This is thebest chance we'll ever have. Most of the Germans are in the house," Stansaid.
"Don Sachetti was executed yesterday. I think he would rest better if wetossed a few grenades through the windows of his home," the generalsaid. "By all means let us proceed with the capture of the car andmateriel."
"You drive, Arno," Stan ordered. "Fan out, boys, and start shooting whenthey spot us." He turned to the general. "Sorry, sir, that we do nothave a gun for you."
"I will soon have one," the general answered grimly.
The boys spread out in the darkness along the side of the last van. Theymoved forward with automatic pistols ready. Stan picked his man, a burlyofficer with a flashlight. The Germans were so intent upon the arms theyhad found that they did not see their attackers until the boys were uponthem. The burly officer was the one who sounded the alarm. He shoutedloudly as he shot his light over the raiders. Instantly the boys openedup. With pistols flaming they charged. Stan saw the general leap aheadand tear a rifle from the hands of a falling German.
For a moment the action was furious, but the fire from the forty-fiveswas deadly and the Germans went down or leaped away. Stan located a sackof grenades that had been removed from the car. He took out a couple andtossed them over toward the big gate. The result was all that he hadhoped it would be. A dozen armed guards had been standing at the gatesunder shaded lights, while the machine-gun crews outside were draggingtheir guns around to bring them to bear inside the yard. After thesecond grenade exploded with a roar Stan saw nothing at the gate at allexcept a pile of bricks where one of the entrance pillars had stood amoment before.
"Good going, but Tony has been hit," Allison shouted. "Better get intothe car!"
Arno had the engine roaring while Allison and the general were sweepingthe yard with tommy-gun fire. Tony lay on the floor of the car, shoveddown to keep him clear of flying lead. From the shadows all around thembullets were whining. Stan slid in beside Arno. He could not find atommy-gun, but he had the sack of grenades on his lap. Leaning outthrough the window of the car he began lobbing them at the windows ofthe big house. He hoped some of those he tossed would be incendiarygrenades. Arno drove parallel to the house for a short distance to giveStan a chance with his grenades.
The car swerved as they passed the door. Stan was able to plant agrenade into the open door and to add another before they straightenedout for the charge at the gate. They hit the pile of loose bricks lyingin the entrance and one tire exploded. The car wobbled and careened butshoved through the opening without turning over.
As they smashed through, Stan saw flames leaping out of the doorway. Agaping hole in the wall, revealed by the fire, showed where one grenadehad done its work. They had charged ahead only a few hundred yards andwere not clear of the driveway when they saw ahead of them a small tankand two trucks. Men on foot swarmed beside the vehicle. With a roar thewhole driveway ahead burst into action. The careening car had beensighted. Arno twisted the wheel and they plunged through a hedge anddown a steep bank where the car came to halt with its radiator smashedagainst the trunk of a tree.
"Get the tommy-guns and grenades," Stan snapped. "Get Tony out!"
Tony was already out. "I have the wound plugged," he said in a weakvoice. "I'll manage."
"We'll help you along," Stan said. "You lead the way, Arno."
"I know best how to get out of here. I was here more than Arno," Tonysaid. "I'll lead you."
"Give him a hand, Arno," Stan said. "They're coming through the hedge upabove."
Allison and Stan opened up on a group of Germans breaking through thehedge above. Their gunfire drove the Germans back and allowed Arno andthe general time to get Tony up the bank and into the woods.
Whirling, they ran up the bank and overtook the three who were waitingfor them.
"Where to now?" Stan asked.
"We have to stay in the woods and keep moving. Near the top of theridge we'll find a small lake. There are a number of small huts upthere. We can hide in one of them." Arno spoke quickly.
"But they'll search every foot of the woods and every hut," Allisonobjected.
"They do a very good job of hunting down escaped men," Stan agreed.
"We might fool them if we hide in the Sachetti villa. They would neverthink of looking for us there," Tony said.
"An excellent idea, but how can we get in without being discovered?" thegeneral asked.
"There's an outside air shaft leading down into the cellars. It iscovered with vines and there is a tree growing beside it," Tony said. "Iused to be able to slide down that shaft."
"A good idea," Stan said. He was beginning to realize that Tony wouldnot be able to travel very far or very fast. "Let's get going."
"See, they are making a circle around the woods," Tony said.
Lights were flashing above and below them. But the Germans did not seemto think it necessary to throw a line between the woods and the house.Arno and General Bolero helped Tony. Stan and Allison brought up therear. They moved through the trees and across a garden thickly plantedwith shrubbery and grapevines.
Behind them the woods were filled with German soldiers. The searchershad fanned out into the valley below and upon the hills above the villa.
"Here is the shaft," Tony said as they halted in the black darknessunder a tree.
Stan could see nothing that looked like a shaft or like the roof of awine cellar.
"We must be careful not to disturb the vines or the bushes." Tonylaughed softly. "Mr. Sachetti went to a great deal of trouble in hidingthe cellar and the shaft. He said they ruined the beauty of his garden."Tony was pushing aside bushes as he spoke. Finally he called verysoftly. "Come now."
The raiders moved under the spreading branches of the tree and fromthere they crawled under a leafy vine. They found an open shaft with ahigh metal cone over it. Tony and Arno went down first. When the generaltried it he had trouble squeezing down the shaft. Stan was the last toslip through. He lowered the guns and grenades to Allison before hedescended. Sliding down he found himself in total darkness.
"Now we have to hide. The Germans will be coming down here often forwine." Tony spoke eagerly. "We'll hide behind the vats containing thenew crop of grapes. The Germans will drink only the old wines. They areon this side."
Feeling their way they located a row of huge barrels and crawled inbehind them. Stan and Allison located themselves near the outsidebarrel.
"We can hear the doors open when anyone comes down here," Tony said."The hinges are rusty and will squeak loudly."
"How about dressing your wound now, Tony?" General Bolero suggested. "Iwill tend to it myself."
CHAPTER XIV
NIGHT FLIGHT
The creaking hinges of the wine cellar door served as a warning signalto the hiding men behind the wine casks. Every time a German orderly wassent for wine they knew he was coming before he had even entered thesho
rt passageway leading into the main room. Usually the men were sentin pairs, sometimes three or four came. The men always had liberalsamples of the wine before filling the decanters for the officers.
The cellar was damp and smelled of rotting wood and stale wine. Thespace behind the wine casks was limited and legs developed cramps as thenight and the next day wore on. Belts had to be tightened over emptystomachs, but there was no complaining. Tony regained his strength andwith it his belief that they would escape.
"We can't very well climb back out of that chute," Allison said for thetenth time. "We'll have to plan some other strategy. It's three P.M.right now and we still don't have any ideas. We have to be up at thatwheat field by midnight."
"I'll slip out into the hallway and have a look," Stan offered.
"And get caught," Allison said sourly.
Further talk was halted. The hinges of the door creaked dismally. Fourmen entered and turned on the small light over the row of old winebarrels. They talked and had a few drinks before filling the pitchersthey carried. There was much laughing and joking. When they had gone,Allison translated their conversation.
"We finally have some information," he said. "The Germans blame theItalian peasants for our disappearance. They are sure the peasantsspirited us away and they are taking reprisals."
"That is like them," General Bolero said sadly.
"And here is the big news. The Germans figure we have escaped and willreach the British lines in the south. They expect a bombing raid uponthis spot, similar to the one on the Bolero villa. So tonight they willevacuate under cover of darkness and they will put this place, winecellar and all, to the torch before they go." Allison laughed.
"When are they going?" Stan asked.
"They plan to get out as soon as darkness comes to cover their movementsfrom our air force, which seems to have taken over the sky. As soon asthey have evacuated they will destroy the place. I gather the highcommand has ordered that every place evacuated is to be destroyed inrevenge for Italy's quitting the war."
"So. We have to get out of here by dark," General Bolero said. "And thatwe will do."
"I hope so," Stan said.
"We will evacuate with the Germans," the general said. "That is our onlychance."
"Right-o," Allison agreed.
"So we may as well lay a few plans." The general seemed eager to getinto action.
"We could shoot our way out," Tony suggested.
"We would do better to use our heads," the general said firmly.
"We ought to be able to take over one of the gangs sent here to getwine. The German officers will want to haul away all of this fine winethey can possibly take with them," Stan said.
"Now we're beginning to get places," Allison agreed.
For the next hour they planned and talked. Tony explained the route theywould have to take to get to the field where O'Malley was to pick themup. No one said anything about O'Malley's not being there at midnight.Their big worry was to get to the field themselves.
It was well after dark, according to their watches, when things began tohappen. An officer and a squad of soldiers entered the cellar. Theofficer barked commands at the men for a few minutes, then marched off.
The raiders crowded close to Allison to learn what had been ordered.Allison whispered his report while the men a few feet away began rollingbarrels from the racks.
"They are taking the old wine. The new wine in these vats is to bepoured out. The barrels are to be smashed. They have a drum of gasolineoutside and will pour it into the cellar and set fire to it as theyleave." Allison paused. "They have a simple method worked out foremptying these barrels. After the gasoline is set afire the men are totoss a few grenades in here to smash the barrels and make certain thecellar is destroyed."
"We better take over right now," Stan said. "Those birds have only sidearms. We'll slide out with our tommy-guns covering them. Each take abarrel and when I whistle step out."
The German workmen were startled out of their wits a second or two laterwhen five armed men stepped out from behind barrels and covered themwith machine guns and a rifle. They stared at General Bolero, blinkedtheir eyes wildly, and then elevated their arms toward the ceiling.
"Tie them up," Stan ordered. "Take the door with Arno." He nodded toAllison. "If any more men come, cover them and bring them back here."
Tony and the general and Stan got busy. It took a little time to bindand gag eight men when the bonds and gags had to be ripped from theirclothing with trench knives. Before that was finished Allison and Arnoadded two more noncom officers who had come in to hurry up the squad.
"I suggest we each roll a barrel outside," General Bolero said. "We canuse them as something to hide behind if we meet resistance."
"Good idea," Stan agreed. He turned to Tony. "Can we get out withoutcharging the main gate? If we rouse the Germans, we'll be in the samespot we were in the first time we got loose."
"I don't think so," Tony answered.
The problem was solved by the appearance of an officer. He bellowedangrily into the cellar, then took a step or two into the darkpassageway. That was a mistake. Allison tapped him over the head with agun barrel and dragged him back.
"He says the villa has been fired. There is only a few minutes to loadup and get out." Allison laid the officer beside his men.
"We won't tie him up. When he comes to he can free his men. I wouldn'troast even a German," Stan snapped. "Get a barrel and let's get going."
The floor and the passageway sloped gently down into the cellar becausethe barrels always came in full and went out empty. The boys soondiscovered that it took two of them to roll a heavy barrel. They managedto get three barrels rolling and headed for the entrance.
Outside they found a big van with a driver who was dancing up and downshouting. Three planks sloped up into the truck. The first barrel hitthe planking and the boys heaved it up. The driver was yelling wildlyand he had every reason to yell. The yard was as light as day. Flameslicked up all around the house and the smaller buildings blazedfuriously. The heat was intense and the smoke was thick.
Allison snapped an order at the driver and the fellow put a shoulderagainst the next barrel. No sooner had he leaned forward than Arnotapped him over the head with his pistol butt.
"Get our guns and the sack of grenades and flares," Stan shouted. "Arno,you drive."
They had two barrels in the back of the van where they could be seen. Ina moment the guns and the grenades were in the truck along with Tony,the general, and Allison. Stan armed himself with a tommy-gun and rodeup front with Arno.
Out at the main gate guards were shouting and waving at the van to hurryup. No Germans remained in the courtyard. Arno started the van and theyheaded for the gate. The guards wanted a ride, but Arno had gotten upspeed and did not stop. They roared down the driveway and headed outinto the road. Foot soldiers were everywhere. Arno slipped into a lineof trucks and they chugged along toward the settlement. They reached itwithout mishap, though a dozen officers had shouted orders at them, andone captain had ridden several hundred yards on their running board. Thecomplete blackout necessary to make a convoy movement safe helped a lot.
Reaching the settlement, they were directed to a grove of trees wheretheir truck was shoved back into deep cover.
Allison came forward and got in with Stan. When an officer came alongchecking their load, he explained they had wine for the officers' messand suggested it be shoved deeper into the woods to keep it from beingtapped by the soldiers. The officer cleared a pathway and led them deepinto the timber beyond the rest of the convoy. He ordered the crew toreport to a designated spot and then rushed off.
The five raiders gathered beside the truck and broke out laughing.
"So considerate of them," Arno said.
"I have never known the German army to be so co-operative before," thegeneral observed.
"We better be on our way," Stan said.
They gathered up their things and headed into the woods with Ton
yleading the way. After an hour of searching and much argument betweenhim and Arno they finally located a trail and followed it.
Stan and Allison began to suspect the boys were lost, when suddenly theycame out on a knoll. Above them, silhouetted against the starlit sky,were the two square-topped peaks.
"See," Tony said to Arno. "Now you must admit I was right."
"You were, I am sorry I argued."
"It's twenty minutes to twelve," Allison said anxiously. "How far is itto the wheat field?"
"Just a ten-minute walk," Tony answered.
"We'll hit it right on the minute," Stan said eagerly. "Lead on."
Tony led them out of the woods and into the wheat field. They checkedthe wind and got out their flares. Arno took one, Tony another, whileAllison took the red center marker.
"Clear a space so as not to set the field of wheat on fire," Arnowarned. "I'll show you how far to go."
Stan and the general went along, carrying the guns and grenades. Theywere about in the center of the field when they heard the roar of aplane motor. Stan listened and then grinned. The engine was a powerfulradial. He was certain O'Malley was at the throttle.
The plane swooped around and around high above while the boys got spacescleared and everything set. Arno called to the others and the flaresblossomed out. Looking up into the sky they waited. The plane circledand headed in. Suddenly a barrage broke loose from a hill a half mileaway. A German battery had heard the plane and had spotted the flares.The gunners were shooting at the flares and by the dirt they werelifting they seemed to be getting the range.
"He'll be blown to bits when he lands!" Arno shouted.
"We'll have to move back or get blasted ourselves," Allison called,breaking into a run.
Shells were exploding close to them, kicking dirt over them, and thebarrage was swinging toward them. Overhead the plane was coming in. Itroared over their heads a few feet above the barrage.
"Overshot it!" Tony yelled. "Now he'll have to try again."
"And the Germans are coming!" Stan yelled. "Get set with the machineguns!"
When a shell burst close to Allison, he stopped running. Suddenly heshouted, "He's fooled them! He's set down at the far edge of the field!"
Sure enough, the plane had landed almost at the edge of the woods. Itwas swinging around. They all ducked and raced toward it. Stan got therefirst and was greeted by O'Malley's voice from the plane.
"Sure, an' you got out the band for a welcome!"
"As soon as they spot the flare of your exhausts the welcome will gethotter!" Stan shouted back.
Loading up was only a matter of seconds, but the Germans on the hill andthose charging down into the field had the Mosquito located and beganpounding the lower end of the field. O'Malley headed into the barrageand hopped her off without getting a direct hit. They circled overheadand then swung south. Stan was seated across from O'Malley.
"Have a nice trip?" O'Malley asked with a grin.
"We did," Stan answered.
"I hear there'll be a flock o' tinware waitin' for you when you get in."O'Malley continued to grin. "The boys are bettin' ten to one that youall got shot. I'll be richer than Rockefeller when I get back." Hechuckled to himself.
"Right now we could do with something to eat," Stan said as he leanedback and closed his eyes.
"Colonel Benson has a banquet spread for you. Have Allison get on theradio and tell him to put it on the table, and have him order me twoapple pies." O'Malley opened the Mosquito up another notch as he thoughtof the pies.
Stan clicked on the intercom and got Allison. He felt, at the moment, asthough he could stand a vacation, but glancing back he saw a great fireraging with an intensity that lighted the sky for a hundred miles. TheGermans were destroying the historical city of Naples. There would be novacation.
THE END
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