CHAPTER XXIII
THE ONLY WAY
AS Tom leaned out of the window he could just manage to see the figureof his chum flattened against the stone wall of the chateau. Jack wasclinging close, like a human fly might have done, clutching some objectwhich allowed him to move his feet along the slender ledge.
"Come on; it's all right!" floated back in a whisper.
Tom was not waiting to be assured on that point. Already he had pushedhis body halfway over the window-sill, and his groping feet sought thefriendly ledge. Then he, too, started to shuffle along, finding somemeans for holding himself there.
Of course it was not pleasant to contemplate a fall. The air serviceboys knew there was a considerable depth lying below, and it might bethat hard stones lay there.
They refused, however, to allow themselves to think of such apossibility. Besides, it was only a matter of a dozen feet or so, whenthe adjoining window would be within their reach.
Why, there was Jack crawling over the sill even as Tom was fairly on theway, proving that the feat was an easy one after all.
Tom, following in Jack's footsteps, had one thrill when his foot slippedand for a brief space of time he actually feared he was about to takethe downward plunge. Fortunately he had a desperate hold with the handjust thrust forward, and this kept him in place until he could searchout another hand-grip.
It caused him to pant with the extra exertion, and he was breathing likea spent runner when he too crept into the room. Here Jack's voice was athis ear whispering:
"Some one asleep here, for I can hear soft breathing over yonder, whereI think there's a cot." He proceeded to draw Tom after him, though bothwere down on their knees at the time, with groping hands extended infront of them.
Now Jack knew he was alongside the cot, for the sleeper had stirredrestlessly. Then the regular breathing was resumed, though Jack believedhe had heard something akin to a sigh well forth.
He put out his hands and gently felt to make sure that it was a child,for any mistake at this stage would prove most serious.
"Helene!"
Jack uttered the name softly, but the breathing still continued. Againdid he speak, this time raising his voice slightly. He knew that he musthave succeeded in awakening the little sleeper; doubtless she was lyingthere wondering whether it might be all a dream. Perhaps she eventhought it was her mother calling her from her slumber.
Tom now ventured to approach a little nearer, ready to act on the spurof the moment should the child be frightened and start to scream.
"Helene, we are friends of your sister Jeanne," Jack said. "She is ingood hands, and on her way to Paris. We have come to try to take you toher. Do not be frightened, Helene. We are two American boys, and if youwill only trust us we promise to carry you away from here. Have courageand tell me that you are not afraid to go with us to Jeanne."
The sympathetic Jack found a little hand, for the child suddenly satupright. This he continued to pat gently even as he and Tom continued toreassure her. Perhaps his manner of doing this influenced Helene evenmore than their words, which of course she could hardly understand asyet, after being so suddenly awakened.
"Oh, I am so glad you have come from Jeanne," she finally managed tosay, though her childish voice vibrated from the effect of her recentalarm.
"And will you gladly go away with us, Helene?" asked Jack. "You are nothappy here with your uncle, are you?"
"Oh, no, no! He is so unkind," she said with a shudder that Jack couldeasily detect. "He even whipped me because I cried for my mother andJeanne. So I will go with you, and do anything you say."
How understandingly she talked for one so young! Jack had marveled thatJeanne should show such remarkable qualities and appear so self-reliant;and apparently Helene was like her. But, alas, war had aged even thebabies caught in its snare.
"Listen, Helene," Jack went on to say, "do you think you could dressyourself without having a light?"
"Oh, yes, m'sieu, I am sure I can!"
That caused Tom to chuckle with relief, for he felt pretty certain thatneither he nor Jack could have managed that, even if given all theillumination heart might wish. And, moreover, Tom felt that he, atleast, did not want to try.
"Then get your clothes on just as fast as you can, Helene," said Tom."We will be waiting, and trying to figure out what the next move shallbe."
His last words reminded Jack of the fact that they were now faced byanother knotty problem. If the door was locked and the key safe in thepossession of the gruff old general below, how then could they take thechild away?
He knew it would be utterly impossible to get her to the other window bymeans of that ledge; for the task had been difficult enough when bothhands were free.
But evidently resourceful Tom had already conceived a plan for he wasbusying himself with the cot from which Helene had so recently arisenand now called to Jack.
Close by the child could be heard moving about, as her nimble littlefingers secured first one article of apparel and then another, spurredon by the wild hope of once more seeing her dearly beloved sister.
Jack, pushing forward, found his chum had turned the cot over, andseemed to be working swiftly at something.
"What have you found, Tom?" he asked.
"As luck would have it, Jack, this cot has a rope under the mattress inplace of the usual spring. And it seems to be a good stout rope in thebargain, I'm glad to tell you."
"Now I get you, Tom! Good! We can slip down that way."
"If the rope turns out to be long enough. I can put Helene in your armsand drop you down. Then I can follow. I'd rather go about it some otherway, but with this locked door we haven't any choice."
"Why, I think it a cracking good scheme," said Jack.
"Listen!" exclaimed Tom. "Doesn't it strike you that there's talkinggoing on outside now?"
"You're right," agreed the other, almost immediately. "I do believethose Hun officers are making a move at last. Now there's going to besome fun let loose when they find that both cars are shy on gas."
"That may be," muttered Tom. "But I wish they'd chosen to hang on forjust another half hour. I'd ask nothing better. Helene, how are yougetting on, child?"
"I am almost ready, m'sieu," came back in a childish voice that quitethrilled Jack's heart. "I have only to slip my shoes on now and then Ishall be ready."
Jack followed his chum over to the window, for by this time the entirerope had been secured from the cot. Tom tested its strength as well ashe was able, and found reason to believe it was stanch enough to bear adouble burden if necessary.
Loud talking now came from in front of the chateau. Evidently thegeneral had gone out to see his guests off. The chauffeurs could beheard cranking their cars desperately, sounds which gave Jackconsiderable delight. Apparently their ill success had already begun toarouse suspicions in the minds of the two drivers that something wasamiss, for the cranking suddenly ceased, and the watchers from the upperwindow of the chateau could see feeble lights moving about.
These they knew were matches held by the soldiers while they looked overthe motors of their cars. After darkness had come again loud cries aroseto tell that the alarming discovery had been made that tanks which thechauffeurs swore had contained a fair amount of petrol at the time theydrew up before the chateau, were now most mysteriously empty!
The officers chimed in with expletives that came splutteringly fromtheir lips, so that altogether it was a scene of confusion andexcitement which was taking place in front of the old building. Oneparticularly rasping voice Jack fancied must belong to the generalhimself. He pitied those two wretched chauffeurs, who would be apt tofeel the displeasure of their superiors in some way altogetherunpleasant.
What the outcome of the affair might be Jack had no idea, nor did hecare a particle. All he asked was to be given a chance to make off withHelene while the row was in progress. Once they reached the waitingplane, he felt they could snap their fingers at not only General vonBerthold but the entire Hun
army as well.
Jack wondered whether this sudden outbreak, and the change in conditionsin front of the chateau, would make any difference with Tom. Fortunatelythat tree afforded partial shelter, and besides, those on the road hadbut meagre means for striking a light, so it seemed reasonably safe forthem to proceed.
"Be brave, Helene," Jack said in her ear, as Tom passed the rope out ofthe window, having meanwhile fastened one end to an anchorage inside theroom. "It is for Jeanne's sake, remember. Do not be afraid that I willlet you fall. And above all things keep from crying out, or he will hearyou and hold you with him always. Will you let me take you in my arms,Helene?"
"Oh, yes, yes! I am not afraid. See, m'sieu, I can put my arms aboutyour neck this way, and clasp you tight. For Jeanne I would do anything!You will not hear me say one word, no matter what happens, m'sieu!"