CHAPTER XXII THE MAN WHO SAVED PARIS
The officer stared, as well he might. It was a most unprecedented thing,and almost unbelievable, that important dispatches should have beengiven into the hands of a party of mere American boys who happened to bewearing the uniforms of Scouts, to be delivered, while there was yet aFrenchman alive to volunteer for the duty.
“Do you mean to tell me this is true, and that you have carried theseprecious papers all the way here to Headquarters?” he exclaimed.
For answer Thad drew forth the packet, and held it out to the officer.
“Here it is, just as the messenger gave it into our possession,” heexplained.
“And the car?” continued the other, even as his fingers closed upon thepacket.
“A patriotic French gentleman who was already using it in the service ofFrance donated it willingly for the purpose when he learned of the greatneed,” Thad went on.
“And you have been under fire too, I should say, for I can see where thebody of the car has been torn by something like a bursting shell!” criedthe other, as he allowed his admiring glance to rest once more on theresolute face of the boy at the wheel.
“But we are unharmed, and you have the dispatches, M’sieu!” returnedThad, significantly.
“Wait here until I return!” snapped the officer, with which he turnedand went off on a run.
The agony was over. Bumpus could smile again now, and gradually get hiscustomary high color back. So they continued to sit there and wait. Itseemed very calm and delightful around them, for they were really atsome distance from the fighting line. How strange it seemed that thecommander-in-chief should be so far removed from the front, with all itsdreadful noise and confusion. Here, surrounded by his maps, he couldpace up and down in the little humble building where he had taken up hisstation, keep his finger on the pulse of the whole extended front, knowaccurately just how things were going, send hurry calls to this generalor that, make any necessary changes in arrangements to offset some moveon the part of the foe; and in fact manipulate the movements of half amillion men as though he sat at a chess board with a comrade, under thesoft rays of the evening lamp, to play a mock battle with bits of dumbivory instead of living, breathing, suffering human beings.
To Thad in particular it was most wonderful, the quiet and repose ofthis thing; and he knew how it marked a vast change in the order ofevents since those days of our own Civil War, when a general sat uponhis horse, as did Grant at many a battle, smoking his cigar, watchingthe play of events through his glass, receiving constant reports broughtby couriers on horseback and personally directing the arrangements.
“Nowadays,” remarked Giraffe, also mindful of the great change that hadtaken place, “it’s the field telephone that takes the place of thewigwag work; while sky scouts in aeroplanes observe all that is going onbelow, to send messages to the gunners just how to direct their fire.But here comes our friend the colonel back to us.”
“And he seems to be smiling pleasantly too,” observed the gratifiedBumpus, to whom that fact implied a great deal.
“Leave your car at one side of the road here,” said the officer as hearrived alongside. “It will be safe in the charge of these men, to whomI shall give an order to that effect. General Joffre has asked me tofetch you to him. He is interested especially because you are Americans,and also only boys. He wished me to tell you that he will gladly shakehands with you, though his time is too precious to grant you more than aminute just now.”
“Oh! that is a great honor!” exclaimed Giraffe, immediately leaping overthe side of the car in his haste to alight.
Thad lost no time in carrying out the instructions given him. He movedthe car further to one side, so that it might not obstruct the road.They hoped to be able to continue their journey all the way to Paris inthat same car; but should it be needed in a military sense for otherpurposes, why, some other means must be employed for gaining their ends.
With the officer they walked along, and presently came in sight of thebuilding which the commander-in-chief of all the French forces was usingas his Headquarters.
There was plenty of bustle outside the house. Men came and went. Some ofthem it appeared were mounted on horses that looked lathered with sweatas though they had been whipped and spurred to do their utmost incovering the ground between some front and the place where the stout manheld forth whose genius was directing every move of importance made bythe French along that great battle line. Others used the more modernmethod of covering distances as rapidly as possible, and had motorcyclesthat started off with a rattle like a machine gun at work.
More or less awed by the fact that they were about to be ushered intothe presence of General Joffre himself, the boys fell in behind theofficer. So they passed the guard at the door, who closely scrutinizedthem; but the gesture made by their conductor vouched for their conduct,and they were not stopped.
Once inside and they saw the French commander-in-chief. Bumpus wasgreatly surprised. Could that stout man with the French military cap onhis head, and wearing a white mustache, and who even seemed so genial ashe turned to look toward them, be the great man upon whom all bleedingFrance now leaned in her time of need?
But Thad, more accustomed to reading character, saw in the firm face andthe keen eyes a wonderful tactician, to whom the manipulation of armieswas second nature.
Then they came to where an extended hand greeted them. General Joffresmiled at Thad as he squeezed the boy’s fingers heartily.
“I am interested in your adventure, my brave American boys,” he said tothem. “Some other time perhaps I would like to hear about it in full.You will pardon me if I cut the interview short. France is deeplyindebted to you for your noble assistance. I thank you from my heart inthe name of my country.”
He shook hands with each scout in turn. Then the colonel managed to drawthem away again, knowing that other dusty messengers were coming all thewhile, bringing still fresher news concerning later developments of thefighting; and that even seconds were worth everything to this overworkedman in the flat-crowned military cap, who consulted the colored maps onthe walls, talked with this man and that, gave orders that wereinstantly written down, and through it all seemed to be as calm as astorekeeper selling a bill of goods to a customer.
Stepping back out of the way, they were allowed to remain there for afew minutes just to observe how the weighty matter of directing a dozenarmies could be managed through one chief brain. It was an experiencethat few others could ever say they had passed through. Dozens of thosetalented and “nervy” newspaper correspondents would have given all theypossessed for the privilege of being in that house for just ten minutesor so; it would make them famous for life. But money could not purchasesuch a favor; influence never gained it; and only personal service atthe risk of their lives had allowed Thad and his three chums theinestimable privilege of shaking hands with General Joffre in the midstof his work.
Presently, when he thought they had stayed long enough to be fullycompensated for all they had endured, the officer whispered to Thad thatit was time they retired. So he led the way outside the house.
Of course all of the boys expected that he would now tell them they wereat liberty to enter the car and go their way. Thad indeed had it in hismind to ask how best they had better depart; for if it could be avoidedhe certainly did not want to pass through that battered section of theroad again. Even though the bombardment had ceased, the condition of theroadbed must be such that travel could hardly be a delight.
To the surprise of Thad, and the delight of voracious Giraffe, who itseemed could never get his fill of such things as watching thedevelopments of a battle, the officer made them a proposition.
“General Joffre would do some little thing to show how he appreciateswhat you have accomplished this day, young Messieurs,” he started tosay; “and in the belief that perhaps you might like to see throughglasses what a battle of today looks like he has bidde
n me conduct youto a point of observation near by, where we are watching the ebb andflow of the fighting. Would it please you to accept?”
Of course Giraffe was the first to give an affirmative answer, thoughAllan came along close on his heels; and Thad also added his voice infavor of the proposal. No one noticed that Bumpus fell silent. There wasa great struggle going on in the mind of the stout boy. He had as muchcuriosity as the next one; but those terrible happenings seemed toalmost freeze the blood in his veins.
He plucked at Thad’s coat sleeve, and the other turning found thatBumpus had a look of genuine pain on his again whitened face.
“Oh! I just couldn’t stand it all over again, Thad,” he commencedsaying; “somehow it affects me down in the pit of my stomach, and I seemto have a queer gone feeling I can’t describe. Let me stay here in thecar, please, Thad; and don’t think me a miserable coward, will you, forbacking out this way?”
Thad gripped his hand.
“Sure, I won’t, Bumpus!” he declared with vehemence; “I know better thanto think that. You’ve seen enough of this awful thing. I don’t blameyou, either, and I’m in something of the same fix myself; but Giraffemust see it through; and besides, it is a terrible temptation, becausewe are looking at history being made. Stay by the car then, Bumpus. Itshows your good sense, that’s what.”
Then he hurried off after the other, who had already started. Bumpuslooked as if he already half repented of his decision; but shaking hishead sadly he turned his back upon his chums so that he might not betempted beyond his power of resistance.
Meanwhile the officer had stepped back into the house and soonreappeared bearing several field-glass cases swung over his shoulders.
“These are for the young friends of General Joffre to use,” he told thedelighted boys as he again joined the trio; “he gave them into my handshimself, and said that to me. Now we will make our way over to the hillfrom which observations are being constantly taken.”
Giraffe being a scout who always kept his eyes about him observedseveral things that might have escaped the notice of Bumpus, forinstance. He saw that as far as possible it was managed so that even anair scout sailing over in his Taube aeroplane, and with glasses toassist him, might not learn where French Headquarters was located. Thiswas of course done in order to prevent the possibility of a sudden raidon the part of some Uhlan regiment that had managed to break through theFrench lines; or even the dropping of bombs from a passing airship, withthe hope of depriving the defenders of Paris of the services of thecommander-in-chief.
A wire was cunningly laid along the road from tree to tree, but alwaysin such a fashion that it could not be discovered from aloft. Even thecouriers who came and went tried to conceal themselves as much aspossible, in order to deceive the foe, to whom these signs might betraythe truth.
Soon they arrived at the hill which evidently was being used for anobservation post. Climbing this at the heels of the officer, the threescouts presently found themselves on the crest, where a scene was spreadbefore them well worthy of being written on the tablets of theirmemories as long as they lived.