CHAPTER XX
ON THE RAW EDGE OF NO MAN'S LAND
"Sit down, Mademoiselle," said a low voice. "There is a cushionyonder. Make no sound--at least, not until we are out of the village."
Ruth could only gasp. There was light enough under the ambulance rooffor her to see the speaker creep down from the swinging stretcher. Hemoved very carefully, but his bandages were evidently camouflage.
The jouncing of the automobile made her uncomfortable. Charlie Braggwas driving at his usual reckless pace. Ruth did not even laugh overthe surprise of Helen and Jennie at her departure. She was too deeplyinterested in the actions of the man with her in the ambulance.
He was unwinding the bandage that strapped his left arm to his sideand, with gravity, removed the splints that had evidently been put inplace by a professional hand.
His arm, however, was as well and strong as Ruth's own. She saw thathe wore a familiar, patched, blue smock, baggy trousers, and woodenshoes. He began to look like the mysterious Nicko, the chocolatevender!
Then he unwrapped his head. There were yards of the gauze and padding.To believe his first appearance once might have thought that his jawhad been shot away.
But at last Ruth saw his unmarred face so clearly that she could nolonger doubt his identity. It was Major Marchand. And yet, it wasNicko!
"Pardon, Mademoiselle," said the officer softly. "It is necessary thatI go disguised at times. My poor friend, Nicko (perhaps you saw him atthe field hospital to which you were assigned for a week?), allows meto dress like him and did, indeed, allow me to live in his house attimes. Now he has been removed from his home and fields with the rest."
"I think I understand, Major Marchand," she answered.
"I was much interested in a wounded Uhlan captain who was in thathospital. He began by trying to bribe our poor Nicko, thinking thechocolate peddler too weak-minded to be patriotic. He was mistaken,"and the major nodded. "Had the Uhlan not died of his wounds I believeI should have got something of moment from him."
Ruth shook her head and asked: "Where are you taking me? Oh! Ithought Charlie would have us over then!"
The major smiled. "Our friend, Monsieur Bragg, is faithful and wise;but he drives like Jehu. I have engaged him to transport us a part ofthe way."
"Part of the way to where?"
"To where we are going," Major Marchand replied dryly enough.
"But I was not exactly prepared, Major Marchand," Ruth said. "I am notproperly clothed. I wear slippers and I have no hat."
"Trouble not regarding that," he told her. "It would be impossible foryou to take a wardrobe across No Man's Land. An outfit of properclothing must be secured for you upon the other side."
"Will that be possible?"
"German women still dress in the mode, Mademoiselle. And the garmentsyou wear at Merz must bear the labels of Berlin tradesmen."
"Goodness! I never thought of that," admitted Ruth.
"Somebody must think of all the details," he said gently. "My brotherwill attend to it all."
"Count Allaire?"
"Yes. He is a master of detail," and the major smiled and nodded.
"You speak as though I were sure of getting across," Ruth whispered.
"Have no doubt, Mademoiselle. We _must_ get over. Doubt never won ina contest yet. Have courage."
After another minute of jouncing about in the furiously drivenambulance, the girl continued her questioning:
"What am I to do first?"
"Do as you are told," he smiled.
"We are going toward the front now? Yes? And at what part of the linecan we cross?"
"There is but one place where it is possible for you to get over. Itis at the Savoie Swamps. It is a wild and deserted place--has alwaysbeen. There is a little lake much sought by fishermen in the summersbefore the war started. The shores immediately about it are alwaysmarshy. At this season they are inundated."
"Then, how am I to get through?"
"That you will be able to understand better when you are there," saidthe officer noncommittally.
"Is it open country?" she asked wonderingly. "Shall we be quiteexposed?"
"Not at night," he returned grimly. "And it is partly forest covered,that morass. The guns have shattered the forest in places. But mostof the huge shells which drop into the swamp never explode."
"Oh!"
"Yes. They are very, very dangerous--those duds. But they will not beour only peril in crossing. Have you a brave heart, Mademoiselle?"
"I am going to help Tom Cameron escape," she said firmly.
He bowed and said nothing more until she again spoke.
"I can see that it may be possible for a man to get through thatswamp--or across the lake by boat. But how about me? My dress----"
"I am afraid we shall have to disguise you, Mademoiselle," MajorMarchand said with one of his flashing smiles. "But do not takethought of it. All will be arranged."
This was comforting, but only to a slight degree. Ruth Fielding wasnot a person given to allowing things to take their course. Sheusually planned far ahead and "made things come her way."
She stared out rather stonily upon the landscape. Charlie was stilldriving at his maddest gait. They passed few houses, and those theydid pass were deserted.
"Your Americans, Mademoiselle," said the major, "have prepared for theexpected German advance with a completeness--yes! They have myadmiration."
"But will the attack come?" she asked doubtfully.
"Surely. As I told you, Mademoiselle, we can thank your young friend,Lieutenant Cameron, for the warning. Through his advantage withGeneral Stultz he gained such information. The High Command of theGerman Armies has planned this attack upon the first American-heldtrenches."
"Oh, what will they do to poor Tom if they are sure he is a spy?"murmured Ruth, for the moment breaking down.
"We will get there first," was the assurance given her.
"But his sister--Helen---- Think of it, Major Marchand! She has justarrived at Clair and awaits him there at the hospital. I have notdared tell her that Tom has been caught by the Germans."
"Fear not," he urged her. "There is yet hope."
But every now and then Ruth felt her courage melting. It seemed soimpossible for her to do this great thing she had set out to do. Shefelt her limitations.
Yet it was not personal fear that troubled her. She would have pressedforward, even had she been obliged to essay the crossing of No Man'sLand alone.
At last the jouncing ambulance came to a rocking halt.
"As far as I can take you folks in this old fliver, I guess," drawledCharlie Bragg. "An unhealthy looking place for a picnic."
He twisted around in his seat to look at Ruth. She smiled wanly athim, while the Major got down quickly and offered her his hand.
"Is it all right, Ruth?" Charlie whispered. "I don't _know_ thisFrench chap."
"Don't fear for me, Charlie dear," she returned. "He is Major HenriMarchand. I fancy he is high in the French Army. And I know hismother--a very lovely lady."
"Oh, all right," responded the boy shortly. "One of the family, as youmight say? Take care of yourself. Haven't heard from Cameron, haveyou?"
"That is what I am here for," whispered Ruth. "I hope I shall hear ofhim soon."
"Well, best o' luck!" said Charlie Bragg, as Ruth followed the majorout of the rear of the ambulance.
The evening was falling. They stood at the mouth of a wide gully upwhich the car could not have traveled. The latter turned in a swirl ofdust and pounded back toward the rear. When it was out of sight andthe noise of it had died away, there did not seem to be any other soundabout them.
"Where are we?" asked Ruth.
"Let us see," returned Major Marchand cheerfully. "I think we shallfind somebody up this way."
They walked up the gully some hundreds of yards until they finally cameout upon a narrow plain at the top. On this mesa was a ruined dwe
llingof two stories and some shattered farm buildings.
"Halt!" was the sudden command.
A man in khaki appeared from a clump of trees near the house, advancinghis rifle.
"Friends," said the major quietly.
"Advance one friend with the countersign."
Major Marchand stepped ahead of Ruth and whispered something to thesentinel.
"Guess it's all right, Boss," said the sentinel, who evidently had noFrench. "But you can't proceed in this direction."
"Why not, _mon ami_?"
"New orders. Something doing up front. Wait till my relief comes onin half an hour. Top-sergeant will tell you."
"But we _must_ go forward," urged the major, rather vexed.
"Don't worry," advised the American. "General orders takes the 'must'out of mustard even, and don't you forget it. If you were a soldier,you'd learn _that_," and he chuckled. "Come on over to the dyke andsit down--you and the lady," and he favored Ruth with an admiringglance.
The American girl did not speak, and it was evident that the sentinelthought her French like her companion. The three strolled along to thegrassy bank behind the trees and directly before the half-ruined house.
Shell fire had destroyed one end of it. But the other end wall wascomplete. On the second floor was a window. The lower sash wasremoved, but in the upper sash there were several small, unbroken panesof glass.
There was the smell of smoke in the air, and the two newcomers spied alittle handful of fire blazing on a rock under the dyke. Here thesentinel had made his little camp, and it was evident that he hadboiled coffee and toasted meat within the hour.
"Great housekeeping," he said, grinning. "When I get back home I guessmy mother'll make me do all the kitchen work. Ain't war what GeneralSherman said it was--and then some?"
"But we wish to hurry on, Monsieur," said the major quietly.
"Nothing doing!" responded the sentinel. "I got particular orders notto let anybody pass--not even with the word. Just stick around alittle while, you and the lady. Toppy'll be along soon."
Ruth wondered that the French officer did not reveal his identity. Butshe remained silent herself, knowing that Major Marchand must have goodreason for not wishing his rank known.
"We got to watch this old ranch," continued the talkative sentinel,nodding toward the half-ruined dwelling. "Somebody thinks there'ssomething besides cooties in it. Yep," as the major started and lookedat him questioningly. "Spies. Those Dutchmen are mighty smart, theydo say. I'm told they flash signals from that window up yonder clearacross the swamps to the German lines. Now, when it gets dark----"
He nodded and pursed his lips. The major nodded in return. Ruthremained silent, but she was becoming nervous. While they were inaction and going forward the suspense was not so hard to bear. But nowshe began to wonder how she was ever going to cross that morass themajor had told her about. And half a hundred other difficultiesparaded through her troubled mind.
They sat upon the bank, and waited. The sentinel continued to march upand down just the other side of the fire, occasionally throwing aremark at the major, but usually with his face turned toward the house,which was distant about five furlongs.
Suddenly Ruth observed that Major Marchand had in his palm a littleround mirror. He seemed to be manipulating it to catch the firelight.Ruth saw in a moment what he was about.
The sentinel stopped in his beat with a smothered exclamation. Hisback was to them and he was staring up at the open window of the house.
There came a flash of light from the window--another! Like lightningthe sentinel raised his rifle and fired pointblank into the opening onthe second floor.
Then, with a shout, he dashed across the intervening space anddisappeared within the house. Major Marchand seized Ruth's hand androse to his feet.