CHAPTER X GIRAFFE FACES A SERIOUS CHARGE
Consternation seized upon the boys when Giraffe was thus summarilyarrested, and, in so many words, charged with aiding the enemy in theguise of a spy. Such a serious accusation is enough to frighten even themost valiant heart; for in many cases it means a short shrift and a fileof soldiers, with a kneeling figure against a dead wall.
Thad managed to recover the use of his tongue. He faced the grim soldierwho wore the marks of a colonel, which he probably had won over inAlgiers or Morocco battling with dark-faced Moors or the tribes of thedesert.
“Pardon, M’sieu,” Thad had started to say, “there must be some terriblemistake about this. We are all American boys, as we can prove withoutany trouble. Please give us a chance to explain how we happen to comehere.”
The colonel frowned at first. Evidently he had it on the tip of histongue to say gruffly that there was no time to bother withexplanations, when at any moment his regiment might be engaged in a lifeand death struggle with the invading foe, and that all of them must beput in confinement until later on, when they could be placed on trial.
Just then it happened that the old soldier came under the magicalinfluence of Thad’s winning smile. He set his teeth harder together, asthough resisting the evident blandishment of that frank, eager, boyishlook; but it was no use. Perhaps memories rushed into his mind of somefavorite son or grandson at home. He shrugged his square shoulders,nodded his head, and went on to say, in excellent English:
“I will give you a very brief opportunity to explain, as you call it,young m’sieu. Lead them all to my temporary quarters!”
Several minutes later the four boys found themselves confronting thecolonel and several of his officers. A number of armed privates stoodalongside, where they could seize the boys should occasion arise. Thecommanding officer looked at Thad, and he was still frowning as thoughnot sure that he should go to all this bother for just a quartette offairly grown lads in khaki, who could just as well be sent to the rearunder guard, to await his pleasure when he had less weighty affairs onhis mind.
“Please tell me of what my comrade is accused, M. le Colonel?” askedThad.
“It is all very simple,” replied the soldier, shortly. “This gentleman,whom you see with me, happens to be a confidential agent of mygovernment. He has declared to me most positively that he certainly sawyonder boy in close conversation with a notorious spy of the GermanGovernment, and who has since been apprehended. This, he says, was justtwo days before war was declared by Germany on France and while Pariswas feverish with excitement, for it was on the streets of the capitalhe tells me this meeting took place. That justifies me in making anarrest.”
Thad looked relieved. Grave as the accusation might be reckoned, he feltsure of being able to clear Giraffe, if only the colonel showed anyinclination to be reasonable.
“I do not in the least doubt the intentions of the gentleman,” Thad wenton to say; “and, of course, he believes all he states to you; but at thesame time he has mistaken some other party for my chum here. In thefirst place, we were away up on the Rhine when war was declared. We hadleft the mother of this other chum at a famous sanitarium in Antwerp tobe treated, and we were making a trip down the Rhine in a small cruisingboat when we heard the thrilling news.”
Then Thad went on in a graphic fashion to narrate how they determined tohasten to the Belgian seaport as fast as they could go; with whatperplexing difficulties their passage through that section of Belgiumhad been attended, and how in the end they had been compelled to turnback so as to go through the friendly Netherlands to Rotterdam in orderto get a boat that would take them to the city on the schedule.
Step by step he explained how they found that Mrs. Hawtree had hurriedlyleft the city of Antwerp in the company of the doctors and nursesconnected with the sanitarium and started overland to Paris, where abranch hospital existed; and also how they had followed.
Somehow Thad seemed to tell all this in such an interesting way that hehad the colonel spell-bound. Minutes were passing; the boom of burstingshells could be heard all around them; the Germans were undoubtedlycoming closer and closer all the time, yet he stood there and let theboy proceed to the very end, where he told of the chase along the road,the destruction of the bridge, the coming of the Uhlans, the blowing upof the ammunition wagon by the driver, and last, but not least, how thefield battery shelled the cavalrymen and saved the boys from a prematureend.
It certainly made a thrilling story, and small blame to the colonel forallowing himself to stand there and drink it in. A Frenchman loves tohear of daring, because he himself is by nature adventurous. When Thad,in addition, showed him various letters they had received, which allwent to prove his declaration to the effect that Giraffe would soonercut off his right hand than do anything to betray the interests ofFrance, evidently the colonel had made his mind up.
Turning to the secret agent, he conversed with him in low tones for abrief time. Then he once more faced Thad and held out his hand.
“The gentleman is himself now convinced that he must have made amistake, though he still says it was a boy resembling your friend in aremarkable degree whom he saw talking with the seized German spy. Let usthen forget it. What can I do to show you how French soldiers appreciatetheir American cousins across the sea and also to make amends to you ina measure for having put you to this trouble?”
Bumpus thereupon gave Thad an eager thump with his elbow, and managed tosay, half aloud:
“Don’t forget it’s nearly dinner-time, Thad, and we haven’t had hardly abite since last night in the bargain!”
“M’sieu le Colonel,” said Thad, paying no attention to this imperativedemand from the rear, “all we can hope for is that if we are sent backat least allow us to see something of the battle from some friendlyhilltop. And, believe me, that all the while we watch from a distance weshall be hoping that victory comes to those who are defending theircapital against the invaders. Our sympathies are with the lilies ofFrance!”
That quite completed the conquest of the doughty colonel. He gave Thad’shand an extra squeeze and hastened to say:
“I shall simply insist that you retire from the firing-line. After thatI wash my hands of you, young messieurs from our sister republic. Youshall see how my brave _enfants_ meet the rush of the army that hasbroken its sacred treaties and swept across a neutral country thinkingto catch us asleep. Ah! and you will never forget what glorious deedsthe defenders of Paris expect to accomplish this day, and the next, andthe next, until the invader has been chased back to his strongholdsbeyond the Rhine. I am from Alsace, and our hour has struck for revenge.Yes, and I shall give orders also that you dine with my men in thefield. That is all. Adieu!”
Of course, all of them were greatly pleased with the outcome of theaffair. It had looked rather gloomy for Giraffe at one time, but, thanksto the clever way in which Thad had managed, as well as his insinuatingmanner of speech, they had come out of the trouble with honor. And toBumpus, one of the most pleasing features of the situation was that theystood a good show now to break their fast.
Shortly afterward the boys were allowed to sit down with several minorofficers, who prepared to make a “short dinner” under fire. Soldiers canshow a contempt for danger on occasion; and the fact that an occasionalshell threw up the earth now and then within a hundred yards of wherethey sat did not seem to interfere at all with the appetites of thediners.
The boys had all they wanted of such food as the rations consisted. Twoof the Frenchmen could speak English, and so many questions were askedand answered during the progress of the meal, Thad taking pleasure intelling more concerning the adventures that had fallen to the lot ofhimself and three comrades since they first learned that war had beendeclared.
Afterward they were informed that they must start at once toward therear, as at any time that section of the front might witness a terriblyfierce charge on the part of the oncoming German hosts, so t
hat unarmedboys really had no business to be loitering there.
Recognizing that this was sound logic, Thad led his companions alonganother road, that he had learned had its other terminus in Parisitself. They might expect to meet many detachments of French recruitshastening toward the front, fresh batteries on their way, together withinnumerable motor lorries, tractors drawing loads, ambulances, and otherpetrol-driven army vehicles laden with stores or ammunition, all headingtoward the line where those men in the French blue waited calmly for anew phase of the fight to open.
All of the boys were feeling fairly fresh now, and evidently that mealhad put new spirit in Bumpus for one, since he did not utter theslightest complaint as he trudged valiantly along in the wake of hismore energetic chums.
Thad, after a while, began to keep his eyes about him, meaning to call ahalt if they should happen to come upon a knoll where a view might beobtained of the lower country where those new trenches had been thrownup so hurriedly. What he wanted to be able to say was that he and therest had actually seen with their own eyes some of the movements of thetwo rival armies at this battle for the possession of Paris.
The early September sun was more than half way down toward the horizonwhen the scout leader believed he had found the place he was lookingfor. True, the elevation did not amount to a great deal, for which,incidentally, Bumpus was grateful, because he did hate the worst kind toclimb hills; but it seemed to offer them what Thad called a “coign ofvantage.” Possibly his chums had only a dim idea as to just what thatwonderful expression meant; but nevertheless, they asked no questions;accepting things as they found them.
Really, it was quite a fine view that opened around them. The line ofvision was not obstructed to any extent, particularly toward the north.Here and there, to be sure, lay fields of drifting smoke, showing wherea battery was at work. Smaller patches of the same might indicate theexplosion of great shells; while higher in the air shrapnel patchescould be seen, looking strangely white in comparison with the rest.
“Just the place for us to spend the rest of the afternoon,” Bumpushastened to remark, fearful lest his silence might be misconstrued, andthat the others would figure on looking further.
No one contradicted him, and so it seemed settled that they would remainthere until toward nightfall, at any rate.
The road was far from deserted, because any number of vehicles keptcoming forward and ascending the rise with accelerated speed. Often atthe crown the deeply interested drivers would pause, not to rest theirmotors, but to stare across that stretch of country to where the roar ofguns was ever increasing.
Then, as though some high sense of duty urged them on, they wouldsuddenly start down the descent and speed away for the front. Perhapsfor aught they knew much of the success or failure of the French inholding the oncoming Teuton hosts in check might depend on the promptdelivery of the cargo of ammunition which their particular van wasfetching up for the big guns.
Just then Thad would have given a great deal for a good field-glass, butsince they lacked such an aid to vision, owing to a robbery some timeback, they must get on the best they could without. Giraffe would sufferless than any of the best because of his extraordinary sight; and hepromptly promised to pass along any startling discoveries his advantagein that line might give him.
It may have been half an hour after the four chums located on the crownof that low hill when a sudden increase in the near-by thunder told thema new phase of the operations must have broken out.
Giraffe had been down at a spring they had noticed at the foot of thehill in order to quench his thirst, for the day was pretty warm; and somany vehicles passing along the road caused considerable dust to floatin the air, all of which seemed to irritate that long throat of the tallscout.
He came leaping up to the lookout, his face filled with eagerness. Theothers were already straining their eyes to discover what this uproarmeant; but after all it was the sharp vision of Giraffe that first madean important discovery.
“Sure as you live, the battle is on, fellows!” he exclaimed, excitedly.“Look over there near that ridge and you’ll see what resembles a runningtorrent pouring over the crowd. Well, instead of water, that’s made upof a never-ending stream of men, all in the Kaiser’s gray uniforms.Whee! they’re beginning to show in three other places, too. The woodsare full of ’em, seems like, tens and tens of thousands, and every manof ’em pushing right on through shot and shell!”
Almost stunned by the thrilling spectacle, the four lads stood there andwatched while, doubtless, their hearts pounded like mad against theirribs. Indeed, it would have to be a strange sort of a boy who couldwitness such a wonderful sight without unusual emotion.
Presently Giraffe again broke out. It was as if he could not restrainhimself, and this way of telling his mates what he saw served as anescape valve for his surcharged feelings.
“Now you can see that the French have got busy and are sending everykind of missile right into the midst of the masses of Germans. Everytime a shell breaks it leaves a horrible gap, but only for a second,because the living close it up like magic. Oh! what madness for them tocharge in such mass formations in these days of machine guns andshrapnel and big shells. But that’s the way they’ve been taught, to goforward shoulder to shoulder; and Germans couldn’t fight like our mendo, each on his own initiative. Oh! just see them coming on still, willyou? I believe there must be a million of ’em pouring over that ridge.But the French don’t seem to be giving way a yard, do they?” And then,overcome by his emotions, Giraffe fell silent, though never for a seconddid he take his eyes off the thrilling drama that was being enacted notmore than two miles away.