CHAPTER IX
D.C.M.
The two men had almost reached the clump of trees when they heard thethud of horses' hoofs approaching them from the front. They instantlydropped flat into one of the furrows of the stubble field. Two horsemengalloped round the corner of the clump, and rode down towards therailway, passing within twenty yards of the fugitives.
Waiting breathlessly until the horsemen had gone out of hearing, the twogot up, and, still bending low, hurried over the few yards between themand the clump and plunged among the trees.
"We shall have to get back to-night, by hook or crook," whisperedKenneth. "They'll track us down as soon as it is light.... Listen!"
From beyond the clump came the steady tramp of a considerable body ofmen. Was it possible that the Germans were on their track already? Fora few moments they were unable to decide in what direction the men weregoing. The sounds became gradually fainter, receding towards therailway. Apparently a detachment had been dispatched towards the sceneof the conflagration.
They stole towards the western side of the clump, and, standing withinthe shadow of the trees, looked out across the country. The moon wasstill up, obscured at moments by drifting clouds. Far ahead, a littleto their left, they could just distinguish the tower of the ruinedchurch. Still farther to the left the moonbeams revealed the roofs ofthe small village which the church served, and in which, no doubt,German soldiers were billeted. Lying on the eastern slope of a lowhill, it was invisible from the British lines, but Kenneth rememberedhaving seen its position marked on the map.
"It's past two o'clock," said Kenneth, glancing at his watch. "The moonwon't go down for hours, and it will be light by six. We simply must getback before sunrise. All we can do is to creep along the shady side ofthe hedges and take our chance."
After a good look round, they left the trees and hurried to the shelterof the nearest hedge. Being now on lower ground, they could no longersee the church: but they judged their general direction by the compass,and made their best speed. Once they found themselves in a fieldcompletely surrounded by a hedge. Forcing their way through at the costof many scratches, they fell some five feet into a ditch that the hedgeconcealed, and sank over their ankles in slimy mud. They scrambled upthe other side, the brambles tearing their skin and clothes, and trampedon again.
It was nearly an hour before they came once more in sight of the church,farther to the left than they had expected. Their best course seemed tobe to try to find the communication trench by which they had come.Keeping always on the shady side of the hedges, they paused only toglance towards the tower, to see if the light was still showing, thenturned their backs on it and hurried on.
They came to a stretch of open ground on which there was no cover of anykind, and knew that they were now near the trenches. The mostnerve-racking portion of their journey was before them. They dared notgo erect, in the moonlight. If they should stumble unawares upon anoccupied trench it was all up with them. Throwing themselves on theground, they crawled forward by painful inches, stopping every fewseconds to listen. Once the scurry of some wild creature across theirfront tightened their hearts and sent a cold thrill along their spines.Presently they heard the murmur of voices on their right, and instantlyedged to the left, only to be brought to a check after a few minutes byvoices in that direction also. Had the rearmost trenches been mannedduring their absence?
Aching in every limb, they crawled still more slowly over the ground.At last they encountered a ridge of broken earth, and stopped, holdingtheir breath. There was no sound near them; faint murmurs came from adistance. Harry cautiously raised his head, crept forward a few inches,and whispered--
"A trench!"
They peered over. The trench was empty. Sliding into it, they ran alongto the left, and presently struck a trench at right angles. This toowas empty. They halted at the corner to listen, then hurried alonguntil they had almost reached the second trench. A man, by his figurean officer, turned from it into the communication trench, and walkedrapidly towards the firing line. They pressed themselves against thewall.
"Making his rounds," whispered Kenneth. "Our best chance is to followhim."
"We've come right," said Harry. "There's the water."
A bank of cloud veiled the moon. They hoped it would not pass for thefew minutes during which darkness would be so precious a boon. Theyheard the officer splashing through the water at the further end of thetrench, and crept after him as rapidly as they dared. He turned intothe firing trench. Voices were heard. There was great risk in crossingthe trench, and it occurred to Harry that it would be less dangerous toclamber over the embankment on their left and wade through a few yardsof the pond, which could not be very deep thereabout. If the moonremained in cloud, they would not be seen from the trench behind thepond. Accordingly, two or three yards from the angle of the trenches,they swarmed up the bank, and began to let themselves down on the otherside, clinging to the earth so that they should not drop heavily.
Then fortune deserted them. The earth crumbled in Kenneth's grasp, andhe fell into the water with a great splash. Harry at once flung himselfface downwards, and the two crawled through several inches of watertowards the dry land. The light was increasing as the thinner end ofthe cloud moved slowly across the moon. Crushing their inclination tojump to their feet and sprint over the ground towards their trench, theyscampered along on all fours. And then the unveiled moon flooded thescene with light.
Shouts came from behind them. Shots rang out, and pattered around them.A bullet carried off the heel of Harry's boot. Still they wriggled on.They were conscious of sounds in front. The trench was alive. A handgrenade fell just behind them, bespattering them with earth. Yard byyard they dragged themselves over the ground; here was the wireentanglement. As they drew themselves under it, a bullet struck one ofthe tin cans suspended from the top. There were only a few yards now.From right and left a hail of bullets flew from the British trench.They reached the parapet.
A LONG WAY BACK]
"Steady!" whispered Kennedy. "Keep flat for a moment."
But the caution was vain. After coming a hundred yards under fire theythought of nothing but the safety of the trench. They crawled on, overinto friendly arms. Bullets sang around them.
"Pipped!" exclaimed Kenneth, as something stung his shoulder.
But next moment they were safe, dropping exhausted on to the banquette.And then the air was rent by a storm of cheers hurled defiantly at theGermans.
"Good men!" said Kennedy, as he helped Kenneth to pull off his coat."You're a lucky fellow, by George! It's little more than a graze. Ididn't expect to see you back. Ah! here's the captain."
Captain Adams came up.
"Amory hurt? A mere scratch, I see. It was a tight moment. You seemedan age crawling up. But come now, have you anything to report?"
"Ammunition depot blown up, sir."
"That was the row we heard, then," the captain interrupted. "We thoughtit must have been an accident, as no firing was going on at the time."
"And to the best of our knowledge and belief, the gun is done for."
"You don't say so! Talk, man; a round unvarnished tale deliver. Oh,but this is good!"
The captain was evidently excited. Kenneth and Harry between themrelated the whole sequence of their adventures, to an audience of thecaptain, two lieutenants, and as many men of the platoon as could comewithin earshot. When the story was finished, another roar of cheersburst forth, which was taken up along the trench far on both sides,though the most of the shouting men could not have known as yet whatthey were cheering for.
"A dashed fine piece of work," said the captain, warmly. "It's afeather in the cap of No. 3 Company, and certain promotion for you twomen. You'll have to see the colonel to-morrow, when we get back tobillets. Go into the Savoy and sleep; you deserve a day's rest, and youshall have it."
When they reappear
ed among their comrades next day a broad grin welcomedthem.
"You do look uncommon pretty," said Ginger. "I never see anyone likeyou except once, and that was when a chap I knew got drunk at the fair,had a fight with another chap, tumbled into a blackberry bush on the wayhome, and was found by a copper in the ditch after it had been rainingall night. Your best gals would fair scream at the sight of you. 'OhGeorge, dear, where did you get them scratches? You've been a-fighting,you horrid creature, you!' 'No, Sally, I've had a little bit ofmisfortune.' 'Rats! You won't get over me. I'd be ashamed to be seenalong of you, with a face like that. I'll walk out with Bill nextSunday, so there!' And off she goes, and on Monday morning you get holdof Bill and spoil his beauty for him, and then there's a pair of you."
Everybody laughed, and the two dirty and disfigured objects concernedunderstood that that was Ginger's way of paying a compliment.
On returning to the village at the close of the day, they had only justwashed and got rid of some of the mud from their clothes when thecolonel sent for them. They had to repeat their story.
"I don't happen to have any Iron Crosses," said the colonel, "but I'mgoing to recommend you for commissions. Officers are badly wantedstill, and you've got over that nonsense of a few months back?"
"Not at all, sir," said Kenneth. "We're bound by our promise."
"Ridiculous! I don't mean that you are ridiculous to keep your word,but to give such a promise was a piece of confounded stupidity. Why,goodness alive! after what you've done the men would follow youanywhere."
"It's very good of you, sir," Kenneth replied, "but really we must stickto what we said."
"Not that I want to lose you from my regiment. Well, I shall have toget Captain Adams to give you your stripes. You won't object to that?"
"I'm afraid we must, sir. You see, anything that gave us a lift overthe other men would be a breach of the understanding."
"Well, you're a couple of young jackasses. I hope I'm a man of my word,but---- Oh well, have it your own way! Virtue shall be its own reward.You've relieved the whole battalion of a great worry and danger, and I'muncommonly obliged to you."
It was not until some weeks later that the two friends learnt that theirnames had appeared in the _Gazette_ among a list of men recommended forthe distinguished conduct medal. Their refusal of promotion had becomeknown to their comrades, and it was observed that Ginger and some of hisfriends often had their heads together, and appeared to be conductingdelicate negotiations with the men of the other platoons.