CHAPTER XIII
A REAL ENEMY
Jack had led the hostile scout car into the most hopeless sort of atrap. He had twisted and turned and doubled on his course so cleverlythat his pursuers had completely lost their sense of direction. In achase of that sort, with his quarry in front of him, the driver of aracing automobile, making from sixty to seventy miles an hour, has nochance to watch objects about him.
There Jack's almost uncanny sense of direction and locality had helpedhim mightily. The speed at which he had driven his car had not at allconfused him. He had known exactly what he was doing, and just where hewas going, at all times. A few miles had taken him into country overwhich he had already driven, and his memory for any place he had onceseen was phenomenal. So he had been able, by constant turning anddoubling, to fool the driver of the enemy's car completely, and leadhim, all unknowing the fate in store for him, into the very midst of theRed troops.
Jack had taken his final turn from the road so sharply that it had beenimpossible for his pursuer to turn quickly enough to follow him. Anyattempt to do so would have resulted in disaster, and, since this wasonly a mock war, the driver of the other scout car was not justified intaking the chance of killing himself and his companions in the effort tomake the turn. He had gone straight on, therefore, and a few rods hadcarried him into the midst of Abbey's cavalry regiment. A minute wasenough to surround his car, and a line of troops in front of him madehim see the hopelessness of escape. Therefore he stopped andsurrendered.
Jack and his two companions sprang at once from their own car and ranquickly, glad of the chance to loosen their tired and aching muscles,stiff, sore and cramped from the confinement in one position that thewild race had forced, toward the group that was gathered around thecaptured car. Colonel Abbey, himself, the type of a true cavalry leader,was questioning the prisoners.
"I'm Captain Beavers, of the regular army," said the man who had driventhe car, "detached from my regiment to serve on the staff of GeneralBliss. We were returning from a scouting trip in our car when we raninto this machine, and we chased it. The driver certainly knew his roadsbetter than I did. I haven't had any idea for the last forty minutes ofwhere we were going--I could only see the car ahead, and do all I couldto catch it."
"How are you, Danby?" said Colonel Abbey, trying to hide a smile."You'll excuse me, Captain, but you remind me a little of the dog thatchased the railroad train. You know the old story about the farmer whowatched him do it, and, when he got tired, turned around and said: 'Whatin tarnation do you reckon he'd do with that engine if he caught it?'"
Beavers laughed a bit ruefully.
"Something in that, Colonel!" he admitted. "I suppose it was a good deallike chasing a bird to put salt on its tail. But it was sheer instinctwith us--nothing more. We saw that car start up, and we chased it. Afine lot of trouble it's got us into, too! But I guess we'd do the samething again, probably."
"Any of us would, Captain," said Abbey. "Don't feel bad about it. We'llhave to impound your car, but if you'll give me your parole, I'll beglad to give you the run of the camp."
"Thank you," said Captain Beavers. "I say, I'd like to see the man wholed me that chase. I had an idea that I knew something about driving afast car, but he can show me lots of things I never knew at all."
Suddenly his eye fell upon Jack Danby, whose hands gave abundantevidence that he was the chauffeur. The captain's jaw dropped and hestared at the Scout in amazement.
"You don't mean to tell me that it was you who was driving that car?" hegasped, finally.
"Permit me," said Colonel Abbey, smiling. "Scout Jack Danby, ofDurland's Troop, Captain, and the operator of our first scout automobileever since these maneuvers began."
"Well, I'll be jiggered!" said Beavers, speaking slowly. "You're allright, my boy! You drove that car like a Lancia. If you entered one ofthe big road races I believe you'd win it--upon my word I do!"
"We had a big lead at the start," said Jack; then, flushing a little atthis public praise, "You see, the two cars are supposed to be exactlyalike, and if one is just as fast as the other, and two of them get intoa race, it's only natural for the one that has the start to keep itslead. I don't think I deserve any special credit for that. All I had todo was to keep her at full speed and steer."
"Yes, but it took more than that to lead us into this little man trapyou had ready for us. Don't forget that!"
"Danby," said Colonel Abbey then, significantly, "you'd better get overto your headquarters and report to Captain Durland, if you have anyinformation as a result of your trip. He is probably anxious to learnwhat you have accomplished."
Jack saluted at once, and turned on his heel. The headquarters of theScouts was a mile or so distant from Abbey's camp, so the three Scoutsgot in the car again.
"Gee," said Jack, as he tested his gasoline tank, "we couldn't have gonemuch farther, that's sure! The juice is pretty low here, and if we hadhad to go a mile or so farther I don't know what might have happened. Iguess he could have put the salt he was talking about on our tailseasily enough."
"Well, he didn't, anyhow," said Tom Binns. "It isn't what they mighthave done, but what they did, that counts, Jack. I think we came out ofit jolly well. Gee, but I was scared when that headlight hit us first!"
Durland was up and waiting for them when they arrived.
"Tryon Creek, eh?" said he, when Jack had made his report. "I thought asmuch. They may have weaknesses of their own in the matter of keeping aclose guard, but General Bliss doesn't overlook anything in the way ofstrategy. He is mighty wide-awake on any point of that sort. I thinkI'll let you drive me over to General Harkness's headquarters and go inwith you while you make your report in person, Jack."
General Harkness had to be awakened, but he had left orders that he wasto be called at once should the Boy Scouts bring any news, and they hadno difficulty in reaching him.
"You don't think there can be any mistake about their intention to marchby way of Tryon Creek, do you?" he asked, with a grave face, when Jackhad finished making his report.
"No, general, I do not," said Jack, and he explained the manner in whichhe had obtained his information.
"That lieutenant, you see, thought we were pretty well scared, and itnever entered his head that we might try to escape," he said. "I've gotan idea myself that they haven't found out yet that we've gone, really.There was no hue and cry raised while we were slipping out of theirlines and back to the automobile, and I'm sure that we would have heardif there had been any pursuit. It's my idea that they won't discoverthat we're missing until breakfast. Even then, they're not likely tosuspect that we know as much as we do, and I don't believe it will occurto that lieutenant to tell anyone that we learned from him where theirattack was to be made. He'll probably forget that he said what he did."
"I hope so," said General Harkness. "In any case we will act on theinformation. If they knew that you had escaped with that news, I thinkGeneral Bliss would be quite likely to change his plan. But I imaginethat you are right about the officer who put you in the guard tent. Hisevery action shows that he is careless and unlikely to think of thereally important nature of the disclosure he made so lightly. I think wemay assume with a fair amount of safety that they will attack by way ofTryon Creek, and I shall lay my plans accordingly and mass my troops atthat point."
Jack had referred only incidentally to the race with the other car, butnow the bell of the field telephone in the General's tent rang sharply,and an orderly answered it.
"Colonel Abbey, General," he said. "He wishes to know if he may talk toyou."
Jack and Durland waited during the conversation that followed. GeneralHarkness began laughing in a moment, and, after a conversation of fiveor six minutes, he hung up the receiver, his eyes wet with the tears hislaughter had produced and his sides shaking.
"You leave out the most interesting part of your adventures when youthink you can, don't you?" said he. "Do you know that Captain Beavers isregarded as the most expert drive
r of automobiles in the regular army?He invented the type of scout car that is being tried out, and you havebeaten him squarely at a game that he should be the absolute master of."
"I hadn't heard a word about this," said Durland, showing a good deal ofinterest.
"I suppose we never would have from Danby," said the general. "That'swhat Abbey said--that was why he called me up."
And he proceeded to recount, while Jack, embarrassed, stood first on onefoot and then on the other, the events that led up to the capture of theenemy's car, as Abbey had learned them from Captain Beavers. Far frombeing sore at his capture, Beavers regarded the whole affair as a finejoke on himself, and was only eager to find listeners who would give hima chance to repeat the story.
"That was fine work, Jack," said the Scout-Master, his eyes showing howproud he was of the Scout who had done his duty so well. "Youaccomplished something to-night that General Harkness and I were agreedwas next door to impossible."
"It certainly seemed so to me," said the general, nodding his head. "Butwe needed that information badly, and I was ready to consent to anyplan, however desperate the chances of success seemed to be, if it gaveus even an outside chance to learn what it was that the enemy intendedto do. We couldn't defend Tryon Creek and the Mardean road together,though we could block either one or the other, if we only knew where tolook for the attack. As it is, thanks to what you have brought back, Ithink that we need have no fear of the outcome of the battle."
General Harkness, once aroused, and understanding what he had to do,stayed up. It was no time for him to sleep, and, as was presentlyproved, the army had had all the rest that was its due that night. Foreven as Jack and Durland made their way back to their own headquarters,the bugles began to blow, and the sleeping ranks began to stir all overthe great encampment.
The transition from sleep to wakefulness and activity was brief enough.The bugles, blowing in all directions, aroused the sleepers, and soonall was bustle and apparent confusion all over the camp. But it was onlyapparent. Soon ordered ranks appeared, and all around the odor of fryingbacon, and the aroma of coffee told of breakfast being cooked under thestars and the late moon, for it was recognized that there might be hardmarching and plenty of it before there would be a chance for anothermeal. Two brigades were to start at once on the march to Tryon Creek,and General Harkness had ordered that the men eat their breakfast andreceive a field ration before the march began.
"I guess we can turn in," said Jack to Pete and Tom, with a sigh ofutter weariness. "Seems funny to be going to bed when everyone else isgetting up--but they got in ahead of us on their sleep, so I guess it'sour turn all right."
"Me for the hay, too!" said Pete Stubbs, without much thought forelegance of expression, but in such a tone as to convince anyone whoheard him that he really needed sleep. As for Tom Binns, he hadn't beenmore than half awake since he had tumbled out of the car after the race,and he was leaning against a post, nodding, when the others aroused himto go upstairs.
The bustle and din of the army getting underway didn't keep Jack and hiscompanions from sleeping. They cared little for all the noise, and eventhe rumbling of the gun caissons as the artillery went by was not enoughto disturb them at all.
When Jack awoke it was broad daylight. He sprang to the window andlooked out, to see that the sun was high, and that it must be afternoon. In the distance the sound of firing told him that the troops werefinding plenty of action. But the village street of Bremerton wasdeserted. There was no sign, except a litter of papers and scraps, thatan army had ever disturbed the peace of the little border line village.
"Here, Pete, wake up!" he cried. "The whole army's gone--and we're leftbehind! Let's get dressed and see if there are any orders down below forus."
Pete got up, shaking his tousled red head disgustedly. He struggled overto the window, and a moment later a sharp cry from him brought Jack tohis side.
"Jack! Look! Over there--looking up this way, now. See, it's Broom!"
Jack looked. There could be no doubt about it. The man who was loungingacross the street was Broom, the villain who had escaped after Jack hadcaused his arrest at Wellbourne, and who had more than once tried toharm Jack and his friends.
"You're right, Pete," said Jack, quietly. "It's Broom!"