CHAPTER XXV
BACK AGAIN
It was Ruth who finally remembered to order dinner sent up.
Her letter, read, of course, by the mildly suspicious old general, hadserved to release Tom from present espionage. There was not even aguard in the corridor when, just before nine, the "brother and sister"left the rooms and strolled out of the hotel into the streets.
They walked several blocks until Tom was assured they were not spiedupon. Then quickly, through several short but crooked side streets, heled Ruth to a garage in an alley. He tapped a signal on the door. Thelatter slid back.
The purring of a motor was heard. A man silently got into the driver'sseat. Tom helped Ruth into the tonneau and got in himself.
"You have your papers, Captain?" asked the count softly.
"Yes. They did not take them from me."
"And the lady's?" said the other. "If we are halted you know what tosay?"
"Quite," returned Tom in German.
The car rolled out of the garage, the door of which closed as silentlybehind them as it had opened. Ruth made up her mind that Merz wasquite as infested with French spies as the towns behind the Frenchlines were infested with those of the Germans.
The car left the town quickly. She remembered the road over which shehad traveled that morning. They entered the Marchand estate by thesame rear gate where only one sleepy guard hailed them and did not evenlook at the papers when he observed Tom's uniform.
"Farewell," whispered the count as they approached the gardener'scottage. "I may not see you soon again, Captain. Nor the Fraulein.Best of luck!"
They alighted. The car wheeled and was gone. Good Frau Krause metRuth at the door, hurried her up to the small room and there helped herinto the uniform of the sub-lieutenant of Uhlans.
When Ruth came down into the parlor of the cottage she found two otherofficers of apparently her own regiment awaiting her. Tom rushed toher. But she only gave him her hand.
"Manifestly this is no place for renewed protestations of brotherlyregard, Tommy," she said demurely. "I presume we have to go throughall the difficulties we did last night, Major?"
"And quickly," muttered Major Henri Marchand, looking away from them."There is something on foot. I should not be surprised if the promisedattack and advance under barrage fire is to begin before morning."
"I am ready," the girl said simply.
"Here is the car I sent for," the Frenchman said, raising his hand ashe heard the automobile without. "You ahead, Captain. Remember, youare our superior officer."
They filed out. The car which the major and Ruth had used in reachingthe gardener's cottage from the German front stood panting on thedrive. The three got in.
They wheeled around, boldly passing the front of the Marchand housewhere the general and his staff lived and where Tom had been anunwilling guest for three days, and so reached the main entrance of theestate.
Here their papers were scrutinized, but superficially. Captain vonBrenner's name was already known. Leutnant Gilder and Sub-LeutnantLouden were remembered from the previous evening.
The car started again. It slipped between the massive stone posts ofthe gateway. It sped toward the front. But all the peril was yetahead.
"How can we get through the German trenches if they are already filledwith the shock troops that will be sent over following the barrage?"asked Tom.
"We must beat them to it, as you Americans say," chuckled the major,whose spirits seemed to rise as the peril increased.
And he prophesied well in this matter. They were, indeed, in thetrenches before the reserves were brought up for the planned attackupon the American lines.
The trio of fugitives left the car at the wayside inn. They found thehidden hut and made their changes into rubber suits, an outfit beingproduced for Tom by the indefatigable Major Marchand.
Through the shrouding darkness they went in single file to the wooddirectly behind the trenches. As on the previous night the French spyhad secured the password. Three men with an evident objective "upfront" were allowed to pass without question.
Once "over the top" they lay in the field until a patrol went outthrough the wire entanglements to spy about No Man's Land. The threejoined this party, but quite unknown to its leader.
Once on the black waste at the edge of the morass, the three fugitivesseparated from the German patrol and slipped down into the low ground.Major Marchand found the path, and, for a second time, there began forRuth that wearisome and exhausting journey through the swamp.
This time, what with her failing strength and the excitement of theventure, Ruth was utterly played out when they reached the log whereonshe and the major had rested the night before.
"We'll carry her between us--chair fashion," suggested Tom Cameron."That is the way, Major. Interlock your hands with mine. Lean back,Ruthie. We'll get you out of this all right."
It was a three-hour trip to the American trenches, however, and, aftera while, Ruth insisted upon being set down. She did not want tooverburden her two companions.
At the listening post an officer was sent for who recognized MajorMarchand and who took Tom and Ruth "on trust." The major, too, sentthe word up and down the trenches by telephone that the expectedadvance of the Germans was about to occur.
As the three passed through the American lines, after removing therubber suits in the dugout, they passed company after company ofAmerican troops marching into the trenches.
Tom left Ruth and the major at a certain place to report to hiscommander. But he promised to be in Clair the next morning to satisfyHelen of his safety.
It was almost morning before the major and Ruth secured transportation,the one to the Clair Hospital, the other to the chateau on the hillbehind the village. But it was an officer's car they used, and itcovered the distance less bumpily than had Charlie Bragg's ambulance.
"Mademoiselle," said Major Henri Marchand in his most punctilious way,"it is in my heart to say much to you. I approve of you--I admire you.Your courage is sublime--and your modesty and goodness equally so.
"Forgive the warm expressions of a Frenchman who appreciates yourattributes of character, as well as your graces of person. Believe meyour friend forever--your devoted and humble friend. And I trust yourfuture will be as bright as you deserve."
The day was just breaking as he thus bade her good-bye and RuthFielding alighted from the machine at the gateway of the hospital.
She stood for a minute and watched the car disappear in thesemi-darkness with this faithful soldier of France sitting so uprightupon the rear seat. And she had once suspected him of disloyalty!
The sentinel presented arms as she went in. She climbed wearily to herown little white cell that looked out toward the battle front. Alreadythe guns had begun--the big German guns, heralding an attack for whichthe Americans were prepared, thanks to Tom Cameron!
The thundering echoes awoke Helen and Jennie. They scurried intoRuth's little room to find her sitting on the side of her cot sippinghot tea which she had made over her alcohol lamp.
"Where _have_ you been?" cried Helen. And Jennie chimed in with:
"Two whole nights and a day! It is disgraceful! Oh, Ruthie! Are youreally wedded?"
"I am wedded to my work," replied the girl of the Red Mill quietly.
"Dear, dear! How original!" drawled Jennie.
"What are those guns?" demanded Helen. "Aren't they going to stoppretty soon?"
"They have merely begun. You are here in time to witness--from aperfectly safe distance--a German drive. This sector will be plowed byhuge shells, and our brave boys in khaki will hold the German hordeback. It will be one of the hottest contested battles our boys haveexperienced."
"Pooh! How do you know?" scoffed Helen.
"I warrant it will all be over in an hour," added Jennie. "What do youknow about it, Ruth Fielding? You haven't been over there to find outwhat is in the mind of the Hun."
"_Haven't I_?
"
Ruth Fielding hesitated. Should she tell them? What would these, hertwo closest girl friends, say or think, if they knew what she had beenthrough during the past thirty-six hours?
Suppose she should picture her adventure to them--just as it hadhappened? Suppose she told them of her long journey with the Frenchmajor across No Man's Land?
"Where is Tom? Did you get word to him?" Helen asked.
"He will be here this morning to see you," Ruth said, and then wentback to her thoughts of her adventure.
"Goody! Dear old Tom will take us around and show us the big shellholes--and all," Helen declared.
Shell holes! Ruth remembered the shell hole in which they had changedsteel helmets before and after crossing the swamp. How she must havelooked in that shapeless rubber garment and steel hat!
"What under the sun are you laughing at, Ruth Fielding?" demanded Helen.
"Yes. Do tell us the joke," drawled Heavy Stone.
"I--I was ju-just thinking of how fun-funny I must ha-have looked in ahat I had on since I saw you girls!" Ruth was hysterical.
"Well! I never!" gasped Jennie.
"Dear me, Ruth," Helen said, admonishingly. "I wonder you are solight-minded at such a time as this. You are laughing when thosehorrid guns may be throwing shells right among our poor boys. Dear,dear! I wish they would stop."
Ruth gazed at Helen with a far-away look in her eyes.
"I'm not laughing," she said slowly. "Far from it!"
"Yes, but you did laugh!" burst out Jennie.
"If I did, I didn't know it," answered Ruth. "I was thinking ofsomething else. Oh, girls, not now--to-morrow, perhaps--you may knowabout it. Now I'm tired, so tired!"
The two girls, at last realizing that something out of the ordinary hadoccurred and seeing how near the end of her strength Ruth really was,petted her, made her as comfortable as possible, and finally left herto rest, telling her they would still take charge of the supply room,so that the girl of the Red Mill need not take up at once her duties inthe hospital.
THE END
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