The lights went out, and presently a new cause for wonder came to theears of the crouching boy.
"Kamerad!"
Could he believe his senses? No, he wouldn't. It came to him veryclearly, that utterance, from the spot where Lieut. Tourtelle stood. Andyet, this was impossible. It must surely have been the enemy soldierwho uttered the word of friendly greeting.
*CHAPTER IV*
*"KAMERAD!"*
"That's a piece of boche treachery as sure as I'm a Yank fighting withthe Canadians," was Irving's speedy conclusion after witnessing thescene exposed by the lights and hearing the salute which he decided musthave come from the enemy scout. "That's the way they work it! They'renoted for treachery of that very sort."
"Kamerad!"
The salute was repeated, scarcely above a whisper, but clear enough forIrving to hear it distinctly. And with the utterance of that wordanother thrill of apprehension, doubt, confusion, electrified the mindand body of the listening scout, who had not been discovered byTourtelle and the boches when the lights illuminated the field,undoubtedly, because he happened to be crouching close to a bush largeenough to cast a shadow about him.
"My!" exclaimed the boy under his breath; "I'd 'ave sworn that word camefrom the very spot where Tourtelle was standing. They can't 'avechanged positions so quickly. And yet, I must be mistaken. Commonsense tells me it must 'ave been the boche who gave that salute. Iwonder what's the matter with my hearing.
"But I'll have to go to that miserable 'shave-tail's' rescue if theother fellow plays a trick on him. I think I'll get close and seewhat's going on."
Irving crept cautiously toward the spot where he had seen the secondlieutenant when the lights blazed forth. The distance was so short thathe fancied he ought to have been able to see both the officer and theenemy scout from his position near the bush. The boche, unless he hadmoved since the lights went out, was a similar distance away from thewatcher and about twenty-five feet to Private Ellis' right.
In a few seconds Irving reached approximately the spot where he had seenLieut. Tourtelle, when the "very lights" illuminated the vicinity, andwas surprised and just a little worried on failing to find him stillthere. Then he began to look around him to see if his eyes could notpierce the surrounding darkness far enough to discover the form of theofficer. His search was interrupted by another startling incident.
Something struck the calf of his right leg a rather severe blow, and theboy gripped his trench-knife in one hand and his pistol in the other,ready to defend himself if attacked. Nothing further of disturbingnature followed immediately, and Irving stooped down to examine theobject that had struck him. It was a short, stout club of the kindknown in No Man's Land as a "persuader stick," which can be usedeffectively, like a policeman's billy, in the dark.
"Who in the world threw that?--not the boche, surely," the boy muttered."It's like the one I've seen in 'the turtle's' possession; but whatcould he want to throw it back here for?"
"Kamerad!"
"There it goes again," buzzed through Irving's head. "I don't believeit's a trap set for me, but maybe it is for the 'looie,' and he may bejust fool enough to fall for it. I owe it to--to--Uncle Sam to savehim, if I can, though I'm afraid Uncle Sam 'u'd be better off without'im."
Private Ellis put his knife and pistol away, gripped his club, andadvanced toward the spot whence the last "kamerad" seemed to have come.As he moved ahead slowly he became conscious gradually that a darkobject stood before him a few yards away. Would he be able to determinewhether it was friend or foe? He was in doubt on this question anddetermined to exercise the greatest care and caution.
He moved around in a semi-circular path to the other side of the objectthat had attracted his attention. But he had scarcely done this whenthe presence of another and similar obstruction to his vision caused himto stop and remain motionless.
This object was moving slowly and with seeming caution toward the otherone. His attitude and manner were not clear because of the darkness, sothat Irving could not interpret his purpose from any such indication.
"Kamerad!"
This time there could be no mistake from whom of the two scouts thesalute came. It was from the one who apparently had thrown his"persuader stick" away, the one who was nearer the spot where he hadseen Lieut. Tourtelle during the illumination.
"What's he doing--surrendering?"
Irving might have suspected that the officer in charge of this patrolwas working a "boche trick" on a boche if it had not been for the factthat he had thrown his stick away. But this act made it appear that apanic had seized him and he was signaling his desire to surrenderbecause he feared to enter into mortal combat with the enemy scout.
"Why doesn't he retreat if he's afraid to fight?" Irving wondered. "Hecould do that with perfect grace, for he's under orders not to fightunless he has to. But he seems to be advancing right toward Heiniewithout any reason for doing it. Maybe he's going to shove a pistol inthat fellow's face, but it looks to me more as if he's lost 'is sensesfrom fright. Anyway, I'm goin' to help 'im just for the sake of UncleSam. I'll hit that boche a tap on the head that'll make 'im see theStar Spangled Banner."
The boy with the club quickened his steps silently, for he was skilledwith the "moccasin tread" even on hobnails. Moreover, the softness ofthe wet earth was in his favor. In about a minute he had stolen aroundbehind the boche, who was advancing cautiously toward the "kameradsaluter."
He was morally certain that the soldier now within ten feet of him wasan enemy, but he resolved to be very careful lest he attack one of hisown comrades. So he continued to approach with the utmost caution,hoping to identify the fellow by an inspection of his uniform. In thedarkness this was an exceedingly difficult thing to do, for there is ageneral similarity in the make of the uniforms of soldiers of mostnations, so that when silhouetted they differ very little to any but akeenly observing expert.
But Irving was not forced to depend alone upon his vision in thedarkness of the night to verify his identification of the two patrolscouts. There was another salute in low tone, and this time an answerwas given.
"Kamerad!"
"Was willst du, hund?"
Crack!
The "persuader stick" in the hand of the Yank swung with sharp impactagainst the head of the boche just under his helmet. The"Canadian-hund" hater dropped in his tracks.
*CHAPTER V*
*"THE TURTLE" IS WOUNDED*
The next instant Lieut. Tourtelle turned and scuttled away as fast as hecould scuttle. Irving's first impulse was to follow him, but he checkedit.
However, knowing well the pyramid fashion in which boche patrols work inNo Man's Land, the boy governed his next actions with caution that tookthis into consideration. The man he had just put hors de combat mayhave been the "apex" of such a "pyramid," which is a very treacheroussort of trap. It is the game of the "apex" to retreat and induce a loneenemy scout to follow him if possible. A short distance on toward theboche trenches, perhaps twenty or thirty feet apart, the distancedepending upon the darkness of the night, are two more Heinies, whoclose in behind like a pair of pincers as the intended victim passes theline of their positions. Still a little farther on are two othersoldiers, the "cornerstones" of the "pyramid," who also close in uponthe victim just as the attack is made. His capture is inevitable.
Irving did not purpose to be caught in any such trap; so he moved awaytwenty or thirty feet from the scene of his victorious exploit andwaited and watched for developments.
They were not long coming. Apparently the Yank's suspicion of a"pyramid trick" was not in error. Apparently also the other componentparts of the man-trap had heard the crack of Private Ellis's club on thehead of the "apex" of the "pyramid," for they soon were gathered aroundthe unconscious form of their comrade and muttering a torrent of "hundcurses."
"Gee! I must get back in a hustle and we'
ll get those Huns," wasIrving's next thought. "No doubt they'll carry that fellow to theirtrench, and necessarily they'll go pretty slow."
He scuttled back to the listening pit even more rapidly, if possible,than "the turtle" had scuttled, and soon was with his comrade scouts.
"Is everybody here?" he asked in a whisper.
"Yes, you're the last one out," Lieut. Tourtelle replied in, Irvingfancied, a sneering tone.
"Then sweep that section right over there"--indicating with his righthand. "There are several boches 200 yards in that direction carrying ina comrade that I cracked on the head."
The other scouts had returned with information of interest to themachine gunners, and presently the "typewriters" were rattling away witha hail of steel-jacketed messages. Cries and groans from severalquarters of the arc swept by the guns indicated the effectiveness of thefiring. Irving was rewarded for his evening's work by hearing severalevidences of hits from the neighborhood of the scene of his adventure.
After the firing, there was a quick retreat to the Canadian front line.They got back before the Heinies were able to collect their wits andconcentrate an answering fire upon the pit which undoubtedly theythought they had recently converted into a combined shambles and tomb.
This last statement is true, but misleading. The patrol did not get backwithout some punishment. One machine gun of the enemy got busy justbefore the scouts leaped back into their trench. Again we aremisleading. One of the returning scouts did not leap into thetrench--he fell. It was Lieut. Tourtelle.
Irving sprang to his aid, lifting the officer to his feet and supportinghim thus. But his efforts were of little use. The wounded man hadfainted.
Another soldier offered assistance, and together they carried him to alighted dugout. There speedy first-aid remedies brought the woundedsoldier back to consciousness, but it was evident that he was severelyinjured.
A telephone call in the dugout soon brought a team of stretcher bearers,and in a short time Lieut. Tourtelle was being conveyed to a Red Crossambulance.
Next day Irving's left shoulder was so sore that he was unable to usethe arm. He tried to conceal his embarrassment, but it was observed bySergt. MacDonald, who reported it to Lieut. Osborne. Then followed anexamination, which proved that the young American's shoulder wasdiscolored and swollen as a result of the wound he received followingthe explosion of minnenwerfer No. 1 near the listening pit early in theevening, and he was ordered behind the lines for treatment.
*CHAPTER VI*
*A LITTLE HISTORY*
Irving was not confined to an invalid's couch at the hospital behind theCanadian lines. His left arm was put in a sling and his shoulderbandaged in hot cloths, frequently changed. It was found that the stonethat struck him had strained and bruised the muscles and ligamentsseverely, so that the subsequent use of the arm had brought about acondition resembling results of a bad sprain.
He was in the hospital a little over a week, and although he was notsubjected to any of the heroic treatment that is administered to many ofthe wounded, yet the exciting thrills that had filled his shortexperience in trench and No Man's Land with "lots of pep and pepper" hada very fitting sequel in his hospital sojourn, very much unlike theusual wearisome wait of the wounded.
As we have intimated, Private Irving Ellis was an American of the UnitedStates brand. His home was in Buffalo, N.Y. His father was a shipcaptain employed by a company that operated a line of passenger andfreight steamers on the Great Lakes. As a result the boy grew up a"fresh water tar." He worked with his father on the latter's boat mostof the time during the summer vacations after he reached his teens.
The steamer of which Mr. Ellis had charge touched at several Canadian aswell as United States ports. In one of these lived an uncle ofIrving's, John Douglas, and the latter's family.
Mr. Ellis had married a Scotch Canadian bride, and as both familieslived near Lake Erie, there was frequent visiting between them back andforth across the mid-water line.
As a result, Irving's best chum of his schoolboy days was his cousin,Bob Douglas. They were about the same age, and both were fond of lifeon the lake. Bob also was given work under Mr. Ellis's command in thesummer when he became old enough to be of service on board.
Soon after England declared war against Germany, Canada began theorganization of an army to aid her mother country in the great fight,and Bob was one of the first to enlist. On the day of his enlistment hewrote a long letter full of fiery patriotism to his cousin over in theUnited States, and perhaps you can imagine the sensation thiscommunication created in the family of the steamboat captain.
But no, you can't, for the big sensation was not immediate. Of course,there was a good deal of excitement among Irving's brothers andsisters--two boys and two girls, all younger than he. Cousin Bob was areal hero in their minds, and Irving envied him. The violation of theBelgian treaty, the storming of Liege and the invasion of France acrossthe Belgian frontier were still fresh in the minds of the peopleeverywhere. The "scrap of paper" was still waving like a red flag inthe face of popular demand for the inviolability of international honor.
Well, two days later, Irving electrified the family circle at thebreakfast table with the announcement that he wished to enlist. Nobodyprotested; nobody approved. In fact, Mr. Ellis had paved the way forhis oldest son's wish by expressing the opinion that the United Stateswould be drawn into the war before it was over. Even the youngerchildren were so imbued with a sense of the seriousness of the greatstruggle as a result of things they had heard father, mother, and olderbrother say, that they just looked awed when Irving's announcement came.
Mr. and Mrs. Ellis had too good sense of the logic of things to start anargument to dissuade their son from his unexpected desire. They ratherdecided upon a plan of silence, which put an end to discussion of thewar in their household. The radical change that suddenly transformedthe family conversations was almost grewsome in its emptiness; thesubstitution of silence for talk frequently became embarrassing. Butthere was one thing that did not stop; that was the arrival of lettersfrom Bob. They came almost with every mail, and Irving devoured themeagerly.
At last the boy was able to stand the embarrassing silence no longer,for the desire to take part in the great struggle against the hosts of ahated military power was growing every day. Mr. and Mrs. Ellis saw theinevitable coming. They knew that they would not forbid their son toenlist when once they were convinced of his deep-seated desire to do so.They could sacrifice their son for a great cause just as well as forcountry.
"Father, mother, I want to go," the boy said one day.
It was an isolated statement, that would have been Greek to one notintimately familiar with the campaign of silence that had preceded. Theconsent was given in silence and the subject was not discussed againuntil Irving began to make preparations for his departure.
He went to Canada and enlisted. Partly through a deliberately plannedpurpose and partly by good fortune, he was able to get into the regimentwith which his cousin was training and a few months later was aboard atransport on a zig-zag, submarine-dodging course for England. Aftertheir arrival in France, Irving because of his training in certaintechnical lines was put in the engineering service, but shortly beforethe occurrence of the events already related herein, he succeeded ingetting a transfer back to his regiment on the plea that he wished to dosome real fighting.
Then for the first time he learned that his cousin had been severelywounded and sent back to Canada incapacitated for further serviceseveral months before. This information came in a letter from Bobwritten at home. Two weeks later, while Irving was in the hospitalrecovering from the injury he received in the listening pit in No Man'sLand, another letter came from his cousin, communicating a seeminglyinnocent but strange bit of news which was destined to have an importantbearing on Private Ellis's future experiences as a soldier.
*CHAPTER VII*
/> *TOURTELLE APOLOGIZES*
But something remarkable and of great importance, affecting Irving'ssoldier career, took place between the time when he entered the hospitaland the time when he received the second letter from his cousin at home.The deep significance of the event did not develop at once, but thenovelty of the thing kept the attention of interest upon it until thereal meaning was uncovered. From that time on the young Americansoldier's war experiences were a succession of thrills, surprises, anddangerously interesting work.
The field hospital to which he was taken consisted in part of a group offarm buildings that might have served as the nucleus of a village ashort distance behind the rear battle line. Everything was slow anduninteresting to him during his first two days at this place. Then camethe first incident in the chain of events that was to mean so much toPrivate Ellis as an American fighter in France.
He received a message from one of the guards patrolling the grounds thata wounded officer in one of the buildings wished to see him. Noexplanation as to why he had been sent for was given by the bearer ofthe message. The head nurse of the building would direct him to the manwho wished to see him, he was informed.
Wondering a little who the officer could be and what was the nature ofhis interest in him, Irving hastened to answer the call. He wasconducted by a nurse upstairs in a former rural residence and into asmall room, little larger than a closet and occupied by a single patienton an army cot.