CHAPTER XVII
STRATEGY
"Don't throttle me," Ginger murmured, scarcely able to speak fromphysical exhaustion and the reaction from mental strain. "Are you theRutlands?"
"No, we ain't. Got a special fancy for the Rutlands, 'eemingly."
"I'm Murgatroyd, No. 939, 17th battalion, 3rd company, 1st platoon,"said Ginger feebly.
"Oh, we know all about that. You German blighters all speak English,but you don't come it over us."
"Silence, Barnet; bring him along," said the officer.
"Yes, sir. Says he's a Rutland, sir."
Ginger was taken along the dark trench to a dug-out lit by acandle-lamp. The lieutenant looked at him. The uniform was German,from helmet to boots: the Iron Cross was on his breast; but the dirty,lined, unshaven face was not that of a German officer.
"Who do you say you are?" said the lieutenant, puzzled.
"Murgatroyd, lance-corporal in the 17th Rutlands, sir: called Ginger,sir: look at my hair."
He removed the helmet. The lieutenant laughed.
"The name suits you," he said. "But what have you been up to?"
"Taking French leave and German toggery, sir," said Ginger. "Begpardon; could you give me a drink? My mouth's that parched. I'm all ofa shake."
Refreshed by a cup of tea, Ginger told his story.
"A regular romance," said the lieutenant. "You're as plucky as you arelucky. By George! I should like to have seen the German taking off hisuniform. He must have been very mad."
"He had a very swanky shirt, sir, but I couldn't stop to take that. CanI get back to my billet, sir?"
"Certainly. I'll send a man with you out of the trenches. You go roundby the church, you know."
"I'll find my way, sir, never fear. If you'd give me a cigarette ortwo...."
"But you'll never get through in that uniform. I can't give you achange. Stay, I'll write you a note; don't wear the helmet."
"No, sir: I'll send it home to the kids, along with the Iron Cross."
"You've deserved that, at any rate. Well, good luck to you. I wish youwere one of my men."
"Thank you, sir."
Somewhere about midnight, Ginger, after certain amusing adventures withthe sentries, knocked at the door of Bonnard's cottage. There was somedelay: then Bonnard opened the door, lifting a lighted candle.
"Bong swar, m'sew," said Ginger. "What O!"
"Ma foi!" ejaculated the Frenchman, throwing up his hands. "C'estMonsieur Ginjaire!"
"Ah, wee, wee! Large as life! Give me some grub, m'sew: la soupe; moreso; anything; haven't had a good feed since I saw your jolly face last."
"Oll raight! Mais c'est merveilleux, epatant! Entrez donc, m'sieurGinjaire; 'ow d'you do! Shake 'and!"
"Got the Iron Cross, m'sew," said Ginger with a grin, flicking thedecoration with his finger-nail.
"Par exemple!" cried Bonnard. "Ah! vous avez fait un prisonnier; vousavez pris un officier prussien, n'est-ce pas? Bravo! 'ip, 'ip, 'ooray!"
There were growls through the closed door of the bedroom adjoining.
"Messieurs, messieurs," shouted the Frenchman excitedly, "c'est quem'sieur Ginjaire est revenu, avec la croix de fer. Eveillez-vous,messieurs, pour le voir."
"Shut up; taisez-vous!" called Harry, sleepily.
"Let 'em wait till morning," said Ginger. "Give me some grub. Don'twant nothing else in all this wide world. I've got a fang, as you callit. J'ai fang, comprenny?"
"Ah oui! Vous allez manger tout votre soul."
"Cheese'll do for me ... What O!"
The door had opened, and Harry appeared, blinking.
"What's all this? ... Great Scot! Where on earth ... I say, Ken, it'sGinger!"
"Shut up and go to sleep."
"It's Ginger, I tell you. Wake up, man. In a German uniform!"
"Ginger, did you say?" cried Kenneth, joining him. "Well, I'mjiggered!"
Ginger, a spoon in one hand, a hunk of bread in the other, grinned asthey rushed to him, clapped him on the back, shook each an arm.
"Don't choke me, mates," he spluttered. "Let me finish this soup, andI'll tell you a story as beats cock-fighting."
"Tuck in. They starved you, I suppose--the brutes!" said Harry. "Let'sget our coats, Ken: it's chilly. Bonnard will make up the fire."
Presently, sitting around the fire, they listened to Ginger's story.
"I was sitting on the wing of that aeroplane, thinking of the missus andkids, when all of a sudden I was knocked head over tip from behind.When I came to myself, there was I strapped in the aeroplane, goingthrough the sky like an express train. We came down in the village overyonder, and they lugged me to a colonel, and he asked me a heap ofquestions, and of course I wouldn't answer, and then they hauled me to aroom, took away my belt and bay'net and boots, and locked me in. Here'sthe end of my milingtary career, thinks I, and only a lance-corporal!
"They gave me some black bread, like gingerbread without the ginger, andsome slops they called coffee; I called it dishwater. I wondered howlong I'd last on fare like that. But just before morning I was woke bya touch on my face, thought it was a mouse, slapped my hand up, andheard a little voice say 'Oh!' If I could only speak French like you!It was the woman of the house. She let me out and took me down to thecellar, and said something which I took to mean she'd give me the tipwhen to get away, but it might have been something else for all I know.Anyway, she didn't come back."
"A very unsafe place, I should think, with Germans," said Kenneth.
"There you're wrong. For why? 'Cos there was no wine there. Thecellar was empty. Hadn't been used for an age, I should think. It wasalmost pitch dark; just a little air through some holes at the top ofthe wall. Well, there I was. The woman had given me some pang andfromarge, and a so of o--rummy lingo the French, ain't it?--and for Idon't know how long I waited, thinking she'd come back and tell me thecoast was clear. But she didn't, and knowing the Germans were all overthe village I didn't dare to stir of my own accord. Besides, whenyou're expecting something, you don't trouble for a time. I was so surethe woman would come when she could.
"Down there in the dark, of course, I'd no notion of how time was going.I heard guns booming every now and again, and sounds in the house above,and being pretty easy in my mind, as I say, I dropped off to sleep.When I woke I finished off my grub, waiting as patient as a monument forthe word to clear. Whether it was night or day I couldn't tell: thereseemed to be someone moving about the house all the time. At last I gothungry and mortal sick of being alone in the dark, and began to wonderwhat I'd do if she didn't come back. Thought I'd try and have a lookround. I felt my way to the door, and came to the bottom of thestaircase. It was light up above, and I heard the Germans talkingoverhead, and didn't dare go up. I decided to wait till night and tryagain. I went to that staircase a dozen times, I should think, beforenight; the day seemed extra long; and even when night came I was dished,for a lamp was burning, and there were more voices than ever, and Iheard someone playing a flute. I guessed they'd sacked the woman forletting me go, and smiled to myself at their hunting like mad for me allover the place.
"But it was no smiling matter there, I can tell you. I didn't sleep awink that night, but kept on going to the staircase on the chance theywere napping above. Not they! And I was getting hungrier and hungrier,and thirsty!--I never knew before what thirst was. I felt seedy, and abanging in my head, and couldn't keep still, going round and round thatcellar till I was nearly mad."
"Why didn't you break out when we stormed the village?" asked Kenneth.
"How was I to know about that?"
"There must have been a terrific row," said Harry. "Close by, too."
"If I'd known I'd have been out like a shot, you bet. But I guess howit was. I must have got fair worn out with traipsing round and round,and fallen asleep at last, and when you go to sleep like that, nothingon earth 'ud wake you. 'Speciall
y being used to the sound of guns inthe trenches. Anyway, when I woke up, I was so mad for food that I saidto myself I'd get out somehow and chance it. I went to the staircase;there was a light above, so I knew it was night, and I began to crawlup. But there was a footstep on the passage, and down I went again, butnot into the cellar; that gave me the horrors. I sat in the dark at thefoot of the staircase, in the hope there'd be quiet above in time.
"Well, I waited hours, it seemed. I heard laughing and talking, andknives and forks going, and that made me mad. I was just going to makea dash for it when I heard the Germans going along to the door. Ididn't hardly dare to hope they'd all clear out, but I waited a bit, andall was quite still, and I crawled up on hands and knees so the stairsshouldn't creak. What I was afraid was that the servants were in thekitchen, but there wasn't a sound; and I crept along the passage.
"There was two doors, one on each side, open. On the right was the roomwhere the officers had been dining. The sight of that table was toomuch for me, famished as I was. I must eat if I died for it. I wasjust a-going to begin when a little sound almost made me jump out of myskin. I snatched up a carving knife and whipped round, and there,across the passage, in the room opposite, was an officer writing at atable, with his back to me. Quick as lightning I thought if I couldonly get into his uniform I'd have a chance of getting through theirlines in the dark. I listened: the house was quiet as a graveyard: andwith the carving knife in my hand I stole across the passage."
He described his brief operations with the German lieutenant and hissubsequent proceedings.
"And all I want now," he concluded, "is a photo of that Frenchwoman tosend to the missus, and I hope she've come to no harm."
"You're a trump, Ginger," cried Harry, clapping him on the back."You've certainly won that Iron Cross."
"It'll do for the kids to play with," remarked Ginger. "Myself, Iwouldn't wear the thing the Kaiser gives away by the ton. Ah! I said Ionly wanted one thing, but there's another."
"What's that?"
"Why, to find that farmer that helped the German chap to strap me to theaeroplane. And he pretended to help us hunt for him. He's a spy,that's what he is."
"He was taken into our lines. I don't know what became of him," saidKenneth. "You must tell the captain to-morrow all about it, and he'llmake enquiries. You must be fagged; get to bed. Our men will be jollyglad to have you back again."
Ginger's feat made him the hero of the battalion. The colonel promotedhim full corporal, and sent a messenger at once to the Wessex regimentto enquire what had become of the farmer. The reply was that the Frenchauthorities had nothing against the man, who had lived in theneighbourhood for years, and he had been allowed to return to his farm.Colonel Appleton at once resolved to arrest him.
"We had better do everything in order," he said, to Captain Adams."We're in France, and the authorities might feel hurt if we dispensedwith them. I'll get the police commissaire of the district to take thematter up as there are no French military officers within thirty miles:it will save time. Tell the Three Musketeers to be ready to go with himto identify the man."
Later in the day the summons came. The three men found Captain Adams inthe company of a stout little spectacled functionary, resplendent in atri-colour sash, and two red-trousered gendarmes. The police commissarynot being on the spot, the maire of the neighbouring town had undertakenthe task. He had been a sergeant in the army of 1870, and was full ofzeal. A motor-car was in waiting. Into this the party crowded.Ginger, clad in a new uniform with the double stripe on his sleeve,fraternised with the gendarmes at once, and conversed with them on theback seat in a wonderful jargon. Kenneth and Harry, as moreaccomplished in French, sat with the maire in front.
He was a fussy little man, proud of his antiquated military experience.Inclined to dilate on the details of his service under Mac Mahon, he wasadroitly led by Kenneth to the business in hand. Then he was full oftactics and strategy.
"We must proceed by surprise, messieurs," he said. "That is a soundprinciple. I know the place well. We will stop at some distance fromthe farm house, and advance through the wood in skirmishing order,myself in the centre, the gendarmes supporting me, and you Englishgentlemen on the flanks. Thus we will converge upon the rear of thefarm house, taking care to arrive simultaneously, and carry the place bya coup de main."
It occurred to Kenneth that there were defects in this plan, and thattheir object was to arrest a spy, not to carry a fortress. But he deemedit best to say nothing. The maire evidently liked the sound of his ownvoice, and was bursting with elation at having the conduct, after fortyyears, of what he regarded as a military operation.
"By this means," he went on, "we shall cut off the enemy from his lineof retreat, which would afford him good cover if he could reach it.That I take to be sound tactics, messieurs."
About a mile from the farm house, on a hillside above the wood behindit, they came upon a shepherd tending two or three sheep. He looked upas the car ran up the hill, called out, "Bon soir, monsieur le maire!"and watched the car as it descended on the other side. It stopped atthe foot, the six men got out, and set off across the field towards thewood. The shepherd, a big man with a wart on his nose, instantly tookto his heels, and running downhill on the near slope, out of sight ofthe maire's party, made at full speed for the wood, about a quarter of amile from the spot where the maire would enter it.
Meanwhile the maire had halted, and was impressively declaring his finalinstructions.
"You will advance cautiously through the wood, with the silence offoxes. Take cover, but preserve a good line: that is a sound principle.When you hear my whistle, advance at the double, converging on thecentre--that is myself. It is well understood?"
Kenneth explained all this to Ginger, who rubbed his mouth and said:
"He don't happen to be General Joffre, I suppose! I reckon we three 'uddo better without him."
"We're under orders," replied Kenneth. "We must look out for our chance.Of course he ought to have sent some of us to the other side."
"He ought to have stayed at home to mind the baby," growled Ginger."However!"
They extended, crept through the wood, and at the given signal dashedout upon the farm house. The maire was left far behind. The doors wereopen, back and front. Ginger was first in at the front, Harry at theback. The house was deserted. In the kitchen the table was laid for ameal; there was hot coffee in a pot: one of the cups was half full. Theoccupants had evidently left in haste: the surprise had failed.
The Englishmen rushed out, and Ginger collided with the maire, who waspuffing and blowing, partly from haste, partly from fury at having beenoutstripped.
"My fault, m'sew," said Ginger, picking him up. "They've bunked."
Kenneth translated, soothingly.
"They must have escaped by the front while we approached from the rear,"he said.
"My plan was sound. It would have succeeded if they had waited," saidthe maire. "And we gave them no warning: it is incomprehensible."
Meanwhile Harry, Ginger, and the gendarmes were scanning theneighbourhood, hastening to various points of vantage. Suddenly Gingergave a shout. Far to the right, along the road by which the motor lorryhad been driven, three cyclists were pedalling at full speed away fromthe farm. The rearmost was a big man, like the shepherd whom the partyhad passed on the hill. As soon as Harry saw them, he squared his elbowsand ran towards the motor-car, nearly a mile away, shouting to Ginger toinform the others. By the time he drove back in the car, the maire haddecided on pursuit, and was making calculations of speed. In a fewmoments the car was flashing along the road. But the cyclists had hadeight or nine minutes' start. There was no sign of them. They hadevidently quitted the road and made off by one or other of the by-pathson each side, along which, even had their tracks been discovered, thecar could not follow them.
"We're done, all through him!" growled Ginger, in high indignation, witha jerk of his head towards the maire.
r /> That little man was explaining to Kenneth that the soundest principlessometimes fail in practice through unforeseen contingencies.
"But they will not dare to return to the farm house," he said, "so thatwe have accomplished something."
They returned to the village. Kenneth gave the colonel a faithfulreport of the expedition. Colonel Appleton let out a hot word or two.
"Next time we have an arrest to make we'll do it first and consult thepolice afterwards," he said.