CHAPTER IX
A FIGHT IN THE DARK
Jerry and Bob got out of the automobile to go up to read the notice forthemselves. As Ned had informed them, a meeting was called, on whosebehalf was not stated, to protest against the reported action of themilitary authorities in sending recruits to do battle on foreign soil.
“We will defend our own country to the last ditch,” was one of thestatements made, “but we will not send our youth of the land abroad tofight for foreign kings!”
“Bah, that makes me sick!” declared Jerry. “What do they want to do?Wait until the foreign Kaiser comes over here to kill our women andchildren before they’re willing to fight?”
“Looks so,” admitted Ned.
“Well, it won’t look so long!” announced Jerry. “I agree with you, Bob,that this meeting ought not to be held. It’s encouraging sedition. Themilitary authorities ought to know about it.”
“Let’s tell Colonel Wentworth!” suggested Ned.
“Yes, we’ll tell him and also let the recruiting officer in Richfieldknow about it,” agreed Jerry. “The military authorities may want tohave a representative present to listen to the talk. If some of thesepro-Germans get too rambunctious they may get sat on.”
“And I’d like to do some of the sitting!” added Ned.
“I’ll help,” offered Chunky.
“And that will be some aid,” laughed Jerry, as he looked at his stoutfriend.
“Yes, that’s what we’ll do--tell the colonel and the recruitingofficer,” went on Jerry. “I’ve read about some of these meetings beingheld in other places. They are started, financed and encouraged byGerman agents here, the same agents that sent out the warning againstsailing on the _Lusitania_! The wretches! Boys, this meeting ought notto be held!” And there were peculiar looks that passed back and forthamong the three chums.
“Do you remember,” asked Ned, reminiscently, as they motored onward,“that the seniors were going to hold a meeting at Boxwood Hall, once,and that we broke it up?”
“I should say I do remember!” exclaimed Jerry.
“Well--” Ned spoke suggestively.
“Oh,” said Jerry.
Bob’s eyes showed interest.
“Something doing?” he queried.
“Better hang around a bit and watch,” advised his tall chum.
“You get my meaning, I see,” said Ned, with a laugh.
The recruiting officer at Richfield was both interested and delighted atthe call of the boys. He was delighted at getting such fine-appearingrecruits, for the motor boys were above the average in physique, thoughit could not be denied that Bob was a bit fat.
“But a few setting up exercises will take that off you in jig time,”said the recruiting officer.
His interest, too, was keen on getting the information the boys had togive about the pro-German meeting.
“So they are starting already, are they?” demanded Lieutenant Riker.“Well, we’ll have to expect that. However, they must not go toofar--these pacifists and these lovers of the Kaiser. Uncle Sam ispretty easy; too easy, I say, but he has a long arm. I’m much obligedto you boys for the information. I’ll have one or two regular menthere, just to listen and to report to the Department of Justice. Andas for you----”
“Oh, we’ll be there!” exclaimed Jerry. “We wouldn’t miss it. We aregoing to tell Colonel Wentworth about it, and he may have something tosuggest.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he did,” commented Lieutenant Riker with asmile. “Well, I’ll leave that part to you. Now about this enlistment.It’s fine of you to be among the first to come in. There’ll be plentymore too, when they find out a draft is coming.
“Not that it is to the discredit of any one to be in the selectiveservice, as it is going to be called,” he went on. “No higher honor cancome to a man. But the advantage of enlisting is that you can pick yourown branch of service, and that will be of value. Have you boys anyidea where you’d like to be?”
“I’d like aeroplane work,” said Jerry. “We’ve had experience in that.”
“I was thinking of submarines,” put in Ned.
“Why not the artillery?” asked Bob. “You know we had a little to dowith explosives when we went out west to our mine.”
“I see you boys know a little something about all three branches ofthe service,” commented the lieutenant. “Well, perhaps it will bebest for you to volunteer for the infantry at first, and, later, makeapplication to be transferred. You can do this as long as you havevolunteered.”
“That’s what we’ll do,” said Jerry. So, having formally enlisted, withthe consent of their parents, the boys were told that word would besent to them in a few days where to report for preliminary examinationsand training.
“And now we’ll get back and see about that meeting!” exclaimed Jerry.
“I shall be interested in the outcome,” said the recruiting officer.
“I hope you won’t be _disappointed_,” remarked Jerry, with a smile.
Colonel Wentworth was at once interested and indignant.
“The idea!” he exclaimed. “What! allowing a pro-German meeting inCresville? And especially when some of her sons are going to be in thenew army! It’s infamous!”
“What had we better do?” asked Ned.
“We’d better do something to teach these scoundrels a lesson!” declaredthe colonel, who was a good deal of a “fire-eater,” though no finerpatriotic gentleman lived. “I’ll speak to some of my friends, and we’llbe at the meeting.”
“We expect to do the same,” said Bob. “We have some friends, too. We’llall be there.”
“Of course,” went on the colonel, “every man is entitled to his ownopinion, to a certain extent. But I don’t believe that when we are atwar a set of men who, for their own advancement came over here to makemoney, can, when war is declared against the country they used to livein, side with that country and against the land that has given themeverything they have, and has made them everything they are. Thereshould be no more German-Americans! We should all be Americans. Andany meeting or gathering that tends to foster this divided spirit,any gathering of misguided individuals which has for an object theweakening of our righteous war-like spirit, should be broken up.”
“And we’ll attend to the breaking-up!” exclaimed Jerry. “Come on, boys!We’ve got lots to do!”
And for the rest of that day Ned, Bob and Jerry were very busy.
There was a large gathering at the meeting held under the auspices ofthe “Friends of Liberty,” as they called themselves. Just who the primemovers were was not certain, but some men, whose names proclaimed theirformer nationality, whatever it might be now, were actively engaged inmaking the arrangements. Among them was Mr. Schaeffer, who was seenhurrying to and fro from the front entrance to the rooms back of thestage, where the speakers were sequestered.
Ned, Bob and Jerry, with some of their chums, were among the earlyarrivals at the hall. Bob took a survey over the audience and bowed tosome one.
“Some one else we can get to help when the row starts?” asked Jerry.
“It’s Helena,” answered Bob, and he seemed a trifle uneasy. “Say, boys,what are we going to do about the women and girls?” he asked. “Wedon’t want any of them roughly treated.”
“There won’t be any rough treatment,” said Jerry. “All those who wish,will be given a chance to leave the hall peaceably first.
“And then the whole thing may fizzle out. It all depends on the line oftalk the speakers hand out. Lieutenant Riker said we’re not to standfor anything seditious, or that would tend to discourage recruiting. Itmay be that these Kaiserites will only generalize and not particularizeenough to give us cause for action. We’ve got to wait. But don’t worryabout Helena. She’ll be all right, whatever happens.”
Bob seemed easier after this, but it was noticed that his gaze strayedoften toward that section of the hall where Miss Schaeffer sat.
Meanwhile her father and two or three ot
her members of the committeehurried to and fro. If Mr. Schaeffer saw the boys, he did not speak tothem.
The meeting opened peaceably enough with a statement by Mr. Schaefferto the effect that war was a terrible thing, and something to beavoided by all peace-loving people, which was the kind making up thepopulation of the United States. If other nations wanted to engage inbattle, let them, was his argument. But let them keep away from thosewho did not want to fight. Of course, he suggested, there were certainrights which must be upheld, and on these other speakers would dwell.He introduced Adolph Pfeiffer as the principal orator of the evening.
There were a few murmurs as Mr. Schaeffer sat down, but nothingserious. He had not come out strongly enough to warrant any openchallenge, though his weak and lack-of-back-bone policy made some ofthe audience sneer. Ned, Bob and Jerry looked over toward severalregular soldiers seated not far from them. They had been sent byColonel Riker, but they gave no sign that there was any need for actionyet.
Mr. Pfeiffer was a lawyer, and his name indicated his leanings. Hebegan by counseling patience and prudence, and dwelt on the legalaspects of war, what belligerents had a right to do, and what wasagainst international law. Then he spoke of the entrance of theUnited States into the war, and he did not challenge the right of thegovernment to make such a declaration.
“But I do say,” he went on, after a short pause, “that the UnitedStates has no right to send our boys across the water to fight with theFrench and the English against Germany. The United States has no rightto do that!”
“Why not?” some one in the audience demanded.
“Because it is a violation of constitutional rights. We may defend ourland from an invasion, but Germany is not going to invade us. It is notright to send our soldiers to fight her.”
“That’s right!” cried Mr. Schaeffer. “This war is not a good war. Weshould not go abroad to fight Germany. Our country is doing wrong andwe should not uphold her when she----”
“Treason! Treason!” came the cries from all over the hall.
“TREASON! TREASON!” CAME THE CRIES FROM ALL OVER THEHALL.]
“I guess it’s time to start something!” exclaimed Ned, starting to hisfeet. On one side of the hall he saw the soldiers rising. On the otherColonel Wentworth was shaking his fist at the men on the platform, andshouting something that could not be heard.
“There’ll be a riot in a minute!” cried Bob, as he started toward thatpart of the hall where Helena Schaeffer had been sitting.
“There’s going to be a fight, I guess,” said Jerry calmly. And then heyelled: “Let the women and children get out! This is no place for them!”
There were some frightened screams and squeals, and a rush on the partof a number of women to reach the exits. Ushers helped them, and aquick glance showed Bob that Helena had gone with them.
Meanwhile the men on the platform, the German-American speakers, wereholding a hasty consultation. Colonel Wentworth was advancing upthe aisle, calling for three cheers for the stars and stripes, and thesinging of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
“Quiet! Quiet!” roared Mr. Schaeffer, his Teutonic accent coming backto him. “Sit down. You have no right to interrupt this peaceablemeeting, Colonel Wentworth!”
“That’s the trouble with it! It’s too peaceful--too traitorous!” criedthe former soldier. “I call on all good Americans to put an end to thisseditious talk!” he shouted.
“We’re with you to the finish!” exclaimed Jerry.
“Put ’em out!” some one called.
“Don’t stand for any seditious talk!” advised some one beside thecolonel.
Ned, Bob and Jerry kept together. They saw half a dozen soldiers,regulars from the recruiting station, walking toward the platform.
Just then some one threw a chair over the heads of the crowd toward theplatform. It broke some of the electric lights with pops like those ofa distant revolver.
“It’s a shame to stop our speakers!” declared a man next to Jerry, andhis voice was unmistakably German.
“Oh, is it? Say, what kind of an American are you?” asked Ned.
“Chust as goot vot you are!” came the quick answer. “I show you dot youcan’t----!”
He aimed a blow at Ned, who, to guard himself quickly raised his arm,and, in so doing, accidentally struck the German in the face. Thelatter let out a roar, and at once began to fling his arms around likeflails.
“Grab him!” cried Jerry to Bob, who was beside Ned.
In another instant fights started in several parts of the hall, andthere were shouts and yells, some calling for order and others yellingjust from excitement.
“There’s going to be a fight!” joyously cried Jerry. “Stick together,boys!”
An instant later the lights went out, and the fight, spreading to allparts of the auditorium, became general in the darkness. There was thesound of blows, the crashing of chairs, and the shouts of the enragedones.