CHAPTER XXII
THROUGH THE GERMAN LINES
Perhaps this was the moment most trying for Ruth Fielding in all thatlong-to-be-remembered night. And the Frenchmen realized it.
Having come so far and already having endured so much, however, thegirl of the Red Mill was of no mind to break down. But the thoughtintroduced into her brain by Major Marchand's last words was troublingher.
As for roughing it in such an admirable garment as this rubber suit,Ruth was not at all distressed. She had camped out in the wilderness,ridden half-broken cow ponies on a Wyoming ranch, and gone fishing inan open boat. It was not the mannish dress that fretted her.
It was the suggestion of the long and arduous passage between theAmerican trenches and the German trenches. What lay for her in that NoMan's Land of which she had heard so much?
"I am ready," she said at length, and calmly. "Am I to remove myskirts?"
"Quite unnecessary, Mademoiselle," replied the major respectfully."See! The garment is roomy. It was made, you may be sure, for a manof some size. Your skirts will ruffle up around you and help to keepyou warm. At this time in the year the swamp water is as cold as thegrave."
Without further question the girl stepped into the rubber suit.Sergeant Tremp helped to draw it up to her armpits, and then buckled itover her shoulders. He showed her, too, how to pull in the belt.
She immediately felt that she would be dry and warm in the suit. And,although the boots seemed loaded, she could walk quite well in them.Major Marchand gave her a pair of warm gloves, which she drew on, aftertucking her hair up under her helmet all around.
The major thrust two automatic pistols into his belt. But he gave hera small electric torch to carry, warning her not to use it.
"Then why give it to me?" she asked.
"Ah, Mademoiselle! We _might_ need it. Now--_allons_!"
Tremp slid the plank back, and they filed out into the trench after hehad looked both ways to make sure that the coast was clear. Ruthwondered what would happen to them if they were caught by an Americanpatrol? Perhaps be apprehended for the spies they were--only theAmericans would think them spying for the Huns!
The major's hands were full. Before the candle had been put out Ruthhad seen him pick up two gas-masks, and he carried these as theystumbled along the duckboards toward the next cross trench.
"Halt!"
A sibilant whisper. Sergeant Tremp muttered something in reply. Thetrio turned the corner and immediately it seemed they were at the backof the firing shelf where--every so far apart--the figures of riflemenstood waiting for any possible German attack. The men in the trenchesat night are ever on the alert.
Nobody molested the girl and her companions. Indeed, it was too darkto see much in the trench. But the sergeant seemed to know his wayabout perfectly.
Little wonder in that. The French had dug these trenches and SergeantTremp knew them as he did the paths in the environs of his nativevillage.
At a dark corner he clucked with his tongue and brought them to a halt.
"This is it, Major," he whispered, after peering about.
"Good!" ejaculated the officer softly. "Let me step ahead,Mademoiselle. Cling to my belt behind. Try to walk in my footsteps."
"Yes," she breathed.
Tremp seemed to melt into the darkness. Major Marchand turned at anabrupt angle and Ruth followed him as he had desired. She knew theywere passing through a very narrow passage. The earth was scraped fromthe walls by their elbows and rattled down upon their feet.
The passage rose slightly. The bottom of the trench they had justleft--the very front line--was all of thirty feet in depth at thispoint. This narrow tunnel was thrust out into No Man's Land and led toa listening post.
At least, so she supposed, and she was not mistaken. Nor was shemistaken in her supposition that Tremp was no longer with them. He wasnot prepared to cross the Savoie morass.
A breath of sweeter air blew upon Ruth's cheek.
"Down!" whispered the major. They almost crawled the final few yards.
There was a quick word spoken ahead and the clatter of arms. MajorMarchand shrilled a whisper in reply.
"Come, my boy," he said aloud, turning to Ruth. "We must step outlively. It is nearing ten o'clock."
"So you take a friend to-night, do you, Major?" asked a good Americanvoice--that of the officer in command of the listening post.
"Aye," was the reply. "A boy to help me bring home the fish I maycatch."
There was a little laugh. Ruth felt herself in a tremor. She knewinstinctively that it would never do for her sex to be discovered.
She was not discovered, however. They stood upon the surface. MajorMarchand took her hand and led her quietly away. The earth about themlooked gray; but the blackness of night wrapped them around. There wasnot a light to be seen.
She realized more by the sense of locality she possessed than by aughtelse that they were on the lowland far beyond that ridge through whichthey had first tunneled after Sergeant Tremp had joined them.
Her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness as they stumbled on. Belowthem and ahead, she occasionally caught the glint of water. It was apool of considerable size. She believed it must be the small lakeMajor Marchand had spoken of.
Suddenly Ruth seized her companion's arm.
"There!" she whispered.
"What is it?" he asked in the same low tone.
"There are men. See them?"
"No, no, Mademoiselle," he told her with a small chuckle. "There areno men standing so boldly there. They are posts--posts to which ourbarbed-wire entanglements are fixed."
"Oh!" she breathed with relief.
"Be not alarmed----" He seized her shoulder as he spoke and so greatwas his sudden pressure on it that he carried her with him to theground.
A shower of flare rockets had erupted from the German trenches. Theysailed up over No Man's Land and burst, flooding acres of the roughground with a white glare.
The major and Ruth lay flat upon the ground, and the girl knew enoughnot to move. Nor did she cry out. For five minutes the eruptionlasted. Then all died down and there was no reply from the Americanside. Major Marchand chuckled.
"That was most unexpected, was it not, Mademoiselle? But have no fear.The first patrol has already been across here to the German wireentanglements to-night, and found nothing stirring. It is not yet thatwe shall run into Germans."
They arose, and the major led straight on again, slowly descending theeasy slope of this hillside. Finally they reached a gaping hole. Ruthknew it must have been made by a shell. It was thirty feet or moreacross, and when they descended into it she found it to be fully twentyfeet deep.
"Now you may show a flash of your light, Mademoiselle," the Frenchmanadvised her. "Thank you. Remove that casque you wear. These wouldattract much attention upon the German side. Here is a German helmetto take the place of the other. I cached them on a former trip. So!Now, over this way. On hands and knees, Mademoiselle."
She followed him, obeying his word. So they crept out of the marmitehole and up under the entanglement of wire. It was plain that thispath had been used before.
Once clear of the barrier, they descended the last few steps to theshore of the lake. There was thick shrubbery here, but Major Marchandled through this to the narrow beach.
"Can it not be crossed by boat?" she whispered.
"This water can be seen from watchers of both armies. Its leastdisturbance--even that occasioned by a swimmer--would draw volleys ofshots from Americans and Germans alike.
"Now, we follow along this narrow beach. Step in my track, ifpossible, Mademoiselle Fielding. And keep within touch of me."
They walked on steadily. Soon the track became soft and sticky. Shesank ankle deep in mire. Then gradually the morass grew deeper and shewas in mud and water up to her knees. Later she was plodding half-legdeep, panting deeply.
The Frenchman wished to get to
a certain place before they halted. Thegirl was almost exhausted when the major leaped out upon a log andoffered her his hand.
"Come up here, Mademoiselle," he whispered. "We shall be dry here--andwe can rest."
She could not speak; but her breathing soon grew calmer. MajorMarchand said, suddenly speaking in German:
"Forget your French, Fraulein--from this point on. The German tongueonly for us."
"Oh! Are we near?" she asked, obeying him.
"Yes. Can you go on again?"
"At once," she declared with confidence.
They walked to the end of the long log. Stepping down, she found thatthe quagmire was not so deep. But for some minutes they continued toplow through it, but walking as softly as possible.
Ahead there was a flash of light. Ruth thought it might be anotherflare, and prepared to drop down in the mud.
But it was merely an electric torch. There were voices--rougher voicesthan those to which Ruth had been used. She caught German words.
Major Marchand drew her behind the huge trunk of a tree. Theresplashed past through the mud a file of bulky figures. When they hadgone, her companion whispered to the girl:
"Fraulein, it is a patrol. We are in good season. Soon we shall bethere."
She was soon able to walk beside him on higher ground. She saved herbreath for continued exertion. They came to a wire entanglementsomewhat similar to that on the American side of the morass. But herea narrow path had been opened for the patrol.
"Halt! Who goes there?" croaked the sentinel.
"_Ein Freund_!"
The major gave the reply in a guttural tone. He stepped forward andwhispered to the sentinel. Evidently he had the password of theGermans, as he had had that of the Americans!
Ruth followed on through the wires. They crossed a narrow field andwere again challenged. Here a sergeant was brought to confer with thedisguised Frenchman. But it was all right. He and his companion werepassed, and they were led on by the sergeant.
They went over several bridges which spanned the front trenches andthen their escort left them. Major Marchand seized Ruth's hand andheld it for a moment.
"Rejoice, Fraulein!" he whispered. "We are through the lines."