of them stepped on the nail which had served us so usefully Ifear to think what might have happened. He did so, however, and retiredsnarling and limping.
I believe Tish has given nine o'clock in her report to G. H. Q. as thetime when she opened fire. It was therefore about eight forty-five whenI left the church. For some time before that the cellar across had beenfilling up with the enemy, and the search for us had ceased. By Tish'sinstructions I kept to back ways, throwing a grenade here and there toindicate that the attack was a strong one, and also firing my revolver.On hearing the firing behind them the Germans in the advanced trenchesapparently considered that they had been cut off from the rear, and Iunderstand that practically all of them ran across to our lines andsurrendered. Indeed I was almost run down by three of them.
I was almost entirely out of breath when I reached our trenches, and hadI not had the presence of mind to shout "Kamerad," which I had heard wasthe customary thing, I dare say I should have been shot.
I remember that as I reached the trenches a soldier called out: "Damnedif the whole German Army isn't surrendering!"
I then fell into the trench and was immediately caught in a very rudemanner. When I insisted that he let me go the man who had captured meonly yelled when I spoke, and dropped his gun.
"Hey!" he called. "Fellows! Come here! The boches have taken to fightingtheir women."
"Don't be a fool!" I snapped. "We've taken V----, and I must see thecommanding officer at once."
"You don't happen to have it in your pocket, lady, have you?" he said.He then turned a light on me and said: "Holy mackerel! It's Miss Lizzie!What's this about V----?"
"Miss Carberry has taken V----," I said.
"I believe you," was all he said; and we started for headquarters.
I recall distinctly the scene in the general's headquarters when we gotthere. The general was sitting, and both Charlie Sands and Mr. Burtonwere there, looking worried and unhappy. At first they did not see me,and I was too much out of breath to speak.
"I have already told you both that I cannot be responsible for threeerratic spinsters. They are undoubtedly prisoners if they returned toV----."
"Prisoners!" said Charlie Sands. "If they were prisoners would they besignaling from the church tower for help?"
"I have already heard that story. It's ridiculous. Do you mean to tellme that with that town full of Germans those women have held the churchtower since last night?"
Mr. Burton drew a piece of paper from his pocket.
"From eight o'clock to nine," he said, "the signal was 'Help,' repeatedat frequent intervals; shortly after nine there was an attempt at aconnected message. Allowing for corrections and for the fact that thelight was growing dim, as though from an overused battery, the messageruns: 'Help. Bring a ladder. They have cut the----' I am sorry that thelight gave out just there, and the message was uncompleted."
How terrible were my emotions at that time, to think that our dear Tishhad cut off Aggie's only hope of escape.
The general got up.
"I am, afraid you young gentlemen are indulging in a sense of humor atmy expense. Unfortunately I have no sense of humor, but you may find itfunny. Captain Sands to continue under arrest for last night's escapade.As Mr. Burton is a member of a welfare organization I do not find himunder my direct jurisdiction, but----"
"Then I shall go to V---- myself!" Mr. Burton said angrily. "I'llcapture the whole damned town single-handed, and----"
I then entered the cellar and said: "Miss Carberry has captured V----,general. She asks me to tell you that you may come over at any time andplant the flag. The signaling is being done by Miss Pilkington, who isat present holding the tower. I am acting as runner."
I regret to say that I cannot publish the general's reply.
* * * * *
As the remainder of the incident is a matter of historical record Ishall not describe the advance of a portion of our Army into V----.
They found the garrison either surrendered, fled or under Tish's fire inthe beer cellar, and were, I believe, at first seriously menaced by thatindomitable figure. It was also extremely difficult to rescue Aggie, asat first she persisted in firing through the floor of the platform themoment she heard any one ascending. In due time, however, she wasbrought down, but as any mention of the tower for some time gave her anervous chill it was several weeks before we heard her story.
I doubt if we would have heard it even then had not Mr. Burton and Hildacome to Paris on their wedding trip. We had a dinner for them at theCafe de Paris, and Mr. Burton told us that we were all to have the Croixde Guerre. He insisted on ordering champagne to celebrate, and Aggiehad two glasses, and then said the room was going round like the weathervane on the tower at V----.
She then went rather white and said: "The ladder was fastened to it, youknow."
"What ladder?" Tish asked sharply.
"The rope ladder I was standing on. And when the wind blew----"
Well, we gave her another glass of wine, and she told us the tragicstory. She had fallen behind me, and was round a corner, when she felt asneezing spell coming on. So seeing a doorway she slipped in, and shesneezed for about five minutes. When she came out there was nobody insight, and after wandering round she went back to the doorway and closedthe door.
There were stairs behind her, and when the counter attack came she ranup the stairs. She knew then that she was in the church tower, but shedidn't dare to come down. When the firing stopped in the streets asoldier ran down the stairs and almost touched her. A moment later sheheard him coming back, so she climbed up ahead and got out on a balconyabove the clock. But he started to come out on the balcony, and just asshe was prepared to be shot her hand touched a rope ladder and she wentup it like a shot.
"It was dark, Tish," she said with a shudder, "and I couldn't look down.But when morning came I was up beside the weather vane, and a sniperfrom our lines must have thought I didn't belong there, for he fired atme every now and then."
Well, it seems she hung there all day, and nobody noticed her. Luckilythe wind mostly kept her from the German side, and the sentry couldn'tsee her from the balcony. Then at last, the next evening, she heard himgoing down, and she would have made her escape, but he had cut the ropeladder below. She couldn't imagine why.
Tish looked at me steadily.
"It is very strange," she said. "But who can account for the instinct ofdestruction in the Hun mind?"
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends