CHAPTER III.
TOWARD THE FRONTIER.
It was a long afternoon for Hal and Chester, and they waited impatientlyfor the time when they were to meet the two young men who were to betheir companions on the journey.
After several futile attempts the lads finally gave up their attempt tobuy revolvers, as it caused too many questions, and, in spite of theireagerness to get away, it was with no little anxiety that they made theirway to the rendezvous that night.
Captain Derevaux and Lieutenant Anderson were waiting when thelads arrived.
"I am glad you are prompt," said the former. "We must hurry. Even now wemay be followed," and he glanced about furtively.
"Which way do we go?" asked Hal, of the young Englishman, as the fourmoved along the street.
"North," was the reply. "We are heading for Kolberg, on the Baltic Sea.From there we will try to get across into Denmark. The thing to do is toget out of Germany at the earliest possible moment, and, with good luckin getting a boat of some kind at Kolberg, that is the quickest route."
"Won't we have trouble getting a boat?"
"I am afraid we shall; but we must leave something to chance."
"Well, I guess we won't be any worse off in Kolberg than in Berlin," saidHal. "How do you figure to get there?"
"Automobile! We have arranged for a car to pick us up on the northernoutskirts of the city, just inside the line."
"Won't the place be guarded?"
"Of course; but, by a little ingenuity and a bold dash, we should be ableto get through. If not--"
The lieutenant shrugged his shoulders expressively.
"Well," said Hal, "I won't object to a little excitement."
"Don't worry," replied the young officer; "you will have all theexcitement you want, and more, too, or I miss my guess."
They continued their walk in silence.
Beyond getting into Denmark, the young officers had formulated no plan.But, once out of Germany, the rest would be easy. A ship to England,and from there into France for the young Frenchman, and the twoAmerican boys would telegraph to their mother, or continue theirjourney alone. Lieutenant Anderson was bound direct for London, wherehe would join his regiment.
The officers had decided to make their attempt at escape by way ofDenmark because, in all likelihood, the country between Berlin andKolberg would be less closely guarded than any other part of the GermanEmpire. Troops were being rushed to the French and Russian borders, andthey realized it was practically impossible for them to journey in thosedirections without being captured. Also the southern route offered littlehope of success.
The streets became more and more deserted as the four friends continuedtheir walk toward the northern outskirts. They passed several detachmentsof rapidly moving troops, but they were unchallenged.
Suddenly the young Englishman called a halt.
"The automobile is waiting at the next corner," he explained. "Justbeyond is the northern limit of the city. Go quietly and we may not bemolested."
Hal and Chester were greatly excited by this time, but they obeyedinstructions as well as they could, and climbed into the big car that waswaiting for them, without even being seen. The driver immediately startedthe machine, and our boys were on their way at last.
On toward the city line the big car rushed, and it was just as the fourfriends were breathing a sigh of relief at having passed the first dangersafely, that a harsh voice rang out:
"Halt!"
Almost directly ahead stood a squad of armed men, their rifles leveledstraight at the occupants of the oncoming car.
"The patrol!" exclaimed Captain Derevaux, as the auto came to a stop.
An officer approached the side of the machine.
"Give an account of yourselves," he demanded. "Your passports, please."
"We have none," replied Captain Anderson. "We are just taking alittle spin."
"You cannot pass here," said the officer. "Either return at once, or Ishall be forced to place you under arrest."
There was no use arguing.
"Home it is, then," said the young Englishman aloud, and then in awhisper to the driver: "Ahead! Full speed!"
"To the bottom of the car!" he cried, as the machine jumped forwardwith a lurch.
He dived to the floor of the car, the young Frenchman and Hal followinghis example.
Chester, however, had been so surprised at the suddenness of thismaneuver, that for a moment he was unable to move; but, while hismomentary inaction placed him in great danger, it nevertheless saved hiscompanions from capture, or even death.
As the automobile lunged away, hurling the officer to the side of thestreet, the latter shouted a command:
"Fire! Shoot the driver!"
One man only was in a position to obey. The others were forced to jumpfor their lives, as the machine bore down on them. This one man, however,raised his rifle and aimed at the driver, just as the car swept by.
The muzzle was right at the side of the car, and a miss would have beenalmost impossible.
But, before he could fire, Chester sprang to his feet, and, leaning out,grasped the barrel of the weapon in both hands. With a desperate effort,he wrenched it from the soldier's hands, just as he was about to pullthe trigger.
Then, at a second command from Lieutenant Anderson, he dropped beside hisfriends in the bottom of the car, and it was well that he did so.
A volley rang out from behind. The hum of bullets could be heardoverhead, and there was the sound of splintering wood, as others crashedinto the rear of the auto, but the machine sped on.
Then came a second volley, and the automobile swerved suddenly to oneside. The chauffeur groaned, but the car immediately righted itself andcontinued on its way.
Unmindful of the bullets flying about, Hal sprang to his feet andclimbed into the front seat, where the chauffeur was making heroicefforts to keep the car steady, a stream of blood the while pouring froma wound in his head.
"Give me the wheel!" cried Hal, as the car lurched from one side of theroad to the other, at the imminent risk of turning over.
He climbed in front of the chauffeur and his strong hands grasped thesteering wheel just as the man's body relaxed and he fell backunconscious.
Bullets were still flying thick and fast, but the range was too great nowfor accurate shooting. Still, there was always the chance that one of theleaden messengers would hit Hal and end disastrously the career of theflying machine.
Without even checking the speed of the auto, Hal called to Chester:
"The chauffeur is badly wounded. Pull him into the rear of the car!"
"Slow down!" came the answer. "We can't pull him from beneath you whilegoing at this terrific speed."
"Slow down nothing!" shouted Hal. "We don't want to be captured afterthis. You'll have to pull him out!"
It was no small task, this driving a flying automobile, while a man inwhose lap he was almost sitting was being pulled from under him by handsfrom behind.
Once Hal lost his balance. Throwing out one hand, he grasped the side ofthe car, and that alone saved him and his friends, too, for that matter.
The car swerved to one side of the road, and just at that instant a sharpcurve came into view.
With a desperate effort Hal regained his balance, steadied themachine, and, without even trying to slacken his speed, took the curveon two wheels.
"Whew!" he muttered to himself. "That was a close shave!"
By this time the body of the chauffeur had been pulled into the back ofthe car, and Hal slid into his seat.
"Are you all right?" came Chester's voice from the rear.
"All right now," replied Hal.
"You can slow down a bit," shouted Lieutenant Anderson. "We are out ofrange. We are safe enough now."
"We are safe from bullets, but we are not safe from pursuit," Hal calledback. "Do I keep to this road?"
"Yes," came the reply, "if you don't run into a ditch or atelegraph pole."
"Oh, I'll run it, all
right; and I'll run it on the road, too," Halanswered grimly. "I've made a record on a worse road than this."
"Is the chauffeur badly hurt?" he called back after a few minutes.
"No, I don't think so," replied the French captain's voice. "Just ascalp wound. He has lost a lot of blood, and is still unconscious, but Ithink he will come around all right presently."
Hal settled back in his seat and gave his entire attention to theroad ahead.
The big car flashed through several small towns, and the dim lights inthe homes looked like a string of brilliant spots, so swiftly did they goby. For almost half an hour the terrific speed was continued, and then,at a shouted command from Lieutenant Anderson, Hal slowed down.
"We should be nearing Angermunde by this time," the lieutenant explained,"and it will never do to go through there at this speed."
"Do you suppose our would-be captors have communicated with theauthorities at Angermunde?" asked the Frenchman.
"I would not be surprised," replied the lieutenant; "but we must risk it.One thing I am sure of, however, is that our pursuers are not far behind.They will never rest till we are caught. And, for that reason, we cannotafford to waste much time."
"You are right," said the captain. "We must get through Angermunde asquickly and as quietly as possible."
Then to Hal he shouted: "Don't lose your nerve, and keep cool. Be readyto make a dash if you get the word."
"Don't you worry about my nerve," Hal replied grimly. "I'll run rightthrough a thousand Germans, if you say so."
"I guess that will not be necessary," broke in the lieutenant, with alaugh, "but you never can tell what may happen."
Hal reduced the speed of the machine even more, and slowly approached thetown, the lights of which could be seen in the distance.
It was now nearly midnight, and, as Captain Derevaux suggested, it wouldbe wise to go through the town without attracting attention, if possible.
But this was not to be.
The automobile entered the town, and had proceeded some distance, whenHal called back:
"I guess we will get through without any trouble, all right."
"Don't be too sure," replied the Englishman. "Always be ready for theunexpected."
The words were hardly out of his mouth, when, rounding a sharp turn, Halsaw a line of cavalrymen blocking the street some distance ahead.
"The road is blocked with troops," he called back to his friends, as hereduced his speed. "Their rifles seem pointed right at us. Shall I speedup and run through them?"
His three companions arose and peered over his shoulder. The cavalrymenwere plainly discernible in the glare of an electric street light.
"It's impossible," replied the lieutenant. "We shall have to stop. Theywould shoot us to pieces before we could get through. Here," turning toChester and Captain Derevaux, "cover up the chauffeur with these rugsand lay him in the bottom of the car. It would never do for an officerto see him. It may be that our friends behind have not tipped off ourpresent enemy, but the sight of this wounded chauffeur would give it allaway." The car was slowly nearing the line of troops. "Halt!" came thecommand. "Halt, or we fire!" The car came to a stop within a few feet ofthe soldiers.