CHAPTER IX
NEW CLUES
Walking along in the pleasant, fresh air, Warren and Ivan soon gainedcontrol of their cramped muscles. It was good to be free. They werefaint from lack of food, however, and at the suggestion of one of theBoy Scouts, retraced their steps to the deserted bakery and once moreraided the ovens. Then, rested and refreshed, they picked their way intothe residential section where they knew the officers of the invadingforces had settled themselves.
Repeated questions finally led them to the building where ProfessorMorris and his son and daughter had been taken as spies. As theyapproached it, they noticed a triple guard at the gate and a largenumber of soldiers close around the palace. The boys hesitated.
"Let's see what this all means," said Ivan. "There is some specialreason for all these soldiers on guard. Perhaps we can get one of themto talk."
"They are not allowed to, you know," said Warren.
"We will try this," said Ivan. He took a large cake from his pocket andapproached the nearest soldier. He was a young fellow with a wistful,hungry face, and as Ivan approached, his keen eyes fastened themselveson the bread.
"Eat?" said Ivan.
"Yes," said the soldier, seizing the cake and biting off a great cornerof it. "Bless you, brother, I was starving!"
"There is more where that came from," said Ivan. "If you are hungry, whydon't you go eat your supper."
"Eat?" said the soldier bitterly. "Who knows how many hours we have beenon guard here? I guarded a door in there all day, and now they have sentme here. The Captain is so enraged that he thinks nothing of us,nothing!"
Ivan leaned carelessly against the wall and shrugged his shoulders.
"What happened?" he asked, idly.
The soldier laughed. "It is funny," he said. "You are nothing but a boy,so it will not hurt to talk to you, and I have been silent so long thatmy tongue's stiff. Besides, this is good cake. Well, know then, littlebrother, that some people were brought here last night with suspiciouspapers on them. An old man, a boy and a beautiful girl. The old manwould not explain the mysterious words in his little book, and theythreatened him with death. He did not believe it. Did I tell you he wasan American? He was. These Americans never fear. They say simply, "Killme? That is impossible. Postpone it, if you please, while I write to theConsul!" Always it is so. Well, that old man, he could not be made torealize that Captain Handel is absolute ruler now, right here. They werebrought to the state dining-room this morning, and the Captain told themstraight what he intended to do. It was death for the old man and theboy, and he would spare the girl." The soldier laughed. "I and one otherwere guarding the door, so we heard. Presently the two Captains cameout. As they left the room Captain Handel called back, 'Half an hour.Just half an hour, understand!'
"Then he closed the door sharply. The two Captains went to a littletable not far from the door, and sat down. They were not for one secondout of sight of the door.
"We two stood directly facing it about three feet away in the hall.
"The half hour passed. Captain Handel looked every minute at his watch,and Captain Schmitt kept saying, 'Wait, wait; be fair.'
"At last the time was up. They went to the door. Captain Schmittstraightened his saber belt, and threw the door wide.
"He looked, then he dashed in, almost upsetting Captain Handel. The roomwas empty. We could see. He called us, and together we searched in andon and under everything in the great room. We rapped on the wall. Weexamined the iron bars, but the windows had not even been opened.
"Captain Handel went into a fearful rage. The prisoners had disappearedas though they had never been. Even the book was gone from the table,and the package of papers the old man had guarded.
"We went over every foot of the place again and again. There was not aninch that sounded hollow, as though there was a secret passage. We eventore out a panel of the woodwork, and found a stone wall behind it."
The soldier finished his cake, and drew a grimy hand across his lip.
"That was good, brother," he said.
"What happened then?" asked Ivan, while Warren pressed closer.
"Why, we hunted all day," said the soldier, "but of course we couldn'tfind them. Why should we?"
"Why not?" asked Ivan.
"Why not?" repeated the soldier. "Why, those were not human beings atall. The old man was too silly for a real man, the girl was toobeautiful. Human beings do not disappear from a guarded room with fourstone walls about it."
The man lowered his voice, and spoke in a whisper. "They were devils, ofcourse," he said.
The boys were silent.
"Of course," said the soldier, "Captain Handel would not believeanything so simple. He would not believe they were gone, so tonight hefixed them. It is all over now, and I wish I could go get some supper."
"What did he do?" asked Ivan, trying to keep the anxiety out of hisvoice.
"He dynamited the room," said the soldier calmly. "That part of thepalace is in ruins. The stones fell like rain. No human being could havelived in it. But they did not find the bodies. However, they may beburied under the wreckage. I don't believe it, though." He sighed. "Thatwas good cake," he said.
"Here's another," said Warren. He clutched Ivan and sunk into theshadow. He was shaking.
"It is all over, Ivan," he whispered. "They have killed them."
Ivan pondered. "I don't know," he said finally. "One thing is sure, ifall those soldiers could not find them, it is certain we can't. They areeither safe, Warren, or else they are where we can never help them anymore. It seems to me that the only thing to do now is to go straight toLodz and find Elinor."
"Yes, that is the only thing to do," said Warren. "If I let myself thinkabout Evelyn, I will go mad. We will go to Lodz."
"How?" asked Ivan.
"We will have to walk," replied Warren.
"Well, I hope we can get a lift someway or other," said Ivan. "At anyrate, we must get out of this. I know every step of this part of thecity. This place belongs to Prince Nicholani. I used to play all thetime in this park."
He led the way rapidly through the beautiful grounds and entered a groveof noble trees. They went on and on through the shadows, until theyreached the open fields. Beside the highway a great pile of hay layscattered.
"We might sleep here for the rest of the night," Ivan suggested.
"Not if you can go on," said Warren. "I think we had better get as farfrom the city as possible."
"Very well," said Ivan, "but let us rest for half an hour."
They flung themselves on the hay, and in a moment Ivan was asleep.Warren could not rest, however, and sat staring moodily into the night.In half an hour he roused his friend, and they started onward. Theyproceeded in silence, each busily thinking. Warren trying to bear up andtake his blows manfully, and Ivan at a loss to know what to say to thebrave boy who had lost all he held dear in so terrible a manner.
The road was level, and they went rapidly. As they rounded a sharp turn,they saw an automobile ahead of them. It was a low racing car and stoodat the side of the road. There was some trouble on, for a couple of menwere bending over a wheel.
"They have had a puncture," exclaimed Warren, "and they are headedtoward Lodz. Let's see if they will give us a lift."
He boldly approached the men, who started, then looked relieved to seethat it was a couple of boys.
"What's the trouble?" said Warren in Polish. The man straightened, andthrew his hands up in a gesture of despair. "All the trouble in theworld!" he exclaimed. "The tire is punctured, and I cannot mend it. I amnot a chauffeur, but I can drive this car a little, and my master toldme to bring it to him. I don't know what to do. Of course, as soon as itcomes light the soldiers will seize it."
"I can fix the tire," said Warren. "I know all about it, but we aregoing to Lodz and we ought not to wait. It is a long way."
"Good!" said the man. "We are going to Lodz, too. There are only twoseats, but we will carry you somehow. Only be quick and mend the tire
.Our lives may depend on it."
Warren turned the light on the wheel and went to work. He had alwaysprided himself on his swiftness in working out tire troubles, and whenhe saw the bad tear in the tube, he took it off and replaced it with oneof the new tires strapped to the rear of the machine. He worked indesperate haste, and Ivan, at his side, worked with equal desperation.
The men watched or restlessly walked up and down the road talking inundertones to each other. It was evident that their knowledge of carswas but slight, and they were forced to trust to the young stranger ifthey were to proceed at all on their perilous journey.
When the tire was in place and pumped up, Warren hastily collected thetools and started to replace them in the tool box but Ivan stopped himwith a word. He spoke sharply to the men.
"Take these things," he said. "We are ready!"
The man who had spoken first took the wheel, and his companion the otherseat. Ivan sat on his knee, with Warren on the running board.
It was soon evident that there was something wrong. The car went plowingalong on low speed, the engine bucking and starting.
"Good heavens, Ivan!" exclaimed Warren, after a few miles of this jerkyprogress. "What ails the thing? Do you suppose the dub knows how todrive?"
Ivan turned to the man at the wheel.
"What's the matter?" he asked. "Do you know how to drive? What ails thecar?"
"I don't know," said the man. "In truth I have never driven but twice,but I thought I could and when the Princess told me to bring this carafter her I was sure I could. She is ahead with her son and PrincessModjeska and some guests. I fear I will not be able to reach Lodz." Hepressed a lever at random, and the ear shot forward with a speed thatnearly threw Warren from the step. Another frantic attempt and sheslowed down with a suddenness that almost put the others through thewind shield.
"Here, stop!" commanded Warren. "Get out of that seat and let me drive!Ivan, tell him I simply eat cars!"
The machine stopped, and the man thankfully resigned his seat to Warren,who drew up the heavy motor gloves, and settled himself in his seat. Thecar, a beautiful French model, was familiar to Warren, and he pressedthe starter with perfect confidence. And he was justified. Like aswallow, the beautiful machine skimmed the smooth and level road,leaving Warsaw with all its tragedy and far behind.
Warren had scarcely slept for two nights. He had had but little food,and his bandaged head felt light and strange. As they went on and on,Warren commenced to wonder if he could possibly make the distant city.At intervals strange colored lights flashed before his eyes, and faint,booming noises sounded in his ears.
They had not encountered a soul. It was as though the whole country,after its terrible conflict, lay dead. Finally a faint streak of grayappeared in the east. Dawn was coming.
"How far to Lodz?" he called. "Just over the hill?"
"Just over yonder hill," said the man at his side.
Warren slowed down, and dropped one tired hand from the wheel.
"Where are you going when you get to the city?" he inquired.
"If we get through," the man replied, "I am to go to the palace wherelives a sister of our Princess. She has turned it into a hospital. By astrange chance, our Prince was taken there when he was wounded. ThePrincess must, be there now.'
"Very well," said Warren. "Direct me when we reach the city."
It grew brighter, and was quite light when they entered the quietstreets. Fortunately they were not stopped, and with the guidance of theman beside him Warren drew safely up before the wide stone steps of thepalace.
The car stopped. Warren shut off the engine, and the others jumped out,glad to stretch themselves. Warren alone made no effort to move. Theothers after stamping their cramped legs, turned to look at him.
His hand was still on the wheel, but he was unconscious.
They carried him into the great hall, and a nurse in uniform directedthem to an empty cot and hurried after a doctor. He pronounced it simplya case of exhaustion, and gave orders which the nurse rapidly filled,motioning the others to leave as she did so.
The servants turned to Ivan and thanked him for his assistance. For amoment Ivan thought that it would be a good plan to go to the Princess,and tell her that he was in Lodz. Then he decided that the presence of aboy in the city, although he was the son of her very good friend, wouldonly cause her to feel responsible for his welfare or safety; so hemerely nodded, turned his back to tell the nurse that he would returnshortly, and then he walked listlessly down into the heart of the town.
Hucksters were driving into the open market. Doors were opening here andthere. A company of soldiers passed at double quick. Ivan wondered wherethey were going. He wondered, too, what possible chance he had to getsomething to eat.
There were no Scouts in Lodz besides his tired self and the exhaustedboy back in the hospital cot. Ivan thought of Warren with a gratitudethat he could not have put in words. Warren had taught him so manythings. With Boy Scout principles and Boy Scout training, he had changedfrom a haughty, helpless young aristocrat to a helpful, well-balancedboy, perfectly capable of taking care of himself and of assisting othersas well. Ivan felt the change; he was so reliant, so strong. A fewmonths ago, he would have stood helpless in his present situation,conscious only that he was Prince Ivan Ivanovich and must be lookedafter. Now, as he faced the morning light, hungry, ragged, and with onlythe American nickel in his pocket, he smiled at fate and went on withoutfear to enter whatever adventure might come.
The only thing that worried him was the want of enough money to buyhimself a bit of bread and a dried fish. He reflected that he couldeasily have asked the Princess for enough to supply his wants, but hewould not turn back.
Ahead of him, an old man with a heavily laden cart was having troublewith a skittish horse. In vain he pulled on the lines. In vain hethreatened and coaxed. The young creature would not stand, and while theold man worried with it, vegetables and long sticks of black bread wereslyly stolen out of the end of his cart. Ivan approached.
"Let me hold the horse, father," he said, taking it by the bridle as hespoke.
The old man threw his hands up in a gesture of thankfulness.
"Blessings on you, my son!" he cried. "These thieves will ruin me whileI speak with that foolish animal. Hold fast, my son, and I will give youyour breakfast."
Ivan nodded, and the old man turned eagerly to his customers.
Presently he reached over, and handed Ivan a generous piece of bread andsome fresh fruit. Ivan watched the throngs as he ate, holding the horsewith his left hand, although it was now perfectly quiet.
As he idly watched the persons passing, he noted that with the passingtime, the market had become crowded. People moved in throngs.
And then, as the crowd before him happened to part, Ivan noticed in thedistance a woman hurrying away. She had a big basket on her arm, filledwith provisions. A little girl clung to her other hand. She was ragged,dirty and pale; but Ivan recognized Elinor.
Dropping the horse's rein, he dashed toward them, but the crowd hadclosed, and he was too late. The earth seemed to have swallowed them.Like a hound on a trail, he searched the market over and over, but not atrace could he find of the woman or child. In his surprise at seeing,Elinor, he had failed to take particular notice of the woman. But as hethought of it, he felt that, it was not the one he had seen in Warsawand he remembered that that woman had spoken of her sister in Lodz.
Feeling that there was nothing to be gained by remaining longer in themarket, Ivan hurried back to the hospital, where he found Warren muchbetter, and fretting because he was not allowed to get up.
"Well, I've seen Elinor!" said Ivan, as soon as he entered the ward.
Warren sat up, his eyes bulging under, his bandage.
"Have you, honest?" he cried. "Where is she?"
"Well, I lost her in the crowd," said Ivan, and told the whole story.
Warren lay listening carefully.
"Well, as long as we know she is here in the sa
me town, we know we willfind her. And there won't be any slip the next time." His face clouded."But, Ivan," he said huskily, "I can't bear to think of my dear Evelyn,and poor father, and little Jack." He closed his lips and shut his eyesin a desperate effort to control his grief.
Warren's cot was drawn across a closed door. And on the other side ofthat door sat Evelyn, crying her heart out for her lost brother andsister!