CHAPTER IV.
CAPTAIN HARRY ANDERSON.
When Hal returned to consciousness he lay upon the hard ground andChester was bending over him. Shifting his position slightly the lad sawwhat was left of his troop standing idly about. At the same moment hefelt a hand grasp his and heard a well-known voice exclaim:
"I owe my life to you, Hal. It seems that you bob up wherever you areneeded most."
Hal turned and gazed at the speaker. He was Captain Harry Anderson, ofHis British Majesty's Royal Dragoons, whom the lad had last seen in thehands of the Germans. Then the fight, the burning barn, and hisrecognition of Anderson just before he had lost consciousness, all cameback to him in a flash, and he pressed the hand that grasped his.
"Lieutenant--I mean Captain Anderson!" he exclaimed. "I thought you weresafe in the hands of the Germans."
The lad arose slowly to his feet, supported by the captain's arm. Hestaggered a trifle; but, after inhaling a few breaths of the cold,invigorating air, was soon himself again.
"And I," said Captain Anderson, answering Hal's exclamation, "thought youalso were safe in the hands of the Germans."
"Well," said Hal, with a faint smile, "it seems that the enemy did wrongto believe they had any of us safely."
"It does, indeed," the captain smiled back; "but come, tell me how youescaped. I have asked Chester, but he has been so worried about you thathe has failed to do so."
"We haven't time now," replied Hal. "We are on a reconnaissance, and mustproceed immediately."
"It will be unnecessary," replied Anderson dryly. "I have just come fromthat way and am in a position to tell you, or General French, either, forthat matter, all you desire to know."
"Are you sure?" asked Hal.
"Positive," replied the captain briefly.
"In that event," said Hal, "we may as well return, for we shall bewasting time and possibly sacrificing men, to linger here longer."
He turned to his men. "Mount!" he ordered.
The troop sprang to the saddle. Ordering them to face about, the ladcommanded:
"Forward!"
The troop set off at a quick trot, Captain Anderson on a spare horseriding between Hal and Chester at their head.
"Now," said the captain, "you can tell me about yourselves as weride along."
The two lads did so, and when he learned that the lads had seen activeservice in the eastern theater of war, the captain was greatly surprised.
"And still I shouldn't be surprised at anything you do or may do," hesaid. "You see I know you well."
"Come now, captain," said Chester, "tell us something of your ownexperiences."
"Well," said Anderson, "I have had about as strenuous a time as you canimagine, and I have been at the threshold of death more than once."
"Let's hear about it!" exclaimed Hal.
"You remember, of course," began the captain, "how we were captured, andhow badly I was wounded? You remember, also, that we were separated inthe German camp?"
The lads signified that they did, and the captain continued:
"All right, then. It seems that my wounds were more serious than was atfirst supposed. A fever set in, and my German physician told me that Iwas a dead man. I laughed at him. I told him I had too much work to do todie yet awhile. He wanted to know what that work was and I told him itwas killing Germans. This made him angry, and--"
"I don't wonder," said Hal dryly.
"It's a wonder he didn't administer a dose of poison right then,"said Chester.
"Yes," continued the captain, "it made him mad, and he informed me that Imight as well die, because if I didn't I would be shot anyhow."
"Shot!" ejaculated Chester. "What for?"
"That's what I asked him. He replied that I had been declared a spy, andthat I was to be put to death as soon as I was well enough to face afiring squad. He said they didn't want to do it while I was so ill."
"Very considerate of them," commented Hal.
"Just what I told the surgeon. Well, naturally, with this sentencehanging over my head I didn't get well any quicker than I had to. Everyday I could feel myself getting better, but I pretended to get worse. Icontracted all the ailments you ever heard of, and I was a sore puzzle tothe surgeon. He had several others look me over, but they couldn't agreeon what was the matter with me, although they did agree I was a very sickman and had only a few days to linger on this earth. Yet all this time,mind you, I was shamming and getting better every day."
"You must be a pretty good actor," said Chester.
"Well, I'm not so bad," replied Captain Anderson modestly. "But tocontinue. I finally became afflicted with St. Vitus' dance, and laterwith a queer ailment that wouldn't allow me to keep still. I'd hop out ofbed and wander about, with the surgeons or nurses on my heels, and thenI'd fall down in a fit. This continued for several days, and finally theybecame tired of following me about, figuring, I suppose, that a man in mycondition couldn't go very far, anyhow."
"This was what I had been waiting for, but I didn't put the plan I haddecided upon into execution at once. I waited for a good chance. At last,it came. The surgeon was a young chap and smooth shaven, which was luckyfor me. Also he was about my build, and there was some slight resemblancebetween us. This day he was with me alone. Not a soul was present save ustwo. As he turned his back to look into his medicine case, I struck himheavily in the back of the neck.
"He toppled over without a sound. Quickly I exchanged clothes with himand put his body in my bed, after which I picked up his case and walkedboldly out of the hospital."
"Great Scott!" cried Chester. "You had plenty of nerve!"
"Well," continued the captain, "no one interfered with me and I walkedabout at will. I kept edging closer and closer to the firing line,figuring that I would make a break for liberty at the first opportunity.It came sooner than I expected.
"There had been a big battle, and all surgeons and nurses were rushed tothe front to look after the wounded. I went along. The battle was over,and we immediately went forth to attend to the wounded. Again I wentalong, only this time I didn't stop going. When I figured I was farenough ahead I broke into a run.
"But I wasn't to get away so easily. A surgeon who had been near me sawme take to my heels, and instead of attending to the wounded as he shouldhave done, he raised an alarm. Immediately a troop of horsemen dashedafter me. I managed to reach a little woods directly ahead of me insafety and climbed up a tree. The Germans were unable to find me, so whennight came I descended from my perch and continued my journey.
"Soon after daylight I came upon a house, where I asked for food. I stillwore the German surgeon's uniform, and here this worked to mydisadvantage."
"How was that?" asked Chester.
"It seems that the family were Belgians, and I hadn't thought of that.They gave me food and drink all right, but they spilled a little drug ofsome kind in the drink. The next thing I knew I was bound and gagged andwas looking down the muzzle of a revolver held by a ferocious-lookingBelgian peasant. He informed me my time had come. I told him I wasEnglish, and explained my capture and escape. He listened patiently, butwhen I finished he informed me that he wasn't going to take any chances.I had just five minutes to live, he said."
"Great Scott!" cried Hal. "That was pretty close. How did you escape?"
"More by good luck than anything else," was the reply. "There was somekind of a noise behind the peasant and he turned to investigate. At thatmoment I kicked out with my foot and the toe of my boot caught himsquarely under the chin. He went down with a thump. I don't know whetherI killed him or not."
"But how did you free your hands?" asked Hal.
"Well, I had quite a little trouble, but I managed to drag my chair overto the fire, and held my hands over the blaze until the cord was burned."
"And didn't you burn your hands?"
"A little," was the quiet response; "but it had to be done. Then I untiedmy legs and removed the gag, after which I took to my heels as fast as Icould. I didn't c
are for any more Belgian hospitality to one who wore aGerman uniform.
"In the road I came upon a dead British soldier. I took his uniform anddiscarded that of the German surgeon. I now began to feel that I wasreasonably safe, and I lay down at night and slept like a log, in spiteof the cold.
"I was awakened a little before daylight by the sounds of approachingfootsteps. I saw the marchers before they saw me, but still not quitequick enough. They were the same men from whose hands you rescued me onlya short while ago.
"I had been confined in that hospital so long that I was still somewhatweak and I couldn't run fast enough to get away from them. I tried, butit was no use. Then I took a couple of shots at them, and got two orthree, I think. I'm not sure, though. Anyhow, I saw this barn ahead, anddashed into it, figuring that I might possibly hold them off.
"When they set fire to the barn, and I realized I couldn't get out, Igave up. I did shoot one through a crack, but a moment later a shot camethrough and caught me in the side. That's the last I remember until Ireturned to consciousness and learned that you had saved me."
"Well," said Chester, "you certainly have had an eventful time."
"There is no question about that," Hal agreed. "But how do you feelnow, captain?"
"Tip top. And you?"
"First rate."
The troop continued at a trot, and Hal now believed that they were out ofdanger--that there was no likelihood of encountering a force of theenemy--and turned to his friends, remarking:
"Well, we might as well--Hello!"
He broke off suddenly and checked the pace of his horse.
"What's up?" demanded Chester, doing likewise.
For answer Hal pointed down the road. A man was approaching them ata dead run.